This weekend our Christian communities commemorate St Alban, the first Christian martyr of England, whose shrine is found in the Cathedral in the Hertfordshire city named after him.

Alban was a Roman solider uncomfortable with the persecution of Christians. He also offered hospitality and shelter to a Christian priest and was so impressed by the holiness of this man of God, helped him to escape.

Dressed in the priest’s robes, Alban distracted the soldiers, giving him time to get away.

The emperor, not wanting to lose a good soldier, gave him an opportunity to atone for his behaviour by burning incense in tribute to the Roman gods. But Alban could not, as he too had become convinced of the Christian faith.

Through Alban’s example, may we have the courage to stand up for truth and virtue, always protecting the innocent and vulnerable.

Today, then, we might recall the priests, ministers and pastors who shepherd our communities of faith, who quietly accompany people during profound moments of their life: christenings, marriages, in hospitals and hospices, and at funerals.

The Christian message remains uncomfortable to those who oppress the people, for the gospel announces the ‘good news to the poor’, a message that found resonance in the ministry of the late Pope Francis, which we hope will be echoed by Leo XIV who brings his experience of the Church in Peru.

Through our faith communities, we are assured that God shows compassion; through His people, God ‘suffers with’ those who long for new life.