Catholic Education Service Second Collection 2026

Event dates: Saturday 12 September – Sunday 13 September 2026

Our Catholic schools in the Diocese are a vital part of the Church's mission to evangelise, form disciples, and serve the wider community. There are 67 Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Portsmouth providing education and faith formation to around 30,000 pupils.

Earlier this year, the Diocese launched our vision for our Diocesan Catholic schools in our Schools Mission Strategy. The Strategy and its supporting implementation plan are central to the diocesan mission, recognising that the work of the Church extends into daily life of our schools, where the next generation of Catholic leaders and disciples is formed. This is the essence of our mission: to witness to the Gospel, serve our communities, and form a generation of young people prepared to face the challenges and opportunities of an uncertain world and inspired to make a difference.

The Catholic Education Service represents the Bishops' interests in shaping national education policy for implementation across the 2,000 Catholic schools, colleges, academies, and universities overseen by the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

This year's theme for Education Sunday is drawn from its Gospel reading of Matthew 18:21-35: I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Pope Francis spoke about this reading from the Gospel in 2023: "Today, the Gospel talks to us about forgiveness (cf. Mt 18:21-35). Peter asks Jesus: 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' (v. 21). "Seven, in the Bible, is a number that indicates completeness, and so Peter is very generous in the assumptions of his question. But Jesus goes further, and answers him: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven” (v. 22). He tells him, that is, that when one forgives, one does not calculate... "...Jesus’ message is clear: God forgives incalculably, exceeding all measure… "...Forgiveness is the antidote to the poisons of resentment, it is the way to defuse anger and heal so many maladies of the heart that contaminate society."

Education Sunday is an opportunity to showcase the works and fruits of this, especially locally. From a priest speaking in his homily about a local school, to school staff and foundation governors being commissioned and affirmed in their roles, and pupils wearing their uniforms and being involved in the ministries at Mass, Education Sunday can be the reminder to all members of the Catholic community of the importance that Catholic education plays in the mission of the Church.