The Year of Faith

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI announced that the Catholic Church will celebrate a Year of Faith from 11 October 2012 - 24 November 2013.  This Year is especially aimed to create the dialogue within the Church so that we Catholic people become more aware of our faith as we begin to dialogue with those within the church for whom faith has grown cold and for those outside the church for whom the language of faith will be something entirely new.

The Year of Faith also marks the 50th anniversary of the Vatican II Council and its four papal ‘Enciclicae’ or Constitutions  (Lumen Gentium - on the Church; Sacrosanctum Concilium - on the Sacred liturgy; Dei Verbum - on Divine Revelation and Gaudium et Spes - on the Church in the Modern World). Finally, the Year also marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church by Pope John Pope II. Pope Benedict encourages all Catholics to read and reflect upon these documents.

For more information about the Year of Faith visit www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Home/Featured/Year-of-Faith.

In Westminster, Archbishop Nichols has declared a number of Sundays in the coming year when all the parishes of the Diocese will focus on one aspect of the faith. These are:

07/10/12      Pastoral Letter introducing the Year of Faith to all
14/10/12      I:    What is Faith? (28th Sunday of the Year)
02/12/12      II:   The Person of Jesus Christ (1st Sunday of Advent)
20/01/13      III:  The Sacraments in General (2nd Sunday of the Year)
03/03/13      IV:   Reconciliation (3rd Sunday of Lent)
28/04/13      V:    Caritas (5th Sunday of the Year)
23/06/13      VI:   Moral Life (12th Sunday of the Year)

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At St Mary’s we have organized Weekends of Faith which are days of prayers and reflections on the Saturdays preceeding the above- listed dates to deepen and share our faith.

The first one was successfully held on October 13th, including the projection of the first part of the DVD ‘Catholicism’ by Reverend Robert E. Barren.

The second session was held on the weekend of December 1 & 2.
Click Here for full details 

The third was held on 19th January 2013

The next weekend will be held on 2 & 3 March 2013. Click Here for more details.

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