Mary’s Meals

SYRIA EARTHQUAKE APPEAL…

On 6 February, two earthquakes – registering 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude – hit Syria and Turkey in the space of just 12 hours, killing more than 6,000 people and causing widespread devastation.

We have been serving Mary’s Meals at schools in Syria since 2017. Working alongside our partner on the ground, Dorcas, we now stand ready to provide emergency support to communities affected in Aleppo and the surrounding areas.

Our emergency response will provide urgent support to children and families in desperate need. Please donate today if you can.

The Passage

BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE…

On Tuesday 29 November The Passage will launch our Big Give Christmas Challenge: Urgent support for the cost of living crisis.  

The campaign will be open until Tuesday 6 December at noon. This is an important opportunity for us to raise £500,000 through matched funding to ensure will can continue to support those most at risk of experiencing homelessness this Christmas and into next year.

With housing costs becoming harder to manage, we have already seen an increase of 16% in the number of people coming to our door for help – that’s too many people being forced into homelessness with nowhere to turn.  

The Passage will be doing all we can to prevent people spending even one night on the streets, and for those that do, to help them move into stable accommodation as quickly as possible.

The pressure is rising for many of us, but for some more than others. If you would like to support our work this Christmas, please keep reading for all the ways you can get involved in the campaign.

Donate: Urgent support for the cost of living crisis (thebiggive.org.uk) 

St. Christopher’s Hospice

REMEMBERING WITH ST. CHRISTOPHER’S APPEAL 2022

Support your local hospice in remembrance of our loved ones

You are invited to dedicate a light and gather together with family, friends and those not yet met at St Christopher’s Hospice this winter.

For the first time in three years, St Christopher’s hospice supporters will gather to light up the trees at our events in Orpington and Sydenham.

Each light is a visible sign of hope and a way to remember those who have died and are never forgotten. Coming together to remember those we love and whose memory remains with us is a shared act both of celebration and grief.

To dedicate a light in memory of someone you love, and to register for the events at Orpington (on Sunday 27th November) or Sydenham (Sunday 4th December) visit:

SPUC

Campaigning against abortion coercion

A recent BBC poll revealed that 15% of British women have experienced pressure or coercion to have an abortion that they did not want.

This is a shocking reality that the pro-abortion narrative seeks to suppress – but we can no longer allow this to happen.

It is vital to understand the reasons why women have abortions – including the horrific phenomenon of abortion coercion that SPUC is now highlighting – so that we can campaign for protections for vulnerable women and their children.

This year, SPUC is hosting three national conferences in cities across the United Kingdom – in London, Birmingham and Glasgow – highlighting the pressing issue of abortion coercion.

The details are:

Birmingham

  • Date: Saturday 8 October 2022
  • Location: The Eastside Rooms, 2 Woodcock Street, Birmingham, B7 4BL
  • Cost £35/£25 concessions

London

  • Saturday 22 October 2022
  • Location: Broadway House, Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NQ
  • Cost £35/£25 concessions

Glasgow

  • Date: Saturday 29 October 2022
  • Location: On request
  • Cost £30/£20 concessions

All three conferences can be booked online here: https://www.spuc.org.uk/national-conferences-2022. You can also contact Katherine Hampton on katherinehampton@spuc.org.uk, or call: 01892 542 616.

CAFOD

CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS

Did you know that CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, helps some of the poorest and most marginalised people across the world? We can reach so many people because we are a member of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church network with a presence in 165 countries. Our local experts work with people over the long-term, helping them to have the right skills, tools and opportunities to live with dignity and support their families. For example, in South Sudan we are helping families learn how to farm better as the climate gets hotter, so that they can cope better in the future when things get even more difficult. Thank you for your support.

Celeste and Sarah, CAFOD Community Participation Coordinators in Southwark.

Right to Life

ASK YOUR MP TO END ‘DIY’ ABORTION

The abortion lobby are now running a large campaign in the media to put pressure on the Government to make temporary ‘DIY’ abortion schemes permanent before the end of the year. It is therefore vital that as many MPs as possible write to the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, asking the Government to end these dangerous ‘DIY’ abortion schemes.

Right To Life UK has launched an easy-to-use tool on its website today which makes it easy for you to send an email to your MP asking them to write to Sajid Javid. Please visit www.righttolife.org.uk/endDIY to contact your MP now. It only takes 30 seconds.


Stay up to date with the latest pro-life news from the UK and around the world.

https://righttolife.org.uk/news

JPIC

AUTUMN ASSEMBLY & COP26

We have a thought provoking day planned for the diocesan Assembly on the 20th November with feedback from some remarkable speakers who have been at COP26 in Glasgow.  You can download the programme below and we hope you find it of interest.

Heeding the cry of the poor, the cry of the earth how can we work towards a fairer economy for everyone?  Do we settle for the same status quo – the ‘blah, blah, blah’ or in a glimpse of hope do we recognise the innocence of the suffering, at the same time taking responsibility to accept reality and believe in a different quality of life that comes only from Creation and the Creator as we place our lives in the powerful hands of empowering love, opening up a fairer way of life for all.

The Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission Autumn Assembly 2021 entitled ‘COP26: What next?’ in a continued response to the huge environmental issues of our time. What can we do that we aren’t doing now? Respond to care for the earth, care for the poor, care for a fairer economy. At Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Brixton Hill, Saturday 20th November from 10am onwards. Entrance is free. Everyone welcome. Email jpiccontact@rcaos.org.uk to reserve your place. Please bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee provided.

LEPRA

LEPRA APPEAL

Today 600 people will be diagnosed with leprosy, more than 50 of these will be children.

Devastating impact

Over 7 million people are currently affected by leprosy across the world.  Evidence shows over 3 million people are living with undiagnosed leprosy. Over 4 million people are living with a life-changing disability caused by leprosy. Although curable, many people are unable to access treatment, even though the cure is free. Lepra works to find, treat and rehabilitate these hidden people and promote their rights in India, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Discrimination

Due to misunderstanding, lack of information and incorrect beliefs, people affected by leprosy can experience severe discrimination and prejudice when they show symptoms, or when a diagnosis is confirmed. The consequences can be devastating; people are often shunned by their community or even their own family, they may lose their livelihoods and they can even experience thoughts of suicide. They are left to endure a lifetime of abuse, isolation and shame. During the difficult times of the Covid-19 crisis, so many of us in the UK can resonate with such feelings of isolation with social distancing measures we have experienced; though this has hopefully been a relatively short term restriction compared to that of a leprosy sufferer for whom isolation may last a lifetime.

Lives changed

The lives of many people have been changed thanks to the generosity of supporters like you. In the 97 years since our founding we have helped millions of people affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases such as leprosy. There is now a cure for leprosy, however, there is more work to be done as prejudice, discrimination and lack of healthcare and resources mean not everyone can receive this in time to prevent disabilities.

You can make a difference

Our mission is to beat leprosy – so that all cases are easily diagnosed and treated and leave no disability or discrimination. We are working towards a day when leprosy no longer destroys lives; with your support we can achieve this sooner.

Please help us beat leprosy – even the smallest contribution can help treat and rehabilitate people trapped by this disease.

To DONATE please scan the QR code below or visit: https://donate.lepra.org.uk/LepraDonate

Church Legacy

WILL WRITING & ESTATE PLANNING

As Catholics, we believe in the sanctity of life; life is a precious gift from God. We strive to live life joyfully and faithfully, in the hope we will return to our Creator after a natural death, to enjoy eternal life with Him. When you move onto the next life, you can make your lifetime of faith live on through a gift in your Will.

We all desire to leave a legacy, to make a mark, to make a difference in the lives of our families and friends, and within our communities. A gift in your Will to the Church, no matter how big or small, is a wonderful way to support your Catholic community.

For more information please visit the Diocesan Church Legacy page: https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/donate/leave-a-legacy/, or contact: legacy@rcaos.org.uk

UC Weekly

THE WORLD’S BEST CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER FROM JUST £20.00!

“There is always a need for us Catholics to be able to know what is going on, especially in that key relationship between our faith and our world.”

(Cardinal Nichols at the launch of the Universe – October 2021)

Subscribe and make sure YOU always know what’s going on in the world.

Get a 13 week subscription for just £20.00 visit our website @:-www.universecatholicweekly.co.uk

Includes complete online access to our website and shop.

Order your Digital 4 weeks FREE trial supply by calling Michelle on 0743 661 7650 or email: michelle.jones@universecatholicweekly.co.uk