Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross will be celebrated at 7.00pm on Good Friday at the Sacred Heart Church. Please note there will be no Stations of the Cross this weekend on Palm Sunday.

Stations of the Cross for Children & Families
Stations of the Cross for children and families will be celebrated at 11.00am at St. Philip Howard Church on Good Friday followed by an Easter Egg hunt.

Easter Triduum Retreat - Douai Abbey
A Easter Triduum Retreat led by Oliver Holt OSB will be held at Douai Abbey from Thursday March 28, 5pm until Monday April 1, 11am. The retreat will explore the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord through the medium of art and poetry. Participants will be able to share in the monastic celebration of the Triduum and will have opportunity for spaces and times of silence. Resident: donation for the waged £150. Non-resident inc.meals £90. If you are interested please contact the Programme Director on Email: douaiabby@aol.com

Prayer Walk for the Youth of Fareham
To join the Prayer Walk please meet after the Good Friday Walk of Witness at Fareham Centre bandstand 10.15 - 10.45a.m. All teenagers and youth workers welcome. To find out more about prayer walking see: www.coghlan.net/church/pw

Gift Aid Envelopes Envelopes for the coming year will be available at the following Mass times: Sun 24th March 8.30 a.m. Our Lady of Walsingham Sun 24th March 10.00 am Our Lady of Walsingham If you have any queries or would like to join the scheme a member of the Finance Committee will be pleased to help.

Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2002
Booking Forms for the 2002 Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes (23 - 30 August) are now available from the Parish Office. The pilgrimage will be under the leadership of Bishop Declan Lang and both air and rail travel options are scheduled. If you are sick and wish to join the pilgrimage please contact Pauline Jackson on 01329 236275. If there is any young person (18 yrs +) who wishes to go to Lourdes as a 'helper' please contact Jane Cadogan on 01329 235987.

Lourdes Cake Stall
The next Cake Stall in aid of funds to send young helpers to Lourdes will take place this weekend.
Sacred Heart Hall:
Saturday 23rd March following the 6.30pm Mass.
Sunday 24th March following the 9.30am Mass
Our Lady of Walsingham:
Sunday 24th March following the 10am Mass
St Philip Howard:
Sunday 24th March following the 11am Mass

 Lourdes Lunch
Thank you to everyone who supported the Lourdes Lunch and to those who generously gave donations to the Lourdes fund. This most enjoyable and successful event raised a profit of £415.00.

'Holy Week Experience' Retreat - Park Place
A Holy Week Experience Retreat will take place at Park Place Pastoral Centre at Wickham from 27-31st March led by Father Andrew McMahon. This is a time when we gather to reflect on the central mystery of the Christian faith - the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Sacred Triduum (three days) that follows, celebrates the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus leading up to Easter Sunday when we also enter into the spirit of a new life with Christ. Prices are £144.00 Residential Full Board or £164.00 for an Ensuite room.

Hosts for Coeliacs
Gluten-free hosts which are suitable for coeliacs are available in the parish. If there is anyone who requires these type of hosts please speak to one of the priests.

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.

THE UNION
Thought for the Week
Next Thursday evening we shall gather to celebrate the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Most people believe that this meal was the celebration of the Jewish Passover Meal. At the "Passover Seder" there were four cups of wine but the second one was the most important. With this cup the Exodus from Egypt and the subsequent liberation from slavery were remembered and brought into the present. The second cup ritually recalled the blood of the lambs sprinkled on the doorposts to alert the angel of death to "passover" the Jewish house and its occupants. Scripture scholars suggest that it was this cup that Jesus used when he said "Take this all of you and drink it, this is the cup of my blood".
Just as the Jews remembered and brought into the present the events of the Passover at the "Seder Meal" so today, as we stand with palms in our hands, we remember and relive Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. And the remembering and reliving continues as we make our progress through Holy Week towards the completion at the Easter Vigil when we gather to proclaim: " May Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead shed his peaceful light on all humanity".
The remembering and "bringing into the present" of these events is important for each of us. The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of God's plan for the salvation of the world. That is why we must join the community at each of the sacred moments during Holy Week and remember and bring each event into the present.
On Thursday evening we shall celebrate the "Lord's Last Supper". On Friday we gather for the Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion, which is not a celebration of Mass but a Liturgy of the Word and the solemn Veneration of the Cross, concluding with the distribution of Holy Communion. On Saturday evening at 8.30pm in St. Philip Howard we come together for the beautiful celebration of the Lord's Resurrection in the Easter Vigil. The liturgy includes the blessing of the "New Fire" and the lighting of the Paschal Candle, the solemn and sung proclamation of the Resurrection, the story of salvation in the Old and New Testaments and the Blessing of the Font. The celebration of Christian Initiation follows and this includes the renewal of our own Baptismal Promises. After the celebration of the Eucharist, there will be a party in the hall to welcome our new members and to "rejoice and be glad" because the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead.

Sister Julia Flannery
Greetings and messages for Sr. Julia may be sent to: Sr. Julia Flannery, c/o The Presbytery, 43 Portland Street, Fareham, Hants, PO16 0NF.

How you can help your Diocese
Are you able to offer some of your time to the Diocese? We are keen to contact anyone with time and skills willing to help the Diocese. You may have secretarial support skills, a background in finance, legal knowledge, experience of handling personnel issues - anything at all. If so, you are welcome to a meeting at Kiln Green near Maidenhead (Sat. 13th April) or in Portsmouth (Sat 20th April) to hear more. For details contact Mgr John Nelson, I Radley Rd, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3PL, tel. 01235 520375 or e-mail abingdon@portsmouth-dio.org.uk.

Churches Together in Portchester Lent Lunches
The final Shoppers' Service/Lent Lunch takes place this Wednesday at Portchester Methodist Church, Castle Street at 12 noon. Proceeds will be shared between CAFOD and Christian Aid. All welcome.

Eucharistic Ministers' Meeting
The Meeting for Eucharistic Ministers will take place on Wednesday 17th April at St. Jude's School Hall beginning at 7.30pm. Canon Alan Griffiths, from the Diocesan Liturgy Committee will be giving a talk.

Message from the Finance Committee The Easter collection is our personal gift to Father Paul and Father Chris. It is at Easter and Christmas when we can show them in a practical way how much we appreciate the help and guidance that they have always given us. Once again, please remember that you can contribute by Gift Aid and the parish can then reclaim the tax paid on your gift. Simply use one of your envelopes, marked 'Easter Gift'.

Loneliness in Fareham
If the appeal for Fareham Good Neighbours volunteers made you think, then perhaps you could befriend an elderly person. Volunteers and clients are matched as far as possible and informal training is given to give you confidence. To find out more, please contact the Parish Office. Thank you.

Teaching at Oaklands Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Waterlooville
Graduate teachers of Mathematics, English and Art are required for September 2002 to teach children of all abilities up to GCSE and/or 'A' Level. Teachers of Sociology and Psychology (part time considered) at 'A' Level are also required and a Head of Year for September 2002. If you are interested in any of the above vacancies please contact the Headteacher, Mr Chris Whitfield or the Deputy Head, Mr Martin Lewis at the school on 023 9225 9214.

St. Jude's School P.F.A. 50 : 50 Draw
Any Parishioners who would like to take part in this draw are most welcome to take out a number - £11 for the year April 2002 to March 2003. Prizes will depend on the number of participants. Cheques should be made payable to St. Jude's P.F.A. - please contact the school office for further information.

St Jude's RC Primary School
Current newsletter here

24th March 2002 Palm Sunday The Year of St Matthew

Party after the Easter Vigil Mass
Following the Easter Vigil Mass there will be a party held in the St. Philip Howard Hall. The party is to welcome Andrea Barnes, Sarah Carter, Paul Cubitt and Greg McIntyre into the Church. As usual you are invited to donate items of food for the finger buffet. There is a list in the entrance hall of each Church for you to state your donation - this is just for catering purposes. Please bring donations to one of the churches on Saturday 30th March - Sacred Heart Hall between 10-11am, St. Philip Howard between 2-3pm and Our Lady of Walsingham between 10-11am.

The Well
The Well's Treasurer, Graham James, reported a trading surplus of £84.00 at the conclusion of a second year's trading, which is an encouragement. All is thanks to the dedication of the staff, both paid and voluntary, who turned around a £4,000 loss the previous year. The immediate challenge is to call new people to serve as volunteers. Two years ago, The Well opened with eighty volunteers - now there are half that number. The position is open to any Christian who can spare a little time, and can work in a team. All necessary skills are learnt on the job!

CAFOD - Goma Appeal
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the recent Goma Appeal. A donation of £955 was sent to CAFOD towards its work of supporting the people affected by the eruption of the volcano on Mt. Nyiragongo, near Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is estimated that 400,000 people fled from the affected area and many are now returning home to find that all their possessions have been destroyed. A distribution programme has been set up to provide clean water, food, shelter, blankets and clothes for 10,000 families on either side of the 'lava divide'. Please continue to remember all those affected by this crisis in your prayers.

The Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
"St. Joseph, first and most perfect of adorers, obtain for me the grace to love, adore and serve Christ Eucharist as you did. St. Joseph, who was so humble in the presence of the Man-God, obtain for us grace to lose ourselves in the service of Jesus in the Sacred Host." (St. Peter Julian Eymard)
Please note that Adoration ceased on Friday 22nd March for the Easter break and will recommence on Monday 8th April. Someone is needed to fill in the hour 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. If you are able to help, please call Lily on 01329 825447.

Adoration: I have been concerned recently about adorers failing to turn up for their hour and those who adore in the church on their own. While these things are not necessarily connected, they can be sometimes. Please ensure that a replacement is found when necessary. I would also be grateful if more people could come forward as adorers so that we can always have at least two people in the church at any one time. (Fr. Paul)

Finance
Thank you for your generosity in giving
Fareham - £1687.10
Portchester - £228.75
Lent Appeal in aid of 'Wells for India' total to date - £1302.87

Forthcoming Special Collections
29th March 2002 - Holy Places

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