Latest Notices…
Come Home For Christmas
The Christmas season is a time when many people who rarely or never come to church do so. Materials are available to support parishes in helping to welcome them and also invite those who are on the fringes of parish life to attend a Christmas service. Please see: http://www.caseresources.org/resources/downloads_resting.html and also www.comehomeforchristmas.co.uk
Alternatively you are welcome to contact the Home Mission Desk of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales for more information: click here to email, or call: 020 7901 4818.
READING AND EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS ROTA
These have been sent by email, if you have not received a copy of the new rotas which run from September, for Saturday 6.00 pm, Sunday 9.45 am and Sunday 6.00 pm Mass, please collect a copy which can be found in the Sacristy, or contact Yvonne. Click here to view the rotas online, or alternatively you can also download the rotas (MS Word files).
TOGETHER IN FAITH UPDATE
Once again, many thanks to all who have pledged to the Together in Faith campaign. I thought it would be a good idea to update you all on the total pledged thus far: £175,091 (Jan 2012). If you have not pledged to this campaign, and would like to do so, there are pledge forms available from Fr David or Yvonne.
Also see:
Together in Faith - Weekly Newsletter #54 (Diocese of Northampton)
Together in Faith information sheet
» Together in Faith (Diocese of Northampton website)
Slough Street Angels Project
Slough Street Angels is now all systems go to get on the Town Centre streets to bring God’s love to the streets of Slough late at night and to make Slough a safer place. The Police, Slough Borough Council and Fiona MacTaggart (our MP) are all enthusiastically behind Slough Street Angels. Street Angels in other towns has reduced crime and the number of Accident and Emergency admissions to hospital.
How can you get involved? There are lots of ways you can get involved : Volunteer as an angel for one Friday night a month. Volunteer for one of the many other roles (including administrative roles organising rotas and equipment, or supporting the angels from the base on a Friday evening or organising the prayer support). Donating or pledging (money or goods). Spread the word. Pray. If you would like to find out more about getting involved please contact Dave Nicks on 01753 577475 or email via this link.
As stated, volunteers must be aged 18 or over.
» Read the September Newsletter for Slough Street Angels
» Video: Woking Street Angels - a similar project being launched in the Surrey town.
ST ANDREW’S BOOKINGS
- For ALL bookings for St Andrews should contact Tom Batt on 07570 547674. Tom gets bookings from both Congregations therefore he needs as much notice as possible.
MASS INTENTIONS
We are very booked up with Mass intentions at the present moment and a number of you have been disappointed and unable to get the dates you had hoped for. Please book very early if you want a specific date or anniversary. Please let us know if you are happy for us to send on your intentions to another priest (perhaps a retired priest or a priest in a parish with fewer Mass intentions) or to the missions. We are of course always happy to include your intentions in the Bidding Prayers of any Sunday Mass. Please be aware too that very occasionally Mass dates have to be moved because of funerals, holidays, illnesses and other unexpected circumstances.
CAR PARKING WITH CARE AND CONSIDERATION
Please don’t block our neighbours’ driveways. Don’t park on the yellow hashed access to the Vicarage at St Andrew’s. Don’t park on the pavements: disabled/children’s buggies can’t pass. At Our Lady of Peace if you park on the descending access road near the side door of the Church you are blocking access to the disabled parking spots and leaving our disabled parishioners stranded.
WALKING HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD
You will remember this undertaking during 2010 as a preparation for the Ground Plan for the future of our Catholic Church in Slough. The Ground Plan was sent to Bishop Peter who took note of all that was said and replied by making the following broad observations:
1. He expressed his gratitude for all the work undertaken by the Slough Area Pastoral Council providing a picture of Catholic Parish life here and a glimpse of what the future may look like for the Church in the area.
2. The good news is that the number for vocations to the priesthood is increasing both in the world and in our Diocese. However, given the present number of priests, the likelihood is that the area's 6 parishes will have 3 Diocesan priests to staff them for a while. The hope remains (but this is not absolutely guaranteed) that the Kiltegan Fathers and the Missionaries of St Paul will continue to provide additional priests.
3. Over the next 12 months, there is a need to look at Sunday Mass times and locations in the area and so rationalise the providing of Sunday Worship across the area. By Sunday Worship, the Bishop means Holy Mass and not the substitution of Services of Word and Holy Communion.
4. He would like the parishes together to build on and take forward the work of the Slough Pastoral Council, under the patronage of St Peter.
Canon Kevin O'Driscoll as Dean and Margaret Lawrence as Co-ordinator of the Slough Area Pastoral Council have been invited to spearhead the development of the Ground Plan, assisted by the clergy and by 2 representatives from each parish. They will serve for 2 years, and Canon O'Driscoll suggests that the present members of the steering group will serve, for the sake of continuity, for the first year and a second member will join them so that a 'rolling programme' of membership change can take place.
» Walking Humbly… Diocese latest news
» Read the Our Lady of Peace (June 2010) bulletin
» Visit the Holy Family Parish website (Walking Humbly Section)
Pax Christi
Pax Christi, Peace of Christ, is a gospel-based lay-inspired, peacemaking movement. The movement strives to help the Church and the wider community to proclaim and to make peace, through its experience and ideas, and especially through the witness and action of its members.
» Visit the website for Pax Christi: www.paxchristi.org.uk
IRELAND WALKING PILGRIMAGES
Journey to Ireland and walk in the footsteps of the Saints. Join the millions of Christian pilgrims that have journeyed to Ireland over the centuries in order to experience the richness of faith, spirituality and sacredness of this land. For further details visit www.irelandwalkingpilgrimages.com or email Jennifer Forrest by clicking here. There are also flyers in the Church porches.
Notices for the Weekly Parish Bulletin
- to Fr David or Yvonne by Friday. 10 a.m. please. Click here to email Fr David.
Parish Pastoral Council Minutes
PPC Meeting MinuteS
N.B. The public documents are hosted online via Google Docs.
Minutes of the December 12th 2011 PPC Meeting, held at Our Lady of Peace Church. Discussed: Christmas, Revised PPC/New Members, Aims of PPC – New Guidelines, Communications.
» Click here for more information about our PPC.
Help Wanted…
CHURCH CLEANING
Help!!!!!!!!!!! More volunteers needed to help with cleaning the church. It’s only an hour or two.
CONFIRMATION HELPERS NEEDED!
Can you help and support our young people as they prepare for confirmation in June? Please let me have your names as soon as possible.
LONDON & SLOUGH RUNS
We go out every Monday. Please support us by donating tinned food, biscuits, warm clothing, blankets, cheap new jeans, trainers, sleeping bags etc. For more information contact Brid on 01628 664715 (London Run) or Phyllis on 01628 602399 (Slough Run).
» Visit the new London and Slough Run website
» London & Slough Run on Twitter
FLOWER ARRANGERS
Many thanks for all the hard work preparing for Christmas. We are always looking for more volunteers to help us arrange flowers. Names to June Potter or Father David.
FAIR TRADE PARISH
We have been recognised as a Fair Trade parish and Traidcraft goods are regularly on sale at Our Lady of Peace. Please support Fair Trade Fortnight in March…
Click here to find out more about Cafod and Fairtrade.
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Youth Notices
Lux. NYMO
Lux. is the Northampton Youth Ministry Office (NYMO) discipleship programme (replacing Lumos) aimed at informing and encouraging young Catholics between the ages of 11-25, and giving us all opportunities to celebrate our faith together. Click here for more information about Lux. Visit their events diary page for upcoming events in addition to those listed below:
Lux.teachings | Lux.halo
The next lux.teachings evening will be on 7-8.30pm Tuesday 22nd November at Stony Stratford.
So what are the .teachings evenings about?
Ever found yourself questioning the teachings of the Catholic Church? Think you know what the Church says about all the issues ? Did Jesus have any brothers and sisters? Why were the disciples all men? Why do we honour Mary? What does the Catholic Church really say about divorce?
All these valid questions, and more, could be answered during the course of a lux.teachings evening, which have previously been held in Luton, High Wycombe and Aylesbury. Click here to read more.
lux.halo is the next in the series of weekends formerly known as ‘lumos’. These weekends for young people aged 11-18 years old offer opportunities to have a laugh and meet new friends as well as learn more about the Catholic faith and what it means in our lives. lux.halo is taking place on 3rd –5th February 2012 at Kings Park Conference Centre in Northampton and costs £85. For more info contact liz on 01844 273337 / to contact via email click here.
National Youth Sunday
20th November 2011
Visit the official website. The Youth Sunday resources this year are inspired by the Mass and the new translation; 4 sessions focusing on change, gather, engage, explore.
» National Youth Sunday
Catholic Youth Ministry Federation (CYMFED)
National Congress 2012
Flame
Wembley Arena, 24th March 2012
"Fanning the Spirit into a Flame." 2 Tim 1:6-8
Tickets £18/person in groups of 10+
Video and general introduction | Information for Parishes | Speakers
LIGHTHOUSE
The children of the parish have enjoyed a fabulous week at Burnham Lighthouse and we would like to thank you all for your generous donations and support of Burnham Lighthouse – we could not do it without you. The weather was beautiful and the sun has shone all week for us, and we were delighted to welcome Fr David on Thursday. It was great to see so many of our local teenagers giving up a week of their holidays to help the younger children. Each day we welcomed 625 children to Lighthouse.
» Burnham Lighthouse
WORLD YOUTH DAY (WYD 2011)
This year Pope Benedict will visit Madrid this summer and young people from across the world will be joining him from 16th to 21st August. The World Youth Day events have proved to be hugely popular and a great success and experience for all those who attend.
- Our Pastoral Area group meetings were held at Holy Family Church, Langley. A photo gallery of the pilgrimage can be found on the St Anthony's website.
» Official UK Pilgrims website
» WYD Madrid FAQ
YFAITH.CO.UK
Yfaith.co.uk is a website created primarily for young Catholics between the ages of ten and thirteen. The website aims to make it easy for young people to explore their own Catholic faith online.
Click here to visit Yfaith.co.uk | Information for parents about Yfaith
Considering a Gap Year?
Website for 6th form students thinking about taking a gap year…
» Catholic Gap Year
Youth Events
There are regular events for young people within the parish and the Slough Pastoral area, such as youth masses and Youth Week (for 12's-25's), please see the Parish Bulletin or the notice boards for more info…
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