Small Beginnings
Everything starts small. The mustard seed was a tiny seed that grew into a flowering bush; it was not mustard as we know it, but only a bush to give beauty and shelter. It can remind us of the beauty of creation, and of the caring shelter we can give to others. It is also a reminder that each of us began as a seed in the mother's body, and grew with the plan of God. The love of God grows like that - it begins small with birth and with baptism, and then grows wide so that we share our love of God.
It is the same with marriage - love begins and then grows so that children and grandchildren and others may shelter in love.
Love grows when love is given, in our immediate circle, and in our care for the wider world. Good friendship and love spreads out to many.
We want the kingdom of God on earth and God is saying that it grows slowly. It grows as we try to grow love, peace, justice and compassion. The shelter of the mustard bush is the mercy of God, encouraging our parish to be 'an oasis of mercy' (Pope Francis). It is not easy, as love and care for the really needy often meets with opposition. The kingdom of God grows with the help of God, and without this help, our efforts are in vain.
Recall something in your life that began small and has now grown; give thanks
Lord, may your kingdom come among us.
| First Reading | Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 | Because God is all-powerful he governs the world with patience, allowing time for repentance. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 85:5-6, 9-10, 15-16. | R./: Lord, you are good and forgiving. | ||
| Second Reading | Romans 8:26-27 | God understands our ill-expressed wishes better than we do ourselves. | ||
| Gospel | Matthew 13:24-43 | God will judge all justly at the end of time. |
| Sunday 23rd July | 11:15am | Shauna & Ben Hamilton and family | Blessings as they begin a new chapter in their lives. | ||||
| Sunday 23rd | 11:15am | Clare Cowen | SI | ||||
| Wednesday 26th | 9:30am | Mary Smith | SI | ||||
| Thursday 27th | 9:30am | Marian Gurdak | RIP AN |
| Saturday 29th July | Shanlee & Prissie. Congratulations as you exchange your marriage vows. Every blessing be yours. |
Dear God,
As they start nursery or school for the first time - give them joy in new experiences.
As they move to new classes - give them confidence in growing friendships.
As they move to new schools - give them strength in their growing independence.
And for all the teachers, assistants, helpers, carers and volunteers of St. Edmund Campion school and St. Mary’s school, who teach and nurture our children and young people, we ask for your blessing, your joy, your wisdom and your patience as they re-charge their batteries over the summer break, ready for the new term! We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
May you walk with God this summer in whatever you do, wherever you go.
Walking with God means... Walking with honesty and with courage,
Walking with love and respect and concern for the feelings of others.
May you talk to God this summer and every day and in every situation.
Talking with God means... Praying words of praise for the beauty of creation,
Saying prayers of thanks for friends and good times,
Asking God's help in all your decisions, expressing sorrow when you have failed.
May you talk with God every day. Amen.
- Author unknown
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 from misfortune, whether before moving into it or to "heal" it after an occurrence. 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.
Leader: “Peace be to this house and: to all who dwell here, in the name of the Lord.
All: Blessed be God forever.
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.
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:
FIRST FRIDAY HEALING MASS These special Masses will take place on:
From September, the First Friday morning Mass will be celebrated each month at 10am at St. Joseph’s and 7pm at St. Edmund Campion. (Car parking spaces for the morning Mass at St. Edmund Campion are always very few and difficult to find parking).
PARISH RETREAT DAY: Our annual retreat will take place on August 5th (Saturday) at St. Katherine’s Retreat Centre, Henley-on-Thames. A peaceful guided retreat day for anyone who needs a break. Retreat directed by Dr Judith Thomas. Maximum of 50 people. For booking contact 01628 628274 or email office@stedmundcampion.org.uk
PILGRIM WALKS:
The Vision Groups of St Edmund Campion and St Joseph’s are offering opportunities for all in the Maidenhead area to meet those who pray in the various churches of St. Edmund Campion, St Joseph's or St. Elizabeth's.
The second walk is on 30th July. After the 9.15am Mass at St. Elizabeth's, to walk to St. Edmund Campion church. Hospitality from 12.15am onwards.
The third walk is on 3rd September. After the 11.15am Mass at St. Edmund Campion Church, walk to St. Joseph's.
You are welcome to attend Mass in your own church or join in the Mass of the hosting Community.
Details of the walk can be obtained from Carolyn Foster: candrfoster@btinternet.com.
PILGRIMAGE to Our Lady's Shrine, Banneux, Belgium, for the 90th anniversary of the Apparitions, 70th Anniversary of ‘Pilgrimage GB’) and for the Feast of the Assumption, 11th-16th August 2023. A coach will leave from St. Edmund Campion Church, Maidenhead SL6 4PY. Accommodation and full board (including travel and excursions): staying at the Hospitalité is £420. (Single room supplement +£100). The Hospitalité is very spacious and can accommodate all pilgrims, especially those who are sick, disabled or elderly. It also includes a full catering and medical staff. (There is a hotel next door for £650 sharing and single room supplement +£200). Fr. Liam Cummins (St. Edmund Campion Parish) will be the Spiritual Director for this pilgrimage and has been going to Banneux since 1996. If you are interested and you would like more information or to reserve a place before June 30th, please contact Lisa Pirie, pilgrimage director, on 07500288384; banneuxndgb@gmail.com or Father Liam, on 07776580596 (email him on lcummins@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk ). Also Goggle 'Our Lady's Shrine, Banneux', for history and more detail. The GB pilgrimage has been going for 70 years and it looks like this will be the last official trip from England, so get on board!
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 can 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 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. (Sept-Nov 2023). RCIA (Jan – April 2024). Talk to one of our priests. More information is online and on leaflets found at the entrance of the church.
GOOD NEWS, ALPHA IS RETURNING IN SEPTEMBER! This year, we are going to offer the course both online and in-person. Many people find it difficult to secure childcare, or prefer to meet others whilst in the comfort of their own home, so by offering an online version, we hope you will give it a try. If meeting in-person is your preference, that is still a great option too.
Start dates are as follows:
Monday, 18 September, Alpha Online, 19:30 - 21:00
Tuesday, 19 September, Alpha In-Person at St Edwards Parish Centre, 19:00 - 21:00.
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! If you have questions about joining, inviting others, or joining our team of volunteers, please email Ryan Greig at: alphawindsor316@gmail.com
MONTHLY TALK FOR SEPTEMBER - CREATION
“Laudato Si” Encyclical Letter by Pope Francis (2015) was a bid to help humanity to love the earth, to glimpse its sacredness and to be moved by its plight. ” (Austen Ivereigh)
With news headlines full of disastrous, soaring temperatures world wide, how do we now view Creation? What mental shift has corrupted our relationship with the living world? What issues need to be addressed if we are to move forward? How are science and religion reaching out to each other in concern?
Dr. Judith Thomas will be presenting this Talk as follows:
Saturday 2nd September at 10.00 am at St. Edward's Parish Centre, Windsor
Monday 4th September at 10.00 am at St. Edmund Campion Church, Maidenhead (after 9.30 am Mass)
Wednesday 6th September at 6.30 pm St. Joseph's Parish Centre, Maidenhead
All welcome. The Talk lasts for 1 hour and there is no charge - just come along, listen, be encouraged and inspired!
PRESENTATION MINISTRY Volunteers wanted to join the rota to run the PowerPoint presentations at 9:30 Mass on Sundays. No experience necessary, just a working finger to work the mouse! Contact Mike on 07726 003355 or speak to the person operating the laptop at Mass.
THE KNIGHTS OF ST COLUMBA'S, National Relic Tour 2023 of the Scottish relics has visited the lower part of Portsmouth Diocese and will be in our area in the near future.
The relics on display encompass a diverse array of saints, each with their own compelling story and heavenly intercession. Among the treasures to be showcased are relics of Saint Andrew, Apostle and Martyr, who was the brother of Saint Peter the First Pope; relics of Saint Margaret of Scotland, whose charity and piety was well known throughout her realm; and relics of Saint Columba of Iona, the patron saint of The Order of the Knights of Saint Columba, renowned for his missionary work and founding of monasteries. Dates for your diaries are as shown below:
St Edwards, Windsor Weds 27th July 10.00am Mass
St Josephs, Maidenhead Saturday 29th July 10.00am Mass
Corpus Christi, Wokingham Sat 29th July 4.00pm Vigil Mass
St Joseph, Bracknell Sat 29th July 6.00pm Mass
St Francis, Ascot Sunday 30th July 8.30am and 10.00am Mass
The is not only an opportunity for personal spiritual growth but also a chance to strengthen the bond within the Catholic community. Through this event, the Order of the Knights of Saint Columba seeks to promote unity, encourage dialogue, and foster a sense of belonging among the faithful across the dioceses.
Any queries contact 07931-292934 or 07377-168356.
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
NEWSLETTER This weekend will be the last of the printed copies of the newsletter until the weekend of 2nd/3rd September. From time to time, updates may go up on the website.
PARISH OFFICE SUMMER HOURS From Monday 24th, the Parish Office will be open 9am - 12pm Monday to Thursday. The office will be closed Thursday 10th August - Friday 18th August, and will reopen on Monday 21st at the reduced hours. Normal office hours will resume week beginning 4th September.
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. Children's Liturgy will resume in September.
SVP 6th OCT MUSICAL EVENING FUNDRAISER Tickets are now on sale for the St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Maidenhead musical evening on Friday 6th October from 7.30pm, being held in the hall of St Edmund Campion primary school. Just to note there is a Healing Mass taking place at 7pm on the same evening at St Edmund Campion church for those who would like to attend this beforehand. A wide range of local performers are already lined up and proceeds from the musical evening will be split equally between the local branch of Care4Calais, a volunteer-run asylum seeker charity and SVP Maidenhead - to help sustain and expand the support given by SVP to those in need, including local people who are lonely, sick, housebound or just struggling to cope. This is a cash only event and drinks and snacks will be available to buy from a Donations Bar. Tickets are £7 per person and are being sold after Sunday masses (from July onwards) at both St Edmund Campion and St Joseph’s churches. Tickets also available by contacting Peter (St Edmund Campion) on 07976 625 813 or Siobhan (St Joseph's) on 07816 445 416. Thank you for your support.
SVP A new notice board is in place outside the Parish Office. Notices about what is currently needed will be on this board. Donations can be left outside the parish office and will be collected regularly. Thank you all for your generosity.
MAIDENHEAD LIONS CLUB are offering fifty £200 grants to established voluntary groups in the Maidenhead SL6 area to celebrate their Fifty Years of Service to the local community. Applicants should be providing a service in the area and full details are to found on their website www.maidenheadlions.org.uk.
COME AND FIND OUT ABOUT CAFOD'S WORK CAFOD Portsmouth is hosting two meetings in September so that volunteers and supporters can find out more about our work . The first meeting is on Saturday 9th September at St Bedes Church hall ,Popley Way, Basingstoke RG24 9DX from 10:30 am to 12:30pm where Philippe Mougin CAFOD’s Emergency Response Leader will talk about our work in Pakistan after last years floods.
The second meeting is on Saturday 16th September at St Michael & All Angels Church hall , Dunsbury Way , Leigh Park PO9 5BD from 10:30am to 1:30pm (lunch is provided) where Sara Moreno from CAFOD’s Partner SIEMBRA from Colombia will speak about her work with human and environmental rights defenders.
Everyone is welcome but please book so that we have an idea of numbers by emailing Jo Lewry portsmouth@cafod.org.uk
MAIDENHEAD CARE/FOODSHARE Parishioners who are interested in hearing more about Foodshare are invited to attend the Maidenhead Care annual commissioning service when Nigel Cohen of Foodshare will be giving a talk about their work. The service will take place at 7:30pm, on 20th July in the High Street Methodist Church. Everyone welcome.
YOGA CLASSES Next yoga class is Tuesday 25th July at 11am. Everyone is welcome, new to yoga or with some experience. Classes are free but, if possible, a donation for charity will be appreciated. Contact Rachel at wellhappyyoga@gmail.com or the parish office.
TODDLERS GROUP Every Termtime Friday 8.45-10.45 in the Parish Centre. No toddler group on 7th or 13th July. Last session for summer is 21st July.
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 - Portsmouth For all job descriptions and how to apply, please contact: recruitment@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk. For an informal discussion, please contact Heather Hauschild COO: hhauschild@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 Tom or Fr Noah 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 and Fr Noah 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. Ephraim, Fr. Noah 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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