On February 22nd, and every Sunday from then on, the Mass will be celebrated in Welsh at 4pm at the chapel of Nazareth House, Colum Road, Cardiff. This is a new opportunity for those learning Welsh and children in Welsh medium education to celebrate Mass in Welsh – you will be welcome to join the regular congregation or come from time to time. A warm welcome awaits – croeso cynnes i bawb.
Month: January 2015
Proclaim 2015
Each Diocese in England and Wales has been invited by Cardinal Vincent Nichols to become involved in a national evangelisation initiative called Proclaim ’15.
This initiative is being launched to support, inspire and encourage new expressions of parish evangelisation. It will affirm the good work already being done by the Catholic community and provide resources to help in building outward looking missionary parishes.
The major event of Proclaim ’15 is a National Catholic Evangelisation Conference on 11 July, 2015 in Birmingham. The overall plan for preparation and follow up is:
Preparation: Three evangelisation themed sessions for parish groups will be available for download from mid January 2015.
Prayer: Parishes will be invited to host an evening of prayer on 11 July to coincide with the national conference
Event: The National Catholic Evangelisation Conference itself will take place on Saturday 11 July 2015 in central Birmingham with 850 delegates from England and Wales.
Legacy: Online resources will be provided to enable dioceses, deaneries and parishes to have their own Proclaim ’15 gatherings in Autumn 2015.
Resources: will also be made available as a result of the National Conference to help equip parish evangelisation groups in Autumn 2015.
Proclaim ’15 will have a practical focus designed to fulfil the wish of Pope Francis in ‘The Joy of the Gospel’ when he writes:
“I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelisation marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come”.
A booklet giving more information about Proclaim ’15 is available to download.
Parish Family Groups Shared Lunch
The Parish Family Groups Shared Lunch will take place in the hall after Sunday Mass on 18th January, after the Tea & Coffee, to welcome in the New Year. We always have a great time and all are welcome to come along. Please bring a plate of food and drinks to share. Happy New Year to all from the Parish Family Group. (The 2015 Events Calendar is now available from the porch, with an outline of planned events for the PFG or you can view it online).
The Word This Week
It may seem strange, but this is a Christmas Feast. Not if we think of Christmas only in terms of the Baby in Bethlehem, but if we have followed the ideas of the Feasts of Holy Family and especially Epiphany, and have seen the Season in terms of the growing manifestation or appearing of the Son of God: first to the shepherds and then to the wise men from the East. Now in the River Jordan, Jesus, Son of Mary, is revealed to all as the fullness of all God’s promises: This is my Son, the Beloved.
On this day we stand before the revelation of God’s love for us, such that he would send his only Son into the world. Christmas without the Baptism of the Lord, and the words that are spoken from heaven, would be incomplete, since it is only in them that we fully see the wonder of what happened in Bethlehem, that we fully understand the reason for the joy with which we celebrated Christmas Day. As we come to the end of Christmas today, and look forward to hearing the Gospel in Ordinary Time, we do so having been shown who it is we listen to: the only Son of God, the Beloved.
Today’s Scripture: (Psalter: Week 1)
Isaiah 55: 1 – 11
Response: Isaiah 12: 2 – 6.
Truly, God is my salvation,/
I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song, /
he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!
Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples,
declare the greatness of his name.
Sing a psalm to the Lord /
for he has done glorious deeds,
make them known to all the earth!
People of Zion, sing and shout for joy
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
1 John 5:1–9
Acclamation for the Gospel:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
John saw Jesus coming towards him, and he said:
This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Mark 1: 7–11
Prayer of the Faithful: R/. Lord, do glorious deeds.
This Week’s Newsletter Is Out – Get It Today!
Our Parish Newsletter is out Today! With details on the Parish Family Groups Shared Lunch, our Songs from the Shows evening, Confirmation enrolment details, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity events, Community Hall events and, of course, Mass times. And have you signed up to receive updates on this site? Well, if not please sign up today!
Itinerary for our Parish Pilgrimage to Avila, May 2015
In a few months’ time we will be leaving on our Parish pilgrimage to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Saint Teresa of Avila. It is a pilgrimage to discover her life and spirit, and her disciple, Saint John of the Cross, in the beautiful cities of mid-western Spain. We will be there over Whitsun, 24th – 29th May, Price £695
24th May, 2015
Depart Bristol airport for the flight to Madrid. On arrival reclaim your package and join the waiting coach for the transfer to Avila where we check in for 5 nights’ stay on half board basis.
25th May, 2015
Today, we will spend the full day in Avila, most famous for being the home of St Teresa, the great Mystic and one of the three female doctors of the Church. We will visit the magnificent 12th-century wall, the fortress-cathedral and the Convento de la Santa, built on the site where she was born. There will be visits to Monasterio de la Encarnación where she was prioress when St John of the Cross was Confessor & San Juan Bautista Church, which contains the baptismal font in which St Teresa of Avila was baptised.
26th May, 2015
After breakfast we depart for Salamanca. Salamanca was the site of St Teresa’ seventh foundation. See the University of Salamanca, where St John of the Cross studied for the priesthood. There will be time for lunch before we return to Avila, via the village of Alba de Tormes, one of the most important pilgrimage centres in Spain. Teresa founded the Carmelite Monastery of the Annunciation here.
27th May, 2015
Today we will visit Valladolid. Visit the museum of Christopher Columbus, then on to the Carmelite monastery in Valladolid, founded by St Teresa. Afterwards, tour a local bodega (winery) ,including a stop for lunch. Return to Avila by way of Medina del Campo. Visit the second foundation, the Convento de San José.. Then, see the small museum housing original pieces from the time of the founding by St Teresa before returning to Avila for dinner.
28th May, 2015
Following breakfast check-out of hotel and proceed to Madrid. Enrolee, visit the monastery of El Escorial. See the Eucharistic Miracle which is kept intact and venerated in the Sacristy of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo in El Escorial. Continue on to Madrid, the capital of Spain. Check in to the Hotel for the final night stay on dinner, bed and breakfast basis. In the afternoon there will be a city sightseeing tour for those who wish.
29th May, 2015
There will be free time in Madrid until late afternoon when the coach departs and returns to the airport for the flight back to Bristol.
Film Reviews From A Catholic Perspective
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/182086141″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Looking to watch or rent films over the coming months? Then why not listen to what film expert Fr Peter Malone MSC has to say on movies that include: Calvary, Exodus: Gods and Men, Noah, Stations of the Cross. As he says, these are films “that have either an overt or covert faith-based narrative.” This podcast lasts around 25 minutes.
You may also be interested as a viewer, or as a parent, in what he has says about the following films: ‘Gone Girl’, ‘The Judge’ and ‘The Maze Runner’ – all currently on general release in our cinemas.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/173653799″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
20 ✠ C ✠ M ✠ B ✠ 15
Today, a tradition from central Europe encourages us to chalk the initial letters of the ‘Three Kings’, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, in the new year, 20-15, on the door lintel of our house, viz: 20 ✠ C ✠ M ✠ B ✠ 15. (CBM may also spell ‘Christus mansionem benedicat’- ‘May Christ bless the house’.)
Parish Family Group’s Event Calendar 2015
We are pleased to share with you the Parish Family Group’s Event Calendar for 2015. All events are informal and sociable and as you can see we have quite a varied list of events throughout the year. Please let us know if you might be attending and for further details. Transport can be arranged and family and friends are welcome.
Here’s what’s coming up in 2015:
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 18th Jan | Shared Lunch | Community Hall |
| Sat 28th Feb | Movies & Take Away | Community Hall |
| Fri 13th Mar | Supper & Games | Community Hall |
| Sat 25th Apr | Winery & Archery | TBC |
| Sat 16th May | Excursion | Carreg Cennen Castle |
| Sun 21st Jun | Heritage Trip | St Fagan’s |
| Sat 11th Jul | Walk | Pen-y-Fan |
| Sat 22nd Aug | Excursion | Oxwich Bay |
| Sat 12th Sep | Excursion | Margam Park (All Parish) |
| Sat 10th Oct | Car Rally | TBC |
| Sat 31st Oct | Festival of Light | Community Hall |
| Fri 20th Nov | Dinner Party | Community Hall |
| Fri 11th Dec | Adults-only Dinner | Community Hall |
| Fri 18th Dec | Supper & Song | Community Hall |
Marriage and the Family
The Bishops of England and Wales have issued an invitation to us all to become involved in the preparations for the October Synod of Bishops called by Pope Francis to look at Marriage and the Family. A text was printed in last week’s newsletter – if you missed your copy, there are still some spares in the porch. The original, complete with colour pictures we couldn’t reproduce, is displayed on the notice board, or you can access it now by downloading this pdf. In the next month we will think about how we can respond to it in the Family of the Parish, maybe as a Lenten exercise.
