Welcome to CPW’s blog and news page. On this page you’ll see all of our latest articles - from articles written by our members, to blogs about upcoming events, to news and announcements from our trustees.
A few days ago I attended the Catholic People's Week at Hyning. It was an amazing experience that has had a tremendous impact on me and changed my life! The church today is weathering a terrible storm. This experience teaches me that it has treasures beyond measure in the clergy and people that make it up. I am so thankful that it exists and has given me so much.
Read MoreThis is the month when the last weeks of the summer term tumble over each other in a riot of picnics, summer fetes and sports days. Life is more ‘outside’ and relaxed, holidays are on the horizon and everyone just seems friendlier. As we meet, greet, walk and talk with each other this summer, may the eloquence of our speakers, and of our response to one another, fill this glorious month with our prayer, praise and thanksgiving.
Read MoreWhat is CPW’s ‘here’? Can you imagine yourself in a CPW landscape? A mountainside? A garden? A forest? Look around you. What do you see? What can you hear? Let me show you four places that I saw when I looked around CPW, and four accompanying scriptures that I ‘heard’. I offer these pictures, these places, as a means of discovering together CPW’s ‘Here’.
Read MoreMike Winston shares his report of the 2019 Walking Week at Willersley Castle near Matlock. In the words of one of the group he recalls that there was “over everything, an awareness of the presence of God in nature, in the stones on our path, in words spoken out-loud or in the depths of our hearts - a precious closeness with one another, immediate and lasting.” Read the full report here.
Read MoreClare Guidi reports on our Easter CPW in Wales. Clare writes: “Our time together was holy not because of what we remembered about Jesus’ last days but because of how we gave of ourselves and allowed Jesus’ presence to work within each one of us. I am left feeling deeply satisfied, grateful, and refreshed from the experience.”
Read MoreThe Lenten practice of fasting leads our chair to reflect upon how we 'Hunger for meaning' in Lent. Symbols can help us to find meaning where words are inadequate. Using three examples - a bowl of tears, a bronze sculpture of a Homeless Jesus, and the Eucharist - we see how symbols can be re-imagined as an accessible way to unlock meaning for all.
Read MoreRead Teresa Saunders’ report on CPW’s Spring Weekend at Hyning titled ‘Understanding the Eucharist’. Teresa writes: ‘Full of prayerful reflection and ideas, the whole weekend was an extended Eucharist, with all we said and did focussed on the meaning of the Eucharist - thanking God.’
Read MoreMary Ring reviews our first CPW event of 2019 - a winter weekend at Boars Hill titled ‘Church at the Crossroads: Responding to Challenging Times’. Mary writes: '‘As majority shareholders in the Roman Catholic institution, we lay people are co-responsible for its credibility and effectiveness in sharing this Word. It’s our duty to call now for change and growth. One of the best ways to do this is for Catholic parishioners to start talking safely and respectfully about new ways forwards.”
Read MoreSometimes ‘more’ is the solution, but not always. Sometimes we need to take a step back to see if ‘other’ is the answer this time. And that’s where the imagination comes into play. The same could be said of our explorations into the future possibilities for our Church. Do we need ‘more’ of what we’ve always done (bigger, better, stronger, higher, fuller, firmer)? Or dare we consider ‘other’ (stranger, different, smaller, deeper, easier, kinder, looser)?
Read MoreCPW hit the news this week with a full article in the Independent Catholic News written by CPW member Ellen Teague. Titled ‘Catholic Peoples Weeks getting underway for 2019’’, the article reports on our first event of 2019, as well as our forward-looking events for the year.
Read MoreCPW members Joy and Mike Wanless were recently invited to share what they had learnt during their 40 years of marriage at the Salford Diocesan Blessing for Engaged couples . With many couples present, they reminded the couples of the importance of spending time together and talked about the blessings of Catholic Peoples’ Weeks. This is Joy’s reflection on marriage, the importance of mutual support, and CPW.
Read MoreHow many times have we heard politicians adopt predictable and polarised positions in public debate? On matters which affect our children's and grand-children's future, we expect those in positions of responsibility to engage in a meaningful exchange of ideas. Where is the generosity, the openness, 'the words to consider, reconsider'? The answer is that we have the words. We keep them close to our hearts and only speak them when we are in a trusted environment where we are loved, valued and listened to. At CPW we aim to create these environments; sacred places for meaningful conversations, with each other, ourselves and our God. It is our meaningful conversations which will transform our view of the future.
Read MoreRemembering much-loved CPW chaplain Owen Hardwicke. Owen was a gifted wordsmith and the author of Living Beyond Conformity: (Experience of Ministry and Priesthood). Owen devoted his life to serving those who "danced in the margins of ecclesial life." A beautiful and touching eulogy was given by Fr, Rob Esdaile at Owen's funeral. We have published it on the CPW website with his permission.
Read MoreCPW members are invited to attend a private viewing of The Sultan and The Saint at Vue cinema Cardiff on Friday 1st February 2019 at 7pm. This event is taking place in the 800th anniversary year of the little-known, ground-breaking encounter between the Christian, Saint Francis of Assisi, and the Muslim, Sultan Malik Al-Kamil: at Damietta in northern Egypt, in the midst of the horrors of the Crusades. The docu-drama is an hour long and will be followed by a Q&A discussion.
Read MoreThe turn of the year is a time when we naturally stop and consider where we have been and wonder what the future may hold. Looking back over 2018 my CPW highlights have been those which are unlikely to feature in the newsletter reports. They are background moments, hidden breakthroughs which keep our wonderful organisation growing and maturing in response to contemporary challenges. Today, I would like to share five moments in 2018 which made a difference to me; as well as what I’m looking forward to for CPW in 2019.
Read MoreOn 17th November CPW were delighted to welcome Dr Pia Matthews as the speaker for the annual Dora Turbin lecture. Dr Matthews is a theologian and a lecturer in Healthcare Ethics at St Mary's University, Twickenham. The title of the lecture was ‘Disability and a Theology of Hope’ and you can read the full transcript here.
Read MoreIn the interests of making the most inspiring opportunities available to the widest number of people we have added to our 2019 event calendar an Autumn week day evening Lecture in London. Anne Dixon explains more.
Read MoreBarbara Wilson writes about CPW in the Catholic Universe newspaper.
Read MoreReflections from a new member.
Read MoreMary Huckfield couldn’t imagine a year without CPW.
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