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Representatives from Cardinal Newman Catholic School (CNCS) in Hove were part of a thirty strong Citizens UK delegation which travelled to Rome last week to meet Pope Leo. Community organising charity Citizens UK includes more than 50 Catholic member institutions, including Cardinal Newman and East Brighton Parish.

CNCS Chaplain, Jane Noble; Head of RE, Catherine McManus, and student Oliver Chisholm were joined on the trip by Canon Kieron, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Planning and priest of East Brighton. To the delegation’s great joy, their presence was acknowledged during the General Audience, where Pope Leo XIV offered “special greetings to the members of Citizens UK Catholic movement.”

Speaking after the group's return to the UK, Canon Kieron said:

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"It was wonderful to hear Pope Leo welcome the group from Citizens UK by name, during the General Audience, but even more profoundly, he came to greet our group personally afterwards and interacted with some of the young people who presented him with symbols of their work in community organising. This was a great endorsement of the work of Catholics involved in Citizens nationally and a huge encouragement locally for the Newman Group of Schools in Brighton & Hove in their ongoing commitment to Catholic Social Teaching."

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The visit marks a significant moment in the journey of an initiative around “Called to Action”, a toolkit launched in 2024 to support Catholic schools and colleges in living out the principles of Catholic Social Teaching through community organising. The toolkit, developed by Citizens UK in partnership with Catholic school organisers from member institutions, aims to place the dignity of the human person, solidarity, and the common good at the heart of Catholic education in a practical and lived-out sense.

The journey to this meeting began 18 months ago, when the organisers began planning the initial conference and toolkit launch. The group decided to approach Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, who was attending, with an “ask”. It was a hope and dream to establish a dialogue with the Holy Father.

Student organisers at the launch asked Cardinal Nichols to hand-deliver a letter to Pope Francis. The Cardinal agreed and personally delivered the request to the Vatican in summer 2024. An invitation from the Pope arrived in early 2025. The organisers were later able to present the Pope with a copy of “Called to Action” and other symbolic gifts from the schools. His Holiness graciously signed photographs and items, which will now be displayed in the six schools represented, as a reminder of the visit.

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Another representative of Arundel & Brighton schools is also in Rome this week: teacher Patrick Kerr, from St Bede’s, Redhill, is participating in a pilgrimage organised by the Catholic Education Services of England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland for early-career teachers. The Diocesan Education Service is delighted to have a delegate on this pilgrimage, supported by his school

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Visit the Citizens UK site to read more about the meeting with Pope Leo.