This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.
This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councillor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world.
This is true: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams.
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.
So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ — the life of the world.
Written by Allan Aubrey Boesak (born 23 February 1946) who is a South African Dutch Reformed Church cleric and politician and anti-apartheid activist.
These three principal colours of Advent are packed with rich meaning.
•Purple - symbolising repentance and fasting and also, the colour of royalty.
•Pink - represents joy and reveals a shift in the season away from repentance and toward celebration.
•White - representing purity and light. Christ is the sinless, spotless, pure Saviour. He is the light come into a dark and dying world.
As we begin this new liturgical year, it is good that we reflect of why we meet as a Community.
In our parish community of Holy Family, Jesus Christ meets our five deepest needs:
• Purpose to live for – Weekly worship helps us focus on God.
• People to live with - Community helps us face life’s problems and joys.
• Principles to live by - Discipleship and conviction helps fortify our Faith.
• Profession to live out - Ministry helps exercise our talents.
• Power to live on - Witness and proclamation helps fulfil our mission.
That is why our churches in Maidenhead and Twyford exists.
Today we pray in the Eucharist: come, Lord, show yourself; be visible among us.
| First Reading | Isaiah 11:1-10 | The living branch from Jesse’s stump is our hope of peace and salvation. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 71: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 | R:/ Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. | |||
| Second Reading | Romans 15:4-9 | How to live in harmony and share in the promises to the patriarchs of old. | |||
| Gospel | Matthew 3:1-12 | How John the Baptist prepared his people for a new era of grace. |
| Monday 8th December | 9:30am | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | ||||
| Sunday 14th | 11:15am | Stan Kurpiel |
| Thursday 11th December | 11:30am | Diego Gangi, RIP. Funeral Mass at St Joseph's 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 5th December 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 2nd January 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.
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.
MONDAY 8th DECEMBER Mass of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mass at St. Edmund Campion at 9.30am and at St. Joseph’s at 11am
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
PARISH RECONCILIATION SERVICES FOR ADVENT: Advent is a wonderful time to celebrate the reconciling love and the healing graces our Lord offers us. Advent begins of the evening of Saturday 29th November, 1st Sunday of Advent. Reconciliation is what God does. Receiving it and celebrating it is what we do. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a natural way to celebrate God’s forgiveness and love. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the wonderful opportunity to grow closer to God—Advent before the celebration of Christmas and Lent before the celebration of Easter. Please try and attend and participate in one of the following Services.
SEASON OF ADVENT PRAYER JOURNEY: A great way to pray daily during Advent with the help and guidance of a Prayer page. Please have a look at the following and journey each day of Advent with Scripture and a Reflection.www.onlineprayer.net/adv-cal25/
CHRISTMAS FAYRE VOLUNTEERS – THANK YOU! A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who volunteered at this year’s Christmas Fayre. Your time, energy, and enthusiasm helped make the event a wonderful success. We are also deeply grateful for all the generous donations that contributed so much to the day. Events like this simply wouldn’t be possible without your support and community spirit. Thank you once again for all you do! The Christmas Fayre Team
PIANIST/ORGANIST WANTED – CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE We are in need of a pianist/organist to accompany the Christmas carol service and Vigil Mass this Christmas Eve - if you can help, please contact Suzy on swilliams30034@gmail.com.
MISSALS We have a small number of daily missals and weekday missals available. Daily missals - £70; Weekday - £55. Please contact the office if you would like to purchase one.
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.
CHRISTMAS STARS Once again we will be doing our Christmas Stars. Last year there were 76 stars which raised an amazing £1000 for SVP and decorated the altar walls beautifully! For those unfamiliar with the stars, the idea is that, instead of sending Christmas cards to all your friends in the parish, you just write a message on a star, (available in the porch from this weekend) decorate it if you wish, and put it on the wall around the altar. Hopefully we can have a wonderful display of bright stars again. Then, think of the money you have saved on cards and stamps, time and effort writing and delivering them, and give a donation to charity. There will be a box for your donation in the porch, you can give it to Barbara McWalter at 11.15am Mass or to Ruth in the office. The charity this year will be Number 22 Number22 | Free Counselling in Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead & The Samaritans Samaritans of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead Thank you in advance for your usual generosity.
THE LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT GROUP will be holding their last session on Sunday 14th December at 2.30pm in the Parish Hall. We would love you to join us. There will still be befriending support available in the Parish should you need it, via the SVP (Society of St Vincent de Paul). Please contact Ruth in the Parish Office for their number or, alternatively, contact Cruse Bereavement Support which is a national organization. Their local helpline can be reached on 01344 411919, the national helpline is on 0808 808 1677 and their website for further information on what they provide is cruse.org.uk. The volunteers in the Group would like to thank those who came to see them for sharing their lives as they went through such difficult times and send their very best wishes.
NOSTALGIA NIGHT - For one night only, Friday 30th January 2026, the West End is coming to St Edmund Campion The music of Cormac Diamond and three other professional singers will take us down memory lane and be sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a tune in your head as they sing everything from Cole Porter to Elton John, accompanied by piano and violin. Truly a night to remember. All proceeds will go to St Edmund Campion Church refurbishment. Tickets are £20 and will be available after most Masses from this weekend until they sell out. Tickets would make lovely Christmas presents so please bring family, friends and neighbours. Tickets are also available online using a QR code but this will attract a booking fee. There will also be a cash bar and raffle that evening.
SIF FORM FOR SCHOOL ADMISSIONS Fr Liam will be available to sign SIF forms on the following dates:
ORGAN RECITAL BY CANDLELIGHT Saturday 13th December 7:30pm at St Elizabeth’s A selection of organ classics and Christmas favourites, played by James Leitch, organist at Carlisle cathedral and Caius, Cambridge. All Holy Family Parish and friends are welcome Tickets £10 - include mulled wine and seasonal snacks - available from St Joseph’s parish office or andy.strowbridge@gmail.com. Tickets will also be available to purchase after both Masses this Sunday 23rd November.
JUNIOR CAROL SERVICE BY ST MARY’S 17th December 6pm in St Joseph’s Church. St Mary's School junior children will be singing carols at St Joseph's Church. Please come along and sing some songs with the children and support our lovely school. Buy a ticket to support the school! https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/stmarys-maidenheadorguk/t-aaqxrja
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.
PARKING Please park in marked parking bays only. If there is no parking available on site, then please park on the road. There should be no parking on yellow lines or by the fence. Thank you for your cooperation.
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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