A guest post from a CMA Member "Back in November, the MOD took part in ‘Inter Faith and Belief’ week and, with so few opportunities to talk about faith in the day to day of work as a MOD Civil Servant, I was excited by the prospect of putting it at the centre of the conversation for just a few hours in my calendar. I didn’t get quite what I expected when the first of two events I attended (‘Engaging in Inter Faith Dialogue’) was led by a Humanist speaker who spent most of the talk explaining that religious believers are the new minority and so we really ought to make society more secular. And ..read more

One of our Members has done excellent work selling Poppies outside the London Oratory. AS1 Jack Morgan writes: "On Sundays the 5th and 12th November, myself and a few volunteers conducted a Poppy sale on behalf of the Royal British Legion at the London Oratory church in South Kensington, London. I found it an overwhelmingly positive experience and despite a few logistical hiccups I would say that the collection at the Oratory was a major success, with over £2000 being raised for the RBL. On Sunday the 12th - Remembrance Sunday - I had the honour of laying a wreath at the Oratory's own war memo ..read more

What is our Lady of Victory? The October 7 feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was formerly known as Our Lady of Victory, due to the triumph of the fleet of the Holy League against the Ottomans on this day in 1571. The Holy League (a joint force formed by the Papal States, the Knights of Malta, The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Sardinia, the Kingdom of Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Venice, Genoa and Savoy) fought and won an intense battle against the fleet of the Ottoman Empire – the Battle of Lepanto. The League was vastly outnumbered. Pope St. Pius V ordered the churches of Rome opened for praye ..read more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1DNJqITsd0 The AMI Conference 2023 was held in Belgium. The CMA attended as the UK's representative, and it was a fruitful and interesting event. Please watch the video above for an overview, or read the press release here. AMI Conference 2023 in Mechelen - Apostolat Militaire International ..read more

7th of October, the feast day of Our Lady of Victories. The anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto, and thus a very apt day for the consecration of the Catholic Military Association. As this was my first event with the CMA, I was initially apprehensive about it, due to being a relatively young private soldier I was not quite sure what it would be like. I need not have feared however, as it turned out to be one of my fondest memories thus far in my young career in the military. Arriving at Walsingham with an RAF Regiment corporal whom I had met the day before, also staying in RAF Honington for th ..read more

The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham was established in 1061, in response to an vision in which Our Lady led a woman named Richeldis in spirit to Nazareth, showed her the house where the Annunciation occurred, and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham to serve as a perpetual memorial of the Annunciation. Since then it has become one of the UK's primary pilgrimage sites, loved throughout the country and abroad. Indeed, Walsingham became one of the greatest Shrines in Medieval Christendom, when England was known as Our Lady's Dowry. In 1538 the Reformation compelled Walsingham to be handed ..read more

By Colonel Matt Wills, Assistant Commander, 38 (Irish) Brigade and the Northern Ireland Garrison. I had been to Lourdes before. Both times, some 35 years ago as an inquisitive student taking advantage of the opportunities of Inter Rail. I was bowled over by my first visit. ‘Jumbulances’ from all over Europe disgorging the sick and disabled at the Shrine, made a lasting impression. Sadly, the second visit brought another vision – one of sordid commercialisation and beggar gangs preying on the Faithful. I undertook never to return. But now, fast approaching what I thought might be the ‘last cha ..read more

I spent several years on the Ceremonial side of the Household Cavalry based in London. The shining helmets and swords and breastplates, and the immaculate cloaks and tunics, and shining black horses, lend that role a special sort of glamour to those looking in from the outside. The job itself could hardly have been less glamorous: a relentless dog-eat-dog existence with 0430 starts, late finishes, old fashioned punishments and a spiritual darkness that everyone felt even if they wouldn't or couldn't name it. Anyone who has spent time on ceremonial duties as a Trooper would absolutely agree tha ..read more

One of the great recurring joys of being involved in Catholic life is finding new people who are also sincerely trying to live a Catholic life. Recently I encountered this in a really big way… At the end of Augugst, representatives from around the world joined together in London for the 56th General Conference of the Apostolat MIlitaire International (AMI). The AMI is the official global forum for Catholics in military service. It represents 40 different nations, of which 14 were able to attend the London conference. The AMI is a member of the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life, which means t ..read more

A guest blog post from Christians in Government. Last summer, I experienced a break-through through a series of events that led me on a journey to look at my faith, my relationships, the way I was living and, most difficult for me, the way I was not living. Tell me something boy… Aren’t you tired trying fill that void Or do you need more? Ain’t it hard keeping it so hardcore A Star Is Born - Shallow Lyrics For many years, I was Mr Catholic as I like to call it. In my early twenties, having encountered a group of Catholics who practised their faith, my life took a new direction. I attempted to ..read more