The last Sunday of the year is always celebrated as the Feast of Christ the King and in each year of the liturgical cycle we are invited to ponder some aspect of Christ’s rule over the church and indeed all creation. In year C (2022) we have been reading the gospel of Luke over many Sundays and have been privileged to see how the great mystery of God’s universal love and mercy is revealed in the person of Jesus. It is appropriate then on this feast to focus on Jesus on the cross, granting pardon to the repentant thief.
For Luke this aspect of the kingdom of God has been central: Jesus has come to bring the healing forgiveness of God to all who seek it.
‘If you are the king of the Jews then save yourself.’ This cry of mockery from the crowds on Calvary is worthy of our reflection on a feast such as today’s. It is precisely because he is the king of the Jews, and indeed king of the whole world, that Jesus does not save himself. He is more concerned to save others. This he does, not by the majestic use of power or a dramatic manifestation of his glory, but rather through a humble giving of himself in which the mercy of God is offered to everyone in an act of overwhelming generosity. Today we celebrate a king whose wealth lies in his love for all, and whose authority is exercised through service of those who are considered the least important of all. Jesus does not seek servants who grovel before his throne in the hope of being granted favours, he is looking for disciples who can stand before the cross and see there their own worth and the worth of every other human being, and who will be prepared to do what they can to uphold the dignity of their brothers and sisters.
The power of truth, of honesty, of forgiveness – with no frills! How different the world would be if it was governed by this kind of power!
Lord, thy kingdom come!
READINGS 1st. 2 Samuel 5:1-3. David becomes king of a united people.
Responsorial: Psalm 121: 1-5. R./: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
2nd. Colossians 1:12-20. A hymn to Jesus as the living head of the Church.
Gospel: Luke 23:35-43. The crucified Jesus is the King who leads into paradise.
MASS INTENTIONS Sunday 20th November 11.15am Liam Mee RIP (died recently); Margaret Butler RIP (died recently).
Friday 25th November 10.00am Melville Beers RIP: Patrick Tarrant SI
BAPTISMS 19th. Saturday. Trinity, daughter of Leonard Singh and Charlotte Notley.
20th. Sunday. James & Louis, sons of Russell and Michelle Higgins.
BAPTISMAL COURSE For parents of children to be baptised during December 2022 and January 2023. Being held at St. Joseph’s Parish Centre at 11am, Saturday 26th.
FEAST OF ST EDMUND CAMPION Thursday 1st December: The Mass at 9.30am is for the Children at our school and also our parishioners.
Edmund Campion was martyred for the Faith on December 1st 1491. We ask God’s blessings upon our parish community, and we come together for this special day.
ADVENT PENITENTIAL SERVICES Advent (the beginning of a new liturgical year in the church) is the perfect time to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness through this healing sacrament, offering us the opportunity for a clean slate prior to celebrating the joy of Christmas. Join us for one of four penance services, during this holy Season, where we will participate in a communal penance service. Following the service, volunteers will direct you to the priests located around the church to hear confessions and receive the sacrament of Reconciliation.
God wants to extend His love to you – all you need to do is accept the call. Whether it’s been days, weeks, months, or years, you’re invited to join us! During the month of December:
7th. @7pm. St. Thomas More, Twyford. (Wednesday).
10th. @10am. St. Edward’s, Windsor. (Saturday).
14th. @7pm. St. Joseph’s. Maidenhead. (Wednesday).
17th. @10am. St. Edmund Campion, M’head. (Saturday).
MASSES FROM DECEMBER Due to an increase in heating costs etc, it has been decided that morning Mass will be celebrated in the Parish Centre, beginning Monday 5th December until Springtime at 9.30am. This will be Monday to Thursday.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mass will be celebrated in the Church.
Funerals, Baptisms, and other special occasions and major Feast Days will also be celebrated in the Church.
Further, the livestreaming of Mass will move from Wednesday mornings to Friday, beginning 9th December.
The parish Centre is a warmer location and people are very welcome to stay on afterwards for a cuppa and chat.
WARM HUB We will be opening the Parish Centre as a Warm Hub on Mondays from the beginning of December. We really need a volunteer to take charge of a welcoming rota for each Monday. The Hall will be heated and we’d like to offer refreshments. The volunteer would coordinate volunteers to be present and provide some hospitality to anyone who chooses to use the Hall in this time. Please contact Sarah in the Parish Office if this is something you would consider doing for our Parish. Thank you.
BLESSING OF THE GRAVES
As is our Catholic tradition, there is a prayerful Service held during the month of November, for the blessing of the graves of our loved ones in our local graveyards. This is a very special and poignant time to reflect and pray for the departed and to reflect on our own mortality. The blessing of the graves at Oakley Court Cemetery will take place at 10am on Saturday 19th November.
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed to the mercy of God rest in peace.
ADVENT AND CHISTMAS TALKS AT ST EDMUND CAMPION How are we going to prepare for the 4 weeks of Advent and the Nativity? Come and listen to the following talks after the Monday morning Mass:
CHRISTMAS TALK Monday 19th December at 10.00 am Dr. Judith Thomas
Both talks will last approximately an hour.
All welcome. Note the dates in your diary and gather together as we prepare to enter the new liturgical year in which the readings are taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew
TALK BY FR KEVIN Pope Francis wrote an apostolic Letter on Liturgical Formation entitled Desiderio Desideravi (“I have earnestly desired”) Kevin will give a presentation (which will last approximately an hour) on Monday the 21st November after the 9:30 Mass.
RED MISSIO BOXES Thank you to all who have brought in a Red Box to be emptied. Please can you remember to pick up your empty one from the porch. They are on top of the cabinet on the right as you enter.
PARISH CONSULTATION on Draft-Ten Year Mission Plan for our Diocese. Thank you to the groups who turned up for Sessions One and Two. In all, there are three sessions. The final session will be Monday 5th December at 7pm.
ALTAR SERVER TRAINING We are in desperate need of new Altar Servers. Anyone in Year 3 or above can apply to be an Altar Server, and will be fully trained and supported in their role. They will need to attend 4pm on Saturday 19th November. Hosted by Ruth McCartney and training by Jack. Please come along and participate in the Ministry of Servers. We envisage that Altar Servers will begin their ministry on the First Sunday of Advent, 26th/27th November, which is the new Liturgical Year of the Church.
LOVE CHRISTMAS We are supporting the Love Christmas initiative again this year. St Edmund Campion Church will be collecting for Love Christmas on the weekend of the 19th/20th November. Please bring Cash, we will try to have a contactless offer as well for donations.
Love Christmas is a project aimed at extending love and kindness across our town this Christmas. This year we are planning to deliver 500 bags of kindness to the isolated elderly (identified through care agencies), families facing a difficult Christmas (identified through schools across the borough), refugees and asylum seekers. Each bag will be tailored towards the intended recipient and will cost around £15. The total cost of the project is expected to be a little under £8000.
Those interested are also able to practically support the project by joining the packing party where the individual bags will be put together. This will take place on the morning of Saturday 10th December at St Peter’s Church. If you would like to join or have any other questions about the Love Christmas 2022, please contact Sarah France on sarah@thefrances.co.uk. www.stpetersmaidenhead.org.uk/lovechristmas
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
YOGA CLASSES Next class is Tuesday 29th November at 11.45am. There is no class Tuesday 22nd November, apologies for any inconvenience. Classes are free but if possible, a donation for charity will be appreciated. Come to all the classes, come to some, try a class...you’ll be welcome!
Yoga mats will be available. Bring your own if you have one. Mat cleaning spray and wipes will be available. Contact Rachel at wellhappyyoga@gmail.com or the parish office.
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 Due to many requests, beginning the First Friday of December, Mass will be in the morning at 10am and an additional Mass at 7pm Friday evening. It is to help those who cannot attend the morning Mass.
Please come and pray and receive the Healing Oils and Holy Eucharist. Friday 2nd December is St Edmund Campion Church and Friday 3rd February in St Josephs Church. Please note there is no Healing Mass on the 6th January as this is a day of Solemnity for the Epiphany of the Lord.
RUBY JUBILEE The original tickets that you purchased can be used for entry on the night. If you need additional tickets there are some available. Please let us have your details after Mass. If you have a ticket but are not able to join us on 21st then please contact us for a refund. The contact details are office@stedmundcampion.org.uk. Refunds can be processed from 28th November. If you have mislaid your tickets please contact us as soon as possible on norisdukes@googlemail.com; all tickets are numbered and we can therefore help you.
If anyone has photos of any church events from 1980-1990 please may we borrow them to copy to make a slide show. Please contact Reena on stecmassrep@gmail.com to make this arrangement.
The event is smart casual, food and a disco will be provided. Please bring your own drinks.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENING The school is holding one of its main fundraiser events on Saturday Dec 3rd from 19.00 until 21:30. Please join in the shopping evening where you can buy big or small gifts from small business and support them as well as the school. Home decor, cocktails, cookies, candles or handbags to name a few. Entry is £2 per person. If you cannot join but still want to collaborate please consider popping over to purchase some raffle tickets - all proceeds to the school. Many thanks for your support.
SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGER St Mary’s are looking for a School Business Manager. The advert can be found here. https://www.mynewterm.com/jobs/139882/EDV-2022-SMCPSM-58254
SVP Maidenhead are launching a Christmas Tree appeal to try and give a christmas present to each of the 86 children seeking asylum in Maidenhead. We will be putting gift tags on the Christmas Tree in the parish centre which will be put up the next couple of weeks. The tags will have details representing each child. Please would you consider taking a tag and donating a gift/voucher for that child to the value of £15. If you would like to have a tag in advance of the Tree going up then please ring us on 07749 917134. Please bring any gifts back - unwrapped but with the tag attached - to the parish office as soon as you can. Thank you very much in advance for any donations you can make.
SQUIRRELS Our very active parish Scout Group is opening a new section, a Squirrels Drey, for 4 and 5 year olds, girls and boys, early next year. This will allow younger children to join in the adventure which is Scouting.
With this young age group we will, of course, be needing a number of new leaders and helpers, with the support of our current leaders.
If you enjoy working with this age group and would like to hear more about us or would like to add your child's name to our waiting list please contact Loz on lozzermarchant@yahoo.co.uk
TODDLERS GROUP Every Termtime Friday 8.45-10.45 in the Parish Centre.
KNOCK SHRINE PILGRIMAGE Escorted Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine, Ireland, 15th March 2023. £699.00 per person sharing. Price includes flight, all transfers, 4 nights’ in Knock House Hotel with full board. All entertainment and excursions included. Day trips to Westport, Ballintubber Abbey, Croagh Patrick, Fr. Peyton Centre & National Museum. Special St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations. Single supplement £150.00. Contact Patricia on 01268 762 278 or 07740 175557 or email knockpilgrimages@gmail.com.
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.
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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