As Advent ushers in a new liturgical year and we approach the end of 2025, this unique time for the Church is marked by a particular sense of renewal, reminding us of the continued call to be “Pilgrims of Hope” for the rest of the Jubilee Year and beyond.
The world around us has great need of our hope, but when faced with the conflict and suffering that have marked global events this year, we may be tempted to ask: is there anything I can do that will really make a difference? Where does one begin to address injustice that is present on such a vast, global scale?
There is only one way to begin: by loving our neighbour. St Teresa of Calcutta once said that ‘we can only love one at a time,’ and this is the greatest witness to Christ's personal love that we can give. Just ask the incredible finalists of this year’s ‘Love in Action’ Volunteering Awards, hosted by Caritas Westminster to celebrate outstanding volunteers from across our diocese.
Started in 2020, the awards aim to recognise the many unsung heroes who change lives and are the backbone of their community; whether they are long-serving parishioners, selfless charity representatives, or young people who have placed their energy and enthusiasm at the service of others.
This year's Young Volunteer of the Year Award went to Anthony Njoku, a 17-year-old parishioner at Our Lady and St Catherine of Siena in Bow. Following the sudden loss of their Master of Ceremonies, Anthony quietly stepped forward and offered to train younger altar servers at his parish, ensuring that the liturgy continued to be celebrated with due reverence.
Anthony was invaluable in helping his community navigate a time of grief and transition, and has quickly become a leader and mentor for the youth of his parish, going the extra mile by checking up on fellow altar servers when they are unwell and encouraging young people to get involved in parish life. In Anthony, the parish sees the future of the Church: a young person willing to take on responsibility, form others, and offer service with humility.
Over in the Charity Volunteer of the Year category, attendees heard how runner-up Joseph Daley models the principle of loving ‘one at a time’. Joseph travels from Wales every week to volunteer with the Companions of the Order of Malta at their Café service in Spanish Place, where he listens attentively to each guest, remembering faces, names and stories, and meeting each one with companionship and good humour. When a guest arrived distraught and unable to speak, Joe sat quietly beside her for nearly an hour, holding her hand and praying the Rosary until she felt more at peace.
The prestigious Ronald Palmer Award for Lifetime Achievement went to Jacqueline Ugoala from the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Holloway, who has served her parish for 44 years alongside welcoming more than 200 foster children into her home. Within the parish, she has served in almost every capacity: leading youth groups, running confirmation classes, co-ordinating fundraising events, and most recently helping to establish the parish foodbank, which now supports over 65 households weekly.
During the pandemic, Jackie mobilised volunteers to support shielding households, and fellow parishioners have shared stories of her driving across London in the middle of the night to collect children in need of emergency foster care, or making discreet phone calls to check on isolated neighbours. Jackie’s truly a lifetime achievement: a legacy visible both in the structures she has helped to build and in the countless lives she has touched.
Addressing attendees at the awards ceremony last week, Bishop Paul McAleenan noted:
What you do is more volunteering: it is a sign of who you are for the sake of the Gospel. We come this evening to recognise selfless acts of generosity; that exemplify living faith, that bring God’s love to life, and inspire communities.
Richard Harries, Director of Caritas Westminster, also commented on how volunteers embody the spirit of the Jubilee:
I can think of few examples of people who embody this year’s theme of “Pilgrims of Hope” more than volunteers: your time, energy and care, freely and joyfully given, brings hope to those most in need.
These and the countless other volunteers in our diocese remind us that we are called to love through meaningful, personal encounters, which can be powerful vessels for grace in the lives of others.
