CHRISTMAS GIFT BAGS FOR PEOPLE IN PRISON

Webmaster • December 8, 2025

“Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.”


These words of the Lord Jesus apply to the people held in our prisons as much as they apply to anyone. Christmas Day in prisons is often experience of Hell! People locked in and sharing a 3 metre by 2 metre space called a ‘Cell’ for almost all of Christmas Day, perhaps alongside somebody unpredictable and dangerous! Christmas is the worst day of the year in prisons, for attempted and successful suicides and when the incidence of self-mutilation (self-harm)is at its highest.


May I invite you, this Christmas, to share the love of the Lord Jesus with some of the women and men who will spend Christmas Day behind bars, separated from but thinking of families and loved-ones on the outside. Many people in prison feel forgotten, but they are still our sisters and brothers.


In the Bible, we read: “Remember those in prison as if you yourselves were imprisoned.” (Hebrews 13:3)


How can we help? I invite you to join me in a very practical way of showing the Lord’s loving presence to our sisters and brothers held in our prisons. I invite you to assemble and donate ‘Christmas Gift Bags’ which will be distributed to people in prisons by our Prison Chaplains. Your generosity can help to bring the light and love of the Lord Jesus into those places that often feel very dark.


Please use a small paper or plastic bag and put in it the items, listed below:

A sachet of hot chocolate

A sachet of coffee

10 tea bags

 A standard size chocolate bar (eg Mars Bar, Twix. Nb Must only be in paper wrappers!)

A small wooden Christmas Decoration (Nb Baubles and anything with sharp edges and points, not allowed!)

A Christmas card from our parish (Do not use your own name; only sign the card ‘From all at Holy Family Catholic parish, Sanderstead’)

A blank Christmas card (to be used by the person in the prison to send to a family member or friend on the outside)

A pair of socks


Please note that all bags must only contain what is mentioned on the list above and no more than the quantity listed above. The bags must not sealed and must be left open, in order for the contents to be checked by Prison Security.


Please bring your filled Christmas Gift Bags to church in the next few weeks and leave them in the porch of the church. I’ll bring them to one of our prisons or I’ll ask one of our Prison Chaplains to please collect them.


A Christmas Gift Bag is much more than a gift. It is a message from us which says: “You are part of our family. You are not alone. The Lord Jesus loves you and we do, too. We will keep this Appeal open until Sunday 13th December. Thank you for your compassion, generosity and kindness.


Marie, one of our Catholic chaplains at HMP Wandsworth will collect the Christmas Gift Bags for distribution among the residents of that prison

THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION - SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY 2027

By Webmaster • July 14, 2026
On Sunday 7th February 2027, Bishop Gerard will be joining us for our 10.30am holy Mass. During that holy Mass, Bishop Gerard will celebrate the great Sacrament of Confirmation for us. Please would anyone who has not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation in her or his life, speak with me. This is a great opportunity to receive the gifts of God’s Holy Spirit in this Sacrament. The Holy Spirit comes upon us to give us gifts, like Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Self-Control, Perseverance, Wisdom, Generosity, Humility and Courage and many more. These are the gifts that we all need to live real, adult, mature lives of Faith in this world. We will shortly begin a series of meetings to help those who will be preparing to receive this Sacrament. Please let know in the next few weeks if you would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday 7th February next year, when Bishop Gerard visits us.

HOLY MASS ON TUESDAY EVENINGS

By Webmaster • July 14, 2026
Some years ago, we established an Evening holy Mass on Tuesdays, at 6.00pm so that people who are in full time but flexible employment, may be able to celebrate holy Mass on a weekday as well as at the weekends. I’m wondering if an Evening holy Mass, once a week, still helps to make it possible for people to celebrate holy Mass on a weekday, given of course that it will always be challenging to do so and will always mean making special efforts. Please let me know what is your view, especially if you are not a Retiree. If an Evening holy Mass is no longer helpful then we could return to holy Mass on Tuesdays, in the morning.

THANK YOU

By Webmaster • July 14, 2026
Everyone who has helped to transport our Food Bank supplies to the Catholic school in New Addington, over many months. This week is the final week before this School begins its Summer Holidays.  Everyone who helps to promote our work for Evangelisation by being a Host or a Baker/Provider for the Olde Forge Cafe. If you are not yet an active member of our parish community, then whatever your age or situation, becoming a Host or Baker/Provider might well be a way of responding to the Lord’s Call to actively put your Faith into practice. Please let me know.

EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION ROTA

By Webmaster • July 12, 2026
July 4/5: 5pm Paul Mould; 9am Lizzie; 11am Lorenza, Patrick, Regina(H) 11/12: 5pm Patricia Keating; 9am Maggie; 11am Ross, Marian, David(H) (NB NO 9AM HOLY MASS ON SUNDAYS; 10.30AM HOLY MASS ON SUNDAYS, INSTEAD OF 11AM) 18/19 : 5pm Marian; 10.30am Angela, Margaret, Phil(H) 25/26 : 5pm Simone; 10.30am Mary, Lisa, Jim(H) August 1/2 : 5pm Paul; 10.30am Paul Donovan, Giannina, Gaberielle(H) Thank you to our wonderful Ministers of the Eucharist who have accepted the Lord’s invitation to this awesome, sacred ministry, by their willingness to give up their own plans and convenience in order to do God’s will rather than their own. Let us pray for them because they too fight the same personal weaknesses we all have to fight against and they too have to fight the same temptations we all have to fight. God be with them.

WEEK DAY LECTORS

By WEBMASTER • July 12, 2026
Tue 14 July, 6.00pm: Patricia Wed 15 July, 9.30am: Collette  Fri 17 July, 9.30am: Lizzie

HOLY MASS INTENTION/STIPEND

By Webmaster • July 12, 2026
An Intention for holy Mass is a specific prayer, often for a particular person or purpose, that a priest offers during the celebration of a holy Mass. It is the best way that we have to unite our lives, our hopes, our fears, our joys and our sorrows with the Lord Jesus. It is the best way possible, because every time holy Mass takes place, the Lord’s Death and Resurrection also takes place. A holy Mass Intention is a prayer asking that the Lord’s victory over sin and death be applied to the Intention. The Intention can be for those who are still living in this world or for those who have left this world. Anyone, of course, may request a holy Mass - In Thanksgiving, for a Birthday, for someone who has died, on the occasion of a special Anniversary, for someone who is unwell or for any other intention that we believe the good Lord wishes to hear and possibly to give us. Every holy Mass is the making present of the Lord offering his saving love to everyone, so every holy Mass is for everyone! However, sometimes we have specific Intentions that we may wish to mention to the Lord. A ‘Stipend’ or Offering for the holy Mass is not a fee! It is not ‘the cost of a holy Mass’! The holy Mass is so sacred, so full of the Lord’s presence and saving power that it is priceless! In fact, the Stipend is only a gesture of gratitude and care for the priest who celebrates the holy Mass for you. It is a way for supporting our priests who, although they do not receive salaries, still need personal funds to meet their own ‘costs of living.’ The Stipend suggested by the Archdiocese of Southwark Finance Committee is a minimum of £10 for each holy Mass. Of course, anyone who can’t afford a Stipend should still request a holy Mass Intention and I’m sure every priest would always be more than happy to celebrate holy Mass for someone in that situation.  Here in our parish, please use the holy Mass Intention envelopes which you will find in the porch of the church. Please write the details of the Intention, a preferred date if required, enclose the Stipend, and let me have it directly or post it through the presbytery letterbox.

ROTA FOR LECTORS – JULY 2026

By Webmaster • July 12, 2026
4/5: 5pm Claire; 9am Richard; 11am Paul Donovan 11/12: 5pm Phil; 9am David; 11am Patricia (NB NO 9AM HOLY MASS ON SUNDAYS; 10.30AM HOLY MASS ON SUNDAYS, INSTEAD OF 11AM) 18/19: 5pm Maggie; 10.30am Gerry 25/26: 5pm Jim; 10.30am Chinwe 1/2 August: 5pm Lisa; 10.30am Mutsa

OLDE FORGE CAFE - FREE COFFEE AND CAKE FOR OUR VISITORS

By Webmaster • July 12, 2026
Please do your best to bring members of your family, your friends, neighbours and colleagues who normally have little, if any contact with our Catholic parish, to the Olde Forge Cafe. Please remember that those you bring with you DO NOT give a donation for their coffee and cake. Only us, who are regular members of our parish, are asked to give a donation, each time, to cover the cost of the Coffee machine, coffee beans, heat, light etc. Dear Bakers and those who provide milk, please remember to take your expenses from the donations received.

BEQUEST, IN A WILL

By Webmaster • July 12, 2026
It is wise to write a Will so that the resources you have when the time comes for you to leave this world, goes to the people and organisations you wish. May I suggest that you might consider leaving a Bequest in your will to our parish or to our diocese or to our priest as well as to other causes. A gift in your will can enable us to continue to help people to know the Lord Jesus and his saving love. What a wonderful legacy you would be leaving behind.

OLD FORGE CAFE BAKER’S AND HOST'S ROTA

By Webmaster • July 12, 2026
OLDE FORGE CAFE BAKERS/PROVIDERS ROTA JULY 2026 4: Lizzie 11: Maggie Bowes 18: Giannina 25: Chinwe Please, if possible, could you provide enough cakes for the whole of each week. Thank you to everybody who is helping to provide cakes. To avoid having too many cakes, Coral mentioned to me that non-perishable cakes can be safely stored in the Cafe for a short while. When it is your turn to provide a non-perishable cake, please bring your cake to the Cafe a few days before the date of your turn. OLDE FORGE CAFE - HOSTS ROTA JULY 2026 4: Ross, David 5: Jim, Patricia 7: Jenny, Collette 11: Phil, Mary 12: Regina, Patrick 14: Lorenza, Marian 18: Maggie, Simone 19: Emmanuala, Giannina 21: Gaberielle, Paul 25: Jenny, Lizzie 26: Lorenza, David 28: Marian, Ross Please note that for each of the above dates when the Cafe is open, one of the two Hosts has been trained in the use of the new coffee machine. Please would that trained person be the only person operating the machine and also please train the other person in its use. Many thanks. Thank you to everybody who acts as a Host. If an unexpected emergency occurs on the date you are scheduled to be a Host, please don’t worry about the Cafe. No need to try to find someone to ‘stand in’ for you. There is no need whatsoever to ‘swop’ with someone! We are not a Business, having to stay open to make money! - we open when and if we can. We take this role of ‘Host’ as a Vocation from the Lord to be his Missionary and his Prophet. Actually, the Cafe has, at times, functioned well with just one Host. The success of our Evangelisation Cafe depends on us. The more we speak to others of our Cafe, inviting them to visit us, the more successful it will be. Please invite members of your families, your friends, your neighbours and colleagues. Please check when it is your turn to be a Host (or a Baker!). Please see this role as a Calling, a Vocation from the Lord which you are generously telling the Lord you will do”. Thank you so much for your trust in the good Lord