Carfin 2026: A Dispatch from the Black Sea

The Catholic Military Association returned to Carfin Grotto this September for our annual pilgrimage, and this year felt like a genuine step forward for the Association.

The story of the CMA began in Lent 2017 with two officer cadets at Sandhurst who recognised the need for a stronger Catholic community within the Armed Forces and decided to build something lasting. From those modest beginnings, the Association has grown to around 500 members across the Army, Royal Navy, RAF and MOD Civil Service, bringing together serving personnel, veterans, families and supporters through faith, fellowship and prayer.

Almost 10 years later, this year's pilgrimage to Carfin provided an opportunity not only to look back at how far the Association has come, but also to consider what might come next.

The most visible change this year was our new CMA gazebo. Together with the flag, the Icon of Our Lady of Victories, prayer cards and literature, it gave us a proper focal point where pilgrims could stop and speak with us.

The difference was remarkable.

I would estimate that we had at least ten times the engagement of previous visits. Throughout the day people stopped, asked about the CMA, took prayer cards and spoke with us about the Association and faith within military life. The prayer cards featuring Our Lady of Victories were particularly well received and proved a simple but effective way of beginning conversations.

That was perhaps the clearest lesson of the day. The gazebo, flag, icon and literature are all simple things in themselves, but together they created a visible and welcoming presence. We were no longer simply attending the pilgrimage; people could find us, learn who we are and speak to us.

At the heart of the day, of course, was the pilgrimage and outdoor Mass.

This year carries particular significance for the wider Church, as 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, who died in 1226. It was therefore a particular privilege to have a first-class relic of St Francis present at Carfin during the pilgrimage.

The Icon of Our Lady of Victories brought another remarkable story with her.

Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the CMA wanted to express its solidarity in a practical and prayerful way. Through Aid to the Church in Need, an icon was commissioned in Ukraine and written by a Ukrainian iconographer. Even the process of creating her was touched directly by the war: a contact involved in the project was called to active service and communications were interrupted.

When the icon was eventually completed, her journey out of Ukraine was itself extraordinary, with those transporting her encountering live fire before she finally reached safety.

On 7 October 2025, the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, the icon was blessed by Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, together with Bishop Paul Mason, Bishop of the Forces.

She now travels among military communities as a focus for prayer and veneration.

Having her with us at Carfin therefore meant considerably more than simply having an image on display. She carries with her a story of faith lived in the midst of conflict, and of prayer offered for those who serve, their families and all those affected by war.

Following the pilgrimage, the icon remained safely in Carfin's reliquary while arrangements are made for the next stage of her journey.

There were some memorable encounters throughout the day too. Bishop Frank Dougan, Bishop of Galloway, took a particular liking to the CMA logo. I showed him the CMA lapel pin I was wearing and, before long, he was wearing it himself - so I now need another one!

We also discovered that Bishop Dougan is a fellow Wishaw boy, which made the encounter all the better.

Days like this demonstrate why the CMA has a place at Carfin. Our presence is not simply about promoting an organisation. It is about bringing together Catholic faith and the military community - serving personnel, veterans, their families and those who wish to support and pray for them.

And now our thoughts are already turning towards next year.

2027 will mark ten years since the beginnings of the Catholic Military Association, and we hope Carfin can form an important part of that anniversary.

One ambition is to involve cadets in the pilgrimage for the first time. Bringing younger people into the day would strengthen the connection between generations and provide an opportunity to introduce them to the long Catholic tradition of service, sacrifice and military chaplaincy.

We are also hopeful of progressing plans for a portrait of Fr Willie Doyle SJ, the Irish Jesuit military chaplain who served alongside soldiers on the Western Front and was killed near Ypres in August 1917. The project is still at an early stage, but it would be particularly fitting to see it develop as the CMA enters its second decade.

There is plenty of work to do between now and then, but this year's pilgrimage has given us a strong foundation.

As I write this reflection from Romania's Black Sea coast, Carfin feels particularly close to home.

Only last week I attended a friend's wedding here in Romania - my first experience of an Orthodox wedding. It was a beautiful encounter with another Christian tradition and another reminder of the power of faith, prayer and family.

Carfin has a very personal significance for me too. It is where my wife and I were married, and tomorrow we will celebrate our first wedding anniversary here together on the Black Sea coast.

There is something rather special about looking back on the CMA pilgrimage from here, almost exactly one year after beginning our own married life at the Grotto.

Since arriving in Romania, I have also found myself thinking a great deal about the war in Ukraine. My best man served here in Romania with the RAF only a few years ago. Now I find myself on the same Black Sea that reaches the Ukrainian coast, reflecting on an icon written there in the midst of war.

It has made the story of Our Lady of Victories feel much less distant.

Prayer for those who serve. Prayer for their families. Prayer for civilians caught in conflict. And, ultimately, prayer for peace.

There are communities along these shores where those prayers are needed most.

Perhaps that is a fitting place from which to look back on Carfin: grateful for what has been built, mindful of those who need our prayers today, and hopeful about what the CMA can build in the years ahead.

Finally, a sincere thank you to everyone who helped make the pilgrimage possible - those who organised, donated, transported equipment, provided materials, represented the Association and simply gave their time on the day. Events like this are never the work of one person, and the success of Carfin this year belonged to everyone who played a part.

Thank you also to Carfin Grotto for once again welcoming the Catholic Military Association.

Carfin 2026 was a very good day for the CMA. As we look towards 2027, it has given us something strong to build upon.