Click the button below to read the Visitation Report delivered at St Gregory's Longton on Tues 18th July, 2023.

From the Walsingham Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady:
On Sunday July 16th 2023 we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 1948 Cross Carrying Pilgrimage of Prayer and Penance for Peace.
Cardinal Griffin on July 16th 1948, opened and closed his sermon, at the culmination of the Great Cross Carrying Pilgrimage with the following:
“But there is no way of casting out such spirits as this except by prayer and fasting.” (Mat 17v20) 
"We want to win back the world to Christ and we want to do it God’s way and not our own. 
Our divine Lord came to the world through a human mother and it is through the same Mother that the world will return to him."
The Stations of the Cross will be led at Our Lady's Shrine at 11am,  before the 14 Stations of the Cross which were carried to Walsingham during this great Act of Penance,
Join us in person or online!

Did you know that one of the crosses in the pilgrimage set out from Newcastle under Lyme? If you have any information about this we would love to hear your stories and memories.

This CAFOD report shows how the World Bank is promoting regulations 
and laws that support the expansion of commercial markets for hybrid 
seeds and chemical inputs like fertilisers and pesticides in Africa. Our 
research shows how this approach does not support poor smallholder 
farmers’ diverse needs and is not effective in reducing poverty or 
increasing food security. We outline alternative models, based on 
agroecological principles, that are more appropriate for supporting 
farmers to build resilient livelihoods. We are calling on the World Bank to 
stop promoting a narrow ‘one size fits all’ model and to start supporting 
a range of approaches that are vital for tackling poverty and building 
sustainable food systems.
To read the full report visit: Sowing-the-seeds-of-poverty-2023.pdf (ctfassets.net)

​On Sunday 2 July 2023, five seminarians were Ordained to the Sacred Order of the Diaconate at St Mary's College, Oscott. Next year, God willing, they will be ordained as priests.

Archbishop Bernard Longley was the Principal Celebrant and he was joined by the resident priests and seminarians along with many visiting priests, family, and friends of the candidates.

The new deacons ordained were:
Anthony Asomugha - Diocese of East Anglia
Ambrose Chou - Diocese of Portsmouth
Christian Nwakamma - Diocese of Hallam
Peter Ross - Archdiocese of Liverpool
Frank Westcott - Diocese of Brentwood

Archdiocese of Birmingham

Congratulations to Revv. David Bench (Birmingham), James Finnegan (Liverpool), Martin Fyles (Liverpool), William Meehan (Hamilton) and Joseph O’Brien (Hexham & Newcastle) who were ordained to the Sacred Diaconate this morning by Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI at Palazzola. Ad multos annos plurimosque annos vivant!
​Venerable English College

Thank you to everyone who supported the recent collection for the work of the Parish SVP Conference.  The collections raised £532.09 and will be used for our work to help those who need it in any way. Our current activities include supporting ASHA with delivery of food and clothing, visiting the sick and housebound at home or in residential care, and co-ordinating with the Fr Hudson's Support Worker for our local schools to offer practical and financial help to vulnerable families. One of our members is involved with Linkline, the telephone befriending service. Our SVP Conference has links with two villages in India. We correspond with them and give financial help. ​Please contact the parish if you are in need of help or wish to volunteer. Many thanks!
To find out more about the history and work of the SVP nationally visit ​https://svp.org.uk/