On 12 September 2010 churches in Britain and Ireland will mark Racial Justice Sunday (RJS). The theme this year is Migration: Building Bridges or Barriers and the question is addressed in Luke 10:29 - ‘Who is my neighbour?

Migration comprises an integral part of our history and is an important dimension of our current reality and experience of living in Britain and Ireland. In addition, the reality of migration and welcoming strangers particularly those who are vulnerable and in need, is not new one but is an important aspect of the mission and ministry of the Catholic Church.

Racial Justice Sunday 2010 offers us a unique opportunity to reflect on the fact that we are all members of a single human family, bound together by our common humanity. We therefore need to do all we can to build bridges of contact, relationship and friendship between people of different ethnic minority and majority communities, and to eliminate preventable barriers. 

Following the success of their 2009 national tour, Riding Lights Theatre Company will be touring the country this autumn performing Origins and Lemons. Subtitled 'Squeezing the Juice out of Genesis', actors Alan Christopher, Fred Denno, Jamie Higgins and Rachel Wilcock use a mixture of humour, imagination and honesty to take the audience back to the very beginning; concentrating on the ultimate expression of Genesis - 'the 'Why?' of the created world.'

Written and directed by Paul Burbidge and Nigel Forde, two of the founding members of the Riding Lights Theatre Company, this is a highly entertaining plunge into some of the issues that have aroused our curiosity since the Dawn of Time. The Baptist Times was quoted as saying "This really is fun - think CS Lewis on a skateboard."

It's not good to be alone is an ecumenical Devon Faith in Action Network day which aims to bring together church people engaging with their local community in a variety of situations. This event will take place on Saturday 16 October 2010, 10am-4pm, at the Salvation Army, Armada Way, Plymouth and it will offer advice, encouragement, fellowship and support.

Participants at this interactive day will be able to share ideas, good practice and questions with others working in Devon, and help the Devon Faith in Action Network identify key issues in Devon for those working where church and community meet, and develop a series of workshops across Devon in 2011 targeting those issues, beginning in February 2011.

'Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended' provides the theme for this year's Day for Life - the day dedicated to raising awareness about the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition. Day for Life 2010 aims to present the Church's teaching on death, highlighting the importance of the sacrament of the sick, of praying for the dead and of accompanying the dying person as they journey towards God. It also points towards the consoling presence and support of the community of faith and all of those who ‘have gone before us marked with the sign of faith'.

Pope Benedict's visit to the UK in September and the Beatification of Cardinal Newman provide an opportunity to rediscover anew Cardinal Newman's "beautiful expression of the theology of dying...the way in which he brought before British society in his own day the awareness of the dignity of death; the support of the community around the dying person and the continuing mercy of God through the experience of death," said the Archbishop of Birmingham and Archbishop for Day for Life, Bernard Longley.

Over 350,000 leaflets presenting the Church's teaching on death have been sent to parishes across in England and Wales. To download this leaflet, please click on the attachment below. 

These are the Event dates for June and July 2010 - together with other information from the Diocesan Justice & Peace Office. If you are interested in attending an event, please check the details via the individual contacts given.

Mary Conway, the Bishop's Adviser on Justice & Peace, can be contacted on 01752 260856 or by email at jp [at] plymouth-diocese [dot] org [dot] uk. Please get in touch with her for requests to be added to the mailing list for monthly email updates from the Justice & Peace Office, or to send details of events/information for the update mailings.

The Most Reverend Peter Smith, formerly Archbishop of Cardiff, has been installed as the Archbishop of Southwark. The Mass and Installation took place at St George's Cathedral, Southwark on 10 June 2010. The Installation marks a return home for Archbishop Peter, who was born in Battersea and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in1972. He succeeds the Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark, the Most Reverend Kevin McDonald. The Diocese of Plymouth, together with the Dioceses of Portsmouth and Arundel & Brighton are Suffragan Sees of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Southwark.

The annual Mass to celebrate the Jubilees of priests in the diocese takes place at the Blessed Sacrament Church, Heavitree, Exeter on Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 12 noon. All are very welcome to attend.

This year, there are three priests celebrating their Golden Jubilee - Fr Daniel Longland, Fr Jude McHugo CJ and Fr Bryan Storey, and one who is celebrating his Silver Jubilee - Fr William Muir.

On Sunday, 6 June the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of St Boniface in Crediton, Devon takes place. St Boniface is the Patron of the Plymouth Diocese and his feast day is on 5 June. All are invited to join with Bishop Christopher and the people of Crediton for this pilgrimage. Mass is at 9.30am, followed by Devotions at the Shrine, a talk on St Boniface and a guided tour of Crediton. For further information, please contact Canon Paul Cummins on 01392 271191.

Canatate Domino! Sing to the Lord a New Song is a day with Martin Foster on the new and rediscovered in the Church's song and prayer. Organised by the Torbay Deanery Liturgy and Music Commission, it is taking place on Saturday 17 July 2010 at Plymouth Cathedral from 10.45am to 5pm.

Martin Foster is a liturgist, musician and composer. He is Director of Music at St Mary's University College Chapel, Strawberry Hill and Acting Secretary of the Liturgy Office of the Bishops' Conference of England & Wales. Martin will take participants through new opportunities that we are being given in our celebration of Mass and the music integral to it. He has ‘accompanied' the re-translation of the Missal for seven years, to the point where its introduction in parish celebration is imminent.

All are welcome to attend but prior booking is essential, with the closing date being 25 June. Instrumentalists are asked to bring a music stand. Further information and booking forms are available from Parish Priests or Music Directors in the diocese. Attendance cost is £7 per person, payable with the booking.

A Festival of Organisations is taking place at Buckfast Abbey (Conference Room) on Saturday 19 June 2010 from 10.30am to 3.30pm. All are invited to come and see what is available in the Plymouth Diocese. Stalls and presentations will be set out to inform and delight you. The event includes wine tasting, souvenirs, presents, a raffle for a gourmet basket of goodies - plus Buckfast Abbey Bookshop is offering a 10% discount to everyone coming from the Festival. For any further details please contact Mick Carter - carter12 [at] blueyonder [dot] co [dot] uk or Della Shenton - della [at] desertdawn [dot] net.

Riding Lights Theatre Company, whose work is informed by the Christian faith, is taking bookings for its sixteenth annual Summer Theatre School, which will take place between 24 - 31 July at Harrogate Ladies' College, North Yorkshire. Courses cover a range of theatrical skills and participants don't need to have had any performing experience. Each course is tutored by a team of professional directors, designers, writers and other theatre practitioners and performers.

At Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon there will be a Mass celebrated according to the Traditional Latin Rite every second Sunday of the month at 4.00pm. The first of these Masses is on Sunday, 9 May 2010. 

What do faith and money have to say to each other? is an event which provides an opportunity to consider this difficult question with Father Joe O'Hanlon - Lecturer at Allen Hall Seminary, London, and Professor Stephen Copp - Associate Professor, Bournemouth University Business School. The event is taking place on Saturday, 15 May from 10am to 2pm at the Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth. The cost, including refreshments and sandwich lunch is £10 per person. Prior booking is essential.

For further information and booking details, please contact the University of Plymouth Chaplaincy on 01752 587760; chaplaincy [at] plymouth [dot] ac [dot] uk or the Plymouth Diocese Department for Formation on 01392 671320.

Organised by the University of Plymouth and its Chaplaincy, the Department for Formation, and representatives of local churches in Devon.

These are the Event dates for May and June 2010 - together with other information from the Diocesan Justice & Peace Office. If you are interested in attending an event, please check the details via the individual contacts given.

Mary Conway, the Bishop's Adviser on Justice & Peace, can be contacted on 01752 260856 or by email at jp [at] plymouth-diocese [dot] org [dot] uk. Please get in touch with her for requests to be added to the mailing list for monthly email updates from the Justice & Peace Office, or to send details of events/information for the update mailings.

The annual Devon Churches Forum, organised by Churches Together in Devon is being held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 12 May at Fairplace United Church, Okehampton. Captain Viv Prescott from the Salvation Army is the main speaker. She is involved in an ecumenical partnership in the Forest of Dean in which the Salvation Army is working with the United Reformed Church and Anglican parish church to witness together and to serve the local community. It is an inspiring story that shows the effectiveness of unity in mission.

The evening will also feature a presentation on Street Pastors in Devon. Ros Ede, one of the regional spokespersons for Street Pastors in the South West, will give an update on how this exciting initiative is developing and what it is achieving in the county. There will be an update on the appointment of a new County Ecumenical Officer for Devon.

The Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Priesthood and Consecrated Life on Sunday, 25 April 2010. On this day, the Church in England and Wales encourages young people to consider whether priesthood or religious life might be for them. Over 4,000 posters and other materials have been distributed amongst parishes, university chaplaincies and schools. This event takes place each year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Vocations Sunday. The materials sent out to schools celebrate the diverse vocations in today's Church as well as encouraging students to reflect on what it means to be called.

Pope Benedict has designated this year as a ‘Year for Priesthood' encouraging a renewal of our understanding of the gift of priesthood in the Church and encouraging priests to be renewed in their dedication to Christ and his people. This presents a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the priestly vocation and this year's poster links the priesthood to the visit of the Holy Father to England and Scotland in September, which many people are looking forward to with enthusiasm.

As part of the Catholic Children's Society (Plymouth), Patchwork aims to provide opportunities for parents of children at schools within the Plymouth Diocese to support each other through parenting programmes. During the Summer Term, several parenting courses are being held in various parts of the Dorset Deanery.

Safeguarding Awareness Training Days are aimed at anyone who comes into contact with children within their parish in the course of carrying out parish duties, whether paid or voluntary. There is no charge and if you are involved with any of the following you should do this course as soon as possible: catechesis, confirmation, first Eucharist, children's liturgy, youth club, creche, special ministers of Holy Communion, altar serving, music group. Upcoming training is taking place in Weymouth and Totnes.

A final series of talks has been arranged by Torbay Deanery's Adult Education Commission. They are being held in St Joseph's Church Hall, Queen Street, Newton Abbot on two Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm. Everyone is very welcome to attend. Refreshments will be available and tapes of the talks can be ordered.

The talk on Wednesday, 28 April is ‘Benedictine Spirituality' by Rt. Rev. David Charlesworth, Abbot of Buckfast. On Wednesday, 5 May, the topic is ‘From Gethsemane to Emmaus' (an essential journey) by Canon Provost Patrick Costello VF, Dean of Torbay.

In addition to the weekly Sunday Service on BBC Radio Devon, this year a special service for Good Friday on 2 April is being broadcast at 6am. This service will be led by the Rev. Edward Channing and the Rev. Peter McWilliam, who are deacons at St. Boniface's Catholic Church, Cullompton, and it will include music recorded at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Exeter.

Unlike the Sunday services, there will not be an afternoon repeat, but the service can be listened to via the BBC Devon website, on the BBC iPlayer. BBC Radio Devon broadcasts on 103.4 FM countywide; 95.8 FM, 990 medium wave and DAB in Exeter; 95.7 FM and DAB in Plymouth; 104.3 FM, 1458 medium wave and DAB in Torbay and South Devon; 94.8 FM and 801 medium wave in North Devon; in the Okehampton area on 96 FM.

Eager pilgrims are anticipating a week of joy, blisters, friendships forged for life and liturgy as never experienced before. From 27 March to 2 April, more than 250 people of all ages will set out from various parts of England in 10 groups (known as 'Legs'). They will walk around 120 miles during the course of the week carrying a life-sized wooden cross and will gather together at the national shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham, Norfolk, on Good Friday for a unique Easter celebration.

Two ‘Living Theology' Summer Schools of Catholic Faith will be taking place in July this year - a weekend one in London and the other, a week long, in Sheffield. Both have residential and non-residential options. ‘Living Theology' is Jesuit run, and has been going for over 40 years. The courses are traditionally very friendly places, and course tutors and plenary lecturers have been chosen for their expertise and experience. Participants are promised a stimulating and exciting time in which to explore various issues in relaxed and comfortable surroundings. To quote Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Course Director Living Theology Summer School: "Living Theology is always very special because, far more than lectures and courses, it is an experience of living our faith together. We do this through the study, but also through the Liturgy and prayer, and through the community formed during our time together." 

Pope Benedict will visit England and Scotland on a four-day state visit from 16-19 September 2010. The Holy Father will fly to Scotland where he will be received at the Palace of Holyroodhouse by Her Majesty The Queen. He will also celebrate a public Mass in Glasgow. In England, amongst other things, His Holiness will make a speech to British civil society at Westminster Hall, meet with the leaders of other Christian traditions, take part in a service of Evening Prayer with the Archbishop of Canterbury and lead a prayer vigil. The Pope will also beatify the nineteenth century theologian and educationalist Cardinal John Henry Newman at a public Mass in Coventry. Full details of the Pope's itinerary will be announced nearer the time. 

This year's National Justice & Peace Network Conference has the theme ‘Our Daily Bread - Food Security, People and Planet' and it takes place on 16-18 July at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire.

Food is so essential a part of our lives that the ‘breaking of bread' with others celebrates love, mutuality and the gifts of the natural world. Yet the global food system upon which we depend is increasingly fragile. One in six people in the world goes hungry, low-income groups have trouble accessing nutritious food, and justice is denied to many of the world's food producers. The conference will explore the food system and exciting new initiatives to help us reconnect to sustainable agriculture and food, and highlight insights into ‘our daily bread' offered by our faith and worship.

Following a previous public discussion event on stem cell research, which was held at the Guildhall in Exeter, a university research centre is now offering the public the opportunity to join a discussion and to question experts about the implications of potential new prenatal tests for genetic disorders. As part of the ESRC* Festival of Social Science, a public meeting, ‘Non-invasive prenatal genetic testing - a moral maze?' will take place at Exeter Central Library on Tuesday 16 March, starting at 7.00pm.

The meeting, which is free and open to all, is organised by Egenis, a research centre based at the University of Exeter. "Recent advances in genetic technologies mean that it is becoming possible to screen for a variety of genetic conditions through prenatal blood testing, avoiding the need for risky procedures such as amniocentesis," explains Dr Hannah Farrimond, one of the event organisers. "Diagnostic blood tests as early as 6-8 weeks into pregnancy for conditions like Down Syndrome are just around the corner, while blood tests for paternity and sex-determination are already available on the internet.