One of Mary’s first recorded journeys was after the announcement to her that she was to be the mother of God. It was a journey of service - a visit to her cousin who needed help. When dealing with such challenges as pregnancy, bereavement, redundancy, a son in prison or a daughter on drugs – we want to talk, and we want support. Mary and Elizabeth had something else to share – their faith. The prayers they said have been said ever since. The stage was small, but the audience has been millions ever since. They were not shy about their faith in their God. In a time like ours, we need to externalise our faith – to go to Church, send a card with a Christmas greeting, not just a season’s wish – not to parade, but to make present our faith. The meaning this week is – Jesus is born, and we celebrate that together, with thanks, music, socialising, prayer and Mass. We need to find God again, and let ourselves be open to him in the deepest areas of life, just like the husbands of both these women, Joseph and Zechariah, as well as their wives, were open to God. Nothing need keep us from God or from the crib at Christmas. All are welcome. The real meaning of Christmas is to meet with God and to help our neighbour.
Come Lord Jesus and bring joy and laughter among us.
Come with the music of eternity and the songs of the earth.
Come among us and make us truly grateful for your birth and your love.
| First Reading | Micah 5:2-5 | Salvation would come from insignificant Bethlehem — to unite the nation under God. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 79 | R:/ Bring us back, O God; let your face shine forth, and we shall be saved. | |||
| Second Reading | Hebrews 10:5-10 | Only Christ, our supreme High Priest, can effect reconciliation between us and God. | |||
| Gospel | Luke 1:39-44 | Elizabeth recognises the unique child that Mary carries within her. |
| Friday 20th December | 10am | Mohammed Joseph | Thanksgiving | |||||
| Friday 20th | 10am | Kathleen Bonnar | Thanksgiving | |||||
| Sunday 22nd | 11:15am | Alina Zbikowska | RIP AN | |||||
| Saturday 28th | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 5th January | 9:30am | Noel & Shivanthi Fernando | RIP |
MESSAGE FROM FATHER LIAM: Dear Parishioners,
The season of Advent is coming to an end, the preparations for the birth of our Saviour are almost complete. We continue to wait patiently for the coming of Emmanuel (God is with us). We are wrapping up presents, getting prepared for Christmas dinner. Looking forward to giving and receiving presents. I was asking myself this week what present could I give to the baby Jesus this Christmas. What would Jesus want me to give to him? It came to me after I heard St. Peter's singing yesterday, "The gift I’ll give". I have to try my best to love, try my best to bring peace and joy, into my world. This isn't always easy, I know that Emmanuel will be walking with me to help me. I wish you and yours all the true spiritual riches of the feast for which we are waiting, and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we prepare for Christ-mass, let us try again to honestly open ourselves, in simplicity and poverty, to the love he wants to give us. Thank you for all your support, kindness, prayers and friendship. May God bless you all.
O come to us, abide with us: our Lord Emmanuel.
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 3rd January 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 7th February 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
PARISH RECONCILIATION SERVICES FOR ADVENT:
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.
CHRISTMAS MASSES:
St Joseph’s Church:
24th December (Vigil) 4:30pm (Children’s Mass); 8pm (Family Mass) and midnight (Carols & Reading at 11:30pm).
25th December 8am & 11am.
St. Elizabeth’s Church:
25th December 9.15am.
St Edmund Campion Church:
24th December (Vigil) 4pm; 6pm and 9pm. The 4pm & 6pm are especially for children and young families. From 8.00pm, there will be a Carol Service followed by 9pm Mass.
25th December 9.30am; 11.15am.
26th and 27th December: Mass at St. Edmund Campion at 10am
Weekend of Saturday and Sunday 28th & 29th: Mass times as usual for the feast of The Holy Family (our new parish name).
NEW YEAR’S DAY MASSES: Mass will be celebrated for the people of the parish on New Year’s Day.
10am - St. Edmund Campion Church.
12pm - St. Joseph’s Church.
TRANSPORT TO MASS We are aware that some parishioners are having difficulty in finding transport for weekend Mass. If those parishioners could identify which Masses they would prefer to attend, then an effort will be made to organise a lift. Likewise, if you can offer a lift to fellow parishioners, who live locally to you, then we can match the needs on a register that will be held in the Parish Office. Any queries, please contact John Lynn 07931 292934
MASS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS will be in the Parish Centre on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday mornings. Friday morning and weekend Masses will be in the church.
CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS As many of you know, the Christmas Collection is traditionally taken for our Priest and this, along with Easter, is the main part of their income. All collections taken at the Christmas Masses, including contactless donations, will be for Fr Liam and the clergy team. In addition to collections at Mass/contactless, an online giving page has been set up for the Parish. Please find below a link to the Christmas Collection fundraising page for St Edmund Campion Parish: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/maidenhead-st-edmund-campion-church-christmas-collection-2024
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
NEWSLETTER: The next newsletter will be the weekend of 11th/12th January 2025.
PARISH OFFICE will be closed from Thursday 19th December - Monday 6th January 2025. Fr Liam will be away 27th December - 6th January
SIF FORMS FOR SCHOOL ADMISSIONS Fr Liam will be available to sign SIF forms on the following dates:
CHRISTMAS STARS Once again we will be doing our Christmas Stars. Last year there were 76 stars which raised over £700, and also decorated the altar walls beautifully! To briefly explain for those unfamiliar with the stars, the idea is that, instead of sending Christmas cards to all your friends in the parish, you just write a message on a star, (available in the porch from the beginning of December) decorate it if you wish, and put it on the wall around the altar. Hopefully we can have a wonderful display of bright stars again. Then, think of the money you have saved on cards and stamps, and time and effort writing and delivering them, and give a donation to charity. There will be a box for your donation in the porch or via the contactless machine (select Christmas Stars option) , or you can give it to Barbara McWalter at 11.15 Mass or to Ruth in the office. The charity this year will be St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Maidenhead. Thank you in advance for your usual generosity for this very worthy cause.
LEGO CHRISTMAS STORY TRAIL Have you seen the 5 story posters? Scan and watch them all to see the story of Christmas.
CHRISTMAS EVE CHILDREN’S MASSES: We are looking forward to the children's Masses at 4pm and 6pm on Christmas Eve, 24th December. As these services are always very popular, please park in the surrounding areas if you can to avoid congestion: additional parking spaces are available at the side of Altwood School (usually used by the River Church on Sundays) and at the front. If you are using the side roads nearby to park, please be considerate to local residents and avoid blocking access to driveways. Thank you, from the Liturgy Team.
HOSPITALITY SATURDAY 21st DECEMBER (after 6:15pm Mass) - any money donated at hospitality will be put towards the church renovation. There will be a big selection of food, including nibbles, cakes and mulled wine.
A MESSAGE OF THANKS FROM THE CHRISTMAS FAYRE TEAM Thank you to everyone who donated and gave their time to this years Christmas Fayre. It was a great success and with your help, we have raised a brilliant £6,524! These events would not be able to happen without the continued support of our community, so a big thank you.
THANK YOU to Paula and the wonderful teenagers and children who organised and ran the cake sale last weekend. They raised an incredible £641.80 for the maintenance of our church. This is an amazing contribution and shows us that for our young generation, Church matters, as does community.
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: Class one at St. Edmund Campion Church January 11th 2025 at 4.30pm followed by Mass and official enrolment for First Holy Communion. Class one at St. Joseph’s Church January 12th 2025 at 9.45am, followed by Mass and official enrolment for First Holy Communion.
YOGA CLASSES Tuesday 11am – 11:45am. Classes will resume in January. Everyone is welcome. For moreinformation contact Rachel: wellhappyyoga@gmail.com or the parish office.
LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT GROUP The next meeting will be Sunday 12th January 2025
PREPARING TOGETHER MARRIAGE COURSE 8th FEBRUARY 2025 Corpus Christi Church, Wokingham, RG40 2HE www.marriagecare.org.uk
TODDLER GROUP Every Friday in termtime, 8:45am-10:45am in the Parish Centre.
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.
THURSDAY GROUP are looking for a new person to organise/run the sessions. These take place every 2 weeks. Please let the office know if you are interested.
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.
CONFIRMATION (2024) CERTIFICATES are ready for collection from the Parish Office.
GOSPEL POWER 2025 is available to purchase - £6 in the Repository box, to the Parish office or via the contactless machine.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS: 20th December to 6th January 2025 (Inset Day). Children return on Tuesday 7th January.
MAIDENHEAD DISTRICT EXPOLORERS are holding 2 Christmas Craft and Activity Days on 14th and 21st December from 10 am tp 5pm. This for children aged 6 - 10. Cost is £25 per child per day (there will be different crafts on each day, just in case you want to send your child to both days!). Treat your child to a fun filled day and treat yourself to some precious time in the run up to Christmas! Spaces are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment! Contact: liz@19thmaidenheadscouts.org.uk
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 It’s time to empty your red boxes. Please bring yours to the church and give to Lousie Jennings or Barbara McWalter at 11:15am Mass or hand them into the Parish Office. There are a number of boxes for collection in the church porch. Thank you in advance 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, 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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