Naval Mass
This weekend at 11.00am in St Philip Howard Church, we welcome Bishop Crispian, Bishop Tom Burns, Bishop to HM Forces, and Mgr Paul Donovan, Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain (Naval), The Mayor of Fareham with her consort, and the HMS Collingwood Voluntary Band to our Parish Naval Mass.
Youth Club
The Parish Youth Club re-opens this Sunday – 7.00pm in St Philip Howard Hall. The Club is open to all young parishioners Year 6 and above and is a good place to meet up with friends.
Justice and Peace Day – The Good Steward
This year’s Justice and Peace Day takes place on Saturday 16th February beginning at 10.00am at St Anne’s Catholic School, Rockstone Place, Southampton. This venue is only a fifteen minute walk from Southampton Railway Station. To book a place please ring 01329 835583.
Advent Breakfasts – Thank You
Thank you to everyone who supported the Advent Breakfasts held in the Sacred Heart Hall and special thanks to Canon Richard Hind for celebrating the 7.00am Mass each Thursday during Advent. Although the early morning starts were cold, bleak and frosty the candle-light breakfasts raised £185.00 for the Parish Advent Appeal.
Amalthea
Amalthea, (Helen Andrews and Deborah Peake), will be performing at Queen Elizabeth Country Park on Friday 18th January from 8.30pm to 10.00pm. Tickets are limited – price £5.00. See Helen Andrews at Our Lady of Walsingham Church or else email.
Catholic Bible School
www.catholic-bible-school.org
Forthcoming events at the Catholic Bible School, Nutbourne House, Farm Lane, Nutbourne, Chichester:
Saturday 26th January 2008 The Road to Maturity a study day led by Mary Pytches and Prue Bedwell – 10.00am to 3.30pm:
Saturday 16th February 2008 Israel is Relevant a study day led by Roy Hendy 10.30am to 3.30pm:
To book, please ring 01243 371766.
Douai Abbey Programme
Day Events:
Ministry of Healing Workshops – Saturdays 26th January or 26th April from 10.00am to 5.00pm.
Day of Recollection for Ministers of Communion, Readers, Musicians etc. – Saturday 8th March from 10.00am to 4.00pm
The costs for the above are £15.00 for the waged. Please bring food to share at lunch time – beverages will be provided. To book, please contact the Programme Director, Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading. RG7 5TQ
Parish Diary on the Web
A reminder that the Parish Diary is now published on our website here, with dates scheduled until August 2008. The diary is updated regularly to reflect new bookings, changes to existing arrangements and/or cancellations. You will require Acrobat Reader to view the PDF documents but a free download is available on the Parish Website for anyone who does not already have this application on your computer. Please let us know of any dates your group may have reserved and, in particular, any changes made to arrangements already scheduled in the diary. Please send the listings that you would like included in the diary via email or via the Parish Office.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Park Place Sisters are organising a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by Fr Andrew, ofm from Monday 3rd to 10th November 2008. The cost is £1000.00 per person in twin shared rooms; half board; 3* accommodation. If you are interested, please contact Sister Juliette on 01329 833043.
THE UNION
Thought
for the Week
This Sunday’s feast, the Baptism of the Lord, marks the liturgical conclusion of the Christmas Season. Interestingly, we move from a Babe in a manger to the adult Jesus embarking on his salvific mission!
The baptism of Jesus is described only briefly: he “was baptised, and came up from the water.” The drama is found in the aftermath when the dove-like Spirit descends on him, a voice from heaven is heard and the identity of Jesus is revealed, “this is my beloved son.” Jesus as the Son of God is an important title in Matthew’s gospel. In the annunciation, Joseph is told that Mary will have a son, who is to be named “Immanuel – God is with us”. Now, in the baptism, God’s own voice reveals Jesus as “my son.”
From Living Liturgy
Frank Nagle. RIP
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Frank Nagle, who died recently. The Funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday 22nd January at 9.30am in Sacred Heart Church, followed by cremation at Portchester Crematorium at 10.45am. Please also remember Frank’s family and friends in your prayers.
Lenten Discussion Groups The Portchester Churches will also be holding Lenten Discussion Groups. The topic is “A Life Calling” and is based on the film “Billy Elliot”. The film and discussions take place on 14th February at St Mary’s Church, Portchester Castle; 21st February at Our Lady of Walsingham Church, 28th February at Portchester Methodist Church, 6th March at St Mary’s and 13th March at Portchester Methodist Church. All begin at 7.30pm and everyone is welcome. If you plan to attend, please notify Joan at the Parish Office. |
Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity – 18th to 25th January 2008
Churches Together in Fareham are holding an ecumenical United Service on Sunday 20th January 2008 at 6.30pm in the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Osborn Road, The speaker is Rev. Lord Leslie Griffiths. Come and join in this Service of Prayer and Fellowship with Christians of all denominations.
Churches Together in Portchester’s ecumenical Service also takes place on Sunday 20th January. This will be at Portchester Methodist Church in Castle Street at 6.30pm and the preacher will be Rev. Charlotte Allen. Once again, all are invited to join with the Christians of Portchester to pray for Christian Unity. Please bring food to share – share faith, food and friendship!
Parish Ecology Group
The next meeting will take place on Friday 25th January at 7.30pm in the Sacred Heart Hall. There will be a guest speaker from Home Start. Fair trade teas and coffees will be available. On Friday 28th March there will be an evening with Mark Hoban, MP for Fareham. For more information please contact John or Esme on 01329 319301.
Message of Goodwill from Sri Lanka “I pray that your New Year be inspired by Christ who came to bring peace to our restless world. I assure you of my prayers and you will be remembered in a special way in Eucharist in this New Year.” Our commitment continues with Adopt Sri Lanka and providing donations to the Sisters of Mercy who provide such wonderful care and love to the forgotten people – the elderly sick, the lame, the dying and to children in desperate need. Father Lalith has kindly sent, as a way of saying thank you, delightful coloured Christmas drawings from the six children sponsored by members of the Parish, copies of the children’s school reports were enclosed with the drawings. These children are only able to attend school thanks to the help they receive from their kind sponsors. Geoffrey Dobbs, founder of Adopt Sri Lanka, sends the Parish his good wishes for a Happy New Year
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St Jude's
Catholic Primary School
Current Newsletter here
Welcome
If you have recently moved to this area, please fill in one of our “Are you new” forms to be found at the entrance to the church and return this to the parish office. Alternatively
complete our
online form.
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The Baptism of the Lord 12/13 January 2008 The
Year of St Matthew |
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Attention all Altar Servers
The next issue of the Altar Servers’ Newsletter will be published soon. If you would like to include any articles, please send them to David Edwards, care of the Parish Office, as soon as possible. If you attended the Altar Servers’ Mass on St Stephen’s Day, why not send in your thoughts about the occasion?
Non-residential Retreat with Fr John Edwards SJ
Re-charge your spiritual batteries by taking part in a non-residential retreat led by Fr John Edwards SJ, 22nd to 24th February (8.00pm Friday to 3.00pm Sunday). Programme includes inspiring talks, daily Mass, Morning and Evening Prayer of the Church, a reconciliation service and plenty of time for personal reflection. Cost, including all meals, is £53.00. The retreat will be held at the home of Yvette and Larry, who are parishioners living in North Boarhunt. For further details, contact Yvette on 01329 832781.
Exposition
of the Blessed Sacrament
Can we not take even a little time from our busy lives to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? Contact Lily Peach on 0796 4167 384 (Fareham) or Veronica Reeves on 023 9237 2864 (Portchester).
Please note there will be no Adoration at the Sacred Heart church on Friday 18th January between 7pm-8pm as the church will be used for an organ lesson.
Quilt Group
You are invited to join a group of ladies who make quilts for sick and traumatised children and also quilts for St Mary’s neo natal unit. They meet weekly on Tuesday afternoons from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at 24 Crawford Drive, Fareham. Telephone Barbara McLachlan on 01329 239647 if you are interested.
Equipe Notre Dame (Teams)
Teams of Our Lady, Fareham 1 will meet on Monday 14th January.
Stewardship
A reminder to all those who expressed an interest in being part of the Stewardship Team, as well as anyone else who would like to attend, that there will be a meeting on Monday 21st January at 6.30pm in St Jude’s School led by Kate Harris from the Diocesan Department for Pastoral Formation.
Confirmation Group 2008
There will be a Mass of Enrolment at St Philip Howard Church on 13th January at 6.00pm.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill Hybrids: the Bill will allow scientists to create embryos that are half human, half animal e.g. from the egg of a woman and sperm from an animal. Welfare of the Child: at present, infertility clinics have to consider the need of a child for a father. The Bill will remove the reference to a father and will make it easier to use women as ‘surrogate mothers.’ How future decisions will be made: the authority appears to exclude people who cherish human life from conception. Abortion: the Bill does not mention abortion but some MP’s have already said that they want to amend the law to make abortion more easily available. Please write to your MP at the House of Commons, London. SW1A 0AA and make your views known. Ann Widdecombe and guests will be at the Turner Sims Concert Hall, University of Southampton on Wednesday 30th January from 7.30pm to educate and inform on today’s life issues and the new Bill going through Parliament. |
CAFOD Live Simply Mass
A Mass for Live Simply is being held in St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth by Bishop Crispian on 8th March 2008 at 3.00pm. The Mass will have a strong youth involvement. All are welcome and refreshments will be available after Mass. For further details please ring 01252 329385.
Words of Wisdom |
Finance
Christmas Offering - £3753.50
Offertory Collection - £1681.40
Advent Appeal – Home Start - £3799.40
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
fill in the form and return it to Father Joe, or complete the online
form
