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 9.30am 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
There is no such thing as a solitary Christian. Every Christian is linked to Christ and to all other Christians by an invisible bond. This bond is very precious. It was Christ who wished it, and it was he who best described it. He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Also, we often live as if this bond never existed. We live for ourselves. We ignore and sometimes hurt each other. We need Christ – that is no surprise. But He also needs us. Vine and branches need each other. But our need of him is the greater. “Cut off from me you can do nothing” he says. It is not he who cuts himself off from us. It is we who sometimes cut ourselves off from him, through indifference, selfishness, or pride. And when we cut ourselves off from him, we automatically cut ourselves from one another. Is it any wonder then that our lives are sometimes barren and lonely and empty? Grant that we may never be separated, so that together we may produce in the world, the fruits of faith, hope and love.
SECOND COLLECTION ON SUNDAY 12th MAY
The second collection on Sunday 12th May is for the Catholic Communications Network.
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 this Sunday 28th April during the 10.15am Mass.
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 and generous God, it is you who call us by name and is us to follow you. Help us to grow in the love and service of your church. 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. Raise up dedicated and generous leaders from our families who will serve your people as Priests, Deacons, Religious and Lay ministers. Inspire us to know you better and open our hearts to hear your call. 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!
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:
LENTEN PROJECTS 2024 - UPDATE
With just a few more funds to come in, we have so far raised roughly £10,000 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.
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.
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
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.