MASSES AND OTHER INFORMATION
Please visit the Mass Times page for more information on Mass times and other events, or click here.
PARISH OFFICE OPENING HOURS
The parish office opening hours are from 8.15am to 12.15pm Tuesday to Friday. Closed on Bank Holidays.
REFLECTION
Prayer is a good test of our commitment to Christ. How often do we pray? What kind of things do we pray for? Do we pray only for material things or when we are in trouble? We pray too seldom. Everything else comes before prayer. And even when we do pray, often our hearts are empty, and our minds distracted by other things. “I am neither a man of letters nor of silence, but I humbly claim to be a man of prayer. It is prayer that has saved my life. Without it I would have lost my reason long ago. If I did not lose my peace of soul in the midst of my many trials, it is because of the peace that came to me through prayer. Prayer is the key to each morning and the lock to each evening. It is a sacred alliance between God and us. Let everyone try this experience, and they will find that daily prayer will add something news to their lives”. (Mahatma Gandhi).
ALL SAINTS DAY
This is on 1st November, but because this year the date falls on a Saturday, it has been transferred to Sunday 2nd November, with the commemoration of All Souls on Monday 3rd November.
BLESSING OF GRAVES
The annual blessing of the graves in November will take place on Sunday 9th November (Remembrance Sunday) at 10am in our churchyard, and at 1pm at the cemetery in Spring Road. May they rest in peace.
SECOND/RETIRING COLLECTIONS
The second collection on Sunday 2nd November will be for the Diocese of Bamenda in Cameroon, which is twinned with our Portsmouth Diocese.
PARISH AGM
Our parish annual general meeting will take place at 7.15pm on Sunday 16th November in the parish centre. All parishioners are encouraged to attend.
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.
DOUAI ABBEY AUTUMN PROGRAMME
There are a number of workshops and reflection days being offered at Douai Abbey in Reading this Autumn. More information is available here, or you can email: pastoral@douaiabbey.org.uk
BIBLE STUDY
Beginning on Tuesday 4th November from 2pm to 3.30pm in the parish centre, and running for 6 sessions before Christmas, you are all invited to Bible study sessions on the Gospel of St Mark. If you have any queries, email: evangeliseabingdon@outlook.com
INTER FAITH WEEK
This will take place from Sunday, 9th to Sunday, 16th November. Each year, Inter Faith Week begins on Remembrance Sunday, and runs until the following Sunday. Remembrance Sunday was chosen as a start day to encourage people to remember together the contributions of all faiths and none, and to consider how best to create a just, peaceful, and harmonious world. The aims of the week are to strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels, to increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, and to increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious belief. More information is available here.
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.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PREPARATION
There will be a meeting in the Parish Centre, on Thursday 6th November at 7.30pm, for parents who wish to enrol their children in the 2026 preparation programme. It is ESSENTIAL that parents attend this meeting to receive enrolment forms and a copy of the programme. If you have any queries, please contact Hilary Webb at humwebb53@gmail.com
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.
JUBILEE REFLECTION
We can bring hope to others by recognising their suffering and acting with love for them out of love and gratitude to our Lord. Sharing with the needy is not an optional act of charity but a fundamental aspect of following Jesus.
SUPPORTING THE HOLY LAND
Friends of the Holy Land will be having a sale of Christmas cards and olive wood products on Sunday 26th October after all Masses. Please do support their work. Thank you.
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.
CHRISTMAS TEA FOR SENIORS
Aged 60 and over? Then you qualify! And you are invited to the Christmas Tea on Saturday 13th December at 2.30pm in the parish centre. Pass the news around! To help us with planning and catering, please can you sign up on the sheet at the back of the church as soon as possible. Many thanks.
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.
JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE
The Holy Father has designated that 2025 is a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. This is a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. The theme for this jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope” and is a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 pandemic, and a climate crisis. The following shrine churches have been chosen by Bishop Philip as particular places of pilgrimage within our diocese: St Thomas, Jersey; Bournemouth Oratory; St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth; St Edmund’s, Southampton; St James and St William of York, Reading; St Joseph’s, Guernsey. You can find information and resources for the year from CAFOD here and from the Bishops Conference of England and Wales here.
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.
'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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​Can you spare a few hours on Mondays on a rota basis to support our parish community outreach initiative, Open Doors? We need volunteers to help at the sessions (Mondays, 11am to 2pm) serving tea/coffee, chatting to our guests, serving lunch and washing up. If you can help, please contact Berny Pratt on 01235 525257 or complete the form on this page. Thank you.
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.
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 last annual report here.