Parish Events

Deep in the human heart is a longing to be connected to others, to love and to be loved. I am leading this Workshop from 10.00am until 2.00pm on Saturday 11th July . The Workshop will help us to understand the reasons why we sometimes feel lonely and what a devastating effect Loneliness can have on us. I’ll suggest effective ways to ensure that your experience of Loneliness can actually become the means of finding deep, satisfying ways of being close to the Lord and to other people. The workshop will take place at the London Jesuit Centre. If you would like to attend this Workshop, please book now on the London Jesuit Centre website.

Anxiety and Worry often make life difficult for many people. I am leading this Workshop, from the evening of Friday 22nd May ( 6.30pm to 8.30pm) then continuing on Saturday 23rd May (11.00am TO 1.00pm). This Workshop will explain how Anxiety begins, how it can take hold of us and then spoil so much of our lives. I’ll also offer some very good, tried and tested ways in which people can escape from Worry or at the very least reduce it and begin to live much happier lives, feeling and monk . The Workshop will take place at the London Jesuit Centre. If you would like to attend this Workshop, please book now on the London Jesuit Centre website.

May I invite you to join me for a short ‘Walk of Witness’ along our High Street on the morning of Good Friday. We will walk from our church, at 11.00am, to the ‘Gruffy’, stopping occasionally to meditate and pray. One of our parishioners, dressed in similar clothes to Jesus, will carry a large cross. We will be finished by 11.45am. Please bring the children too. I’m hoping that some of our friends from other Christian Churches will join us.

We will have a short Penance Service, followed by an opportunity for individual reconciliation with the Lord, on Tuesday 31st March at 6.00pm

May I invite all our present Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist who feel the Lord is calling them to this sacred ministry, to please join me for a time of prayer and reflection on Saturday 28th March from 10.30am until 12.00midday. We will begin in the church for 30 minutes of quiet personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament; then we will move into our Cafe for reflection on the privileged gift of this most sacred of ministries, including conversations about logistics. This short time is an opportunity to prepare hearts and minds to renew a commitment to Eucharistic Ministry during holy Mass on Maundy Thursday.

As last year, I have invited our friends from the other Christian Churches in our area, to join us for a three-part series of discussions during the holy Season of Lent which begins in the not too distant future! We will meet in the Olde Forge Cafe at 12.00midday for one hour, on the 12th, 19th and 26th of March. We will be talking about the three great theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. One of the leaders of each Christian Church in our area will give a 10/15-minute introduction and then pose a few questions to the group for discussion. On the 12th, Graham, our local Methodist Minister will lead on the theme of ‘Faith.’ I’ll lead on the theme of ‘Hope’, on the 19th. We will be led by a third person on the theme of ‘Charity’ on the 26th. Please pop these dates and time in your diary.  This Thursday, 19th March, we welcome Deacon Vincent Morrison, from Our Lady of Reparation in Croydon, to our Cafe, at 12.00midday, for the second of our three Lenten Talks. Vincent will be speaking on the theme of ‘Hope.’ Please come and support our efforts to build closer ties with our friends from other Christian communities.

Please come to the Cafe on Thursday, 12th March , at 12.00midday for an hour. Grahame, our local Methodist Minister will lead us in a reflection on the great theological virtue of Faith.

Let’s make next Friday, 6th March , our Family Fast Day. Let’s reduce the amount of food we consume in our families, on that day and the money that we save by doing so, we will give to CAFOD for the hungry people of our world. Envelopes available in the porch of the church.

‘Pax Christi’ are organising a one day meeting of presentations, discussion and reflection on Nonviolence. It will take place at the London Jesuit Centre on Saturday 14th March from 10.30am until 4.00pm . The meeting will be led by Professor Nicolas Paz, Director of the ‘Catholic Nonviolence Initiative’. I’m hoping to attend this meeting. Please let me know if you would like to join me.