Today, Jesus’ baptism by John, was a special moment – the real coming of God’s spirit upon him. It was the same Spirit who had come upon Mary at the moment of Jesus’ conception and would come to Jesus at his last moment on the Cross. The spirit brings him new energy. The feast marks that something new is happening, and that Jesus is the beloved and son, from eternity and into time. The Spirit came upon him – but not just for himself. He would send the Spirit later to us – of forgiveness and of perseverance in doing good. Today is about energy. Jesus found a new spirit in himself after his prayer, and he heard words he would never forget. Maybe you have heard words of love from someone you will never forget. They give energy to the heart and soul, making us people always on the go, ready for new life within us. The Spirit pours the energy of God into bread and wine, and they are changed forever. He sends himself forever. It is sending the love and presence and energy of God. We know that we can get stuck. We need new infusions of the Spirit to give new energy. We are beloved sons and daughters of a God who loves us and cares for us. Can we be the type of people who others think it’s good to meet and encounter? Can we be open to the spirit of God, open to new life, new love, being really fully the person I can be?
May the waters of baptism, O Lord, bring us the new life of your love.
| First Reading | Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 | A chosen servant of God will courageously help others to find salvation. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 103 | R:/ Bless the Lord, O my Soul! | |||
| Second Reading | Acts 10:34-38 | At his baptism in the Jordan Jesus went about doing good for God was with him. | |||
| Gospel | Luke 3: 15-15, 21-22 | You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. |
| Friday 10th January | 10am | Sarah Farrelly | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 12th | 11:15am | John Gillooly | RIP | |||||
| Tuesday 14th | 9:30am | Niall Adrian Keane | RIP AN | |||||
| Sunday 19th | 11:15am | John Gillooly | RIP | |||||
| Wednesday 22nd | 9:30am | Imelda McConnell | RIP AN | |||||
| Saturday 25th | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | RIP |
| Wednesday 8th January | 1pm | Doug Stuart | RIP, who's funeral took place earlier this week | |||||
| Monday 13th January | 11am | Isla Quinn | RIP. Funeral Mass at St Edmund Campion, followed by cremation at Easthampstead | |||||
| Wednesday 15th January | 11am | Douglas Cooper | RIP. Funeral Mass at St Edmund Campion Church | |||||
| Saturday 18th January | 11am | Stanislaw (Stan) Kurpiel | RIP. Funeral at Polish Church, Slough. |
As we move into 2025, Frs, Ephraim, Tom, Kevin 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 continue to stand strong and proud as people of hope, love, joy and peace. This Christmas just gone, we celebrated the Masses in our four churches of St. Joseph’s, St. Elizabeth’s, St. Thomas More 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 witnesses of living a life of faith, we say thank you. We pray this prayer for you:
New Year's 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 & Twyford.
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, Tom and Kevin.
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 7th February 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 7th March 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
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.
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.
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
SIF FORMS FOR SCHOOL ADMISSIONS Fr Liam will be available to sign SIF forms on the following dates:
CHRISTMAS STARS Thank you all for your very generous contributions to our Christmas Stars appeal. The total collected for SVP Maidenhead was £991.
VISION GROUP Dry January: Many of us give up drinking for the month of January after the excesses of Christmas and the New Year. Following last year’s successful raffle, we are collecting any bottles that have not been drunk, together with unwanted Christmas gifts including Chocolates, to be raffled off or auctioned. All money raised will go towards renovations in the church. Please drop off in the large box outside the Parish office or in the Church porch. Collecting will be done by the Parish Vison Group.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION: Children eligible to start Stage Two of the First Holy Communion Programme begin on Saturday 11th January, at 4.30pm at St. Edmund Campion School. We continue to pray for them.
TALK BY DR JUDITH THOMAS " 'Jubilee' and the Inner Pilgrimage " Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, is particularly relevant for this year of Jubilee 2025. He engaged with what was happening in his world writing profoundly about the inner pilgrimage we all must make if we are to grow spiritually. As we briefly look at his work, we can better understand why Pope Francis described Merton as ‘above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church".
Monday 13th January @ 7pm - St Thomas More, Twyford
Tuesday 14th January @ 10am - St Edmund Campion, Maidenhead (after 9:30am Mass)
Wednesday 15th January @ 6:30pm - St Joseph’s Church, Maidenhead
BIRTHDAY WISHES: We wish Fr. Tom an amazing birthday as he celebrates his 80th birthday this weekend! He has brought decades of laughter and wisdom to the world. We are so lucky to know him and look forward to the memories yet to come. Dear Fr. Tom, for your inspiration, your Faith, and compassion, thank you and happy birthday. Happy birthday to an 80-year-old that seems forever young. It feels like just yesterday you were turning 70! You are invited to join Fr Tom to celebrate his birthday on Sunday 12th January at St Joseph’s Parish Centre after 11am Mass.
FOUNDATION GOVERNOR VACANCY ST EDMUND CAMPION PRIMARY SCHOOL Please see noticeboard for more information or contact Julia Evans (Chair of Governors) via the school office at school@st-edmund.org.uk or 01628 620183.
YOGA CLASSES Tuesday 11am – 11:45am The next Yoga class will be Tuesday 14thJanuary 11am. Everyone is welcome. No charge for the class, just a small donation to charity if able. For more information contact Rachel: wellhappyyoga@gmail.com or the parish office.
LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT GROUP The next meeting will be Sunday 12th January 2025 2:30pm-5pm in the Parish Centre
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.
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.
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 www.marriagecare.org.uk or contact Sue Cooper on 07939495774 or sue.cooper@marriagecare.org
SCHOOLS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION For Catholic students aged 16 -18.If you are interested in competing in the Schools Public Speaking Competition organised by the Catenians, due to take place in Langley on 4th February, please contact Jonathan Holder: manorcott@outlook.com by 31st January for further details. Parental permission required.
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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