 2009
Pastoral Area Diary
OCTOBER 2009
Romsey & North Baddesley Celebrate the Successful Refurbishment of
St Andrew's
The roof leaked and heating was inadequate
The light level was inadequate
A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY!
Well done to all involved!
SEPTEMBER 2009
Young Romsey parishioner raises £1,200 to support the work of the
Sisters of Nazareth in Johannesburg, South Africa
Following their successful triathlon earlier in the year, 2 young
cousins and parishioners aged 10 and 13 from Romsey Parish from
Bexhill Parish recently visited Nazareth House in Hammersmith to
present the Mother General with a cheque for £1,200. The funds were
raised by the kind support of parishioners in both parishes and from
the families and friends of the two boys. A Strawberry Tea was also
held in Bexhill parish to boost the fundraising.
The two cousins ran, cycled and swam to raise funds to support
the work of the Sisters of Nazareth in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The triathlon was undertaken in the memory of their Aunt, Sister
Hilary Marrinan who passed away in August 2008. Sr Hilary had
inspired them with her work with HIV+ orphans and both boys felt
they wanted to offer something back to the community in her honour.
For further information about the work of the Sisters of Nazareth
in Johannesburg please click on the following link:
http://www.nazarethhousejohannesburg.org
Romsey parishioner Tim Patrick (20) came back from his Classical Painting
studies at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence for the Summer and
plans to return there in the Autumn.
By the very kind permission of Wisdom House, Tim is
exhibited some of his work from Florence and other pieces including
his studies of the Stations of the Cross
There was Parishioner Viewing and the exhibition
was open to the public for 5 days.
“The exhibition is a good opportunity for me to reflect on the
work I created in Florence and to give something back to the church
and all those who have helped me along the way. I really hope that
people can find pleasure in the art I’ve created, and something upon
which to contemplate.”
Tim has been raising awareness of his art with previous
successful exhibitions at Romsey Abbey and Mayfair’s Dover Street
Arts Club in London and hopes that the drawings exhibited will
capture the essence of Florence and the time he spent there.
“Studying in Florence is an amazing experience. I’ve learnt so
much since I’ve been out there and have really found affinity with
the art and lifestyle of the beautiful city.”
Tim also needs to raise funds for his studies and so some of the
works are for sale and commissions taken - he has also created a
range of greetings cards and a 'portfolio' book of selected works.
At the end of September Tim will be returning to his studies in
Italy after the exhibition. In addition, Tim will be taking up the
position of artist-in-residence at a castle in Austria.
Enquiries to
tim@timpatrick.co.uk - 01794 511192
AUGUST 2009
Kirsten Ellis of Romsey parish sends us all a thank you letter from
Malawi & about her work to support children
> Click here
JULY 2009
1st Holy Communion Joy at North Baddesley &
Romsey
ST ANDREW'S
ST JOSEPH'S
Our newly ordained Deacon John di
Meo
JUNE 2009
Hundreds attend the 3 RIVERS PASTORAL AREA MASS
celebrated in Eastleigh Park
A report from Kathryn Turner has written an account of the Mass
on the RCIA Network
> please click here to read
First Holy Communion Joy at Holy Cross
St Swithun Wells worshiping community also celebrates with
2 young men on their First Holy Communion
One of our altar servers at St Swithun Wells, being enrolled into
the Guild of St Stephen and given a bronze medal by Father
Michael on 6th June 2009
DEACON BOB BIRTLES CELEBRATES 25 YEARS AS A
DEACON
On 3rd June 2009, Deacon Bob Birtles from Holy Cross and St.
Swithun Wells Churches in Eastleigh celebrated the 25th anniversary
of his ordination to the Permanent Diaconate. He was ordained along
with 11 other Deacons in 1984 by Bishop Anthony Emery. When he was
ordained, he was a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul in Lordswood,
Southampton where Fr. Shaun Budden was Parish Priest. When Fr. Shaun
was moved to Eastleigh, Bishop Emery asked Bob to move there to
assist. For a couple of years, Bob and Marion commuted between
Lordswood and Eastleigh, before buying a house in Fair Oak where
they have lived ever since.
At the 5 pm Mass at St. Swithun Wells on the feast of St. Peter
and Paul, Bob and Marion invited all present to stay behind after
Mass and join in the celebrations with wine, ‘nibbles’ and cake. He
and Marion were joined at the Mass by their sons Stephen (and his
wife Claire) and Christopher and their families and friends. During
Mass, Bob was given a surprise present from the parish of two
beautiful stoles and a book token so that he can add to his already
extensive collection of books. A presentation was also given to his
wife Marion of a Celtic Love Cross and a beautiful basket
arrangement of flowers. The parish recognises that Bob and Marion
are a hard working ‘diaconal couple’. Bob and Marion still work
full-time, Bob in I.T and Marion as a teacher in the local junior
school. Bob hopes to retire in two years time, when as he says, he
can begin to work at his ‘Proper Job’ full-time.
Kirsten Ellis of Romsey parish send us all a thank you letter from
Malawi & about her work to support Ripple Africa
> Click here
MAY 2009
Congratulations
.....to 10 year old Brendan Guest [and his cousin Tim, aged 12] who
recently completed a triathlon, raising over £600 (so far) for the
Sisters of Nazareth House, supporting their work with AIDS babies in
Johannesburg. Many thanks to those in the Romsey parish who
sponsored them.
MARCH 2009
Everyone enjoyed the day and we received some very
positive feedback.
Thanks to Carol & Rob Turner for the pictures
Young African priest Father Anselme Tarpaga visits 3 Rivers and
the source of the White Fathers
Spring sunshine and daffodils greeted Fr Anselme Tarpaga MAfr
during his visit to the Pastoral Area last week (31 March). You may
remember that Holy Cross parishioner, Kathryn Turner, went out to
Burkina Faso for his ordination last year taking over 40kilos of
gifts and £400 for the work of the missionary order there. Fr
Anselme was delighted to be able to return the visit during his stay
in Salisbury with the lady who helped to fund his training.
His first stop was Wisdom House where Kathryn works and he was
very impressed by the beauty and tranquility of the Centre and glad
to meet some of the other staff.
Then it was over to Bishop's
Waltham where the White Fathers (Missionaries of Africa) had a
seminary.
Fr Anselme was most moved by his visit to the small
cemetery where White Fathers are buried - some young seminarists and
even an archbishop. As he said, these men were passionate about
Africa and it was because of people like them that he had come to
know Jesus and the Catholic Faith and later became a priest and so
prayers of thanksgiving and for the repose of the souls of those
resting there were very appropriate.
On his return to Eastleigh and a quick visit to the Oxfam
bookshop to look for suitable books for people learning English in
his current posting in Algeria, Fr Anselme went to Holy Cross to say
a Mass of Thanksgiving. Here he spoke about his ministry in Algeria,
a country where 99.9% of the population is Muslim and where his role
is not to proselytise (which is forbidden by law) but to witness to
the unconditional love of God for every person.
His visit continues with more time in Salisbury and later in
London with the Missionaries of Africa there before returning to
Ouargla in Southern Algeria.
Kathryn.
FEBRUARY 2009
HUNDREDS UPLIFTED AT THE RITE OF
ELECTION AT PORTSMOUTH CATHEDRAL on 28th March 2009
Our Catechumen is Paul Serellis with
his wife, Joanne, daughter and mother-in-law Carole Papalexis. Paul and family are parishioners at St Edward the
Confessor Church in Chandlers Ford.
Our Candidate is Paul Hadley with
his wife Geraldine (who is also his sponsor), children and mother-in-law Ellen Lane. Paul
and family are parishioners at Holy Cross Church in Eastleigh.
on the same day as the Rite of election some
prayerful and thoughtful discussions were taking place at Bishop's
Waltham.....
On Saturday 28 February, members of the Pastoral Councils of Our
Lady Queen of Apostles, St Andrew’s and St Joseph’s and
representatives of groups from ST Edward the Confessor, St Swithun
Wells and Holy Cross gathered at Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Bishops
Waltham. The purpose of the meeting was to look at what it might
mean for our Pastoral Area to become a parish and to help the
Leadership Team to prepare for their meeting about this with Bishop
Crispian, Nicky Stevens and Mgr Vincent Harvey in April.
Parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Apostles had laid out the hall
with tables. pens, papers, water – in fact, just about everything
anyone might need to take part in the meeting. A sumptuous lunch was
also provided which gave a great opportunity for people to relax and
get to know each other after the work of the morning.
This work had begun by listening to part of Acts 15 – the Council of
Jerusalem. This reminded everyone that from the very earliest days
of Christianity, people had tussled with important questions and had
come together to discuss, pray and reflect to try and find answers.
Each community then gave a ten minute presentation about their
history and heritage – key events and people who had influenced how
things had developed and a brief look at where it stands at this
time. Each presentation was followed but a period of quiet
reflection as the wider group contemplated what they had heard:
Where had the Holy Spirit been at work? What challenges had the
community faced? What strengths could the community offer to the
larger parish? At first, this was quite difficult but as the
presentations proceeded, certain patterns emerged – the important
parts played by priests and religious Sisters – and the challenges
when illness or death took them away… Most of the communities had
experienced periods following the death or serious illness of their
parish priest and commented on how it had forced the laity to
reflect on their own ministry and consider how they might play their
parts in creating and maintaining thriving communities, freeing
priests for the ministries for which they were ordained.
After lunch, there was a plenary session during which questions
about the practical implications of becoming a canonical parish were
aired. Not all could be answered but among them were the following:
Given that the word “parish” raises such strong feelings for many
people, is there another word we could use?
If finances are “merged” can individual communities still make their
own decisions about spending? (The answer is yes – and if a donation
is given for a particular purpose then, by law, it has to be used
for that purpose). Where large projects are under consideration, a
core group comes together with the priests to look at options and to
make decisions).
What is the Leadership Team’s role in this?
The Team is a group set up to look at the Area as a whole and to
take a lead in its development, ensuring that each Worshipping
Community Pastoral Group is supported as it takes responsibility for
the day-to-day care of its community. They will also take forward
ideas such as regular (a couple of times a year) meetings of the
PPCs or leaders of parish groups to discuss key issues.
Have any other Pastoral Areas become parishes? Yes, Jersey,
Bailiwick of Guernsey and Hampshire Downs.
What happens when we cannot have Mass in every church every Sunday?
This started a discussion about the need and desire to attend Mass
and the need and desire to sustain vibrant pastoral communities.
This is an issue currently being looked at in great depth by the
Diocesan Pastoral Council and Bishop Crispian plans to prepare a
teaching document on the Eucharist. It was agreed that this was
something we would need to come back to reflect on as a larger
gathering.
At the end of the session, each community was given the figure used
by the Diocesan Stewardship Group with a little prayer said by the
others present:
As leaders and representatives of all our worshipping communities,
we pray for the community of (Name)
We pray for you as stewards of the pearl of great price that is N…
We ask God’s blessing on your community as you labour in the Lord’s
vineyard – and, as fellow-workers in that vineyard offer our own
support and encouragement as you go out and bear the fruit of the
Kingdom.
The figures were taken back to the various churches and will be
used as a focus for prayer in the communities.
It was agreed that it would be a very good idea to meet as such a
group a couple of times a year to share thoughts and insights – like
the early Christians at the Council of Jerusalem! There would be an
additional meeting this year to report back on the Leadership Team’s
meeting with Bishop Crispian and his team when the concerns and
questions raised at this gathering would be raised.
The ever popular annual music quiz hosted by Bernadette & Owen
Holloway and Steve Wheeler was held on Friday evening, 27 February
2009 at St Swithun Wells School in Chandlers Ford. 81 people
attended at what turned out to be an excellent evening with a hot
supper provided half way through the quiz, followed by a raffle
afterwards. £577.10 was raised altogether and this went towards both
Animal Week and the Minibus appeal.
Many thanks to all involved, especially to Karen Platt for the
catering and Anna McCormack for all her help.
We look forward immensely to the next one!
Congratulations to John Marsh of Romsey
on the award of a Diocesan Medal
On Saturday 14th February, John and Beppie Marsh set off for St.
Joseph's, thinking it was going to be just like any other Saturday
evening Mass. How wrong they were. For the past few weeks had seen
at St. Joseph's an undercover operation, directed by Father George
Lyons, to rival MI5. Behind John and Beppie's backs during preceding
Masses, little pieces of paper were handed out to the congregation
and plans were in place to make this Valentine's Day Mass a special
one!
The secret was finally revealed when the PPC Chair, Tricia Ho,
stepped up to the pulpit to announce the “pleasant task of awarding
the Diocesan Medal, an award that only the Bishop can sanction”. As
Tricia started to list the incredible achievements of the recipient
of the award, John and Beppie must have started to have an inkling.
After all, how many other parishioners had achieved Chairman of the
Church Working Group, Secretary of the PPC, member of the Finance
Committee, Co-Leader of the Socialites, Money Counter for parish
events and a regular reader at Mass? But any doubts were certainly
dispelled by Father George's beaming smile in their direction and
Tricia's invitation to John to come up to receive his medal.
With the congregation looking on, Father George pinned on the
Diocesan Medal and presented a framed certificate to John who joked
that, had he known, he would have worn his best suit for the
occasion! Beppie was also invited up to the altar for, as Tricia
pointed out, “Behind every successful man is the love, support and
patience of a good woman.” It was the task of former PPC Chair, Ivan
Taylor, to present this particular good woman with a bouquet of
flowers.
A further surprise was revealed when a post-Mass celebration was
announced. John and Beppie were escorted to the parish hall which
was decorated with balloons and ribbons and was laid out with
delicious culinary delights and liquid refreshment. As the guests
jostled for space in the packed hall, John and Beppie managed to cut
an enormous cake. This was followed by Father George's speech in
which he revealed that the cat was almost let out of the bag the
previous week when a zealous parishioner was prevented just in time
from unwittingly handing John a note about his own surprise party!
Thanking John personally for his counsel and friendship, Father
George summed up in his speech why John Marsh had been chosen for
this prestigious award; that John is someone who lives the
stewardship message, giving of his time, talent and treasure so
willingly for the good of his Church and the glory of God.
St. Joseph's congratulates John Marsh on receiving the Diocesan
Award!
JANUARY 2009
Seventeen servers, parents and friends went to the panto on 30
January and judging from the laughter and smiles they all thoroughly
enjoyed themselves.
RAODS always come up with a traditional pantomime full of good [in
this case Aladdin] v. bad [Abenazar], corny jokes and 'Oh yes he
did, oh no he didn't' moments. Audience participation embarrassed
one or two of the party.
This year Widow Twanky was particularly garish and memorable while
Abenazar produced a quote straight from Fr George: 'Don't you all
just love me?'
Adam was busy trying to pick up acting tips and one of the party was
able to talk back when Aladdin greeted us in Chinese.
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