Nature walk, inspiring evening, award presentation

Latest news of interest to the East Anglia Catholic community includes an environmental awareness walk, an inspired evening of praise and worship and a scientific award presentation.

The CAFOD group at North Walsham Parish put on an afternoon walk in the grounds of Blickling Hall near Aylsham in early September. Organiser John Holden said: “It wasn’t a fund raising venture but an environmental awareness day which nestled in with the Pope’s monthly intention of  climate change and that all will undertake to personally care for the world in which we live. The group stopped for prayers and reflections at various points along the route. We hope that this will be a forerunner for more similar events in the parish.”

Pictured above are the  North Walsham group just prior to the first prayer stop.

An inspiring evening of Praise and Worship was held at St Peter’s Church in Gorleston on September 7, drawing around 70 worshippers from the parish and across the diocese.

The event, led by Fr Alvan Ibeh SMMM, was a vibrant celebration of faith, featuring contemporary praise songs, engaging talks, and heartfelt adoration.

Fr Alvan, delivered a thought-provoking talk on the theme “In His Presence, Great Things Happen,” emphasizing the transformative power of divine presence. The evening was supported by members of the Diocese Youth Ministry, with Alex Thanickal serving as the MC. The music was provided by “Singles for Christ,” adding a lively and modern touch to the worship experience. Teams from the parish and the Charismatic Diocesan Service of Communion (CDSC) provided individuals with prayer ministry.

Alex said: “The event centred around Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, provided attendees with an opportunity for personal encounter. Many participants expressed their gratitude, noting the positive impact of the evening. Some remarked on the rarity of such events in their recent experiences and expressed eagerness for future gatherings. One attendee, new to the area, was particularly pleased to participate in the spiritual vibrancy of this community event.”
For information on upcoming similar events within the diocese, follow the Facebook page ‘Catholic Charismatic Renewal – East Anglia’ or visit the website www.renewaleastanglia.org

Fr Peter Wygnanski has collected an award on behalf of St John’s Cathedral by Scientists in Congregations, based at St John’s College, Durham

The team at St John’s in Norwich have been awarded a £10k grant for a project that aims to help Catholics who work in the life sciences to explain their Catholic beliefs in an increasingly challenging work environment.

Entitled ‘Human Dignity’ and Moral Decision-making in the Life Sciences’ the project will be run by Dr Richard Maguire, the Heritage and Learning Officer at the Cathedral, and Professor George Lomonossoff from the John Innes Centre, Norwich.

Fr Peter collected the award on behalf of the team from Prof Grzegorz Karwaz from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland (pictured below).

St John’s in Norwich is one of seven churches across England and Wales to share funding of £70,000 to explore the relationship between science and faith through the church engagement programme, Scientists in Congregations

Scientists in Congregations is a programme run by Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS). ECLAS is led from St John’s College, Durham University in partnership with the University of York and the Church of England. 

Read more here.

www.eclasproject.org

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