The account of the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples on the road to Emmaus is one of the most beautiful stories in the whole of Scripture. We can identify with the feelings of the two disciples heading out from Jerusalem after the tragic Passover—grief at the death of their Master, disappointment that their messianic hopes had been shattered, guilt that so many disciples had failed to stand by Jesus in his suffering, confusion over what would happen next, and emptiness now that their high expectations had come to nothing. So they share their feelings with the unknown stranger who walks with them.
When they reached their planned destination, the two disciples wished to thank their helpful companion by offering him a meal. On arrival, when he sat down as their guest, he took the role of the host. He broke bread for them, just as previously he had broken bread to feed the crowd of five thousand hungry people. Just at that moment they recognised him, but he had vanished from their sight.
What about us? - Like those early disciples, we can feel grief in times of loss, disappointment when our hopes do not work out, guilt that we have not always stayed close to our Lord, confusion over what can happen in our lives, and emptiness when our expectations are not fulfilled. But all the while, the Lord is walking with us on our journey of life, even if often we do not notice him. Let us ask him to open our eyes that we may see him, not only in the Scriptures and the Breaking of Bread, but also in the events of our daily lives.
What about us? - Like those early disciples, we can feel grief in times of loss, disappointment when our hopes do not work out, guilt that we have not always stayed close to our Lord, confusion over what can happen in our lives, and emptiness when our expectations are not fulfilled. But all the while, the Lord is walking with us on our journey of life, even if often we do not notice him. Let us ask him to open our eyes that we may see him, not only in the Scriptures and the Breaking of Bread, but also in the events of our daily lives.
| First Reading | Acts 2:14, 22-33 | It was impossible for him to be held in the power of Hades. | |||
| Responsorial Psalm | Ps 16 | O Lord, you will show me the path of life. | |||
| Second Reading | 1 Pet 1:17-21 | Your ransom was paid in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely, Christ. | |||
| Gospel | Luke 24:13-35 | They recognised him at the breaking of bread. |
| Saturday 18th April | 18:15 | Jeannie Clarke, | Darren Brown | |||
| Sunday 19th April | 16:30 | Holy Hour of Dignity | ||||
| Sunday 26th April | 11:15 | Andres Iglesias, | Nuala Hirth | |||
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. Vuni or Fr Elvis.
FIRST FRIDAY HEALING MASS These special Masses will take place on:
Friday 1st May 10am at St. Joseph’s; 7pm at St. Edmund Campion Church; 10am St Thomas More, Twyford
Friday 5th June 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 meeting is:
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 Vuni or Father Elvis are 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 Vuni or telephone the Parish Office.
Contact: If you wish to speak to Father Vuni in confidence on any matter, please contact him for an appointment. He is always happy to visit your home if so desired. Email: tvuni@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk Telephone: 07888627223
Hospital: If you are going into hospital or know or someone that is, please inform the hospital chaplain on arrival. Please also let Father Vuni 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 Carina (Parish Office) or Father Vuni 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 Father Vuni or Father Elvis.
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.
Holy Hour for the Dignity of Life: Sunday 19th April at 4:30pm - Join the Bishops of England and Wales to pray a Holy Hour for the dignity of all human life as peers in the House of Lords continue to debate whether to make Assissted Suicide law.
St Edmund Campion Pilgrimage: on the 10th May @ 11:15am, John Lynn is organising a free bus trip to Lyford Grange - Fr. Kevin O'Driscoll will be the main celebrant. The bus will leave from outside St Edmund Campion. The group will stop for lunch near Abingdon (pack own lunch or enjoy a carvery meal). Mass will be at 4pm. The bus will arive back in Maidenhead at 6:45pm. Contact John for more information: 07931292934/01628636668
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
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 Parish New Parishioners - The Holy Family Parish. The parish offices are situated at St. Joseph’s Church, Cookham Road and St. Edmund Campion, Altwood Road. The parish office details are available on the website and in the church porch.
Maidenhead SVP Quiz on Friday 8th May 2026
Maidenhead SVP will be holding an evening quiz at St Joseph's Parish Hall on Friday 8th May 2026 with doors opening at 7:30pm for a 8:00pm start until 10:30 pm. Tickets are £7 per person and team sizes will be maximum 8. There will be prizes for the winning team plus a raffle and other games to participate in. All welcome.
If you are interested, there are tickets still available from Peter 07976625813 (St Edmund Campion) or Siobhan (St Joseph's) on 07816445416.
GIFT AID If you are a UK taxpayer, please consider signing up for Gift Aid. If you have not completed a form in the last 12-18 months, we will no longer be able to claim gift aid on your donations. Please make sure you complete the form in the link below ASAP or use the QR code attached. You can get paper copies in the church porch. Please return completed forms to the office and please email the office if you complete the online form. Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity.
Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth - Gift Aid Declaration Form
CAN YOU HELP?
SACRISTANS - We have had a couple of our Sacristans step back from their role after many years in this ministry. We especially need a volunteer to help on Friday mornings, to prepare for 10am Mass and First Friday 7pm Mass. Please speak to one of our priests, or let Carina know if this is a role you can help with.
ALTER SERVERS & READERS - Our parish is always growing and it has been lovely to see so many children help in the church. If any child would like to part of a mass as an alter server or a reader, please email Carina (office) or speak to Fr. Vuni.
CONFIRMATION Session 6 will be on Saturday 18th April at 4:30pm in St Edmund Campion Church.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION Session 6 and 7 will be on Saturday 18th April & 9th May at 4:45pm in St Edmund Campion School.
VISION GROUP - EVERYONE’S A WINNER RAFFLE - Huge thanks to everyone who’s donated Dry January bottles and unwanted Christmas gifts! On 18th and 19th April the annual raffle will be held after every mass . Tickets will be £5 and every prize will be worth more than £5, so everyone’s a winner! All the proceeds will go towards St Edmund Campion Church refurbishment. Please bring cash but the card machines will be available.
Soup Days - A HUGE thank you to all that contributed in making this a success. We raised £1816, which will be going to W.O.R.K. (Woman & Children of Rural Kenya). Thank you again, Moira McGovern.
FR LIAM’S FAREWELL - Sunday 3rd May 2026 after 10:30am Mass (This will be the only mass that day) - We would love any parishioners that could volunteer to provide some food/dishes. There is a sign-up sheet available in the church porch. There are still a large amount of food that is needed for the event. Thank you so much to those who have put their names forward!
* If you wish to give an individual gift to Fr. Liam, please take an envelope from the church porch.
* There will be a message book for anyone who would like to write a message. This book will be available in the church porch as well as in the school on Sunday 3rd May.
* We will also be celebrating Fr. Liam's 30th anniversary of his ordination.
SUMMER FUN DAY - SAVE THE DATE: Sunday 14th June (There is a lot of prep and organisation that happens behind the scenes before the big day. PLEASE support this amazing team and join in the fun!
YOGA CLASSES TUESDAY: 5th May is the next class. 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.
TODDLER GROUP Every Friday in termtime, 8:45am-10:45am in the Parish Centre.
THURSDAYS ZOOM www.tinyurl.com/2hz5axvp 2pm Rosary; 6pm Journey together through Holy scriptures
Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM) 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 2.30 – 4.30pm in St Joseph’s, St Elizabeth’s Room
RED BOX HOLDERS Copies of Missio Spring edition are available outside the church Office.
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 - 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.
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).
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.
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 Vuni or Fr Elvis 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 Carina (Parish Office), Fr Vuni or Fr Elvis know so that a visit can be arranged.
FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES, FOR THE COMING MONTHS
Father Vuni & Fr Elvis are the ‘link people’ for pastoral matters concerning the parish of St. Joseph’s and St. Elizabeth’s. They are also chaplains to St. Mary’s school.
Father Vuni will be the ‘link person’ for the parish of St. Edmund Campion and will be chaplain to St. Edmund Campion school.
Fr Elvis & Fr Vuni 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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