Dear Sisters and Friends,

I hope this email finds you all well. It has been a very busy month indeed, and much of what you’ll read below has been kindly shared by Sisters, Associates, and Friends. I hope this encourages you to send along any items, articles, events, reports, or photos of interest that you think our wider community might appreciate.

Below are some of the reports and updates we’re sharing this month:

• Jubilee for Social Justice – At the end of September and beginning of October, I attended the Jubilee for Social Justice organised by the Caritas Social Action Network in Liverpool.
  
  

• National Justice & Peace Network Away Days – Earlier in October, I attended the NJPN Away Days in Wistaston Hall and wrote an article on the outcomes, published in Independent Catholic News.
  
  

• Dilexi Te – A Note
  
  

• Kerry: Home to Ireland’s Greenest Place – Shared by Sr. Maureen O’Connell PBVM.
  
  

• Possible Changes to the Triple Lock – Is public support waning for maintaining the current tenets of the Triple Lock?
  
  

• Welcome the Stranger – A youth version of the well-publicised Caritas UK document.
  
  

• The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) – Under threat! What role can Ireland play?
  
  

• Jennuie's Law – Exploring the importance of this legislation for potential victims of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence in Ireland.
  
  

• UN Poverty Day – October 17th – This year marked the 25th anniversary of the gathering at the Famine Stone, where we listened to testimonies from those with lived experiences of poverty. This day is commemorated globally to raise awareness of extreme poverty.
  
  

• Sr. Winifred Doherty – We wish Sr. Winifred every blessing as she begins her retirement.
  
  

• UN Poverty Day Photos – Images from the Dublin commemoration on October 17th.
  
  

• Impact of Reduced Aid in Africa – An insightful article shared by Catherine Tompkin, one of our Presentation Associates. It serves as a valuable resource alongside our recent Africa Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN) webinar. The recording can be found [HERE].
  
  

• RENATE Resource – The Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation PowerPoint is included as a resource. It was used in the recent prayer service marking EU Anti-Trafficking Day on October 18th.
  
  

• North East Province Justice Day – On October 18th, I attended and spoke at the Justice Day in Mount St. Anne’s. The flyer below offers a glimpse of the event’s content, and the accompanying article provides a short summary of the presentations and outcomes, along with photos from the day.
  
  

Please feel free to engage with whichever items catch your eye or interest. We would also be most grateful if you could share this update with those who may not have access to the internet.

With gratitude and every good wish,
Brian

I attended the National Justice & Peace Network Away Days in Wistaston Hall in early October and I wrote and article on the outcome of the work that was published in the Independent Catholic News. 

Photos from the UN Poverty Day on Oct 17th last in Dublin. 

NEP Annual Justice Day.

On October 18th last I attended and spoke at the North East Province Justice Day in Mount Saint Anne's. The flyer below gives a flavour of the content of the day and the article that follows gives a short summary of the input and outcomes. I included as many photos as I could. 

God’s Dream for All Life

Reclaiming Wisdom – Restoring Dignity – Leaving No One Behind

Reclaiming the Light of Our Ancestors

“Can we still hold on to the light, even when the light we expect doesn’t come?” This question, posed by Sr. Trinita Laffin, invited participants to look to our Celtic roots for guidance in imagining God’s Dream for All Life.

Celtic spirituality was woven around the rhythms of light and land. The Celts recognised that all life is sacred — that within every creature burns a divine spark, the ‘Daonnacht’. They gathered every six weeks to celebrate festivals of the earth and light, deepening community and harmony with creation.

“Energy is the key,” Sr. Trinita reminded us. “The Celts watched nature with love.”

Leadership among the Celts was circular and inclusive — men and women shared power equally, embodying a spirituality of relationship rather than domination. They were peacemakers, guided by light, connection, and balance. This ancient wisdom finds new resonance in Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti, calling humanity to rediscover our shared fraternity.

Building Bridges of Belonging

From ancestral wisdom, the conversation turned to the modern realities of migration and integration. Dr. Naomi Masheti shared her journey from Kenya to Ireland — a move marked by isolation, cultural shock, and renewal. Her story revealed the importance of community in healing and belonging.

In her work with the Cork Migrant Centre, Dr. Masheti builds bridges between migrant families’ lived realities and the systems they encounter. A simple 'cup of coffee' becomes a sacred act of connection and accompaniment. “How can we help you?” — this question becomes the doorway to trust and transformation.

Sr. Josephine McCarthy spoke about those living in Direct Provision — the overcrowded conditions, the waiting, the loneliness. Yet she reminded us that even when little can be done, presence itself is a gift. “Never underestimate the gift of being present,” she said.

Nano Nagle Place, once a quiet space, now echoes with joyful sound — laughter, song, and community. What was once stillness has become a symphony of hope — a glimpse of God’s Dream unfolding among us.

Leaving No One Behind

Brian O’Toole drew our focus to the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, where those with lived experience of poverty became the honoured guests. Their testimonies — of struggle, art, and courage — became a Gospel of truth.

A single mother wept for her children’s future. A young man spoke of transformation through accompaniment and care. Others expressed their experience through poetry, rap, and dance. One person even slept on the Poverty Stone to draw strength and hope from it.

“Leaving No One Behind” is not a slogan — it is the measure of our shared humanity.

And in Drawing the Threads Together

From Celtic light to migrant stories, from poverty to compassion, a single truth emerges: God’s Dream for All Life is a dream of connection, dignity, and belonging. It calls us to act with love, listen with care, and accompany with faith.

We are invited to recommit to ending poverty and inequality, to build tables not walls, to begin again through small acts of kindness. Community is everything — and in community, we find God’s dream made visible.

Nano Nagle: Co-Dreamer with God

In this vision, we find the heart of Nano Nagle’s mission — a woman who dreamed with God for a different world. Her lantern, carried through the dark streets of Cork, remains a symbol of divine hope — love in action, and seeing God in every person.

Nano understood that no great change happens alone. Her mission was sustained through collaboration: a shared mission for the poor, strength in unity, empowerment through community, and the sustainability of her vision.

God’s Dream for All Life

To dream with God is to imagine a world where every life is cherished, creation is honoured, and communities thrive in justice and peace. It is to believe in life in all its fullness (John 10:10).

“Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights are respected is our solemn duty.” — Fr. Joseph Wresinski, ATD Fourth World

God’s Dream for All Life is a dream of universal belonging, dignity, and flourishing — a dream that lives in each act of compassion, in every voice for justice, in every heart that chooses love.

It is the dream proclaimed in the Gospel and echoed in the SDGs — that no one should be left behind.
And it is the dream that calls each of us to act — to accompany, to listen (with different ears) and to to love.

Brian O’ Toole

Oct 2025