The feast today highlights the central place of the Eucharist in Christian life, our faith that God becomes present in a real way in ordinary bread and wine - food for the journey of life in the bread, energy and joy for the journey of life in the wine, and the wine of the coming of the Lord. Bread and wine were very much part of the ordinary food of the people of his time, and also of their religious life. People would remember the bread in the desert and the wine of the coming of the Lord.
Each time we come to Mass, we take part in a real way in the death and resurrection of the Lord, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and his resurrection is 'made present' among us. It is a place and time of grace. So, our Eucharist today is not just to commemorate something that happened many years ago. It is our commitment to Christ in his people, and our faith in his real presence among us in the Eucharist and in each other.
Jesus asks us to share the bread and cup, to proclaim this 'mystery of faith' for all time. We proclaim today that the Jesus of the tabernacle is the Jesus within all of us. Let's be amazed that within each of us, God dwells in Jesus Christ.
Recall moments when receiving communion
gave you strength in your life.
Lord, I believe in your presence in the Eucharist.
Strengthen my belief.
| First Reading | Genesis 14:18-20 | Melchizedek brought bread and wine and pronounced a blessing. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 109:1-4 | R./: You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek. | |||
| Second Reading | 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 | For as often as you eat and drink, you proclaim the Lord’s death. | |||
| Gospel | Luke 9:11-17 | All ate and were satisfied. |
| Saturday 21st June | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | RIP | |||||
| Wednesday 25th | 9:30am | Marie Oke | RIP | |||||
| Saturday 28th | 6:15pm | Irenka Potworowska & Tadeusz Potworowski | SI | |||||
| Sunday 29th | 11am | Jocelyn & Antonio | SI |
SATURDAY 28th JUNE We congratulate Andrei and Liberty as they prepare for the Sacrament of Matrimony and begin a sacramental and human adventure together and we, as a community, wish them much love and joy in their married life.
SUNDAY 22nd JUNE Darcy and Audrey, daughters of Benedict and Phillippa
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 4th July 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 1st August 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.
THE SUMMER FUNDAY is happening on Sunday, 29th June, and we’re really looking forward to another fantastic fundraising event. Any help managing stalls would be hugely appreciated in any available slot. Please take a moment to check out the volunteer sign-up sheet and lend a hand if you can: https://volunteersignup.org/KDMLP If you’re unsure what a stall is and want more info or have any questions or are in a position to make any raffle donations please reach out to the Summer Funday team: Stedssfd@gmail.com Thanks so much for your support! The SFD team.
Saturday 28th June:
Sunday 29th June:
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
JUNE: THE MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART
A Presentation on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter DILEXIT NOS On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ “HE LOVED US”
THANK YOU I’m sure many of you noticed that the front doors to the church have recently been painted. We would like to say a massive thank you to Milan, who prepared, sealed and painted the doors for us. He has done a fantastic job and they look like new! Thank you Milan
GIFT AID We had a really good response to our Gift Aid weekend last week. For anyone who is a UK taxpayer and would like to sign up to Gift Aid, please complete and return a form to the church office. There are direct debit forms and gift aid declaration forms available in the church porch and outside the church office. If you already Gift Aid your donation and have not completed a new form, please complete a form and return it to the office. Every existing gift aid declaration needs to have a new form completed, if not already done in the last 12 months.
MAIDENHEAD SVP 2025 SMARTIES APPEAL FOR SOUTH SUDAN Please can Smarties tubes be returned as soon as possible to either St Joseph's or St Edmund Campion Church. Thank you for your support
ST BERNARDS SCHOOL SLOUGH is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the school chapel being built and they are raising funds for its improvement. Donations welcome: www.st-bernards.slough.sch.uk/2537/donations-to-the-school-chapel
VACANCY St Mary's Catholic Pre School are looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic and passionate Level 3 Early Year’s Practitioner to join our nurturing team.3 days per week – Tues, Thurs & Fri. More info: 01628627013 or email preschool@stmaryspreschoolmaidenhead.co.uk
CHURCH MUSIC We are delighted that children from Y3 & Y4 from our school will sing some of the hymns, under the direction of Mr Neil Cannon, Choral Director for the Diocese, at the 9.30am Mass on June 22nd. They have been practicing so hard. So, congrats to them for all their hard work and beautiful voices.
LOST PROPERTY We have several items in the lost property box, including a couple of adults jackets, gloves, children’s clothes. Before we donate the items to charity, please go through the box and if any items belong to you, please take them home. The box will be located in the church porch. Any items not taken by the end of June, will be donated to charity.
THANK YOU A massive thank you to Fr Ephraim, Fr Liam, Fr Kevin and to everyone for your contribution in raising funds for my mission year; I am overwhelmed by your response. In addition to the Holy Family collections, the Bingo Fundraiser last Saturday raised £740. I am incredibly grateful for all your prayers and support. Stephanie Moraes
CAR PARK For weekday Masses, please be considerate when parking. We share a carpark with the school and parking is becoming more difficult. Please make sure you are NOT parking in any yellow hatched areas, that all access around the side of the buildings is clear and that the gates are not blocked. These are areas that need to be accessible all day. In addition to parking for Mass, the only cars, apart from staff, that should be entering the car park for drop off and collection to/from school and clubs are individuals with blue badges. Please make sure you drive through the site slowly and cautiously. Thank you for your cooperation.
SACRISTAN Would you like to take on the role of weekday Sacristan, once a week and for holiday cover? The role requires you to prepare for Mass, and ensure there are readers and Eucharistic ministers for the Mass. You will need to be at church before 9am. Please let Ruth or Fr Liam know if you would like to take on this role.
MASS INTENTIONS: There is a long and venerable tradition in the Catholic Church that the faithful ask their priests to celebrate Holy Mass for particular, specified intentions. An individual may ask a priest to offer a Mass for several reasons: for example, in thanksgiving, for the intentions of another person (such as on a birthday, good health, peace in family life), or as is most common, for the repose of the soul of someone who has died or on their anniversary. This custom, which was well-understood in generations past, is increasingly being forgotten. Since the practice is of immense spiritual benefit to both the living and the dead, and because it also helps to support your clergy and parish, we would encourage you to request that Masses be offered for your intentions. Please contact Ruth in the Parish Office, if you wish to have a Mass celebrated for your intentions. Pope Paul VI said, “The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer!” It has immense power and countless miracles and conversions have occurred throughout the centuries by offering Masses for a specific intention or person. Mass intentions are a great treasure of the Church and have a spiritual weight that is incalculable.
YOGA CLASSES Tuesday 24th June 11am-11:45am. 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.
ST EDMUND CAMPION CHURCH & SCHOOL SUMMER FUN DAY Sunday 29th June 12pm-3pm, beginning with Mass on the school field at 11am.
ST MARY’S SUMMER FAYRE Sunday 21st June 1pm-4pm
LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT GROUP Sunday 13th July & Sunday 14th September 2:30pm-4:30pm in the parish centre. PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN AUGUST
TODDLER GROUP Every Friday in termtime, 8:45am-10:45am in the Parish Centre.
LEGION OF MARY GROUP Fridays 6pm in St Joseph's Church contact Fr Ephraim 07785 727951 or Thereza 07878117907
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.
MISSALS Please email office if you want to pre-order the CTS Daily Missal available in May. £70 with Sunday, £55 weekday readings only
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 Thank you to all who brought in their red boxes. Please keep them coming! The total amount raised for Missio by our parish in 2024 was £1527.39. Many thanks as always 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 or Fr Tom 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 is the ‘link person’ for pastoral matters concerning the parish of St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s. He is also 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.
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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