Jesus – the One who takes away our sins.
Once upon a time there was a beautiful porcelain teapot. But it was very frail and delicate. Consequently, it was used only on very special occasions, and only for important visitors. But then one day a careless person dropped it. The lid and spout got broken. The beautiful teapot was now considered to be useless and was thrown out. For a long time it lay in a refuse dump. Coats of dirt settled on it, blotting out whatever traces of beauty it still possessed. From time-to-time people came to the dump, hoping to find something of value. On seeing the teapot, they would say, ‘What a pity it got broken! It must have been beautiful when it was in one piece’. Then one day a famous flower grower visited the dump. She found the teapot and took it home with her. The first thing she did was clean it up. In spite of its brokenness, she found it very beautiful, and she wondered how anyone could have thrown it away. Then she had an inspiration. She would use it as a flowerpot. She filled it with soil, planted a seed in it, and placed it in the front window of her house. Time passed. The seed grew and blossomed into a beautiful flower. Passers-by stopped to admire the flower, and also the handsome pot in which it grew. Sin is not a physical stain that we can just wash away. Nor can we take it away as if it was a thing. Sin is not a thing. Sin is a condition – a condition of brokenness and woundedness. Each of us is damaged and broken. Jesus came to redeem us. To be redeemed is to be made whole and well. It is to be restored to our original brightness through the grace of the Holy Spirit. However, this is a lifelong process. We are not things to be repaired. We are people, people to be brought back into relationship with God and one another.
Lord, send your Holy Spirit to us,
to heal the wounds of our hearts so that we may produce the fruits of love.
| First Reading | Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 | God is preparing his people Israel to become a light for all nations. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 39:2, 4, 7-10 | R./: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. | |||
| Second Reading | 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 | Paul greets his converts in Corinth, who are called to be saints. | |||
| Gospel | John 1:29-34 | John the Baptist announces the One who will baptise us with the Holy Spirit. |
| Sunday 17th January | 6:15pm | Doreen Brown | ||||
| Sunday 18th | 11:15am | Colin Warburton | ||||
| Monday 19th | 9:30am | Mary Murphy | ||||
| Thursday 22nd | 9:30am | Kolassery Nair | ||||
| Saturday 24th | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | ||||
| Sunday 25th | 11:15am | Renzo Inzani |
HOUSE BLESSING: House blessings (also known as house healings, house clearings, house cleansings and space clearing) are rites intended to protect the inhabitants of a house or apartment. It is also there asking God’s protection and blessing upon each member of the family. In Christianity, house blessing is an ancient tradition dating back to the early days, that is usually performed by a priest who sprinkles holy water and blessed salt as he walks through every room of the house, accompanied by the occupants of the house, whilst praying for the occupants. If you would like your home/apartment/room blessed, then please contact one of the priests and a time and date can be arranged. The blessing ritual takes about 20 minutes, and it is lovely if all occupants of the home are present.
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PARISH? Thank you for your interest in our parish. Whether you're just visiting us for a brief time, looking for a new parish home, returning to the practice of your Catholic faith or are interested in finding out more about the Catholic Church, we are happy to answer your questions, listen to your comments and help you in any way that we can. We are a parish of the Diocese of Portsmouth, and are a very vibrant community, made up of ‘old’ Maidenhead families and relative “newcomers” from all walks of life. We hope that you find our Catholic parish a caring community that is loving, welcoming and supportive of all. Our mission is to grow in the image of Christ through the Holy Spirit, to be formed by the Word and our prayer, to use our gifts to welcome those who are here and reach out to those who are not. We invite you to join us as partners in the mission. Together, let us get to know Christ better and to make Him better known. May God Bless you wherever you are and thank you for exploring our website and newsletter. Please stop by the parish office to introduce yourself! We would love to meet you.
FIRST FRIDAY: The First Friday of the month is traditionally a time when a priest visits a home to anoint anyone who is house bound, with holy oil, and to administer the sacrament of Holy Communion. The parish has several people on this list. If indeed, you or someone you know would like a visit from a priest, then please contact Fr. Liam, Fr. Ephraim or Fr. Tom.
FIRST FRIDAY HEALING MASS These special Masses will take place on:
Friday 6th February 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 6th March 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
WHAT IS A HEALING MASS?
Healing Masses are opportunities to directly seek physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing. These Masses include a homily that is focused on healing, prayers of the faithful that are directly asking God to heal us, and prayers after communion that are prayed by the Priest to help facilitate greater healing in our lives.
The Mass is the most powerful way that we can seek healing as Christians. Jesus is present in the Mass through the Scriptures, through giving Himself to us in His Body and His Blood, and through our worship of Him. He is the one who heals us. The Mass helps to facilitate the healing that Jesus wants to give to all of us.
BAPTISMAL COURSE The Baptismal Course is available for all Parents whose child is being Baptised at either St Joseph’s, St Elizabeth’s or St Edmund Campion. The course is a 90 minute preparation and guidance. It is held at St Joseph’s the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm. The next meetings are:
DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER: The Diocesan Mailing is produced every week and contains news, training opportunities and events from around the diocese and wider Catholic Church. The weekly newsletter is designed to bring you the latest information and events, straight to your email inbox. We try to keep it short and sweet (though, occasionally we can't help but get carried away with a great story or a brilliant opportunity). Click or go to the following site to sign up: www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
House Masses/Blessings: Father Liam is more than happy to celebrate a House Mass or a House Blessing for any family or group of families who would like it. If you are interested, then please email Father Liam or telephone the Parish Office.
Contact: If you wish to speak to Father Liam in confidence on any matter, please contact him for an appointment. He is always happy to visit your home if so desired. Email: lcummins@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk Telephone: 07776580596
Hospital: If you are going into hospital or know or someone that is, please inform the hospital chaplain on arrival. Please also let Father Liam know so that arrangements can be made for a visit. Please note that under the Data Protection Act, hospital staff cannot disclose patient information. We rely on Parishioners to keep us in the loop.
Housebound: If you know of anyone who is sick and/or housebound please let Ruth (Parish Office) or Father Liam know so that a visit can be arranged.
FIRST FRIDAY: The First Friday of the month is traditionally a time when a priest visits a home to anoint anyone who is house bound, with holy oil, and to administer the sacrament of Holy Communion. The parish has several people on this list. If indeed, you or someone you know would like a visit from a priest, then please contact Fr. Liam.
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling." (Ephesians 4:4)
In a world with diverse and often divided traditions and expressions of Christian faith, Ephesians 4:4 reminds us that all believers are part of the "one body" of Christ. For this year, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. These resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer and petitions used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 extends an invitation to draw upon this shared Christian heritage and to delve more deeply into our fellowship in Christ, which unites Christians worldwide. Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026
https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity
PARISH COLLECTION Please continue to support your parish, its activities and outreach programmes by contributing to the weekly collection via the 'baskets' and/or Contactless. It is very positive that a lot of our parishioners, over the course of the pandemic, switched their contribution from cash to Bank Transfer.
NB: If you want to set up a direct debit or standing order (or even make a one-off donation) the account details are:
Account name: CDP MAIDENHEAD ST EDMUND CAMPION
Sort code: 30-93-04
Account number: 00882551
NOSTALGIA NIGHT - For one night only, Friday 30th January 2026, the West End is coming to St Edmund Campion The music of Cormac Diamond and three other professional singers will take us down memory lane and be sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a tune in your head as they sing everything from Cole Porter to Elton John, accompanied by piano and violin. Truly a night to remember. All proceeds will go to St Edmund Campion Church refurbishment. Tickets are £20 and will be available after most Masses. Tickets are also available online using a QR code, but this will attract a booking fee. There will also be a cash bar and raffle that evening.
VISION GROUP Dry January: Many of us give up drinking for the month of January after the excesses of Christmas and the New Year. This year we are collecting any bottles that have not been drunk, together with unwanted Christmas gifts including Chocolates, for our church renovations. Please drop off in the large boxes outside the Parish office and Church porch.
CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME: Candidates, eligible to start Stage Two of the Confirmation Programme will begin this stage Saturday 24th January 2026, at 4.30pm at St. Edmund Campion Church Hall. You are requested to bring along your Mass attendance cards. Please note the requirements to enter Stage Two of the programme. We continue to pray for them.
CHRISTMAS STARS Thank you all for your very generous contributions to our Christmas Stars appeal. There were 57 stars around the sactuary and the total collected for Number 22 and The Samaritans was £885.
THANK YOU to Kelley & Marian who decorated the church for Christmas and Kathryn & Moira who decorated the parish centre - it all looked beautiful. It takes a lot of time and effort to put the decorations up and take them down again, and without the help of volunteers from our community, we would not be able to do it all. Thank you also to the liturgy team for all their hard work with the Christmas services and carol service.
MARRIAGE CARE: Volunteers needed! Marriage Care is looking to recruit volunteers to help present their Marriage Preparation courses in the local area (a couple of Saturdays in the year). Full training and support are given. To find out more visit our website www.marriagecare.org.uk or contact Sue Cooper on 07939495774 or at sue.cooper@marriagecare.org
SUPPORT: Jane and Peter Kelly from STM are raising money for SVP by taking on the challenge of walking the Camino (110 km pilgrimage route across Spain over several days) in April. Please support this wonderful endeavour!
MISSALS We have a small number of daily missals and weekday missals available. Daily missals - £70; Weekday - £55. Please contact the office if you would like to purchase one.
SVP are in need of donations of men’s clothes and old mobile phones - all data will be cleared before being allocated. Please leave donations outside the church office marked for the attention of SVP. Thank you.
SAFEGUARDING TRAINING Saturday 24th January, 10am-1pm St Edwards, Windsor. The training is open to all those in recruitment for, or currently working in roles with children and/or adults at risk within the Parish. To book a place, please email safeguarding@catholicwindsor.org.
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PARISH? Thank you for your interest in our parish. Whether you're just visiting us for a brief time, looking for a new parish home, returning to the practice of your Catholic faith or are interested in finding out more about the Catholic Church, we are happy to answer your questions, listen to your comments and help you in any way that we can. We are a parish of the Diocese of Portsmouth, and are a very vibrant community, made up of ‘old’ Maidenhead families and relative “newcomers” from all walks of life. We hope that you find our Catholic parish a caring community that is loving, welcoming and supportive of all. Our mission is to grow in the image of Christ through the Holy Spirit, to be formed by the Word and our prayer, to use our gifts to welcome those who are here and reach out to those who are not. We invite you to join us as partners in the mission. Together, let us get to know Christ better and to make Him better known. May God Bless you wherever you are and thank you for exploring our website and newsletter. Please stop by the parish office to introduce yourself! We would love to meet you.
MASS INTENTIONS: There is a long and venerable tradition in the Catholic Church that the faithful ask their priests to celebrate Holy Mass for particular, specified intentions. An individual may ask a priest to offer a Mass for several reasons: for example, in thanksgiving, for the intentions of another person (such as on a birthday, good health, peace in family life), or as is most common, for the repose of the soul of someone who has died or on their anniversary. This custom, which was well-understood in generations past, is increasingly being forgotten. Since the practice is of immense spiritual benefit to both the living and the dead, and because it also helps to support your clergy and parish, we would encourage you to request that Masses be offered for your intentions. Please contact Ruth in the Parish Office, if you wish to have a Mass celebrated for your intentions. Pope Paul VI said, “The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer!” It has immense power and countless miracles and conversions have occurred throughout the centuries by offering Masses for a specific intention or person. Mass intentions are a great treasure of the Church and have a spiritual weight that is incalculable.
LEGION OF MARY GROUP Fridays 6pm in St Joseph's Church
ADoRE spiritual mini-retreat 24th January 10am-1pm on Zoom. "GOD IS LOVE" Register in advance at bit.ly/ADOREJAN2026 More information at www.altonrenewal.com
Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM) 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 2.30 – 4.30pm in St Joseph’s St Elizabeth’s Room
GIFT AID: If you have a standing order or direct debit donation to the Parish and gift aid your donation, please complete a new Gift Aid form. These will need to be completed for all existing Gift Aid Declarations. New Direct Debit and Gift Aid forms are available in the church porch and in the drawers outside the Parish Office. Please return all completed forms to the Parish Office. Thank you to everyone who has completed a form over the last few months.
DONA CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS are now available in the church porch. You can Gift Aid your donation to the church and Second Collections. You only need to put your details in once and all future donations using the same card will be Gift Aided. Donations, Repository, Candles, Mass Intentions can all be paid for using the machine– just select the option on the screen.
WELCOME A very warm welcome to all parishioners and visitors who join us, whether in our Churches of St. Joseph’s, St. Elizabeth’s, St. Edmund Campion or via the live-stream. If you are new to the area, please register as a member of our Parishes. The parish offices are situated at St. Joseph’s Church, Cookham Road and St. Edmund Campion, Altwood Road. Carolyn or Ruth can send you a soft copy of the registration form if you so wish, or pick up a hard copy at the church. The parish office details are available on the website and in the church porch.
REPOSITORY Please see our repository for cards & Mass cards for all occasions. Cash payments in the box on the wall or via the Dona contactless machine (minimum £1 payments).
PARISH COMMUNICATION We have reduced our newsletter to one two-sided A4 sheet. In order to make sure you are receiving up to date communications, please consider signing up to receive information by email. Parishioner registration forms are available in the church porch and in the drawers outside the Parish Office – please complete one and return it to the Parish office.
SCHOOL PLAYGROUND The Reception area playground is not for use at the weekends. Please make sure that children are not entering this area before or after weekend Masses. The staff prepare the area on Friday afternoon so that it is ready for learning on Monday morning. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
FOOD IN THE CHURCH The church is cleaned every Friday afternoon. Recently there appears to be a lot of food debris on the Church floor after weekend Masses. If you or your child needs to eat during Mass, can we request that you please use the Parish Centre. Thank you for your cooperation.
FOODSHARE Are you an NHS, Emergency services or a Blue Light worker. Foodshare is now operating a shop, so if you're struggling to make ends meet, for a cost of £10 per visit you can "buy" a trolley of food. Call 01628 262711 for fast and fuss free support.
VACANCIES - For job vacancies in the Diocese please see Diocese website https://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/
We have activities planned for later this year and would be happy to hear from you if you would like to get involved or have an idea of your own. Please contact Sarah Bowden (bowden.sarah@googlemail.com).
LIBRARY We have a parish library located in the foyer of the Parish Centre. One bookcase is dedicated to Theology/Religious books, another bookcase to Fiction/Non-Fiction and a third smaller bookcase to children's Bibles/Bible stories etc. Please feel free to borrow/swap.
If you would like to donate, we can only accept books that are in excellent and clean condition. Thank you and enjoy.
FOODSHARE We are a collection point for Foodshare. Our collection area is just inside the porch doors, but if you leave food outside, out of hours (in a bag or other covering) the building is regularly checked. Foodshare are currently really in need of tinned vegetables and tinned meat, amongst all the regular donations.
APPOINTMENTS If you wish to speak to Fr Liam, Fr Ephraim, Fr Kevin or Fr Tom in confidence on any matter, please contact either one for an appointment. They are happy to visit your home if so desired, adhering to social distancing guidelines.
HOUSEBOUND If you know of anyone who is sick and/or housebound, please let Ruth (Parish Office), Fr Liam or Fr Ephraim know so that a visit can be arranged.
FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES, FOR THE COMING MONTHS
Father Vuni & Fr Elvis are the ‘link people’ for pastoral matters concerning the parish of St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s. They are also chaplains to St. Mary’s school.
Father Liam will be the ‘link person’ for the parish of St. Edmund Campion and will be chaplain to St. Edmund Campion school.
Fr. Liam, Fr Elvis & Fr Vuni are on call each day and will serve our community as best they can. You can call either of them on their mobile numbers, contact them via email or visit them at St. Joseph’s Presbytery.
THE WELCOMING MINISTRY (Mass Rep) is dedicated to helping all parishioners and visitors enhance their worship experience at Mass by making them feel welcome and included in our Eucharistic celebration, helping them connect with our parish, and participating in the numerous ministry opportunities offered at St. Edmund Campion. The Mass Rep is the ‘overseer’ in ensuring that the various ministries during Mass are fulfilled. Further, they are there to help you with any queries.
We thank our mass reps:
6:15pm Saturday: Reena K. 9:30am Sunday: Elvira E-M 11:15am Sunday: Julie C.
ADMISSION INTO ST EDMUND CAMPION SCHOOL AND NURSERY is based on Mass attendance for some categories. In our parish, we have an attendance card available from the table in the church lobby. Every time you come to Sunday Mass please get your card stamped. For information on the current Admissions Policy see the school's website, www.st-edmund.org.uk.
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