Invitation to Join Protest Opposing the Assisted Dying Bill – 13 June 2025

All Catholic communities are invited to join an interfaith protest against the Assisted Dying Bill, taking place on Thursday, 13 June 2025.

Details:

• Time: From 8:30am to approximately lunchtime

• Location: Outside the Houses of Parliament

• Meeting Point: Old Palace Yard, by the statue of George V, SW1P 3JY

• Organisers: This protest is being organised in close partnership with Christian Concern

The protest represents a collaborative stand across faith traditions in defence of the sanctity of life. The Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS) will be present, with CEO Melissa Andrews attending alongside members of her team.

All members of the Religious Life Groups are warmly encouraged to attend and show visible support.

This is an important opportunity to stand together and advocate for the protection of life in response to the proposed legislation.

Conference of Religious AGM 2025: Religious Leaders Unite in Synodal Leadership and Oppose the Assisted Dying Bill

Over 80 leaders of religious congregations gathered last week in Northamptonshire for the 2025 Conference of Religious England and Wales (CoR) Annual General Meeting, held under the theme “Synodal Leadership – Forward Thinking – Outward Facing.” The two-day gathering featured keynote input from Sr Maria Cimperman RSCJ and included space for deep reflection, listening, and shared discernment.

Members explored priorities such as synodal leadership, increasing diversity, nurturing new leadership, and strengthening the collective voice of religious in the Church and wider society.

As part of the gathering, attendees expressed their united opposition to the Assisted Dying Bill, standing together in support of life and dignity at every stage, and exploring ways to respond collectively as people of faith.

The AGM concluded with a renewed commitment to synodality, inclusivity, and collaborative leadership—affirming the enduring value of religious life in service of Gospel witness and social justice.

Shepherds Law Hermitage Open Day

The February 2025 edition of Shepherds Law News shares recent updates from the Hermitage, including reflections on the recent Monastic Week, a look ahead to this summer’s Open Day, news on ongoing building work, and other community developments.

To read the full newsletter and stay connected with life at the Hermitage, please visit:
🌐 shepherdslawhermitage.org

UISG Upcoming Events: Synodality, Leadership, and Spiritual Accompaniment in Religious Life

The International Union of Superiors General (UISG) invite religious sisters, brothers, and lay collaborators to participate in a series of events focusing on synodality, shared leadership, and healthy spiritual accompaniment within the Church.

Synodality and Collaboration Among Communicators

Date: Wednesday, 4 June 2025
Time: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM (Rome time)
Format: In-person and online
Location: UISG Headquarters, Piazza di Ponte Sant'Angelo, 28, Rome
Organised by: MMI (Media Missione International)uisg.orguisg.org+4uisg.org+4USG - Unione Superiori Generali+4uisg.org+9USG - Unione Superiori Generali+9uisg.org+9

This meeting invites all involved in the communication ministries of religious congregations to explore how synodality shapes communication in religious life.

🔗 Learn more and register

Untapping What Is Already Possible: Leadership of Women and Laymen for a Synodal Church

Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Rome time)
Format: Online webinar
Organised by: UISG, in collaboration with WUCWO (World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations)uisg.org+4uisg.org+4uisg.org+4

This event offers reflection and dialogue on shared leadership within today’s Church, drawing from paragraph 60 of the Final Document of the Synod, which calls for the full implementation of existing opportunities in Canon Law for women.uisg.org

🔗 Learn more and register

Spiritual Abuses: How to Listen and Accompany a Cry

Date: Monday, 16 June 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Rome time)
Format: Online webinar
Organised by: UISGuisg.org+2uisg.org+2uisg.org+2USG - Unione Superiori Generali+5uisg.org+5uisg.org+5

This webinar aims to explore, from a canonical perspective, the situations in which religious life is called to be vigilant so that healthy spiritual accompaniment does not degenerate into inappropriate behavior or actual abuse.

🔗 Learn more and register

These events are open to all members of religious congregations and lay collaborators. Participants are encouraged to engage in these conversations as part of the Church’s wider synodal journey.

Organised from Rome, Italy – open to international participants.

Prospects and Hope for the Papacy of Leo XIV

An Evening Conference – Open to All

An engaging evening conference will take place this June, offering reflections on the prospects and hopes for the papacy of Leo XIV. Featuring a panel of distinguished speakers, the event invites attendees to explore the evolving role of the Church in the modern world.

Confirmed Speakers:

• H.E. Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía
  Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain

• H.E. Mr. Ignacio Higueras Hare
  Ambassador of Peru

• Fr. Dominic Robinson, SJ
  Parish Priest, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street

Further guest speakers will be announced shortly.

🗓 Date: Friday, 20 June 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
📍 Venue: To be confirmed

💷 Conference Fee: £35

Booking Details:

Those wishing to attend should send their name and address to:
Anthony Weaver
Retreats Beyond Dover
19 G Peabody, Wild Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 4BQ
📞 Tel: 020 7379 7273
✉️ Email: retreatsdover@gmail.com

Payment Information:
Bank: NatWest
Account Number: 69134162
Sort Code: 56-00-20

Places are limited and early booking is advised. All are welcome.

Further details, including the confirmed venue, will be shared soon.

Loreto Spirituality Centre, Llandudno

The Loreto Spirituality Centre in Llandudno provides a wide selection of options to cater to individual needs.

Living Theology Summer School 10th - 13th July

Living Theology: A Summer School in Christian Faith

A Summer School in Christian Faith. Living Theology has been organised by Jesuits and their associates in venues across the country for over 50 years. The courses continue to provide opportunities for Christians of all denominations to deepen their understanding of the Christian faith and develop their personal reflection on Christian living and belief. No prior theological knowledge is required, just an open mind and willingness to engage.

Click here for more information about the courses as well as a booking form.

Website

Retreat Programme for 2025

Latest Newsletter

The Distance Learning Programmes in Catholic Theology

The Distance Learning programmes in Catholic Theology, led by Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS), are designed so that participants can work through material at their own pace, studying equally well in any time zone and in many different life situations, alongside work, ministry, family or caring obligations. 

In addition to the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma, and the MA, students can enrol for a single module. Students with a BA or BSc who have not studied Theology or a related discipline before, are able to apply for the single module, ‘Catholic Theology: A Preliminary Tour’ and proceed to the MA following its successful completion. Further details are available at Distance Learning – Durham University including videos from current students.

NEW BURSARY FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR 2025-26 – The Janet Erskine Stuart Scholarship Fund, funded by the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), intended primarily to support teachers or chaplains. Applications are especially invited from:

• Teachers of RE wishing to pursue an MA to enhance the quality of their subject knowledge.

• Teachers of any discipline who wish to retrain to teach RE.

Other bursary funds are also available. Full information can be found at CCS Bursary for Distance Learning 2025-26 - Durham University

If you have any questions about the Distance Learning programmes or bursaries, please contact the CCS Manager - theresa.phillips@durham.ac.uk - 0191 334 3952.

Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS) Summer Summit and Summer school

Exploring the Spiritual Legacy of Saint Thérèse – Spirituality Summit 2025

The Carmelite Spirituality Summit returns in 2025 with a special two-day gathering on 11–12 July, marking the 100th anniversary of the canonisation of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Taking place at the peaceful Carmelite Priory in Oxford, with the option to attend online, this year’s theme focuses on Living in Hope: The Spirituality of Saint Thérèse.

The summit will feature renowned speakers, including Dr. Susan Muto, who will reflect on Thérèse’s enduring message of hope, and Fr. Vincent O’Hara, OCD, exploring her personal struggles with faith and how they resonate today.

Attendees will benefit from inspiring keynote talks, interactive workshops, and panel discussions, all designed to deepen understanding of Saint Thérèse’s “little way” and its relevance for modern spiritual seekers. Moments of shared reflection and prayer will also create space for personal growth and community connection.

Whether attending in person or online, participants will find the summit a rich opportunity for spiritual nourishment and renewal.

Event Details:

• Dates: 11–12 July 2025

• Location: Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford OX1 5HB, UK / Online

• More Info & Registration: carmelite.uk.net

Deepen Your Spiritual Journey at the 2025 Summer School with Dr. Susan Muto

The Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality is pleased to announce its annual Summer School, featuring esteemed scholar Dr. Susan Muto. This enriching five-day seminar will take place from July 14 to 18, 2025, at the serene Carmelite Priory in Boars Hill, Oxford.​

Event Highlights:

• In-Depth Exploration of Teresian Spirituality: Delve into the teachings of St. Teresa of Ávila, the renowned Carmelite mystic and first female Doctor of the Church, focusing on her seminal work, The Way of Perfection.​

• Expert Guidance: Benefit from the insights of Dr. Susan Muto, Dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality and author of over forty books on Christian spirituality.​

• Comprehensive Programme: Engage in spiritual accompaniment, guided prayer, silence, and peaceful contemplation designed to nurture the whole person—body, mind, soul, and spirit.​

Moreover, attendees will have the unique opportunity to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Carmelite Friars during their visit.​

Event Details:

• Dates: July 14–18, 2025​

• Location: Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford OX1 5HB, UK​

• Registration: Secure your place by booking before June 1, 2025.​

For more information and to register, please visit: carmelite.uk.net

Call for Papers and Workshop Proposals, Franciscan Studies Conference 14-16 April 2026

Life and Love Transfigured: Exploring New Horizons in the Franciscan Tradition

A Conference to Mark the 800th Anniversary of the Death of St. Francis of Assisi

Tuesday 14th to Thursday 16th April 2026

Durham University, UK

Call for Papers and Workshop Proposals

To mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, the Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS) at Durham University will hold its third international Franciscan Studies conference. The Transitus of Saint Francis in 1226 completed the Poverello’s earthly life. Successive generations have interpreted and carried forward the witness and teachings of the Saint and his early followers. This conference seeks to celebrate and share the fruits of this legacy against new horizons, addressing contemporary challenges and concerns.

The aim of the conference will be to bring together people from different walks of life – academic and non-academic, religious and lay – who have a deep love for St. Francis of Assisi, the Franciscan tradition, and the abiding relevance of the Franciscan charism for the modern world. The conference will be held at locations in Durham itself as well as at Ushaw College, a former Roman Catholic Seminary a few miles outside of Durham.

The conference will consist of academic panels and plenary lectures by world leading scholars of the Franciscan tradition, as well as public talks by those working in contemporary Franciscan evangelisation, workshops on the Franciscan way of life and Franciscan ministry, ecumenical worship, and opportunities for fellowship and communal reflection.

The conference will have three main strands: (1) Franciscan theology and philosophy; (2) Franciscan history; and (3) Franciscan spirituality, aesthetics, and evangelism. The conference organisers welcome papers from researchers in fields including, but not limited to, Franciscan theology, Franciscan history, Franciscan science, Franciscan literary studies, Franciscan philosophy, Franciscan spirituality, the Poor Clare and wider female Franciscan traditions, the Franciscan Tertiary tradition, Franciscan ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, Franciscan art, poetry, and music, Franciscan education, Franciscan liturgical thought and practice, Franciscan economic and political philosophy, as well as Franciscan ministry and Franciscan contributions to peace studies, outreach, and pastoral-social work.

Confirmed speakers include:

Fr Casey Cole, OFM (Digital Evangelist and Creator of Breaking in the Habit podcast).

Prof. Richard Cross (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)

Fr Dr Michael Cusato OFM (Scholar-in-Residence, St. Bonaventure Friary, NY)

Prof. Daniel Horan (St Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana)

Dr William Hyland (University of St Andrews)

Prof. John McCafferty (University College Dublin)

Dr Darleen Pryds (Franciscan School of Theology, University of San Diego)

Prof. Lydia Schumacher (Kings College London)

We invite proposals for 20-minute papers. Panel proposals consisting of three speakers are also encouraged.

We also invite proposals for 90-minute workshops offering a space for delegates to come together to discuss issues or subjects important to Franciscans, e.g. ministry, outreach, issues relation to community life, the Franciscan voice in the church, etc.

Please submit proposals for papers or workshops (c. 200 words) via the form at https://forms.office.com/e/s06nt9CrNW by 30 October 2025 at the latest.

Contact for any queries: Dr William Crozier – william.e.crozier@durham.ac.uk

AI, Faith and Ethics at a Crossroads: Discerning the Way Forward

Sunday 18 May 2025, 3-5pm

Farm Street Church, 114 Mount Street, W1K 3AH

A Panel Discussion Exploring the Moral and Spiritual Challenges of the AI Era followed by an opportunity for Q&A.

You are welcome to come to this unique event to hear from experts discussing Faith and Ethics in a time of technological transformation

Fr. Michael Baggot, Invited Professor of Theology at Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, Rome,

Matthew Harvey Sanders, CEO of Longbeard, Creator of Magisterium AI,

Jen Copestake, Correspondent CGTN Europe

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ,

Parish Priest Farm Street Church

Free to attend but please register your place by emailing farmstreetoffice@rcdow.org.uk

Livestreaming available by visiting https://www.farmstreet.org.uk/livestream

CoREW Welcomes the Election of Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV - Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images

The Conference of Religious England and Wales (CoREW) warmly welcomes the election of Pope Leo XIV. We believe his global experience will have a positive impact on his leadership of the Catholic Church in these difficult times.

He has witnessed first hand the struggles that our sisters and brothers are experiencing. We are confident he will be a voice and inspiration for all people.

We join in prayer for him as he continues the challenging task of enabling the Church to listen to the Spirit moving across the world and proclaim the Gospel in a way that speaks to our present age.

Seeking Accommodation for New Missional Community in London

The Missionary Sisters for Polish Migrants are looking to establish a new missional community in the Islington area of London. They are currently seeking accommodation for two Sisters, either in a flat or in a convent located in or near Islington, or within a 30-minute journey by Tube.

If you are able to assist or would like to find out more, please contact the CoR secretariat at 020 3255 1085 or communications@corew.org, and we will be happy to direct your enquiry to the appropriate contact.

Better Together Group

Douai Abbey

The Better Together group is open to anyone, lay or religious, who is involved in supporting Religious Communities caring for the sick and elderly, either within their communities or in their own nursing/care homes. The group is hosted on Zoom by Dr Karen Groves and Queenscourt Hospice, Southport. Most members are either part of religious communities or healthcare professionals who work alongside them. Once a year, the group meets in person for a couple of days.

In April, the group was blessed to be hosted by Douai Abbey (and by fine weather!). This year’s theme was The Heart of Healthcare, with speakers leading sessions on spiritual distress, cardiac health, listening skills, spiritual care for the frail in community, and the link between Catholic teaching and mutual support for well-being. For evening entertainment, the group watched the film Patch Adams. Members also joined the Douai Community for Mass and the Divine Office, and enjoyed the delicious food and other comforts of the Guest House. Particular thanks were given to Brother Christopher for hosting, to Fr Alex the Guest Master, to Brother Aidan for leading a walk, and to Fr Geoffrey for a wonderful tour of the archives.

Anyone interested in joining the group can email Lorna Chamberlain at education@queenscourt.org.uk. Those wishing to explore the group can attend a meeting to see if they would like to become regular members. Meetings take place at 8 am on a Thursday morning once a month, last exactly one hour, and cover different themes requested, and usually led, by members.

Douai Abbey

In Memoriam: His Holiness Pope Francis

It is with deep sorrow that the Conference of Religious in England and Wales joins the Church and the global Catholic community in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.

Pope Francis's life was a profound witness to the Gospel, marked by a deep commitment to justice, peace, and the dignity of all people. His leadership, humility, and unwavering faith were an inspiration to countless religious and lay people around the world.

We give thanks for his life and ministry, and we hold him in our prayers with gratitude and love. May he know the fullness of God’s peace and the eternal embrace of Christ, whom he served so faithfully.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. Amen.

Operation Noah CST Toolkit and Webinar Series

New Resource & Webinar Series: Catholic Social Teaching and Investing

Operation Noah is pleased to share a new toolkit, Catholic Social Teaching and Investing in Climate Solutions, a guide for Catholic organisations seeking to align their investments with CST. This practical resource supports responsible financial stewardship in the context of the climate crisis.

To explore this with other Catholic investors, join the lunchtime webinar series starting on Tuesday, 29th April 2025 at 1pm BST and learn how CST can inform impactful climate investments.

Download the toolkit and register for the webinars here: https://www.operationnoah.org/catholic-social-teaching-toolkit/

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Spirituality Consultation Day “Living the Charism Today for Lay Spirituality”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales is hosting a Spirituality Consultation Day titled “Living the Charism Today for Lay Spirituality” on Thursday, 19 June 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., at the Redemptorist Monastery in Clapham, London.

This special day of reflection and dialogue will explore the rich spiritual wisdom of the Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, and Jesuit traditions. Through a series of engaging talks, attendees will be invited to reflect on how these charisms can inspire and support lay people in their spiritual lives today.

The event is free of charge, with donations gratefully received. Tea and coffee will be available throughout the day, and participants are encouraged to bring a packed lunch.

Venue: Redemptorist Monastery, 8 Clapham Park Road, Clapham, London, SW4 7AP (Nearest tube station: Clapham Common)

Booking: Places can be reserved via Eventbrite

This consultation day offers a unique opportunity to deepen one’s understanding of lay spirituality through the lens of time-honoured Catholic traditions.

The Briery Preached Retreats & 2025 Programme

The Briery is a place of spiritual renewal, where those who come can find God in an atmosphere of love, prayer, healing and peace. Where all are valued, encouraged to discover their gifts and challenged to use them in the service of others. Where the poor, the suffering and the lonely can experience the power of the cross and Resurrection in Christ.

Explore what’s on offer by reviewing the 2025 Programme or visiting their website.

Boarbank Hall Programme of Residential Events

The Sisters at Boarbank Hall are offering a full programme of residential events for the first time since the pandemic. Several of these may be of particular interest to Religious Brothers and Sisters.

The programme includes opportunities to rejoice in the beauty of God’s creation. Two Wings and Some Prayers: A Birdwatching Retreat (12th–17th May) introduces birdsong for beginners, led by Sr Margaret Atkins and Dr Margaret Phillips. Celebrating Creation: The Joy of Limits (27th–31st May or 4th–10th October) is guided by Sr Margaret Atkins and John Paul de Quay of the Ecological Conversion Group. Both retreats include trips out, walks, talks, and practical engagement with the natural world.

For those interested in learning Latin through prayers and Scripture, Our Lady in Latin (18th–20th/21st July) and Magnificat! (24th–26th/27th October) offer an engaging and enjoyable way to study and sing Latin using familiar texts. These sessions are taught by Alison Samuels, a highly experienced Latin teacher.

A deep dive into St Augustine’s Confessions (18th–22nd August) provides an opportunity to explore this classic text in greater detail, with Sr Margaret Atkins offering guidance throughout. This may be of particular interest to communities with Augustinian roots.

All courses take place in the comfortable Guest House at Boarbank Hall, set in extensive grounds overlooking Morecambe Bay. Participants are welcome to join the Community for Mass and the sung Daily Office.

For more information, see https://boarbankhall.org.uk/whats-on/ or email Sr Margaret Atkins on margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk

The Heart of Health: Putting the Heart Back into Healthcare

A group of Catholics involved in healthcare policy and practice, local politics, and theology has begun a project entitled ‘The Heart of Health: Putting the Heart Back into Healthcare.’

The project aims to use the Church’s practical and theoretical resources to shift both the debate and shared practices around healthcare. Specifically, it seeks to help people care for their physical, emotional, and spiritual health and resilience by fostering, extending, and linking existing church, healthcare, and other local communities. This effort is focused on building networks for personal mutual support, with an emphasis on the inclusion of those living in material and social poverty.

The project is inspired by various existing examples and is illuminated by the Church’s rich understanding of human beings as spiritual persons in community, endowed with dignity, freedom, and agency. It is grounded in the belief that people are made for mutual loving relationships and lives of purpose and hope.

The political benefits of this project and approach are seen in the following ways:

1. Nearly all the ways of staying healthy and happy are cheap or free, yet health services are in constant financial need.

2. People need support to follow these healthy ways of living.

3. Building supportive local communities can unite people across political divides, avoiding polarization by honouring the left’s concern for solidarity and care for those in need, and the right’s concern for freedom, creativity, and independence.

4. This is a positive and inspiring vision that can help address not only the healthcare crisis but also the ecological, financial, and social crises facing society. It offers a ready-made philosophy and language rooted in the Christian tradition, yet accessible to people of all faiths and none.

For more information, individuals are invited to join the following webinar: The Heart of Good Health: Supporting the Whole Person in Local Communities, hosted by the Las Casas Institute, Blackfriars, Oxford, on Thursday, April 3rd, from 18:30–19:45.

For more details, visit https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/event/the-heart-of-healthcare/.

To register, please email lascasas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk

As the personal, social, and economic costs of current healthcare approaches rise, causing distress to both patients and healthcare professionals, this webinar brings together experts and concerned individuals from the health service, the churches, and public life. It will explore what a Catholic vision of the human person in society offers as an alternative in terms of public policy and local initiatives.

Speakers include:

• Sr. Margaret Atkins CRSA, “The Heart of Health – A Vision for the Church and Society”

• Professor James McManus, Director of Public Health, Wales, “Theology Meets Health Policy: A Catholic Contribution to Health Policy Starts Theologically and Proceeds Practically”

• Thomas Horton, Head of Community Justice at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service in Wales, “Theology in Action: Probation and Community”

Christians on Ageing AGM & Spring Conference

Accompanying age: what are the churches doing?

30 APRIL 2025, 10.30am-4pm

Join in person at Bar Convent, York

Free event (donation for refreshments)

As well as the necessary business of an AGM there will be focusing on one of CoA’s core objectives – celebrating the gifts and potential of later life – and helping churches and others to develop activities which contribute to facilitating older people’s spiritual growth.

The keynote speaker will be Revd Dr Chris Swift, recently appointed as Director of the Leeds Church Institute, and previously Director of Chaplaincy and Spirituality at Methodist Homes (MHA). After lunch, we will look at three examples of good practice in church activities that can ‘accompany ageing’.

ALL WELCOME!

CoA members, and anyone interested in later life and older people ministry, are invited to join.

To sign up for this event email: secretary@christiansonageing.org.uk

Visit www.christiansonageing.org.uk for further details and programme news.