Recorded on 11 June 2020.

Bishop encourages healthcare workers to "Rest in God’s love, care and compassion so you might feel refreshed"

On 11 June, Nottingham Cathedral was the venue for a special Mass offered for the sick, their families, NHS workers and social care staff.

It was the feast day of St Barnabas, the saint after whom the city’s Catholic Cathedral is named. The Right Reverend Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, held up the witness of Saint Barnabas as a man who always desired to encourage and support people.

In his homily, Bishop McKinney also shared a conversation he’d had with one of his diocesan deacons who works for a Hospital Trust. This gave a fascinating insight in the unprecedented challenges faced by the NHS and hospital staff as they battled to cope with the rapid spread of COVID-19.

"I would guess that each of you is already very tired, physically, emotionally and spiritually; the lockdown has gone on for longer than most of us first thought and, while there are now signs of it being gradually relaxed, a new spike in the numbers of those affected by the virus remains a threat; your frontline work will continue to be needed... may I encourage you to rest awhile in God’s love, care and compassion for you, so that you might feel refreshed and renewed to begin again."

Archbishop John Wilson reflects on a rather unusual first year as Archbishop of Southwark. Not only has he had the solemn task of burying his much-loved predecessor Archbishop Peter Smith but this occasion, like all others since late March have been marked without a congregation present.

Holy Week and Easter were celebrated live online and the feast of Corpus Christi resulted in a blessing from St George's Cathedral rather than a procession through the streets.

Now we move to a staged re-opening of churches for private prayer. Archbishop Wilson talks about this, his letter to the Prime Minister and correspondence with local politicians not to mention a variety of lockdown experiences.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols gave an interview to the London-based talk radio station LBC on a wide range of issues. The discussion with presenter Matt Frei covered racism and the place of statues as well as the safe re-opening re-opening of churches as the government eases restrictions put in place to address the spread of COVID-19.

Broadcast on Saturday, 13 June 2020.

Canon Christopher Thomas, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales took part in a discussion on the BBC Radio 4 'Sunday' programme on the safe re-opening of churches and other places of worship as the government eases COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Taking part alongside Canon Thomas were Rabbi Nicky Liss, rabbi of Highgate Synagogue, and Hassan Joudi, Deputy Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.

Broadcast on 14 June 2020.

Just days before churches in England re-open for private, individual prayer having been closed to the public since 23 March to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Cardinal Vincent Nichols spoke to us from Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Diocese of Westminster.

The Cathedral, as with all churches that can safely re-open, has undergone a thorough cleaning procedure as it prepares to re-open for private prayer on Monday 15 June 2020.

On 22 May, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops' Conference, joined The Woolf Institute's Dr Ed Kessler for the second part of its series 'COVID-19 Chronicles: Beyond the UK'.

Cardinal Nichols discussed how the Catholic community in England and Wales had adapted to the coronavirus pandemic and what it means for the future of religious practice and belief.

The Woolf Institute, closely aligned with Cambridge University, is a leader in the academic study of relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

It was Bishop John Arnold’s turn to celebrate Mass for the sick, their families, healthcare workers and carers on Thursday 4 June.

In his homily, Bishop Arnold said he believed that we are being asked to “think globally” about health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. How we care for our common home as custodians of the environment, he said, was one of a number of inter-connected global factors impacting on our care for each other.

The Bishop of Salford, and Chair of the Catholic aid and development charity CAFOD, said he hoped we emerge from the pandemic thinking about the world around us and what we can do to make it a better place for all – especially the poorest and most vulnerable.

Recorded 14 May 2020

At a special Mass for carers at Newcastle Cathedral, Bishop Robert Byrne CO prayed for frontline workers and those who have suffered greatly as a result of the virus.

He remembered those who had died and reflected on how “the pandemic has made us uncertain of the future, frustrated and even downright frightened and confused” and how “it is not just a challenge to be faced, but also a call to have a faith that trusts in the Lord.”

Recorded on 7 May 2020.

In his homily preached at a Mass for the sick, their families, care workers and NHS staff, Bishop Marcus Stock has paid tribute to all those working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of those afflicted by COVID-19.

Speaking in Leeds Cathedral on 7 May 2020, Bishop Stock talked about how, when faced with this ‘storm of fear’ and the ‘sadness of death’, the Lord gives us a message of reassurance and hope. He also points out that the many public testimonies given by those who have been cared for by NHS staff, healthcare workers and carers has re-new our appreciation of the healthcare system and those working in it.

Recorded on 30 April 2020.

In his homily at a special Mass for care workers, Bishop Richard Moth applauded all those who care for the sick in hospitals and care homes, as well as family members who care for loved ones at home and all those who support communities, parishes and schools at this difficult time.

“Our presence on the streets is a very effective expression of solidarity and this Mass is the offering of the greatest prayer that we have for them,” the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton said.