Caritas Festivals

Caritas Festivals celebrate ways through which the Catholic community puts its faith into action through social outreach and encouraging new volunteers to get involved. In early 2023 Bishop Peter Collins announced that Caritas East Anglia would be holding Caritas festivals in each of the Diocese’s seven deaneries.

He explained: “At the end of every Mass we are reminded of the Gospel call to love God and our neighbour. In every deanery in the diocese over the next two years I have asked that we celebrate the ways through which the Catholic community puts faith into action via Caritas and other outreach organisations (e.g., Foodbanks). I hope that at each of these Caritas Festivals we will all be encouraged to participate in some of the wide variety of our local social action and outreach activities. Also, it will be an important opportunity to learn about what is done elsewhere and start locally new activities that will accompany the needs of our neighbours.

Each festival begins with Mass, followed by opportunities to meet representatives from groups involved in social action active within the deanery over refreshments. Groups represented include local organisations, such as foodbanks, and the Diocesan Cambodia link and national organisations, such as St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) and CAFOD . Some organisations have their origins in the Catholic church, others – such as Hope into Action are ecumenical while others, for example  Emmaus UK, are based outside faith communities. The event concludes with a synodal style prayer service.

These festivals are part of Caritas East Anglia’s ongoing mission to support and coordinate social outreach in the diocese and stand as an embodiment of Bishop Peter Collins’ call for active faith that seeks to meet the needs of our neighbours.

Festival dates

4 November 2023 – Cambridge Deanery Festival at St Laurence’s Church 91 Milton Rd, Cambridge CB4 1XB

24 February 2024 – Ipswich Deanery Festival at St Mary’s Church 322 Woodbridge Rd, Ipswich IP4 4BD

25 May 2024 – Great Yarmouth Deanery Festival at St Peter’s Church Lowestoft Rd, Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth NR31 6SQ

30 November 2024 – Norwich Deanery Festival at St Walstan Church Costessey. Townhouse Road, Costessey NR8 5AA

8 February 2025 – Kings Lynn Deanery Festival at Holy Family Church, 34 Field Lane, King’s Lynn PE30 4AY

1 November 2025 – Peterborough Deanery Festival at St John Fisher High School, Peterborough,  Park Lane, Peterborough PE1 5JN

6 December 2025 – Bury St Edmunds Deanery Festival at St Edmund, King and Martyr, 21 Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QG

Further dates to be announced.