Pope Leo XIV at the Mass for the Jubilee of Young People

Webmaster • August 22, 2025

Pope Leo XIV at the Mass for the Jubilee of Young People at Tor Vergata in Rome on Sunday 3 August


 “It is truly beautiful, especially at a young age,” the Holy Father said, “to open wide your hearts, to allow him to enter, and to set out on this adventure with him towards eternity.” St Augustine, reflecting on his intense search for God, asked himself: ‘What, then, is the object of our hope…?’ Asking whether our source of hope is the earth or something beautiful that comes from it, he argued that these items were not, but rather ‘the One Who made them,’ ‘He is your hope.’ Like Augustine’s search for meaning, the Pope acknowledged the young people at times ponder similar questions, “There is a burning question in our hearts, a need for truth that we cannot ignore, which leads us to ask ourselves: what is true happiness? What is the true meaning of life? What can free us from being trapped in meaninglessness, boredom and mediocrity?” Pope Leo recalled the young people have had many beautiful experiences, adding that through all this, “you can grasp an important point,” namely the fullness of our existence does not depend on what we store up or, as we heard in the Gospel, on what we possess. Rather, he reminded, fullness has to do with what we joyfully welcome and share. “Buying, hoarding and consuming are not enough. We need to lift our eyes, to look upwards, to the ‘things that are above…'”


“Dear young people, Jesus is our hope,” Pope Leo insisted. “It is He, who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives… to commit… to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal…Let us remain united to Him, let us remain in His friendship, always, cultivating it through prayer, adoration, Eucharistic Communion, frequent Confession, and generous charity, following the examples of Bl Piergiorgio Frassati and Bl Carlo Acutis who will soon be declared saints.” Hence, he invited, “Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.”

By Webmaster May 15, 2026
The Parish is facing two repairs. The flat roof over the long corridor has water penetration to the retaining wall capping stones. The tall chimney of the old boiler is blamed for some water penetration and must be removed. The second repair follows a report of water penetration of the tower. The rain entry threatens electric contacts of the bells. Again work on the capping stones and the lead covering which will call for scaffolding to the top.  Project pictures and information will be displayed in the entrance of the Church shortly. The weekly collection is not covering our outgoing costs, as we all know in paying our utility bills. We hope to have various fundraising projects to assist this essential work. If you have any ideas for fundraising please share on the list at the back of Church. Any contributions will be gratefully welcome Fr Chris & Finance Committee
By Webmaster May 15, 2026
“...I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them…” (John 17:8,9) Graciously hear our supplications, O Lord, so that we, who believe that the Saviour of the human race is with you in your glory, may experience, as he promised, until the end of the world, his abiding presence among us. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,  God, for ever and ever. Amen.
By Webmaster May 15, 2026
In the message for the 60th World Communications Day 2026, Pope Leo told us: "Our faces and voices are unique, distinctive features of every person; they reveal a person’s own unrepeatable identity and are the defining elements of every encounter with others...Faces and voices are sacred. God, who created us in his image and likeness, gave them to us when he called us to life through the Word he addressed to us. This Word resounded down the centuries through the voices of the prophets, and then became flesh in the fullness of time. We too have heard and seen this Word (cf.1 Jn1:1-3) — in which God communicates his very self to us — because it has been made known to us in the voice and face of Jesus, the Son of God...Preserving human faces and voices, therefore, means preserving this mark, this indelible reflection of God’s love. We are not a species composed of predefined biochemical formulas...If we fail in this task of preservation, digital technology threatens to alter radically some of the fundamental pillars of human civilization that at times are taken for granted...The challenge, therefore, is not technological, but anthropological. Safeguarding faces and voices ultimately means safeguarding ourselves...renouncing creativity and surrendering our mental capacities and imagination to machines would mean burying the talents we have been given to grow as individuals in relation to God and others. It would mean hiding our faces and silencing our voices… The task laid before us is not to stop digital innovation, but rather to guide it and to be aware of its ambivalent nature. It is up to each of us to raise our voice in defense of human persons, so that we can truly assimilate these tools as allies…”  There is a Second Collection THIS weekend for the World Communications Sunday.
By Webmaster May 15, 2026
National flags On this Solemnity, we would like to decorate the Church with different national flags that represent all the nationalities that make up our Parish Community. If you have a national flag, can you please bring it to the Church by Sunday 17 May . There will be a box in the porch (please label the flag with your name for returning). Nationalities in the Parish We wish to celebrate the diversity of Parishioners in our Parish on Pentecost. Please add your own Nationality or Ethnicity to the list in the entrance THIS WEEKEND . The list will be typed up and attached to the newsletter on Pentecost Sunday. Bidding Prayers on Pentecost Sunday NEXT WEEKEND , we will be looking for parishioners to volunteer to say one bidding prayer in their own language on Pentecost Sunday. National Dress To celebrate the diversity in our Parish and if you have an ethnic costume, perhaps you may wish to wear it at the Pentecost Sunday Mass. The Our Father At the Pentecost Mass, we will ask parishioners to say Our Father Prayer in their own language (all at the same time) if they wish.
By Webmaster May 11, 2026
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By Webmaster May 10, 2026
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By Webmaster May 10, 2026
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Bereavement Talk time/Cuppa Would you like a chance to talk about the loss of a family member or friend? Whether it was recent or historical, the bereavement group was set up for this. We meet on 10th May at 2.30pm in St David's Chapel. Please use the back gate in Bedford Street
By Webmaster May 8, 2026
Join us on the 14th May for Holy Mass and the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord.