Newsletter 419 15th June 2024

PARISH NEWSLETTER FOR ST. JOSEPH’S (MAIDENHEAD)
& ST. ELIZABETH’S (COOKHAM)

11th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year B

Very often we notice the ordinariness of Jesus.  No big discourse on the kingdom of God. He just looks around him and says it’s like seeds growing and you can’t see them growing.

People knew what he was talking about – seeds growing down in the ground and you can do little about it!  You just wait.  They had little of the modern quick ways even of sowing.  All life was slow and that’s often the way.

Like tiny beginnings of a baby. All through life some of the best things are under our eyes and we do not see them. Coming to death there is a slow journey often and it’s like growth is happening under the ground.  We are being grown by God always if only we would let him do it.

Seeds are sown and grow – how to love and forgive, how to share with our neighbour, how to face death. 

When we remember our dead, what comes to mind is what they taught us about life. A lot of the best in life is waiting. Important moments come at God’s time.  So much of life is on trust.

Have a look this week at something small and fragile

that will grow big and strong and be amazed!

Heart of God, heart of Jesus, we place our trust in you.

1st Reading:  Ezekiel 17:22-24 It is the Lord who plants and grows; who raises and humbles.

 

 

Ps 92  R/ Lord, it is good to give thanks to you 


2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10  Paul’s boundless confidence in God, in spite of setbacks and opposition.


Acclamation: Alleluia! Alleluia! The seed is the Word of God, Christ the sower; whoever finds the seed will remain for ever. Alleluia!


Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 In a parable, Jesus notes the mysterious miracle of growth and fruitfulness. 

2nd Collection: Day for Life Sunday This year’s theme is “The Lord is my Shepherd – Compassion and Hope at the End of Life”, which allows us to reflect on end-of-life care in the midst of national debates on assisted suicide. Donate via our contactless devices (with Gift Aid) or via https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/ campaign/day-for-life-second-collection-2024

St. Joseph’s 140th Anniversary Celebrations
We will mark the 140th Anniversary of the Consecration of St Joseph’s Church with a Concelebrated Mass at 11:00 on 14 July 2024. The VIPs include The Right Reverend Peter Doyle, The Mayor and Theresa and Philip May.

Mass will be followed by a light Buffet Lunch Reception, together with Entertainment by Maidenhead Choral Society,  in the Parish Centre.

The 140th Anniversary Draw will take place during the reception so, please make sure you have purchased your tickets to have a chance of winning the first prize of £200. Save the Date and come along to enjoy the Celebrations!

Babies to Teens

  • 2 Jul Baptismal Course at St Joseph’s. For parents whose child is being baptised in M’head. Please meet one of the parish priests before attending.
  • FIRST HOLY COMMUNION sign up is open now. Please complete online form and all requested info by 31 Aug: https://forms.office.com/e/i5a9vcWdyv
  • Fridays 8.45-10:45am Baby & Toddler Group in St Edmund Parish Centre (term time only)
  • 11- 18 yr olds: Youth St Vincent de Paul (YSVP) group is launching in Sept 2024. https://svp.org.uk/youth-svp; Register/info Hilda 07749 917134.

Events in Church

  • 16 Jun Filipino Mass All are welcome!
    16 Jun Bake Sale by SVP M’head. St Edmund Campion Parish Centre, after 9.30 & 11.15 Masses. All baked goods contribution greatly appreciated! Get cake for Father’s day! Proceeds will go to SVP M’head
  • 22 Jun 10am Tabletop sale £10 a table. Book a table by emailing: [email protected] There will be refreshments: hot dogs, tea and coffee. Come and support us and bring your friends. There will be a parish table so please bring any items you would like to donate on 21 Jun after 5.30 or on 22 Jun morning or hand to Trisha Ray during the week. More info here: https://stjosephsparish.co.uk/the-vision-group/!
  • 25 Jun 10.30am Come listen to Fr Kevin’s talk on A Catholic Voice on the issues in our forthcoming election after the 10am Mass in St Elizabeth’s Room
  • 27 Jun no rosary. 4 Jul Zoom bible studies resume. See info pack for joining in link.
  • 30 Jun 12-3pm Celebrating 60 years of St Edmund Pri School + St Edmund Campion Parish Fun Day. 11am Feast of Ss Peter & Paul Mass on the field. Activities, games, Raffle, BBQ, Bar, Bouncy Castles & Tombola.
  • 30 Jun 2.30-6pm FREE – DEMENTIA VIRTUAL TOUR Ever wonder how your loved ones live with Dementia?
    Heritage Healthcare Windsor brings a unique opportunity of experiencing life with Dementia,
    with the aim of providing first-hand insight into daily challenges faced by your loved ones. 
  • 14 Jul 2.30-5pm, Bereavement Support Group St Edmund Campion Hall. Come for a cup tea & cake to talk or share with others who are also grieving
  • 19 Jul 7.30pm Social Evening by SVP M’head. Featuring local folk musicians Mark Ashworth and Greg O’Brien. Tickets @ £10 includes a cheese platter and glass of wine + donations bar. Tickets: 07749 917134.
  • 23-30 Aug Lourdes Pilgrimage Contact Fr Tom: 07908213034 to find out more
  • 23 Sep 7.30pm SVP Musical evening. Musicians from M’head parishes who want to perform, contact Peter: 07976625813. Tickets @ £8 on sale in July. Soft drinks & snacks available to buy (cash). BYO drinks & glasses.

Church Noticeboard

  • 22 Jun – 16 Jul Office closed. Mass intentions for this period can be booked directly with the priests.
  • Mary’s School: vacancies for Catholic Foundation Governors to help provide strategic direction to the school. For further information and application pack, contact [email protected]
  • PREPARE YE THE WAY… to the General Election. Please ensure you have registered to vote in the General Election by 18th June 2024. As a Catholic, Christian Community, Pope Francis, Cardinal Vincent Nichols & the Bishops of England & Wales remind us of our Duty and Obligation to uphold our Teaching and Principles by representing our views to the Candidates in our Civic Elections. Come listen to Fr Kevin’s talk on A Catholic Voice on the issues in our forthcoming election on 25th June at 10.30am after the 10am Mass in St Elizabeth’s Room
  • SVP is recruiting! See flyers at back/front of church

Magazine We need writers, contributors, photographers for our upcoming Parish Magazine. Please contact the office if you’re interested in helping or advertising!

We have a TWO contactless machine that will accept Gift Aid! You only have to input your details ONCE and ALL future donations with the same card will be Gift-Aided!

To reduce repeating information in the printed newsletter, we have printed hand-bag/ wallet-friendly information packs and placed them at the entrance/exits of the church. Please keep this with you for future reference. Thank you for helping us save the environment by reducing paper waste!

Walks and Talks

  • 13 Jun 6-7pm & WELCOMING REFUGEES: A journey to be made together How can we support people seeking asylum and refugees in the UK by Caritas. Sign up for Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/4ccz6ppx
  • 15 Jun 8.30am Catholic Miracle Rally with Miracle Healing Service at 7pm. Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ. See www.tinyurl.com/3dwn8rd7
  • 23 Jun 11.15am Pilgrimage Mass at Lyford Grange Bus leaves St Edmund church,  stopping for carvery lunch and then Mass in Lyford Barn. Returning Maidenhead 7.00pm. £25 (coach + lunch), children free on coach. Queries & coach bookings contact  John (tel 07931-292934 or 01628-636668)

Can you help?

Marriage Care is a Catholic organisation specialising in relationship support. We are looking for Marriage Preparation Course Facilitators to prepare couples for the Sacrament of Marriage (full training is provided for this role), Qualified Relationship Counsellors to support couples in distress and Trustees to provide governance and strategic direction for the organisation. For more information please visit: www.marriagecare.org.uk or email: [email protected]

partnered with market-leading solicitors and will-writing providers to offer a basic simple or mirror Will for free. In-person, online or by phone. There is no obligation to leave our Parish a gift in your Wills. https://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/support-our-work/make-your-free-will/

Inspire and empower children & young people in your local Catholic schools by delivering an assembly or a workshop. CAFOD will provide training and all resources. Contact Jo Lewry [email protected] or phone 07710 094447 for more info.

There are new arrivals at the local asylum seeker hotel and we need  the following: new packs of underwear, socks, summer clothes in medium size for women and men. If you can help please drop any donations to Sacred Heart altar in church. We are also always looking for hosts for homeless refugees. If you would like to talk about what might be involved in hosting please contact us on 07749 917134.

If you want to donate directly to SVP for helping refugees who are facing homelessness & destitution, you can do so via CDP Maidenhead St Josephs Church Ac 00882667 / 30-93-04. Please include your full name and “+SVP” so we can earmark your contribution.

A steering group of religious and other groups are trying to establish three new initiatives under the auspices of the Brett Foundation. One is temporary hosting for refugees through a Gift-a-Room scheme. The second is a temporary Winter homeless shelter for all rough sleepers.The third is a Drop-in Centre to provide basic support for all people living on the streets, such as food and shower facilities. We are asking for any or all of:-

*Offers of a room for a refugee for up to two months – references will be taken for both host and refugee and a mentor provided to help both with any issues

* Volunteers to help with the homeless shelter for all rough sleepers for a variety of tasks, such as cooking, cleaning up, welcoming people and/or occasional overnight stays either once a week or once a month

* Volunteers at the Drop-in Centre for all rough sleepers for tasks such as making teas/coffees and making guests feel welcome either once a week or once a month.

We have created the following material to explain the schemes on The Brett Foundation website: there is a full page devoted to each of the streams, as well as an introductory page with links to each of the streams: https://www.brettfoundation.charity/homeless-project

This is a link directly to the Gift-a-Room scheme: https://www.brettfoundation.charity/homeless-project/gift-a-room-scheme 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate call us on 07749 917134

appeal for volunteers. Would you enjoy meeting and helping all kinds of people on Saturday and pay-day Friday nights? Come try a taster session around Maidenhead town centre with a small friendly group. Contact: [email protected] or see facebook.com/maidenheadstreetangels

RESOURCES

Magnificat: This is one of the best publications around for following scripture readings for daily Mass and every Sunday. There are also many interesting articles to help you in your spiritual life. If you would like a copy please get in touch with the Parish Office to arrange. We can leave in the sacristy or post out to you. The Magnificat is only £5 per month. 

Day by Day: Available in the church at all times. Please leave the £1 in the candle box. 

Library: We have a parish library located in the corridor of the Parish Centre. This is dedicated to Theology/Religious books. Please feel free to borrow/swap. 

St Joseph’s Church Repository: is open after 11am every Sunday. We have lots of cards, candles, rosary beads, statues and many more religious gifts on sale. If a Sunday does not suit to visit, then please phone the office on 01628 783988 and we can arrange a time that best suits.

Vacancies: We currently have some exciting opportunities across the Diocese.

 

All vacancies posted here

Other information and links

Rosary Group via Zoom every Thursday at 2pm (See here for joining instructions) ►

Last session for December will be on Thursday the 14th of December at 2pm 

Rosary will resume on Thursday the 11th January 2024 at 2pm

Missio If you have a Red Box which is ready to be emptied, please bring it in over the coming weeks.  

If you’re away from your church or the Diocese, you can still keep in contact with all the latest news from the Bishop or the Diocese via: E- News  (subscription service available)

Twitter @PortsmouthRC

Facebook @PortsmouthRC @StJoMaidenhead

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.

Code: SI: Special Intention, RIP: Rest in Peace, A: Anniversary, FM: Foundation

We would like to get the newsletter distributed on time and are grateful for understanding in the deadline for submissions of announcements and mass intentions. Please send all contributions no later than Thursday 10am.