Fr Alvan Ibeh: A Message of Hope for 2026
January 8, 2026
Festival Gives Major Boost to Organ Rebuild Fund
January 9, 2026
On Saturday 6 December Bishop Peter began the Bury St Edmund deanery Caritas Festival at St Edmund King and Martyr Church by concelebrating Mass with the parish priest, Fr Sean Connolly, the dean, Fr John Warrington, and the chair of the Caritas Commission, Fr Peter Raj.
In his homily Bishop Peter linked the readings of the day to both the Advent “the season of waiting when as the readings remind us in a very real sense, the Lord is never absent ” and to the purpose of the Festival “celebrating the service rendered by many in the Church and beyond the Church to addressing the needs of all and the vulnerable. The Gospel relates primarily to the apostolic ministry, but a mantle of apostolic mission is also laid upon all the baptised. We pray that God’s human beings will recognize their responsibilities, their mission to see the need that is there before our eyes, then employ every talent to address that need.”
As at each of the previous six deanery festivals, the Mass was followed by an opportunity in the very hospitable crypt to meet representatives from groups involved in social action within the deanery over refreshments organised by the local Catenian circle together with a warm welcome to the visitors from the local parishioners.
One of the participating organisations could not be accommodated in the crypt since it was the SOS Bus from Newmarket which was parked outside. Its presence enabled everyone to see what facilities the project delivered late at night to those in need in local town centres. Another participant, a beneficiary of a grant from the Alive in Faith Social Fund was Reach from Haverhill which proactively tackles poverty ensuring access to emergency food, utilities vouchers, financial advice, benefit support, housing assistance, and by working to prevent poverty by delivering financial literacy education and empowering local people to rebuild their lives.
The other local organisations represented were based in Bury St Edmunds: Bethany Group Bereavement Support; Catenians; Feel Good Suffolk; Helping Hands; and SVP. Also present was the diocesan Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking awareness raising project.
Before ending the festival with a blessing, Bishop Peter shared his reactions to what he had seen and learnt. “The role of the SOS Bus reminds me that when I was dean of the Cathedral in Cardiff, we used some of our resources as a hub for the ambulance service in the city centre. Although there was a lot of work clearing up afterwards, there was great, great work was being done. No one stands in glorious isolation. No one can survive within the confines merely of their own circle This festival has been a listening exercise as much as a promulgation exercise. We have been listening to each other and learning.”
David Livesey Caritas East Anglia Administrator said, “I am pleased that, with the first Caritas Festival planned for March 2020 having been postponed by the Covid epidemic, we have in the past two years at Bishop Peter’s request delivered seven festivals in every diocesan deanery. All of the many projects celebrated at each festival will continue whilst the Caritas East Anglia Commission will work with Caritas in other dioceses to develop ways of: listening to and documenting grassroots lived experience in local communities; and, promoting integration and participation of Catholic migrant communities in their parishes so as to empower them to address and to advocate for their needs.”
