Yorkshire - Diocese of Leeds J&P Commission

Hiroshima and Nagasaki remembered – events in Yorkshire

Posted on 30 July, 20261 September, 2026 by admin

Thursday, 06/08/2026 - 12:00 - 13:00

BradfordCND supporters will gather in Norfolk Gardens (behind the Town Hall) to remember the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – all welcome to join. Contact: For any queries please contact 01274 730795 or email info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk Wreath on Hiroshima Memorial, Norfolk Gardens, Bradford.

Wreath on Hiroshima Memorial, Norfolk Gardens, Bradford.

Thursday, 06/08/2026 - 13:00 - 14:00

Sheffield

CND supporters will gather in Tudor Square to remember the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – all welcome to join.For any queries please contact 01274 730795 or email info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk Tudor Square Sheffield

Thursday, 06/08/2026 - 11:00 - 12:00

Manchester

The event will start in the Living Worlds Gallery in Manchester Museum at 11am where a piece of melted glass from the Hiroshima attack is on display along with hundreds of paper cranes, the symbol of peace that came out of the attack. We will then move upstairs for readings, poetry and some choir singing. Organised by: Manchester City Council with support from GMD CNDVenue: Manchester Museum, Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PLContact: For any queries please contact 07840 303539 or email gmdcnd@gn.apc.org melted metal glass from hiroshima

Saturday, 08/08/2026 - 14:30 - 15:30

Hebden Bridge

CND supporters will gather on the Wavy Steps by Packhorse Bridge to remember the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – all welcome to join. Wavy steps Hebdon Bridge

Sunday, 09/08/2026 - 10:30 - 11:30

Leeds

CND supporters will gather in Park Square to remember the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – all welcome to join. A gathering of people

Sunday, 09/08/2026 - 14:00 - 15:00

Manchester

Greater Manchester & District CND invites all our friends and supporters to join us to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing. The event will take place in Heaton Park by the peace tree behind the Stables Block. Heaton Park Stables

INTERDIOCESAN MEETING OF J&P COMMISSIONS AND SUPPORTERS

Posted on 23 June, 20261 September, 2026 by Gina Cavanagh

By Joe Burns, Commission member

As everyone must be aware by now, Bishop Marcus is now Apostolic Administrator for the Dioceses of both Middlesbrough and Hallam - in addition to being Bishop of Leeds.

There is currently an ongoing process of consultation about how this geographical area should be managed pastorally in the future.

Leeds and Middlesbrough Dioceses both have J&P Commissions and we decided that a meeting to reflect on possible changes would be useful. Hallam has not had a J&P Commission for the last six years but a group of 5 J&P supporters also came along to this meeting, which we held in York.

We had never met before as a group of northern dioceses J&P supporters so we spent a significant amount of time just getting to know a little about one another and how the work of Justice & Peace is carried out in each diocese.

One of the most inspiring aspects of the day was being in a room with 25 people who were passionate about Justice and Peace being a core part of being a Catholic Christian and the immense range of talent and different experiences that were brought together in the room.

Near the start of the day, we made a list of the aspirations each of us had for this meeting. It was an ambitious list! – and I do not think we advanced many of those aspirations. However, being ambitious and imaginative was at the core of what this day was about. We went through an exercise of visioning what the work of J&P might be like after the completion of any changes to diocesan structures (and we may not know what these changes are for another year or two).

What we did achieve through having this day was
• Renewed inspiration and sharing of energy for the work of J&P
• A better understanding of how J&P operates in our different dioceses
• All sorts of ideas for follow up – which will inevitably mean further meetings

Some of the key ideas were:
• Building closer relationships – perhaps having a northern J&P Day Conference?
• Making sure that the work of J&P is properly reflected in the results of the consultation process
• Sharing ideas and resources to enable more people to come to an understanding that the work of J&P is a ‘constitutive element’ of preaching the Gospel.

There will be more about this later!

24 Apr – J&P Commission endorses joint Christian letter deploring UKIP march in Leeds

Posted on 24 April, 20261 September, 2026 by admin

J&P Commission endorses joint Christian letter deploring UKIP march in Leeds

As Christians we believe in God’s love for everyone, shown to us in Jesus Christ. Because of this we reject the use of Christian language and imagery in any racist context. We note the march on 25th April in Leeds, and we wish to make it clear that UKIP do not speak for us or for the Christian faith of which we are a part.

Please join us resisting UKIP’s divisive exclusive politics. Please join us in praying for unity and peace for our Leeds communities, recognising the evils of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and all racism, and calling out racism in your everyday life whenever you can.

UKIP march

Jesus said:

‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself’ (Matthew 22.39; Mark 12.31; Luke 10.27)

and

‘Do to others what you would like them to do to you’ (Matthew 7.12; Luke 6. 31).

When asked who our neighbour is, Jesus makes it clear that he does not mean the person who is closest to us in ethnicity – in fact, the person he chooses as an example of a neighbour in the parable of the Good Samaritan is a Samaritan – that is, someone who was distrusted and regarded as inferior and impure by most of the society of Jesus’ time. (Luke 10.29 – 37)

Stand up to Racism March

Our calling as Christians is to love and to learn from all God’s people: celebrating the beauty and dignity of every human being, with a special bias for anyone whose beauty and dignity is contested through ignorance, pride, prejudice, racism, hatred. We believe that God is on the side of people who are marginalised and oppressed, and that if we turn away from or persecute those people we turn away from God.

In our context, we believe this means that we have a God-given duty to stand up for people of all faiths and none who are victims of racism. This is particularly the case when victimisation is being justified using Christian language.

Read full letter Loving God, make us channels of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us bring love.
Where there is suspicion, let us bring faith.
Where there is fear, let us bring hope.
Where there is division, let us bring unity.
Amen.

02 Sep – Have a religious experience on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal!

Posted on 2 September, 20251 September, 2026 by admin

By Joe Burns, Commission member

The Northern Dioceses Environment Group (NDEG) organise at least one in-person event every year. This year they are doing a mini-pilgrimage from Leeds City Station to Kirkstall Abbey in celebration of 10 years since the publication of Laudato Si. A similar mini-pilgrimage, organised by the Diocesan Communications Director, took place at the end of May.

The pilgrimage itself will take place on Saturday 20 September, with everyone meeting in the main concourse of Leeds City Station (near the public toilets) at 12:45pm for a short briefing and for a prompt 1pm start. NDEG welcome everyone to come and join them and take part in this opportunity to meet with people from across the Northern Dioceses and to find out how Laudato Si has inspired people in different dioceses to act.

Today, I did a trial of the walk with Paul Kelly, from Our Lady and St Boniface parish covering Settle and Bentham. He will be the walk leader on the day. With a little detour at the start, because of the work to improve the entrance to Leeds City Station, we set off along the towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool canal starting at the canal basin. The walking is on good paths throughout. The towpath is in good condition, which is more than can be said for the canal itself; if you come then don’t expect to see any narrowboats chugging along! There is a short stretch along roads when we leave the canal towpath at Hollybush farm in Kirkstall. However, after only a couple of hundred yards we join another good footpath that lead right into the grounds of the abbey itself.

The walk itself is just a little under 5 miles, on the level (apart from the locks) and along a good path. If you do not think you could walk that far then you would be very welcome to join us for a short prayer service in the abbey church itself. We will be setting off at 1pm promptly from the station, so we will probably arrive at the abbey church between 3pm and 3:15 pm.

There is a café at the abbey which stays open until 4pm and a good bus service back into Leeds to near the station from the main road outside the abbey.

If you think you might join us then please follow this link to give some contact details so we can send you a more detailed information leaflet and update you about any last minute changes.

28 Jan – Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Posted on 28 January, 20251 September, 2026 by admin

by Dave Webb, Chair of YCND

Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament held its Annual General Meeting on 18th January 2025 in Huddersfield. With the world on the brink of chaos through the threat of nuclear war and the realities of climate change, plus the devastating wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan…. it was timely to bring together supporters to look back at our work and explore ways forward.

The annual review was presented by the Chair, Dave Webb, with a month-by-month slideshow of YCND activities in 2024, and a look at coordination and support roles.

CND continued to call for talks to stop the war in Ukraine, and opposed the use by Ukraine of UK Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Russia as a dangerous escalation risking a devastating response.

YCND Agm powerpoint presentation

The continued destruction of Gaza, and the suffering of so many, was also a huge issue. We backed the calls for a ceasefire, supported student protest camps and joined, leafleted and spoke at the pro-Palestine weekly marches in in the region.

Another major focus was at Lakenheath, where US nuclear bombs may already have arrived. CND supported events during the National Day of Action in May, and the events in July that included a 3-day march from Norwich to Lakenheath and to the Peace Camp.

Around 20-30 other events were held, including screenings of the film “Threads”; supporting demonstrations at Menwith Hill; “Artists against the Bomb” events; commemorations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and support for the Nobel Peace Prize award to the survivors of the atomic bombings.

Screenshot 2025-01-27 091458

CND worked with the Leeds Peace Links committee to organise the annual O. Palme Peace Lecture, presented in 2024 by Jeremy Corbyn, at the Royal Armouries; and with the Movement for the Abolition of War to hold a Peace History Conference at the newly re-opened Peace Museum in Saltaire.

Following the review, Steve Barwick, Chair of the Trustees of the Nuclear Education Trust, spoke on: “What should the new Government’s Strategic Defence Review conclude about Nuclear Disarmament?” He highlighted the findings of NET’s report ‘The Future for UK Defence, Diplomacy and Disarmament ’ launched in Parliament in May. The report sought to identify how the UK can help reduce tensions and get the world back on a path to nuclear disarmament. The aim was to open up a debate between mainstream and more radical voices. This was followed by discussions on why people no longer seem to be concerned about nuclear disarmament -- and how we might further progress the campaign in Parliament and elsewhere.

As for 2025: National CND is preparing a demonstration in March at Barrow, where nuclear submarines are built, and monthly vigils and a Peace Camp in April are to be held at Lakenheath. There will be much more.

Yorkshire CND will be planning our regional activities at our Strategy Day in March. If you would like to join in, contact info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk and find more information from www.yorkshirecnd.org.uk and www.cnduk.org.

More details of the AGM and Steve Barwick’s presentation will be posted on the Yorkshire CND website.