Jesus and hospitality: God's footprints
The half door on many an old house in rural Britain and Ireland had many functions. It kept the animals out while allowing the family to look out. It also made for openness and hospitality for all who passed by. The traveller was welcomed and the one walking by could rest for a while. We were open to the world and the world to us, and we felt safe. Hospitality was important in Jesus' time. He made many a visit to the house of Martha and Mary, staying there when he wanted to go to Jerusalem. They enjoyed having him - Mary just sat there listening to him - the stranger, now a friend, who told stories of how life could best be lived. We can imagine him telling the parables in their house. The people then had a belief in the travelling and pilgrim God, the one who came our way often. The first reading is about strangers being entertained and the people didn't know that the Lord was visiting them. When we open our heart and home to the stranger and to the neighbour, we are receiving God into our lives. The Indian poet Tagore writes - 'and when you left I saw God's footprints on the floor.' Our fear of break-ins and of robbery today is destroying an easy accessibility in our neighbourhoods. Casual hospitality is more difficult than in the days of the half-door. Maybe Facebook and Twitter and other social media fulfil some of this function, impersonal though it may be. We cannot live in isolation. 'Self knows that self is not enough' writes the Irish poet, Brendan Kennelly.
For friendship and love,
especially when I find it in unexpected places and people,
thank you, Lord.
| First Reading | Genesis 18:1-10 | Welcoming the strangers, Abraham was really in the presence of God. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 14:2-5 | R./: The just will live in the presence of the Lord. | |||
| Second Reading | Colossians1:24-28 | Paul suffers for his converts as part of his ministry of calling them to salvation. | |||
| Gospel | Luke 10:38-42 | The welcome offered by the sisters, Martha and Mary, in Bethany. |
| Saturday 19th July | 6:15pm | Claire Ann Keane | RIP AN | |||||
| Saturday 19th | 6:15pm | Special intentions for the Vokes Family | ||||||
| Saturday 26th | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | RIP | |||||
| Friday 15th August | 10am | Agust De Melo | RIP | |||||
| Sunday 24th | 11:15am | Ben Brown & Ella Embleton | SI | |||||
| Saturday 30th | 6:15pm | Margaret O'Donnell | RIP |
| Thursday 31st July | 11am | Funeral of John Hamilton, RIP | Funeral Mass at St Edmund Campion Church |
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 1st August 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 5th September 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.
ORDER OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS (OCIA) – over 18 years of age. 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. OCIA 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 OCIA Programme will begin with the completion of the ‘Rescue Project’ course. (Oct-Nov 2025), followed by RCIA (Dec 2025 – April 2026) – a ten-week course usually run for 90 minutes on a Thursday. Talk to one of our priests or OCIA catechists. More information is on the Parish Website. To sign up, please visit https://forms.office.com/e/q8iSdvLxNg
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION AND EUCHARIST (FIRST HOLY COMMUNION) For those families wishing to enrol their children (who are in Year 4 at school or above) for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion, application forms are available now. Please complete the online form by Monday 29th September 2025. A short Prayer Service will take place at St. Edmund Campion Church on Saturday the 4th October at 5pm, followed by the Vigil Mass at 6.15pm. After a brief prayer there will be a talk by the catechist and priest, introducing the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. (Parents/Carers will need to attend this Introductory Session). For your diary, the Sacrament of Eucharist (First Holy Communion) will take place at St. Edmund Campion Church on Saturday 16th & 23rd May 2026. To apply please visit https://forms.office.com/e/D1UavwBgqk
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION You can join the Confirmation programme if you are between 13 (by end April 2026) and <18 years of age by June 2026 and have received the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist (First Holy Communion). The Confirmation programme runs from October to June 2026. Application forms are available now. Please complete the online form by Monday 29th September 2025. A Prayer Service and Introduction will take place on Saturday the 11th October at 5pm (Parents/carers will need to attend this Introductory Session). For your diary, the Sacrament and conferring of Confirmation will take place at St. John’s Cathedral in Portsmouth on Saturday 9th May 2026 at 11.30am. To apply please visit https://forms.office.com/e/8vnw2ZynK6
CHARITABLE DONATIONS As is our tradition in St Edmund Campion; a percentage of our weekend Mass collections are donated to various charities. If you have a charity that you are passionate about, involved in or would like to nominate for a donation, then please email the office or let Fr Liam know.
CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs Camp-Overy and the fabulous St Edmund Campion staff for achieving an OUTSTANDING Ofsted Inspection.
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
YEAR 6 LEAVERS MASS 22nd July, 1pm As we find ourselves at the end of the school year, we are extremely proud of all our pupils and our dedicated staff in our school of St. Edmund Campion. We also thank our committed Governing Body for the wonderful job they do in ensuring our school continues to thrive. This week, we say goodbye to our Year 6 pupils. Our Year 6 group this year have been outstanding; not just in their academic achievements but in the progress they have demonstrated around our core values of respect, tolerance, understanding and responsibility. They have also shown themselves to be people who are committed to God and that God is at the centre of everything they do. They are a credit to themselves, their families and our school and we wish each of them every success in the future as they head off for new adventures in their new schools. Well done, Year 6! We are so very proud of you!
SUMMER SCHOOL HOLIDAYS begin next week. Enjoy! Rest and have fun!
Prayer:
Lord God, We put ourselves into Your hands, and pray that You will bless us and our families during the
wonderful months of summer.
May we all help make our home a place of relaxation, joy, love, peace and safety.
May we be generous and considerate, not thinking only about ourselves, but helping others
enjoy the blessings of summertime. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
CHILDREN’S LITURGY There will be no children's liturgy this weekend 20th July or for the remainder of the summer. Children’s liturgy will recommence 7th September.
CHURCH OFFICE will be closed from 31st July and will re-open on 11th August, however Fr Liam will be on duty if you need to contact the office.
CAR PARK RESUFACING Monday 11th & Tuesday 12th August Please note there will be no access to the carpark on these days due to repair and resurfacing. Please park on the road. Thank you.
ZOOM BOOK CLUB We are looking into setting up a parish zoom book club, possibly starting with C. S. Lewis’ classic, The Screwtape Letters. We are having a preparatory meeting on zoom on Thursday 24th July at 11:30. If you are interested, please attend online.
St Joseph's Church Maidenhead's Personal Meeting Room
Meeting ID 211 915 9183
passcode 137722
CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE Each year in Basingstoke, our diocese organises a celebration of significant marriage anniversaries. We are celebrating Marriage and ALL anniversaries. All married couples are invited to celebrate with us, on Saturday the 13th September in our Parish Church St joseph’s Maidenhead. Mass following by a small reception will be at 11 o’clock. ALL couples are welcome. See poster for more information.
MARRIAGE COURSE Preparing Together Day on 06th September 2025 at Church of St Peter and St John, 1 Caesar’s Camp Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 4ED Please visit: www.marriagecare.org.uk, to find out more information and to book a place.
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.
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 13th of July, will be donated to charity.
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.
CAFOD are hiring. Could you inspire Catholics to participate in the Church’s mission, working to overcome poverty and injustice? Do you want to work for CAFOD and encourage support and partnership within the Church? We are looking for a Community Participation Coordinator to work in the Diocese of Portsmouth. Follow the link for more details and please pass on to any friends or relatives who might be interested. Closing date 27 July 2025. See cafod.org.uk/work-with-us
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 29th July; Tuesday 5th August; Tuesday 19th August & Tuesday 2nd September 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.
LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT GROUP Sunday 14th September 2:30pm-4:30pm in the parish centre. PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN AUGUST
CHARITY CONCERT 2nd August 8pm Our Lady of Peace & Blessed Dominic Barberi RG6 7DA church hall. The charity provides scholarships for orphaned or very poor children in Nigeria. Tickets at £10, children under 16 free. Email info@ngcf.co.uk for tickets
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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