MASSES AND OTHER INFORMATION
Please visit the Mass Times page for more information on Mass times and other events, or click here. The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on Thursday 9th May and is a Holy Day. Masses will be at 9.00am and 7pm.
PARISH OFFICE OPENING HOURS
The parish office opening hours are from 8.15am to 12.15pm Tuesday to Friday. Closed on Bank Holidays.
REFLECTION
A lamp that gives no light is useless. A fruit tree that produces no fruit is worthless. A Christian who doesn’t love their neighbour is in the same category. But it was God who first loved us. He wants us to repay his love by loving one another. We know we fail to love others as we should, but we don’t fail to persevere. If only the heart was right we could give so much more. But, alas, the heart is often empty. It is often cold and unwelcoming. It is often hard and unyielding. It is often weighed down with worry. It is often sad and lonely. It is often in darkness. It is often wounded. And it is sometimes broken. We have to heal the wounds of the heart in order to be able to love. Lord, touch our hearts and heal them, so that we may be able to bear the fruits of love.
SECOND COLLECTION ON SUNDAY 12th MAY
The second collection on Sunday 12th May is for the Catholic Communications Network. Sunday 12th May is World Communications Day and Pope Francis has issued a message for the day which you can read here. The theme for this year is Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards a Fully Human Communication.
CAR WASHING FOR OUR LENTEN PROJECTS
Due to bad weather last Sunday, this had to be postponed and a new date will be given shortly.
DON BOSCO BOYS' CAMP
This camp will be going ahead again this summer from Sunday 28th July to Saturday 3rd August for boys of secondary school age (leaving Yr6 to leaving Yr11) at St. Cassian’s, Kintbury. There will be plenty of sport, outings, competitions, and games to ensure that boys will have a fantastic week. This will continue to take place within the context of the celebration of the Catholic Faith, including daily Mass and morning prayer. The cost of the camp is £230 (part bursaries may be available on application). For more information please email: dbcamps@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
Loving God, you call all who believe in you to grow perfect in love by following in the footsteps of Christ your Son. Call from among us more men and women who will serve you and witness for your kingdom, for the Church and the whole world. Help the men and women of our parish to hear your call to serve you in the many different ways they offer themselves to build up the community. Open the hearts of many, raise up the faithful servants of the gospel, dedicated holy priests, deacons, brothers and sisters who will spend themselves for your people and their needs. Bless those who are serving now with courage and perseverance. Grant that many will be inspired by their example and truth. Amen.
LENTEN PROJECTS 2024 - UPDATE
With just a few more funds to come in, we have so far raised roughly £11,000 for our two charities – Friends of the Holy Land and Helen & Douglas House. We will announce the final sum as soon as we have it. 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.
WELCOME EVENING
If you have joined our parish in the last year or so, 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. Current and new parishioners are invited to this event. Please contact Eliane as soon as possible on 07932350951 so that we can cater for numbers.
THE GREAT FEASTS
We’ve only recently celebrated the great feast of Easter with such holy joy. The miraculous event gives the whole Christian community the confidence to share in Christ’s victory over sin and death and reassure us that life and love is eternal. The next great feast to celebrate marks forty days after Easter, when Christ finally ascends to his heavenly home with his Father. There follows an intense wait in the whole Church to finally rejoice in the coming of the one Christ promises – the comforter, the consoler, the Paraclete – the power and presence of God in the Church today – the Holy Spirit. That period between Ascension and Pentecost is the first novena – 9 days of prayer to welcome the arrival of the Holy Spirit this Pentecost into our hearts, 50 days after Easter.
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 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.
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!
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION / CONFIRMATION
Please remember in your prayers the young people from our parish who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Cathedral on 11th May.
Please also pray for the children who will be making their First Holy Communion on 18th and 19th May and pray for their families as well.
DONIE ON SHALOM WORLD TV
Parishioner Donie Kearney is featured in an episode of the series 'Mary My Mother' on Shalom World TV, which you can watch above.
VACANCIES AT ST EDMUND'S SCHOOL
We are looking to welcome two enthusiastic, dynamic, and committed part time Teaching Assistant's supportive of our school mission and Catholic ethos to join our happy, motivated children. Please visit the School Website here for further details of all the vacancies. Closing date: Friday 10th May at 12.00 noon.
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
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.
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.
CAFOD APPEAL FOR SUDAN
Sudan is in a crisis due to a war in the region for a year and a prolonged drought and shortage of food. You can contribute to the help which CAFOD is providing, using the link here.
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.
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.