Welcome
Welcome to St Bede Catholic Church
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
‘All Saints’ Day......’
Every year on November 1 st , the Church celebrates something special: the countless souls who have it to our eternal home in heaven. All Saints’ Day is a reminder that holiness is not just for a few chosen people. It is the ultimate calling that we should all strive for.
The history of this feast goes back many centuries. It began in 609, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the old Roman Pantheon (pagan temple) to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. That moment marked one of the Church’s first big acknowledgments that not just few saints but all those who lived faithfully deserved to be remembered and honored. A few hundred years later, Pope Gregory III moved the Feast to 1 st November, dedicating a special chapel in St.Peter’s Basilica to “all saints, martyrs, and confessors.” Then later in 835 AD, Pope Gregory IV made it an official Holy Day of Obligation, meaning that Catholics everywhere were called to join in celebrating the great family of faith that came before us.
All Saints’ Day is more than just a date on the Church’s calendar. It is a celebration of the communion of Saints, the connection that binds together all members of the Church across Heaven, Purgatory, and Earth. Those in Heaven, the Church Triumphant, are the saints who have finished the race and now see God face to face. On this day, we honor the saints and ask for their prayers, knowing that they intercede for us. We, the Church Militant, are still here on earth striving to live out our faith and fight against sin and temptation. All Saints’ Day reminds us that we are not alone in this struggle; the saints in Heaven support us through their prayers, and examples show us that holiness is possible even amid daily challenges. Then the Church Suffering, the souls in Purgatory, are those who died in friendship with God but still undergo purification before entering Heaven.
The following Day, All Souls’ Day. On this day we remember them in prayer, offering sacrifice and masses to help them on their journey toward the fullness of God’s presence. Together, these parts of the Church- Triumphant, Suffering, and Militant- reveal the unity of God’s family. All Saints’ Day calls us to rejoice with the saints in Heaven while renewing our own commitment to holiness here on earth.
God bless you all. Fr. Henry
IN THE NEWS...
Pope at Angelus: Do not be afraid to admit your mistakes
Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV recalled the two contrasting figures from the day’s Gospel reading: the Pharisee, confident in his own righteousness, and the tax collector, conscious of his sin.
The Pope was speaking just after the Jubilee Mass dedicated to synodal teams and participatory bodies on Sunday, and before his weekly recitation of the Marian prayer of the Angelus
The prayer of the Pharisee, Pope Leo said, which is focused on boasting and spiritual pride, “reflects a strict observance of the Law, certainly, but one poor in love, built on ‘giving’ and ‘having,’ on debts and credits, and lacking mercy.”
Southeast Asian leaders sign ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia
President Donald Trump on Sunday co-signed a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, alongside leaders from Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur.
President Donald Trump on Sunday co-signed a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, alongside leaders from Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Philippines: Bringing to light safeguarding as a mission of all
Philippines: Bringing to light safeguarding as a mission of all
A conference highlighting the Church’s mission to protect minors and vulnerable persons has taken place in the Philippines, marking an important step in strengthening safeguarding efforts in the country.
It was the first national conference of its kind in the Southeast Asian island nation - a country that stands as a stronghold of the Catholic Church in the region. Experts from across the Philippines and neighbouring Southeast Asian nations took part.
ABOUT SAINT BEDE...
St Bede 673-735AD
Bede was born in 673 AD in the northeast of England. From the age of seven, he received a Benedictine education at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Wearmouth, today part of Sunderland. Bede spent his whole life within the twin monasteries of St Peter at Wearmouth and St Paul in Jarrow, where he became a Benedictine monk and continued his studies using the fine libraries established by the monastery's founder, St Benedict Biscop, Bede's first teacher, and under the guidance of Abbot Ceolfrith (Ceolwulf).
Bede wrote on many topics. His most famous work, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (the Ecclesiastical History of the English People), earned Bede the title "The Father of English History". His works revealed not only Bede's qualities as a scholar and historian but also the qualities of modesty and humility which make his works so memorable. However, Bede's work shows that he had at his command all the learning of his time. Bede's writings included papers and articles on scientific, historical, theological, and mathematical matters, as well as poetry and literature. St Bede is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. His sainthood was generally recognized around fifty years after his death on 25th May 735 AD. His bones were later elevated from St Paul's in Jarrow to Durham, where they lie in the Galilee Chapel at Durham Cathedral. Bede's scholarship and importance to Catholicism were recognized on 13th November 1899 when Pope Leo XIII decreed the title of Doctor Ecclesiae to St Bede the Venerable, making him the only English Doctor of the Church.
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