Portsmouth University Chaplaincy Group

Welcome to the University of Portsmouth’s Catholic Society!

‘Vivere pro dei Gloria’

Who are we?

If you are Catholic, Christian or curious about Christianity, you are invited to join our community of students! We offer an opportunity to practise, talk about or find out more about your faith in an environment with other Catholics as well as join a supportive network of people. We see as our mission a calling to live a life which continually glorifies God and we do this through worship, prayer and living out the sacraments in our day to day lives.

Our motto of ‘Vivere pro dei Gloria’ inspires us to seek God’s glory here on earth and thus directs our society in planning events and activities for the future. It comes from 1 Corinthians 10:31, which compels us, saying ‘So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God‘ knowing that living for His Glory will bring us joy and peace.

What do we offer?

As a society we offer a mix of socials, praise and worship, speakers, spiritual development and retreats. Our timetable of events is laid out per month and when you join, you will have access to a Gmail calendar, linked to the email you provided which will be constantly updated with everything that goes on.

Mass

As Catholics, our principal meeting is for mass each Sunday. Usually, this will be at St Swithun’s Catholic Church in Southsea at 10:15am Mass or in St Johns Cathedral at 12pm, however, we are currently exploring the possibility of beginning a dedicated youth and students mass; more details will be available once discussions are finalised with the diocese. For more information on general mass times in Portsmouth, please follow these links-

View our Daily Services at St Swithun’s Calendar for the prayers for each day this week>

or you can find general Mass Times for St John’s Roman Catholic Cathedral here

View our Daily Reading Calendar for the prayers for each day this week>

View our Saints Calendar for interesting information about this weeks Saints>

Retreats

We also aim to provide an opportunity for a retreat once a month, details of which will be given out at Freshers Fayre and on the Society Calendar. Examples of retreats in the past have included Worth Abbey, the Catholic Workers Farm, Cambridge and St Albans. At Freshers Fayre, there will be a sign up sheet available for the first retreat to the Celebrate Conference in Southampton

Praise and Worship

New for 2017, due to popular demand, we will begin offering Praise and Worship with the Christian Union every Monday evening from 6.30pm-8.00pm. We are also appealing for any prospective members who are able to play an instrument, so sometime in the future we may also have our own Praise and Worship sessions.

Socials

Let it not be said we leave Jesus for the Church on Sunday- we must also allow Him to flood every aspect of our lives! As a community, it is vital we also interact at a personal level. To help this, our Social Secretary will organize regular social events which can be meals or other activities such as bowling and football tournaments or simply going to the pub together. We also offer post mass meetups after the mass on Sunday, as well as occasional brunch at the Chaplain’s Flat.

Support – Portsmouth University Chaplaincy Group

As a society and particularly as a faith society, we recognise that there are many of our members who require support in their lives, emotionally or physically. If you need someone to talk to, the committee members will always be there to listen to your concerns and give advice when necessary. As always, contact us through Facebook, send us a message using the links below, or simply speak to us face to face

Alternatively, the Catholic Lay Chaplain- Angela O’Donoghue– is available and ready to receive you. She has been with the university for a very long time and is an incredibly good source of advice and consolation. Do give her a ring or send her an email to sort out a meeting.

Email– angela.odonoghue@port.ac.uk

Telephone– 02392 843030

Information for the Portsmouth University Chaplaincy Group can be found Here

We also have assigned to us a member of the Clergy available for advice and support as well as administration of the Sacraments, such as Reconciliation and the Eucharist. For the next Academic year we will be welcoming Fr Philip Carroll into that role.

The costs for joining the society are £5 for the whole year, which covers overheads for any retreats and socials. We look forward to for you to join us and you are welcome to sign up at any time. You will then receive an email with further information.

God Bless!

So why not come and meet us

So all Students go to St Swithun’s Website where you will find so much information: www.stswithuns.org.uk

All of Father Marcin’s Blogs can be found here
Parish Diary & Events Calendar
Daily Readings
Saint of the Day
Daily Meditations by Fr Marcin

and we’ll be updating it regularly with new content, and more Resources!

PLUS We have also created a brand new Facebook Page with Daily Meditations by Fr Marcin and Parish Albums which you can also see on our website

Like us, share with friends and family, and join the conversation!

YOU CAN CONTACT US AT CATHSOC or JUST SEND US A QUESTION

Dzisiaj spotkanie z dziecmi do I Komunii Swiétej na temat Sakramentu Chrztu Sw. - prosze omóldcie to nasze spotkanie z nimi i ich Rodziciami. Z serca dziékujé i zyczé owocnego Czwartku ... See MoreSee Less

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DAILY MEDITATION:“God Is with You” 12 December 2018Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. T herefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.Introductory Prayer: Lord, I know by faith that these are some of the most critical moments of my day. I freely open my mind, heart, and will for you to do as you please, because I know you can desire and do only what is good for me. I know that you will give me the grace to do whatever you ask of me and that you will always accompany me. That is enough for me.Petition: Lord, give me the grace to do your holy will.1. Pleasing God through the Small, Daily Tasks: The angel Gabriel finds Mary doing nothing extraordinary but instead doing ordinary tasks like washing clothes, sweeping, getting water, doing the same daily prayer as every devout Jew. But in doing the ordinary, she is doing what is pleasing to God. Her example should be our guide. Work can be an ordinary means of holiness. Man, as Pope Saint John Paul II said, “not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a human being’” (Laborem Exercens, no. 9). We please God when we do our duties, fulfill our responsibilities, work to meet our basic needs. While we may not be doing something extraordinary at every moment, we still praise and glorify God when we undertake the ordinary with love. If an angel were to come looking for me, would he find me doing my daily tasks lovingly?2. “Do Not Be Afraid!” Mary “was greatly troubled and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” When God presents us with his plan, we too might be afraid. We may not fully understand what he has in mind. It can seem that his plan is too great for us. But when God wants something from us, he shows us that it is not beyond our reach. As with Mary at the Incarnation, God will make it happen and will provide all the grace necessary for its completion.3. “May It Be Done to Me According to Your Word” When Gabriel clarifies Mary’s mission and illustrates that with God all things are possible, Mary makes an act of faith. Her act of faith is what the Second Vatican Council terms the ‘obedience of faith.’ The obedience of faith “is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals, and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him” (Dei Verbum, 5). God supplied Mary with his grace and did not abandon her; nor will he abandon us. When we do what God wants and cooperate with his plan, he will support us. He will accompany us as we carry out his will and bring his plan to fulfillment. God’s will is our holiness, and when we do his will, we help God to make us saints.Conversation with Mary: Mary, teach me how to do God’s will as you did so that I can remain in his company. I want to do his will, even though at times I know that it may seem difficult or impossible. Ask your son for the grace of perseverance for me so that I, too, may cooperate with the Lord, whether he is asking something of me that is ordinary or extraordinary.Resolution: In a difficult situation, I will pray a “Hail Mary,” asking Mary for help in being faithful.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-12122018 ... See MoreSee Less

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DAILY MEDITATION:There’s No Shepherd like the Good Shepherd 11 December 2018December 11, 2018 (readings) Tuesday of the Second Week of AdventMatthew 18:12-14 (listen to this Gospel)Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, my Lord, and God, I open my heart to your infinite love. I wish to listen and respond to the inspirations that you wish to give me this morning. I believe in you. I hope in you. I love you. Lord, you are my shepherd and the true meaning of my life.Petition: Jesus, Good Shepherd, give me the grace to open my heart to your mercy.Jesus came to rescue those who are lost in the darkness of the sinful traps of an evil world. As today's first reading points out, the Father doesn't want anyone to die without first being rescued from the deadliness of their sins, which is why he sent his Son into the world to go find them and substitute himself for them on the cross to redeem them.When you lose sight of something in the dark, can you find it? Perhaps if you stub your toe on it, yeah, but you won't know you actually found what you're looking for - you won't know what's making your toe ache - until you turn on the light.Jesus entered into our darkness to find us when we were lost, but he only succeeded because he turned on the light.But God is all-knowing and all-seeing, right? Right! He didn't turn on the light so that he could see us. He turned on the light so that we could see him!In the darkness and worry of the trials and damages that swirl around our sins, Jesus shows us how to grow in faith. He illuminates our lives with the light of his love. He makes his love visible to us. He reveals the truth, and even when we reject the truth, it remains directly in front of our faces, shining a contradiction onto our wrong beliefs.Jesus also turns on the light for us to see his forgiveness. Guilt and fear blind us so that we cannot see God's mercy, but guilt and fear also make us want to escape into the light, because it makes us long for peace within our souls.Look back into your past and observe how this has happened to you before. How has Christ already presented the light of love to you, the light of truth, and the light of forgiveness? What has he done to show you the way to true inner peace? How has he increased your faith?Now consider the people you know who are still walking in darkness. Pray that the Father will not allow them to die before the light gets turned on so brightly that they cannot help but realize why they want to enter into it. This is a prayer that definitely works, as promised by today's scripture (although sometimes it happens only at the last minute).And consider the areas of your own life that are still in darkness. Where do you keep stubbing your toe? Where are you prevented from moving forward because you can't see which way to go?What current sinful tendencies and past sins have you not yet taken to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or in the Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass?Ask Jesus to increase the wattage of the light that's already glowing in your life so that you can see his love and his truth more clearly. And - equally important - ask Jesus to brighten his light within you so much that others are drawn to the faith through your example and your testimony.Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know my countless falls provide me with countless occasions to encounter you as the Good Shepherd, since without fail you come to pick me up again. Instead of wallowing in sterile self-pity at the misery of my sinfulness, I intend to delight more in your tender mercy. I know this trusting attitude will please you. Resolution: Each time I fall today, I will get back up again immediately, because I will have confidence in my Good Shepherd’s loving mercy.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-11122018 ... See MoreSee Less

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Love my lambs, love my sheep, love love my Lord.

DAILY MEDITATION:The Paralytic Versus the Pharisees 10 December 2018Monday of the Second Week of Advent Luke 5: 17-26One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”Introductory Prayer: Lord you are the author of all things and you have the power to forgive sins. Though my faith is still weak, I do believe in you. And I also trust in your goodness and mercy. Here I am before you in prayer, longing once more to love you with all my mind, heart, soul and strength.Petition: Lord, help me to seek you in my life above all else.1. The Pharisees’ Faith: The Pharisees sat in front of Christ watching him cure the sick. Earlier they had seen many other miracles, but despite what they saw they could not bring themselves to believe in Christ. Miracle after miracle couldn’t change their mind. Jesus decides to give them a decisive miracle so that they will believe. He decides to cure the paralytic to show his power to forgive sins. Since disease for the Pharisees was a sign of sin, they should have been ready to accept Jesus’ message of healing and forgiveness. But they were too wrapped up in seeking their plans and protecting their honor to discern God’s loving mercy behind what they witnessed. How often do we want God to give us a sign so we can follow his plan? And how often are we not open to what he tells us, simply and directly because we’re too focused on achieving our plans?2. The Paralytic’s Faith: The paralytic needed no signs. He believed Jesus could help him. His faith was so strong he would not let the difficulties overcome him. He couldn’t walk, so he found someone to carry him. When he arrived he couldn’t get to Christ, so his men brought him in through the roof. He was determined to see Christ because he knew what Christ could do for him. His faith was so strong it moved him to action. He had a living faith, which goes far beyond mere ideas. His faith moved him to find our Lord no matter the difficulties. What have I done to seek Christ, to meet him face to face? What have I been prepared to do to receive his grace? Do I give up my prayer or my apostolate at the first difficulty?3. For God’s Glory: Jesus didn’t perform this miracle for himself or his glory. He sought only God’s glory. We see how everyone glorifies God after the miracle. It’s almost as if Christ is forgotten. Christ sought only to do what would glorify the Father. How often do we seek our glory when we work on the apostolate or perform an act of charity? How often do we hope someone will remember us and say “Thank You” although we are here to build Christ’s Kingdom for God’s glory alone? We need to renew our purity of intention constantly.Dialogue with Christ: Lord, how great was the faith of the paralytic! He was humble enough to find you and strong enough in his faith that nothing could keep him from you. Grant me the gift of a humble heart and a strong faith so I can be constant and dedicated to seeking to encounter you in my life and in fulfilling your will for your glory and the good of others alone.Resolution: Today I will look for solutions to the problems that come my way, and I will renew my intention to perform my duties for God’s glory throughout the day.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-10122018 ... See MoreSee Less

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Welcome to the University of Portsmouth’s Catholic Society!

So why not come and meet us

Other Resources and Useful Links

So all Students go to St Swithun’s Website where you will find so much information: www.stswithuns.org.uk

YOU CAN CONTACT US AT CATHSOC or JUST SEND US A QUESTION

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