Consecrated Single Life
In the Church everyone is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: For this is the will of God, your sanctification
We are a community of faith. We are Catholic. We live in, work in and serve the local communities across Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands.
The Bishop is the “Chief Shepherd” of the Diocese: he is appointed to govern, teach and guide the priests and people of the diocese.
Our mission is to live out our Catholic faith and through witness and example bring people closer to Jesus Christ through His Church.
Every human being has a value and dignity which we as Catholics acknowledge as coming directly
from God’s creation of all men and women in his own image and likeness.
The parish lies at the heart of every community. Families, churches, schools, chaplaincies to hospitals and prisons. Parishes provide an inclusive hub for people of all walks of life to journey together in faith and to reach out to the wider community to serve in social action.
Young people are visible in the Church. They are involved in parish life, school and university communities and the wider community, witnessing to their relationship with Jesus Christ. The Diocese supports young people to respond to the invitation of faith in various ways.
The fast pace of today's world often has us rushing through our daily life, with little direction or thought as to the kind of life we should be leading. Fortunately, the Catholic faith provides us with a solid moral compass and many great role models to help us find our way.
Got Questions? We believe that everyone should have the chance to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and discover their purpose in life.
Whether you want to offer your time and talents or support our vital work financially, it's all part of Christian Stewardship and you can really make a difference.
Good communication is really important to us. Whether it's sharing the impact of our community projects and sharing the witness of inspiring individuals, or reaching out to collaborate and dialogue with groups and individuals, and providing resources to enable others, we want to build long lasting effective relationships and help people to develop their faith journey.
In the Church everyone is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: For this is the will of God, your sanctification
In the Church everyone is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: For this is the will of God, your sanctification
When we are single, we hear our call to holiness as baptised people. The natural desire to marry and have a family leads most Christians to marriage as their chosen state of life.
Some people like the independence of the single life. As Fr Stephen Wang writes:
Your work, your study, your friendships, your care for your family, your service to others – these are all areas of life in which you are meeting Christ and bringing his love to others.
The Church offers affirmation to those who choose to be single. This can be found in the local parish community. Some single lay people lead lives of outstanding service to their local community.
There are communities who support lay members who have committed to lead the single life, some living in community and some on their own.
To embrace the single life as a lay person in a lifelong commitment is sometimes called apostolic celibacy. Although there is not a formal confirmation process as for other vocations, this is a real vocation and is of increasing significance in the life of the Church.
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