Click on the image above to view Arts & Faith Advent videos and reflections.
MASSES AND OTHER INFORMATION
Please visit the Mass Times page for more information on Mass times and other events, or click here. Please note that the Mass on New Year's Eve will take place on Wednesday 31st December at 11am. No evening Mass on that day.
PARISH OFFICE OPENING HOURS
The parish office opening hours are from 8.15am to 12.15pm Tuesday to Friday. Closed on Bank Holidays. The parish office will be closed from Thursday 25th December until Tuesday 6th January.
REFLECTION
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus at work – giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, healing to lepers, and so on…. It is a marvellous display of compassion for suffering humanity. In our Mass today, we encounter the same compassionate Christ. Let us not be afraid to show him the various handicaps and wounds that we suffer from. John the Baptist was no reed swaying in the wind. A reed swaying in the wind is a symbol of those who are easily influenced, who go along with whatever is popular, and who have no convictions of their own. But the humble reed can teach us something. The fact that it is light, means that it is at the mercy of every wind that blows. But it has great strength too. The greatest storm cannot uproot it. Even when giant oaks come crashing down, the slender reed still stands secure.
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Lord, teach us that there is strength in weakness and suppleness, and give us the wisdom to know when to bend and when to stand firm.
END OF THE JUBILEE YEAR
This Jubilee year ends at Christmas, but Pope Leo stresses that the Jubilee theme - “Pilgrims of Hope”- will not lose meaning when the Jubilee ends. Rather, he says that it calls us to journey in hope throughout our lives and wait, not with our hands in our pockets but by actively taking part in seeking God in the realities of everyday life. Pope Leo says that “The world becomes better if we give up a little security and comfort in order to choose what is good. This is participation. We must ask ourselves if we are engaging our talents joyfully in service of others and the Kingdom of God. To hope is to participate: this is a gift that God gives us.”
ADVENT SERVICE OF RECONCILIATION
Advent is a time for both spiritual and practical preparation to celebrate the first coming of Jesus as a baby and to look forward to his second coming. To help us, there will be a joint pastoral area Advent Service of Reconciliation at 7pm at English Martyrs, Didcot on Thursday 18th December at 7pm, with an opportunity for individual Confessions.
LENT 2026 - PARISH CHARITY FUNDRAISING
During the season of Advent, the parish pastoral committee (PPC) ask you to think about charities which we could raise funds for during Lent 2026. Ideally, we would like to fundraise for two charities – one local/UK based and one worldwide. We are only able to consider registered charities. Please give this some consideration and send your suggestions (with details of the charity) to the parish office by Monday 5 January 2026. Thank you.
SUPPORT THE FOODBANK
We cannot miss the fact that food prices have risen and are still rising. As a parish, we encourage you to please continue to support those who cannot afford enough food - through the Abingdon Food Bank. For practical reasons, and because nearly all supermarkets now have collection points as you leave their premises, it is easier for you to place your donations there, so please do not leave your contributions in our church. You can find out what is needed, the location of collection points, and also make a money donation, here. Thank you.
CATECHISM IN A YEAR
Fr Mike Schmitz from Ascension Press has produced a 365-day podcast entitled "The Catechism in a Year". Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, providing insight, explanation, and encouragement as the Church's teachings are explored, following a reading plan inspired by Ascension's "Foundations of Faith" approach. Listeners can follow along with any recent version of the Catechism and can find the reading plan on the Ascension website. More information is available here.
CAR PARKING
​With the very restricted parking space available at the church, please use alternatives if you can, so that those who are less able may use our car park. Thank you for your understanding.
Abingdon Community Fridge fights food waste by redistributing surplus food from local businesses and members of the community. The Abingdon Community Fridge is open to all. For more information visit their Facebook page here, or email info@abingdoncommunityfridge.org.uk
They are located at Hadland Road Community Centre, OX14 3YH and open on:
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Mondays: 4.00-4.30pm
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Thursdays: 1.00-2.00pm
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Saturdays: 10.30-11.30am
The Community Fridge is in need of funding to continue its work (hire of hall, insurance, food safety training for volunteers, etc.). To donate, please use this link here, or contact margaretdhancox@gmail.com
PARISH NEWSLETTERS
Items for the newsletter should be sent to the parish office (abingdon@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk) by the Wednesday of each week please. Copies are available in the church and on this website here. Please keep contributions as brief as possible and please take newsletters home with you. Thank you.
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DIOCESAN NEWS
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To keep up to date with the news of the Diocese and the Bishop please follow on:
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E- News: use the link here. (subscription service available)
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Facebook: @PortsmouthRC
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Twitter: @PortsmouthRC
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The Diocese website: https://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/
If you would like to share news with the rest of the Diocese, please contact: communications@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
GIFT AIDING YOUR MONETARY DONATIONS
If you aren't doing so already, please consider gift aiding your donations – it makes them all the more worthwhile, because if you tell us that you pay tax in the UK, then we can claim back 25% from the Government - that's 25p for every £1 you give! You can do so by filling in the yellow form available at the back of the church or online on our website here. Thank you.
JOB VACANCIES IN OUR DIOCESE
All current vacancies in the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth can be viewed here.
NEW TO THE PARISH? OR CHANGED ADDRESS?
We warmly welcome all new parishioners who have joined our parish in the last year. Please do make yourselves known if you have not already done so, and also let us know if you would like to contribute to parish life in any way. If you have already registered with us, but have changed your address or contact details, please also let us know. Forms and other information are available on our website here to register. Forms and other information are also available in the porch at our church. You can view and download our welcome booklet here. You can also view our latest annual report here.
ADVENT COLLECTION FOR THE HOMELESS
Traditionally, we support the homeless in the season of Advent, and this year we will do so by offering monetary support to The Gatehouse, Oxford, which supports Oxford’s homeless community. They offer a wide range of free services and activities to adults who are homeless, vulnerably housed, on low or no income, or simply looking for company from their drop-in community centre in Woodstock Road. They are heavily dependent on grants and donations from the local community to fund their services. You can find out more about them here. Our parish will be supporting them with a special second (retiring) collection this Sunday 14th December.
PARISH AGM REPORT
Our parish annual general meeting took place on Sunday 16th November in the parish centre. You can see some of the many things that go on in our parish by viewing the report - which you can do by clicking on the image above.
CHRISTMAS CRIB OFFERINGS
It won’t be long before the Christmas crib in our church is put up – the outdoor crib as well, thanks to the volunteers who work on it. In our Diocese of Portsmouth, our annual Christmas Crib offerings are given alternately one year to the Friends of the Holy Land and one year to the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. This year, our Christmas Crib offerings will go to the Friends of the Holy Land (FHL), a non-political charity, whose mission is to secure a resilient and enduring Christian community in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Jordan - the part of the world that Christians call the Holy Land. Over the past year, they have been able to keep children in school, get young people into work, provide medical care and trauma therapy, build wells, install solar panels, and restore the dignity of those unemployed through temporary jobs in the local community. A collection box will be available at the crib during Masses only, and you can also donate using the card system at the back of the church.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
Loving and Generous God, it is You who call us by name and ask us to follow You. Help us to grow in the love and service of our Church as we experience it today. Give us the energy and courage of Your Spirit to shape its future. Grant us faith-filled leaders who will embrace Christ's Mission of love and justice, and inspire us to know You better and to open our hearts to hear Your call. Amen.
GRANDPARENTS ACTIVE IN SCHOOL!
The Grandparents’ Association from our parish are always very active, and their recent effort has been building a Prayer Garden at our school - St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School. This will be a special place where classes can go for Celebration of the Word, and we hope that the children will also use it for reflection and prayer during their breaks. We are so grateful to all those members of our school and parish community who have given up their time and resources to make this project a reality. Recently, Fr Jamie McGrath, parish priest, came into the school to bless the Prayer Garden. This was a special occasion, beginning with prayer and singing a hymn in the school hall, followed by everyone excitedly making the short walk outdoors to the new Prayer Garden where Fr Jamie did the blessing. The event was also a perfect opportunity for the children to meet members of the Grandparents’ Association and others, to thank them for their efforts.
ALMSHOUSE ACCOMMODATION
Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon currently have three vacancies in their almshouses, and are inviting applications from local residents. Please see the notice on our outdoor noticeboard for information on eligibility and how to apply, or look here.
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS
If you’re very organised, you may well be thinking of Christmas gifts! Why not find the perfect gift for your loved ones through CAFOD, and help to change lives at the same time. Discover more here.
ALONE ON CHRISTMAS DAY?
Will you be on your own this Christmas? If so, Peachcroft Christian Centre at Lindsay Drive OX14 2RT, invite you to join in for lunch on Christmas Day. You can enjoy a 2-course lunch, entertainment and the company of others, all free of charge. If you or someone you know would like to come, then please get in touch with Fiona as soon as possible via email: christmaslunch25@peachcroftcc.org or phone: 07503 178893.
LIGHT IN DARKNESS
We are encouraged to consider engaging more deeply in this Jubilee Year by joining one of the online programmes supported by our Diocese. There are many options available, which you can find here. As explained in our Diocesan e-News, the range of courses available can help us to hand on the teaching of Jesus with confidence. We can examine contemporary challenges and learn to give credible answers to practical questions. We can also discover not only what the Church teaches, but why the Church teaches as it does, and how that teaching is related to Scripture. We can also learn how to read the Sacred Page – how to go beyond a superficial reading and how to begin to penetrate deeply the Word of God. Through the courses available, we can learn the important practical lessons Jesus teaches us for living out our discipleship more faithfully and more fervently, how to grow in virtue, how to deal with personal struggles, questions, and problems, and more.
'YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES' PRAYER
O Lord, graciously look down upon us your servants and upon our work to build Your Holy Church here in this place. Enlighten our minds and lead us into all truth as we seek to do Your will. Abundantly bless our labours, that Your Holy Church may serve You ever more faithfully to the glory of Your Holy name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
OPEN DOORS
Open Doors takes place on Mondays from 11am to 2pm in the Parish Centre and runs every Monday, except Bank Holidays. We offer tea/coffee, lunch (served at 12.15pm) and friendly conversation to anyone in the Parish or local community who is on their own or would like more company. ​​
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The last Open Doors session of 2025 will be on Monday, 15th December, when we will be serving a traditional Christmas lunch. There will be no Open Doors sessions on 22nd or 29th December and sessions restart on Monday, 5th January.
ARE YOU IN NEED OR WANT TO HELP OTHERS?
For nearly two centuries the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) has been seeking and finding those in need and responding in love. As well as visits, we can offer practical and financial help where possible. We always maintain confidentiality. Our SVP members meet every fortnight on a Wednesday evening. If you are in need or know someone who is, do contact our parish SVP group via the parish office and we will see what we can do to help. Equally, if you would like to get involved in any way, please do contact us.
LITURGY WEBSITE AND UPCOMING COURSES
The Diocese now have a Liturgy website, which provides reflection, guidance and a chance to ask questions. You can access by clicking on the image above.
