Story 1: "Lottery windfall helps St Mary's mend leaking roof"
"St Mary's parish in Great Yarmouth has received a grant of £148,598 from the National Lottery Heritage for repairs to a leaking roof." Story continues.
Image of church roof with scaffolding
Story 2: "Diocese takes stock of architectural heritage"
"A comprehensive architectural and historical review of Catholic churches across the diocese of East
Anglia has been published online as part of the major Taking Stock project. Taking Stock is an architectural and historical review of Catholic churches and chapels in England and Wales. The project is a partnership between the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, individual dioceses, and Historic England." Story continues.
Image caption: "Our Lady and the English Martyrs in Cambridge."
Story 3: "Diss parishioners celebrate their heroic saint's feast day"
"Parishioners in Diss gathered on 1st February for a virtual celebration of the feast day of St Henry Morse, known as 'The Priest of the Plague'. Judith Tooth reports. " Story continues.
images caption: "Fr Alex Anaman outside the church and below, an etching of St Henry Morse which hangs in the church."
"Bishop Alan Hopes joined other religious from across the diocese and further afield in celebrating
Mass at the Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham on the first anniversary of the Rededication of England as the Dowry of Mary on 25th March 2020. Six hundred years ago King
Richard II placed England under the protection of Mary. Ever since England has been known as Mary's Dowry." Story continues
Image caption: "Bishop Alan Hopes is pictured left at the Catholic National Shrine"
"A parishioner fro St Mary's in Ipswich has written a book about the friendship which has grown up with villages in Cambodia through the Diocesan Building Bridges Scheme." Story continues.
Image caption "Marie-Madeleine Kenning with students in Cambodia"
"It was with joy that a large group from the diocese of East Anglia retired to Lourdes for the last aeek of August after a three-year gap." Story continues
image caption: "East Anglían pligrims at the grotto."
Bishop Hopes' rebuttal letter to the Editor "The Times" - " Rachel Sylvester's article ... perpetuates the myths that Catholic schools divide communities." the letter continues.
The Times"Lord and Lady Stafford visited Our Lady & St Walstan's, Costessey, for the morning Mass on Sunday, 28th January, at the end of which everyone processed to the cemetery for the blessing of the recently restored Jerningham Memorial.", story continues.
image 1 caption: Lt o R, Fr David Ward (parish priest), Lady Stafford, Lord Stafford, Paul Cooper, Sharon Blundell (Norfolk County Councillor) and Vivienne Bell (Costessey Town Councillor).
"The outstanding charitable service of a Norwich parishioner has been recognised by Pope Francis with the award of a Benemerenti Medal. Angela Stone was presented with her medal by Bishop Peter Collins during morning Mass at St John's Cathedral on Sunday, 7th May, the day after King Charles III was crowned, himself promising "not to be served but to serve" and encouraging people to volunteer in their local communities." Story continues
1 image: Angela Stone with Bishop Peter Collins
"Anna Bayles, a 96-year-old dressmaker from St Thomas of Canterbury parish in Wymondham, has sent her latest consignment of clothing as gifts to Christian refugees in Jordan." story continues.
image1 captioned: "Anna with her latest creation and right, just some of the 700 items sent to the Holy Land"
image2 [see caption above]
"A great-grandmother from Wymondham is making hundreds of dresses for poor girls in Africa and Asia... " "Anna [Bayles] works each day in her 'factory' - the front room of her bungalow - where the walls are covered with photos of children wearing her beautiful products." Story continues.
Image of Anna Bayles; Image of Thai girls caption: "Left, pictured in her 'factory' in Wymondham with some of her dresses and (above) some Thai girls wearing the dresses she has made. She uses second-hand pillow cases, curtains and tablecloths as material - 'nothing is wasted', she says, proudly."
"Parishes across the diocese of East Anglia responded to the appeal from Cardinal Vincent Nichols to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament as part of the day of National Reflection on Covid. Ahead of the day Bishop Alan Hopes said: "All Catholics are being asked to hold this day as a day of prayer. We are asked to open our churches and to encourage our people to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for the many needs, hopes and sorrows that have emerged over the past year"". Story continues
Image caption "Fr Leo Michael with the Blessed Sacrament at St John's Cathedral".
"An appeal has been issued for old copies of Catholic directories to help fill some gaps in the diocese of East Anglia official archives, held at St John's Cathedral in Norwich." Story continues.
Image caption: "Michael and Gill in the archives"
"St Mark's Catholic Church in Ipswich began its Advent celebrations with a new Divine Mercy painting, commissioned by Fr Luke Goymour, and crafted by his brother, artist Ben Goymour. The five-foot oil painting replaces a small, faded image of the Divine Mercy, and as Fr Luke says, the new painting "enhances the church", story continues.
image 1: Fr Luke Goymour, Mr & Mrs Ben Goymour and painting
"Seventy-five people joined Bishop Peter Collins at St John's Cathedral, Norwich, for a special Mass for
Religious on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord." Story continues
image 1 no caption: Bishop Peter blessing candles with Holy Water
image 2 no caption: three nuns with candles
"Hamish and the gang are back - after 30 years away from the music scene! In 1991 Hamish MacQueen, now the director of the East Anglian Diocesan Youth Service, founded a full-time Catholic rock band called Revelation, with the aim of sharing the Gospel message through music. They toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe. For a time, they were based in Hamish's mum's bungalow in North Walsham, and they played several gigs in East Anglia." Story continues
Image caption "As they were in 1995. See story for line-up - and where they are now"
"It was a joyful occasion when, for the first time in two years, the people of St Michael's in Huntingdon were able to gather to celebrate their feast day." story continues.
image (no caption)
"Fr Anthony Foreman, a retired diocesan priest, has published a book on the intriguing medieval history of Lidgate, the Suffolk village where he lives. Lidgate, which is in the Newmarket parish, boasts the remains of a Roman villa, a Norman castle and was the birthplace of John de Lydgate, the famous medieval poet and monk of Bury Abbey. He presented a copy of his life of St Edmund to King Henry V on his visit to the abbey." Story continues.
Image - Fr Anthony with book
"Representatives of all the parishes in the Diocese of East Anglia twinned with parishes in the Battambang Prefecture in Cambodia met face-to-face for the first time since lockdown at St Mary and St Wulstan." Story continues
1 image: group of parishioners
"A tapestry depicting the life and death of St Edmund has been produced by pupils at St Edmund's Catholic School in Bury St Edmunds as part of the relaunched Abbey 1000 celebrations." story continues.
image caption: "St Edmund's pupils who were involved in making the tapestry with Jo Pepper and John Saunders."
"One of Suffolk's most popular parish priests was remembered at a ceremony in the front garden of St Felix RC Church on 27th March. A bench placed in honour of Fr John McNally, who served in the Felixstowe parish from 1993 until his death in 2007, was rededicated by the current parish priest, Fr John Barnes." Story continues.
image caption: "Fr John Barnes and altar server Tony Lazell with the refurbished bench in honour of Fr John McNally."
"St John Henr Newman Catholic Primary School and Nursery in Peterborough, has been blessed by Bishop Alan Hopes during a visit to the first new Catholic school to be opened in the whole country in more than a decade" Story continues
images 1 & 2 caption: "Bishop Alan with staff and students, and right, chats informally with the pupils"