Features Archive
By the Reverend Roger Carr-Jones Marriage & Family Life Coordinator, Diocese of Westminster The inspiration for this piece comes initially from my reflecting once again on a remarkable art installation by the sculptor Fenwick Lawson commissioned by…Read more
In 2019, Pope Francis addressed 6,000 members of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network in Rome, telling us that ‘the heart of the church’s mission is prayer’. When he invites us all, each month, to pray with him for a specific intention, he…Read more
The people of God, and all people of good will, have many concerns that they want to bring to their prayer, as does Pope Francis; yet some of our prayer may be devoted to his particular intention selected for this month, which is: ‘Let us pray…Read more
The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us: ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven’. This idea of the seasons seems to fit very well, when we come to speak of our life-enhancing relationship with grandparents…Read more
In July, we are invited to pray ‘that, in social, economic and political situations of conflict, we may be courageous and passionate architects of dialogue and friendship’. All the monthly intentions in 2021 are expressions of the Pope’s…Read more
For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in campaigning for social justice, a key factor in why I wanted to work for Caritas Westminster, the social action agency of the Diocese of Westminster. A pivotal moment for me was when I…Read more
It’s June, the month of weddings, midsummer and warm sunny days, our intention is for young people who are preparing for the holy sacrament of marriage. The Pope asks: ‘Let us pray for young people who are preparing for marriage with the…Read more
By reverend Roger Carr-Jones Marriage & Familiy Life Coordinator , Diocese of Westminster I like watching fireworks, whether in the domestic setting, or as part of an organised event. The myriad of colours, patterns and sounds add to the sense of…Read more
Each story is set within the wider canvas of God’s infinite love and mercy, where even the saddest and most difficult situations can be transformed. We are reminded of Christ’s suffering through the experiences of the patients, and are given a…Read more
One of the treasures of the English College in Rome is an atlas; an old atlas. It is dated 1570; and it is beautiful. The College opened just nine years later; so that atlas must have been bought to show the students where to go once they got…Read more
The monthly intentions of the Holy Father, offered to the people of God through the channel of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, name realities about our world that need prayerful reflection. These are challenges that face humanity and the…Read more
As part of our celebration of the Year of St Joseph and Amoris Laetitia-Family we are inviting a variety of voices from groups to share their journey with us. Our thanks to Maurice Magee at Two In One Flesh for this personal and touching…Read more
As part of our celebration of the Year of St Joseph and Amoris Laetitia-Family we are inviting a variety of voices from groups to share their journey with us. We are grateful for these thoughts from John Corcoran, a Relationship counsellor with…Read more
April, this year, is Resurrection Month. Everywhere, all the brothers and sisters of the human family, whether explicitly or not, are longing for new life, desperate for the deadly pandemic to end, for the fullness of life to free us from the…Read more
‘What have you given up for Lent?’, my friend Molly asked me as she scanned a cucumber through the Sainsbury’s self-checkout and placed it in her stripy reusable bag. I felt completely at a loss for an answer and found myself rattling off…Read more
Whether it is on our journey through Lent to Easter; or in counting the days until we receive our vaccine; or waiting, seemingly forever, for the pandemic to be over and so return to some sort of normality, we need to be patient and courageous…Read more