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Parish Newsletter 5.1.2025

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THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (YEAR C)

View/download the printed newsletter (new A4 format)

Go to: Sunday Mass Readings | Parish Notices | Upcoming Events | Masses & Intentions | Parish Donations Portal | Ways To Donate | Safeguarding | Our Facebook Page | Our Youtube Channel

Parish Priest: Fr Anthony Dampson
Assistant Priest: Fr Marek Balawender

Sunday Mass Readings

1st Reading: Is 60:1-6 Above you the glory of the Lord appears. Psalm R/ Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

2nd Reading: Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 It has now been revealed that pagans share the same inheritance.

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia 2x We saw his star as it rose and have come to do Lord homage. Alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 2:1-12 The visit of the Magi.

CREDO: I believe in God, the Father almighty Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Parish Notices

THANK YOU from Fr Anthony and Fr Marek for your generous Christmas offering, for all the gifts, cards, and good wishes. Thank you also to all who helped in the preparations for the Christmas & New Year Masses. Venecia and Alma, also wish to say many thanks for your gifts, cards and good wishes. Wishing you all God’s blessings for this year.

DECEASED Please pray for Norman Leslie Grimmette RIP who died recently, his Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Friday 10th January at 12.45pm in Our Lady of Peace Church, followed at Slough Crematorium. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen.

OFFERTORY COLLECTION 22nd December – Loose Collection: £708.45, Sunday Tea & Coffee: £30.42. 29th December – Loose Collection: £623.10, Sunday Tea & Coffee: £32.40, DONA Plate: £119.98.

PARISH OFFICE The parish office will reopen at 9.00am on Tuesday 7th January.

DEACON MICHAEL OSSEI-WILLIAMS has retired from his decades of faithful service in the ministry of hospital chaplaincy. Deacon Michael’s dedication has touched many lives, and his compassionate care has been a great blessing to our parish and the wider community. He is now taking a well-deserved break and will be travelling to Ghana for the next four months. His final Sunday with us before his departure will be Sunday, January 5, 2025, and we invite you to join us in expressing your appreciation for his exceptional service. After his time in Ghana, we will share details of his next steps. Please keep Deacon Michael in your prayers as he embarks on this new chapter.

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO OUR PARISH CHOIR We extend our deepest gratitude to our Parish Choir for their dedication and exceptional commitment throughout December and the Christmas celebrations. Your talents, voices, and energies were tested in a unique way this season but you lived out to the demand enriching our liturgies, lifting our hearts in worship and filling our parish with joy and reverence. Our prayers and blessings are with you always!

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD (6th January) will be celebrated in St Andrew’s Church for All Goan Community on Sunday, 5th January at 3.00pm. All are welcome!

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CLASSES If you have registered your child/children to make their First Holy Communion in May 2025, the first session is on Saturday 11th January 2025 from 9.30am–11.00am at St Andrew’s Church, Cippenham. Please pray for our children so that they will grow in their appreciation of the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. Please note: classes are only for those who have received notification their child is enrolled on the programme for 2025.

YOUTH ALPHA COURSE Are you teenager or a young adult and curious about life’s big questions? Would you like to develop your understanding of the Christian faith? Are you looking to improve on your relationship with God? Join us for the Youth Alpha Course, starting in January 2025. Over 8 different sessions, we’ll explore topics like faith, creation, and why bad things happen. To register your interest, please contact the Parish Office or your Youth Leaders. Let’s dive into life’s big questions together! To sign up please scan the QR code on the printed/PDF newsletter (link at the top of this page).

OUR LADY OF PEACE CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL OPEN DAY

  • Thursday 9th January 2025 9.15am – 10.45am

For more information email: admissions[AT]olopprimary.co.uk or call 01628 661886.

LOOKING FOR A GREAT SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD?
LOOKING FOR A GREAT JOB FOR YOUR FUTURE?

The St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust serves 17 schools across the south of the diocese of Northampton. Our mission is to ensure our schools are places where children flourish – places of excellence where they are truly loved. If you are looking for a place for your child next year or you are new to the area, your local family of Catholic schools is the only choice! Select this link to find out about the schools in your area and take time to pay them a visit.

The best schools in the country have deep roots to their community. We would love to see people from your parish join our team and you can see our live vacancies on our Trust website at any time. We will be advertising five posts with great opportunity in the near future:

  • 2 x Area Estates Managers – based in Slough and Luton.
  • 2 x School Account Managers – based in Buckinghamshire and Luton.
  • 1 x Trust Finance Manager – based in Luton.

We would love you to contact us for a chat about these roles, call 01582 361600 or email admin[AT]stcat.co.uk. By joining us you will further play your part in spreading the good news of Jesus to a new generation.

Pray for us Our schools will be strengthened through your prayers. It takes a village to raise a child and our village is defined by Parish – Home – School. May our patron, St Thomas of Canterbury, watch over us and inspire us. St Thomas, PRAY FOR US!

BECOME A TEACHER Are you interested in training to become a teacher? Would you like to find out more about what is involved and how you can apply? St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust are hosting a series of open mornings in January, where you can find out all about our Train to Teach programme starting in September 2025. To find out more and to book a place at an open morning visit https://www.stcat.co.uk/become-a-teacher/ for more information and to start your application.

MASS INTENTIONS If you wish to book a Mass Intention please place the intention in an envelope, write the name of the person(s) who the Mass is for, whether Deceased or Intention, also the name of the person who is offering the Mass. This will avoid any disappointment for the Mass intentions not being offered on the requested date(s).

UNIVERSALIS APP Until the new Mass books arrive, we recommend the Universalis App to our parishioners who want to access the latest lectionary translations for personal prayers or to actively participate in Mass. Universalis is a software application that includes all liturgical prayers, lection and spiritual readings used during our liturgical celebrations. It requires a one-time subscription of £10 and allows you to access all of the prayers and Scripture readings on your mobile device. Those who require assistance should kindly contact the parish secretary for help. https://universalis.com/

🔖 Alternatively, bookmark this link to read the daily Mass readings for free.

PARISH SUPPORT GROUP We have a parish support group for those who have been bereaved. If you feel this might be for you please ring 01628 666278. You will be warmly welcomed.

MARRIAGE PAPERWORK ADMINISTRATION FEES Please note on the administration fees below which relate to the processing (and postage costs) of marriage paperwork for marriages and convalidations which will take place outside of your parish, and are therefore, subject to approval by the Chancery Office in the diocese.
These fees will take effect from 1st May 2024.
UK & Europe – £30
Rest of the World – £50
The fees should be paid to the parish by the engaged couple. The Parish will then need to forward a cheque, made payable to RCDN, with the completed marriage paperwork to the Chancery Office. Completed marriage paperwork should be submitted to the Chancery Office a minimum of 3 months before the marriage is due to take place.

ST GILBERT’S MISSION PROJECT There are little bottles in the Church porches for any spare change! Please take one home and return when filled up.

SHOP ONLINE AND AUTOMATICALLY RAISE FUNDS FOR OUR LADY OF PEACE Give as you Live Online is a free and easy way to raise money for Our Lady of Peace Church when you shop online with 6,000+ stores. Boost donations by simply registering first and then clicking on the ‘share’ link and sharing with your friends and family – an extra £5 is donated to our church when the first £5 is spent! Link: Shop Online & Raise Money – Give as you Live Online

COFFEE SHOP is held at St Andrew’s every Saturday morning from 10.00am – 12.00noon. It is open to everyone, please pop in and enjoy tea/coffee and cake!

ORGANISING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS ACROSS THE PARISH For anyone organising activities and events in OLP or St Andrew’s, please contact the Parish Office and advise Venecia so she can ensure that the diary is always current and check for clashes of venue or dates.

FAMILIES NEEDING HELP If anyone is aware of people who require assistance/help, please provide names and contact information to the parish office.

SLOUGH FOODBANK For details on how to donate see https://slough.foodbank.org.uk/give-help-2/donate-food/ or please view the poster on the parish noticeboard.

SAFEGUARDING Please remember that Bishop David is available to meet with anyone affected by abuse in our Church. To make an appointment (at short or long notice) please contact our diocesan safeguarding office.

SAFEGUARDING DBS CHECKS If you have any DBS forms that need to be checked and validated, please contact Máirín Comfort. She can be reached via email at safeguarding.olop[AT]northamptondiocese.org, or at OLOP church after the 9.30am Mass. Kindly get in touch with her to arrange a suitable time for form validation. Thank you for your cooperation.

WYCOMBE HOMELESS PROJECT Please see poster on parish noticeboard of this local charity supported by the Knights of St Columba who are raising funds to help homeless people in South Bucks who need emergency accommodation and specialist support to avoid illegal and unfair eviction, also access to health services and much more. You can help directly by sending monies to Bank Account 07517319, Sort Code 60-11-01 “Knights of St Columba” with reference to the WHC Project. Any queries or more information can be obtained from Paul Hogwood on 07740-812414 or email: pjhogwood[AT]btinternet.com

OUR PARISH LIST OF THE SICK There is a book where you can enter the name of the person to be prayed for. In line with Data Protection legislation please obtain the consent of the person before entering their name in the book. This book will be placed on the altar during each Mass in Our Lady of Peace Church.

GOING INTO HOSPITAL? If you wish to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick before going into Hospital please let us know. A visit can be arranged from Fr Anthony or Fr Marek.

CONFIRMING OUR PARISH NAME In discussion with Bishop David recently, it has been decided to firm up the name of our combined Parish by combining the two names together in a new logo. Going forward we are ‘Our Lady of Peace and St Andrew’s’. The Bishop is happy with this slight amendment as it helps in some way for people to understand that we are truly one Parish and not two separate entities. You will see the new logo appearing across the Parish in future.

PARISH OFFICE Email office.ourladyofpeace[AT]northamptondiocese.org or you can telephone the Parish office on 01628 605764 and leave a message, or contact Fr Anthony on 07853 106000, email franthony.dampson[AT]northamptondiocese.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Our Lady of Peace Parish Council Chair: ppcc.olop[AT]northamptondiocese.org
Our Lady of Peace Safeguarding Representative: safeguarding.olop[AT]northamptondiocese.org
Our Lady of Peace Head of Finance: financechair.olop[AT]northamptondiocese.org
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary & Nursery School: 01628 661886.
St Andrew’s, Bookings – Contact the bookings secretary: 07546 710834.

Upcoming Events

SHEKHINAH PRAYER GROUP Meets weekly on Wednesdays from 7.00pm to 8.30pm via Zoom with Catholic teachings on different topics. Lectio Divina (Praying the Scriptures), takes place on alterative weeks. To join email office.ourladyofpeace[AT]northamptondiocese.org

EVANGELISATION & CULTURE CONFERENCE The Bible Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire) will soon be featuring in an Evangelisation & Culture Conference in London on the 21st & 22nd February 2024. Word on Fire have shared the following about the event: “To proclaim Christ in the culture, we must know Christ; and to know Christ, we must know Scripture”. As St. Jerome observed, ‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.’ But in order to uncover the spiritual & theological meaning of the Bible, we need to take a genuinely Catholic approach: reading it within the context of the great & beautiful chorus of voices from across the centuries of the Church’s tradition. For more information & to book please see: events.wordonfire.org/the-bible-event

PILGRIMAGE TO ROME AND ASSISI As part of the Jubilee Year 2025, Bishop David Oakley will lead a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. Whilst in Rome we will have the opportunity to pass through the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica, visit the other major Basilica’s and sights in the city. We will end our pilgrimage in the town of Assisi. This pilgrimage will take place from 27th March – 3rd April 2025. All are welcome and bookings open on 18th March. For more information visit northamptondiocese.org/rome-and-assisi/

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE PARISH WEBSITE OR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER can be sent to the Parish Office. Items on paper and print are also accepted and can be given to Fr Anthony, or delivered to the Presbytery.

A PARISHIONER HAS VERY KINDLY OFFERED TO PRINT AND DELIVER COPIES OF OUR WEEKLY BULLETIN to those unable to attend Mass each week, this would only be posted through the letterbox. If you know of anyone who would like a copy delivered, please contact the Parish office on 01628 605764. Please obtain the permission of the Parishioner to provide their address.

MASS BOOKINGS Kindly drop off your intentions at the Presbytery, place it in the donation box in the Church or give it to Fr Anthony. You can still make a request for Masses by email and telephone.

PARISH ONLINE PRAYER SERVICE A dedicated email has been set up for you to send prayer requests. The email address is: prayerministry.ourladyofpeace[AT]northamptondiocese.org Meanwhile, let us continue to support and pray for one another in the parish.

Parish Donations

FINANCES We are extremely grateful, not only for your financial support, but also to the volunteers who help in so many ways for the Church to remain open for Masses.

Your valued ongoing support to the Parish can be made through the following options:

  • Donating by phone: ‘Giving Tuesday’ – Telephone Donation In addition to the online donation facilities currently available, the Diocese has begun a ‘Giving Tuesday’. Each Tuesday between 10:00am and 4:00pm, you can call this number, 01604 712065, and donate to your parish.
  • Online Donation We are now using a new provider ‘Invest My Community’ who work with other Catholic Diocese, schools and charities. You can access our online giving page via the donate button on our Diocesan Website or by using the following link https://northamptondiocese.org/donate/ If you would like to use this facility to make your regular, one off donations please ensure you indicate this along with the name of your parish, and any other message detail in the ‘Public Message’ box. Please note this information is not made visible to the public.
  • Standing Order via donor’s own bank: You can set up a standing order for donations to your parish using either your online bank account or in branch. You can also make a one-off payment to the parish. The information required to make the donation is as follows:
    Bank: NatWest.
    Sort Code; 60-06-11.
    Account Name; 46716203. Account Name; RCDN Our Lady of Peace.
    Payment Ref: Our Lady of Peace, Slough.
  • Standing Order using the form: https://northamptondiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/GAD-general-June-18-v2-revision.pdf You can complete the standing order form for donations to your parish with the option to Gift Aid. Please indicate on this form if you are not a tax payer but would like to set up a standing order only. There are two sides/sheets to this form, it should be printed, completed, signed and returned to our Parish office, we will then forward to central offices at Bishop’s House for processing at a later date. Please remember to state which parish this standing is for i.e. ‘For the benefit of Our Lady of Peace, Slough Parish’ section at the top of the form. Banks will require 7 working days from receipt of these forms to activate the request so please ensure the start date reflects this 7 day period to ensure the S.O. can take effect.
  • There is also a donation box in Our Lady of Peace for Mass intentions, offertory, donations, etc.
  • Contactless Donations 💳 We have installed ‘Digital Collection Plate’ contactless terminals in the Churches, allowing you to donate using a contactless debit/credit card, NFC smartphone or watch. Simply enter the amount you wish to donate and hold your card (or NFC device) to the reader. You can also opt-in for Gift Aid to increase your donation by 25%. If you are a UK taxpayer then donating with Gift Aid means that we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 received.
  • Parish Donations Portal 💳 After a successful trial of the physical digital collection plate in our Churches, we are pleased to announce that a web portal is now available as a queue-free alternative. Either use the link (Gift Aid giving is available using one-time registration): https://portal.mydona.com/assets/webPay/index.php?cid=419 or with your QR code reader mobile app, scan the code in the printed newsletter, click on the link to mydona.com, and it will give you the same options available on the Digital Plate in Church. Also look out for the DONATE HERE sign with QR Code in the Church. Thank you.
    N.B. To access this service, select links titled: Parish Donations Portal.

Thank you for any help you are able to give and God bless.

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Masses & Intentions

4th January – 12th January

Sunday Readings: Year C
Weekday Readings: Year I.

Universalis – Daily Mass readings, updated automatically.

Sunday Mass livestreams and all previous streams from Our Lady of Peace can be found on Facebook: ourladyofpeacecatholicchurchburnham and YouTube: youtube.com/@ourladyofpeacecatholicchur3404/streams

MASS CHANGES
No changes this week.

4th January – 12th January

Saturday 4th January | Vigil Mass | THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
6.00pm Our Lady of Peace – Forgotten Souls of Migrants in Mediterranean, largest cemetery in Europe (R. Group)
Sunday 5th January | THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
9.30am Our Lady of Peace LS – Anitha Babu & Family INT (R. Group), Louisa Abbruzzese RIP

11.30am St Andrew’s – Prithi Mascarenhas & Family INT (R. Group)

3.00pm St Andrew’s – The Epiphany of the Lord Feast / Goan Community
Monday 6th January
8.15am Our Lady of Peace – Adoration

9.15am Our Lady of Peace – Morning Prayer

9.30am Our Lady of Peace – Betty Breedon RIP (John Basey), Tina Koenig RIP (R. Group)
Tuesday 7th January
8.15am Our Lady of Peace – Adoration

9.15am Our Lady of Peace – Morning Prayer

9.30am Our Lady of Peace – Florence Matwiejczyk INT (R. Group), Margaret & Joe Haire INT (R. Group)
Wednesday 8th January
8.15am Our Lady of Peace – Adoration

9.15am Our Lady of Peace – Morning Prayer

9.30am Our Lady of Peace – Martin Thomas Corp RIP (R. Group), Aleksander Pepaj RIP (R. Group)
Thursday 9th January
8.30am St Andrew’s – Adoration

9.15am St Andrew’s – Morning Prayer

9.30am St Andrew’s – Zoltan Torok RIP (R. Group)
Friday 10th January
8.15am Our Lady of Peace – Adoration

9.15am Our Lady of Peace – Morning Prayer

9.30am Our Lady of Peace – Peggy Boundy & Family INT (R. Group), Eleonore Kempson INT (R. Group)

12.45pm Our Lady of Peace – Requiem Mass for Norman Leslie Grimmette RIP
Saturday 11th January
8.45am Our Lady of Peace – Adoration

9.45am Our Lady of Peace – Morning Prayer

10.00am Our Lady of Peace – Ellen Sansom RIP (R. Group), Meta & Siglinde RIP (R. Group)
Saturday 11th January | Vigil Mass | BAPTISM OF THE LORD
6.00pm Our Lady of Peace – People of the Parish
Sunday 12th January | BAPTISM OF THE LORD
9.30am Our Lady of Peace LS – Thanksgiving for Armando Borges Birthday (Borges), Ted Sargent RIP (Sarah & Mary Hogg)

11.30am St Andrew’s – Danny Shaw & Family INT (R. Group), Young Families INT (R. Group)

Notes:
LS = Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
R. Group = Rosary Group
INT = Intention

Liturgy Office resources:
Calendar notes for 2025 (PDF)

Our Lady of Peace Church – Lower Britwell Road, Burnham | SL2 2NL
St Andrew’s – Elmshott La/Washington Drive, Cippenham, Berks | SL1 5RE

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