Bishop Philip writes…
Greetings to you from Lake Albano, just south of Rome! I am here with the other bishops of England and Wales for our post-Easter Bishops Conference meeting. We are staying at Villa Palazzola, which you can just see in this photograph taken through the trees from Castel Gandolfo. It sits high up above the lake – an idyllic spot! Our meeting this time is brief, as we are also having an In-Service with various expert speakers addressing us on everything from the so-called ‘quiet revival’ to the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. Please pray for us all.
Meanwhile, welcome to e-News edition 530 (2026/14) for Tuesday 21st April 2026. We continue this week a series of articles looking at Mass attendance across the Diocese. The picture is varied, with some Pastoral Areas growing, whilst others show a decline. As we take each Deanery in turn over the next eight weeks, a clearer overall picture should emerge. Numbers of course are ‘crude’ and not everything: depth is what counts. Some of our small communities are full of committed faithful whereas some of the bigger ones find it very hard to recruit volunteers and helpers. To all of us, the challenge is how to reach out to the many people in our society who have not yet heard the Good News of Christ and to the not-yet-practicing Catholics, who in many areas are nine out of every ten. Let us keep this mission-intention before us over the days and weeks ahead. Meanwhile, may the Lord bless you with His love during this Third Week of Easter.
With all good wishes and an assurance of my prayers,
In Corde Iesu
+Philip
Bishop of Portsmouth
