Last month, during the month of July, Bishop Philip issued You Will Be My Witnesses, the draft of an important strategic plan which will affect everyone in our Diocese of Portsmouth; clergy and laity alike. The plan seeks to revitalise our mission as Christ’s followers and strengthen us to meet the needs of the diocese today and for the next 10 years. Together we are charged to build new flourishing parishes, always keeping Jesus Christ at the heart of our journey.
There are three phases over the next two years; we are all invited to help shape, develop, and journey with the plan.
The first step is the ‘Consultation Phase’ from now until December. All are invited to contribute ideas, consider what is good, and what is lacking in the consultation document. All feedback will be sent to the bishop in preparation for the next phase and the publication of the finalised plan in early 2023.
The Strategy and Stewardship Group (which will be set-up in September from volunteers), encourages everybody to read the draft plan which you can access on the Portsmouth Diocese website (see address below) to learn more.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS ARE
• The 3 phases running until 2027 will work to build a sustainable, cohesive, and effective Diocese for mission.
• A new Pastoral Area will be established comprising St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s, St. Edmund Campion, and St. Thomas More, Twyford and Our Lady Queen of Peace, Wargrave. Across the diocese, some 24 new Pastoral Areas will be created from the existing 87 present parishes.
• From January 2023, the new Pastoral Areas will meet to see how they might build new ‘missionary communities’ and eventually form one parish.
This will mean reviewing all aspects of parish life; our liturgy, our schools, finances, and chaplaincy.
In Maidenhead, Cookham, Twyford and Wargrave we will work to develop a strong, caring, inclusive, thriving missionary community supporting our neighbour and becoming closer to Christ.
WHAT’S NEXT
We would like volunteers, initially to form one Strategy and Stewardship Group for St. Edmund Campion parish; one for St. Joseph’s & St. Elizabeth’s parish; and one for St. Thomas More and Our Lady Queen of Peace.
For volunteers for Edmund Campion parish, please let Fr. Liam know of your interest; For St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s, please contact Fr. Ephraim and for Twyford/Wargrave, please contact Father Jude. A team of eight will be drawn from the list and appointed for each group, compromising also of some members of the Parish Councils. These three groups will work independently until January/February 2023, and then will merge into one Strategy Group.
If interested let us know before 1st October 2022.
• From November we will hold consultation & listening sessions to seek feedback from as many people as possible. Please come along to one of these sessions so that we can capture YOUR thoughts about OUR parish and its future – more information about how to become involved will be sent out in the next few weeks.
• A condensed version of the Strategic Plan will be available in September.
• Regular updates will be issued and made available online and via the newsletter.
You can find the plan here:
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, Atwood Road.
Shauna or Sarah 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 elsewhere on this newsletter.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME: 2022 – 2023 For those families wishing to enrol their children (who are in Year 4 at school or above) for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion, applications forms will be available from the beginning of September on the parish website, church table and from the parish office. Please fill in form and return to the Parish Office (not the school) before the 20th September 2022.
Prayer Service and Introduction for Reconciliation and First Holy Communion will take place at St. Edmund Campion Church at 5pm, on Saturday the 24th September, followed by the Vigil Mass. For those applying at St. Joseph’s a similar meeting will be held at 9.45am on Sunday the 25th September, followed by Mass at 11am.
The programme is a ‘3-step-programme’.
Step 1: 14 weekends from initial meeting in September to end of December. The candidate is required to attend at least 10 weekend Masses with family members. This step is called: ‘Come And See’. (John 1: 39-41). An invitation from Jesus.
Step 2: ‘Sat at the feet of Jesus’. (Luke 10:38-42). 10 input/teaching classes between January and April. This will be done on alternative Saturdays/Sundays. Each input will comprise of 80 minutes. Candidates are expected to attend Mass every weekend during this period.
Step 3: ‘Jesus sent them out’. (Luke 10:1). During May, the candidates will do a missionary assignment in the Church and Community.
May 2023 will see the Sacraments being bestowed upon the candidates.
ALPHA COURSE St. Edwards & St. Mark’s parish in Windsor is offering the Alpha Course beginning 20th September from 19:00. After a huge response in 2019, we had to put the programme on hold due to the pandemic, so now we are very excited to be offering Alpha again, in person each week, in the St. Edward's Parish Centre.
Alpha is a 10-week course that explores life’s big questions, in an open, non-judgmental and safe place. We’ll be discussing questions like: Is there more to life than this? Does God exist? Why did Jesus have to die? And, why is there so much suffering in the world?
Millions of people have already tried Alpha in over 100 countries and languages around the world - so why not you? Perhaps you have a friend or family member who has fallen away from the faith during the pandemic, doesn't feel as connected to the church as they once did, or maybe has never truly answered life's big questions for themselves -- please invite them, we'd love to host them too!
To RSVP, please follow this link: https://forms.gle/QYmhMUHvz8jk2JBu7
If you have questions about joining, inviting others, or joining our team of volunteers, please email Ryan Greig at: alphawindsor316@gmail.com
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS (RCIA) We are all on a journey of faith, which is unique and personal, and yet a journey that we know is greatly enriched when we are able to come together and share with others.
Maybe you are a non-Catholic Christian accompanying your family to Church and now feel drawn to become part of this community of faith. Maybe your “roots” are in another religion, or in none. Maybe you are a Baptised Catholic but never received, as a young person, the Sacrament of Confirmation.
This programme is widely used in many parishes throughout the Diocese. RCIA is both a learning and teaching programme that aims to help those who would like to know more about the Christian faith from a catholic perspective and might be thinking about becoming a Catholic.
To be a full member of the Catholic Church you need to complete the process of Christian Initiation, which is when you have been Baptised, Confirmed and have made your First Holy Communion. The RCIA Programme will begin with the completion of the ten-step programme of the Alpha course run at Windsor.
RUBY JUBILEE RUBY JUBILEE CELEBRATION September 2022, will be a very special month for our Parish as we will commemorate 40 years of our Church of being built. The following activities have been put together to celebrate such special occasion as a community and we do hope you can join us:
September 10th- Folk Group Concert at the School Hall from 7.30pm. Bread and cheese supper included in the price of the ticket. People should bring their own drink. Ticket price £7.50. Tickets from Mary Ashworth (mary@bluestring.co.uk)
September 17th- Ruby Jubilee Party from 7.30pm until Midnight at the School Hall. Dress code: Smart casual.
£15 ticket per person which include food and music. Please bring your own drinks.
Tickets can be purchase after each mass with cash or money can be transfer to: St Edmund Campion Church Sort: 309304 Account: 01786378. For catering purposes tickets will be sold until the 3rd of September.
Contact email: norisdukes@gmail.com
September 18th - On this day there will only be one Sunday Mass at the school fields and it will be followed by a Family Picnic. Please bring your own food and games so we can all enjoy together this day.
Time for this mass TBC
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: St. Edmund Campion Maidenhead
Sort code: 30-93-04
Account number: 00882551
FIRST FRIDAY HEALING MASS Each First Friday will see a ‘Healing Mass’ being celebrated alternately at St. Joseph’s Church and St. Edmund Campion Church for 2022. We bring together all our needs and especially asking God’s healing spirit upon people and situations in our parish. You are very welcome.
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 you, or someone you know would like a visit from a priest, then please contact Fr. Liam or Fr. Ephraim.
CLOSER TO CHRIST CAMPAIGN There will be leaflets available in the foyer of the Church. Please help yourself and read more. Please return to the Church and these will be recycled for use in other Parishes.
CAFOD Join us to find out more about CAFOD’s World Food Crisis Appeal On Saturday 10th September there is an online meeting from 10:30 am to 12:30pm at which Catherine Ogolla CAFOD’s Country Representative for Kenya and Uganda will give an update on the desperate situation in East Africa . On Saturday 17th September there is a CAFOD meeting at St Bede’s church hall from 10:30am to 12 noon to hear from Ibrahim Njuguna CAFOD’s Surge Country Representative for Africa about the World Food Crisis and the difficulties facing communities in East Africa . Please book your place for either meeting by contacting Jo Lewry on portsmouth@cafod.org.uk or call 07710 094447
THE MARRIAGE COURSE the church of St. Edwards, Windsor is running ‘the Marriage Course’ for all married couples and couples in long term relationships. It will be held over seven sessions, and it is designed to help couples invest in their relationships and build strong marriages and relationships. It will be held on Zoom. The dates are Tuesdays: September 13, 20, 27, October 4, 18, 25 and November 1. There are catchup video sessions if you need to miss a day. The course is free except for the workbooks.
Please contact Kathy on kathyarundale@hotmail.com for information or to register for the course. We really hope you would like to come!
FIRST FRIDAY ADORATION FROM JANUARY TILL SEPTEMBER 7pm to 7am. St Edmund Campion Church, 1st September. Please contact or text Agnieszka on 07871258181 or email gnieszka@gmail.com
JOHN PAUL II AWARD – This is a faith achievement award for young people between the age of 16 and 18. It is non-competitive, inclusive, flexible and voluntary. The Award enables participants to take an active part both in the life of their Church and in the life of their community and society. For further details, contact Jonathan on manorcott@outlook.com or 01628 626527
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY LITURGY Children from the age of 4 can attend. Please put your child’s name on the register as you go into the church for Safeguarding purposes. Restarts 10th September.
YOGA CLASSES Tuesdays - Yoga classes will recommence on Tuesday the 13th of September at the new time of 11.45. Contact Rachel wellhappyyoga @ gmail.com. Find out more on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/wellhappyyoga) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wellhappyyoga/).
TODDLERS GROUP Restarting on 9th of September. Every Termtime Friday 8.45-10.45 in the Parish Centre.
PARISH HALL The Parish Hall is available to hire, for parties, celebrations, meetings, training, classes and anything else you can think of. It’s a great community space, and is available for £25 per hour.
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 or Fr Ephraim 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 Sarah (Parish Office), Fr Liam or Fr Ephraim know so that a visit can be arranged.
FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES, FOR THE COMING MONTHS
Father Ephraim will be the ‘link person’ for pastoral matters concerning the parish of St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s. He will also be 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. As we enter a new liturgical year, the four or five weekends of a month will see the same priest celebrating Mass in that particular parish. So, for January, Fr. Liam will preside at weekend Masses at St Joseph’s & St. Elizabeth’s and Fr. Ephraim at St. Edmund Campion. The following month they will swap around.
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 & Shirley F. 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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