ST JOSEPH S CATHOLIC CHURCH, UPMINSTER PARISH NEWSLETTER For private circulation only Website: www.stjosephschurchupminster.com Facebook: St Joseph s Catholic Church Email: Upminster@dioceseofbrentwood.org Jesus The Star That Guides All Peoples The Epiphany has its origins in Egypt, where it was a pagan feast to celebrate the victory of light over darkness. Christian liturgy has taken up this theme and proposes it for our reflection in the first reading and in the gospel. The second reading tells us what will happen when we accept this light. We will become one people. THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Year C 5th/ 6th January 2019 PARISH PRIEST Fr John Tuohy The Presbytery Champion Road Upminster RM14 2SY Tel:- 01708-222432 PARISH SECRETARY Ms Rachel Hayward Tel:- 01708-222432 ADMIN OFFICER Mrs Claire Mears This weeks Readings First Reading: Is 60:1-6 Sec. Reading: Eph 3:2-3a.5-6 Gospel: Mt 2:1-12 Tel:-01708-222432 Parish Office hours are 9am 12.30pm Monday to Friday
COLLECTION WEEKEND OF 29th / 30th DECEMBER 2018 Thank you to everybody who gave so generously to our collection last weekend. We raised the sum of 1,195.85. 627.20 of this was gift aided and 568.65 was not. ST JOSEPH S CHURCH 100 CLUB: Thank you to everybody who has joined the parish 100 Club this year. We have 131 subscribers. This means that we have been able to donate 786.00 directly to the church and that the monthly winning amount will be 65.50. Congratulation to numbers 28 (Paddy Betson) and 13 (Margaret Walsh) your numbers were chosen as our winners for the months of November and December 2018. Cheques will be posted to your home addresses. VISION DOCUMENT: Shaping Our Future: Two weeks ago the Diocese published an important document called Vision Document: Shaping Our Future. Hard copies were distributed and have now all gone. Any parishioner wishing to read this document which relates to the future direction of the parish and Diocese can read it on the Diocese s website by clicking on the News button. PARISH WEBSITE Why not take a look at our website. You can find our weekly newsletters, upcoming events and more The website address is: www.stjosephschurchupminster.c om We also have a Facebook page please join us St Joseph s Catholic Church The Catholic Fellowship are in urgent need of drivers to help on Saturdays taking people to Mass at St Mary s Hornchurch. Please contact Paul if you think you can help on 01708 222008. There is planned road resurfacing on Station Road for Monday 14th to Tuesday 15th January 7.30pm to 6am. Tuesday 15th to Wednesday 16th January 7.30pm to 6am Station Road will be closed at these times and Champion Road will only be accessed via Hillview Gardens.
Father John, would like to thank everyone for there gifts and cards this Christmas.Thank you to everyone who played their part in making the Christmas services so special. SERVICE OF HEALING PRAYER: Due to New Years Day the first service of the new year is on Tuesday 8th January at 8pm in the social centre. God s healing love is there for us at all times. This service is an opportunity to come together as a community to pray for our individual needs (physical, emotional and spiritual) to receive healing and be drawn closer to the Father. All welcome. Westcliff-On-Sea Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2019 Bank Holiday 27 th May Friday 31 st May FLYING FROM SOUTHEND AIRPORT. Staying at the 4* Hotel Grande Moderne on full board basis. Price includes 545 per Adult Based on two sharing a twin room. Children under 12 420. Full spiritual direction Under Fr. Alex Poblador. Further details please ring Sue on 07979746707. EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS: I have despatched the rota for January March 2019 via e-mail. Will those not on e-mail please collect a copy from the Sacristy. Wishing you all joy and peace at Christmas. John Leonard
LiveSimply Bird feeders and bird food collection - We hope to encourage birds to see St. Peter's as a place where they may feed. If you have any spare bird feeders or bird food please put them in the box at the back of the church. St. Joseph's Cycling Club As part of our LiveSimply campaign we are encouraging parishioners to adopt a more healthy lifestyle so why not join the 'St. Joseph's Cycling Club. The club consists of a few friends doing something they enjoy. They go our every Sunday for a couple of hours meeting at 10.30am in Upminster Park and use mainly off road routes cycling between 15 and 25 miles depending on the time available. When possible they also cycle during the week. They would welcome any parishioner to join whether for a one-off ride or regularly. There is a picture in the Social Centre of the group about to set off for a mid-week ride. Please call Jeff Stafford on 07710302603 or email jeff.stafford@gmail.com for more information Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. Washington Irving For more information on any of the above please contact Bernadette Tsocos 222337
Training Opportunity Michelle Moran of the Sion Community and Member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity will lead an exciting session on Parish Evangelisation. Saturday 26th January. Cathedral Hall, Brentwood, 10am - 3pm. Everyone is welcome to hear her experience and advice about how to share our faith and reach out to our community. Email stewardupminster@gmail.com or call 07736847187 to book a place. APPEAL: After 20 years as Gift Aid Organiser at St Joseph s I am going to retire next year. It is a rewarding role and during the time that I have been involved nearly half a million pounds has been reclaimed from the tax man for the parish. If you feel that you would be interested in finding out more, with a view to taking over this role, then please contact me and I will tell you what is involved. Steve Pinder. Email: Steve@spinder.plus.com Vision Document and Parish Partnership consultation As you will be aware from the newsletter and the Vision Document: Shaping our Future (www.dioceseofbrentwood.net) we are now in a Parish Partnership with English Martyrs and St Mary Mother of God. We are working towards submitting a proposal by the end of 2019 to the Diocese to show how we will work together to evangelise our communities and operate with two priests between the three parishes. There will be an extensive consultation process within all three parishes and the first stage will be a questionnaire for each person to complete at Mass on the weekend of the 12 th and 13 th of January. If you are unable to complete one at Mass then please contact the Parish Office for a copy. This will be followed up by a parish meeting to further discuss the implications. Please watch the newsletter for details and express your response to the Vision Document at any time to stewardupminster@gmail.com. COLLECTION COUNTERS: There are a few vacancies if there are any volunteers who would like to join the rota. Counting takes place usually on Monday mornings after 9.15 Mass. Contact Rachel. The new rota for 2019 is now available for collection from the Sacristy please take a copy. Thank you. Brendan.
ST JOSEPH S PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION We would like to put up a February 2019 exhibition of photographs taken by our parishioners to show Nature in all its winter glory. One photograph per person, no age limit just print off your photograph with a caption, your name, and, if under 18, your age and we will collect them at the end of February. Print size 6 x 4 or 5 x 7 would be preferable. More information from Bernadette on btsocos@gmail.com PARISH COFFEE MORNING There is no coffee morning this week. Our next coffee morning will be hosted by our Eucharistic Ministry on 20th January 2019 join us in the social centre after 9am Mass and before 11am Mass. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE On Wednesdays 23rd and 30th January at 7.00 p.m. Fr Adrian Graffy will lead an exploration of the Gospel of Luke, the gospel being read on Sundays in 2019. These Gidea Park Faith Evenings will take place in the hall at Gidea Park Catholic Church (410 Brentwood Road, Gidea Park, RM2 6DH). Please book by email to GPstudydays@gmail.c om. Refreshments provided. Admission is free; please do come along and join us. Please remember in your prayers the family of Mary Lacey who died recently. Mary s funeral will be held here at St Joseph s Church on Tuesday 15th January at 10.45 am. Mary will be received into the church at 4pm Monday 14th January. Everyone is welcome to the reception at 1pm,Upminster Golf Club. Please RSVP the family for catering arrangements. May Mary rest in the eternal peace of Christ.
Please pray for our sick: Jeanette (Jan) Cavalier, Jeffrey Woods, Reuben Jack Dodd (Lacey), Angela Scuse, Karen Scuse, Emilia Gunn, Stella Rogers, Jane Stevenson, Deborah & Paul Bussutil, Christopher Noel Ashford, Joan Spoor, Margaret Munnelly, Liam O Byrne, Tom Martin, Maureen Peek, Frances Oskis, Teresa Rudd, Maggie Ollington, Maureen Springham, Joseph Furzer, Martyn Oliver, James Nickelson, Len Rawlings, Wenda Cordell, Meg Nellist, Pat Walsh, John (Johnny) Hayes, Sylvia Kinghorn, Angela Veares, Janet Martin, Frank Hartley, Tony White, Nora Delor, Pat Silverlock, Maureen Pain, Louie Hibberd, Maria Judge, Nora Sheridan & Irene Hedges Anniversaries: Joseph Conway, Henry Patience, George Cush, Margaret O Neil, Maureen Hourihan, Morgan Madden, Louise Watts, Dorothy Kulich, Joan Christmas, Sidney Willis, Alice Cole, Violet Willis, George Hume, Sr Frances Egan, Charles Geeves, Lawrence Mooney, Patrick Mc Cue, Terry Sullivan, David Redden, Margaret Josephine Rafterty, Julia Manning, Pamela Goddard, Edward Chelbik, Elizabeth Healy, Ellen Millett, Kathleen Brazeley, Nora Sheridan, Winifred Threadgill, Reginald Hammond & Mary Fox May they rest in the eternal peace of Christ. USEFUL INFORMATION WITHIN THE PARISH St Joseph s School - School office 01708-220277 Sacred Heart of Mary School - School office 01708-222660 Campion School - School office 01708-452332 Easy Fundraising - www.easyfundraising.org.uk Gift Aid Organiser - giftaid@spinder.co.uk Baptisms - Presbytery 01708-222432 Mothers Prayers - Pat Duffey 01708-223748 Steward of the Gospel - Stephanie Davis 0773-684-7187 Stewardupminster@gmail.com Chair of Parish Council - Btsocos@gmail.com
SATURDAY 5th January 11.00 11.30am - CONFESSIONS 6.30pm - Williamson Family Int SUNDAY 6th January THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (HOLYDAY) 9.00am - Morgan Madden RIP Anniv ( Mary Anne) 11.00am - George Cush RIP Anniv ( Pat Cush) MONDAY 7th January 9.15am - Laurence & Roy Hale RIP (Hale) TUESDAY 8th January 9.15am - Jacqueline Presland RIP ( Gerald) WEDNESDAY 9th January 9.15am - Kathleen Judge RIP Anniv ( Maureen Judge) THURSDAY 10th January 9.15am - EUCHARISTIC SERVICE FRIDAY 11th January 9.15am - Mary & John Low RIP SATURDAY 12th January 11.00am-11.30am - CONFESSIONS 6.30pm - People of the Parish SUNDAY 13th January THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 9.00am - Ryan Musy RIP (Sorrell) 11.00am - Irene & Ronald Robinsons Int ( Christine) Please ensure that you are aware of the position of all of the emergency FIRE EXIT DOORS in the church. Also, please ensure that all mobile telephones are switched off before the service begins.