Christian Aid Week –
11th – 17th May 2003
Collectors are urgently needed to help distribute and collect envelopes for this charity. We have a large area of roads to cover, many of which are missed every year due to a lack of volunteers. If you can cover a street, or only 20 houses, please ring Alison Ivison on 01329 230049 (Fareham) or Joan Hamilton on 023 9238 5559 (Portchester).

First Holy Communion
The next meeting for children preparing for their first Holy Communion will be on Saturday 17th May from 10.00am-11.30am at St. Jude’s School. The 11.00am Mass at St Philip Howard Church on Sunday 18th May will be a First Holy Communion Celebration Mass.

Lenten Appeal
Our Lenten Appeal for children who are victims of AIDS amounted to a stupendous £3276.00. Many thanks for your generosity. Thanks especially to all those who made contributions in memory of the late Dennis Callanan, other anonymous donations, St. Jude’s School and Parish Groups.

A Message from CAFOD
“Thank you so much for your parish’s Lent Fast donation for CAFOD’s work in the developing world. By playing your part this Fast Day, communities like yours are helping some of the poorest men, women and children in more than 80 countries around the world. You are helping projects like Thandanani, which supports orphans and vulnerable children in townships in South Africa…….Thank you for playing your part this Fast Day.”

Churches Together in Portchester
The Portchester Churches meet for Praise in the Precinct at Portchester on the third Saturday of every month from 10.30am to 11.30am. The next Service takes place on Saturday 17th May. All are welcome.

Have your say on Stubbington Village Bypass
Christian Ecology Link Ramblers are walking on Tuesday 6th May – meeting at Collingwood at 10.00am to walk the area from Peel Common to Titchfield Road. Hampshire County Council and Fareham Borough Council are asking for views and comments on the proposed Stubbington by-pass. For further information and a questionnaire, please contact Tiago Oliveira on 01962 858600 or e-mail tiago.oliveiraatkinsglobal.com. All responses must be returned by 25th May.

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.

Portchester Voluntary Care
This group has co-ordinators who receive requests by telephone for help with transport. They then find a suitable volunteer who will provide transport and if necessary, an escort, to Health Centres, Hospitals, Dentists etc. Donations are appreciated and can be placed in an envelope provided by the driver who will return it to the treasurer. Volunteer drivers can, if they wish, claim expenses. If you feel this service might be of help to you or if you would like to volunteer to be a driver or escort, please telephone 023 9232 1788.

Alton Convent School
Alton Convent Independent School will be holding an Open Morning on Friday 9th May from 9.30am to 12.00 noon. Please feel free to go along and see their Nursery, Preparatory and Senior Schools in action. For further information please telephone the school on 01420 82070/83878.

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.

THE UNION
Thought for the Week
When I was a young teenager, I remember my father saying to me that it is surprising what we can learn from a children’s story book. Although the book might be written for children, often a deeper meaning can come through the adult who has written the story. I’m sure any adult who has read a story to a child has already discovered this. I picked up a couple of children’s books and discovered a different world in which animals could talk, flowers could talk and even a teacup could talk. I told the story about a talking teacup a few years ago, and even now people still comment on it and so, by popular demand, I thought I’d share it with everyone this week, as it fits in with the message of today’s Gospel. A grandfather and a grandmother were in a gift shop looking for something to give their granddaughter for her birthday. Suddenly the grandmother spots a beautiful teacup, “Look at this lovely teacup!” she says to the grandfather. He picks it up and says, “Yes, this is one of the loveliest teacups I’ve ever seen.” At that point something remarkable happens, that could only happen in a children’s storybook. The teacup says, “Thank you for the compliment, but I wasn’t always this beautiful.” Instead of being surprised that the teacup could talk the grandparents simply ask, “What do you mean you weren’t always beautiful?”

“Well, says the teacup, once I was just an ugly soggy lump of clay, but one day some man with dirty, wet hands threw me on a wheel. Then he started turning me round and round until I got so dizzy I couldn’t see straight. ‘Stop! Stop!’ I cried. But the man with wet hands said, ‘Not yet’. Then he started to poke me and punch me until I hurt all over. ‘Stop! Stop!’ I cried. But the man said ‘Not yet’. Finally he stopped but then he did something worse. He put me in an oven. I got hotter and hotter until I couldn’t stand it. ‘Stop! Stop!’ I cried. But the man said, ‘Not yet.’ Finally, when I thought I was going to burn up, he took me out of the oven and began to paint me. The fumes got so bad they made me sick to my stomach. ‘Stop! Stop!’ I cried. ‘Not yet’ he said. Then he put me back in the oven and this time it was hotter than before. ‘Stop! Stop!’ I cried. ‘Not yet’, he replied. Finally, he took me out of the oven and let me cool. When I was completely cool he put me on this shelf, next to this mirror. When I looked at myself I was amazed. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was no longer ugly, soggy and dirty. I was beautiful, firm and clean. I cried for joy. It was then that I realised that all the pain was worthwhile. Without it I would still be ugly, soggy and dirty. It was then that all the pain I went through made sense to me. I had to go through it in order to become what I am today.”

Thanks
Thank you everyone for your tremendous generosity in the Easter Offering and for all your greetings and good wishes.

APF
Contributions from Members for last year were £2665.60 from Fareham and £217.82 from Portchester.

May Fayre - St Jude’s School St. Jude’s May Fayre will be held on Saturday 10th May from 10.30am – 2.30pm at St Jude’s School. Free entry - all parishioners welcome. Side stalls, tombolas, arena events, tea tent, beer tent, BBQ, candyfloss etc. Raffle tickets to win a helicopter ride for 2 (plus lots of other prizes) will be available on the day. All proceeds will go towards the school. If anybody would like to help run a stall on the day or help set up please contact Ged Donnelly on g.donnelly1@ntlworld.com or tel. 01489 602323.

50+ Fareham Festival
A lively calendar of events of interest to Fareham people aged 50 and over is to take place between 10th and 18th May this year. Events take place throughout the Borough – Fareham, Portchester, Sarisbury Green and include computing for the more mature, activities at Fareham Leisure Centre, ghost walk, art, music, a trip for those with mobility difficulties, spiritual healing, bridge, a tour of Wickham Vineyard, rambling and nature conservation, butterfly scramble and much more. At Sacred Heart Hall, there is an opportunity to meet members of the Widows and Friends in Retirement Group. Full details are on the notice board. Programmes available at Tourist Information.

St. Edmund’s Catholic School
40th Anniversary Pupil and Teacher Reunion – 17th May from 6.00 – 9.00pm at the school – cost £5 in aid of the school building fund. Please bring any old photos or school memorabilia.

Teaching at Oaklands Catholic School
Required for September 2003 the following posts:
2nd in Maths Department – main scale + 2 management points. There are also vacancies for teachers or newly qualified teachers of Maths, History and Music, also for a part-time teacher of Music (1 day per week) for September 2003.
If you are interested in any of the above, please contact immediately Chris Whitfield, Headteacher or Martin Lewis, Deputy Head at the school on 023 9225 9214.

Hospitals and the Data Protection Act
The Patients Charter requires Hospital authorities to care for the religious and spiritual needs of their patients, while the Data Protection Act forbids those authorities to pass sensitive personal data, like religious affiliation of patients, to chaplains unless the individual patient has expressly requested this. Therefore, when parishioners are admitted to hospital they should make sure that they tell the hospital staff taking their details that they are Catholics, and express their wish that this information be passed to the Roman Catholic Chaplain. Those responsible for children or for those who are unconscious when admitted should do likewise.

St Jude's RC Primary School
Current newsletter here

4th May 2003 3rd Sunday of Easter The Year of St Mark

The Sacrament of Baptism
Those who ask for the Sacrament of Baptism for their child are invited to take part in a short course of preparation. The next such course will be taking place on Tuesdays, 13th & 20th May at the home of Jayne and Philip O’Riordan. If you would like to take part please contact Jayne or Philip on 01329 515991. Godparents are also very welcome to attend. Please arrange the date of baptism of your child with Father Chris.

Catholic Bible School, Nutbourne, W. Sussex
Some of the Courses for May 2003:
Saturday & Sunday 10/11 May – “Marriage – a call to holiness” 10.00am – 3.30pm
Monday 12 May – Christian Spiritual Direction Course recommences – 10.00am – 3.30pm
Saturday 17th May – “Prayer & Personality” – 10.00am – 3.30pm+
Monday 19 May – Healing Service in Nutbourne Chapel -8.00pm
Prior booking is essential: tel. 01243 371766.
www.catholic-bible-school.org

Fareham Deanery Adult Formation The next speaker in the 2003 series of Adult Formation talks will be Bishop Crispian Hollis. He will be talking on the subject of ‘Ecumenism and the dialogue, in particular with the Church of England’ on Wednesday 7th May at St. Jude’s School Hall from 7.30pm. (Tea/Coffee at 7.00pm). All are very welcome to attend. Further dates for your diary Wednesday 28th May Pentecost and the Trinity Speaker - Mgr. Canon Jeremy Garratt Wednesday 25th June St Peter and St Paul – Mission Speaker – Father Mark Hogan

Used Postage Stamps
Please bring your used postage stamps to church. These are sent to the Scout Association to raise funds for the Trust that provides holiday homes for handicapped scouts (boys and girls). The box is in the entrance hall.

Rosary Rally
Sunday 11th May at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth. Rosary Procession 2.30pm to Guildhall Square – 4.30pm Holy Mass.

Mass Intentions
Envelopes are available at the entrance to the church to enable you to arrange for a Mass to be celebrated for a particular intention. These envelopes allow you to write the intention as well as the date and time when you would prefer the Mass to be offered. The usual offering is £5.00. Please return completed envelopes to the parish office. Please note that Masses often are requested weeks in advance and so some notice is needed.

Finance
Thank you for your generosity in giving.
Fareham - £1310.06
Portchester - £150.89
Holy Places - £406.90
Easter - £2464.00
SVP - £304.69

Forthcoming Special Collections
11th May - Clergy Training Fund

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