Upcoming Activities & Offerings

Peace on Earth: especially on 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time and on Racial Justice Day

Prayer:  O God of peace, who are peace itself and whom a spirit of discord cannot grasp, nor a violent mind receive, grant that those who are one in heart may persevere in what is good and that those in conflict may forget evil and so be healed.  Roman Missal

Christian Unity: especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: 18–25 January.

Prayer:  May the divisions among Christians be overcome so that we may hasten to your eternal Kingdom in the perfect communion of the Church.   cf. Roman Missal

Openness to the Word of God: especially on 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prayer:  Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.   Book of Common Prayer

Victims of Trafficking: especially on feast of St Josephine Bakhita — 8 February.

Prayer:   O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter and a bride of Christ, grant, we pray, that by her example we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity and prompt to show compassion.  Roman Missal

The Sick and Those Who Care for Them: especially on World Day of Prayer for the Sick — 11 February.

Prayer:   Accept the prayers we offer for our brothers and sisters who are ill, that, having been anxious for them in their danger, we may rejoice at their recovery of health.   cf. Roman Missal

The Unemployed: especially on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

Prayer:  O God, the source of human dignity, in your image every person is fashioned and by your Son all people are redeemed. 

Make us honour the work of your hands, that we may reverence you in those whom the world coaliders least and serve you in all whom society neglects.

The Needy and Hungry of the World: especially on Lenten Fast Day — Friday of the first week in Lent.

Prayer: O God, the source of human dignity, in your image every person is fashioned and by your Son all people are redeemed.  Make us honour the work of your hands, that we may reverence you in those whom the world considers least and serve you in all whom society neglects.

Source: Diocesan Calendar 2023, Diocese of East Anglia

“Cardinal Vincent Nichols has paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who served as Supreme Pontiff from April 2005 to February 2013 and has died aged 95 ….

“’He was through and through a gentleman, … a scholar, … a pastor, … a man of God – close to the Lord and always his humble servant.’

“During a morning Mass at St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis prayed for Benedict.

“’Today we entrust to our Blessed Mother our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, so that she may accompany him in his passage from this world to God,’ he said.

“Calling the late pope a ‘great master of catechesis’, he said: ‘His acute and gentle thought was not self-referential, but ecclesial, because he always wanted to accompany us in the encounter with Jesus.’…”

With permission, Universe Catholic Weekly, Andy Drozdziak, 6 Jan 2023, pg 1,   For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link: https://universecatholicweekly.co.uk/universe-weekly-newsletters/january-2023/UNIVERSE-06-JAN-2023.pdf?mc_cid=eb18959b57&mc_eid=369907850c

The 95-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away on Saturday at 9:34 AM in his residence at the Vatican's Mater Ecclesiae Monastery.

Funeral and Requiem Mass: Pope Emeritus Benedict’s funeral will take place at 9:30am (8:30am UK time) on Thursday January 5, 2023, in St Peter’s Square presided over by Pope Francis. As of Monday morning, January 2, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in St Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can pay their respects. 

There will be a Requiem Mass for the Pope Emeritus on Monday January 2 at 12 noon at St John’s Cathedral in Norwich. In advance of the funeral on Thursday, Solemn Vespers will be celebrated at the Cathedral on Wednesday January 4 at 6pm – ecumenical and civic representatives will be invited.

"What we know from the New Testament of Timothy’s life makes it sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering for it.

"Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. Being the product of a 'mixed' marriage, he was considered illegitimate by the Jews. It was his grandmother, Lois, who first became Christian. Timothy was a convert of Paul around the year 47 and later joined him in his apostolic work. He was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth. During the 15 years he worked with Paul, he became one of his most faithful and trusted friends. He was sent on difficult missions by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance in local churches which Paul had founded.

"Timothy was with Paul in Rome during the latter’s house arrest. At some period Timothy himself was in prison (Hebrews 13:23). Paul installed him as his representative at the Church of Ephesus.

"Timothy was comparatively young for the work he was doing. Several references seem to indicate that he was timid. And one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines was addressed to him: 'Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses' (1 Timothy 5:23).

"Titus has the distinction of being a close friend and disciple of Paul as well as a fellow missionary. He was Greek, apparently from Antioch. Even though Titus was a Gentile, Paul would not let him be forced to undergo circumcision at Jerusalem. Titus is seen as a peacemaker, administrator, great friend. Paul’s second letter to Corinth affords an insight into the depth of his friendship with Titus, and the great fellowship they had in preaching the gospel.

"When Paul was having trouble with the community at Corinth, Titus was the bearer of Paul’s severe letter and was successful in smoothing things out. Paul writes he was strengthened not only by the arrival of Titus but also 'by the encouragement with which he was encouraged in regard to you, as he told us of your yearning, your lament, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more…. And his heart goes out to you all the more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you, when you received him with fear and trembling' (2 Corinthians 7:7a, 15).

"The 'Letter to Titus' addresses him as the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete, charged with organizing it, correcting abuses, and appointing presbyter-bishops.

"Reflection

"In Titus we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate, great communion in Christ, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in 'quarrels with others, fears within myself,' as Paul says. Through it all, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes, 'hurry to me.'

"Saints Timothy and Titus are the Patron Saints of:

"Relief from Stomach Disorders"

This “Saint of the Day” material is reprinted with permission from Franciscan Media. Visit www.FranciscanMedia.org for more.

'Act justly, Love tenderly, walk humbly with your God'. Micah 6.8

Visit https://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk to find out more about this small but important charity.  If you are concerned about injustice in our world, you can join or make a welcome donation to help in their work on that homepage. 

The latest NJPN e-Bulletin is available at 

https://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/NJPN-E-Bulletin-11th-December-2022.pdf

The next NJPN networking day is 25th Feb. 2023, 10:45am (for 11:00 am)-3:30pm via Zoom.  Book via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/njpn-networking-day-tickets-466226314457

“In an advent message released this week, Catholic Church leaders in the Holy Land have warned of political and social challenges facing the region. Highlighting threats to coexistence between communities in Israel and increasing violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, they emphasised that ‘the absence of a real process of peace, based on International Law, will lead to more suffering.’

“Appealing for justice and peace, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries went on to state: ‘We raise our voice for the needs of the poorest and the weakest: to ensure that the Palestinian people are granted dignity and freedom in their land, that a stable solution and justice is given to the five million Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, and that in the Holy Land all national communities have equal rights.’ 

“Turning to signs of hope, they highlighted the return of pilgrims following the pandemic, bringing ‘life and movement back to the streets and alleys’ of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other cities.  

“The Bishops of England and Wales have a close relationship with the Church in the Holy Land through the Holy Land Coordination and earlier this year issued new guidelines for Holy Land pilgrimages, to ensure that people encounter and support the local Christian communities.

Used with permission, The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, 16 Dec 2022. 

For a complete version of this article, see: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/catholic-church-leaders-in-the-holy-land-express-concern-over-social-and-political-situation-in-the-region/

“Pope Francis met members of the Amitié Judéo-Chrétienne, a group of French Christians and Jews dedicated to Jewish-Christian dialogue,  In his address to the group, the Pope stressed the importance of mutual respect, and warned of the ‘resurgence’ of anti-Semitism.

“The Holy Father began by speaking about [the founder of] Amitié Judéo-Chrétienne, [who] ‘played a leading role in the rapprochement between Jews and Christians after the tragedy of the Second World War.’…

“Pope Francis then spoke about Amitié Judéo-Chrétienne, saying that it had ‘worked tirelessly’ for 70 years to ‘help Jews and Christians grow in mutual knowledge, understanding, respect and friendship.’

“This work, he said, ‘greatly contributed to helping Jews and Christians rediscover themselves as brothers, children of the same Father’, who ‘await the day, known to God alone, when all peoples will call upon the Lord with one voice.’

“Pope Francis stressed that this work is still of great importance today: ‘the task is not completed,’ he said. ‘I encourage you to persevere on this path of dialogue, fraternity and joint initiatives. This beautiful work, which consists of creating bonds, is fragile, and always needs to be continued and consolidated.’…"

Used with permission, Independent Catholic News, Source:  Vatican News, 13 Dec 2022

For a complete version of this article, see: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/46110

“Canon Peter Collins was today ordained as the fifth Bishop of East Anglia at St John’s Cathedral in Norwich, before a congregation of up to 1,100 people including Cardinal Vincent Nichols, over 20 bishops, civic and ecumenical guests.

“The homily was preached by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster and leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, who said: ‘Dear Bishop-Elect Peter. In a few moments, all of us gathered here on this splendid occasion will act as witnesses as you solemnly promise to undertake the duties of a bishop until the end of your life. These promises, one by one, detail the tasks that lie ahead of you – preaching the Gospel, teaching the truth, sustaining the unity of the Church, serving others in charity and compassion, reaching out to those on the margins, and practising constant prayer. …

“’Now, as Peter takes up his crozier, Bishop Alan hands it over. So we take this opportunity to salute you, Bishop Alan, and to thank you most sincerely for your tireless leadership during these ten years or so at the helm of this diocese. You have fulfilled your ministry with dedication and care, never slacking in pace, even as age brought on its additional demands,’ said Cardinal Vincent….”

Used with permission, Diocese of East Anglia, Keith Morris, 14 Dec 2022.  

For a complete version of this article, see: https://www.rcdea.org.uk/peter-collins-ordained-as-the-fifth-bishop-of-east-anglia/

“More that 28 million people are facing life threatening food insecurity across East Africa. In drought-stricken Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, it is estimated that one person is dying every 36 seconds from hunger and more than seven million children are acutely malnourished across the three countries…. 

"‘East Africa is facing a catastrophic hunger crisis caused by one of the worst droughts in living memory. It is looking increasingly likely that a fifth consecutive rainy season has failed in the region, leaving millions of families in a desperate situation and facing starvation ...

"’Although a full-scale famine is yet to be officially declared, what we are seeing on the ground is a famine in all but name. Despite the rapidly mounting death toll, the international response is woefully underfunded and the UK has failed to do its bit.’…"

Used with permission, Independent Catholic News, Source: Christian Aid, 8 Dec 2022

For a complete version of this article, see: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/46078

“…Lamenting the absurdity of war, [Pope Francis] noted that humanity has not learned the lessons of the previous two World Wars….The Pope said he has not given up hope on a lasting peace and reconciliation between Moscow and Kyiv, however, he stressed ‘everyone must commit themselves to demilitarize their hearts, starting from their own, and then to defuse and disarm violence’.

“He said: ‘We must all be pacifists, wanting peace, not just a truce that maybe only serves to rearm, but a true peace, which is the fruit of dialogue. Peace is not achieved with weapons, because they don't defeat hatred and the thirst for domination, which will re-emerge, perhaps in other ways.’

“Referring to the growing nationalism and populism around the world, Pope Francis warned again on the dangers of all ‘-isms’, because, he said, ‘they hypocritically sow social and political wickedness.’…"

Used with permission from Independent Catholic News, Source: Vatican News, La Stampa, 18 Nov 2022

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:   https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45940

“We pray that volunteer non-profit organizations committed to human development find people dedicated to the common good and ceaselessly seek out new paths to international cooperation.

"’The world needs volunteers and organizations committed to seeking the common good.

"’This is a word that many today would like to erase: “commitment.” And the world needs volunteers who commit to the common good,’ [Pope Francis] said.

“The Pope called volunteers who work with not-for-profit organizations ‘artisans for mercy.’

"’Being a volunteer who helps others is a choice that makes us free; it opens us to other people's needs - to the demands of justice, to the defense of the poor, to the care of creation. It means being artisans of mercy: with our hands, with our eyes, with our attentive ears, with our closeness.’…"

Used with permission from Independent Catholic News, Source: Vatican News, 1 Dec 2022 For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/46033

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We invite you to submit articles/news and celebrations about your local parish activities.

Please see link below for last week’s Universe Catholic Weekly.

https://universecatholicweekly.co.uk/universe-weekly-newsletters/november-2022/UNIVERSE-25-NOVEMBER-2022.pdf

“… This Harvest, up to 20 million people across Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia are fighting for survival in the face of the most devastating food crisis in decades….

“Local experts from our Church network are working hard to deliver emergency food and water to help people survive. But the sad truth is this crisis is the result of man-made climate change. It won’t be fixed overnight. We need every bit of support we can get to help families … build a future in which they can thrive.

“What is causing the food crisis in East Africa?

• The climate crisis has made rain unreliable. Four years of failed rainy seasons have created an unprecedented drought.
• Livestock have died in vast numbers, crops have failed and water is difficult to come by.
• Food costs have risen at an alarming rate as a result of inflation caused by the war in Ukraine and the lasting effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“You could help children get the future they deserve

“No-one should have to choose between education and water

“Your support … could help deliver nutritious food to schools struggling to feed their students, and in exchange those schools will allow children from some of the poorest families to study free of charge. You could help a child get the chance to learn, and ensure families … have more money to meet their essential needs.”

Please Donate to the World Food Crisis Appeal.  Follow the link at the end of this article.

With permission, CAFOD

https://cafod.org.uk/Give/Donate-to-Emergencies/World-Food-Crisis-Appeal?utm_source=staffemailfooter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Harvest-Appeal-Email-Footer-2022

“Synodality means ‘walking together’ and refers to both a new, and ancient, way of being church, based on listening to the Holy Spirit. It is intended to foster the vocations of the whole People of God, refresh mission and revitalise the relationship of the local church with the neighbourhood. Together for the Common Good have released a new podcast series, Renewing Church and Neighbourhood - the Synodal Way, to support and inspire those travelling on the synodal journey…. Jenny Sinclair, Founder Director at Together for the Common Good, commenting on the need for parishes to act now rather than wait for the national process in Rome, said: ‘The focus for us as parishioners should always be on our continuing synodal journey in our own parishes…. You can listen to the podcast on the Together for the Common Good website:  https://togetherforthecommongood.co.uk/resources/synod-podcast-series

Used with permission from Independent Catholic News, 4 Nov 2022.  

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:  https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45837

“We know that God is a pure and infinite spirit. But Scripture also attributes human characteristics to him. In his wisdom, God wanted to be real for his children. He wanted to be someone we could hold on to….

“We understand how our own hands are so important in expressing our love and care for one another—a touch, a caress, a protective hold….

“The image of us being held in the hands of God is such a help in understanding how close he is to us. We even think of God as picking us up after a fall….

…[W]e are all in the Almighty's hands. This should remind us that God is not distant from us. He is not just with us, but actually within us….

“Thus, when we pray for our loved ones, there is that beautiful way of telling God, 'Lord, I give my loved ones to you. Take them and hold them safely in your hands.' Even for ourselves, we can say, 'Lord, I give myself into your hands.'

“First-time mothers have told me that when they are home from the hospital with their newborns, they can’t keep their hands off them. They can only gaze at the miracle of new life in their arms. Now imagine how the Almighty looks upon us as sons and daughters. Imagine God speaking to us, “You are mine. I will do anything for you. I want you with me for all eternity.”…

  Used with permission from Franciscan Media (www.FranciscanMedia.org), Franciscan Spirt Blog, Jim Van Vurst, OFM, 4 Nov 2022  

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/we-are-in-the-hands-of-god?utm_campaign=Franciscan%20Spirit&utm_medium=email&utm_content=232549476&utm_source=hs_email

“As COP27 begins, CAFOD says that poor communities are being ‘failed’ by world leaders as reports emerged that the UK is pursuing deals with the USA for more fossil fuels….

“Catholic UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres … hit out at the “rank deception” of fossil fuel firms with net zero pledges who are still expanding their operations….

“Cardinal Pietro Parolin also delivered a message on behalf of Pope Francis at COP27, stating that world leaders have ‘a moral obligation’ to act seriously and together to safeguard the planet and to offer concrete aid to people suffering the ‘more frequent and more serious humanitarian impacts caused by climate change.’

“The cardinal told world leaders that ‘the growing phenomenon of migrants being displaced’ by climate change is something they must act on because currently ‘they lack access to international protection’ recognising them as deserving special care.

“The news comes as a new poll shows that nearly 60% of Catholics believe the government has done too little to tackle climate change in the last year….

“Lead Bishop for the Environment and CAFOD chair Bishop John Arnold has challenged the UN climate summit attendees to develop solutions to the ‘defining challenge of our generation’….

“Bishop Arnold called for ‘those most in need’ to be prioritised.

“’We know that the world faces a financial crisis but we hope that governments can come to a solution where those most in need are put at the top of the agenda, with those who have caused the climate crisis providing their fair share,’ he said.

“’For too long, we have been reliant on fossil fuels which are causing devastation to communities around the world. I pray the government and world leaders will seize this opportunity and invest in renewable energy so we can protect our planet for future generations.’

“Campaigners are demanding rich countries commit at COP27 to set up and contribute towards a ‘loss and damage fund’, meaning the countries that have historically polluted the most provide financial support to countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis but are being hardest hit….”

 Used with permission, Universe Catholic Weekly, Andy Drozdziak, 10 Nov 2022 

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:

 https://universecatholicweekly.co.uk/fossil-fuel-use/

“Pope Francis has advised religious not to give in to pessimism over a lack of vocations and to pray with him to ‘deliver us from the presumption of self-sufficiency and the spirit of worldly criticism.’…

“Pope Francis said religious life would find hope through the Word of God and the history and creativity of its founders.

“’Religious life is understood only by what the Spirit does in each of the people called. There are those who focus too much on the external - the structures, the activities - and lose sight of the superabundance of grace in people and communities.’

"’Do not tire of going to the frontiers, even to the frontiers of thought; of opening paths, of accompanying, rooted in the Lord to be bold in mission,’ Pope Francis said.

"’The Gospel teaches that there is a poverty that humbles and kills and another poverty, that of Jesus, which liberates and makes happy. As consecrated people, you have received the immense gift of participating in Jesus' poverty. Do not forget, either in your lives or in your work at the university, those who live the other poverty.’"

Used with permission from Independent Catholic News, Source: Vatican News, 10 Nov 2022

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:

https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45881

“The political noise may have subsided recently from the fever pitch of a few weeks ago but the cost-of-living crisis has not gone away. In our country, more people are being dragged into poverty by steep increases in the costs of food, energy and mortgages….

“Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium, reminds us that ‘each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society’ ….

“In line with the Bishops' Conference and their Department for Social Justice's briefing paper, we are calling on the new government to make urgent changes to the welfare and tax system for the benefit of the most vulnerable in our society. We are also calling on them to work with the Catholic community and all other faith groups on a vision for a poverty-free country….

“Bishop Terry Drainey, Chair of Caritas Social Action Network, said: ‘We urge the Catholic community to support the vision of the bishops' Department for Social Justice in working to alleviate the impacts of poverty in our communities and promoting a vision for the common good where all can flourish and lead fulfilling lives.’…

www.csan.org.uk/cost-of-living-crisis/ "

Used with permission from Independent Catholic News, 7 Nov 2022

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:

https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45857

“The global food system is broken. It doesn’t work for those who work the hardest – small farmers – and it’s a major driver of the climate emergency.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way. Communities who work with us are leading the way, growing food in ways that are good for people and the planet. We are urging the UK government to fix the food system.

“1. Our food system is bad for the planet, our common home

“The way we grow, process and transport food is responsible for around one third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Huge quantities of pesticides and fertilisers are made using fossil fuels. Forests and rainforests are cut down or burned to make huge areas available for rearing cattle for meat and dairy or to grow soya to feed the animals that we want to eat. Since 1990, around 420 million hectares of forest have been destroyed. This is 17 times the size of the UK….

“2. Small-scale farmers have little choice over what they grow

“Five of every six farms in the world consist of less than two hectares, operate only around 12 percent of all agricultural land, and produce roughly 35 per cent of the world's food. So small-scale farmers are efficient at producing food. But the domination of huge companies known as agribusiness means that they often face little choice about what they grow or how they grow it.

“3. More than half of some crops are grown to feed animals reared for meat

“Four corporations control 60 per cent of global seed sales, and vast areas of the same crop are grown for export, because they are profitable. For example, as much as 80 per cent of all the soya grown across the world is fed to animals that are being reared to provide meat. The UK imported about 3.5 million tonnes of soya beans in 2019 and over half of that ended up in chicken feed. Community land is taken away by these giant businesses, leaving the small farmers with small plots, which reduces their options. Pesticides are used widely, harming people and depleting the soil.

“4. Millions of people who produce our food are living in poverty themselves

“Around 800 million people go hungry each day and the majority of them are those who grow the world’s food. Three-quarters of people facing hunger in the world are living in rural areas and most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihood. 25 per cent of people in Africa are affected by hunger – the continent with the highest proportion. Of course, hunger is an issue in the UK too, with 9 per cent of adults experiencing food insecurity in January 2022.

“5. One third of the food we produce is wasted

“Around one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food every year being thrown away globally. The land it takes to provide just the food that we throw away is bigger than the size of India, and the water it takes is equivalent to 300 million Olympic swimming pools. One study found that, in the UK, 9 per cent of strawberries and 19 per cent of lettuces grown ended up as waste.

“6. But we produce enough food to feed everyone!

“To feed the current global population, we need to produce 3.7 billion tonnes of food per year. We are currently producing 4 billion tonnes per year….

“7. In the UK we are reliant on other countries for our food

“Around half of the food we eat in the UK comes from other countries, including 80 per cent of our fruit, 50 per cent of our vegetables, and all of our rice!

“8. Returning to traditional ways of farming can help

“In rural Bangladesh, small farmer Alpona is growing food in a different way. After her community received training from CAFOD in organic farming, things changed quite dramatically:

“’We had not realised just how big a mistake we had made by moving away from the traditional ways of farming of our forefathers. We had become disconnected from nature, but now we are going back to it again.

"’I get a great deal of vegetables and fruits from my organic farming, which is enough for the family to eat, and which I can sell at the market too. Our village has become a lot greener and healthier after so many of us shifted to organic farming, and the soil has greatly improved.’”   [Bold & Italics added]. 

“Pope Francis is calling for a change to our food system

"’Each of us has a role to play in transforming food systems for the benefit of people and the planet. If we do not want to jeopardise the health of our planet and our entire population, we must encourage active participation in change at all levels and reorganise food systems as a whole.’  Pope Francis on World Food Day 2021

“How you can play your part to fix the food system

“We need alternative food systems that help tackle the climate crisis rather than fueling it and that put people first. But rather than supporting these alternatives, the UK government is backing big businesses that are putting profit first and accelerating the climate crisis.

“For example, from 2013-2019 the UK spent at least £125.5m of aid money in Nigeria on fossil fuel-based fertiliser, which was five times as much as it spent supporting local farmers.

“Urge the UK Government to keep the promises it made at the COP26 climate talks last year and support agricultural systems that tackle the climate crisis as well putting local communities first.”

With Permission, CAFOD, 7 April 2022  https://cafod.org.uk/News/Campaigning-news/Food-8-things-you-didn-t-know

For those
who walked with us,
this is a prayer.

For those
who have gone ahead,
this is a blessing.

For those
who touched and tended us,
who lingered with us
while they lived,
this is a thanksgiving.

For those
who journey still with us
in the shadows of awareness,
in the crevices of memory,
in the landscape of our dreams,
this is a benediction.

© Jan L. Richardson. janrichardson.com.

The Painted Prayerbook

https://paintedprayerbook.com/2013/10/29/for-those-who-walked-with-us/

“…The Holy Father … asked those present to stop and reflect on the phrase ‘to love always and to love everyone’.

“Jesus' words today invite us to love always, said the Pope. ‘He knows that within our relationships there is a daily struggle between love and hatred’, and in this way, too, within our hearts ‘there is a daily clash between light and darkness’. With this in mind, the Pope noted that Jesus suffers when He sees, all around the world, ‘ways of exercising power that feed on oppression and violence, seeking to expand their own space by restricting that of others, imposing their own domination and restricting basic freedoms, and in this way oppressing the weak’.

“We must always strive for peace, said the Pope, adding that ‘peace cannot be restored if a harsh word is answered with an even harsher one, if one slap leads to another.’…”

Used with permission from Independent Catholic News, Source: Vatican News, 6 Nov 2022

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:

https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45857

“In this month’s Voice of Hope series, Fr Alvan Ibeh asks what will you do, when God says ‘no’ to your prayer.

“From time to time, we find ourselves asking God for one thing or the other. Whenever we ask, the only that will make us happy is getting a positive response, a ‘Yes’ to our request.

“No matter your age, you will always want your request granted whenever you make it. Some of us do actually shy away from asking, because we don’t like getting a ‘No’ for an answer, so we will prefer dying in silence to asking and never getting what we asked for.

“This itself is still not the best thing to do. The scripture says ‘for everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened’ (Matthew 7:8). This has come from Jesus Himself in the scripture…. In 1 John 5:14, the scripture says, ‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us’.

“So basically, we all feel great when our prayers for whatever reason, are answered. We rejoice and give praise to God for His goodness endures forever…. Now the question is, ‘What will you do, when God says ‘no’ to your prayer…. What will you do if you prayed so fervently and passionately for the healing of someone so dear to you, who has been on their sick bed for long…. But unfortunately, one day, the news came that your cherished has sadly passed away. This I know can be so heart-breaking and very painful to bear….

“When God says No, we should be aware that He is not trying to mean or to hurt us. There are lessons to be learned when He says ‘No’. ‘… His ‘no’ is always merciful, even when it hurts'(Mary Lynn Johnson). So what exactly do you or will you do when God says ‘No’!

 Diocese of East Anglia, Keith Morris, 25 Oct 2022

For a complete version of this article, visit the following web link:

https://www.rcdea.org.uk/what-to-do-when-god-says-no-to-your-prayer/

“In the latest in his Voice of Hope series, Fr Alvan Ibeh explores what to do when you think all hope is lost.

“Have you ever felt like all hope is lost, and all you want is to call it quits? Have you been waiting on God for an answer to a prayer request you made a long time ago, yet it feels like nothing is forthcoming, and now you feel like the whole situation is hopeless and God is no longer worth waiting for?

“Let us look at the story of a man in the gospel of John 5:1-14 and see the message God has for us.

“The gospel reports that there was a man who had an illness which has lasted for 38 years. Jesus met him lying close to the pool of Bethesda, which is believed to have healing powers. The belief is that whoever manages to enter the pool first, whenever the pool is stirred or troubled, will be healed. Well, we are unaware of how many people were healed. We are more interested in Jesus’ encounter with this man.

“Now, when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, his answer was not Yes or No, but ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me’ (verse 7).

“As we can see from his response, he has been coming here every time since he became ill, yet not even a single person has noticed him and offered to help him. Guess they were all busy with their problems, too busy to notice him. Sometimes we are also too busy with ourselves that we don’t see others around us who may need our help.

“We can imagine the frustration in the answer this man gave Jesus. But I think this man has something to teach us still. He had been coming to the pool for almost 38 years and yet had no one offering to help him into the pool like others.

“Remember, 38 years is a very long time. That he continued coming even when no one was noticing him means that he was not ready to give up even when things seemed hopeless for Him. Can you pause and ask yourself this critical and challenging question: As a Christian, can I wait on God that long? Can I still trust Him when it looks like the future is bleak? Do I think God is worth waiting for?...

“[Jesus] noticed him straight away, and the gospel says, when Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ (verse 6). Isaiah 49:8 says, ‘ Thus says the Lord: At the time of my favour I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have helped you.’

“God has his appointed or favoured time (Galatians 4:4). No matter how long it takes, He is never late but arrives at the right time….

“He often comes when we are not expecting Him. When it feels like we are feeling hopeless, he comes and restores our hope. God can minister to your deepest needs, no matter how trapped you feel in your problems. Don’t let your situation cause you to lose hope. Don’t give up too soon because giving up is never an option. Stay faithful to God’s promises for you in his word, and He will come through for you. Remain blessed.”

The Diocese of East Anglia, Keith Morris, 29 August 2022.  https://www.rcdea.org.uk/what-to-do-when-you-think-all-hope-is-lost/

“Britain is in flux and so is Europe: another new prime minister in the UK - the third in three years - an election 30 months away at most, the effects of Brexit still impacting politically and economically, a major war in Europe with more national boundaries threatened and millions of people already displaced.

“Times are changing faster than governments can handle and certainly faster than the prime ministerial hopefuls appear to have realised. There's rarely been greater need for tolerance, cohesion, stability and inclusive leadership. Yet the country continues to be saddled with a "hostile environment policy" on immigration with grievous effects on many of the estimated six million migrants who are contributing so richly to our social fabric and economy. Scrapping the policy should be one of the new prime minister's top priorities.

“The hostile environment reached a nadir with the so far wholly unsuccessful plan to send some of those seeking asylum to Rwanda. It has been described as ‘appalling’, ‘immoral’ and ‘barbaric’. …

“But trying to bribe our way out of our international obligations by paying one of the world's poorest countries to do our job of processing and looking after asylum seekers, and the callous and scandalous mistreatment of the Windrush generation as well as the subsequent and continuing failure to provide fair, swift compensation - are only two graphic examples of a raft of egregious results of the hostile environment.

“Hostility created by the policy runs deep and affects all key areas of life. The illegality of many Home Office decisions, driven by the policy, is weakening our most precious quality: the rule of law. Compensation for breaches of rights and laws is costing millions of pounds. Making landlords responsible for checking the status of tenants is fostering suspicion and intolerance, not only of migrants but of Britons perceived as looking or speaking ‘like a migrant’.

“The ever-rising cost of already extortionate visa fees for hundreds of thousands of people we have invited to work here causes resentment, poverty and ill-health and alienates a vital part of the nation. Regulations split families; people who have done no wrong except flee for their safety are held behind locked doors and further traumatised….

“The hostile environment policy is expensive, divisive, destructive and counter-productive. For example, the Home Office's now entrenched culture of distrust and obstruction is getting in the way of the government's own policy of admitting a number of refugees from Ukraine. … Hostility does not create confidence, at home or abroad. It makes a mockery of any notion of a 'Global Britain'.

“A new prime minister and a government trying to reset itself in the midst of an alarming cost-of-living crisis needs to set an example by dismantling the hostile environment and taking the right approach that unites everyone living, working and studying here. This will benefit the whole society in the long term, replacing an approach based on short-term political gain through pandering to the far right.”

 Independent Catholic News, Source:  Migrant Voice, 4 Aug 2022,  https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45225

For the happy repose of HM The Queen

Almighty God, You are the author and sustainer of all human life; grant that your servant, Elizabeth our Queen, whom you granted a long and happy reign as Monarch of these lands may be forgiven her sins and rewarded with that eternal life promised to all those born again in the water of baptism and power of your Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit God, forever and ever, Amen.

Prayer for the Royal Family

Almighty God, source of all consolation, we pray for the members of the Royal Family who mourn the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Uphold them in your love and pour out on them the consolation of your healing Spirit. Let them find in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ comfort in their sadness, certainty in their doubt and courage to live through this hour. We ask this through Christ our Lord Amen.

Prayer for the King

O God, to whom every human power is subject, Grant to your servant His Majesty the King wisdom in the exercise of his high office, so that, always revering to you and striving to please you, he may constantly secure and preserve for the people entrusted to his care the freedom that comes from unity and peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit God, forever and ever, Amen.

Statement from Cardinal Vincent Nichols on the Death of HM Queen Elizabeth II

On 21 April 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.’

Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration.

Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence, because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity.

In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, ‘To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.’

This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith.

Our prayer is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation.

Queen Elizabeth II will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace. We pray for His Majesty the King, as he assumes his new office even as he mourns his mother. 

God save the King.

“Ahead of its Summer Gathering, the Catholic Union, has written to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the final Conservative Party leadership candidates.

“The letter emphasises the importance of the 4.5 million Catholics in England, Scotland and Wales and poses some questions to the candidates which will help inform Catholics who have a vote in the contest.

“Nigel Parker, Director of the Catholic Union, comments: ‘Although Catholics think and vote differently, there are certain political beliefs we share - including a strong belief in the common good and in the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. The leadership contest is likely to be a topic of conversation at our Summer Gathering at St Mary's College, Oscott. The Catholic Union wants to work with the incoming Prime Minister to ensure that the interests and concerns of Catholics are properly understood.’

“The letter poses the following questions:

“The Catholic Union has campaigned to make the tax system fairer for families. Would you make reducing the tax burden on families a priority, including increasing the amount of personal allowance that can be transferred between couples?

“We believe that law makers should seek to protect human life in all its forms - recognising the value of each person. Will you commit to upholding the dignity of life by resisting calls to introduce assisted dying legislation in this Parliament and by looking at practical measures to support pregnant women?

“The Catholic Union welcomed the Government's manifesto commitment to implement in full the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's report into the persecution of Christians. What practical measures will you take to ensure that championing freedom of religion or belief will be a greater priority for your Government?

“The Catholic Church has a proud history of educating young people. Around 10 per cent of children in this country attend Catholic schools. Do you recognise the value of Catholic and other faith schools in our education system and commit to removing the faith cap on new free schools?

“The Catholic Union has championed the importance of upholding fundamental human rights, including free speech and religious freedom. Will you ensure that expressing the teachings of the Catholic church never risks falling outside of the law in this country?”

With permission, Independent Catholic News, 22-23 July 2022, https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/45140

Fr Luke writes: 

“One of the many joyful and inspiring things I experience as a parish priest is seeing young families come to Mass together. There are so many pressures these days on family life and countless things that compete for the Sunday morning slot that I think it is both a heroic and beautiful thing when I see parents with their children at Mass….No member of the Body of Christ, (the Church) is more valuable or more special than any other. The eldest member, the youngest member, the fittest member, the sickest member are all equal before God and all have their place in the Church. Children and young people are not “the future of the Church” as many people enthusiastically say. Children and young people, along with every other member of the Church, are the present of the Church, the Church of today!  As such they must have a rightful place in the public worship of the Body of Christ….

As a Church, as a Christian community, we must always be compassionate. Being a parent is hard, and being a Christian parent is a real challenge in today’s world. Parents must feel welcome to attend Mass with their children, not least because they need to be nourished by the Mass as much as anyone does. Older members of our parish have so much to offer and can be a real support to younger families by acting as spiritual grandparents in the community. All of us, old and young, are members of the one family of Christ and it behooves us to have compassion on each other, especially those who are more vulnerable members of the flock and that can include young families.” 

Brief excerpt from: “Please stop saying children are the future of the Church! - Some thoughts on young families in Church.” by Fr Luke Goymour

https://www.frlukegoymour.com/search?updated-max=2019-10-31T21:53:00Z&max-results=7&start=7&by-date=falseHaving a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.

Churches Together Prayer Meetings are held on the First Saturday of Month at 9am.  Location varies so please check. 

is thrilled to announce that we have launched our new online newspaper with the full support of our first subscriber none other than His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Order your Digital 4 weeks FREE trial copy by calling Michelle on 0743 661 7650 or email: michelle.jones@universecatholicweekly.co.uk 

You will find excellent articles at https://universecatholicweekly.co.uk .  Subscribe and support them.

Fr Luke will never contact you (especially via email) asking you for money and or gift cards. Scammers regularly pose as Fr Luke and other priests asking for help or to purchase gifts cards from Amazon, typically for a niece or other relative. The scammers set up a false email accounts in the name of Fr Luke and other priests in the diocese. Please be vigilant and if you are unsure, call the presbytery and speak to Fr Luke directly.

If you are unable to come to Mass and would like Holy Communion or other sacraments Fr Luke is very willing to visit you at home. Please do get in contact and don’t just assume the parish has your details on file. The Parish database suffered immensely from the changes in GDPR guidelines a few years ago and many parishioners details are not held on file.

Develop your skills and help your community and its children at the same time. Volunteer to be a school governor at Forest Academy, Brandon, today.  Or become a Member of the Academy Trust.

For more information, contact Phil Richardson, par.uk@gmx.co.uk.

Mass is not something the “Priest does” alone, it is the action of the whole People of God. As such it is a prayer and act of supreme worship. Making the responses clearly and audibly is one simple but important way in which we pray the Mass.

“Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and activeparticipation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people, is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.”
                                                                                               Vatican II (SC 14)

... for Prayer, Special Occasions and more….

Anna Liwak who kindly makes our Paschal Candle each year makes and sells bespoke candles. If you would like one of her candles for you or a loved one please contact her on 07741209889 or check out her Facebook page:

 https://www.facebook.com/artisticheartanna  Examples of her work below:

There are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face covering. Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances, noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings, and that the reasons for this may not be visible to others. This includes (but is not limited to):  

• Children under the age of 11 (Public Health England does not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)
• people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability

A reminder that at this current time Holy Communion can only be received on the hand. Please place your hands flat (do not try and take the host from the priest) so that the host can be placed on your hands without the priest touching your hand. Holy communion should be received in silence, understandably many of us go into ‘auto pilot’ and say “Amen” without thinking. However, where possible please try and remember to refrain from saying “Amen”. Please also, where possible, stretch out your hands over the barrier as to keep maximum physical distance from the priest at the moment of Communion.

News of success in testing a new vaccine with which to fight the Covid-19 disease comes at the right time, when many are confused, frustrated or downcast as the coronavirus continues to spread and restrictions aimed at halting it seem more and more to turn houses into prisons and homes into cells of isolation.

We should therefore rejoice in the optimism that the New Year will hopefully bring the beginning of a nationwide vaccination programme and that we will see the threat posed by Covid-19 reduced to the same manageable level of Flu and other viruses. But the battle is not over yet! In the meantime, we must continue to observe government regulations and guidance, wear masks, keep our distance and cautiously safeguard and respect the safety and dignity of others and ourselves.

A daily prayer for this might help:

Lord: Help us to control our impulses and maintain discipline safeguarding the health and wellbeing of those around us and others we encounter today. Amen

John Wyclif, in Of Prelates in 1382, wrote “Charite schuld bigyne at hem-self” and others, such as John Marston (1610) and Sir Thomas Browne (1642) have proved authors of its use as “Charity begins at home.” It is, in my view, used too frequently to discourage charitable giving to others, especially foreigners: that is, “charity should begin at home and end there.” That’s a pity, because it shows ignorance of the origin of the saying. The notion that family should be one’s foremost concern is in 1 Timothy 5:8:    “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

This is not a recommendation to have compassion only for one’s nearest and dearest. It and the proverb itself are much deeper in meaning than an exhortation to meanness. For me, an Australian Baptist Minister, Melinda Cousins, summed it up in a blog, six years ago:
“… my understanding is that the saying as it was originally taken up …. was meant to refer to the fact that virtues are cultivated in the everyday – that is, we learn to be compassionate and charitable people at home; [and] that capacity within us as human beings begins to develop there, and then grows as we exercise it outside the home.” 

‘Can we please stop saying ‘Charity begins at home?’ Thinking Aloud 2014

The word ‘charity’ entered the English language to mean ‘Christian love for others’, especially the poor. It has often been linked to agapé, or unconditional love, the most Christ-like love there can be. That’s a far cry from restricting compassion to just your aunty.

As we learn to love God through experience of His love for us, so we learn how that kind of loving can be the route to helping those in need, wherever in the world they are, and thus demonstrating, with the humility and tenderness agapé requires, God’s love and His Son’s offer of salvation.                                                                                            

                                                                         TC

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CHARITY AND THE POOR
Last week we saw that charity does begin at home, when “home” is your heart stirred by God’s love into having compassion for others, that is, the poor, whether poor in spirit or in material things. Let us look at the latter. 

Pope Francis has summed up the issue succinctly, as usual:  “Jesus tells us what the ‘protocol’ is, on which we will be judged. It is the one we read in chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel: I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was in prison, I was sick, I was naked and you helped me, clothed me, visited me, took care of me. Whenever we do this to one of our brothers, we do this to Jesus. Caring for our neighbour; for those who are poor, who suffer in body and in soul, for those who are in need. This is the touchstone.”  From Papa Francesco: Questa economia uccide (Pope Francis: This economy kills) by Andrea Tornielli &. Giacomo Galeazzivia  

This will be news to few of us. There are an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics in the world, every one of whom will have heard this extract from Matthew’s Gospel. One in twelve people in the UK are Catholic – that’s 5 million people in our country who have heard this bit of Good News.  There are 736 million in the world in extreme poverty, who have little or no access to fresh water or adequate health care and, if they are employed at all, earn less than £1.42 per day. What could you do with only £1.42 a day or the equivalent of £9.94 for a seven day working week?  

Here in England it has recently been revealed that some workers in the garment industry are working for less than £3 per hour. Again, how would you manage on £150 (gross) for a 50 hour week?  It is mystifying why these inequalities continue, when there are so many of us charged by Jesus to aid the poor. What to do? We’ll look at that next week.  [Statistics about global poverty are attached to this Newsletter.]                   TC
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CHARITY & THE POOR – HOW TO CREATE A TSUNAMI
In 2015, more than 700 million people, or 10 per cent of the world population, lived in extreme poverty, struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation. Until 2019, That figure dropped dramatically to less than 5 per cent. 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic is reversing the trend of poverty reduction, with tens of millions of people in risk of being pushed back into extreme poverty - people living on less than $1.90/day - causing the first increase in global poverty in more than 20 years. Given the scale of the problem, it seems that ordinary people, like you and me, can do little to stop this trend. That is not true. There is much that we can do locally, and for the world 

There is much we can do:  

• Supporting the Food Bank each month. This is crucial for the Food Bank’s survival and the sustenance of the poor among us;
• Supporting missionaries who help the poor around the world by saving money through the Red Box campaign;
• Buying fairly traded [Fairtrade] goods, which mean poor producers can get fair profits and trade their way out of poverty;
• Living simply so that climate change can be slowed and the poor better protected from climate disasters;
• Donating to CAFOD to support its campaigns for the poor;
• Supporting the annual Shoebox campaign;
• And many more initiatives that each of us get involved in.

These may be small acts of generosity, but small gestures build up to create tsunamis of love for our neighbours here and across the world.                                    TC

FOOD BANK

Although  we still cannot use our churches as a collection centre for the Food  Bank, people’s needs remain. You don’t have to be unemployed to get help  from a Food Bank. Those in low paid jobs, including those still  furloughed, struggle to provide themselves and their families with the  basic essentials of daily living, from food to hygiene and health  products.

CAFOD

CORONAVIRUS INITIATIVE:  CAFOD  has joined with the UK Disasters Emergencies Committee to help millions  of people whose lives are at risk, as coronavirus spreads across  refugee camps and countries suffering conflict. 

COVID -19 has swept cross the world. Over 1,450,000 people have died and more than 43 million have survived it. Western nations have the highest  survival rates. Poor countries have the worst. 

Please remember and join  in CAFOD’S Coronavirus Campaign. Go to www.cafod.org.uk/coronavirus

You can donate at www.cafod.org.uk/coronavirus to help CAFOD scale up its coronavirus response through our Global  Church family. Or use CAFOD’s Summer of Hope fundraising ideas with your  family and friends to transform lockdown and raise money for the  appeal: for more information go to www.cafod.org.uk/summerofhope .

CAFOD Beirut Emergency Appeal

The explosions In Beirut have left hundreds of families with NOTHING.

Local organisations and volunteers are already on the frontlines, assisting hospitals and attending to the injured.

YOU CAN HELP: go to https://cafod.org.uk/donations/one-off?_Amounts=25&_Appeal=121949

CAFOD’S REACH.  Here’s a short list of their campaigns. Click on each to  get an up-to-date report.

• Syria crisis: Millions of refugees face new threat from coronavirus

• Rohingya Crisis: Reaching vulnerable families

• Yemen crisis explained

• Cyclone Amphan brings double crisis to Bangladesh and India

• Cyclone Idai: how your donations are helping people rebuild their lives

• The humanitarian challenges that lie ahead in 2020

• CAFOD launches urgent appeal for millions of families facing hunger in Zimbabwe and Zambia

• Over 200,000 evacuated as Typhoon Kammuri makes landfall in the Philippines

If you have an APF Red Box, you can now leave or have it delivered at one of our churches. Sue Dean will arrange its collection and processing

TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO BE A MISSIONARY - YOU CAN HELP BY PRAYING FOR THE MILL HILL MISSIONARIES AND DONATING THROUGH USING A RED BOX.  

Thank you for helping their Missionary work. Please keep up this good work for 2022-23.  

Not got a Red Box? Some spare boxes are at the back of the church. Take one and tell Sue Dean or Fr Luke. 

The first series of talks have finished for the time being, but the full catalogue is available below.

Missed a talk? The full series is available to ‘watch again’ both here on our Faith Talks page and on Facebook. 

Topics covered thus far: 

• Faith for our Times: God's call on our lives - Fr Luke's Vocation Story
• Faith and Reason (Science and Faith) 
• Genesis, Evolution and the Big Bang!
• The Resurrection in scripture and Tradition 
• The Eucharist: Real Presence 
• The Eucharist: Source and Summit
• The Eucharist: Meal and Sacrifice
• The Church
• The Problem of Evil
• Spiritual Warfare
• There is something about Mary

(Please see the Church Services page for updates.)

Mass is now celebrated with a congregation in both of our churches and is also available to view and follow online live on this website and on Facebook.

With the return of public Masses, both churches need to be cleaned after every Mass. Stewards are also needed for both churches to help with seating and moving around the church for Holy Communion. Please do volunteer (we cannot do this without you) to help by cleaning or stewarding. Special disinfectant spray has been ordered so cleaning between Masses will only really entail spraying seats and surfaces and wiping door handles. (PPE can be provided.)

Altar Servers: whilst restrictions are in place no Altar servers are allowed at this time.

Having a Mass offered for someone’s intention is a good and holy thing to do. It is important to remember, however, that Mass is always offered in the first instance for all people. (For For God’s Glory and our sanctification) No one buys or owns a Mass. A Mass is always ‘our Mass’ - even if offered for a particular individual. Please also remember that in our parish only one Sunday Mass can be offered for an intention that someone has asked for. 

There can be a bit of a back log with Mass intentions:

• If you would like Mass offered for a particular intention on or near a specific day, (and at a specific location) please give as much notice as possible – some people book days a year in advance. 
• If the date that you would like is unavailable. Mass will be offered at the requested location, on the next available free-day. However, this means that it could be as long as six weeks after the proposed date. 
• If you are not too-concerned about where Mass will be offered (Brandon or Mildenhall) then it is often possible to fit a Mass in sooner than this. 

Want to know more about the Church?  Perhaps you are a Catholic but missed out on making your confirmation as a youngster.

If this is you, please consider joining our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) programme. Please write to Fr Luke expressing your interest.

Free e-book (with church imprimatur) for your computer/tablet/phone:

The new Liturgical Year begins on the First Sunday of Advent. This e-book may be downloaded free of charge to any computer/tablet/phone. It offers the Gospel for every day of the coming Liturgical Year A-2 (Sundays Year A, weekdays Year 2), together with a reflection of some 750 words on each daily Gospel. 

The e-book may be passed on for downloading to friends or acquaintances as desired, and may be accessed at the following URL address:  www.catholic-thoughts.info/ebook/

As a parish, we are dedicated to working for fair treatment of growers and suppliers in the Third World. 

Because of lack of support, we no longer have a Traidcraft stall at Mildenhall, but we are still obliged to use Fairly Traded tea and coffee. If these cannot be purchased from shops and supermarkets locally, Gillian Caple can order it from Traidcraft. Please ask her. 

Locally, Sainsbury’s have opted out of using the Fair Trade logo and, therefore, there is uncertainty about the status of their products. Non-fair trade brands such as Nescafe, Lavazza, etc. should not be used in St John’s. Please inspect purchases carefully for the Fairtrade logo. 

We have a number of ways of recording people for whom prayers are said, including, books at each church and this section of our weekly Newsletter. 

In the Newsletter we record the names of those whose anniversaries occur each month and sometimes those for whom special requests have been made. These names will, of course, re-appear the same time next year. Because of limited space, the anniversaries are for those who have died since 2010. 

Do you want to share our faith in everyday life here in the parish?

This autumn we have started a Proclaim! Group focusing on evangelisation. We are reading Sherry Weddell’s Forming Intentional Disciples together over six weeks and then we support each other to proclaim God’s Good News.  

Following the first presentation on Wednesday 25th September at St Thomas’ Brandon, it was thought that it would be good to share our prayers with the whole parish.  So a prayer pamphlet was enclosed in your newsletter on 29th Sep.

Please add these prayers to your own prayers at home. 

Pray for yourself; and for the group who are estabilishing the programme on Wednesdays; and for the whole parish: that we will have the desire and confidence to share the beauty of God’s love with others.  

Fr Luke writes:  Many thanks for all who have contributed to keeping a respectful silence before mass. This is a joyful practice and creates the appropriate atmosphere for the celebration. 

Please also respect others, who may be trying to pray before and after Mass, by keeping talking to a minimum in and around the main body of the Church. (This does not apply so much to Mildenhall after Mass as we have a Blessed Sacrament chapel for people to pray in whilst teas and coffee continue at the back of the Church.) Silent and prayerful preparation is something that Pope Francis asks us to take seriously.

The Pope says: “Mass is the highest form of prayer and not an appropriate moment for small talk. At church, Catholics should spend their time in silence before Mass, preparing to meet with Jesus instead of engaging in "chitchat,”. Silence is so important…we are not going to a show. Silence prepares us and accompanies us." –           

                                                General audience Nov 15th 2017 

       IF SILENCE IS GOLDEN, PLEASE GIVE JESUS A LITTLE OF YOUR GOLD 

A superb free App from the British Jesuits. Lots on the App including a daily 10-12 min prayer meditation, as well as Stations of the Cross, Rosary meditations and other prayer resources. If you have a smart phone download the App, it could help develop your prayer life and your friendship with Jesus. Why not try it out for Holy Week? Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.

Are you leaving school or university soon, in between jobs or would like to do something 'different'? The Diocesan Youth Service is looking for people age 18-30 to join the Ignite Team, sharing the Gospel Message with young people in a way they can relate to. These are full-time positions, with food, accommodation and a monthly allowance provided. Ideal as a ‘gap year’. For more information see www.rcdea.org.uk/youth .

CPW offers a chance to enrich and develop your faith, as well as warmly welcoming people from other faith traditions who are in sympathy with the catholic tradition. Events range from 1-day meetings to 7-day holidays, from retreats to conferences to walking holidays. They vary from activities for whole families (in school holidays) to 18+ events: and they are affordable holidays in comfortable accommodation. A limited number of leaflets are available. For details talk to Gill or Tom Caple. 

Fr Luke writes: I have decided to produce regular (or semi-regular depending on commitments!) articles which I shall include with the newsletter from time to time as a supplement entitled ‘what we believe’. I hope to explore with you some aspects of our faith that perhaps, we haven’t always (or at least recently) thought about too deeply. It is not always possible and not really the right forum to explore these themes in depth in homilies so I have decided to explore them in written form with the hope that we can go a bit deeper and, if you wish, read at your own pace and re-read as necessary. I may also in time have these available online as well.   

The third reflection on the Creed: ‘Creator of Heaven and Earth’.  

The fourth reflection: ‘Of all things visible and invisible’. 

The fifth reflection:  ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son, Our Lord.’ 

The sixth reflection: "He was conceived by the Holy spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. "

This is a programme of weekly sessions exploring understanding of our faith and spiritual development, held at Our Lady Immaculate & St Etheldreda after 7 pm Mass each Thursday.  All are welcome. Tom & Gill Caple have details. 

For a full programme see the OLiSE website - www.olise.co.uk. 

Fr Luke writes: In order to help me run our parish I am looking to appoint a group of advisors from both the Mildenhall and Brandon Community. I am going to spend some time next week praying over the mission and ministry of our parish and planning the way forward. A constitutive part of this team will be a new safeguarding rep as our current rep, Andy Watts has decided to step down. I am grateful to Andy for the work he has done. If I approach you over the next few weeks, please be generous in giving of yourself in service of our parish community. If you have any ideas or suggestions about how things are done in our parish please feel free to email me or to talk to personally, I want to hear your views. 

An anonymous donor has given the parish 10 copies of this Redemptorist booklet, which can be used by children (with or without their parents, depending on age) to follow and learn about the Mass. Users can colour in and wipe off again and again. 

Five of the copies will be available in each church. You may use it, but please clean and return it after Mass. If you want to take it home for study between masses, please do so, but return it the following week. Thank you. 

A new series of day-retreats entitled 'Discipleship Days' aimed at those aged 16 - 35, are now being launched around the Diocese of East Anglia. These days are for those who wish to grow in their faith through a day of fellowship, formation and prayer. The first one took place on the 23rd of February in Brandon. These events are free of charge. If you are under 18, please go to www.rcdea.org.uk/youth for a parental consent form. 

Having a mass said or paying for flowers in the church are practical ways supporting the work of the parish. Please give your donations to Fr Luke or Philip Kemp. 

Has your house been blessed? Would you like a home visit and a blessing for you home and family? 

If you would like Fr Luke to visit you in your home and invoke God’s blessing upon your home and family, please speak to him after Mass or call the presbytery. 

Even if your home has been blessed in the past we can still pray together and ask for God’s blessing upon our lives. It’s also an excellent way for priest and parish to get to know each other! 

Just Traid, the Fair Trade shop next to St John the Baptist Church, St John’s Street, Bury, has launched an exciting new menu in their café and a wide range of goods in their shop. Well worth a break to rest your legs and your pocket, when Christmas shopping! 

• Just Traid are also looking for volunteers to help in the shop and the kitchen. For more talk to Gill Caple. 

The Fund deals with emergency grant applications from families or individuals in need. It also considers support for young people wishing to explore a third world project in their gap years or long vacations. 

The fund is administered by Caritas East Anglia. All applications come from the parish or endorsements from professionals working with applicants. 

Over the past year, the Fund has supported families and individuals facing homelessness or job losses resulting in rent arrears. Others helped have been dealing with the sudden onset of terminal illness. 

For more details go to:  https://www.rcdea.org.uk/caritas-east-anglia/ 

November is a traditionally the month when we pray for the dead. In both of our Churches you will find a ‘Book of the Dead’. 

Please put the names of your loved ones who have died in the book and they will be prayed for throughout November. I will also offer Mass for the Holy Souls at various points in November and they shall be remembered in those Masses. 

To add a name, simply find the page which corresponds to the month that they died and write the name in. Any name of any deceased person can be added, they do not need to have died in this last year nor do they need to be a Catholic. All people alive and dead can benefit from our prayers! 

were donated to the parish and have come from the shrine at Krakow. To find out more about this devotion please take a leaflet from the rack at the back of Church. 

If you are struggling to get a roast dinner ready after Mass at Brandon, consider taking one home with you from the Orient Express Carvery!  For £9:99 they give you a takeaway tin and you fill it with freshly cooked food and locally sourced meats. 

Time set aside for Lectio Divina enables us to discover in our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. We discover an increasing ability to offer more of ourselves and our relationships to the Father, and to accept the embrace that God offers us in the person of his son, Jesus Christ. We can attend "with the ear of our hearts", listening for God's presence in our lives. 

• Choose a text of the Scriptures that you wish to pray. This could be a reading for that day’s mass, or a particular book from the New Testament. The amount of text covered is in God's hands, not yours. 

• Place yourself in a comfortable position and allow yourself to become silent. This could be a few moments focused on your breathing, or a favourite prayer. Use whatever method is best for you and allow yourself to enjoy silence for a few moments. 

• Turn to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savour each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the "still, small voice" of a word or phrase that somehow says, "I am for you today." In Lectio Divina, God is teaching us to listen to him, to seek him in silence. 

• Take the word or phrase into yourself. Slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas. Memories or thoughts are simply parts of yourself that, when they rise up during Lectio Divina, are asking to be given to God along with the rest of your inner self. 

• Speak to God. Whether you use words, ideas, or images--or all three--is not important. Interact with God as you would with one you know loves and accepts you. Give to God what you have found within your heart. Experience God by using the word or phrase he has given you as a means of blessing and of transforming the ideas and memories that your reflection on his word has awakened. 

• Rest in God's embrace. And when he invites you to return to your contemplation of his word or to your inner dialogue with him, do so. Learn to use words when words are helpful, and to let go when they no longer are necessary. Rejoice in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence. 

 Many prayer groups find it a useful approach to collective study and prayer. 

This form of Lectio Divina works best in a group of between four and eight people. A group leader coordinates the process and facilitates sharing. The same text from the Scriptures is read out three times, followed each time by a period of silence and an opportunity for each member of the group to share the fruit of her or his Lectio. 

• The first reading is for the purpose of hearing a word or passage that touches the heart. When the word or phrase is found, the group's members take it in, gently recite it, and reflect on it during the silence that follows. After the silence, each person shares which word or phrase has touched his or her heart. 

• The second reading (by a member of the opposite sex from the first reader) is for the purpose of "hearing" or "seeing" Christ in the text. Each ponders the word that has touched the heart and asks where the word or phrase touches his or her life that day. Then, after the silence, each member of the group shares what he or she has "heard" or "seen." 

• The third and final reading is for the purpose of experiencing Christ "calling us forth" into doing or being. Members ask themselves what Christ in the text is calling them to do or to become today or this week. After the silence, each shares for the last time, and the exercise concludes with each person praying for the person on the right of him or her. 

Those who regularly practice this method of praying and sharing the Scriptures find it to be an excellent way of developing trust within a group. It also is an excellent way of consecrating projects and hopes to Christ before more-formal group meetings. 

 Based on “How to Practice Lectio Divina” Rev. Luke Dysinger OSB www.beliefnet.com