2025 Diocese of East Anglia Yearbook is now online
December 12, 2024
Caritas East Anglia held its fourth deanery festival at St Walstan Church, Costessey near Norwich, on Saturday November 30, reports Jane Crone, member of the Caritas Commission.
The day began with Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Collins, during which he reminded us that it was the feast day of St Andrew, and that we are called to ‘cast the net of faith’ and to be witnesses to the truth of Jesus Christ.
At the end of Mass, the Caritas in East Anglia candle was taken though into a church hall filled with stalls representing organisations reaching out to our local and global neighbours and active within the deanery. Delicious refreshments were provided by the Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM) Foundation at Costessey. Some of the organisations represented, were large and well known, such as the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP), Stella Maris and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), while others were small and rooted in the local area.
Dr David Livesey, Caritas in East Anglia Administrator said: “At Costessey, we had the opportunity to find out about some groups active in the Norwich deanery. The Feed, a social supermarket serving around 2,500 members making around 500 shopping trips each week and Network for a Better World working through schools in Malawi.
“This was the first festival at which we had representation from organisations working with prisoners. Community Chaplaincy Norfolk, based at St Stephen’s Church café in Norwich city centre, serves those leaving prison to live anywhere in Norfolk and the Prison Fellowship, a group supporting prisoners via their connection with their local prison. It was also an opportunity to celebrate TEA, the homeless project of the North Norfolk Conference of the SVP, now championed by the national SVP as being of innovative importance to its future mission”.
The final three Caritas Festivals are on
February 8, 2025 – King’s Lynn Deanery Festival at Holy Family Church, 34 Field Lane, King’s Lynn PE30 4AY
November 1, 2025 – Peterborough Deanery Festival at St John Fisher High School, Peterborough, Park Lane, Peterborough PE1 5JN
December 6, 2025 – Bury St Edmunds Deanery Festival at St Edmund, King and Martyr, 21 Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QG
For more information on Caritas in East Anglia see Caritas East Anglia – Catholic Diocese Of East Anglia (rcdea.org.uk)
For information on future Caritas Festival see Caritas Festival – Catholic Diocese Of East Anglia (rcdea.org.uk)
Pictured are attendees at the Caritas East Anglia Festival in Costessey with Bishop Peter Collins.
