Open Letter to Foreign Affairs Committee Chair
Laiba Suhail was 10 years’ old when she was abducted and forced to convert from Christianity to Islam. She was taken from her home in Ikhlaq Town, Punjab Province, and feared she could be sold to sex traffickers.
Link to Sign Open Letter: ACN Advocacy. Take Action Today
Lord God, who govern all peoples in every time and place,
instill in us a spirit of wisdom that we may choose Members of Parliament
and a government who truly serve the common good of all.
Help us to do all we can to shape a society which upholds the right to life itself,
works for justice and peace at home and abroad, welcomes the stranger,
protects God’s beautiful creation, and enables us to flourish as citizens.
May his Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady, Queen of the Universe – Pray for us.
St Thomas More – Pray for us.
~ Westminster Justice and Peace
Westminster Justice & Peace Commission offers the following Intercessions,
one of which could be used each weekend leading to 4 July 2024.
1. As we prepare for the General Election, we pray that all Government policies will promote a preferential option for the poor, ensuring that we create an economy in which all people can flourish. We pray that children, young people, and those with particular needs might find safe and respectful places of education and formation where they can develop as responsible and committed citizens.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
2. As we prepare for the General Election, we pray for the health and well-being of our nations. May all Government policies express a clear commitment to the dignity of human life from the womb to the grave. May our rich heritage of health and social care be protected and promoted, and those who serve be fully valued and respected for their service to others.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
3. As we prepare for the General Election, we pray that Government policies will exemplify a commitment to the common good, not only for the peoples of the United Kingdom, but for the poorer countries in our world. May those who seek justice and safety on our shores be respected and welcomed for the gifts they bring, as we hold to international human rights. May our nations continue to respond to the challenges of environmental justice, global poverty, and the need for peace in a war-torn world.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
4. As we prepare for the General Election, we pray that all people of faith will exercise their rights to vote as a sign of a strong commitment to promote the integrity of civic life. May our faith lead us to do justice as we vote, and so move us, beyond passivity, to become active citizens, promoting the values of God’s reign in our land.
Lord, in your mercy – Hear our prayer.
The Prime Minister has called a General Election to be held in the United Kingdom on Thursday 4 July 2024. This is an opportunity for the Catholic community to exercise active citizenship and contribute to the building up of God’s Kingdom of “love, justice and peace”. (Gaudium et Spes, 39)
The Church does not tell people which party to vote for and, as our bishops reminded us prior to a previous election, “a general election must never be confused with a single-issue referendum” (The Common Good, 65), but the Church gives us the principles by which we can discern which candidate and which party will best advance the common good.
This month’s E-Bulletin contains resources that are designed to be useful to Christians preparing for the General Election on 4 July…
Suggested Newsletter Insert
With the UK general election due on Thursday, 4 July, politicians will be looking for our votes. We have a responsibility as Catholics to use our vote to make sure that parties commit to tackling issues such as poverty, injustice and human dignity. The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) offer a guide to issues for the election www.cbcew.org.uk/election24/ as do CAFOD together with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) cafod.org.uk/encounter. These sites provide information on a range of topics from a Catholic Christian perspective to help us ask key questions of local candidates and parties who need our votes. Please ensure you are registered to vote by 18 June and have suitable Photo ID, which you will need this year for the first time.
Sign up here to receive the monthly E-Bulletin from Westminster Justice & Peace and occasional news of other events or urgent actions:
Creation Cries Out – Ecumenical Service: 11am, Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception (Farm Street Church), 114 Mount St, Mayfair, London, W1K 3AH. Includes children’s outdoor nature-based church.
Restore Nature Now March: Gather between midday & 1pm, Park Lane, W1K
You are invited to join us for the biggest ever march to protect the natural world and tackle the climate emergency. Westminster Justice & Peace will be gathering with thousands of others in London for a family-friendly, legal march to demand that UK politicians show strong domestic and global nature and climate leadership.
Why are we marching?
Creation is in crisis. Nature in the UK is in long-term decline and without radical change we’re set to lose even more precious habitats and species. That is why we’re joining a coalition of nature and climate organisations at a mass demonstration calling on politicians from all parties to act now for nature, people and climate.
The vision is for a huge creative, family-friendly and legal mass gathering with Chris Packham and other nature defenders in a united call to protect and restore our natural world.
It is an opportunity for some creative campaigning with speeches from activists and conservationists, as well as entertainers and performance artists, all highlighting the beauty of UK wildlife and the need to protect it.
Creation Cries Out Service
We’ll be meeting at 11am for a ecumenical service with nature-based messy church for children at the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, 114 Mount St, Mayfair, London W1K 3AH before leaving together to join the main march at noon. The Creation Cries Out service is a collaboration between A Rocha UK, Green Christian, Christian Climate Action, and Operation Noah and other groups.
Join us to add your voice to the call to halt biodiversity decline and stabilise our climate for the benefit of all future generations.
Restore Nature Now March and Rally
After the service we will join the Restore Nature Now mass demonstration.
Through Restore Nature Now a wide-range of dozens of nature, wildlife and climate groups from the RSPB to Butterfly Conservation and Woodland Trust are joining together, united in calls for politicians to support action to restore nature by:
Source: Independent Catholic News
More than 10,000 people took part in a peaceful, last-minute rally in Downing Street yesterday, (Tuesday 28 May), in response to Israel’s horrific attacks on the tented refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza yesterday, which killed at least 50 people, mostly women and children, and injured hundreds more.
Speakers demanded an immediate halt to all arms sales to Israel and called for Israel to follow the ICJ Directives. They praised the Jewish peace demonstrators in Israel and all the students who have risen up around the world appealing for an end to the onslaught and justice for the Palestinian people.
One campaigner said: “Our government and the Labour leadership have provided support for Israel as it commits genocide. They have blood on their hands.”
Among the crowds were several representatives from Christians for Palestine.
Colette Joyce from Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace told ICN: “We cannot carry on being complicit while unprotected civilians die in tent camps from military strikes, after having been moved many times already, in search of safety in Gaza.
“We stood outside Number 10 Downing Street today with our banner saying: ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’ – because our shared humanity calls out for a better response, one that does not ask the most vulnerable to pay the highest price.”
LINKS
Christians for Palestine UK: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555041637853
Stop the War: www.stopwar.org.uk/
Palestinian Solidarity Campaign: https://palestinecampaign.org/
Sami El-Yousef, Chief Executive Officer, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem – Reflections from the Holy Land: Fr Gabriel Romanelli returns to his parish in Gaza
Diocese of Westminster ‘Love in Action’ Volunteering Awards 2024
We are delighted to inform you that the Diocesan Volunteering Awards are back! We invite you to nominate a person or team who you think deserve an award for their commitment and dedication to voluntary service. It’s a great way of saying “thank you” to them!
Caritas Westminster will be holding a ceremony in November in Westminster Cathedral Hall, where the winners will be presented with an award.
This year’s award categories are:
Young Volunteer/s of the Year Award
(for volunteers under the age of 25)
‘Ron Palmer’ Lifetime Achievement Award
(for people who have been volunteering for at least 10 years)
Parish Social Action Award
School Social Action Award
St Thérèse of Lisieux Award
(a new category, open to all volunteers in the diocese – this category might be of special interest to you as a charity)
You can submit several nominations in the same or different categories. The deadline for submitting nominations is 30 June 2024.
No need to wait until the end of June though – why not make your nomination today?
Need Volunteers?
If you are in need of volunteers but aren’t currently advertising on our website, please feel free to upload a role or two. Just log in at My account – Caritas Westminster.
If you have any problems logging in or using our service, please contact us – we will be happy to help. If you are not yet registered on our website, please feel free to register and email cvs@rcdow.org.uk once you’re registered, so we can give you access as an organisation.
Join us on Sunday, 9 June, at St John’s in Waterloo, London, from 1 pm – 4 pm, to kick off the Great Big Green Week. Featuring face-painting, a treasure hunt, recycling rounders, a butterfly puzzle, clothes & toy swap stalls, music, dance, a photo exhibition, and more. Bring a plant-based picnic to share!
21 May, 5.30-7.30pm: Faiths for Climate Justice Free Online Workshop
22 May, 5.30-7.30pm: Faiths for Climate Justice Free Online Workshop
Choose one of these two dates. More details and registrations here
Do you want to know what “climate justice” means? Are you keen to find out how a justice-centered approach addresses the climate crisis? Are you looking for a welcoming space where you can bring your unique spiritual and/or religious motivations to tackle the climate emergency? If you’re based in the UK, these workshops are designed to help you address these questions and be part of a community of action.
25 May, 10.30am-3.00pm: CARJ 40th Anniversary Event
Amigo Hall at St George’s Cathedral London SE1 7H.CARJ was established 40 years ago on 16 June 1984 at a meeting of approximately 25 ‘founding members’ from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. To mark this important anniversary, CARJ are launching a new ‘Racial Justice Agenda for Change.’ Open to all and free to attend, with lunch served and a Sung Mass to end the day at 3.00pm. Email your interest to info@carj.org.uk https://www.carj.org.uk/
25 May, 3.00pm: CARJ 40th Anniversary Mass
St George’s Cathedral Southwark, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HY. https://www.carj.org.uk/
All are welcome to join the Justice and Peace Outing to Kew Gardens on Sunday 2nd June 2024
Join Fr Dominic Robinson SJ and Colette Joyce on an exploration of the world famous botanical gardens to see Marc Quinn’s sculpture exhibition, ‘Light and Life’. All are welcome. No prior connection to Justice & Peace needed!
Marc Quinn has long been interested in the links between nature and humanity, and this exhibition brings that complex relationship to life. The mirrored effect of many of the stainless-steel sculptures blurs the boundaries between the viewer, the sculpture and the landscape, giving every visitor a unique experience of the artworks. Their reflection encourages viewers to see themselves as a part of the artwork and a part of the landscape.
Please purchase your own tickets in advance via the Kew website (there are different pricing options) or on arrival.
The meeting point is just inside the ticket barriers at the Victoria Gate entrance at 12.30pm where we will begin the day with prayers and a picnic lunch.
We will have lunch together near the Victoria Gate café. Drinks, sandwiches and cakes are available to purchase in the café or bring a picnic with you.
Please contact Colette Joyce – colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk/ 07593 434 905 – or Fr Dominic Robinson – dominicrobinson@rcdow.org.uk / 07840 868 568 – to let us know you are coming or just join us on the day. Call us on arrival if you have any difficulty finding us!
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 