parish news
All the latest news from around the parish
news and information
Please be considerate of our neighbours; please do not park in or across their driveways, in their gardens or in the reserved residents parking areas, especially those in Freshwater Close and Penda Close. Please fill up the Church car park first and do not park on pavements, grassed areas or in bus stops. Additional parking bays are available a short walk away from the Church outside Woodlands School, Northwell Drive, if at all possible please car share. The Community Policing Team will regularly check to ensure that vehicles are parked legally, please be aware that they will issue tickets and this may cause our parish to face parking restrictions.
NYMO Summer Camp for ages 12-18 years– Sunday 13th– Thursday 17th August at Alton Towers. Price starts at £225.00 includes accommodation, food, transport, activities & a day trip to Alton Towers. To book please email fiona.murphy@northamptondiocese.org or visit nymo.org/summercamp. Please see posters & fliers at the back of the Church.
Fr Jobin Koshackal Jose– please extend a warm welcome to Fr Jobin, he will be taking over from Fr Andy as our new Assistant Parish Priest the beginning of June.
Come to The Well Gathering on the first Tuesday of the month at St John’s Parish Centre, from 7.00-9.00pm with guest speakers Maggie and David Edwards. All welcome, donation only event.
Annual Holy Hour to celebrate Eucharistic Ministry including Renewal of Commissioning as Lay Ministers of the Eucharist on Sunday 4th June from 3.00pm at Northampton Cathedral. Livestream from the Cathedral. Order of Service available at www.northamptondiocese.org. All very welcome.
CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
Sunday 11th June at 3pm at St. Joseph the Worker, Gardenia Avenue, Luton LU3 2NS.
All parishioners welcome. First Holy Communion children are encouraged to wear their First Holy Communion clothes. Refreshments in the Parish Centre afterwards. All are invited to this act of witness.
School Chaplain vacancy at St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School
The link to the advert as well as the online application is: https://www.mynewterm.com/jobs/139517/EDV-2023-STMCS-08194
If you have any queries please direct them to Angela Bamford at abamford@stm.beds.olicatschools.org
Vocations Weekend for Women (20s & 30s)
Theme: Discerning God’s Call in your life
Dates: 26-28 May 2023
Location: Liverpool
The weekend is organised by the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ).
Jesus invites each of us to ‘Come and See’ – this weekend will give the opportunity to explore the vocation to religious life and to reflect on God’s call to you.
If you are wondering if God is calling you to religious life and would like to find out more why not come along? You are welcome to stay for the weekend or just come along on Saturday for the day. There will be opportunity for prayer, reflection and input, chance to ask questions and to meet others who are also wondering where God is calling them.
For more information contact Sr Lynne fcJ at fcjvocationeurope@gmail.com or visit their website www.fcjsisters.org
Saturday 24th June- St Alban’s Festival at Holy Ghost Parish Centre, 33 Westbourne Road, Luton, LU4 8JD, 10.00a-12.30pm. Mass at 12.30pm. Coffee from 10.00am for a 10.15am start. Stall provided by Goodnews Books, www.goodnewsbooks.co.uk Volunteering workshop, briefings, sharing ideas, Market Place – Parishes and Catholic ministries are asked to arrange a stall or bring leaflets to share with others to showcase Catholic good news. Organised by Luton and Dunstable Pastoral Area Council. www.lutonpastoralarea.org Everyone welcome – no booking needed. To reserve a space for a stall please email: paulacloonan@gmail.com
Please take time to visit our repository for a range of gifts & cards, Missals, rosary beads, prayer cards, and First Holy Communion cards & gifts.
Sign up Sunday– If you wish for your child to attend a Catholic Secondary School in Luton or elsewhere in September 2024 then you must collect a Mass Attendance Card from the back of the Church, the card must stamped on the given weekend dates only after Mass and your child must be present.
Cardinal Newman School Reunion for Class of 1976 on Saturday 3rd June from 7.00-12.00pm,at St Margaret of Scotland Social Club. For further details please contact Mary on 07882 397167 or John via johnkellyCNS@gmail.com
Parish bereavement self help group ‘Stronger Together’. The aim of the group is to provide an opportunity for those, who have suffered the loss of a loved one, to meet together to support each other in their shared experience through friendship & understanding. The group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7.00pm in the parish room at St John’s, the next date is Tuesday 13th June. If you would like further information please call Kim on 07488 275949 or contact Deacon Jim.
Catholic Disability Fellowship Mass on Sunday 11th June at 3.00pm at St John the Apostle. For people with disabilities (young or old) and their families and friends. Refreshments afterwards. Any questions, please contact Sean on 07930 305362.
Prayer & Life Workshops– every Saturday from 10.30am-12.30pm at Our Lady Help of Christians. Learn and practise a variety of ways of praying. An effective Evangelisation program where one learns to pray by praying, 15 week programme followed by a full day retreat. Bring a Bible. All welcome.
Mind BLMK have been working with CAMHS (NHS ELFT) to introduce the Young Person’s Sanctuary to Luton, where they will be on hand Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4.00–10.00pm to support young people aged 14–17 who are struggling with their mental health or experiencing a mental health crisis. It is located at the ResoLUTiONs Hub, 89 Castle Street, LU1 3AJ. The Young Person’s Crisis Service offers a safe, welcoming, and non-judgmental environment. It is entirely free to access and young people does not need to be known to mental health services. More information can be found on their website https://www.mind-blmk.org.uk/ or see posters at the back of the Church.
The Saint Thomas Beckett Festival– From Friday 7th– Sunday 9th July at Northampton Cathedral. Please see leaflets at the back of the Church for full details. Everybody welcome.
Housekeeper required at Sacred Heart Presbytery, 25 hours per week, Monday-Friday, ideally 9.30am–2.30pm to manage and carry out the housekeeping duties including all cooking/catering needs for the resident Priest/s. An application form can be found at https://northamptondiocese.org/jobs/ completed applications should be emailed to hr.admin@northamptondiocese.org
Pilgrimage to Walsingham– Saturday 10th June from 12.00-5.00pm. Join Bishop David Oakley as he leads the Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Bible Study– Talks from 7.30pm-9.00pm The Mass Explained from Thursday 27th April and then every other Thursday– The Letter of St James in the Parish Hall, Our Lady Help of Christians. All very welcome.
Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service are looking for volunteers– Volunteering is good not only for people being helped but for volunteers and the community as a whole – and here at the Fire Service, we have a choice of volunteering opportunities. Roles include enabling vulnerable people who are struggling with paying energy bills, especially those not online, to access support that’s available from energy companies and grant making bodies; assisting the Home Fire Safety Visits team; helping at events and sharing information within the local community.
Please contact Janet, Volunteer Manager at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Direct line: 07543 301604
BFRS main enquiry line: 01234 845000 or visit https://www.bedsfire.gov.uk/Careers/Volunteering.aspx
N.B. Home Fire Safety Visits (formerly ‘Safe and Well’) encompassing staying safe at home and guidance on health, wellbeing and crime prevention can be requested via www.bedsfire.gov.uk or email homefiresafetyvisit@bedsfire.gov.uk or by leaving a message on Freephone 0800 043 5042.
Parish Social– Come along, bring a friend and play bingo and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, a slice of cake and a chat on Thursday 25th May from 10.30am at St John’s Parish Centre. All are very welcome.
Come to The Well Gathering on the first Tuesday of the month at St John’s Parish Centre, from 7.00pm with guest speakers each month. All welcome, donation only event.
Alpha Course– Coming to Our Lady Help of Christians Church from 7.30pm-9.30pm continues on Tuesdays. Every Catholic is called to Mission to share the good news of Jesus to others. Alpha is a course that creates a space, where people are excited to bring their friends for a conversation about faith, life and God. Can you help? 1) Pray for this initiative to be fruitful. 2) Invite your non-Catholic family and friends to join the course. 3) To go out in pairs to homes near Our Lady’s to invite people to join the Alpha Course. If you can help please call Eva on 07886 346047.
Read the entire Catechism in 365 days
Understand the essentials of the Catholic Faith and why they matter
Transform your relationship with the Church that Christ founded
To learn more and to get the free reading plan visit https://ascensionpress.com/pages/catechisminayear
More details about what is on offer to support catechists can be found in the Catechists Brochure available at www.northamptondiocese.org/catechesis
A monthly Catechist Newsletter is also available to subscribe to on request from the Mission Northampton Office at: admin.mission@northamptondiocese.org which carries news of opportunities for catechists.
Luton Irish Forum Baby & Toddler Group runs Fridays in term time 9.30-11.30 at LIF, Hitchin Road.
Are you or someone you know living in or around Luton stuck at home and fed up, feeling isolated? If so, contact Luton Irish Forum (LIF). The charity runs a befriending project where volunteers (all DBS checked) visit locals in their own homes for a cuppa and a chat. They won’t give personal care or do your housework but they will provide a bit of company and someone to talk to, and it’s free! Get in touch with LIF – phone 01582 720447 or email info@lutonirishforum.org for details.
Devotion in Reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the first Saturday of the Month at Our Lady’s Parish there will be 9.00am Silent Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (during this time 15 minutes silent reflection on the mysteries of the Rosary) and Confessions, 9.30am Mass followed by Rosary. Visit https://worldfatima-englandwales.org.uk/the-five-first-saturdays-devotion-explained/ for full details.
Please take time to visit our repository for a range of gifts & cards, Missals, rosary beads, prayer cards, First Holy Communion cards & gifts, and much more.
Would you like to learn more about your faith? Consider joining online to follow the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies or Diocesan Certificate in Religious Studies? Both courses offer the same eight modules in Scripture and Catholic Theology with the CCRS leading to a nationally recognised qualification. Those who follow the CCRS/DCRS say they gain a great deal from the course, deepening their knowledge and understanding of their faith. To find out more about the course, contact Ann Collon at educationserviceadmin@northamptondiocese.org or visit www.northamptondioceseschools.org
Saturday 5th August – Pilgrimage to Walsingham for the Sanctity of Life- Led by Bishop John Keenan of Paisley Diocese. Coach leaves Dunstable/ Luton at 7.30am. For more information go to www.prolifepilgrimage.org or to book ring 07802 525581 or via kevin.drew@btinternet.com
Saturday 2nd September – March for Life, London https://www.marchforlife.co.uk
10.30am Morning events to 1.30pm The Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW
11.00am Mass: St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HR.
2.00pm The March: From the Emmanuel Centre.
4.30pm Ends at Parliament Square. Parishioners from Luton and Dunstable are attending, if you would like to meet up contact Kevin 07802 525581.
Discover the online world – safely
If you have a smart phone, tablet or laptop but don’t know how to use it or even if you don’t have a device, Luton Irish Forum (LIF) can help you get online and discover ‘the internet’. The local charity’s IT Help initiative provides one-to-one support (or one-to-two if you and a friend want to learn together) from a very patient volunteer in the Forum who will show you how to access the internet safely with good advice on avoiding scams. You can bring your own phone/tablet/laptop or LIF will provide a tablet/laptop so you can have a go before deciding whether you want to buy one. Get in touch with LIF – phone 01582 720447 or email info@lutonirishforum.org for details.
Bishop David is currently looking for people to represent him in our local Catholic Schools as Foundation Governors. There are vacancies in the following local schools: St Margaret of Scotland, St Mary’s and St Vincent’s and Sacred Heart Primary. If you have 10-12 hours to spare per month and are able to attend meetings in school, it may be right for you. For more information and an application form please contact Debbie Main on 01604 953369 or debbie.main@northamptondiocese.org
A Time to Listen Towards Healing & Reconciliation– Bishop David Oakley is available to meet anyone affected by abuse, as a victim, survivor, their families or supporters, where private discussions can take place in a safe and non judgemental environment. These sessions can be accessed through the safeguarding office on 01604 723514 or safeguarding@northamptondiocese.com
BIBLE STUDY on the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the parish hall of Our Lady Help of Christians from 7.30-9.00pm. Everyone welcome. Studying ‘The Book of Revelation’ by Dr Scott Hahn. Listening to a CD talk, followed by an informal discussion.
Mass at Luton & Dunstable Hospital– Fr Liam Castle is offering Mass in the Hospital Chapel every Friday at 12.00pm for hospital staff. Anyone who works at the hospital is very welcome to attend.
Good News Books at St John’s 10.30am-3.00pm Monday-Friday, 01582 571011. Access to the shop can be gained from the road leading up to the bungalow on the left hand side.
St John’s Parish Centre, LU3 3AL: Telephone Lisa on 07878 246811, 01582 504893 or email: lisa-stjohns@hotmail.co.uk for membership and hall bookings.
St Joseph’s Scouts are calling all Tea Makers, Tidy-uppers, Activity Planners, Leaders & Helpers for as little or as much time as you can spare. Please visit www.bricksite.com/stjosephsscoutgroupluton Thank you.
Sycamore is an informal course about the Christian faith and its relevance for life today. It gives you space to meet other people, share ideas, explore your beliefs, and think about questions that really matter. Each session involves a short film and time for discussion. Everyone is welcome. Please visit https://www.sycamore.fm/
CAFOD – Thank you so much for your support of CAFOD’s the Walk Against Hunger and the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. Your support means we can respond in crises such as Ukraine where our Caritas aid workers and volunteers could quickly help families fleeing conflict. It also means we’re there in the long-term and can continue to respond to crises around the world, including in Afghanistan, Syria, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. We work alongside communities as they rebuild their lives once the conflict is over, as in Sierra Leone. For lots more detail on how your donations are being used, please go to the CAFOD website cafod.org.uk
Volunteers Needed Please! St John’s & Holy Family Churches really need more Cleaners so please see Fr Andy if you can help and for more details. Thank you.
An invitation to all Mothers, Grandmothers & Women who want to pray together for the children they love. A weekly prayer group will be held at Holy Family Church after 9.30am Mass on Fridays. For more details please call Helen on 07917 532768.
Planned Giving Envelopes – are no longer in use, the Parish would be very grateful if those that used envelopes could move to Standing Order, forms are available from the Parish Office or at the back of the Church. Please return the completed form, and if you pay UK income tax to also complete the Gift Aid part as this is worth 25p for every £1.00 you donate, to the Parish Office for processing. Thank you for your understanding.
ESOL Teachers Needed– NOAH Academy delivers ESOL training throughout Bedfordshire as part of their work to help those who are disadvantaged and marginalised. The ESOL training work touches the lives of those who may be looking for work, struggling with mental health or emotional problems, refugees, or who have a history of homelessness. NOAH would be interested in hearing from those who share their core values of Care, Compassion and Commitment, and can demonstrate these values in the classroom. For more information, please contact NOAH via their website at www.noahenterprise.org or email Academy@noahenterprise.org or phone 01582 726152.
Catholic Bible Chronicles: This well produced illustrated hardback book printed on quality paper with easy to read text, tells the story of God’s family in seventy stories for primary age children. It follows the narrative books of the bible making the big picture of the history of God’s people to be easily learned and remembered using twelve colour codes, with a presentation page, this gift will be treasured for many years costs £19.99 with a free gift of ‘This is My Body’ Experiencing the Power of the Mass (usual price £5.99). Available from Good News Books at St John’s 10.00am-4.00pm Monday-Friday, 01582 571011. Access to the shop can be gained from the road leading up to the bungalow on the left hand side.
Bishop David has recorded a series of teaching videos focused on ‘The Church’ on YouTube. The videos can be viewed at any time. The link for the series is here.
Volunteers needed for Level Trust, a local Luton charity, who support children in school with everything they need to help them learn. They provide free uniform, coats, shoes, learning resources and holiday provision with food. For more information please contact Sam on 07480 753905 or admin@leveltrust.org or visit www.leveltrust.org.
Online Marriage Support – Is your marriage under stress? SmartLoving BreakThrough can help! Identify your conflict triggers, learn strategies to de-escalate an argument and find constructive ways to re-establish connection. Available anywhere, anytime through our online platform, the course is completely private and doesn’t require your spouse to participate. And it’s subsidized by a generous UK donor. Restore hope for your relationship now. Visit: www.smartloving.org/bto-uk
CAFFE (Computers Are Free For Everyone) is a small charity, run by some of our parishioners, that teaches computing skills to young people in Sylhet, Bangladesh. With schools closed and many people in Bangladesh facing difficulties in seeing doctors for even mild illnesses, they are now also offering access to online doctors and basic medical tools to poor families. They have an online shop for which TESCO donates brand new clothing to raise much needed funds for the charity. Take a look at https://caffebd.shop/ and tell your friends. Last year, like all schools in Bangladesh, the CAFFE computer school was forced to close. At the same time, they also lost our income from the charity shop in Bedford. This meant that they had to give up our rented school building. Now they are looking forward to reopening in 2021 but instead of spending on renting a new place, they and building their own school so that they will have a home forever. At the moment, there is only have enough money to build three classrooms and they need another £10,000 to build a second level on the school to provide more space as well as a kitchen to train students in catering. Their goal is to open a restaurant to help the students learn but also to provide free food for the local community. The area around the new school is very rural and a lot of children do not get enough food each day. 2021 marks ten years since CAFFE first opened. In that time, they have trained over 2000 young people and seen many find work in local companies and schools as well as earning an income as online freelancers. Now, with their very own school, they hope to achieve even more in the next ten years. If you would like to donate you can visit www.caffebd.org or send a cheque made payable to CAFFE to Iris Doyle, 4 The Pyghtle, Westoning, Bedfordshire, MK45 5LJ.
A new website https://www.vitaeopus.co.uk has been set up by a parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish, Luton providing a wealth of information, tools, practical advice and activities to support parishioners with job hunting or becoming self-employed.
Cor et Lumen Christi (Heart & Light of Christ), a Catholic Charismatic Community of which Fr Andy is a member, invite you to events on their YouTube channel Click here. On most Sunday evenings at 8pm there is a talk followed by a time of ministry. There are also talks and videos that can be accessed at any time. The community are recognised internationally as having a charism of healing, and already testimonies have been received of people receiving physical healing while watching from home, Fr Andy hopes that this may help to build your faith.
At Young@Heart – we’ve been providing support, signposting & song for people with memory difficulties and their carers in the Luton and Dunstable. More information here
To our Catholic Universe and Catholic Times readers in the parish, you can now get it delivered direct to your home every week. Please go to www.universecatholicweekly.co.uk or call 0743 661 7650.
Confessions are available on request.
For Baptism for your child please see Deacon Jim.
Mass Intentions will be offered by Fr Andy daily. If you would like to book a particular intention then please contact the parish office on 01582 502400.
Weddings Please contact Fr Andy to discuss.