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
Of all the images we have of Christ, the one which is clearest to us, and with which we are most familiar, is probably that of the Good Shepherd. This is not surprising. It is such a lovely image and is deeply rooted in Scripture. Besides, it is one of the images of Christ used to describe himself.
‘I know my own and my own know me.’ Can we be good shepherds to those in our care if we don’t try to get to know them? Can we blame them, then, if they look upon us as mere hirelings? And how can we form a bond with them if we keep our distance from them, thus preventing them from getting to know us? Don’t tell me that you love me if you have kept your distance from me…. Caring is risky. Love is risky. It means getting close to people, as Christ, the Good Shepherd, got close to us.
SECOND COLLECTION ON SUNDAY 21st APRIL
The second collection this Sunday is for the Clergy Training Fund.
On the 4th Sunday of Easter, we pray for vocations to all states of life and ministry in the Church, but especially for Vocations to the Sacred Priesthood. You can read the Diocesan Prayer for Vocations here and also make your donation to the Clergy Training Fund here.
CAR WASHING FOR OUR LENTEN PROJECTS
The Confirmation group will be washing cars to raise money for the Lenten projects. This will take place in the OLA car park on Sunday 28th April during the 10.15am Mass.
POPE FRANCIS' MESSAGE FOR APRIL
Pope Francis’ monthly prayer intention this April is for “the role of women.” In The Pope Video for April, which you can view on the News page of our parish website, the Holy Father insists on the steps today’s society needs to take and asks Christians to join him in prayer “that the dignity and worth of women be recognised in every culture, and for an end to the discrimination they face in various parts of the world.”
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
O God, Father of all Mercies, and Lord of the Harvest, send your graces on those you have called to gather the fruits of your labour. Preserve and strengthen them in their lifelong service of you.
Open the hearts of your children to discern your Holy Will. Inspire in them a love and desire to surrender themselves to serving others in the name of your Son. Teach all the faithful to follow their respective paths in life guided by your Divine Word and truth. In imitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we all be open and generous to your Word – that it may become flesh in our world. Amen.
CHILDRENS' MASSES
We will continue holding a Children's Mass on the first Sunday of every month during term-time. We hope to see many of you there!
MISSIO RED BOX 2023 - THANK YOU
In 2023, our parish raised £1,812 through our Missio Red Boxes and donations to Missio and the Mill Hill Missionaries. Thank you! Our missionary community her in Abingdon is part of a worldwide network of people supporting missionaries overseas through prayer and financial assistance. Your support of Missionary Priests like Fr Ignatius MHM working with a rural community in Uganda, enables people to come together to celebrate the Eucharist and to work together to improve the lives of the whole community.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION / CONFIRMATION
Please pray for the 28 children (and their families), who are currently preparing for their First Holy Communion.
Please also pray for the young people preparing for their Confirmation in May this year.
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CARITAS
Caritas Plymouth has invited people in our diocese interested in learning more about modern slavery, particularly in the care sector to an event they are holding in Poole on 30th April. There are some great speakers from the Medaille Trust and Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. Event runs from 10:30-12:30 in the church hall of St Marys Catholic Church, 211A Wimborne Road, Poole, BH15 2EG. Please register beforehand here.
Please continue to support the Abingdon Food Bank. However, please do not leave your contributions in our church. The collection points are at:
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.
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.
DIOCESAN NEWS
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
LENTEN PROJECTS 2024
The PPC chose two charities we will support this year. Friends of the Holy Land, helping our Christian brothers and sisters in Palestine in the Holy Land, especially in these difficult days. The second is to support Helen & Douglas House, our local hospice for sick and dying children. The online donation facility has now closed, but there are still a few more events coming up, and donations can be given directly to the church.
NEW GIFT AID ENVELOPES REMAINING
If you use gift aid envelopes for weekly giving the new boxes are available for you to collect at the back of church. There are also white envelopes at the back of church for those who use the special collection gift aid envelopes. There are fewer special collection envelopes this year as some of the special collections are no longer eligible for gift aid. Donations can be made in the boxes after Mass or through the card machine at the back of church when the special collection is not eligible for gift aid.
CYCLING TO RAISE FUNDS
One of our parishioners, David Porter, is doing a sponsored cycle ride from Preston to Abingdon (215 miles!) over three days in April, to raise funds for our Lenten charities. You might like to sponsor per day, or just a total amount, and the money can be given to Fr Jamie or will be collected on the last weekend in April. Thank you for your support.
OPEN DOORS
Open Doors takes place on Monday, 8th April from 11am to 2pm in the Parish Centre and run every Monday, except Bank Holidays. We offer tea/coffee, lunch and friendly conversation to anyone in the Parish or local community who is on their own or would like more company.
We need more volunteers to help at our Open Doors sessions. If you can spare a few hours on Monday on a rota basis please contact Berny Pratt on 01235 525257.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
Canon PJ Smith, Episcopal Vicar for Education and Pilgrimage Director invites you to join this year's Pilgrimage to Lourdes from Monday 22nd – Friday 26th July 2024. If you would like to know more please email: lourdes@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk or you can book using the booking form link here.
Calling the young People of our Diocese. Have you just finished your A-levels? Or about to finish Uni for the Summer...? Why not give something back by joining the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes? You could help by assisting some of our pilgrims by pushing wheelchairs, offering a steadying arm and a warm smile! The pilgrim fare is £780 but there is the potential for funding. You can contact lourdes@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk for more details of this from the Diocese. The Catenians in our parish are also offering a bursary, and you can get information on how to contact them from the leaflets at the back of our church.
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.
Two training days are also being offered - one for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and one for readers. These will be held at St Bede’s Church and Hall in Basingstoke as follows:
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Day for EMHC – Saturday 4th May
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Day for Readers – Saturday 19th October
Both days will run from 9.30 am to 2.30 pm and will include some light refreshments. Please enrol now if you would like to by emailing liturgy@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk You will then be sent a reminder with precise details nearer each date.
DIOCESAN MISSION PLAN - UPDATE
Bishop Philip thanks everyone, clergy, and laity, for all the hard work being done in our Pastoral Areas and in individual parishes to bring to life the diocesan mission plan: You Will Be My Witnesses. He has asked every area for a first draft of their Pastoral Area plan by 26th March and says that it needs to cover the three main themes of (1) deepening faith; (2) mission and service; and (3) parish structures. Bishop Philip will then be visiting the teams in each pastoral area to hear of progress and offer support. In our own Pastoral Area, English Martyrs Vale of White Horse, each parish priest together with two lay representatives from each parish will meet on March 6th at Wantage to try to take us forward initially with the Pastoral Plan. This will be the second of such meetings and please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in our discussion. There are some ‘flyers’ on the table at the back of church outlining the plan. Please help yourselves to a copy.
ARE YOU IN NEED?
For nearly two centuries the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) has been seeking and finding those in need and responding in love. Today, the SVP in England and Wales represents almost 10,000 members across around 1,000 groups. If you are aware of a need, contact us at presidentf020723@svp.org.uk or through the parish office. 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.
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
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. you are warmly invited to a festive evening to welcome you, on Friday 17th May at 7pm in the Parish Centre. Do come along and share a meal with some entertainment (music and songs). You will have the opportunity to meet other parishioners and hear about the different activities and groups we run in our church. Please contact Eliane by 20th of April on 07932350951 so that we can cater for numbers. 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.
JOB VACANCIES IN OUR DIOCESE
All current vacancies in the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth can be viewed here.
