Sister Julia Flannery
As explained in a previous newsletter Sr. Julia will be leaving
the Parish at the end of January for health reasons. On Sunday 20th January
at 3.00pm there will be Evening Prayer and Benediction at St. Philip
Howard Church followed by a festive tea in St. Jude's School Hall. This
will provide us all with an opportunity to say thank you to Sr. Julia
for all that she has done for us in her ministry in Fareham and Portchester.
(Please note the revised time). The celebration will conclude in time
for us to get to the King's Church for the Unity Week Service.
Youth Forum
As a result of comments made at the recent Parish Open Meeting, the Parish
Pastoral Council would like to invite anyone who would be prepared to
become part of a group of people to look into the provision of activities,
events and communications with the youth of our parish, to help develop
a Youth Forum. You would not necessarily need to be involved in direct
contact with the youngsters, but representation on the Forum from those
currently involved with young people would be very welcome as would anyone
from the 18+ age group, (the older youth).
If you would like to find out more, please contact
the Parish Office by the end of January.
Lunch Club
Two additional helpers are required for the Lunch Club which meets on
a Thursday in the Sacred Heart Church Hall. If there is anyone who is
available to help from 11.00am - 1.00pm on alternate Thursdays please
ring Mary Downing on 01329 234004 of Theresa Hughes on 01329 317162.
Confirmation
The first Confirmation meeting will take place
on Thursday 31st January at St. Philip Howard Church at 7.30pm. All prospective
candidates & their parents should attend. The service will be followed
by refreshments in the hall where there will be an opportunity to ask
any questions you may have. The first meeting for Candidates will be on
Saturday 2nd February at St. Jude's School from 10.30am -12 noon. This
will be followed on Sunday 3rd February by the Enrolment Mass at St. Philip
Howard at 11.00am.
Youth Club
Additional Youth Club leaders are required. If there is anyone who is
interested in helping with the Youth Club please contact Kevin Taylor
on 01329 511478.
The Life of Christ - an open-air play
An open-air play on the life of Christ is to be performed at the Wintershall
Estate, Bramley in Surrey on Fri/Sat 28th & 29th June 10.15am until
4.00pm. Adult tickets £10 Children £5. Please add your name
to the list at the back of the church if you are interested, indicating
whether you have transport. Limited seats are available and an indication
of numbers is required by the end of January. Please contact Deacon Langford
(280058) for further details.
Alton Convent School
A Head of Religious Studies is required for September 2002 at Alton Convent
School for Girls 11yrs - 18yrs. As well as being an exciting opportunity
for an innovative teacher the role also requires the organisation of Masses,
Retreats and Charity Events. For further details and an application form
please contact the Headmistress' Secretary, on 01420 82070. Closing date
is Friday 25th January.
Child Protection Training
Individuals or leaders of groups who work with children are asked to attend
Child Protection Training. Sessions will take place on Wednesday 23rd
January and Thursday 31st January at St. Jude's School at 7.30pm.
Are You New?
Are you new to this parish? If you have recently moved to this area, please
fill in our online form, or alternatively
one of the "Are You New?" forms to be found at the entrance
to the church and return this to Father Paul or Father Chris or to the
parish office.
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THE UNION
Thought for the Week
"Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin
of the world". These words of John the Baptist in today's Gospel
would have little meaning to many people these days, in a world where there
is a growing tendency for people to joke about sin, to downplay it, or to
deny it altogether. For example, people no longer lie; they juggle the facts
or stretch the truth. People no longer steal; they nick or rip off. People
no longer commit adultery; they fool around or have a fling. People no longer
kill unborn children; they terminate a pregnancy or remove an unwanted foetus.
The tragic part of this disturbing tendency is that by downplaying or denying
our sinfulness, we downplay or deny our need for Jesus Christ. For if we
have no sins that need taking away, then we have no need for the Lamb of
God.
Many people these days would also have difficulty in
understanding the title "Lamb of God", but long before John
the Baptist, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a mysterious servant of God who
would someday suffer and die, like one of the lambs that were sacrificed
daily in the Temple, for the sins of the people, as commanded by Moses
in the Book of Exodus. Describing the death of this suffering servant,
Isaiah 53:7-8 says: "He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly...
Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, he never said a word... He was arrested
and led off to die... He was put to death for the sins of his people."
All of us are fragile human beings. We all fall victim
to various sins at various times in our lives. We all stand in need of
God's forgiveness and salvation. If we are weak enough to sin, we should
be humble enough to admit it and seek out the forgiveness of the Lamb.
John begins his proclamation by asking us to "Look",
and we need not look far, for His forgiveness can be found in the sacrament
of Reconciliation. How fortunate for us to have this sacrament so easily
and readily available. How unfortunate for us to neglect it. How tragic
for us to fail to appreciate it or fail to use it. For it was for this
gift that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, offered Himself for us on Calvary.
Betty Haydon RIP
Please pray for Betty Haydon who died recently. Her funeral Mass will
be at Our Lady of Walsingham, Portchester at 12.00 on Wednesday 23rd January.
Please also pray for Arthur, Julie, Dave and all Betty's family. Vigil
Prayer for the Dead will be at 7pm on Tuesday 22nd January 7pm at Our
Lady of Walsingham Church.
Your prayers are requested
Please pray for Nora Eaton, Patricia Curtis and Clarence Perrio who
died recently. Please also remember in your prayers, their families and
friends.
Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi
I have provisionally booked a Parish Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi beginning
on Monday 18th November 2002 and ending the following Monday 25th November.
Many visits would be arranged and detailed nearer the time. As I need
to know fairly soon how much interest there would be in this pilgrimage,
I have provided a tear-off slip on the paper newsletter. If you are interested
in coming please sign it and return to me. The cost will be in the region
of £725.00.
Confirmation
Bishop Crispian will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation in our parish
on Friday the 14th of June 2002 at the St. Philip Howard Church at 7.30
pm. If you wish to prepare to receive this Sacrament, please fill in the
form below and return it to Father Chris or to Father Paul or to the parish
office immediately. Candidates must be at least in their second
year of secondary education (Year 8). Other young people - or not so young
- who, for one reason or another, might have "missed out" are
invited to consider preparing for this important Sacrament.
'Ultimate Questions' - Meridian Television
''Ultimate Questions', - the religious discussion show for ITV will feature
4 high profile guests each week who will debate a variety of religious
and ethical based subjects, led by journalist Martin Lewis. The series
is being filmed at Meridian Studio's in Southampton on 10th, 17th and
24th February and the 10th, 17th and 24th March. Audience members are
required - please contact Emma Thomas via e-mail at emma.thomas@granadamedia.com
or tel. 023 80 712563
Catholics and Holocaust Memorial Day
Catholics and Holocaust Memorial Day is on Sunday 27th January. 'Lest
we forget' is a phrase which draws our hearts and minds to those who died
fighting in the two world wars. Holocaust Memorial Day focuses our minds
on the need to remember the tragic loss of Jewish life, when 1 in 3 Jews
died worldwide, and on all who suffer and die through prejudice and tyranny
in our world today.
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20th January 2002
2nd Sunday of the Year
The Year of
St Matthew
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Fareham Churches Together United Service
The Fareham Churches Together United Service will be held this weekend on
Sunday 20th January at 6.30pm in the King's Community Church in West Street.
Please do all you can to attend.
Churches Together in Portchester
The Churches Together in Portchester Service will be held at 6.30pm at
Our Lady of Walsingham on Sunday 27th January and will be followed by
refreshments.
Christian Unity Week 18th-25th January
This week sees the continuation of a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
arranged round the text 'With You is the Fountain of Life' (Psalm
36:9).
Churches Together in Fareham have organised three ecumenical
services.
Sunday 20th January - United Service 6.30pm at Community
Church, Kings Centre, West Street
Tuesday 22nd January - Service 7.30pm at Hill Park Baptist
Church, Gudge Heath Lane
Thursday 24th January - Service 10.00am at St. John's Church,
Redlands Lane
Please come and join in prayer and praise with our other
brothers and sisters in Christ. 
Lent Groups
During Lent there will be Ecumenical Lent Groups made up of local
groups of Christians gathered together to reflect and study the theme
'…..called to be Saints' (1Cor 1:2). The course is run for a period
of 5 weeks only i.e. during Lent. Application Forms (in canary
yellow) giving details, timings and further information are available
at the back of the Church and need to be returned by 28th January.
It is an ideal way to meet informally in someone's home and get to know
Christians of other denominations and discover how much we have in common.
Discussions are Bible based and relevant to the 21st Century.
Come on, give it a try.
Peace Sunday - 20th January
This Sunday is Peace Sunday. Pope John Paul II has chosen the theme of
forgiveness as the focus for his World Peace message for 2002. Announcing
the theme the Vatican said, "Lasting peace presupposes the conversion
of hearts from evil intentions to good intentions and from choosing violence
to choosing peace and justice. The path of pardon and reconciliation is
the most direct and sure path to peace". Let us all pray for lasting
peace in our world.
 The
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
"Jesus Christ is truly Emmanuel, God-with-us from His Incarnation
until the end of time. And He is this in a particular intense and hidden
way in the mystery of His continual presence in the Eucharist. What vital
strength, what consolation, what firm hope is discovered in contemplating
the mystery of the Eucharist! It is God-with-us that enables us to share
his life and impels us to go out to evangelise the world, to sanctify
it!" (Pope John Paul II)
Someone is needed to fill in the hours of 3.00 - 4.00pm on Wednesdays
and 4.00 - 5.00pm on Fridays. If you are able to help, please telephone
Lily Peach on 01329 825447.
Eucharistic Ministers
A Day of Reflection will be held for Eucharistic Ministers on Saturday
2nd February from 10am - 3.30pm at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Park Gate.
Contact Park Gate Parish Office for further details on 01489 572797.
Finance
Thank you for your generosity in giving
Fareham - £1733.75 ,
Portchester - £186.90
Forthcoming Special Collections
Catholic Education Service
A special collection will be taken at all Masses this weekend in aid of
the Catholic Education Service.
SPUC White Flower Appeal
A special collection will be taken at all masses on 26th & 27th January
in aid of the SPUC White Flower Appeal.
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
Father Paul Townsend
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