To truly understand what Jesus did at the climax of his life—and what the Catholic Church does at every Mass—we must understand the importance of blood sacrifice to Judaism in Jesus’ time. Everything that Moses did at Mt. Sinai, and all that was done for a thousand years in the temple, was summed up by Christ’s ultimate blood sacrifice on the Cross, offered for the reconciliation of God and humanity. And this ultimate lifeblood of God, sprinkled by Christ the high priest once for all, is what the Mass re-presents and makes sacramentally present to us.

My Dearest Parishioners, Visitors, Friends – Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ

Happy Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ!!! We are reminded in this week’s Gospel of the power of the real presence of Christ who fed the 5 thousand both physically and spiritually. We too experience this miracle each time we go to Mass and receive the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist

Today is the greatest day for a Christian’s heart, because, after celebrating the institution of the Eucharist on the Holy Thursday, the Church now is trying to exalt this revered Sacrament, to make us adore it without limit. “Quantum potes, tantum aude…”, “dare to do your best”: this is the invitation St. Thomas Aquinas makes us in a wonderful hymn of praise to the Eucharist. And, in a most admirable way, this invitation sums up what our heart’s feelings should be before Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist. To reciprocate such a humble, hidden, and so impressive donation, whatever we can do will never be enough. The Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth hides under the Sacramental species and offers himself to us as the food that feeds our souls. He is bread of angels and food of wayfarers. And it is bread of life we are being abundantly given, as the bread to avoid the weakness of those following him was miraculously multiplied to be distributed without any measure: “They ate and everyone had enough; and when they gathered up what was left, twelve baskets were filled with broken pieces” (Luke 9:17).

In front of this overabundance of love our reaction can never be stingy. An attentive and deep gaze of faith to this Divine Sacrament, must necessarily give way to a grateful prayer and to a passionate heart. In his sermons, St. Josemaria used to repeat the words a certain venerable bishop addressed to the priests he had just ordained: “Treat him well for me, treat him well!”.

A quick conscience examination will help us realizing what we are to do to treat the Sacramented Jesus more delicately: the cleanliness of our soul —it must always be in grace to receive him—, the correctness of what we wear —as a sign of love and reverence—, the frequency with which we come closer to receive him, the number of times we visit him in the Tabernacle… Our attentions with our Lord in the Eucharist should be countless. Let us fight to receive and treat Jesus Sacramented with the purity, humility and devotion of his Blessed Mother, with the spirit and the fervour of the saints.

with Blessings Father Simon

REFLECTION:

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you, the Holy Trinity, dwell in my soul. Thank you for the joy of your friendship and love. I hope in you; I hope that you will guide me and my loved ones home to heaven, where we can delight in your presence forever. I love you and long to be a better instrument of your love.

Petition: Lord, help me to achieve an unconditional trust in you.

A Test to Get Us to Grow in Trust: It was clear that Jesus’ disciples did not have the means to help these people out of their predicament — neither in ready available cash nor in locating a nearby market large enough to feed the overburdening crowd. Yet Scripture says, “He said this to test him.” Let this passage remind us that God can allow our problems to become so big and desperate as to show forth his power. God wants us to trust in him and to purify our intentions along our journey of faith. How great our Lord is in solving the unsolvable and making possible the impossible. He cures the incurable, raises people from the dead, and, most importantly, converts the erring sinner. “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:38). Do I easily give up hope when I don’t see a human solution to a situation? Blessed is he who believes that what the Lord promises will be fulfilled (Cf. Luke 1:46).

Our Lord Wants Us to Play a Part in His Miracle:  God has the power of creating something out of nothing, but he asks for human collaboration, even if it is minimal. Here it is no different. The apostles are utterly poor: they can bring to Our Lord only five loaves and two fish from a boy they find in the crowd. Jesus asks us to contribute because he wants to teach us to be generous, even when we think we have nothing to give. Actually, it is when we give from our want that we most please Our Lord (Cf. Luke 21:1-4). Poverty is never an excuse for a lack of generosity in serving and working for Our Lord. This miracle proves to us that Our Lord can never be outdone in generosity.

Don’t Miss the Point: In this scene Our Lord slowly prepared his apostles and disciples for his teaching on the Real Presence in the Eucharist. He had to purify their hearts and prune out attachment to the things of this world in order for them to accept the difficult teaching about his self-giving love found in the Eucharist. Even so, when he saw that the people were about to miss the point of his miracle, Our Lord “withdrew again to the mountain alone” (John 6:15). Sometimes Our Lord withdraws the comfort and consolation of his presence in our lives because we wrongly interpret their meaning and purpose. Do I properly discern the spirit in my heart when I pray? Am I happy only for things that gives me comfort, or am I truly coming closer to Christ because I recognize who he is and return to him the same authentic love he gives me and wants from me?
Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for this meditation and the lessons I learned from it. Keep me generous so I may never lose my trust in you. When the situations of my life seem unsolvable, help me to trust that in your time, you will work your wonders in my life, bringing glory to your name.

Resolution: I will make a visit to the Eucharist or a spiritual communion each day this week, offering this sacrifice of time for the conversion of the hearts of those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, or do not love you, Lord, in the Eucharist.

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Download this week's Newsletter here:	Newsletter: Sunday 19th June 2022 Solemnity of the Feast of Corpus Christi Year C

Service Updates from Fr Simon

If you would like to book a Mass dedication for someone, please contact Father Simon or the parish office with the name and date.

Please be aware of the change of Daily Mass Times due to parish commitments,. As soon as Covid allows, I am hoping to leave the church open after Mass until 4pm each day, in order that people can return to private prayer.

Saturdays Mass will be at 9am and confessions will start after Mass at St Swithun and on Saturday evening in Our Lady of Lourdes from 17.15 – 17.45 or at any other time by appointment

 Read today’s Readings here

Thoughts on Today’s Gospel and Readings for the Week -19-06-2022

Background on the Gospel Reading - Luke 9:11b-17 They all ate and were satisfied. Today, the second Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate a second solemnity, which marks our return to Ordinary Time. Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. At one time, this day was called Corpus Christi, Latin for “the Body of Christ.” In the most recent revision of the liturgy, the name for this day is expanded to be a more complete reflection of our Eucharistic theology. The feeding of the 5,000 is the only one of Jesus' miracles to appear in all four Gospels. Luke places it between Herod's question, “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” and Peter's response to Jesus' question about who he thought Jesus was: “You are the Messiah of God.” In Luke the feeding is not the result of Jesus' compassion for the crowd ...
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Children – Read today’s Holy Readings here again 19-06-2022

What is the Eucharist? A fun Catholic reflection for kids based on the readings for The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, cycle C. Support this channel on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/catholickidsm…​ Or on Venmo: @catholickidsmedia Catholic Kids Media Children , In Sunday’s Gospel, Luke 9:11-17 we hear about the miracle of  how Jesus fed 5000 thousand people with just 5 loaves and 2 fish. In the Bible, meals are seen as much more than a means of satisfying physical hunger. The Hebrew people viewed eating a meal as a way of expressing and strengthening their relationship to one another under God's covenant. What did the disciples want to do with the large hungry crowd? (They wanted to send them away.) What does Jesus tell the disciples to do? (He tells them to give the crowd some food to eat.) Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish and ...
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Commentary on Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11b-17

In a way we have already celebrated this feast. We did so on Holy (Maundy) Thursday in Holy Week. On that occasion, the emphasis was on the institution, the gift of the Eucharist to us as one of Jesus’ last acts before his suffering and death. It was, moreover, to be an enduring memorial of that great liberating act by which God’s love would be forever kept before our minds. One reason why we may have this second feast of the Eucharist is that it takes place during the more joyful period of the Easter season when we can celebrate it with greater freedom from the constraints of Lent and Holy Week. In many parts of the world, there will be a solemn and joyful procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the parish grounds or even through the public streets. Community dimension Perhaps today we should emphasise more the ...
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Dr. Scott Hahn – Gospel Reflections 19-06-2022

Blessed and Given: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ At the dawn of salvation history, God revealed our future in figures. That’s what’s going on in today’s First Reading: a priest-king comes from Jerusalem (see Psalm 76:3), offering bread and wine to celebrate the victory of God’s beloved servant, Abram, over his foes. By his offering, Melchizedek bestows God’s blessings on Abram. He is showing us, too, how one day we will receive God’s blessings and in turn “bless God”—how we will give thanks to Him for delivering us from our enemies, sin and death. As Paul recalls in today’s Epistle, Jesus transformed the sign of bread and wine, making it a sign of His body and blood, through which God bestows upon us the blessings of His “new covenant.” Jesus is “the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” that ...
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Children Making their First Confession and First Holy Communion

CONGRATULATIONS to all those who receive their First Holy Communion today.  May the Lord continue to bless you on your journey of  faith. Thank you to Brian and Linda McCreesh for all their hard work in preparing the children for this wonderful day.

Important Notes for Parents and Children.

Next week , on Sunday June 19th 2022, our Children make their First sacrament of Confession and then their First Holy Communion on the feast of Corpus Christi. Please ensure that all candidates ...
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Fr Simon asks for Volunteers – IF NOT YOU, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

It has been pointed out to me that I have never asked for members of our congregation to volunteer for key roles within the parish. This is not the case. To reiterate this point, I would ask you to consider one of the following posts: • Altar Servers • Cantors to sing and help lift the liturgy • Catechists for RCIA, Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation • Cleaners • Extraordinary Ministers of Communion • Finance Committee members • Flower ...
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Bishop John Sherrington – Day for Life 2022

Day for Life is an annual celebration of the intrinsic value and dignity of every human person from conception to natural death. Bishop John Sherrington, , the Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Church in England and Wales, has written to his brother bishops about this year’s Day for Life: Day for Life is the day in the Church’s year dedicated to raising awareness about the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in ...
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Thomas Griffin – 4 Lessons from Christ on the Eucharist

The Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:22-71) is the single greatest teaching regarding the Eucharist that we have from the lips of Jesus himself. As in every passage in the Bible, the context of the passage is crucial. Directly prior to Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist we have two of the most famous miracles of Christ that are recorded in the Gospels: the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:1-15) and the walking on water (John 6:16-21). Without the details of ...
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Blog Topic: The Eucharist is ‘the School of True Love for Us’

My Dearest Brother and Sister in Christ, my Friend Last time, I tried to show You that the Holy Mass, The Eucharist is the revelation of the unfinished of God’s love towards us, and must be measured as a gift. Today, please let’s see that true love cannot be measured only by feelings. Feelings accompany love as its important element, but are not its essence. Feelings are ambivalent, unstable, variable, and blind. It often happens that those who love ...
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The Annual Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests 24th June 2022

The Annual Global Rosary Relay for the Sanctification of Priests will again take place on 24 June 2022, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This will be its thirteenth year, involving more prayer locations than ever, having grown from 24 single prayer locations in June 2003 its first year to 2,600 in 2020. The goal is to have millions of Hail Marys prayed as a gift to Our Lady for her most beloved priests. Last year there ...
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Children’s Liturgy Starting June 2022

Children’s liturgy Update: From today there will be Children’s Liturgy in the Church Hall during the 10.15am Mass at St Swithun’s. We welcome pre-school children and those up to school year 3 (those preparing for their First Holy Communion this year should stay in church). Please can you accompany your child the first time they attend, as you will need to fill in a safeguarding form. Children can then attend by themselves if they are happy to do so, ...
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Hymn for Today: Five Loaves and Two Fishes – Corrinne May

IT COULD have been a case of Sister Corrinne Foo May Ying, the singing nun. That it did not materialise does not make her current vocation less fulfilling, as “God knows better”, says Corrinne May, now the singing wife and mother. And judging from her resolute views about marriage and parenthood, she leaves no doubt where her calling is. Corrinne May is one of Singapore’s most celebrated singer-songwriters. Her best-selling album, 2007’s ‘Beautiful Seed’ was certified platinum in Singapore and her newest album, 2012’s ‘Crooked Lines’ topped the charts in Singapore and attained gold certification within its first month of ...
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Hymn for Today: Remembrance – Hillsong Worship

Oh Hillsong united kingdom, your Song Remembrance is so heart felt and soul searching it brought to me tears that I needed to be reminded of the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, I truly Thank you, your ministry in Song is such a blessing, I love each one of you, my heart sends each one of you hugs and much joy for your hours of prayer and hard work! God continue to bring you armfuls of His tender LOVE of strength and His Awesome Faith. Lyrics - Remembrance - Hillsong Worship VERSE 1 I take the bread of ...
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ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD – James Lewis – All Welcome

Deacon James Lewis is going to be ordained as a priest on Saturday 22 July 11.00am at St John’s Cathedral. Everyone is welcome. Do try and come to this occasion of grace and seek his 'first blessing’ afterwards. This is a special occasion for our Diocese ...
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Significant Wedding Anniversaries Mass

Are you celebrating this year, 2022, a 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th anniversary, or an anniversary of over 60 years? If so, I would like to invite you to a Mass of celebration. This will take place at St Bede’s church in Basingstoke on Saturday 2nd July 2022 at 11am. It is a wonderful occasion to celebrate and witness to Marriage. If you would like to come, please send an email to Liz Murphy at anniversaries@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk. If you know a couple who qualifies and does not have access to the internet, please contact the Parish Office at St Bede’s ...
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Sunday Mass Obligation Reinstated

At the Bishops’ Conference in Cardiff last week, the Bishops voted unanimously to reinstate the obligation on Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. This will take effect on Pentecost Sunday. Here is the resolution: “This is the bread come down from heaven” (John 6:58). A beautiful hallmark of the Catholic faith is the profound desire to participate in the Holy Mass and share in the Eucharist. We do so with deep gratitude and joy. The Eucharist gives the Church her identity – “The Eucharist makes the Church, and the Church makes the Eucharist.” It enables us to ...
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Philip Kosloski – When is the feast of Corpus Christi celebrated?

The feast of Corpus Christi, a holy day of obligation in many places, is celebrated either on the Thursday or Sunday following Trinity Sunday. In the Church’s calendar there are several holy days of obligation, on which the faithful are invited to attend Mass to celebrate a specific aspect of the Catholic faith. The feast of Corpus Christi (also known as the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ), has been for many centuries a holy day of obligation. Initially this feast was celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, in accord with the requests of Juliana of Liege, a ...
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Philip Kosloski – Prayer to the Virgin Mary before receiving Holy Communion

Ask Mary to prepare your heart to receive Jesus, her Son, in the Holy Eucharist. Sometimes receiving Holy Communion can become habit, and we don’t think about the profound mystery we are about to encounter.One way to remind us of such a great mystery is to invite the Virgin Mary to prepare our hearts to receive her Son, Jesus Christ. Here is a short prayer from the Raccolta that asks the Virgin Mary to accompany us as we approach the altar. O most Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of gentleness and mercy, I, a miserable and unworthy sinner, fly to thy ...
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Colin MacIver – The Eucharist: Where We Begin and End

We were halfway through an eight-hour car ride when I decided tonight was the night I would propose. Aimee had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, and as the highway zipped by, I prayed silently and solidified my decision. Since early college, St. Thérèse of Lisieux had been my go-to intercessor and spiritual role model; that night, I consulted her yet again. You’re my wing-nun, help me out, I asked this 19th-century French Carmelite. Help me be confident, smooth, and … well … successful! The engagement ring, as it had been for weeks, was with me. I had made no elaborate plan with sky ...
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Fr. Mike Schmitz Answers –  NON-CATHOLICS RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST

Q: My non-Catholic friend comes with me to Mass, but she insists on receiving the Eucharist. Is that okay? A: So, I have to encourage you for inviting your friend to Mass. That is exactly what we should be doing as Catholics in the first place. It is extremely important that we are quick to invite our friends and family to Church, and are committed to hospitality. That being said, it is very “not okay” that your friend is receiving Holy Communion. That isn’t anything against hospitality (I’ll get back to that), but is simply the fact of the matter ...
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This is what the Feast of Corpus Christi is all about

Christ could have nourished us in any way he wanted to. Instead, he chooses to take up the good things of this earth – wheat, water, wine. A few summers ago, when I was serving as a deacon at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Manhattan, one of the friars in the community was admitted to Rosary Hill, a home for patients dying of cancer run by the Hawthorne Dominican Sisters. Prior to his move, our brother had spent over thirty days in the hospital. Receiving all his nourishment from a feeding tube, he was unable to receive communion for several ...
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The first Eucharistic Procession in History

On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we are reminded that Our Lord is truly present in the Eucharist and that He pours out his blood for our Salvation. “Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth was in a certain sense the first Eucharistic procession in history” – Pope Benedict XVI ...
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CONFESSION TIMES: Saturday morning after Mass at 9.45am at St Swithun’s, and 5.15pm at Our Lady of Lourdes. Confession is available after most Masses in the morning if I am not otherwise engaged, or can be by appointment if you wish. I do not want anyone to think that there is no opportunity for this most healing of the sacraments.

		ASCENT GROUP TRANSFER OF FUNDS  With the cessation of the Ascent Group meeting in St Swithun’s Church Hall earlier this year, it was decided to transfer the group’s remaining  financial fund to the St Swithun Church Parish Account as a donation for church funds. Eileen Steward (Ascent Group Treasurer) has given a cheque for £150 to Canon Simon. Eileen and her husband Robert (Chairman) would like to thank all those members, guests and speakers who supported the Ascent Group movement in the parish since its inception in July 1997.
		WORKSHOP FOR READERS Saturday 18 and 25 June – 10.00am to 1.00pm. For further details please take a look at the noticeboard in the porch.
		MARRIAGE CARE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: volunteer@marriagecare.org.uk ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED? Congratulations! Please note that you need to give a minimum of 12 months notice to the parish that you’d like to get married in. Father Simon Could you support the team at Marriage Care? They are looking for volunteer Marriage Preparation Facilitators to help prepare couples for marriage and Trustees to join the national board. Find out more about how you could help support couples: www.marriagecare.org.uk
		UKRAINE: The Diocese, through Caritas, is working to keep parishioners informed as to the current situation while we wait for the UK Government to clarify the role that faith organisations and other charities will play in the formal response to refugees entering the UK. Please look at the Caritas website for the latest news and updates on the crisis. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Please look at the Caritas website https://caritasportsmouth.org.uk
		DURHAM UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR CATHOLIC STUDIES On Fire course 9 – 11 SEPTEMBER 2022 Two-day conference for adults.  The Spirit of Evangelisation. Guest speakers, workshops and accommodation. See the poster at the back of the church. For more information click on https://youngcatholicadultnetwork.uk/event/on-fire-conference
		MASS INTENTIONS Please submit your Mass intentions well in advance of the date of celebration so that we can accommodate your requested date. Your support in this matter is much appreciated. Thank you.

 Keep up with what’s Happening in our Parish over this coming Year

19 June 2022

Saint Romuald

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19 June 2022

First Holy Communion Programme 2021-2022

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20 June 2022

Saint Paulinus of Nola

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20 June 2022

Daily Devotion Monday 20th June 2022 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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21 June 2022

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

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21 June 2022

Daily Devotion Tuesday 21st June 2022 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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22 June 2022

Saint Thomas More

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22 June 2022

Daily Devotion Wednesday 22nd June 2022 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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23 June 2022

Saint John Fisher

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24 June 2022

Saint John the Baptist

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25 June 2022

Blessed Jutta of Thuringia

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26 June 2022

Blessed Raymond Lull

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26 June 2022

First Holy Communion Programme 2021-2022

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27 June 2022

Saint Cyril of Alexandria

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27 June 2022

Daily Devotion Monday 27th June 2022 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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28 June 2022

Saint Irenaeus

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28 June 2022

Daily Devotion Tuesday 28th June 2022 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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29 June 2022

Saints Peter and Paul

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29 June 2022

Daily Devotion Wednesday 29th June 2022 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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30 June 2022

First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

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01 July 2022

Saint Junipero Serra

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01 July 2022

Daily Devotion Friday 1st July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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02 July 2022

Saint Oliver Plunkett

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02 July 2022

Daily Devotion Saturday 2nd July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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03 July 2022

Saint Thomas the Apostle

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04 July 2022

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal

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04 July 2022

Daily Devotion Monday 4th July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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05 July 2022

Saint Anthony Zaccaria

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05 July 2022

Daily Devotion Tuesday 5th July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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06 July 2022

Saint Maria Goretti

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06 July 2022

Daily Devotion Wednesday 6th July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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07 July 2022

Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions

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07 July 2022

Daily Devotion Thursday 7th July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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08 July 2022

Saint Gregory Grassi

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08 July 2022

Daily Devotion Friday 8th July 2022 The Precious Blood of Jesus

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Scroll through to see all the events happening from the 19th June 2022 till the 31st July 2022

Safeguarding Representatives in our Parish

IMPORTANT NEWS : SAFEGUARDING IN OUR PARISH: The Catholic Church takes the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults very seriously and volunteers have had to undergo clearance via the UK's Disclosure and Barring Service for over 15 years, as well as completing training. OUR PARISH SAFEGUARDING MINISTERS Any safeguarding concerns or requests for advice can be discussed with Anne Worden 023 9281 7586 and Teresa Rowe 023 9281 8295 or routed through to the central Diocesan safeguarding team by emailing them at safeguarding@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk or telephoning02394 216486. If there is a concern that someone is at risk of immediate harm, people ...
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URGENT APPEAL – FOOD PARCELS FOR OUR HOMELESS NEEDED IN PORTSMOUTH

Dear Friends, as You know – we try our best to help homeless (and the poor) in many ways. One of them, very important and popular is providing the lunch on Sundays, with an incredible generosity and sacrifice from St Vincent de Paul’s members of our Parish. We need your help in this difficult times, to make by yourself 45 packed lunches or to provide us with the products or donation, so we can make it by ourselves. Each packed lunch includes: - 2 sandwiches; - At least 1 fruit; - Something to drink (a juice, water) - Something sweet ...
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GOING INTO HOSPITAL?

GOING INTO HOSPITAL? Due to strict data protection rules it is essential on entering hospital to indicate your details or those of your relative to be passed on to the Catholic Chaplain. Also state that you or your relative would like the Catholic Chaplain to visit you. Chaplains visit the wards during the week and provide an on-call service in case of emergency ...
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CLICK HERE – NEW SECTION: LINK TO THE LATEST PORTSMOUTH DIOCESE E_NEWSLETTER

Click here: Please find the full schedule here for the 2021-2022 First Holy Communion Programme.  If you worship in this Parish please be sure to check this newsletter for further information. Attendance at Mass is an expectation and requirement.

Please ensure that all candidates have been to confession before their big day on 19 June. Mr McCreesh has posted on our website a wonderful summary about confession. Please do take a look at this helpful guide.

Many thanks Fr. Simon

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2022: The Applications to register for the preparation for The First Sacrament of Confession & Holy Communion are available in the sacristy after Sunday Masses

Note the form will appear online shortly (The 2021-22 programme is open only to children born on or before 31.8.2014)

UPDATE ON BAPTISM REQUESTS  & CLASSES

Baptism classes can be arranged with me via the parish office. Please call at front door at the front door of 105 Waverley Road. You can also email me at: streloar@portsmouthdicoese.org.uk

Please complete the baptism form and bring it to the parish office as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. Blessing Father Simon

• If you need a copy of Baptism certificate please contact the Parish Office.
• If you want to get someone baptised then feel free to make an appointment with father Marcin.

For those who would like to arrange a Baptism for their child:

– Please collect a Baptism Application Form from the porch of the church (or found on the Parish Website);
– Read carefully what is expected form the Parents and Godparents of a child for this Sacrament;
– Contact Parish Priest to arrange the very first meeting of getting now each other and to make the individual decision about the process of the preparation;

Fr. Simon – First Communion Programme 2021-2022 Schedule

First Communion Programme for 2021-2022 Schedule - (see below for links to resources) We are pleased to announce that the First Communion programme will start on November 27th 2021. We plan to meet at St Swithun's in the Church on Saturdays at 1:30p,m for those children who are being prepared for this wonderful sacrament. Brian & Linda McCreesh will be leading the programme for the Parish. You can find their contact details below. There will be a WhatsApp group started for parents once the programme gets underway. You can register your child for the programme by either contacting the parish ...
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Fr. Simon – House Bound and Communion of the Sick:

This is available if requested to those who are unable to attend church as they would have normally done. We would like to keep and improve this important link for those who are ill. Volunteer will need to have Safeguarding approval and training will be given. We are keen to have more volunteers for this worthwhile ministry. Please leave your details with the priest or office by email where possible. Thank you. God's Blessings from Father Simon Email: southseaparish@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk ...
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Fr. Simon – Baptism Preparation Programme 2021-22

Baptism Classes for St Swithun's  & Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Update: 22-10-2021 Baptism classes had a nil attendance last week, which was disappointing. I will be available from 1800 at the presbytery this coming Tuesday 26th October, so if you have given me a form for baptism, please ensure you attend or notify me with your apology. Update: 17-10-2021 There will be classes for those wishing to have their child baptised beginning at 6pm on 19th October at the presbytery, please ensure that you have completed and returned your form prior to the meeting. Further details can be found ...
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Universal intention – For families

We pray for Christian families around the world; may they embody and experience unconditional love and advance in holiness in their daily lives.

Prayer of the Month – June 2022

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendour of true love; to you we turn with trust.
Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,
and its beauty in God’s plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.

Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia

Please pray for those who are ill especially: Caroline Bennett, Robert & Eileen Steward, Louie Muscat, Tony & Julie Duffy, Brian Girling, Shelia Langford; Catherine Morgan, Pam Brown Ward, for all the children suffering and their poor families with them Aidan Molloy, David Shields, Bob Guy, Ms Sini Chacko, Kathleen & Kevin Jones, Heidi Badnell, Rosemary Devonald, Dominic, Carol Langsford, Patricia Ward, Stan Whitnell, Patrick McCreesh, Eddie Coppani, Tony Denny, Betty Foster, Bobby, Eileen Stewart, Joan Smith, John Williams, Margaret Bager, Fred Vuksani, Tom & Lily, Greta Kemp, Magda K, Mary Wallis, Micheline Thompson, Pat Needham, Margaret Badger, Anne Sullivan, Josephine Butler.

And all whose anniversaries occur at this time: 19th June 2022:  Diana Clark, David Best,Eileen Inkpen, Mary Hehir, Jo Wheeler, Shirley Parker, Dennis William Johnson, Carmen Muscat, Simon Paul Urwin, Mary Denny, Sheila Merrett, George Cowley, Bernard Donaghy, Bridget Nolan, Terry Kendal, William Lynch, Isabella Graham, Michael Collins, Anne McGowan, Wanda Gant, Suzanne Severs, Rosanna Schofield, Winifred Tripp, Catherine Henney, Johanna Davis, Leonard Hayles, Davina Cameron, Charles Cummins, Frank Hilton, Charles William Rolph, Patrick John Tyrrell, William Deary, Frances Barrett, Albert Brain, Jane Lattan, Gladys Whittle, Mary Young, May Flood, Miriam Keane, Ellen Gray, Janice Margaret Johnson, Archbishop John Henry King, William Smith, Eileen Orme, Herbert Diemer, Ann Mary Froggatt, Mary Patricia Tovey, Christine Ann Hogan (Ann), Bridget Hanvery, Florence Ellen Healey, Annie Evison, Albert Mensell, Elizabeth Mary Hawkins, Nora Parker, Lugrezia (Grace) Veronica Tynan, James Madigan, William Morgan, David Calder, Ellen Green, Percy Spicer, Hilda Clifton, Anne Woolfe, James Patrick Madigan, John Stephen Feeley, John Young (Frank), Ethel Penwell, Florence Casey, Alice Whiles, Mary Diver, Eileen Field, Mary Shute, Antoni Brown, Beatrice McIver, Hilda Lowe and Christina Perseltic Carter., ,Lizzie and Patrick McSharry ,Gemma Litchfield , Ivy Rouse , Stan Pickering and Jozef Michalczuk

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the Mercy of God rest in peace. Amen 

 Community Pray:

House of Prayer Portsmouth have been praying for the city and feel that God is asking for the churches in the city to prayer walk their boundaries. We would like to invite you as a congregation to walk the boundary of your parish to pray God’s blessing and bring hope, healing and awakening to the area. The Holy Rosary is absolutely perfect for this initiative. You can join the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/937798273059418/

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Parish Devotions this month

 

History of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Devotion to the Sacred Heart can be seen as early as the second century with St. Justin Martyr and in the 7th century with Pope Gregory the Great. Writers throughout these centuries emphasized the pierced side of Christ as the inexhaustible source from which all graces flow upon mankind and the blood and water as symbols of the sacraments of the Church. With the coming of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Anselm in the 12th century, there was a sudden increase in direct reference to the love of the Sacred Heart for every person redeemed by His Passion and ...
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The Popes on Devotion to the Sacred Heart

The feast of the Sacred Heart was approved for specified dioceses by Clement XIII in 1765, and extended to the whole Church by Pius IX in 1856. In 1889 Pope Leo XIII elevated it to the rank of first class, and through an encyclical letter in 1899 dedicated the whole Catholic world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Sacred Heart was also an essential component of Pope John Paul II's hopes for the "new evangelization" called for by the Church. "For evangelization today," he said, "the Heart of Christ must be recognized as the heart of the Church: ...
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Scriptural Basis for the Devotion

Jesus, who is one with the Father (cf. John 10, 30), invites his disciples to live in close communion with him, to model their lives on him and on his teaching. He, in turn, reveals himself as "meek and humble of heart" (Matthew 11, 29). It can be said that, in a certain sense, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a cultic form of the prophetic and evangelic gaze of all Christians on him who was pierced (cf. John 19, 37; Zac 12, 10), the gaze of all Christians on the side of Christ, transfixed by a lance, ...
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The Sacred Heart and Our Spiritual Life

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a wonderful historical expression of the Church's piety for Christ, her Spouse and Lord: it calls for a fundamental attitude of conversion and reparation, of love and gratitude, apostolic commitment and dedication to Christ and his saving work. Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus are numerous. Some have been explicitly approved and frequently recommended by the Apostolic See. Among these, mention should be made of the following: Personal Consecration Personal consecration, described by Pius XI as "undoubtedly the principal devotional practice used in relation to the Sacred Heart" (Miserentissimus redemptor). Family Consecration Family consecration ...
Read more here

Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

In the apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus gives these twelve promises for those who are devoted to His Sacred Heart ...
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June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a very, very old practice originally arising out of devotion to the Sacred wounds of Christ and all that His sacrifice for us embodied. It is a beautiful practice with which you can get closer to Jesus in contemplation of the Passion and His most perfect sacrifice. In 1899, the human race was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Pope Leo XIII’s decree in his encyclical Annum Sacrum. Pope Pius X extended this by instituting this dedication be renewed yearly. The Feast Day for the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls ...
Read more here

Blog Topic: The Eucharist is ‘the School of True Love for Us’

My Dearest Brother and Sister in Christ, my Friend Last time, I tried to show You that the Holy Mass, The Eucharist is the revelation of the unfinished of God’s love towards us, and must be measured as a gift. Today, please let’s see that true love cannot be measured ...
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Blog Topic: “Mystery of the Holy Trinity”

04/06/2022

World Communications Day 2022 is on May 29th

27/05/2022

Bishop Philip – Come, Follow Me: A Ten-Year Strategy

20/05/2022

 

OFFERTORY: Thank you for last Sunday’s Collection.

 

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Electronic offertory: If you have not managed to set up your electronic giving yet, please can you do so as soon as possible.
The Parish Bank Account details are: Account Name (Lloyd’s Bank’): PRCDTR Our Lady of Lourdes’ & St Swithun Church Sort Code: 30-93-04; parish Account no: 01730453.

Financial assistance: If you are able to increase your usual weekly offering (during this time of uncertainty) it will be a huge help to the parish. Even the slightest increase will be a help – THANK YOU!

You can donate via the button on the Parish website – or here 

Standing Order and  other useful Information

 Download Standing Order Form (PDF)

Lloyds Bank : sort code 30-93-04 ; Account number 01730453 (Cheques mad payable to: PRCDTR Our Lady & St. Swithun)

with Blessings Canon Simon Treloar

Thank you as always for all the gifts, food and toilets for our HOMELESS people, who our Parish minister for. Thank You for all your care and generosity. Please, leave your gifts and donations in the sacristy of the church. Thank You.

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Download Newsletter PDF -19-06-2022

WE’RE SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS NEWS WITH YOU AND DON’T FORGET USE THE CONTACT FORMS ON OUR WEBSITE !

Download this newsletter in printer-friendly PDF format to read later.

Download this week’s Newsletter here: Newsletter: Sunday 19th June 2022 Solemnity of the Feast of Corpus Christi Year C

 

PARISH CONTACTS

• PARISH PRIEST: Canon Simon Treloar
• tel: 02392 828305 – please leave a message
• email: streloar@portsmouthdicoese.org.uk
• Address: 105 Waverley Road, Southsea, PO5 2PL;
• Safeguarding Minister: Teresa Rowe  tel: 023 92 818295;
• Safeguarding Minister: Anne Worden  tel: 023 92 817586;
• Parish Secretary: Mrs Kathleen Jones
• Parish Office Hours: Tues, Thurs and Friday, 8.00am –12.30pm. tel: 02392 828 305
  email: southseaparish@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
• Parish website: http://www.stswithuns.org.uk  
• Facebook Profile: @Stswithuns.org.uk

 

NEW SECTION ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU JUST WANT TO SPEND SOME SPECIAL TIME WITH GOD

  Read More on our Renewal Pages here

Updated Coronavirus Safety Guidelines

Track and trace: code. Please use the QR Code (on the back of the church). Simply hold your camera app over the code and follow the instructions. This would be helpful should a local outbreak of the virus be detected.
Ventilation:In order for us to comply with regulations and therefore be considered a ‘COVID secure environment’ the doors must be left open. As the temperature drops in the weeks ahead it will be important to wrap-up warm for Mass! Please do bear this in mind.

Please remember the advice is to wear a mask inside closed areas and churches.

Click this link for any questions you might have found on our website.

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