Father Paul Townsend

Creation of Cardinals
On the 21st of February, the Most Reverend Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, will be created Cardinal by Pope John Paul II, together with forty-three others. After the consistory, the Archbishop's full title will be His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster. Please remember him in your prayers.

Parish Barn Dance
A Parish Barn Dance will be held at St Jude's School on the evening of Friday the 16th of March. Live music will be provided by "The Turks Town Troopers" with Caller David Slater. Tickets are £6.00 or £5.00, if booked before the 9th of March. Numbers are limited. Supper is included. There will be a licensed bar and a raffle. To obtain tickets and further information, please call Graham Stanton on 01329 284057.

Teaching at Oaklands
Oaklands has vacancies for September 2001 for teachers of English, Art and Modern Languages. If you are interested in finding out more, please call the Deputy Headteacher, Mr Martin Lewis, on 02392 259214.

What Sort of Person Are You?
Sister Jean and Sister Anne from the Cenacle Convent in Netley will come to our parish on Friday the 9th of March to lead an Enneagram weekend. This journey of self discovery is offered to anyone interested in discerning their personal gifts and strengths. It is enjoyable, enlightening and entirely non-threatening. The Enneagram weekend will take place in the Sacred Heart Hall. It will begin on Friday the 9th of March at 7.30pm until 9.30pm; it will recommence on Saturday the 10th from 10.00am until 4.30pm and then on Sunday the 11th from 10.30am until 1.00pm. The cost per person for the three days is £10.00. Prior booking is essential. It would be necessary to bring a packed lunch on Saturday. Tea and coffee will be available. Information will be given as handouts but bringing personal writing materials would be useful. If you would like to know more, please call Veronica Chadwick on 01489 584250. If you would like to take part in the Enneagram, please contact the parish office.

Liturgy and Music in Fareham
Mary Watson is to relinquish her role in leading the choir and playing the organ in this parish at Easter. This will mean some changes in the form and style of worship in the St Philip Howard Church in particular. Rosemary Farrell has very kindly agreed to lead a small group of singers and instrumentalists at the 6.30pm Mass on Sundays. This group will practise each Monday evening from 7.30 until 9.00 in the St Philip Howard Church. If you sing or play a musical instrument and are interested in joining Rosemary's little band, please call her on 01489 564576.

Keyboard Players
Keyboard players are needed to assist at practices and at some services. If you are interested, please contact David Cockshoot on 01329 283785 or Cindy Sherman on 01489 582672 for more detailed information.

Celebration Banquet
There will be a celebration banquet on Saturday the 3rd of March at 7.30pm at the Fareham Community Church. This banquet will celebrate our unity as Christians as well as the first anniversary of The Well. Tickets cost £4.00 each (or £2.50 for children) and are available from The Well at 116 - 118 West Street, Fareham, telephone 01329 318731.

LIFE
Today, our local LIFE group will give a brief presentation on their work at all Masses in Fareham, including the Saturday evening Mass. LIFE is a national, non-denominational charity which provides a care service which includes free pregnancy testing, confidential pregnancy counselling, practical help for unsupported mothers and women who face a crisis in pregnancy.

Working With Young People
The Lent issue of The Grapevine, the Diocesan Newsletter for Catechists has just been published. This edition is dedicated to youth ministry and the young people of our Diocese. It contains interesting and helpful information, including suggested resources and dates and venues of special events. Please take a copy from the entrance to the church if you work in any way with the young people of our parish. Julie Meads is the Diocesan Adviser for Youth. If you would like advice, ideas or support, please call her on 01329 835583. "Youth work is not a hobby, but an essential part of pastoral life today." (Cardinal John Heenan)

THE UNION

They talked about their two different understandings of power. For the Commandant, power was about absolute control over other people. His use of the power he had was horrific. He would shoot prisoners from his balcony as they were going about their tasks. For him it was a blend of target practice and sport. Power was about controlling and manipulating the lives of others, with total disregard for their freedom. Human beings were utterly dispensable.

For Shindler, the use of power was completely different. It was about enabling other people to be free and to live life to the full. There was no question of manipulation or control: simply complete respect for others and a willingness to support them in the journey through life.

In our readings today we are presented with the way that Jesus wants us to use power and the gifts we have. Not by controlling others but by giving them freedom as David does when he discovers Saul asleep. David could have killed Saul so easily, especially as Saul wanted David out of the way! Jesus explains how our relationships must be marked by tolerance, forgiveness and massive respect for the other person. All our relationships must be shaped by the desire to bring about the greatest good for those who share our lives, whether they are enemies or friends.

The Cathedral Discovery Centre
The Cathedral Discovery Centre in Portsmouth has many books in stock and is well worth a visit, particularly as Lent draws near. The Coffee Shop at the Discovery Centre now has an expanded menu. The opening times of the Discovery Centre are from Monday to Friday - 9.30am to 5.00pm, on Saturdays from 9.30am to 1.00pm and from 5.00 to 7.00pm and on Sundays from 9.30am to 1.15pm. The telephone number for the Cathedral Discovery Centre is 02392 870348 and their web site is
www.tregalic.co.uk/crc-ports-dio

Benches in the Sacred Heart Church
A number of the benches in the Sacred Heart Church have been scraped and scratched, leaving ridges in the surface of the wood. Please take care not to damage the seats.

Liturgy Planning Group
The next meeting for our parish Liturgy Planning Group will take place on Monday the 26th of February at 7.30pm in the presbytery. If you would like to know more about the work of this group, please call Chris Lane on 01329 310785.

Friends of the Earth
There will be a meeting of the Friends of the Earth in the Sacred Heart Hall on Thursday the 1st of March from 7.30 until 9.30pm. For more information, please call John Vivian on 02392 422129.

Accommodation Needed
A young Italian lady who has recently moved to this area and who is working in Down End is seeking accommodation in Fareham. If you are able to help, please telephone Vitalba Montanaro on 02392 362490.

Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday will fall on the 28th of February. Mass times will be as follows -
7.00am - Sacred Heart Church
9.30am - Sacred Heart Church
9.30am - Church of Our Lady of Walsingham
11.00am - St Philip Howard Church
7.30pm - Sacred Heart Church.

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence. Catholics between the ages of eighteen and sixty may take one full meal and one light meal only on this day. Those over the age of fourteen must abstain from eating meat. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a time of preparation, prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Lenten Lunches
Churches Together in Portchester
Weekly, ecumenical Shoppers' Services and Lenten Lunches will be held at the Methodist Church in Castle Street, Portchester, each Wednesday from the 28th of February. Each Shoppers' Service will begin at midday and will be followed by the Lenten Lunch at 12.30. Catholics from Portchester will be organising these on the 14th of March and on the 4th of April. All are welcome.

Pastoral Letter
Next weekend, a Pastoral Letter from Bishop Crispian will be read at all Masses. Taking Lent as its theme, the Pastoral Letter reminds us of the importance of prayer, the Scriptures, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sunday Eucharist. Copies will be available at the entrance to the church.

Lourdes Lunch
The Lourdes Lunch held last weekend raised £382.00. Thank you to all who supported the Lunch, to those who kindly and generously gave donations and gratitude to the team of helpers.

18 February 2001
7th Sunday of the Year
The Year of St Luke

Ministers of the Eucharist
Thanks to the many Eucharistic Ministers from Fareham and Portchester who attended the meeting led by Father Chris last Friday evening. There was an exceptional turn out for this lively and most helpful meeting.

All Eucharistic Ministers in Fareham are asked to take their copy of the latest Roster. Attached to the Roster is a list of names and telephone numbers of Ministers and a list of points to remember. The co-ordinator for the Eucharistic Ministers' Roster in Fareham in Mrs Margaret Proctor (01329 234606).

Farleigh Scholarships 2001
The Farleigh School in Red Rice, Andover, is a Catholic, Co-Educational Boarding and Day Preparatory School which takes children between the ages of three and thirteen. The School is offering Awards worth up to 33% off fees. The deadline for applications is the 28th of February. For more details, please call the Headmaster's Secretary on 01264 710766.

Women's Word Day of Prayer
Women's World Day of Prayer will be celebrated on Friday the 2nd of March 2001.

A service will be held in the Church of Our Lady of Walsingham in Portchester at 2.00pm on that day. All are welcome to this service which will be followed by refreshments.

Services will be held in the Church of St Peter and St Paul at the top of the High Street in Fareham at 2.00pm and at 7.30pm. A crèche will be available and there will be refreshments. The speaker at the afternoon service will be Brenda O'Leary and the speaker at the evening service will be Chris a Herne. The theme this year is Informed Prayer, Prayerful Action.

Scripture Study
Father Andrew McMahon ofm will lead evenings of Scripture Study at Park Place Pastoral Centre based on the Gospel of St Luke. All are most welcome to these evenings which will begin at 7.30pm and end at 8.30pm on the following dates -

Wednesday 21 February
Wednesday 7 March
Wednesday 14 March
Wednesday 21 March
Wednesday 28 March
Wednesday 4 April

Saturday Night Youth Special
The next Saturday Night Youth Special will take place on Saturday the 24th of February from 7.30pm until 10.00pm at Fareham Leisure Centre. This is your opportunity to have a game of Football or Basketball, to try out Roller Blades or bounce on the Bouncy Castle. Most of the facilities will be able to be used, including the swimming pool. The cost is only £2.25. Paul Tomlinson writes, "Don't forget to agree with your parents how you will get home at 10.00pm. We are very thankful to Churches Together in Fareham for organising this event. A group of teenagers from our Church thoroughly enjoyed this event last month. Let's make the group even bigger this month. Bring a friend (or two) along."

Hospital Chaplain
Last week, Bishop Crispian formally inducted Deacon Bill O'Connell as the Catholic Chaplain at Queen Alexandra Hospital and St Mary's Hospital. As a Deacon, Bill is able to baptise and to say the prayers for the dying (the Last Rites) but he is unable to hear Confessions or to give the Sacrament of Anointing (the Sacrament of the Sick). Father Paul and Father Chris take a turn with priests of our neighbouring deaneries to be "on call" for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to provide these Sacraments. Please keep Deacon Bill and the chaplaincy team in your prayers.

The Sacrament of Anointing for the Sick
Please contact one of the priests if you are going into hospital or have anxieties about your health.

Software for Schools
St Jude's is collecting Software for Schools vouchers and Tesco vouchers. If you have any to spare, please pass them on to the school or leave them at the parish office.

Catholic Children's Society
A retiring collection will be taken at all Masses on Sunday the 25th of February for the work of the Catholic Children's Society. This is the Church's Child Care Agency and Adoption Society which covers the Dioceses of Portsmouth, Arundel and Brighton and Southwark. The Society, which has been in existence for more than a hundred years, offers the following services - adoption and fostering, support for people with learning difficulties, a schools counselling service, support for homeless young people and community support. If you would like to know more about the work of the Society, please write to the Catholic Children's Society, 49 Russell Hill Road, Purley, Surrey, CR8 2XB. The Society relies on the support of parishes to maintain and develop its services to families and children in need.

Interested in Becoming a Catholic?
A series of meetings and talks takes place each year for those interested in becoming a member of our Church. If you would like to know more, please contact Father Paul, or complete the online form.