Election of Pope Leo XIV
A message from CAFOD Director Christine Allen
I’m excited to write to you following news that the Cardinals have elected a new pope.
This election, which saw Cardinals from every corner of the world voting, reflected the global Church, one which walks alongside vulnerable communities everywhere. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as Pope Leo XIV. He is the first pope from the USA but he has spent many years working in Peru.
Pope Leo XIV will be a voice of wisdom in a fractured and divided world, as he continues the important work of leading the Church and providing spiritual and moral guidance to the global community. In our work we understand the need for this voice more than ever.
We’ve been blessed in recent times with Pope St John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Francis steering our community through the challenges of climate change, the debt crisis and difficult country situations such as Gaza, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. In the Jubilee year we continue to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
We will keep Pope Leo XIV in our prayers for his work with the Church and in the world encouraging leaders to come together for the common good, so that people everywhere – including the most vulnerable and those on the margins of society – are able to flourish.
Everyone at CAFOD looks forward to working with Pope Leo XIV as he takes us forward into a better world.
God bless you
Christine
Prayer for Pope Leo XIV
Faithful God,
You guide us on the path of life
and your goodness is our constant companion.
Be with our new Shepherd, Pope Leo XIV,
in his service of the Church.
Fill him with the power of your Spirit,
the peace of your presence
and the compassion of Christ.
May he walk with you,
in wisdom and humility,
and lead us, together with all God’s people,
to embody your love for the world.
Amen.
Easter Raffles for Earthquake Appeal
An amazing £314 raised to help families in Myanmar
Thanks to all who took part in our Easter raffles in aid of the Myanmar Earthquake Appeal. The two raffles raised a total of £314, which will make a real difference to families affected by the earthquake.
The Easter hamper raffled at St Joseph's has been claimed. There are still some unclaimed prizes from the St Michael's raffle – please see this week's bulletin for details.
Once again, many thanks for your tremendous support. Happy Easter!
CAFOD Soup Sunday
Thank you for your support
On Sunday 24th November the parish CAFOD group hosted a soup lunch in order to raise funds for the Advent Appeal 2024. This appeal aims to support families in Ukraine to heat their homes, cook hot meals and keep warm through freezing temperatures – winter in Ukraine can be as cold as -20C.
Thank you to all who came to the soup lunch and for your generous donations. We raised £218, which could pay for an emergency shelter and provide more than 50 hot meals.
We really appreciate your continued support and generosity!
DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal
Conflict in the Middle East is devastating lives
CAFOD, in partnership with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), have launched a humanitarian appeal to support families affected by the crisis in Lebanon and Gaza. Millions across the Middle East have fled their homes in search of safety. They urgently need shelter, food and basic supplies.
In Gaza, people are dying of hunger and disease, as well as injuries caused by the conflict. Food and clean water are desperately scarce. Ninety per cent of the population are displaced, and more than 42,000 people have been killed. There is no safe place for people in Gaza to go.
In Lebanon, over 1 million people have had to leave their homes due to the conflict. Shelters are overwhelmed, and hospitals are struggling to treat the thousands of people injured.
How to help
CAFOD's partners are helping these families right now as they arrive in safer areas. Your donations will help with:
- emergency healthcare
- food packages
- safe shelter
- hygiene kits
- mental health support
- cash to buy fuel, blankets and other essentials.
You can donate on CAFOD's website by clicking the button below.
A prayer for peace in the Middle East
Christ, Prince of Peace,
hear our prayer and lament,
for our suffering sisters and brothers.
Our hearts are heavy as we witness lives torn apart,
as we see the faces of frightened children
and hear the pleas of those without water or food.
We pray for the dead and the grieving,
for the injured and the afraid.
We pray for courage and perseverance,
for those working for healing and to bring aid.
We pray for world leaders,
that they may strive for a just and lasting peace.
God of new beginnings,
in your ways are compassion and hope.
Open our hearts to dialogue and understanding.
Lead us all to answer your call
to become peacemakers
today, and all the days of our life.
Amen.
Harvest Family Fast Day Appeal
Help young people like Daniel to learn new skills and fulfil their God-given potential
The focus of this year's Harvest Family Fast Day Appeal is providing young people living in poverty with the opportunity to learn new skills.
Daniel who lives in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, grew up with real poverty. Daniel's family didn't always have enough to eat, despite both of his parents working. There was no money to send him to school. As soon as he was old enough, he started looking for work so he could support his family to get food on the table. But without an education his opportunities for work were even more limited.
Thankfully, he encountered a group of young men putting on dusty overalls outside a workshop. They told him they were learning carpentry at a CAFOD-funded training centre. He joined the carpentry training programme and with the help of our local experts, he worked diligently for eight months to train as a carpenter.
He now has his own workshop. He’s not only crafting beautiful doors, chairs and cabinets for happy customers, he’s also carving a better future for himself and his family.
Your donations this Harvest will mean that many more young people have the opportunity to learn new skills. Fast Day envelopes will be attached to the bulletin on Sunday 29th September and you can also donate online.
UK General Election
Thousands of candidates who stood in the general election heard calls to act on poverty thanks to CAFOD supporters across England and Wales.
Whether via email, at hustings or during doorstep conversations, politicians looking for our votes in constituencies nationwide were asked to commit to support people in the world's poorest communities.
With hundreds of those candidates about to take their seats in Parliament, it's time for words to be turned into action.
Via the CAFOD website you can write to your MP to call for them to play their part in tackling the climate, debt and hunger crises.
A prayer for peace in Israel and Gaza
Please join us in praying for peace in the Holy Land
Christ, Prince of Peace,
hear our prayer and lament,
for our suffering sisters and brothers.
Our hearts are heavy as we witness lives torn apart,
as we see the faces of frightened children
and hear the pleas of those without water or food.
We pray for the dead and the grieving,
for the injured and the afraid.
We pray for courage and perseverance,
for those working for healing and to bring aid.
We pray for world leaders,
that they may strive for a just and lasting peace.
God of new beginnings,
in your ways are compassion and hope.
Open our hearts to dialogue and understanding.
Lead us all to answer your call
to become peacemakers
today, and all the days of our life.
Amen.
Big Lent Walk 2024
The challenge
This Lent, Kate and Hannah Jones are taking on the Big Lent Walk to raise funds for CAFOD. They’ll be walking 200km over the 40 days of Lent to help fight global poverty.
Want to join in?
Kate and Hannah would like to invite parishioners to join them for a short walk. For more details and to sign up, please see the sheet at the back of church.
How you can help
Any donation, large or small, would be very gratefully received. You can sponsor Kate and Hannah and follow their progess on their JustGiving page.
Kate and Hannah crossed the finish line!
Kate and Hannah completed their Lenten challenge on Wednesday. They have walked a total distance of 282km! On the way they have raised an amazing £650 for CAFOD.
Kate and Hannah say: "Thank you for all your generous donations, for joining us on our group walks and for all the lovely words of support. We've really enjoyed doing the walk (even on rainy days!) and the money raised will make a real difference to CAFOD."
Every £1 raised through the Big Lent Walk will help fight poverty globally in countries like Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
CAFOD Christmas Raffle
Thank you to everyone who took part in the CAFOD Christmas Raffle at masses last weekend. Congratulations to all the winners! In total we raised an amazing £327.40! This will make a real difference to the families CAFOD helps around the world.
The parish CAFOD group would like to thank you all for your incredible support and generosity throughout the year. Merry Christmas!
CAFOD Soup Lunch
Thank you for your support
Thank you to everyone who supported the CAFOD Soup Lunch on Sunday. The event was a great success and raised £240.50 for CAFOD. We really appreciate your generosity.
Fix the Food System
Sign our letter to the World Bank
Thank you to all the parishioners at St Michael's and St Joseph's who signed our letter to the World Bank calling for an end to all policies that restrict farmers’ freedom to choose which seeds they use to grow food. We collected a total of 150 signatures, which is brilliant!
Thank you also for your kind donations which totalled £65. This will go towards CAFOD’s work to help those most in need around the world.
The letter will be presented to the President of the World Bank ahead of their Annual Meeting in October.