Two particular thoughts are prompted by today’s readings. The first is John’s dramatic declaration, ‘Behold the Lamb of God’.
The second is an invitation to do a personal stock-taking during this first month of the new year and make some resolutions to improve the quality of our lives. The Baptist urges us to ask what are we fundamentally about and then seek to reset our lives. And St Paul reminds us that we are “called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
An honest stock-taking of ourselves may unveil the selfish motives that often direct our actions. To rise above an ego-centric spirit we need to recognise something outside of and larger than ourselves, the God who cares for us and for the whole human community.
Can we listen to John’s call to restore what is broken, and Jesus’ call, to bring light to the world? Do we see that it is with our cooperation that the Lamb can remove the “sin of the world?”
Facing our deepest personal truths is always difficult; it calls us to not just drift along with this world’s evil, always taking the line of least resistance. Discipleship is urgent and costly, but it is also possible and is the way towards the deeper joy and fulfilment that our soul is longing for. If we properly hear the Baptist as he witnesses to Christ, our response will be a stock-taking that goes to the root of our being. It may even reveal to us the truth that sets us free.
“To understand the Scriptures, we must stop acting like mere spectators.” ...Karl Barth
Readings:
1st. Isaiah 49:3, 5-6. God is preparing his people Israel to become a light for all nations.
Responsorial: Psalm 39:2, 4, 7-10. R./: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
2nd. 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.
BAPTISM Saturday 21st. Saturday. Valencia Matthias Daughter of Darren Matthias and Sofia Matthias
THANK YOU
As we move into 2023, Frs, Ephraim, Noah and Liam want to thank you all for your kindness and care over the past year. We thank you for your support and encouragement. We belong to an amazing community and despite the previous almost three years of Covid and lockdowns, we continue to stand strong and proud as people of hope, love, joy and peace.
This Christmas just gone, we celebrated the Masses in our three churches of St. Joseph’s, St. Elizabeth’s and St. Edmund Campion. The liturgy was beautiful and so many of you got involved in setting the scene within and outside the church.
We must say, we are deeply touched by your abundant generosity of donations, well wishes and gifts over the Christmas period.
For your spirit of solidarity and being such fantastic witness of living a life of faith, we say thank you.
We pray this prayer for you:
NEW YEARS PRAYER
As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family, our friends and our parish communities of Maidenhead.
Let us release our grudges, our anger and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains.
Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way.
Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, colour or creed.
Let us keep God of our own understanding in our hearts and to chant God's name each day.
Let us lead the world from darkness to light, from falsehood to truth and from wrong to right.
Let us remember that we are all one, embracing all, discriminating against none.
May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love.
May God's blessings shower upon you and bestow upon each of you a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.
God bless you all,
Liam, Ephraim & Noah.
Sunday 8th January Isabella
Sunday 8th January 09.30 Ann McGrath RIP
Saturday 14th January 18.15 Philip Lloyd RIP AN
Sunday 15th January 11.15 Nancy Watson RIP AN
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.
This week we welcome in our midst, Fr. Tom McGrath, a retired priest of the Diocese of Portsmouth. Tom was for many years, parish priest of the Catholic Community of Maidenhead, and has now returned to meet up once more with many friends and assist in the pastoral work of the parish. We wish him many happy and contented years ahead, here in Maidenhead.
WEEKDAY MASSES 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, if we don’t have a volunteer it will not be possible to offer the initiative. 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.
FIRST FRIDAY HEALING MASS Please note there is no Healing Mass on the 6th January as this is a day of Solemnity for the Epiphany of the Lord. Each First Friday will see a ‘Healing Mass’ being celebrated alternatively at St. Joseph’s Church and St. Edmund Campion Church for 2023. We bring together all our needs and especially asking God’s healing spirit upon people and situations in our parish. You are very welcome.
3rd February. 10am and 7pm Mass celebrated at St. Joseph’s
3rd March. 10am and 7pm Mass celebrated at St. Edmund Campion.
5th May. 10am and 7pm Mass celebrated at St. Joseph’s.
2nd June. 10am and 7pm Mass celebrated at St. Edmund Campion.
FLAME 2023 Join us on Saturday 4 March 2023 at OVO Arena, Wembley for the largest Catholic gathering of young people in England and Wales, Flame Congress. This is an amazing opportunity for youth in our pastoral area to attend, what has proven over the years to be an awesome and inspiring experience. If you or someone you know is in Year 9 or above, at College, or University , or a young adult in our Diocese, and you think they would really benefit from this great event, then why not tell them? Tickets to attend Flame 23 are now on sale at the early bird price of £24 and should be purchased through the Diocese either through your parish or by contacting youth@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk without delay as it is expected the tickets will be snapped up very quickly. For further information, look up the following website: FLAME – CYMFed
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
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 HOLY COMMUNION CLASSES As you are aware, the First Holy Communion journey is in three stages. Stage One, was simply coming to Mass for the last number of months and participating in the prayers and singing, and being comfortable with the journey of liturgy. At the end of each Mass, the candidate for First Holy Communion received a stamp to show their attendance. This will continue. However, the family/child will need to show their attendance by showing the priest or catechist their Mass Attendance Card. If there is consistency, then the child will be invited into Stage Two of the programme, which are the classes. If not, and there seems no interest in Mass attendance, then the child and family will be asked to postpone the reception of the Sacrament for another year.
STAGE 2 The next two classes for the First Holy Communion Programme are on Saturday 21st January, and Saturday 4th February, at 4:45pm at St. Edmund Campion School. We continue to pray for them.
Christian Unity Week: 18-25 JANUARY, 2023 “Do good; seek justice.” (Isaiah 1:17) The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2023 was selected by the Minnesota Council of Churches, USA in the aftermath of the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd and the trial of the police officer responsible for his death. These events brought anguish, but also time for the Christian communities to contemplate ways in which they may be complicit in racial injustice.
It also focusses our attention on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark in 2023. The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen's memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better. Christian unity is needed as a source of reconciliation and unity.
The theme, taken from the first chapter of the Book of Isaiah, reflects his concern for the oppressed who suffer from injustice and inequality fed by hypocrisy that leads to disunity. He teaches that God requires righteousness and justice from all of us, to create the peace and unity that God desires. These virtues originate in God’s love for all, and racism runs counter to this vision. Isaiah’s challenge to do good and seek justice together applies equally to us today. ctbi.org.uk/week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity-2023/
RUBY JUBILEE If you have a ticket but are not able to join us on 21st then please contact us for a refund on office@stedmundcampion.org.uk. Refunds can be processed from 28th November. 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.
CAKES Weekend of 22nd January: all cakes would be appreciated for this weekend’s Masses to celebrate the Jubilee. Free to drop at the office beforehand or at hospitality at the weekend. Please could they be nut free, and if Gluten free please could they be labelled as such.
FLOWER ROTA We are very short of flower arrangers at the moment, the new rota is coming out as soon as possible. Please could you contact Carolyn on candrfoster@btinternet.com if you can help. While you do not need to be a professional, some flower arranging experience would be helpful. Only three weekends a year are required.
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 take place Tuesdays at the new time of 11am in the parish centre. Everyone is welcome, new to yoga or with some experience. Whoever you are, you are welcome. The start of the year may be a good opportunity to try something new! Mats, props and cleaning wipes available. Classes are free but, if possible, a donation for charity will be appreciated.
Contact Rachel at wellhappyyoga@gmail.com or the parish office.
SVP are still looking for donations for the Asylum Seekers please. If you have any of the following we would be very grateful for them. Namely new underwear for men, women or children; men's clothes and shoes/ trainers particularly joggers and warm tops (small, medium or large but no bigger please); any deodorant, moisturiser or perfume for men or women; suitcases. Please bring them to the parish office or ring 07749 917134 for collection. If you would like to help or find out more please get in touch. Thank you to everyone who has helped so far with the appeal for phones and laptops. These are still needed too.
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 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. 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. .
CLIMATE CHANGE The problems that we face in the world can at times seem insurmountable; droughts, floods, food shortages and the energy crisis dominate the news each day. But we hope you will agree with Pope Francis when he says “Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. … Truly, much can be done!” If there is enough interest registered, Eric Brutnall will facilitate group discussion sessions that will equip you with greater awareness of the climate impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual and community basis. Each week will cover a different topic and you will be able to attend as many sessions as you want. If you attend all seven sessions then you will be eligible to apply for Carbon Literacy Accreditation (https://carbonliteracy.com/). To find out more and register your interest please contact Eric on eric.brutnall@st-edmund.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 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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