Catholic Family’s Norfolk Hike of Hope
September 10, 2025
St Peter and All Souls RC Church in Peterborough received a welcome boost in its campaign to save its historic building, thanks to a vibrant fundraising event that brought parishioners and friends together in faith and fellowship.
The church is currently undergoing a £1.5 million restoration project after major subsidence left the Grade II listed building in urgent need of repair. Built in 1896 by local Catholic families on the site of a former fishpond, the church’s foundations have become unstable. Its walls are leaning outwards, cracks are appearing in the structure, and scaffold buttresses now hold the building steady while constant monitoring takes place.
At the weekend, the parish hosted a special community cookout to raise funds for the project. The day began with Holy Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Collins, followed by the blessing of food lovingly prepared by parishioners. What followed was a joyful celebration of the parish’s cultural diversity, with music, entertainment and traditional dishes from eight different communities.
The food itself told the story of the parish’s richness: Filipino spring rolls, rice and beef stew; Portuguese churrasquinhos, Feijao de tropeiro, Empada, Esfirra and Brigadeiro; African Pilau, Mukimo, Jollof and Chicken, Tempura Prawns, meat pies and fried fish; and English favourites such as Shepherd’s Pie and Blackberry and Apple Crumble. Parish children also delighted those gathered with song, adding to the sense of joy and togetherness.
The cookout comes after the church received significant encouragement last month in the form of a £218,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This support marks the beginning of a larger effort to secure the future of St Peter and All Souls, ensuring that its legacy of worship, service and community can continue for generations to come.
Events such as these remind us that the Church is not only built from stone but from living communities of faith. The people of St Peter and All Souls, in their unity and generosity, show us the strength of the Body of Christ at work today. As the restoration project moves forward, their witness offers hope that, together, we can preserve our sacred spaces while building up the living Church for tomorrow.
