The Cross that saves
Paradoxically, we Christians affirm our passion for life under the sign of the Cross, which in Roman times was a cruel, inhuman instrument of execution, the most frightful form of death. Echoing Our Lord himself, the church strongly opposes all forms of torture and above all the death penalty–and yet here we are on today’s feast, honouring the cross on which an innocent prophet and healer was put to death, who had spent his life helping others. Jesus’ plan for his life was totally positive–to help his fellow man and woman. By his touch blind people regained their sight, the lame could walk, lepers were cleansed, and wherever he went he proclaim the good news to the poor and affirmed their dignity and their rights In the time of Jesus no one would have considered crucifixion a triumph or a win of any sort. It may have been considered a triumph for those who were doing the crucifying; it certainly would never have been considered a triumph for the person crucified. Yet, that is what we are celebrating. Jesus, in being crucified, triumphed. It was a triumph of love over hatred. Authentic love is always life-giving and that is uniquely so of God’s love. As well as being the triumph of love over hatred, the cross of Jesus is the triumph of life over death. The triumph of the cross, which is the triumph of God and of Jesus over Satan and all the forces of evil and death, is a triumph in which we all share. From the cross Jesus draws all of us into the love and life of God. As he says in John’s gospel, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself. We simply have to let ourselves be drawn by him.
Memorable wisdom for Today
“When Jesus hung on the cross,
a great unseen cosmic battle raged in the heavens—
and in the end, Christ triumphed over all the forces
of Evil and Death and Hell.”
~Billy Graham, evangelist ~
| First Reading | Numbers 21:5-9 | When the serpents bit the people, the statue of a bronze serpent brought them healing. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | from Psalm 78 | R./: Never forget the deeds of the Lord. | |||
| Second Reading | Philippians 2:6-11 | The hymn to Christ who humbled himself, even unto death-but God exalted him above all creation. | |||
| Gospel | John 3:13-17 | The Son of Man must be lifted up as a saving sign, for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. |
| Sunday 14th September | 11:15am | Maurice Skinner | RIP | ||||
| Sunday 14th | 11:15am | Marco Koytchev | RIP AN | ||||
| Sunday 14th | 11:15am | Lisa Odaise Aldfosu | RIP | ||||
| Sunday 21st | 11:15am | Giangia & Rosangela | SI |
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 October 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 7th November 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 11th October at 4pm, 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
CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE We are celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage on Saturday 29th November at 11am in St Joseph's Church. https://forms.office.com/e/izp8FMaK6Y RSVP using the link, via QR code on the posters or speak to Ruth in the office.
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
THE SEASON OF CREATION (and our Corporal Work of Mercy) runs from 1st September (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) to 4th October (the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi). It is the annual celebration of Prayer and Action to care for our Common Home. The late Pope Francis called on all people to take “decisive, urgent action” during the Season of Creation”. This year the theme is "Peace with Creation”. It is inspired by the text from Isaiah 32: 14 - 18. Our Hope is “Creation will find peace when Justice is restored”. Our Corporal Work of Mercy forSeptember will be “Care for Creation”. There will be a short Prayer Reflection for Creation at St Edmund Campion Church, following the 0930 Mass on Monday 1st September. It is intended, also, to hold a weekly "Creation Walk" in local parks during September. The first will be on Saturday 6th September at 1100 in Guards Club Park, access from Oldacres Road. As always, please pray for God’s Creation and for our Brothers and Sisters who are suffering most from our changing Climate.
CAFOD MEETING You are invited to a CAFOD meeting at St Bedes Church Hall Basingstoke on Saturday 20th September from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Come and hear about the difference your donations are making to communities around the world and CAFOD’s work with partners in Southern Ethiopia . A simple lunch will be provided so please book your place by emailing Jo on jlewry@cafod.org.uk.
READING MALE VOICE CHOIR Saturday 27th September at St. Edmund Campion Church - A charity concert featuring the renowned Reading Male Voice Choir and all the way from Cornwall, the superb Mevagissey Male Voice Choir - voted the best male choir in Cornwall last year. The concert will be complete mix of music, country, pop, theatre, opera, etc. Tickets are £15 which includes a glass of wine or soft drink, 12 to 18 year olds are half price and under 12's free. Please put your name down for tickets after each Mass or buy tickets through the website ticketsource.co.uk/readingmalevoicechoir. Money raised will be for SVP, Alexander Devine and Church maintenance. To help make the event a resounding success we would appreciate volunteers to help with setting up, refreshments, raffle, car parking etc. and donations of raffle prices. Thank you
THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH reflects the question “how do we live out our Christian faith in a world where the clash between the values of the Kingdom and the values of the World are often in conflict?” These sessions take place on the Wednesdays of October St Joseph's Church @ 7:00pm with Fr Kevin Hughes. All are welcome.
MUSICAL & OPERA NIGHT Saturday 8th November Four professional opera singers, with piano accompaniment, will perform a mixture of Arias and songs from Musicals and operas at the 36th Annual evening organised by the Catenians. Interested but not sure what it’s like, please take a look at the short promotional film on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXUWrbuRs6I Profits from the event go to CAFOD. This event takes place at Clare's Court School, Maidenhead at 7.30pm on Saturday 8th November. Tickets £30 pp but with 'early bird' price of £25 pp if bought before 30th September. Tickets available from Jonathan Holder via manorcott@outlook.com or ring 07740 430599
ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH by Fr Brian Oswald Pre-order your cards now! Single cards @ £2 or pack of 3 for £5. https://stjosephsparish.co.uk/shop See sample outside Parish Office (on the door). All proceeds to support Thames Hospice. See/ Buy the original painting at an art exhibition being held at St Joseph’s on the weekend of the 1st/2nd November this year
INTERESTED IN TRAINING AND VOLUNTEERING AS A RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLOR WITH MARRIAGE CARE? We are a Catholic organisation specialising in relationship support and are currently looking for those who would be interested in training via our Certificate in Relationship Counselling (CRC) course. We are reaching out early to give you the opportunity to benefit from a new and additional pathway we are offering - the option to volunteer with our marriage preparation service prior to the CRC selection. To find out more and to register your interest either for entry at this stage or prior to our CRC selection process in Autumn 2026 please visit: www.marriagecare.org.uk or email: volunteer@marriagecare.org.uk
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.
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.
SVP are in need of donations of men’s clothes and old mobile phones - all data will be cleared before being allocated. Please leave donations outside the church office marked for the attention of SVP. Thank you.
MAIDENHEAD STREET ANGELS NEED YOUR HELP! Maidenhead Street Angels are reaching out for new volunteers to join their team. For more information, please email stangelsm@hotmail.co.uk and see posters on the noticeboards.
HCPT PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES Hosanna House Children's Pilgrimage Trust (HCPT) Group 128 are based in St Edward's parish, Windsor (Christ the King) and hope to take a group to Lourdes next Easter. We are looking for some new helpers to travel with the group , taking some children with additional needs. All helpers pay their own fares and we fundraise to pay for the children. Helpers will be expected to attend some training and be dbs checked. We hope to travel on Easter Monday 2026 and return on the Saturday . If you think you might be interested and would like more information please contact Pat via email to : group128@hcpt.org.uk
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 Every Tuesday in 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.
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
Thursdays (starting 11th September) : Zoom www.tinyurl.com/2hz5axvp 2pm Rosary
6pm Journey together through Holy scriptures
A DAY WITH MARY 4th October 10am Our Lady of Peace (Reading) https://tinyurl.com/57ebmc2k
GREGORIAN CHANT 25th October from 10.45am Learn and rehearse Gregorian Chant at St William of York, Reading, and sing at the 5.30pm Mass! Poster and info at https://tinyurl.com/3pj65php
MAIDENHEAD BOUNDARY WALK Sunday 5th October 9am-10:30am Register at www.boundarywalk.org.uk
ST ELIZABETH’S MASS SEPTEMBER 14th 11.30am (no 9.15am Mass), followed by BBQ. Get tickets from office! £5 includes a burger and squash
INTERESTED IN PRACTICAL ART? Join U3A untutored Art Group. Bring your art materials and join in the fun every first & third Tuesdays 2-4pm in SJ Hall. Contact Peter 01628 674097 for more info
AGE UK has a series of support clubs/events in the community for older people. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/berkshire/activities-and-events/whats-on---windsor--maidenhead/ or see the church noticeboard for posters
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.
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).
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 Kevin 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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