Upcoming Activities & Offerings

"Taking part in a virtual Mass can help us to keep the Eucharist, and thus Christ at the center of our lives. Like anything, however, the extent to which it will be fruitful in our own lives depends in no small part on us, so here are my top ten tips to help you participate in Virtual Masses!

1. Read the Sunday readings beforehand and pray with them during the week. Many people do this already and this is good to do anyway if you were coming to Mass physically on a Sunday or joining us through the internet.

2. Make a Spiritual Communion – Jesus can’t be received sacramentally via the internet but he can always be received in spirit (I lead this prayer at Communion at the Masses I stream and invite participants to say the prayer along with me at home)

3. Keep the Eucharistic Fast: The Church asks that we prepare for Holy Communion by not eating or drinking anything (except water) for a minimum of one hour before Holy Communion. Although you will be making a spiritual Communion and so technically this fast is not needed, it might be a fruitful way of preparing yourself, ahead of time, for spiritual participation at Mass.

4. Set up an altar/focus for prayer in your house. If possible, prepare a space where you can drape a cloth over a table, light some candles - if you are streaming to a portable device (laptop, phone/tablet) you could put this near or behind the altar

5. If you have space in your house (corner of a room/spare bedroom) set up a prayer space and ‘go to Mass’ in this room

6. If you have young children, consider doing your own children’s liturgy with them during the liturgy of the word.

7. Turn off phones (that you are not using to stream!) set notifications to silent turn off radios and TV’s on other parts of the house

8. Make sure you participate: i.e. don’t just watch but say the responses at the correct points

9. Send in Mass Intentions and ask for prayers to be included in the Mass

10. Invite friends (virtually) to stream along with you and participate in the Mass at the same time. Knowing that your friends and family in their own houses are participating in the same Eucharist and watching the same live feed can be enormously encouraging, especially in this time of social isolation."

Dear Parishioners 

Given the severity of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the government’s response the 

Bishops of England and Wales haves suspended all acts of Public Worship from 

Friday 20th March until further notice. These are trying and difficult times for all of 

us and I encourage you to read the letter from the Cardinal which is available on the Home page of our website.

Our faith continues and the Mass will still be celebrated albeit without a public 

congregation, you are invited to participate spiritually in the Mass and instructions 

with prayers for at home, along with other resources to help you do this are found 

on our website (If you want hard copies phone me and I will get them to you) 

Daily Mass will be celebrated Moday – Saturday at 10 am and broadcast live from 

our Facebook Page and Sunday Mass will be streamed live at 11:00 am via our 

Facebook Page.

Important: You do not have to be signed up to Facebook to view the our Facebook 

Page – it will ask you to login in or sign-up but you do not need to do this to watch 

the live video, so you can ignore it and just click ‘Not Now’ when the box comes 

up. It will then function like any other website. 

It is better, however, to create a free account because you can interact with the 

page and we can keep in contact with each other (you don’t have to load any 

pictures up or use it for anything else) – so please do consider signing up for a 

Facebook account. To be clear, you do not need to sign up if you simply want to 

watch the video. If you can’t hear any sound, just either press the screen (if it’s a 

touchscreen) or hover the cursor (little arrow moved by the mouse) over the video 

window. In the bottom of the video a speaker icon with an ‘X’ will appear - tap that 

icon to unmute the sound. 

If you do not have the internet but you do have Sky, you can watch a daily Mass 

(usually at midday) on EWTN which is channel 588 on Sky. 

Other ways to stay in touch: The weekly newsletter will continue and be uploaded 

to the website as usual. If you or someone you know would like a hard copy 

delivered to you then get in touch and we will arrange this. 

If you need anything and or are struggling in any way, please contact me and I will 

support you in anyway that I can. I am on phone 01842 812200 and email 

bmrcparishpriest@outlook.com

Let us look out for each other, pray for one another and keep the faith!

Be assured of my continued prayers and affection for you all,

Fr Luke

All non-liturgical groups have now ceased to use St John’s until further notice. These include The Tuesday Lunch Bunch, Slimming World (Wednesday) and the Thursday Line Dancing Club.

This will mean a loss of income to the parish and you are asked to think about how the whole parish community can counter this by the contributions made through the weekly offertory via standing order please contact Fr Luke or Phillip Kemp for more details.

At this time, it will not be possible for people to receive Holy Communion. Everyone is invited, however, to join in the ancient practice of making regular spiritual communions, this can be particularly fruitful when following the daily Mass in your Missals on online via the live feed.

Prayer of St Alphonsus:  My Jesus, I believe that you are present in this Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.

As always, I will hear confessions by appointment.

There has been an inconsistent message from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about the opening of churches for “solitary prayer”. However, it goes against the four specific reasons for a person leaving home and undermines the desire of the Government for people to remain at home. Many people who might be drawn out of their home to go to a church would be the most vulnerable to infection. 

Therefore in line with the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Alan asks that we close our churches until we are told that they might be opened again. This must be right – it is for the benefit of others and will help to stop infection.

Please follow the link below which will give you a video message from Cardinal Nichols about this matter – a sober and wise message. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5s_4EwRm4s&feature=youtu.be

Struggling with the coronavirus and social distancing measures? Scared? Need to talk? Struggling to get shopping or basic groceries?

Pick up the phone!  Your parish is your family and we are here for you, in the first instance feel free to call Fr Luke on 01842 812200 and he will do his best to help you, 

support you and put you in contact with others who may be able to help. If you don’t get an answer.  Leave a message and your number (Clearly) and he will get back to you. We may be socially isolating -but we are not on our own!

It is pleasing and hopeful to see how people are responding to the challenge of the virus by offering to help and support their neighbours – evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in our community and that neighbourhoods are ‘pulling together’.

Remember too that our best friends ever are ready to help. Pray to Jesus and Our Lady of Walsingham, and your prayers will be answered.

You might also want to include saints who are patrons for those with medical problems:

• St Luke is an obvious choice, but there are also:
• Ss Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia;
• The Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Rhineland
• St Hugh of Cluny
• St Theobald of Provins

Sun. Apr 5th  --  Palm Sunday

Thurs. Apr 9th  --  Triduum: Holy Thursday -- The Lord's Supper

Fri. Apr 10th  --  Triduum: Good Friday --The Passion of the Lord

Sat. Apr 11th  --  Triduum:  Holy Saturday

Sun. Apr 12th  --  Easter Sunday

To all who have contributed so far to keep the parish flourishing by participating in the streamed masses, keeping contact with fellow parishioners, helping neighbours and, most of all, following the government’s advice to protect themselves and others.

Slow Down – Set aside 10 minutes a day for silent prayer or meditation. It will revitalize your body and your spirit.

Pray – Especially for people you don’t like and for people who don’t like you.

Tune out – Turn off the television and spend quality time talking with family or friends.

Read a good book – You could choose the life of a saint, a spiritual how-to, an inspirational book or one of the Pope’s new books.

Be kind – Go out of your way to do something nice for someone else every day.

(especially if you are having trouble live-streaming Online)

Radio Stations: DAB (Digital) Radio: Radio Maria England, Premier Christian Radio (available on TV Radio as well and has Sunday Morning Worship) Radio 4 Has Sunday Worship on Sunday Morning at 8:10 am on FM and a Daily Service at 9:45 am on Long Wave (not FM)

TV: Sky TV 588 is ETWN (Catholic Channel) and has Daily Mass broadcast as well as other prayers and devotions 

Websites: https://pray-as-you-go.org/ https://shalem.org/programs/online/holy-interruptions/

https://stpaulcenter.com/hub/

Coloring prayer resources: If you would like adult-coloring sheets, to help with 

prayer/mindfulness/meditation please contact Fr Luke and he will try and source them for you.

On Sunday 29th March at 12 noon, the Rededication will take place throughout the country. As King Richard II once gave England as a gift to Our Lady, so we are invited to give ourselves, as the people of this country, to Mary. We respond to this invitation on the day of rededication in two ways; by making a personal promise and a communal entrustment. Our personal promise brings us closer to Mary, the first disciple of Christ.

In this we unite in her joy by following her openness to God’s call. Our communal entrustment unites us together as the people of our country in prayer, by renewing the vows of dedication made to Mary by our ancestors.

Please check out https://www.behold2020.com/ for more information.

Following in the footsteps of St Paul 

Age 16 - 35, Come and join the Diocesan Youth Service Pilgrimage to Malta. From July 26 – 3st 2020. Places are limited and bookings must be received by April 13th.  

For more information see Fr. Luke.

Are you leaving school or university this summer, in between jobs or would like to do something 'different'? The Diocesan Youth Service is looking for people age 18-29 to join the Ignite Team.

You would be working with young people in schools and parishes, developing your gifts such as in music, drama, art and tech. 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

To Chris & Alan Burrell, Yolande & Tony Goode and the whole team for the success of our Magic Night Dinner on March 14th.  These fundraising and social events are crucial to the morale and financial survival of the parish.   Our Magic Night Dinner  raised £1,032.  Well Done!

Please pray for the Soul of Archbishop Peter, former Bishop of our Diocese who died after a short battle with cancer on 6th March.

The Bishops of England & Wales have declared this year a Year of the Word called ‘The God Who Speaks”. During this year we are encouraged to re-discover the Word of God in our Bibles and renew our love for Scripture. To help us do this I will make available each week a resource sheet called ‘The Wednesday Word’. The sheet contains the following: Sunday’s readings and guidance for a prayerful reading of scripture in order to prepare more fully for the. coming Sunday’s Mass.  

Sheets are at the back of the church and available at the website http//www.wednesdayword.org/

Please watch this space for news of other initiatives throughout the year. A deanery retreat day on the Bible is also planned for later this year.

7-Night stay and Airport Shuttle from Dubrovnik or Split for €266 per person sharing. Book any flight – any time and we provide guaranteed airport shuttle service. Call us for further information and book the dates that suit you.
Tel. 020 3239 8662 or email reservations@med-irishcentre.com

Fr Luke’s Homilies are loaded up shortly after the Sunday they are preached, visit:

https://anchorfm/fr-luke-goymour/ or search on Spotify, Google, Apple and other major platforms.

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. As people book up Masses, sometimes over a year in advance, there is no guarantee that you can have Mass offered on specific day. In this case, Mass will be offered on the next available Sunday (or weekday if that is what you originally requested.) Please remember, however that this can sometimes be several weeks/months after the specific date.

If you or someone you know has a child in year 8 or above at school who would like to be confirmed this academic year, please contact Fr Luke, speak to him after Mass or email bmrcparishpriest@outlook.com .

... with Fr Luke and Rev David Everett, 15th - 24th March 2021

Fr Luke is co-leading this pilgrimage next year.

Pax Christi (The Peace of Christ) works for:

• Peace – based on justice. A world where human rights are respected, basic needs are met and people feel safe and valued in their communities.
• Reconciliation –a process which begins when people try to mend relationships –between individuals or whole countries after times of violence or dispute.
• Nonviolence –a way of living and making choices that respects others, challenges what is not fair or unjust, and offers alternatives to violence and war.

To do this Pax Christi works to:

• Support teachers, chaplains and youth workers in promoting a culture of peace in schools and amongst young people.
• Develop solidarity between people who are working non-violently for justice and peace. Pax Christi does this through joint actions for peace in Israel-Palestine, through events to encourage international efforts to abolish nuclear weapons and by celebrating the life and witness of peacemakers.
• Promote an understanding of sustainable security where human needs are met and the environment is protected, rather than seeking security through weapons and warfare. Pax Christi campaigns against military spending, the arms trade and nuclear weapons.

                                                                                                    TC

Your local J&P Group brings together Brandon, Mildenhall and Newmarket as our two parishes work together to promote practical action in support Catholic Teaching. We: 

• Arrange exhibitions & displays;
• Organise peace vigils;
• Provide resources to celebrate church festivals (from Easter chicks to Peace Poppies);
• Run campaigns (e.g. “Share the Journey”) to support people in need in the UK and elsewhere round the world;
• Raise funds for specific projects;
• Keep people informed about J&P Matters.

We always welcome new members to the group. You don’t have to come to meetings! You can join by using Skype of Face Time or just receive and respond to our monthly Update. 

The Justice & Peace Group usually meet on the first Monday of each month. All are welcome.

Talk to Tom or Gill Caple for more information: 01638 716474 

Prayer 

O Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, full of compassion and maker of peace, you lived in poverty and suffered persecution for the cause of justice. 

You chose the Cross as the path to glory to show us the way of salvation. May we receive the word of the Gospel joyfully and live by Your example as heirs and citizens of Your kingdom. Amen. 

On Sunday, July 7th, the Justice & Peace Group facilitated a shared lunch and discussion on what a parish might do to counteract or reduce the effects of climate change. Here are some of the ideas that emerged: 

A. Become a Live Simply Parish 

B. Use Solar Panels/Raise money for Solar Panels 

C. Become a plastic-free parish? 

D. Educate the kids in the Children’s Liturgy 

E. Make a commitment as a parish to: 

     • Turn off lights when not in use 

     • Make sure all our lights are LED bulbs 

     • Check the lights 

F. Have a walk/cycle to mass Sunday (for those who can) 

G. Share cars to get to Church using less fuel.

Many other suggestions were made as well, some of which are already in place. There’s no doubting that more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of local action, and not just waiting for world leaders to solve the problem. 

If you have suggestions about practical actions we can take, please contact Gill or Tom Caple 

Ten years ago the UK Government took a global lead and passed the pioneering Climate Change Act committing us to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Recent research by climate scientists has stressed that this is no longer enough. We need to go further, faster. Unless we make dramatic changes, the damage caused by climate change will be irreversible. We need to reach ‘net zero’ emissions by 2045 at the latest. This is based on the science behind keeping global temperature rise below 1.5C. Several countries have already committed to reach this target. The UK as a global leader on climate change must join them to ‘revive’ our common home. So what can we do? 

For further information about the national campaign go to www.cafod.org.uk/climate 

Working with Adult Faith Formation (AFF) 

AFF is a group that has come together to work together in their spiritual development. They meet monthly on Thursday evenings and Tuesday lunchtimes for prayer, talks by invited speakers and study sessions. 

In February the J&P led an event on Intercessions.  AFF members took part in an interactive session involving discussion, practice in composing intentions and reflection.  The papers supporting the session can be obtained from Tom Caple.  Participants said that the session was helpful.

The session was repeated (with suitable adjustments) for the Tuesday Lunch Club.  It also got a positive response.

Stations of the Cross 

We led a poetry-based Station service at OLISE on Palm Sunday.   Each participant read a relevant poem at each station. Across the echoing church, each reading draped us with insights and reverence for Christ’s gift of sacrifice. It proved a very moving way of remembering Jesus’s journey. 

Nonviolence Works is a network of Christian Peace Organisations, including Pax Christi, committed to furthering peace in communities. The network has evidence that there are ways other than violent intervention to resolve differences and bring an end to wars. It publishes cases that show how nonviolent approaches can and do work. We will publish examples from time to time. Here are three: 

Norway 1942 

Teachers refused to co-operate with the pro-Nazi Quisling regime and, although many endured prison, the obligation to teach Nazi doctrines had to be withdrawn. 

Mozambique 1989-92 

The Rome-based Community of Sant” Egidio brokered an agreement between RENAMO and FRELIMO forces, ending ten years of war. 

Guatemala 2007 

Young stilt walkers used circus acts and carnival in the streets to transform the climate of violence spread by brutal youth gangs. 

Fr Luke writes: I am gradually revamping the resources and CTS racks in our churches. New ‘CTS Essentials’ leaflets have been purchased dealing with a variety of subjects including: Contemplative Prayer, the Blessed Sacrament and Sunday Mass please feel free to take any of these leaflets. (These leaflets are free - even if they are priced at 20p!) 

Books and booklets remain as individually priced, but I will be updating the selection shortly – Please use this resource to help nourish your faith.

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? 

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. 

There is 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. The current schedule, however, means that this 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. 

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. 

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