DECEMBER 2025 Newsletter from Arundel & Brighton Diocesan Link
Welcome to this edition of my web newsletter.
There’s
a lot to talk about as we near the end of the year. Sunday November 30th
marks the 1st Sunday of
Advent and the start of the new liturgical year of Year A with our Sunday
readings from the evangelist Matthew. See below the offer from Society of St
Gregory to access a free resource.
I’ve put
together: a mixed bag of Advent resources; a stirring campaign to raise
awareness about violence to women; a great pub talk from the Mizen family on 2nd
February etc.
In October I was introduced to a
day of Adventurous Accompaniment (more about this in next month’s blog).
In a chat with 3 young catholic women I was introduced to the world of Catholic
influencers and social media outlets. I confess I’d never heard of Catholic
influencers, and Kelly kindly sent me some links. You will find them below
under SOCIAL MEDIA. Love It. Hate It.
Use It???
Enjoy
_______________________________________________________________________________
16 days to stand with women.
25th November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women. It launches 16 Days of Activism – an international campaign calling for action to end violence
against women and girls
|
This guide highlights some of the actions you can take
within the Church and beyond to stand alongside survivors of abuse, address
the causes of violence, and tackle government policies that make women
vulnerable to abuse or inflict further harm. Whether you can take part over a few days, or for the whole of the 16 days, please take a moment to stand in solidarity with the often hidden women in your community who might be struggling. |
|
Today's action: One woman is killed every 5 days by a partner or former partner in the UK. The Red Chair Project encourages churches to mark an empty chair in remembrance of women who are killed due to men ’ s violence, and call for change. Could you put up a poster in your parish? |
|
|
1st to 25th December |
Jesse Tree Challenge
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots
a branch will bear fruit”. Isaiah 11:1. Enjoy our Jesse Tree Challenge for Advent. Journey through
the Bible from 1st - 25th December and prepare for the birth of Christ. www.godwhospeaks.uk/
Society
of Saint Gregory is
making its comprehensive liturgy planner, Preparing the Liturgy,
freely available online for a limited time over Advent and Christmas, to
make better known the excellent resources the Society has to offer
priests/preachers, readers, bidding-prayer writers, and parish musicians of all
kinds. Find Resources on ssg.org.uk/preparing-the-liturgy
Vatican News Newsletter <newsletter-en@ml.vn.va>
Subscribe to the Vatican newsletter for free for a catholic
perspective of what is happening in the world. This week you can hear of Pope
Leo’s groundbreaking visit to Turkey and the Lebanon.
Wednesdays 3rd,
10th & 17th
December at 7pm Exploring Christmas Poetry. Join our Advent focus on Zoom. Each
evening, we’ll spend a short time together reflecting on a different piece of
Christmas poetry, allowing space for quiet contemplation, prayer, and stillness
as we prepare for the joy of the season. All are warmly welcome Find out more or email admin@NBCW.co.uk to register 2nd
February 2026 @6.30pm Forgiveness,
Peace & Hope Pub talk London
organised by Catholic Union. Join Margaret and Barry Mizen in
conversation with Catherine Pepinster at The Brass Monkey in Victoria. Booking is essential. www.catholicunion.org.uk
Margaret
Mizen, Founder of the Mizen Foundation, says: “I am looking forward to the Catholic Union’s Pub Talk, there is
much to be discussed as it is through education, early intervention, and
engagement, that we strive to address the root causes of violence. Our young
people need to know they are loved, they are valued, and they do matter”.
The Mizen Foundation was established to honour Jimmy Mizen’s legacy
by promoting a message of forgiveness, peace and hope, and empowerment among
young people and communities.
Catherine
Pepinster, Journalist, says: “The
Catholic Union aims to champion engagement by Catholics for the Common Good and
The Mizen Foundation is certainly a good example. It works with those of
all faiths or none and has done so much to help ignite a fire of change. It
will be interesting to hear how Margaret and Barry go about this important work
and what we, as lay Catholics, can do to support their invaluable effort”.
- For more information about the Catholic Union please visit www.catholicunion.org.uk
- Sign up to our Weekly
Briefing by visiting https://catholicunion.org.uk/weekly-briefings/
- For more information about
the Mizen Foundation please visit https://mizenfoundation.org/
-
To book your place at the event on 2 February please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/catholic-union-pub-talk-forgiveness-peace-hope-tickets-1974650924070?aff=oddtdtcreator
-
The event will take place at The Brass Monkey https://www.brassmonkeylondon.co.uk/
_______________________________________________________________________
SOCIAL MEDIA. Love It. Hate It.
Use It???
Thanks to Kelly from Bristol for
sending in the following.
'As a young catholic woman I
wondered why catholics aren’t using social media platforms. My search showed me
there are online catholic influencers, but they are still widely unknown, so I
have put a list together of some I have found.'
'I've compiled a list of the
social media accounts I follow, along with some context:
- Masculinity and Femininity Discourse –
Two years ago, I attended an event at the Atory in London on this topic,
which has been a significant discussion within my age group. Delphine Chui
was an excellent speaker and a genuinely nice person. She runs a YouTube
channel and has been featured on St Patrick's Soho's channel.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delphinediscusses/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@delphinediscusses
- SALT Dating App – This is a dating app
exclusively for Christians. Delphine Chui represents the Catholic
perspective on their YouTube channel as part of their promotional content.
Lauren Windle is one of the main presenters, though she isn't Catholic.
- SALT YouTube Playlist featuring Delphine: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV2c2mvAVU26oa3iz8uZndZxOQhO5KcgG&si=4yvxsuMl1vFbSOSN
- Catholic Youth Events – I've attended several, including Youth2000, One Hope Project (where I met Pipar Braker), Loretto London, and Big Church Fest (a mixed Christian event).
- Catholic Mothers on Instagram – There
are quite a few who share content about their experiences and values.
- @lauraslovesandlife: https://www.instagram.com/lauraslovesandlife/
- Lila Rose (she has a big platform): https://www.youtube.com/@LilaRoseShow
- Priests and Nuns with Social Media Presence – Several have significant followings:
- @frrobgalea (whom I've met—he's very nice): https://www.instagram.com/frrobgalea/
- @frsamfrench (whom I've met—he's very nice): https://www.instagram.com/frsamfrench/
- Fr. Mike Schmitz (huge YouTube influencer): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeXS0cAkuTPpJ6j3eH59WudJhJ4q1tpwH
- @sistersoflifefriends: https://www.instagram.com/sistersoflifefriends/
My Perspective: There
are many Catholic influencers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. I believe
social media is a tool with both negative and positive aspects, but most people
want to connect and learn.'
___________________________________________________________________________________
Comments
Post a Comment