Dear brothers and sisters in Christ
I extend to each of you, and to your families and loved ones, my warm good wishes as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour this Christmas. I pray that, in a deepened way, your heart might be opened to the loving closeness of the Lord Jesus. Now, and
always, He is Emmanuel: God with us and God for us; nearer to us than our innermost thoughts, and closer to us than our heartbeat. It was because God loved the world so much, because God loved you so much, that He sent His only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. For so great a gift, we too sing in thanksgiving with the angels: ‘Glory to God in the highest.’

Happy Christmas Everybody!

Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church of England and Wales or the Church in Wales.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk, do not delay in contacting the police, using 999 if a child or adult is believed to be in immediate danger.
It is the policy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to report all allegations of abuse to statutory authorities, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or in the past, or whether the accused person is living or deceased.
If you are in any role within the Catholic Church in England and Wales, you must refer allegations directly to the safeguarding office for your diocese or religious congregation, or directly to the Police.
If you are a member of the public, please refer allegations directly to the police and also to the safeguarding office in your diocese. You can contact the Archdiocese of Southwark Safeguarding Office by telephoning 0207 261 1606 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..uk

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ,Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.On Tuesday we heard the announcement that, fromthe 4thJuly this year, places of worship will be able to reopen for prayer and services. We welcome this news with great joy. Since the lockdown began, members of allfaithshave faced restrictions on how they have beenable to celebrate important religious festivals. Our own experience of Easter was unlike any other we have known

Pope Francis meditated on the calming of the storm from the Gospel of Mark during the prayer service over which he presided on the steps of St Peter's Basilica on Friday evening. Here is the full text.

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ
I wanted to write to you personally as we face the threats posed locally, nationally, and internationally by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. For so many people, including those in our parish and school communities, this situation brings uncertainty and fear. It has the capacity to bring out both the best and the worst of our human nature. Working together, in the strength of God’s grace, we must seek to ensure that the very best of our common humanity triumphs, especially for the health and well-being of the weakest, the poorest, and the most vulnerable.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, so many aspects of our lives must change. This includes the ways in which we publicly express our faith. It is very clear that, following official advice and in order to keep each other safe, save lives and support the NHS, at this time we must not gather for public acts of worship in our churches. This will begin from Friday evening, 20th March 2020, until further notice