CONGRATULATIONS to Fr Simon who has been appointed Parish Priest of St Martin de Porres Parish in Luton. Fr Simon will take up his new appointment in September 2018.
IMPORTANT: GLOBAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR), YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED! You may be aware that new data protection legislation came into force in the UK on 25th May 2018. It governs how personal data is processed and we as a Parish now need to obtain your informed consent to continue to use your personal data in our Parish. GDPR covers the personal data (e.g. addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses) we collect and hold in our Parish to ensure you as Parishioners can be contacted, for example for preparation to receive the Sacraments, when organising Parish group meetings or rotas, or to process Gift Aid donations.
‘Informed consent’ means that we tell you how we process and use your data, so that you can decide whether to give your consent for its use within the Parish to continue. If we do not receive a written consent from you, we have to remove your details from our Parish register and from any groups to which you may belong. Consent forms can be found at the Church porches, we ask that these are returned to the Presbytery, as soon as possible. A separate Consent Form is required for each adult within each family. A Data Privacy Notice sets out how the Parish processes personal data, and a copy of the Data Privacy Notice is available on the Parish website, or from the Parish office. If you have any questions, please contact the Parish office.
REPORT: PARISH RETREAT DAY – JUNE 2015
A day retreat was held on the 13th June to enable us to reflect and meditate on our Parish Mission experience with the Sion Community in 2014. The retreat was led by Fr Simon Penhalagan at the Bridgettine Convent in Iver Heath. The theme was “Trust, Surrender, Believe, Receive.”
These words of Pope Saint John Paul II best describe this beautiful day:
“Yes dear brothers and sisters, Our Christian communities must become genuine ‘schools’ of prayer where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening, and ardent devotion, until the heart truly falls in love.”
Fr Simon’s brief description on trust, surrender, believe and receive gave us the openness to and opportunity for an encounter with the Holy Spirit.
True freedom is being free from sin and not doing what our feelings, intellect and will suggest but doing the will of God, which is clearly outlined by the Church. Fr Simon emphasised silence and the importance of just being in God’s divine presence, allowing the Lord to transform us, especially through the few short times of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
During the day we explored different forms of prayer from the tradition of the Rosary, to writing a letter to the lord, or walking or having a cup of tea with Him. We were encouraged to pray with joyful movements of the body from prostration, to raising hands, bowing, kneeling and even clapping. Br Andy’s insight into praise and worship with music helped us to sing from the heart.
Complemented by the peace of the Bridgettine Convent, a sumptuous meal and Br Andy’s music, our time together gave a perfect celebration to the feast of The Immaculate heart of Mary. A true taster for the coming “Afresh” retreat weekend from 23rd to 25th October later in the year.
– Thanks to Leela for the summary.
WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU RECEIVE YOUR DBS CERTIFICATE…
Our Child Protection Representative Melissa Whatley has provided the following information regarding DBS certificates. Once you have received your DBS certificate you have 14 days to send it to be verified by the safeguarding and welfare Co-ordinator, Ms K Taylor-Duke at Safeguarding office, Bishops House, Marriott Street, Northampton, NN2 6AW. (In the past this did not need to be done as two copies were sent out, one to Ms K Taylor-Duke and one to you.
Due to Government cutbacks only one is now sent out which has created a lot more paperwork and work for you.) You will need to enclose a self-addressed envelope so the DBS form may be returned to you. (Both these envelopes can be provided by Melissa if required). You now also have the opportunity to register your new DBS certificate online at www.gov.uk/dbs which may help with you not having to renew your DBS every three years. (That is unless you change your volunteer role which may require another DBS certificate!). I hope this information helps clarify the steps to validating your DBS certificate when it arrives.
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
The group offer a safe and confidential place to speak about your loss in an informal and relaxed setting. It is held at Holy Family Church, Langley. Please contact Graham Wheeler on 01753 538072 for further details.
Holy Family RC Church, 226 Trelawney Avenue, Langley | SL3 7UD
Holy Family Parish website
RAISE MONEY FOR CAFOD WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE
Do you do any shopping on the internet? Gifts? Books? At no extra cost to you or to CAFOD, you can raise money to support CAFOD’s work by doing your online shopping with a simple tool called Give as you live. It’s really simple. Visit www.cafod.org.uk/giveasyoulive to find out more and sign up.
Give As You Live (for Cafod)
MASS INTENTIONS
We are very booked up with Mass intentions at the present moment and a number of you have been disappointed and unable to get the dates you had hoped for. Please book very early if you want a specific date or anniversary. Please let us know if you are happy for us to send on your intentions to another priest (perhaps a retired priest or a priest in a parish with fewer Mass intentions) or to the missions. We are of course always happy to include your intentions in the Bidding Prayers of any Sunday Mass. Please be aware too that very occasionally Mass dates have to be moved because of funerals, holidays, illnesses and other unexpected circumstances.
CAR PARKING WITH CARE AND CONSIDERATION
Please don’t block our neighbours’ driveways. Don’t park on the yellow hashed access to the Vicarage at St Andrew’s. Don’t park on the pavements: disabled/children’s buggies can’t pass. At Our Lady of Peace if you park on the descending access road near the side door of the Church you are blocking access to the disabled parking spots and leaving our disabled parishioners stranded.
PAX CHRISTI
Pax Christi, Peace of Christ, is a gospel-based lay-inspired, peacemaking movement. The movement strives to help the Church and the wider community to proclaim and to make peace, through its experience and ideas, and especially through the witness and action of its members.
Visit the Pax Christi website.
