We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.

There are still millions of boys and girls who suffer and live in conditions very similar to slavery.

They aren’t numbers: they are human beings with names, with a face of their own, with an identity that God has given them.

Too often, we forget our responsibility and we close our eyes to the exploitation of these children who don’t have a right to play, to study, to dream. They don’t even enjoy the warmth of a family.

Each marginalized child, abandoned by his or her family, without schooling, without healthcare, is a cry! A cry that rises up to God and shames the system that we adults have built.

An abandoned child is our fault.

We can no longer allow them to feel alone and abandoned —they are entitled to an education and to feel the love of a family so they know that God does not forget them.

Let us pray for children who are suffering, especially for those who are homeless, orphans, and victims of war. May they be guaranteed access to education and may they have the opportunity to experience family affection.

November 2022

Sponsorship to all Ukrainian refugees

Click on the picture link above for details

Pope Francis Message for the 55th World Peace Day 01.01.22

Click on the picture link above to read the message

Caritas in Ukraine

Advent Resources

10 Family Advent Traditions to try - a great article by Dr Edward Sri a great American evangelist and theologian: Read it here.

Creating a Jesse Tree: https://www.faithward.org/jesse-tree/

CAFOD: Advent Prayers; Interactive Calendar; Family Resources

Bishop Barron on the Spirituality of Advent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAWnDA5cWD8

Advent Conspiracy - Resources for children, families and adults as well as ideas for outreach for parish communities to get focused on the true meaning of Advent and Christmas. You have to create an account to access them but it is free to do. https://adventconspiracy.org/

The Call of Creation

Bishops launch new edition of environment document 04.10.22

On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecologists and animals, the Social Justice Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has launched a new edition of its teaching document on the environment – The Call of Creation.

First published two decades ago, in 2002, this new edition is released at the conclusion of the Church’s month-long Season of Creation. The document calls for a “profound interior conversion” and for Catholics to “repair our relationship with God’s creation” to address the current ecological crisis.

Pope Francis Message for the second world day for Grandparents and the Elderly 24.07.22

Click on the picture link above for details

#HelpUkraine

Organisations in Derby serving the Ukrainian community have come together to launch the #HelpUkraine appeal. The national launch was hosted by the Ukrainian Parish Church of St Michael the Archangel, near the Arboretum. It is introduced in the video above by Fr David Senyk, parish priest of communities the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in the area of our diocese.

You are invited to donate to this appeal, which is managed by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain with the Church's support. It represents the efforts of Ukrainians here in Nottingham Diocese and across the UK, and is the perfect way to show solidarity with our own neighbours, and their efforts for their compatriots, in this crisis.

Donate to #HelpUkraine

Sycamore is a great course that helps explore the Catholic Faith. It can be done as a long course but it also can be used for short courses. They have grouped particular video inputs with supporting resources to help you in Advent. The four sessions include:

The Search for Happiness

A God Who Speaks?

The Bible

The Power of Prayer

You can access this course and all of Sycamore's courses for free here: https://www.sycamore.fm/pathways/b-formation-pathways/advent-course/

The Cost of Living Crisis

At the Bishops' Conference, we are acutely aware of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis up and down the country.

The crisis is having a devastating effect on families, pushing many deeper into poverty and leading many others to struggle with day-to-day living costs.

The Joy of Love

New reflection document on Marriage and Family Life

Click on the picture link above for details

Pray for Peace in Ukraine

Click on the picture link above for details

CAFOD Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal

Annual Caritas Assembly

"Bring your loaves and fishes"

Saturday 5 November, 10.30 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.

at St Joseph’s, Leicester

The event will feature national and local speakers, including Sean Ryan of Together for the Common Good, and Dr Amy Daughton, practical theologian at the Unversity of Birmingham. The afternoon offers a rich mix of workshops such as:

Mapping the neighbourhood

We opened a community café

Warm churches and homes

Helping people in hardship

Sign up here to respond to the cost-of-living crisis

Nottingham Diocese goes green

A collection of all the latest news, events and stories from the Diocese of Nottingham

Pioneer Parishes

a new environmental initiative

'Pioneer Parishes' is an ambitious new environmental initiative for the Diocese of Nottingham, equipping parishes to map a journey to sustainability.

We're launching on St Francis' Day, 4 October at 7.00pm and we invite you to join us online that evening to pray, learn and find out more.

You can learn about Pioneer Parishes, a new scheme to support your parish in reaching net-zero and rewilding our land, and hear from one of the parishes who are already leading the way.

Click here to book your place.

The Season of Creation with Caritas Nottingham

Each year on the 1st September, the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Creation, established by Pope Francis in 2015.

Street Pastors in Lincoln

Seventeen towns and cities in Nottingham Diocese have a Street Pastors scheme which reaches out to young people..

Lincoln Street Pastors are looking for people who are willing to offer up their time and their prayers for the Night Time Economy streets of Lincoln and become one of the team of Lincoln Street Pastors.

To find out more about what's involved follow the links below.

Click here to learn about the Street pastors scheme

Find out if there is a Street Pastors scheme in your town

The sixth World Day of the Poor will be celebrated by the Catholic Church on Sunday 13 November, with the theme of “For your sakes Christ became poor” (2 Cor 8:9).

Good news for prospective hosts

of Ukrainian refugees

October 2022

We are happy to announce a new matching service under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, supported by the nationwide Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) in England and Wales.

St John of God Hospitaller Services in partnership with CSAN are offering a matching pathway, training and support programme for sponsors and individuals displaced by the war in Ukraine. We aim to support people on their journey and provide opportunities to integrate into our community in the UK.

After months of the brutal Russian war in Ukraine, the number of people fleeing the war and in need of shelter remains high and will continue to rise as winter is fast approaching.

We are very conscious that so much of our attention is rightly focused on those at home who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. There will be those in our communities less affected by that who may be able and willing to open their hearts and homes to displaced people from Ukraine. Can you help?

Click here to find out more

Parishes of Welcome

The war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending soon, and its people are continuing to flee. Would you like to help your parish extend a welcome to refugees? Are you seeking to host a family or individual - or do you already have a guest and experience you'd like to exchange with fellow hosts?

We have received numerous expressions of interest in hosting refugees from the conflict in Ukraine. Compassion and solidarity are alive and well in the Diocese of Nottingham. That's why we're opening a Parishes of Welcome scheme, to help you find the support you need as a welcomer, locally and nationally, within the Church and beyond.

Even if you don't have spare accommodation, there are already plenty of opportunities to develop the care, support and accompaniment that will help those who have fled Ukraine to find a place of safety.