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Contact: webmaster@stjosephsparish.co.uk
Update based on Parish Handbook,
September 2004 edition
Chairman 2004/5: Pat Weavers (Tel 633681)
Deputy chair 20024/5: Claire Samber Tel 416968
Secretary 2004/5
Photographs and Contact details of PPC members are available on the noticeboards in each church.
Bishop Crispian has asked all parishes to develop Pastoral Councils. The foundations of our PPC rest on the principles set out in Papal documents, particularly Christifideles laici (Christ's Faithful People). The PPC is a group of lay people who work together with the priest and religious of the parish. It is concerned with the people - the living bricks of the church - rather than bricks, mortar, roof, or financial matters.
Underlying everything the PPC does is the Parish Mission Statement:
"Our endeavour is to encourage and enable every member to fulfil their unique Christian role within our Parish and within the wider community"
We aim to respond to the needs of the parish - and so our work is often dictated by the feedback we get from the various open meetings and AGMs we hold throughout the year. At present we have working parties looking at (amongst other issues), welcome ministry, communication, youth and neighbourhood cells.
You can read the latest on what we’ve discussed at our meetings by checking out the notice board. We will be posting an update there after each meeting.
Elections are held to the PPC every year - normally on the first and second Sunday of July. Elected Members will serve for three years, and may not stand again for three years. For further details, a copy of the PPC constitution is available from the Parish Office.
Any parishioner can participate in a more meaningful way at Mass by becoming an Altar Server. It is one of the lay ministries of the Church and provides an opportunity to explore a new path for growing closer to God. This involves preparing the altar and sanctuary with all the sacred vessels and accessories necessary for the priest to say Mass and assisting him during Mass itself.
Children's Liturgy is for youngsters between the ages of three and eleven. It is essentially Liturgy that is worship - not catechises or learning. It takes place in the Parish Centre at the same time as Liturgy of the Word during the 10.45 Sunday Mass.
There are age groups for pre-school, infants and juniors, in which the Gospel is opened to children in a way that is meaningful to them.
There are over twenty catechists, but we would welcome more, especially men. Volunteers are not left on their own, and would only be needed about ten times a year. Handouts for each Sunday are provided - why not encourage your children to join us or come in yourselves? Leaflets with information are available at all entrances to the churches.
Singing is an integral part of the Church’s worship and, as my dad taught me, when you sing, you are praying twice as hard. The choir is there to lead the singing and to encourage the whole congregation to join in. We try to provide a complement to the folk group and sing music that is generally traditional in character but also trying to include the best of the old with some of the new.
Singing the main tune is just the start though, and the sound of a strong choir in full, four-part harmony together with a congregation singing their heads off is a glorious expression of God’s praise. I very much want to work towards this target but we are short of members, particularly male voices. So, if you have a good voice and would like to help build up the music in our church, even if you have no experience of singing in harmony, do please get in touch.
We sing at the 10:45 mass on Sundays about twice a month and practise every Monday at 8pm in the choir loft. There is a sheet on the notice board at the back of the church with the details.
The folk group consists of a group of instrumentalists and singers who head the liturgy of St Joseph's at the 10.45 Mass about twice a month. People of all ages, abilities and those playing a wide range of instruments are encouraged to join. We rehearse for the Mass at 10.00am on the day and music is provided for everyone The usual meeting time is 10.00am before the 10.45 Mass, only on certain Sundays at St Joseph's
Pope Paul VI issued an instruction (Immensæ Caritatis) in January 1973 which, among other things, permitted laymen and women to assist in the distribution of Holy Communion. The selection of Eucharistic Ministers is the responsibility of the Parish Priest who as far as possible appoints people to represent a fair cross-section of the Parish as regards class, ethnic origin and sex, so that they may be seen as truly representative of the Parish. When fulfilling their duty, the Eucharistic Minister should not fulfil any other liturgical function at that Mass e.g. reader or server. Eucharistic Ministers attend a course of training sessions in the Deanery and receive a Faculty from the Dean. This is only applicable to their own Parish. This course is approved by the Bishop has been used in the Diocese for some years.
Besides distributing Communion at Mass, an important part of this Ministry is to take Holy Communion to the sick and housebound of the Parish. Eucharistic Ministers may also preside at Communion Services when the priest is absent.
The Readings at Mass are undertaken by a group of volunteers, usually two readers at each Sunday Mass. Typically each person reads once every 4 or 5 weeks, following a rota. More volunteers are always welcome; some basic training is given, including some experience using the microphone from the pulpit, before facing an actual congregation!
The Repository is situated in the new "Gathering Area" in St.Joseph's church where the font was previously situated. It sells missals, rosaries, statues, crucifixes, birthday cards, Mass cards, Get Well cards, 1st Communion, and Confirmation cards. There is a good selection of books for both children and adults. At Christmas there are crib sets, calendars, diaries and of course Christmas cards. At Easter cards are also available.
All proceeds are given to St.Joseph's and the prices are very reasonable. The repository is open every Sunday morning before and after 10.45 Mass and occasionally at other times.
What do we do? We stand at the church door and offer a "good morning" and a smile. A smile at any door is a welcoming sight. It makes us feel good to be acknowledged. We serve coffee and tea on Friday and Sunday mornings. We "welcome" at all kinds of functions such as "Churches Together” or other parishes visiting our church.
The Welcoming team is a branch of the UCM. We help them on all kinds of occasions such as First Communion celebration. The UCM began these Coffee Mornings and as demand grew Aine Harte founded the Welcoming Team. Four dedicated ladies serve each Sunday and as it's on a rota this works out at one Sunday in four. We are delighted to welcome anyone from 20 to 70 to join this group. Contact Yvonne.
A Pre-Baptism programme is run for parents who want their children to be baptised. The parents attend a meeting lasting one and a half-hours during which they are helped towards a deeper understanding of the meaning of Baptism for their children. These programmes are run once a month.
Children join the programme at the request of their parents, usually in July or August when their child is seven or over.
The programme runs for 9 months, and the lessons take place in the Parish Centre at 9.30 am on Sundays. The programme includes preparations for the Sacrament of Reconcilliation, and attendance at Sunday Family Masses.
The first communion programme is dependant upon volunteers, so parents and additional helpers are always welcome.
The Confirmation programme extends over a period of three months leading up to the Bishop's annual visit. The young people meet fortnightly in the homes of the catechists and attend a full day's retreat. Eight catechists, working in pairs, prepare the candidates. The Candidates undertake some project, usually a sponsored walk to raise funds for homeless youngsters.
"Journey in Faith" is a programme for those wishing to become Catholics, beginning in October and ending at Pentecost. There are weekly meetings, except during holiday periods, culminating in receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Often Catholics wanting to learn more about their faith also attend. "Sponsors", Catholics willing to "walk with” the Candidates, are always needed.
Marriage Preparation in St. Josephs Parish consists of 3 evening sessions for engaged couples which they should ideally attend several months before their proposed wedding day.
The aim of the course is to raise awareness of the importance of realistic expectations, communicating feelings and dealing with conflict within marriage, and understanding the nature of the commitment and the significance of the sacrament of marriage.
The couples are invited to Mass on the Saturday following the final session when they receive a blessing from the priest and their certificate of attendance.
Relatives and friends of parishioners (and sick parishioners themselves) who cannot attend Mass, should advise Fr. Tom McGrath or his Secretary, Terry Mellor.
If a person is gravely ill and requires the Sacraments of the Sick, Fr. Tom should be advised irrespective of the time - day or night.
If a Parishioner is admitted to hospital they should ensure they are registered as a Catholic and tell the Ward Sister they would like Communion and the Sacraments during their stay. Whilst in hospital they are under the care of the designated Hospital Chaplain.
Practical arrangements for funerals must first be made with the Funeral Directors. They will then contact the Parish Priest who will make the arrangements for the service in the church, including contacting an organist. Requiem Masses are generally held at St Joseph’s at 10.00a.m. during the week.
Fr Tom will meet the next of kin as soon as convenient to offer spiritual comfort and discuss details of the service.
In November a Special Mass is celebrated for all who have died in the Parish during the year. All families and friends of the deceased are invited to attend.
Churches Together in Maidenhead (CTIM) seeks to encourage all Christian churches and groups in Maidenhead to be involved in active dialogue and collaboration.
CTIM is a thriving, well-attended group of representatives from 27 Christian churches in Maidenhead. It meets approximately 6 times a year, and its Annual General Meeting is in early October. CTIM ventures include the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, Ecumenical Lenten prayer groups, Good Friday Silent Walk of Witness through the town, Pentecost celebrations in Kidwells Park, Christmas card to all homes in Maidenhead, candle-lit procession for Christmas, and a Christmas meal for elderly or lonely people.
CTIM has 3 representatives from St Joseph’s Fr Tom McGrath, Sarah Beaumont, and Tony Weeks. Tony is President of CTIM until October 2003.
Parish support for ecumenism and CTIM is evident, with parishioners from St Joseph’s supporting CTIM activities, which are publicised in parish bulletins or on noticeboards
Inter Faith activity is strong in Maidenhead, and our town benefits from excellent dialogue and co-operation between all its faith groups. Meetings occur around 3-4 times a year and involve both elders/leaders/clergy plus lay people. Faiths currently represented include Bahai, Brahma Kumaris, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic and Sikh.
Various activities are organised by Inter Faith Group. Collaborative ventures include meetings where members of different faiths can hear, see and learn about each others' approaches to spirituality. One such organised event was an afternoon of contemplation on the theme of 'The Family and its importance in our society'. There are plans to hold annual cultural celebrations, where people can come and share music, food, song, poetry and dance relating to different faiths and their customs and traditions.
Inter Faith Group feels it has an important role in promoting inter faith dialogue and tolerance amongst the town's youth. It is spearheading a workshop project that will encourage young people in the sixth form of local schools to witness inter faith dialogue at work. There is also a separate committee which provides an interface between Maidenhead's faiths and public bodies such as the council, NHS, emergency services etc.
If any parishioners would like to become involved in inter faith work, or any of the types of projects mentioned above, please get in touch with Sarah Beaumont, 01628 541025
The Association of Divorced and Separated Catholics, under the Episcopal Care and Guidance of the Bishop of Salford was formed in 1981. This lay founded organisation with a spiritual adviser aims to provide practical and spiritual support through self-help groups and speaks with the voice of experience.
Christ’s ministry started with the poor, the afflicted, the emotionally scarred and the rejected. The Separated and Divorced would have a place of love in his church. Hope and joy are born of compassion and show the face of God to the world.
There is a combined group in Maidenhead - St. Joseph’s and St. Edmund Campion.
'The Badminton Club has been running every Tuesday for the last ten years and at the time of going to press has a full membership. If anyone is interested in setting up another club contact Gwen Clooney (Parish Centre Administrator - contact details in section 3.0) to book the hall.
The Catenian Association is an organisation for Catholic professional and business men which enables gentlemen of like mind and outlook to meet socially in a relaxed atmosphere, as friends.
Members meet locally once a month for free exchange of views and to help and encourage one another and their families in their religious, social and business lives. They also support each other, when needed, through individual or collective action. That support can be as part of professional or business life, or can be found in sustenance of the religious dimension of their lives. Members are particularly concerned with the care and welfare of widows and families of deceased members, and to help young Catholics in the choice and pursuit of a career.
A full and varied social programme is provided throughout the year covering: family events, including theatre, bowling, golf, weekend excursions, rambles and Ladies Dining Nights. Visiting other Circles is encouraged, which opens up a wider dimension of Catholic contacts and opportunities to take part in Cultural and Spiritual events organised on a provincial basis.
Maidenhead Care is a “good neighbour” scheme uniquely focused on meeting the needs of OUR TOWN and its PEOPLE.
Care is supported by Churches Together in Maidenhead but its volunteer membership has grown far beyond its original church foundation. It is a registered charity.
Care is an entirely voluntary organisation operating a 24-hour telephone answering service every day of the week.
Requests for help can vary from providing transport to hospitals, doctors, or dentists; help with shopping; simple DIY tasks; respite care (for carers) or just visiting the lonely and having a chat.
Care can always use more helpers, with 30 phone calls a day and over 500 commitments each month the organisation is greatly in need of more volunteers.
If you would like to know more about becoming a volunteer for Maidenhead Care then please contact us on 01628 434567
Our work tends to be visits to hospitals and home visits to the housebound and lonely. We rely on Father Tom and other parishioners to alert us to the need for a visit. We also "car-ferry" and take Holy Communion to the sick. We are always grateful to parishioners who can help as "auxiliary members" on a "one-off" basis in any of our work.
Our meetings are regular, formal and spiritual. A very important part of the SVP is our "Vincentian Friendship" and "brotherhood". This profits the spiritual life of members, which makes our work so different from ordinary "social work"
Members meet in the Bar Area on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm. for tea, a chat and a game of Bingo. New members are always welcome and will find there is a very warm, friendly atmosphere in the club. Outings are sometimes arranged including pub lunches.
The U.C.M. is a National organisation with groups in many parishes in the UK. Meetings provide fellowship and friendship and are a blend of social and spiritual activities.
Membership is open to all Catholic Women, married or single, and to non-Catholic wives of Catholic husbands. The aims are to teach and defend Christian values in family life, to offer love, sympathy and practical help to the family and to foster vocation in life. New members are greatly welcomed.
Meetings are held on alternate Tuesday evenings 7.45pm in the Bar Area of the Parish Centre. See the Newsletter for dates, topics and events
The idea behind this club is to have a membership of 201 persons, each contributing £12 each year which would contribute £2412 if we had full membership. During the year 50% of the income is given away in prize money with the remaining 50% being contributed to St. Joseph’s parish general funds. In recent years the membership has dropped owing to members moving away from the area so we would welcome a considerable influx of new members. All members are entered in the monthly draw, which is held on the first Friday after Mass each month, the prize money being worth £50. Sometimes there is a first prize of £100. This depends of course on the number of paid up members. Payment may be made monthly, by annual standing order or by cheque so it is quite a painless way of contributing to Parish finances whilst at the same time giving yourself the opportunity of winning a cash prize.
201 officials are Pam Carter and Tony Becque at St. Joseph’s and Richard Kellaway at St. Elizabeth’s.
Busteroonies is the parish Mother and Toddler group (age 0-5) who meet every Monday.from 10.30 to 12.00 in St.Josephs’s Hall in the parish centre. Toilets and Baby-sitting facilities are available.
Entrance Fee: £1.00 for 1st child; 50p 2nd child; free 3rd child.
10.30-11.30 is dedicated to free play
11.30-11.45 Songs and musical instruments
11.45-12.00 Refreshments and tidy-up time
The baby-sitting circle has been running successfully for a number of years with members drawn from the parish. It operates on a points system, one point representing half an hours baby-sitting. Each month a new secretary holds the book becoming the contact person for arranging members' baby-sits, she will contact the person with the least number of points first working on down the list until she has someone able to do the sit.
At the time of going to press there are thirteen members and we are always looking for more to increase our circle. It is a good way of making new friends and getting to know other families in the parish.
The aim of the Scout Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. The Method of achieving this aim is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training, based on the Scout Promise and Law and guided by adult leadership.
Cub Scouts: Boys 8 to 10½ years. Meet Mondays from
6.30 to 8.00pm
Scouts: Boys 10½ to 15½ years. Meet Wednesdays
from 7.15 to 9.15pm.
**Click
here for Maidenhead Scouts web-site
**or direct to the 19th Maidenhead (St Josephs and St Edmund Campion) page
We are a Brownie Guide Pack - a member of the Guide Association. We are a uniformed group and our aim is to help the girls to become mature and useful members of the community. We all make a promise to love God, serve the Queen and our community. We can have twenty-four girls and should have an adult to child ratio of 1 to 8. We have a long waiting list. We take girls aged seven to ten. Parents need to get their child's name on the list well before they are seven.
The parish Youth Club meets on the 2nd Sunday of every month from 7pm to 9pm in the Parish Centre. Attractions include Scalextric motor racing, mini-snooker, table-tennis, a Playstation. We have a good mix of boys and girls, mainly of secondary school age, but one or two a little younger. The kids can bring their own CDs, games and Playstation games to play. We ask a £2 entrance fee (voluntary) with funds going towards the club. The club is open to all young friends of the parish, and as part of this open policy we will endeavour to accommodate young people with special needs - please contact us to discuss any arrangements required.
The family club organises occasional events and outings throughout the year - open to all parishioners and their friends and family. All events are family-friendly and have included pantomime trips, outings to Beale Park and picnics. Events are advertised in the parish newsletter and on posters in the churches. New ideas always welcome!
With a team of helpers, the Cashier counts the weekly collections and gets them to the bank, as well as paying the Parish bills and preparing reports for the Accountant.
More people to share in counting the collections are always welcome. They usually work in pairs and count perhaps once every four or five weeks.
Under the chairmanship of the Parish Priest, the Finance Committee manages the financial and business affairs of the Parish. The Parish Priest appoints its members from parishioners with appropriate knowledge, experience and commitment. The committee meets approximately once every three months.
A sub-committee within the Finance Committee manages the Church Buildings and their maintenance.
If you pay tax then please Gift Aid your weekly offerings and other donations to the church.
Gift Aid donations enable the parish to get an extra 28p in the £1 from all taxpayers. These donations must be recorded weekly, monthly or yearly according to the individual way of donating. To enable these to be recorded payments are made by weekly numbered envelopes or standing order. Each quarter we are sent a list of Gift Aiders and we return the amount paid to the Gift Aid Office in Portsmouth who then make a claim to the Inland Revenue. Eventually the parish receives a nice sum of tax reclaimed.
Please contact Joan, Pat or Angela if you would like to know about or help with the flower arranging in the parish.
If you would like to help with church cleaning, please contact Margaret at St.Elizabeth’s, or speak to us in the parish office.
The handbook is a reference book for the parish, which intends to:
help parishioners benefit from all that the parish has to offer;
encourage each member of the parish to become involved in parish
life;
encourage and enable parishioners to air their views.
In short, this book is here to encourage and enable every member of the parish to fulfil their unique Christian role within our parish and within the wider community.
The Parish Magazine is issued three times a year - on the first Sunday of Advent, on Ash Wednesday and on June 29th. Articles must be submitted one calendar month prior to these dates.
The newsletter is produced weekly.
The front page carries all the contact details for the Parish together with times of Masses and Confessions. It carries the date and which Sunday it is and where to find the relevant readings in the Sunday Missal. The Psalm Response for the particular Sunday is also printed here. The main section is for the ‘Thought for the Week’ usually written by Fr Tom but occasionally by Deacon David.
The back page carries all the notices - dates, times & venues for all Parish meetings both spiritual and social. The amount given at the weekly offertory and occasional second collection is also shown. Forms for registering for First Communion, Confirmation and Journey in Faith programmes are published here at relevant times of the year. With so much happening in the Parish it is usually difficult to fit everything in. If space permits other notices of events, pleas for help etc from other organisations in the town, deanery or diocese are printed.
The newsletter is compiled on Tuesdays and printed on Thursdays. Any notices should be passed to Pat before noon on Tuesday.
The newsletter is usually posted on the website on Friday **(Click here to view this week's)
It can also be downloaded in PDF format, including past issues **(Click here to download)
St. Joseph’s parish have a website, containing details of most of the groups and activities connected with the parish, along with the weekly newsletter, articles from the parish magazine, a section for the school, Catholic links and resources and much more. The parish also runs a newsgroup with reminders of important parish dates and important dates in the church diary. Log on to www.stjosephsparish.co.uk - we welcome your comments and suggestions for improvements.
In each church there is a “Comment and Suggestion Box” near the PPC notice board. These boxes are examined weekly by the PPC and may be used for any communications regarding parish life.
Comments can also be contributed via the contacts page of the website.
In general, please contact the church to discuss any special needs issues you may have. We have a range of experience and will endeavour to help wherever possible.
All Sorts is an evening group for adults with learning disabilties. Set up jointly with St.Mary’s Anglican church, All Sorts meet on the last Thursday of every month between 7 and 8.30pm in the parish centre for friendship, song, prayer and games in a safe and friendly environment. All with an interest in learning disabilities are welcome.
St. Joseph’s church has disabled spaces in the car park, with ramp access to the building, plus a disabled toilet. St.Elizabeth’s also has ramp access to the building and a disabled toilet.
St.Joseph’s has an induction loop (AFILS) is provided for the benefit of Hearing Aid users. Please switch your hearing aid to "T"
For more information on Special Needs ....
** Click here to reach our Special Needs page