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- Written by Spirit in the City
- Category: News Archive
Spirit in the City is a celebration of Christian faith in the heart of London, hosted by the Catholic churches in the West End. The annual festival aims to share the Good news of Christianity, and welcomes people of all faiths, ages and walks of life in the middle of the entertainment district. It gives an opportunity to raise deeper questions about life. We are all searching for new ways to connect with God and others around us. The events feature live music, workshops, talks, opportunities for prayer, reflection and reconciliation.
Spirit in the City was born as an initiative of the local churches in 2006, as response to the desire to share something of the Catholic faith with visitors and the West End community.
The festival takes place from the 12th to the 15th June this year. It includes different types of prayer, talks about faith and outreach in the programme.
“People are searching for something more significant in their lives with meaning and purpose. We all deserve a response to these deep desires and Spirit in the City aims to be one!”
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- Written by L'Osservatore Romano
- Category: News Archive
From L'Osservatore Romano.
Forty-nine young people, the inmates of the Roman borstal, Casal del Marmo, are preparing to receive an extraordinary gift. 
Pope Francis will go there in the afternoon of Holy Thursday, 28 March, to celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper. A joyful atmosphere of expectation pervades the institute. Such an important visit had certainly not been on the cards. Above all, there had been no expectation of so suddenly touching the heart of the Pope whom they do not yet know. “The young people's enthusiasm”, Liana Giambartolomei, the principal, told us, “must be linked to the very fact that they feel they will be playing the lead on a historic day. Moreover, this is exactly what Pope Francis wanted. He expressly asked us to make sure that there were no other young people here. He wants to be certain that they know he is coming solely for them, because he loves them, he carries them in his heart and considers them important, very important”. A Caritas worker in the penal institute says that one of them, having heard the news, exclaimed: “At last I shall get to meet someone who says he is my father!”.
Fr Greco, the chaplain, does not conceal the fact that he was somewhat perplexed, at least to start with, “because”, he told our paper, “only eight of our residents are Italian: six boys and two girls. The others are all foreigners. And most of them are Muslim. Then there are some who have no religious belief at all. Therefore many of them don't even know who the Pope is. For this reason too, it was far from easy to explain to them the importance of the Pope's visit”. “A young Neapolitan”, the chaplain confided, “who has been here for a while came to my help. He gathered them all together, to try to make them understand above all what the Pope's act, which is an act of love for them, actually meant. I was upset for a moment by the first looks, that were either blank or only faintly curious about my enthusiasm. Then our friend broke the silence with that most classic of Neapolitan expressions: “Maronna mia, o Papa accà!” [good heavens! The Pope here!] and he ran his hand through his hair, his face betraying emotions mingled with happiness. At that very instant all the others, seeing his amazement, realized that it must really be something very special and began to question me. Little by little, I saw their enthusiasm growing.
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- Written by Benedict XVI
- Category: News Archive
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
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- Written by Edoardo Albert
- Category: News Archive
In early 2013 our community in London will be one of hundreds of towns and cities worldwide joining together for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life vigil in history - the 40 Days for Life campaign.
YOU can help save lives!
40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:
- 40 days of prayer and fasting
- 40 days of peaceful vigil
- 40 days of community outreach
We are praying that, with God's help, this groundbreaking effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city -- and throughout England.
Take a stand for life
While all aspects of 40 Days for Life are crucial in our effort to end abortion, the most visible component is the peaceful prayer vigil outside the local abortion facility. You can help make a life-saving impact by joining our local vigil at:
BPAS
26-27 Bedford Square
Greater London
WC1B 3HP
Sign up to participate in our local 40 Days for Life vigil by clicking the "Vigil Schedule" link.
Be sure to sign-up for updates and prayer requests using the form at the top right of this page, and browse through the rest of this site to find out how YOU can help make a lifesaving impact as part of our local 40 Days for Life campaign.
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- Written by Parish Office
- Category: News Archive
The Parish Team would like to wish you all a very Happy and Holy New Year.