Tag Archives: Bishops’ Conference

The Art of Dying Well

dying-well

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference have launched a new website for the month of November, the moth of the Holy Souls. Called ‘The Art of Dying Well‘ the site offers support to those grappling with issues around the meaning of death and dying. Based in the Catholic tradition, but open to all, it features real-life stories about dealing with the journey through death to eternal life.

The site is for those who are dying, their friends and family, for carers and makes a contribution to the national debate. Expert advice has been sought from professionals in palliative care, ethics, chaplaincy, history and media.

 

Here is a video clip from the website which looks at the journey of one man’s terminal illness.

A day of prayer for the Synod of Bishops on the Family 2014

Today, Sunday 28th September, has been marked out as a special day of prayer for the preparations of the Synod on the Family.

Synod family pic

The Synod – a meeting of bishops – will take place from the 5th to the 9th October and will discuss the matters which were raised last year when the Church invited every member to fill out a questionnaire on family life. Pope Francis has asked for the following prayer to be recited by all the faithful during liturgical celebrations.

Prayer to the Holy Family for the Synod

 Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendour of true love,

to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer,

authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again

experience violence, rejection and division:

may all who have been hurt or scandalized

find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may the approaching Synod of Bishops

make us once more mindful

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,

and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

graciously hear our prayer.

AMEN.

The bishops’ conference of England and Wales have more information which can be found here.

Home Mission Sunday

CBCEW

This weekend is Home Mission Sunday  – the day annually when we are invited to pray for and support the Church’s work of Evangelisation in England and Wales. The theme this year is:

“in the heart of the family’

We are reminded that the work of evangelisation begins within our own families – in our own homes – and also within the spiritual family of our parish. The bishops of England and Wales ask that we reflect very especially on how the Lord might be calling us to reach out to those that we know, in our home and parish family, who are non churchgoing Catholics. For more information look here.