 Lenten
Appeal
The Lenten Appeal this year is for children who are the victims of AIDS.
You may be shocked to learn that around 660,000 of southern Africa’s
children have been orphaned by AIDS, and this number looks set to increase
to 2 million by 2015. CAFOD’s focus this Lent, like ours, is the
HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, especially its effect on children. PLEASE BE
AS GENEROUS AS YOU CAN.
Annual
UCM Pilgrimage to Walsingham
The UCM annual pilgrimage to Walsingham will be on Tuesday 1st July. Departure
time will be 4.00am! Cost - £30. For more details please contact
Yvonne Byrne on 01329 311911.
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Diocesan
Pilgrimage to Lourdes
The annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place this year
from 22nd – 29th August.
If
you are sick, disabled or housebound and would like to go on this
pilgrimage, please speak to Pauline Jackson. Any young person who
would like to assist the sick pilgrims during the pilgrimage please
call Jane Cadogan 01329 235987. |
Calling
all Young Parishioners!
The Parish Youth Club is open to all parishioners aged between
11 – 16yrs inclusive. We meet in the St. Philip Howard Hall between
7 – 9pm on Sunday evenings. There is a lot to do in a friendly atmosphere,
and if you join soon you will be in time for our subsidised trip to Thorpe
Park!
Dorothy
Campkin
After 33 years Dorothy Campkin is relinquishing her position as co-ordinator
of the team of cleaners at the Sacred Heart Church. Our grateful thanks
go to Dorothy for all her hard work and commitment over the many years
of service to our community. Carol Dean, who is already a member of our
hard-working cleaning team, has kindly agreed to take over the role as
co-ordinator of the group.
House
(Cell) Groups - Update
It is hoped to start House Groups in the parish after Easter (from 4th
May). We need people to host the meetings and lead the groups. If there
is sufficient interest we would like one of the groups to meet in the
afternoon (1.30–3.30pm). Evening meetings would be from 7.30–9.00pm.
There will be a meeting in the Sacred Heart Hall on Tuesday 25th March
at 8.00pm for all those interested in House Groups. If you would be
willing to either lead/host a meeting, please contact
the Parish Office.
Lent
2003 - Churches Together in Portchester
The Portchester churches are holding Shoppers’ Services and Lent
Lunches every Wednesday in Lent, at Portchester Methodist Church,
beginning at 12 noon. Catholics will be organising this week's lunch on
26th March and the lunch on the 16th April. Fr. Chris will lead the Services.
All proceeds from the lunches are shared between CAFOD and Christian Aid.
All welcome.
Fareham
Deanery Adult Formation Talks
This week: Wednesday 26th March at 7.30pm at St Jude’s School.
The speaker will be Canon Alan Griffiths and the subject “Easter
Triduum”. Tea and coffee will be served from 7.00p.m.
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Lent
Penitential Service
 A
Lenten Penitential Service, with the opportunity for individual
confession, will take place on Wednesday 9th April at 7.30pm in
the Sacred Heart Church. The Clergy of the Deanery will be attending. |
Mass
for the Sick
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick will be offered on Saturday 29th
March at 3.00pm at St. Philip Howard Church. Anyone whose health is seriously
impaired by sickness or increasing years or who faces surgery should receive
this Sacrament of healing. Ministers of the Eucharist who take Holy Communion
to the sick and housebound members of our community are asked, if possible,
to bring those in their care to this Mass. If anyone needs a lift, please
contact Mary Cadogan on 01329 235987. Tea will be served in the hall after
Mass.
Are
You New?
Are you new to this parish? If you have recently moved to this area, please
fill in one of the 'Are you new?' forms to be found at the entrance to
the church and return this to Father Chris or to the Parish Office. Alternatively
complete our online form.
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THE UNION
Thought for the Week
Coming to the well in the privacy of the noon-day heat the woman
had expected to be there on her own as was usual. She was, therefore, surprised
to see the stranger, and a Jew at that. She would have departed without
a word with her filled jar had not the stranger by-passed the religious
taboo and asked her for a drink. Then all Heaven broke loose!
Jesus was
tired from the journey and thirsty in the heat. He was tired, too, from
the continued strain of masking His true identity and hungry for souls.
He longed for self-revelation and the sharing of His mission on behalf
of the Kingdom. She, on the other hand, suspect at home and living with
years of self-awareness and sadness, longed for liberation. She was a
daughter of Abraham and the empty vessel she carried symbolised the limitations
of the Old Law. He was the Son of God and the Key of David with the power
to unlock doors and hearts.
The dialogue
is delicious. We readers, of course, are like excited children who now
know more about Jesus than she did, and the drama climbs as the exchanges
take place. She is cautious and ground-level humble and has no awareness
that the compassion and love of Jesus are locked on to her. She is resigned
to wait for the Messiah to clear and clean up her life. We are yelling
at Jesus to get on with it: “Tell her, tell her”!
Each level
of the dialogue finds her response proportionate to the very special and
sometimes unique teaching of Jesus. Unknown to her the Spirit of Jesus
is welling up in her heart like a stream of living water. She is now ready
to receive some of the most liberating and timeless teaching of our Saviour.
Further revelation and dialogue are now ended by the return of the disciples.
However, the drama continues even more eloquently in the stillness of
Christ and the behaviour of the woman.
Notice we
hear no word of Absolution from Christ, nor no word of thanks from His
convert. These now reside in the action she takes. Her complete absorption
of the Kingdom Mission Spirit reflects Jesus’ own simultaneous explanation
to His returned disciples (v34-38). She leaves her water jar at the well-side,
she HURRIES back to town. She has now become the first recorded Apostle
to, and worker in, the whitened, harvest-ready fields of her own Samaritan
people, and she is there when the Word made Flesh for two days dwells
among them.
Father Charles Aylward
Eileen
Houghton RIP
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Eileen Houghton who died recently.
Please also pray for Eileen’s family and friends. The Funeral Mass
for Eileen will take place on Thursday 27th March at 9.30a.m. in the Sacred
Heart Church. Vigil Prayer for the Dead will be at 7.00pm on Wednesday
26th March.
Saturday
Night Special
For all Church youth groups in Fareham! Come and join in the fun at the
Leisure Centre on Saturday 29th March from 7.30pm – 10.15pm. The
cost is £2.50. The April date for your diary is the 19th when live
band ‘Replenish’ will perform.
Urgent
- Vacancies at 'The Well'
There is currently a vacancy for an Assistant Food and Beverage Manager
at the Christian ecumenical outreach centre, 'The Well'. The post is a
permanent, paid position, which will require approximately 16 hours per
week. Please send a CV to Mrs June Haye, 7 Malvern Avenue, Fareham PO14
1QF. If you have any questions which you would like to discuss informally,
please contact June on 01329 318731. “The Well” is also in
dire need of more volunteers – if you can help, even if only for
a couple of hours, please contact June Haye asap on the above number.
“Born
for This” – St John’s Cathedral
“Born for This” is a dramatic and moving modern interpretation
of the last journey of Jesus, from the celebration of the Passover to
the anguish of Gethsemane…from the agony of Calvary to the joy of
the Resurrection. Inspirational and poignant reflections are fused with
original music to create a memorable portrayal of Christ’s Passion.
“Born for This” will be staged in St. John’s Cathedral,
Portsmouth on Sunday 23rd March at 6.00pm. A number of pupils from St.
Edmund’s School will be involved in the performance so why not go
along and support them? Tickets are priced at £4 each and are available
from Sr. Christine at St. Edmund’s School on 02392 823766.
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Lent
Meditations
There will be a series of reflections for Lent. Each evening
of reflection will last for about an hour and will take place at
the Sacred Heart Church at 8.00pm. All are most welcome.
Friday 28th March
The Woman at the Well
Friday 4th April
The Man Born Blind
Friday 11th April
The Raising of Lazarus
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Catholic
Newspapers - Update
We are very pleased with the response to last week’s notice regarding
the provision of the Universe, Catholic Times and Catholic Herald. If
you missed the announcement and would like one or other of the papers,
please contact either Denis Hodgetts (6.30pm Saturday); John Vivian (9.00am
Sunday); Chris North (11.00am Sunday); Veronica Reeves (5.30pm Sunday)
or the Parish Office. The Papers are priced as follows:- The Universe
(90p); the Catholic Times (70p); and the Catholic Herald (80p). Your choice
of paper will be available in the church porch after Mass from Easter
weekend onwards. Your choice of paper will be available in the church
porch after Mass from Easter weekend onwards.
St Jude's
RC Primary School
Current newsletter here
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| 23rd
March 2003
3rd Sunday in Lent
The
Year of St Mark |
 |
Stations
of the Cross
There will be Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent at the Sacred
Heart Church (7.00pm) and every Sunday at Our Lady of Walsingham Church
(4.30pm).  Gift
Aid Envelopes
Gift Aid Envelopes for the forthcoming year will be available at all Masses
this weekend.
The Scrutinies
On the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, our Sunday Gospel Readings
will be taken from Year A, the Year of Matthew. Among those preparing
to be received into the Church in this parish at Easter we have two people,
Lorraine and Alexi, who are to be baptised and also Roy, who will be brought
into full communion with the church. The Rite of Christian Initiation
of Adults calls on us as a parish to follow “The Scrutinies”,
and the Gospel of Matthew for the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent
is an integral part of the celebration. Readers and others with responsibility
for preparing the liturgy are asked to make particular note of this change.
Operation
Bamenda Youth
Sport Challenge Week, 26th May – 1st June
The Sport Challenge Week is an opportunity for the young people of our
diocese to organise a fundraising sporting event to support a youth project
in Bamenda. Please contact Sylvia Foster on 023 9273 4549 for further
details.
 The
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
"Aside from the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph was the first and most
perfect adorer of our Lord." "Among the graces which Jesus gave
to His foster-father - and He flooded him with graces attached to every
one of His mysteries - is that special to an adorer of the Blessed Sacrament.
That is the one we must ask of Saint Jospeh. Have confidence, strong confidence
in him. Take him as the patron and the model of your life of adoration"
(St Peter Julian Eymard). If you are able to help with Adoration,
please telephone Lily Peach on 077 678 98885.
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Lenten Breakfast
During Lent "take on" something different by
changing your early Thursday morning routine:
Rise
early
Attend 7.00am Mass at the Sacred Heart Church
Enjoy a friendly breakfast in the Hall
Every
Thursday during Lent breakfast will be served in the Sacred Heart
Hall following 7.00am Mass.
All
proceeds to the Parish Lenten Appeal |
Service
of Healing of Memories
There will be a Service of Healing (inner healing), on Saturday 5th April
at 2.00pm in the Sacred Heart Church. Anointing with the Oil of Gladness
and renewal of baptismal promises will be followed by a Mass of Thanksgiving.
The celebrant will be Fr. Simon Simmonds, OFM, National Spiritual Assistant
to the Secular Franciscan Order. All are very welcome to attend.
Teaching
at Oaklands Catholic School
The following posts are required for September 2003:- Assistant Head
Teacher (L.11-L.15); 2nd in Maths Department (main scale +
2 management points. There are also vacancies for teachers or newly qualified
teachers of Maths, English, Geography and History. If you are interested
in any of the above please contact Chris Whitfield, Headteacher or Martin
Lewis, Deputy Head at the school on 023 9225 9214.
Vacancies
for Foundation Governors
Bishop Crispian is seeking applications from committed baptised Catholics
who wish to be considered as foundation governors for schools throughout
the Diocese. Appropriate training is available during the period of service
(from 1 September 2003 - 31 August 2007). Application packs are available
from the Parish Priest, the School Office or the Department of Schools
Governance, Park Place Pastoral Centre, Winchester Rd, Wickham PO17 5HA.
Closing date: 31st March.
Finance
Thank you for your generosity in giving.
Fareham - £1539.51
Portchester - £317.76
Family Fast Day - £650.30
Lent Appeal (to date) - £989.05
Forthcoming
Collections
30th March - Clergy Assistance Fund
18th April - 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 Chris, or complete the online
form
Fr Chris Whelan
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