Please find below details of forthcoming Pilgrimages with churches in the Leigh area:

• ANIMATE YOUTH: Lourdes Youth Pilgrimage 2026
  Join Coach 6!
  Young people (aged 15–22) from Warrington, Widnes and Leigh parishes and schools are warmly invited to join the Archdiocesan Lourdes Youth Pilgrimage, taking place 22nd – 31st July 2026. This is a wonderful opportunity to travel with other young people, grow in faith, make lifelong friends, and serve the assisted pilgrims who journey to Lourdes.
  • Cost: £720 (Early Bird Discount: £670 if applied before 20th October) Fundraising opportunities will be available to help reduce costs.
  • Deposit: £100 at time of application Includes: Travel, 7 nights’ hotel accommodation, all meals, insurance, and pilgrimage t-shirts.
  Application forms are available online from Monday 15th September, please visit www.liverpoollourdesyouth.co.uk
  Details available at the back of churches.
  
• Twelve Apostles Walsingham Pilgrimage Easter 2026 6th — 9th April
  Could anyone who has signed up to come on this year’s trip please ensure that they have paid any outstanding monies by the end of February.
  Anyone wishing to go on the annual pilgrimage to Walsingham, please contact Theresa Thompson: 07780 064502
  
  
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Fr Kieran posted these Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV on the St Edmund Arrowsmith newsletter, which I felt were well worth sharing more publicly:

“Brothers, sisters…
I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left.
To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.

I, too, was angry with God.
I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.
And yes...there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.

Read more: Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV

• Day For Catechists – Formation & Reflection.
  Are you a catechist looking for spiritual refreshment? No matter what kind of ministry you are serving, there is a good opportunity for you to refresh your vocation of being a catechist. On 27 September, the Day for Catechists will be organised from 10.00–16.00 at Carmelite Monastery L18 3NU. With the
  facilitation of Sr Carino and Sr Hyacinthe from the Dominican Sister of St Joseph, there will be spiritual input and practical discussion on the mission of catechesis. If you’re interested, and for more information, please contact Moses at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pope Francis
Pope Francis gave us this invitation.... ‘let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing immense cruelty’

A Prayer for Ukraine
Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

(From the CAFOD website. Link opens in new tab.)

World Day of Prayer for Peace.

The theme chosen by Pope Francis this year:
Forgive us our trespasses…grant us your peace
In a world hungry for revenge and where ‘sorry’ really does seem to be the hardest word, Pope Francis has boldly chosen  ‘forgiveness’ as the central theme for World Peace Day 2025. This is in stark contrast to the calls for ‘revenge’ and ‘an eye for an eye’ that are currently played on repeat by our politicians and amplified by the media.
Do we really have the faith to believe that when we choose to forgive then God will grant us peace?
The Pope informs us that it is only from a genuine conversion on all levels - personal, local and international - that true peace will be
able to flourish.

Reflect:
This week's readings remind us that God is always looking out for us and will be there at our side through all the trials and tribulations we encounter.

Act:
Are we afraid to stand up for what we believe? Do we succumb to the social pressures of our lives or do we recognise that the Lord is with us. He loves each one of us just as we are. Are we able to extend this care and consideration to others in our lives? Do we support them in their quest to become the best person they can be?
   
Pray:

Challenge

In the spirit of Laudato Si:

• As we spend more time outside, be mindful of the impact of rubbish in our environment. Find a bin rather than dropping rubbish on the floor!
• Be mindful of creation. Take time this week to stop and appreciate all those we share our world with - plants, birds, insects, trees, creatures - and other humans! Treat all with respect and consideration.
• Save water, whatever the weather! Don't use a power washer, get a water butt, use a watering can, don't water the lawn - it soon recovers from drought conditions. Think of other ways you can save water in the home.....
• There has been a lot in the news lately about the effect of mass tourism in areas throughout the UK. If you visit anywhere be considerate and respectful. Leave no sign that you have been there, taking rubbish away with you.
• Take steps to reduce meat and dairy consumption in an effort to aid a cut in carbon emissions.
• Hedgehog Highways are aimed at facilitating the path of hedgehogs through our gardens on their daily search for food. Can you help? 
• May is a chance to take part in 'No Mow May' in which we leave our grass or a portion of our grass unmown for the month. This allows flowers to grow, providing food for insects and wildlife.
• The Pope's prayer for May is that all humanity has access to food. How can you facilitate this? Give to a charity, share food with others, shop wisely with care and thought for those in more deprived countries?
• Have a look at your garden - how can you make it more wildlife friendly? Have a look at websites such as the RSPB, the RHS and Wildlife Trusts for ideas.
• Share something of what you have with others  this week.
• Many are struggling with the cost of living. Can you donate to your local food bank? Collections take place at some of our churches and at many local supermarkets.
• People are struggling in our world today. This week do at least ONE thing to alleviate someone's distress.
• The SVP would like donations of Easter Eggs for the local food banks. Can you help?
• Do we appreciate what we have? Take time this week to give thanks for all that is in your world.
  

  Read more: Live Simply / Laudato Si

Message from CAFOD
We are deeply grateful to all the parishioners at St Edmund Arrowsmith Parish, for your faithful support this year and your recent generous donation of £1,429.18 received on the 21st May 2026. Thank you for standing in solidarity with our global family and living out Christ’s call to love your neighbour in such a powerful way this Lent. Your generosity during this season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving is truly inspiring!

CAFOD: Stand with Sudan. 
Give monthly. On the third anniversary of the war in Sudan, Kayode Akintola, CAFOD’s Head of Region for Africa, asks for your help:
“So many of our sisters and brothers in Sudan are facing increasing violence, hunger, and disease. That is why today, I’m asking you to consider setting up a regular gift to support families who are fleeing the violence – with food, safe water and other vital support. Monthly gifts are an act of steady love for our 
neighbours, a way of saying: we will not abandon you, we will stand with you until peace is restored.”
Donate at: cafod.org.uk/StandWithSudan

CAFOD: Response in Gaza
Your donations to Gaza since the start of the conflict have been a vital lifeline. Right now, CAFOD's partner, Caritas Jerusalem, is delivering essential medical treatment to displaced people and providing medicines to treat chronic illnesses. We have helped 1,400 households with cash to buy supplies in the last month and we are currently feeding 2,000 people with new stocks of flour and rice. Despite the restrictions on aid coming into Gaza, CAFOD's local partners are working tirelessly to help people. And with your ongoing support, they will do all in their  power to keep doing so. You can find out more about how you can make a difference in Gaza at cafod.org.uk. Thank you for backing our work through holding collections for our Family Fast Day appeals and for continuing to pray for peace in the Middle East.