Beginning of time - wisdom
Wisdom, truth and love seem to be the themes of readings today, and that love will lead to hope. It's a confusing sort of feast, as we cannot understand the truth of the Trinity, but we can 'hit' it from different angles.
· The wisdom of God has been born before the beginning of time. Somehow wisdom is essential to God - and is presented very often as female. In celebrating the Trinity, we celebrate and ask for wisdom, which comes from the heart of God. So this wisdom is the sort of wisdom that comes from love.
· Love is 'poured' into our hearts by the Spirit. Connected with love are qualities we would want to live by - courage and hope. These are the gifts of the Spirit as wisdom may be the gift of the Father.
· Jesus is presented by the gospel as the source of truth. He is also the truth of love, as his truth is best seen on the cross, in his self-sacrificing love.
The most famous icon of the Trinity by Rugenev, well-known to us now, has the Trinity at a table and an empty space at the table for us all. In one sense they are not completed without us! We are part of their love, and their life of wisdom, truth and love, which they wish to share with us.
| First Reading | Proverbs 8:22-31 | Wisdom is the first-born of creation. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 8:4-9 | R./: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth. | |||
| Second Reading | Romans 5:1-5 | Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | |||
| Gospel | John 16:12-15 | When the Spirit of truth comes. |
| Saturday 14th June | 6:15pm | Fr Kevin Jones | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 15th | 9:30am | Jim Beckett | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 15th | 11:15am | Stanislaw Kurpiel | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 15th | 11:15am | Wieslaw Bilinski | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 15th | 11:15am | Susan Travers | RIP | |||||
| Monday 16th | 9:30am | Irene Olive Pringle | RIP AN | |||||
| Monday 16th | 9:30am | Canon Gerard Flynn | RIP | |||||
| Saturday 21st | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | RIP |
SATURDAY 28th JUNE We congratulate Andrei and Liberty as they prepare for the Sacrament of Matrimony and begin a sacramental and human adventure together and we, as a community, wish them much love and joy in their married life.
SUNDAY 22nd June Darcy and Audrey, daughters of Benedict and Phillippa
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 June 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 4th July 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.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY CATECHISTS NEEDED: What is Children’s liturgy? It is the Liturgy of the Word suitably adapted to make it relevant to the lives and experiences of young children. It gives them the opportunity to understand the Gospel message and participate in the Sunday Mass (09.30) at their own level. We have a team of 16 catechists working in pairs, one month in four, with two age groups, 4-7 (infants) and 7 upwards (juniors). An average of between 20-30 children attend each group. All sessions contain a reading from scripture, normally the Gospel of the day. Catechists will then present the reading in other ways e.g. through drama, story, art work or discussion. Catechists often find the session personally valuable as they have to prepare the Sunday Gospel and really reflect on its message and meaning in their lives. If you would like to be involved please contact Tricia Opalko through the Parish office or email tricia.opalko@btinternet.com
DAY FOR LIFE 2025: This Trinity Sunday, the Church in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, jointly marks the Day for Life, as a reminder of the need to respect and protect the inherent value and dignity of each life. All of you are invited to join us in prayer and promotion of the Day. Useful resources, including a message from the three bishops, and more prayers, can be found on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales’s website. The second collection today goes toward the Day for Life Fund. Every year, the fund allocates over £200,000 in grants, to organisations that which promote the Christian respect for life from conception to natural death, in various ways. https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/day-for-life-second-collection-2025
THE SUMMER FUNDAY is happening on Sunday, 29th June, and we’re really looking forward to another fantastic fundraising event. Any help managing stalls would be hugely appreciated in any available slot. Please take a moment to check out the volunteer sign-up sheet and lend a hand if you can: https://volunteersignup.org/KDMLP If you’re unsure what a stall is and want more info or have any questions or are in a position to make any raffle donations please reach out to the Summer Funday team: Stedssfd@gmail.com Thanks so much for your support! The SFD team.
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
15th June: Father’s Day Prayer
On Fathers' Day we celebrate a special relationship. Whether you see your dad a lot, or if you have lots of memories of a dad you no longer see, or if you're thinking about someone who is like a dad to you, there are lots of ways to bless and remember the fatherly people in our lives. And in our community, we pray for all the Dads, father figures, and men who inspire others, especially the younger generation…
God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things.
Bless those fathers who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of parenting.
Bless those who have lost a spouse to death, or separation or divorce, who are parenting their children alone.
Strengthen them by your love so that they may become the loving caring persons they are meant to be.
Gracious God bless all father figures with such love and faithfulness that children flourish and grow in uprightness and joy.
Bless those who long to be fathers and bless those for whom this day is difficult.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
JUNE: THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART
A Presentation on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter DILEXIT NOS On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ “HE LOVED US”
VACANCY St Mary's Catholic Pre School are looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic and passionate Level 3 Early Year’s Practitioner to join our nurturing team.3 days per week – Tues, Thurs & Fri. More info: 01628627013 or email preschool@stmaryspreschoolmaidenhead.co.uk
CHURCH MUSIC The Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated over the weekend of 21st/22nd June, and we are delighted that children from Y3 & Y4 from our school will sing some of the hymns, under the direction of Mr Neil Cannon, Choral Director for the Diocese, at the 9.30am Mass on June 22nd. They have been practicing so hard. So, congrats to them for all their hard work and beautiful voices.
GIFT AID WEEKEND 14th & 15th June We will be discussing Gift Aid at Mass this weekend, with volunteers present to hand out the relevant Gift Aid form. If you are a UK taxpayer, please consider signing up to Gift Aid if you don’t already - we can claim 25p for every £1 donated.
SUNDAY EVENING MASS The Sunday Evening Mass at St Joseph’s Church will continue, however, the time is changing from 5pm to 4pm, beginning 6th July.
ALTAR SERVERS TRAINING Saturday 21st June, 11:30-12:30. Training is for all current and new altar servers. Please attend one session. We are in need of more altar servers. If your child is in year 3 or above, and would like to join the rota, please complete an application form - available in the church porch or outside the parish office and return to the parish office.
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.
SIGNIFICANT WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS Saturday 21st June at 11am St Bede’s church in Basingstoke. Are you celebrating a 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th or anniversary over 60 years? If so, Bishop Philip would like to invite you to a Mass of celebration. This will be followed by a buffet lunch. It is a wonderful occasion to celebrate and witness to Marriage. Please contact the parish office or send an email to anniversaries@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk to request a form for you to complete and return. To help celebrate the occasion please could you provide a COPY of your Wedding photograph, you can upload it when you return the form. Again, if you have no access to the internet you can post a COPY along with completed form by post to the following address: St Bede’s Parish Office, Popley Way, Basingstoke, RG24 9DX
MAIDENHEAD SVP 2025 SMARTIES APPEAL FOR SOUTH SUDAN Please can Smarties tubes be returned to either St Joseph's or St Edmund Campion Church by Sunday 15th June 2025 . Thank you for your support
CAFOD In this Jubilee Year CAFOD is working with our sister Caritas organisations around the world to call for urgent action on the global debt crisis. Many of the world's poorest countries are suffering huge debt burdens with devastating impacts on ordinary people. Pope Francis spoke about this many times, saying, "More than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice." Please sign the worldwide Church petition https://action.cafod.org.uk/page/161357/petition/1?locale=en-GB or in the church porch.
YOGA CLASSES Tuesday 24th June 11am-11:45am. Everyone is welcome. No charge for the class, just a small donation to charity if able. For more information contact Rachel: wellhappyyoga@gmail.com or the parish office.
ST EDMUND CAMPION CHURCH & SCHOOL SUMMER FUN DAY Sunday 29th June 12pm-3pm, beginning with Mass on the school field at 11am.
ST MARY’S SUMMER FAYRE Sunday 21st June 1pm-4pm
LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT GROUP Sunday 13th July & Sunday 14th September 2:30pm-4:30pm in the parish centre. PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN AUGUST
TODDLER GROUP Every Friday in termtime, 8:45am-10:45am in the Parish Centre.
LEGION OF MARY GROUP Fridays 6pm in St Joseph's Church contact Fr Ephraim 07785 727951 or Thereza 07878117907
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.
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY LITURGY - 9:30am Mass Children from the age of 4 can attend. Please put your child’s name on the register as you go into the church.
MISSALS Please email office if you want to pre-order the CTS Daily Missal available in May. £70 with Sunday, £55 weekday readings only
VOLUNTEERS: From Sunday 8th December 2024, subscribers to the Update Service will be emailed 30 days before their renewal date to ask if they wish to stay subscribed. Renewal dates are based on original joining dates. DBS advises volunteers to check that the email address attached to their subscription is linked to the individual who is subscribed. The renewal email will ask volunteers to access their Update Service Account and confirm that they wish to continue with the service. For those who confirm, this request will be repeated annually. If no confirmation is made, their volunteer subscription will automatically be cancelled. Volunteers who do not renew their subscription will not be able to keep their DBS certificate(s) up to date and organisations will not be able to check them. They will need to reapply for a DBS if they need one in the future. If you are a volunteer that is subscribed to the update service, please check that the correct email address is linked to the subscription service.
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).
RED BOXES Thank you to all who brought in their red boxes. Please keep them coming! The total amount raised for Missio by our parish in 2024 was £1527.39. Many thanks as always for your generosity.
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 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 Ephraim is the ‘link person’ for pastoral matters concerning the parish of St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s. He is also chaplain 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. Ephraim and Fr. Liam 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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