1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

C ATHOLIC P ORTSMOUTH
Catholic Parishes and Schools in Partnership in the City of Portsmouth
14 DECEMBER 2014 – THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (‘Gaudete’)
In Christ, not in ourselves, lies the source of all our joy. Hey! We have permission to
celebrate, to enjoy God’s love for us, for His closeness to us. Let us enter His gates with
thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. The Lord expects it, He makes ‘praise spring
up’ from a well of joy deep inside us -individually as well as collectively as a
community.
I looked at today’s readings in ‘The Word on the Street’ (formally the Street Bible) and
just loved the version of Isaiah 61 v1-3: “The Spirit of God is coursing through every part
of me. He’s commissioned me to announce the breaking news- fantastic news for the
poor! He’s sent me to mend broken hearts, to liberate those slammed up in dark prisons, to announce the news that this is
the era of God going gentle on his people. It’s payback time for our enemies! My manifesto is to get alongside the grievingto swap their burnt-out hopes for beautiful crowns, to exchange their regrets for delight, to trade in their despair for
celebration songs. They’ll be like towering sculptures – chiseled out by God to be a constant reminder of His brilliance.”
Wow! That must surely encourage us to accept God’s offer of life and the perfect world he creates for us with much joy. Joy
is a gift only heaven can give because only Jesus is the hope and salvation for all the world – anything else is a temporary
imitation. So how do we receive it, how do we ‘make a straight way for the Lord’? Jesus comes first, He needs to be the
centre of every part of life, family, relationships, work, leisure, finances … What will we offer Him as a gift this Christmas? Do we
have room for Him (unlike the inn keepers)?
Others: Jesus gives us the good news to share with the poor. Who are the poor? I think they are the last, the least and the lost.
The ‘last’ are those without a voice, those who do not have a fair share of the world’s resources to take a proper place in
Society. The ‘least’ are perhaps materially well off but suffer a poverty of heart; loneliness, grief, or ill health; they are often
very close to us. The ‘lost’ are those agnostics and atheists whose lives are devoid of an abiding hope and consequently
have no lasting meaning. Let us make sure that we are in dialogue with all those around us and share our joyous good news.
Yourself: The Lord has a plan for you, to give you a hope and a future, and He likes to work it out with you, not for you. Ask
Him for what you need, speak to him about your heart’s desire this Christmas.
Keeping to the right order of things JOY will surely follow and, from The Word on the Street, ‘if you are feeling the joy – don’t
forget to tell your face about it’  Lucy Sayer
Wednesday 24th December:
1800 First Mass of Christmas StSw
2045 Carols for Christmas Eve OLOL
2100 Night Mass of Christmas OLOL
2200 Msza św. po polsku (Pasterka) StSw
0000 Midnight Mass of Christmas StSw
CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES
Thursday 25th December
0830 Mass of Christmas Morning StSw
1015 Mass of Christmas Morning StSw
1200 Msza św. po polsku StSw
Our Lady of Lourdes & St Swithun Fr Kazimierz Stefek - Assistant Priest: Fr Pawel Przybyszewski
tel. 023 9282 8305 – [email protected]
Our Lady of Lourdes Bransbury Road, Eastney, PO4 9JY - St Swithun 105 Waverley Road, Southsea, PO5 2PL
Pastoral Assistant: Sr Marie Elise Tel. 07747 728734 Parish Secretary: Mrs Clare Shore – Office Hours: Mon 9-11and Tues to Friday 9- 3
Safeguarding Representative: Val Croughan 023 9234 1682
St John’s Cathedral: Bishop’s House, Bishop Crispian Way, PO1 3HG – Tel. 02392 826170
Cathedral Dean: Canon Dominic Golding VG – [email protected]
Assistant Priest: Fr James McAuley – [email protected]
Parish Secretary: Mrs Lily Peach – [email protected] – Office Hours: 0900-1600 Monday – Friday
Parish Pastoral Assistant: Sister Maura Chin - Safeguarding Representative: Sue Smy 023 9273 0855
Corpus Christi & St Joseph Fr Steven Restori tel. 023 9266 0927 – [email protected]
Corpus Christi Gladys Avenue, North End PO2 9AZ – St Joseph Tangier Road, Copnor PO3 6JH
Parish Sister: Sr Mary Gleavey FMDM 07586 801868 – St Joseph Hall Bookings: Mrs Mary Vale 07897 488254
Safeguarding Representative: Elaine Lindsay 07749 200592
St Colman with St Paul Fr Joe McNerney (Hospital Chaplain) – Assistant Priest: Fr John Humphreys
[email protected] - 023 9228 6408
St Colman St Colman’s Avenue, Cosham, PO6 2JJ – St Paul Allaway Avenue, PO6 4DG– tel. 023 9237 6151
Parish Assistant: Mrs Tess Pritchard Office Hours: 0900-1500 Mo-Wed & Fri
Safeguarding Representative: Irene Taylor 023 9264 0754 or 07914 722708
Pastoral Youth Worker: Dom DeBoo tel. 023 9283 6524 mob 07769 185603 – [email protected]
PARISHES: Corpus Christi & St Joseph • Our Lady of Lourdes with St Swithun • St Colman & St Paul • St John’s Cathedral
SCHOOLS: Primary: Corpus Christi • St John’s Cathedral • St Paul’s • St Swithun’s • Secondary: St Edmund’s
Catholic Portsmouth - www.CatholicPortsmouth.org.uk
YEAR 6 BOWLING TRIP
If you are in school year 6 and
would like to come bowling at
Bowlplex with us on Tuesday 16th
December, there are still places
available on the trip so please
contact me asap. The cost is £10
per person and includes 2 games
K;k;k;l
of bowling and a children’s meal.
We will be meeting in St John’s
Cathedral car park at 1800 and
walking down to Bowlplex, aiming
to return for 20.30.
PANTOMIME - ALADDIN
On Wednesday 17 December we
are taking a trip to see Aladdin at
the Kings Theatre in Southsea.
Tickets cost £15 (£17 if you want to
include ice cream at the interval).
If you would like to come with us,
please contact me asap and I will
reserve you a ticket.
THANK YOU
I want to say a huge thank you to
everyone who has been involved
as a helper this term. We have had
a lot happening and I have been
very grateful to all those who have
worked hard to make what we do
a
success. Happy
Christmas
everyone and we’ll see you in the
new year
Feel free to get in touch:
facebook: ‘Dom DeBoo Portsmouth’
twitter @Dom_DeBoo_Youth
www.catholicportsmouth.org.uk/youth
[email protected]
tel: 07769185603
WORLD YOUTH DAY 2016
From Thursday 21 July – Tuesday 2
August 2016, we will be joining the
Diocesan trip to Krakow, Poland for
World Youth Day 2016. If you will be
aged 16 by Wednesday 20 July 2016
and would like to come with us to
Poland an application form can be
found via the Portsmouth diocese
website: www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
The cost of the trip will be in the region
of £995 but we will be fundraising to
help us towards this target. For more
info, contact Will Hince: 07780221686
CONFIRMATION 2016
The bishop has asked that each of the
Pastoral Areas offers a confirmation
programme on a 2 year cycle so there
will be no confirmation programme
this year. Registration for next year’s
confirmation programme will start from
September so more information will go
out in the summer term.
Next year we will be confirming
anyone in school years 8 and above
YOUNG LEADERS (14–18)
If you are in school year 10 and
above and would like to get involved
as a volunteer with our year 6 youth
club on Thursday nights as part of your
Duke of Edinburgh hours, please
contact me.
YOUTH MINISTRY UPDATE:
This term has been a really good one
for us, with the launch of two new
youth clubs DISCOVERY and ZONED In,
which have both gone well. Since
September we have seen 80 young
people aged 10 – 18 involved in what
we do as well as 16 aged 18 – 30 ad a
fantastic team of 22 helpers. Please
continue to pray for everything we do
and if you would like to be involved
either as a participant or helper,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
DIARY
RECONCILIATION
St John's Cathedral
St Swithun
Our Lady of Lourdes
Corpus Christi
St Joseph
St Colman
Saturday
1100-1145
1700 – 1745
Friday 1930 – 2000
Saturday 1030 – 1100
Saturday
1730 – 1755
Saturday
0930
Saturday
(Before 1800 Mass)
Saturday
1700 – 1730
Please pray for those who are ill, especially:
Michael Foster, Pat
Needham, Tony Denny, John Malbon, Margaret Badger, Rosemary
Ashton, Anne Sullivan, Catherine Morgan, Eileen Huddleston, Barbara
Mulligan, Harry Murray, Arthur Tobin and Jo Wheeler.
For those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Mary Bulbeck, Charles
Oliver, Minnie Elliot, Winifred Bennett, Mary Hyatt, Gertrude Green, Arthur
(Mick) Tressidder,
Katherine Dogherty, Darrel Hugh Lochrie, Teresa
Malbon, Peter Morley, Keith Lane, Lily Lawrence, Dorothy Bradley,
Geoffrey Browning, Margaret Ellen Brayfield, Sister Mechtilde Fox, Vernon
Alfred Richard Read, John Boone, Mary Coombes, Walter Ford, Charles
Sanderson, Olive Grace, Patrick Malloy, Francis O'Leary, Nora Christina
Gower, Winifred Freida Keane ("Freida"), Daniel Kane, Elsie Ryan, Henry
Dearle, James Gillis, Walter Michael Sexton, John Hoare, Paul Headley,
Ciriaco de Gama, Leonard Barber, Peter Deal, Kathryn Mary Ford,
Michael Hammel, Henry Martin, Thomas Edward Garner, Denis Frederick
Whitty, Mary Jane Scivier, Emmanuel Victor James Galea, Doris Chilcott,
Mary Vassallo, Lily Donaghy, Maud Connolly, Edith Warwick, Nicholas
Dunne, Eileen Nee, Kathleen McNamara, Winifred Cassey, Gerald Leal,
Frank Rumsey, Eileen Winifred Jackson and Catherine Isabella Jeanette
Harrison.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the
Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
Monday 15 December
St Edmund’s School Carol Concert – 1800-1900 St
John’s Cathedral
Tuesday 16 December
Ascent Group Christmas Lunch – Cathedral
Discovery Centre 1300 after the 1215 Mass at St
John’s Cathedral
Parent, Toddlers and Baby Group: 0915-1115 St
Swithun’s Hall
Friday 19 December
Mothers Prayer Group – 1115 Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish Room
Guides and Brownies meet 1700-1930 Our Lady
of Lourdes Community Room
WCCM – Meditation Group - 2000 - Meeting
Room in St Swithun’s Hall
WE ACKNOWLEDGE LAST WEEKEND’S COLLECTIONS
WITH THANKS
- Corpus Christi with St Joseph: £779.53 inc SO
- St Colman with St Paul: £1,228.40 inc SO (79% GA)
- Our Lady of Lourdes & St Swithun: £1,409.95 (45% GA) inc SO
- St John’s Cathedral: £1,846.58 (48% GA) inc SO
Catholic Portsmouth - www.CatholicPortsmouth.org.uk
Pastoral Area News
ADVENT
A TIME OF JOYFUL EXPECTATION
AREA
NEWS
The seven
worshipping communities in
the Pastoral Area are celebrating the
season of Advent with Reflections in St
Joseph’s Church from 1900-2000 on
Wed 17 December. You are more than
welcome and do ask for lift if needed.
ST AGATHA’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT
WESSEX CANTORUM
Please come and support this Concert
in aid of animal charities to be given
by Wessex Cantorum on Tuesday 16
Dec at 1930 in St Agatha’s Church,
Market Way, Portsmouth.
FILIPINO ETHNIC TRADITIONAL
CHRISMAS MASSES (SIMBANG GABI)
IN DECEMBER
Sat 20 December at 1800 in Eastleigh,
Holy Cross Church 53 Leigh Road SO50
9DF. Contact Mimi 07910 574 023
Sat 22 December - 1900 in Paulsgrove,
St Paul’s Church, Allaway Ave PO6 4HB
Contact Mia 07712 545 443
Tuesday 23 December - 1900 in
Stubbington, Immaculate Conception
Church Bells Lane PO14 2PL Contact:
Stella 07986 951 432.
CATHEDRAL DISCOVERY CENTRE SHOP
The Centre will be closed for Christmas
on Wed 24 at 1300 and will re-open at
0930 on Fri 2 January.
ADVENT CONFESSIONS
In our pastoral area there is a
Reconciliation Service on Saturday 20
Dec at 1000 at St Colman’s, Cosham.
CHAPLAINCY DAY
10 Jan 2015, 1000-1300 followed by
buffet lunch and networking, St John’s
Cathedral. Are you a chaplain (lay or
clergy) working in any capacity?
Hospital, pastoral care, police, prison,
ethnic, retail outlet chaplaincies? Are
you interested in volunteering for any
one of the Chaplaincy Teams? The
Chaplaincy
Department
of
the
Diocese of Portsmouth would like to
invite you to a morning to (a) hear
Bishop Philip Egan speak on his vision
for chaplaincy in the context of the
new evangelization, (b) understand
how the Framework for Collaboration
will promote and support chaplaincy
services in the diocese, (c) meet the
chaplaincy teams and hear about
their activities. Please RSVP to
[email protected]
REVIEW OF DIOCESAN DEPARTMENT
FOR SCHOOLS
The Trustees are currently engaged in
a review of the future shape and remit
of the diocesan Department for
Schools. The questions below have
been sent to Heads and Chairs of
Governors for their views, but we are
also seeking the views of the wider
diocesan community, clergy and laity.
- What do you value about the work of
the Schools Department?
- What could be improved about the
work of the Schools Department?
- In an ideal world, what support and
services would you like the Schools
Department to offer schools?
- What services would you be
prepared to pay for from a re-formed
Schools Department?
If you have any views, these can be
sent to Fr Jamie McGrath, at
COME FOLLOW ME
"Come Follow Me" is a catechetical
programme for children ages 7-11. Sr
Hyacinthe, one of the Dominican
Sisters at Sway, has been involved in
translating the programme from
French into English, and will lead a
study day for catechists at St Mary's,
Alton on 17 Jan, 0930-1630. The day is
primarily aimed at those leading
Children's Liturgy on Sundays, although
anyone is welcome to come and learn
more about this excellent catechetical
resource. Mass will also be celebrated.
The cost of the day is £5 per person.
Further information and booking:
[email protected]
[email protected]
ECHOES:
PARISH-BASED CATECHIST FORMATION
A parish-based formation for catechists
and those involved in handing on the
Faith. Presents key knowledge and skills
needed for catechesis and equips
those involved to build up their
confidence in these areas; helping
them to use Scripture, the Catechism
of the Catholic Church and Church
documents to develop their own
understanding of the faith. Will be held
at St Edward the Confessor, Chandler’s
Ford on 24 Jan 1000-1500. Contact
Sr Veronica tel. 01590681874 or email
[email protected]
www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/events
Parish News
RETIRING COLLECTION FOR ETHIOPIA
DURING ADVENT
AREA
DuringNEWS
Advent you are invited to
support the Verona Fathers and Fr
Gabriel Ghebray in their ministry in
Ethiopia. A retiring collection will be
taken each Sunday of Advent.
Giftaiders with envelopes! Please note
that there is an “Advent Charity”
marked envelope for your use for each
Sunday of Advent.
CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS
The collection taken at the Christmas
Masses are your personal gift to your
parish priest and makes up a large part
of his annual salary. Gift Aiders please
use the “Christmas Offering” envelope
so that the Parish can also benefit by
your gift through the tax that can be
reclaimed.
EPIPHANY CELEBRATION
Mince pies and mulled wine will be
served following the 6pm Epiphany
Mass at Our Lady of Lourde
s on Saturday 3 January.
MULLED WINE AND MINCE PIES
On the last Sunday of Advent, 21
December, we will be having mulled
wine and mince pies in the hall
following 1015 Mass at St Swithun’s.
CRIB OFFERINGS
The Crib Offerings by the Nativity
scene will be for the benefit of the
Christian Schools in the Holy Land. The
Christians in the Holy Land, including
Bethlehem, are experiencing extreme
dangers. Please be generous with your
prayers to help children in the Holy
Land this Christmas.
ASCENT GROUP
Please note that there is no Ascent
Group in St Swithun’s Hall in December.
The Group’s Christmas Lunch is on
Tuesday
16
December
in
the
Abingdon Room of St John’s Cathedral
Center at 1pm after the 1215 Mass that
day. There will be no Ascent meeting
in January and the next Ascent meeting
will be on 23 February 2015 at the usual
time of 1415.
STARTING SCHOOL 2016
If your child was born between 1
September 2011 and 31 August 2012 and
you are hoping to send them to a
Catholic Primary Schools in the City in
September 2016, Mass Attendance
Record cards are available. The parish
priest or a nominated person will be
stamping the cards each Sat/Sun after
Mass from January. The purpose of the
card is to assist the parish priest when he
comes to confirming the regularity of
Sunday
Mass
attendance
when
presented with the Supplementary
Worship Form which accompanies the
school application forms.
CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS GUIDED WALK
Walk starts 1430 Sunday 21 December from
Victory Gate (entrance to Dockyard from
the Hard) ends at The City Museum, where
the late Marie Crispin's son, Dr Philip Crispin,
Lecturer in Drama at the University of Hull,
will read excerpts from Dickens's works.
Tickets must be bought in advance from
the D Day Museum or The City Museum at
£3 per person or £1 with a Leisure Card. Tel:
023 92 826722
Catholic Portsmouth - www.CatholicPortsmouth.org.uk
Liturgical Calendar and Mass Times
S
SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER
First Mass of the Third Sunday of
Advent
SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
(‘Gaudete’)
Isaiah 61:1-2.10-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8.19-28
MONDAY 15 DECEMBER
of the 3rd Week of Advent
TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER
of the 3rd Week of Advent
WEDNESDAY 17 DECEMBER
Liturgy of the Day (‘O Wisdom’)
THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER
Liturgy of the Day (‘O Adonai’)
FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER
Liturgy of the Day (‘O Root of Jesse’)
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER
Liturgy of the Day (O’ Key of David)
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER
First Mass of the Fourth Sunday of
Advent
SUNDAY 21 DECEMBER
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
2 Samuel 7:1-5.8-11.16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38
1800
0800
0830
0900
0930
1000
1000
1015
1100
1100
1200
1600
1800
1800
0915
1000
1215
0915
1000
1215
1900
0730
0915
1000
1200
1215
0915
0930
1000
1200
1215
0730
1000
1000
1215
1830
1900
0900
1000
1215
1800
0800
0830
0900
0930
1000
1015
1100
1100
1200
1600
1800
1800
Our Lady of Lourdes
People of the Parish
St Colman
Adam Connolly RIP (MC)
St John’s Cathedral
Jacques Olie RIP F
St Joseph
Albert Sutton F
St John’s Cathedral
Neva and George Smith RIP
St Swithun
St Joseph
People of the Parish
St Colman
Sean Treacy RIP (MT)
St John’s Cathedral
Cregan Family INT
St John’s Cathedral
Cregan Family INT
St Swithun
St Pauls
Butler Family RIP (TK)
Corpus Christi
Kathleen Coughlan RIP F
St John’s Cathedral
People of the Parish
QA Hospital
Sr Gabriel RIP (PM)
St John’s Cathedral
Danny Murphy INT
St Swithun
Mass in Polish
St Colman
Cathy Whitlock RIP (TW)
St Swithun
Seline Fairhall RIP P
St John’s Cathedral
Liz Merritt RIP
St Colman
Laura Treacy RIP (MT)
St Swithun
St John’s Cathedral
Max and Stephen Bischof RIP
St Swithun
St John’s Cathedral
Brian McCreesh INT
St Colman
Michael & Mary Bushell RIP (MT)
St Swithun
Gertrude Green RIP F
Corpus Christi
Margaret Christine Martin P
St John’s Cathedral
Mila Alacapa RIP
St Colman
Don Murdoch RIP (PM)
St Joseph
Hannah O'Donnell P
St Swithun
Our Lady of Lourdes
St John’s Cathedral
Private Intention
St John’s Cathedral
Sister Rita Andrew INT
St Joseph
Funeral Mass of Timothy (Pat) Knight RIP
St Swithun
St John’s Cathedral
Requiem Mass Annie McEwan RIP
St Colman
Morier Family Intentions (MW)
St Swithun
Corpus Christi
Ronald Bryant F
St Swithun
Winifred May Cassey RIP F
St John’s Cathedral
Elson Carvalho RIP
Our Lady of Lourdes
People of the Parish
St Colman
Ester Richards RIP (FM)
St John’s Cathedral
People of the Parish
St Joseph
People of the Parish
St John’s Cathedral
Angela Meyer RIP
St Swithun
St Joseph
Daniel Cadogan F
St Colman
Mike Webber RIP (HW)
St John’s Cathedral
Daniel Cregan RIP
St Swithun
St Paul
Ray Smith RIP (PS)
Corpus Christi
Sister Sarah Jordan FMDM (100 Birthday)
St John’s Cathedral
Jozef Dura RIP
QA Hospital
John Hughes RIP
St Swithun
Mass in Polish
St John’s Cathedral
Caetano Liban INT
F: Foundation – P: Perpetual
MASS TIMES AT THE ORDINARIATE CHURCH OF ST AGATHA’S, MARKET WAY
Sundays: 1100 Solemn Mass – Mondays and Fridays: 1100 Low Mass - Saturdays: 1100 Mass of Our Lady
Holy Days of Obligation and Festivals: Services times as announced.
St Agatha’s, Portsmouth Market Way, PO1 4AD Tel: 01329 230 330 Contact: Fr J Maunder
Catholic Portsmouth - www.CatholicPortsmouth.org.uk