By Dave Prescott
Birmingham, 25–28 July 2025 — In a jubilant convergence of devotion, diversity, and renewal, the inaugural WeBelieve Festival transformed the historic grounds of St Mary’s College Oscott into a vibrant celebration of Catholic life. Supported by the Great Britain Catenian Association and spearheaded by The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom, this four day gathering drew over 2,000 Catholics from across the nation.
Families were warmly invited to camp, stay locally, or participate as day visitors—making it an accessible, welcoming space for all.
WeBelieve was not merely a festival, but a living mosaic of Catholic life. Attendees experienced a number of liturgies—ranging from charismatic worship and the Latin Mass, to Syro-Malabar Vespers and the Ukrainian Divine Liturgy.
A particularly poignant moment came as Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark reflected on the vision behind the festival: “My hope is that people will leave renewed in our beautiful Catholic faith and be passionate about the mission for our country… we are one.”
The Catenians at the Heart of It
The Catenian Association and our Province in particular played a vital and visible role, supporting the festival both as a partner and sponsor, and engaging directly with visitors in the Quad. Our presence underlined the values that our association brings to Catholics, especially the young Catholics. I was truly inspired by the number of young Catholics there who showed a great interest in the Catenian Association and wanted to learn more about what we do, it demonstrated to me that being a Catenian still has a great relevance particularly to young Christians which was extremely encouraging. We now need to find a way to engage with this age group and invite them along to our Circle meetings – from my experience at Oscott I am convinced that we have a wide appeal to offer these young Catholics.
….so WeBelieve marked an inspiring beginning—an opportunity to reflect on our faith and renew our commitment to Catholic life.
** Catenians in 2026 will again be sponsoring the event & will be onsite at WeBelieve Festival to answer any questions people may have about Membership.
