The NW NJPN E Bulletin for mid October covers a wide range of events and articles. The theme running through this issue is hope. We hear the voice of hope in the power of the human spirit in art, poetry, and stories: three Dads, former strangers united in grief, channelling the loss of their daughters to suicide to help others; 23 year-old footballer Marcus Rashford honoured in his home city for speaking out for children who live in poverty in the UK; 22 year-old Vian, who fled war in her Syrian homeland and is now continuing her training as an artist at college here; homeless people on park benches sharing their stories and building ‘community’; refugees and those who care for the dying finding hope in the belief that even ‘in a broken world, things aren’t fully broken’; hope to be found in Christ’s solidarity with the suffering earth and its potential restoration as described in a powerful article by Celia Deane -Drummond; hope, as Cardinal Vincent Nichols says, that the forthcoming synod will ‘make hopes flourish, stimulate trust, bind up wounds, and build bridges … to restore our common mission’; and hope that young people will be changemakers to create a more peaceful and sustainable world.

Please read and pass on.

Anne O’Connor

NW NJPN Justice and Peace E Bulletin mid October 2021