
The Safeguarding Department have released the 2024 Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia Safeguarding Report. In this year’s report, they highlight key actions taken, including: * The establishment of a dedicated victim-survivor support post * A major reduction in DBS backlogs * The development of policies to promote best practices Looking ahead, the report outlines plans for: * Enhanced safeguarding audits * Improved training for clergy, staff, and volunteers * Stronger collaboration with statutory agencies Click the link below to read the report:

Mary meets Jesus on His Way to Calvary Oh most sorrowful Mother, when you heard your Son has been sentenced to death, how your heart grieved at this news. Your Son was not being persecuted by the Roman ruler, but by your very own people! They all wanted Him to die - "Persecuted him! Persecuted him!" Where are all the people whom Jesus has cured, where is everyone whom has seen His Miracles, what about the ones whom He fed? There was nobody there willing to stand up for Him. All the faces you saw was full of anger, criticism, despising. And you, Our Lady, your first reaction was not hitting back those ungrateful ones, neither holding grudges towards them, nor to try to help Jesus to escape from His unjust sentence. Instead, you just want to get closer to Him, to hold Him, to support and console Him in the midst of His Sufferings, as you see God's Will in all these… Even soldiers' chase away, the jeering and scorning, the sight of the torturing instruments cannot deter you from going towards His direction. And behold, who is this figure on the ground? Your Beloved Son was unrecognizable and so frightful to look at. As His face is covered with Blood dripping down from the crown of thorns, His forehead was burning with fever and sweating, His eyes were blurred with Blood and tears as He looked into your eyes so helplessly. You want to hold Him but at the same time you worried that you may hurt Him even more as His Body has been intensely scourged all over and His Head was crowned with sharp thorns. Your eyes, were streamed with tears at this sight. 'My Son!' is what you can uttered. This most sorrowful meeting, would not have happened if it was not because of His Passion for our sake. It is only until John and the women led you away that you have to depart from Him. Your sorrows even moved the heart of a stone, as the impressions from your hands and knees were left on the stone that you sank... (Reference: The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Vol 4 Chap 39)

During the Annunciation, when Angel Gabriel told Mary: "Hail, you that are highly favoured! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.", and Mary responded to God's Invitation with her 'fiat'. Would you think that being the Mother of God means that she became more superior than others and from then on it will be a 'happily ever after'? No. In fact, quite the opposite, because 'Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.' (Matt 23:12) Since then, Our Lady, when she was on earth, together with Our Blessed Lord, lived in the most sorrowful life until the day she died: From her long and hard journey to Bethlehem even though she was heavily pregnant, being rejected by every household that they wished to stay; to ending up sheltered in a dark cold cave with the animals and gave birth to her Son in a stable. From receiving the heartpiercing prophecy from Simeon which stayed in her mind for the rest of her life; follow by setting off on another harder, much more longer, life-threatening journey across the desert to go to Egypt, with Baby Jesus still being carried in her arms, in order to escape from the hands of Herod; to became a refugee in Egypt for 7 long years. From discovered that her Child has gone missing and went to search for Him for three days, to being a young widow after St Joseph died. From being separated from her only Child as He went to began to ministry, to tolerating the criticisms and despising from others and the locals about her beloved Son. But her sorrow reached its peak during her Son's Passion. Yet in every trials and sufferings, her action resonated her 'fiat' to God, until the very end. She closely took part in the Works of Salvation, by uniting her pain and sorrow with the Merits of her Son. This Lent, let our penitential mind recall the Passion of Christ, whom suffered the unimaginable for our sake, but also remember this sorrowful Mother, who in her free will, offered her pain for us. Let what they have done for us be our strength and courage to truly reject the sins in our lives, and let their examples be the comfort and consolation in our own sufferings. Let's accompany Mary to meditate on Jesus' Passion, who both love us so much, as their own little children.

Wednesday 19th March Mass at 10am All are welcome! Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so prompt, so strong, before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. St Joseph, Pray for us!

“As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah…” (Luke 9:29-30) O God, who have commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen