Newsletters

Details

FR TOM WRITES
The Wedding at Cana is the first of the signs performed by our Lord, at the behest of his Blessed Mother. The turning of water into wine is the experience of Christ taking something unspectacular and transforming it into something beautiful. In our lives we are in need of this transformation; Jesus has power to renew your marriage, family life, day-to-day tasks, and your faith. Ultimately however, this sign will find its completion on the Cross with his mother once more present. From the midst of suffering and misery, the blood of Christ is poured forth  to give life in the face of death and open the path to eternal salvation.

Details

FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the end of the Christmas season. However, the unfolding of the mystery of the Epiphany continues to reach out to us through the liturgy. The Baptism of Jesus is connected to the Epiphany as it represents a continued revelation of who Jesus really is. Similarly, next week we will hear about the first sign worked by Jesus at Cana. This too forms part of the epiphany about the Christ, who reveals his glory as his disciples believe in him. The mystery of Christmas will continue to shine in the liturgy until the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation, on Sunday 2 February.

Details

2025 JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE
Pope Francis has declared that the year 2025 will be a Holy Year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church – an event that takes place once every 25 years. The theme for the 2025 Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope”, an invitation to showcase the hope of our Christian faith to people right across the world at a time when there is so much suffering from the impact of war, poverty, climate change, and the lasting effects of the COVID pandemic. The Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee presents each one of us with an opportunity to reignite the flame of our faith in our own hearts and to share the light of that faith with those in darkness.

WHAT IS A JUBILEE?
The concept of Jubilee is one rooted in the earliest days of Judeo-Christian tradition.  In the Book of Leviticus, we read that the people of Israel celebrated this tradition every 50 years. Its purpose was to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. It involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates this tradition once every 25 years as a year of grace, offering the faithful the opportunity to renew faith through prayer, pilgrimage, acts of charity, and by asking for a plenary indulgence – a special grace that strengthens our wounded souls in the fight against sin.

Details

Christmas Mass Times

Christmas Eve (24 December)

6 pm Family Vigil Mass (carols from 5.30)

11 pm Mass in the Holy Night (carols from 10.30)

 

Christmas Day (25 December)

8.30 am Christmas Dawn Mass

9.45 am Christmas Day Mass (with music group)

11.15 am Christmas Day Mass

12.30 pm Christmas Day Mass

 

Details

FR TOM WRITES
Rejoice! On the Fourth Sunday of Advent the Church prepares us to celebrate the momentous feast of Christmas by reminding us that God promised humankind  the gift of salvation, and this is why His Son was born of the Virgin Mary. With so many parties and joyous occasions filling these days, let us not miss the opportunity to receive Our Lord in a new way during this festive period. We are looking forward to seeing you all at Christmas and send you all every good wish and blessing.

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES
24th December no morning Masses on Christmas Eve
6pm Family Christmas Vigil Mass (carols from 5.30pm)
11pm Christmas Mass in the Holy Night (carols from 10.30pm)
25th December Christmas Day Mass 8.30am, 9.45am, 11.15am & 12.30pm.
26th December Boxing Day Mass 12 noon
27th December Mass 10am

Details

FR DAVID WRITES
Today, the Third Sunday of Advent, is known as Gaudete Sunday and is a day of joy and rejoicing in the heart of the Advent season. Welcome and well done to all our children and their families who begin the First Holy Communion programme this weekend. Please keep them in your prayers. May God bless you this coming week.

Details

FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. In the Gospel we meet St John the Baptist who appeared in the wilderness preaching a message of repentance. John is the link between the hope of Israel and the dawn of Christ’s coming. His message also comes to us as we look for Christ’s presence and prepare to celebrate the mystery of his holy birth at Christmas. May God bless you all in this coming Advent week.

Details

FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the beginning of the Advent season. During Advent, the liturgy invites us to prepare for Christ’s coming at the end of time, and also to prepare to celebrate the feast of his holy birth at Christmas. Let us ask the Lord to renew within us his gifts of faith, hope, joy and love. Please take an Advent sheet from the church porch.

Details

TODAY: OUR CHRISTMAS MARKET
Please make a special effort to come into the hall today after all Masses for our Christmas Market event to support the parish and especially the work in the church. We have all kinds of fancy goods, gifts, cakes, a grand raffle, and so on. It promises to be a lovely weekend! Thank you to Janet and our volunteers for their time, energy and generosity.

NEXT WEEKEND: ADVENT
Next weekend is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new year in the Church’s calendar. We will begin Year C in the liturgical cycle, and we will also see the introduction of the new Lectionary for Mass. New Mass books will be available at the back of church for use at Mass.

Details

FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, the penultimate of the year. Next weekend we will celebrate Christ the King, the final Sunday in the Church’s calendar. Next Saturday at 6 pm Mass, our new choir for young people will sing for the first time. Thank you to our readers who came to the formation session which was on Saturday morning. Please pray for me on Friday as I will mark the sixteenth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood.   I only have another thirty years to go until I qualify for the Retired Priests’ Fund! Please do be generous this weekend to the priests who have served us so well for so long. May God bless you all this coming week and beyond.

Details

FR TOM WRITES
On Saturday 16th November the Church commemorates St Edmund Abingdon, the 12th Century Archbishop of Canterbury. Whenever the feasts of British saints arise, it is a fantastic opportunity to pray for all the people who live on this island, especially those who have abandoned their faith in Jesus Christ.