The Catholic Parish of Holy Family

The Catholic Parish of

THE HOLY FAMILY

S A N D E R S T E A D

Part of the Archdiocese of Southwark

PILGRIMAGE 2025, THE HOLY YEAR: ROME, ASSISI AND SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
Pope Francis has declared 2025 to be a ‘Holy Year’. This means that everyone who visits Rome next year, who prays for the intentions of the Holy Father, celebrates holy Mass and Reconciliation, is promised many special blessings from the Lord. The tradition is that this happens only once every 25 years! With the great help of Adrian and his ‘Northern Star’ Travel Agency, I have negotiated a superb deal to enable us to stay in the Eternal City of Rome next year. Not only that, but also to visit and stay in two other amazing locations, Assisi and its connection with St Francis and St.Clare, as well as visiting and staying in St Giovanni Rotondo where the holy priest who was given the wounds of Jesus (Stigmata)St Padre Pio, lived and ministered. We will spend 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Assisi and 3 nights in San Giovanni Rotondo. A taste of what we will do: Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, holy Mass in St John Lateran Basilica, visit the Catacombs, Papal Audience, Tour of Rome - churches of St Mary Major, St Paul outside the Walls, Vatican Museums, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Colosseum, Navona Square etc, etc; holy Mass in Basilica of St Francis, holy Mass in the Basilica of St Clare, visit Porziuncola, San Damiano, Loreto; guided tour of San Giovanni, visit chapel of the Stigmata,Pietrelcina. Lots of free time for relaxing, looking around, shopping Excellent quality hotels for Dinner, Bed, Breakfast; all excursions, English-speaking guide; Outward flight: Gatwick-Rome(9.30am), Return flight: Bari-Gatwick(4.55pm); all airport duties and passenger taxes 28th April to 7th May 2025. A week after Easter. A perfect time to visit Rome and Italy when the climate is ideal, not too hot and not cold. Cost: £1400pp all inclusive.  Rome and Italy will be very busy for the Holy Year and prices will soar! We are really blessed to have arranged such a great itinerary at such a relatively modest and very economic cost. I suspect that there will be lots of interest in this pilgrimage and it’s quite possible that we will have to limit numbers. I hope to offer this pilgrimage to various people and groups. If you are seriously interested, I suggest you contact me as soon as possible. I have Booking Forms available now.

ADULT FAITH FORMATION MEETINGS

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
May I invite you to join me every Saturday at 12.00midday, in our Parish Room for a short meeting designed especially for Adults who wish for their Faith to be stronger and deeper. Faith is nothing less than being in a growing relationship with the Lord Jesus. These meetings are designed to help us to grow closer to the Lord as we follow his plans for us. The meetings will last no more than an hour. We talk about all and anything that is even remotely connected to our Faith. May I invite you to join me next Saturday and subsequent Saturdays. I’m sure there are many questions and queries you may have. Do come and we will speak together about anything you wish.

PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS IN HIS WORD AND SACRAMENT

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
Our church building, although simple and humble and rather beautiful in its own way, contains an immense treasure - the very presence of the Lord Jesus. Our church is not empty - it is a ‘House of God’. The bread consecrated in holy Mass becomes a real presence of Jesus although still under the appearance of bread and reserved in the tabernacle. So too with the wine - it becomes the precious Blood of Jesus although still under the appearance of wine. We call this sacramental presence of Jesus, under the forms of bread and wine, the ‘Blessed Sacrament’ or the ‘Eucharist’ or ‘Holy Communion’. A red light is kept constantly alight in the church, to remind us of this.  Also, when God’s Word from the holy Bible, is proclaimed in the church and when the priest explains its meaning to us in his homily, that too is a real presence of the Lord Jesus, actually trying to speak to our hearts. The red light you will see in front of the lectern also serves as a reminder to us of the Lord, present to us when his Word is proclaimed and when we reflect upon his Word. He comes to us in Sacrament and Word.

SERVING HOLY MASS AND SACRISTY WORK

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
It is wonderful to see so many people, children, young adults, women and men, young and not so young, having the great honour of serving holy Mass. Please continue to do so. If you haven’t done so already, do come up onto the sanctuary and take this precious opportunity. Please may I also ask everyone in the church, to help to prepare the altar and sanctuary before holy Mass begins, to light the candles etc and then, after holy Mass, to help to return the sacred vessels to the sacristy, extinguish the candles, return the cruets etc. The full, conscious and active participation of everyone, will mean that holy Mass will become even more important to us all.
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Welcome to Holy Family Parish

I wish all our visitors to this website, great peace and joy.
I hope you enjoy exploring our site and discovering the varied life of our vibrant parish.
If you would like to join us for the celebration of holy Mass, you will be welcomed with open arms.
So too, if you would like to join in any of our events and meetings, it will be a pleasure to see you.
If there is anything I can do to help or support you, please let me know.
With assurance of my prayers and warmest best wishes,

Fr Malachy

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Monsignor Malachy's Golden Jubilee Celebration

Holy Family Catholic Church

I wish all our visitors to this website, great peace and joy.
I hope you enjoy exploring our site and discovering the varied life of our vibrant parish.
If you would like to join us for the celebration of holy Mass, you will be welcomed with open arms.
So too, if you would like to join in any of our events and meetings, it will be a pleasure to see you.
If there is anything I can do to help or support you, please let me know.
With assurance of my prayers and warmest best wishes,

Fr Malachy


  • Weekend Mass

    Saturday: 5:00pm (Vigil Holy Mass)

    Sunday: 9am and  11am 

  • Weekday Mass

    Monday: 9:30am

    Tuesday:  9:30am

    Wednesday: 9.30 am

    Thursday: 9.30am

    Friday: 9.30am

IMPORTANT UPDATE

PARISH LIVESTREAM

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'Christ has no body now but yours' St Theresa of Avila

Parish News

Parish News

Our very latest news updates and information about Parish activities.

Who Have You brought With You?

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
“WHO HAVE YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU?”  These are the words of the Lord Jesus to each one of us, every time we come to holy Mass. Please don't be content to come alone or just to come with someone who already comes every week, to holy Mass. Invite and encourage others in your family, those living next door to you, those living down your street, your friends. Do that and the Lord will work through you, probably slowly and bit by bit. Do that, and one day you will hear him say to you, “Well done, good and faithful child of mine. Enter into the joys prepared for you, for all eternity.”

OLD FORGE CAFE BAKER’S AND HOST'S ROTA

By Webmaster • 20 Oct, 2024
OLDE FORGE CAFE BAKERS/PROVIDERS ROTA  21 Oct : Mary Lawlor 28 Oct : Geraldine NOVEMBER For week, beginning; 4th : Mary Jameson 11th : Coral 18th : Patricia (McCarthy) 25th : Simone 2nd December : Marian Please, if possible, could you provide enough cakes for the whole of each week. Thank you to everybody who is helping to provide cakes. To avoid having too many cakes, Coral mentioned to me that non-perishable cakes can be safely stored in the Cafe for a short while. When it is your turn to provide a non-perishable cake, please bring your cake to the Cafe a few days before the date of your turn. OLDE FORGE CAFE - HOSTS ROTA NOVEMBER 2nd: 11.00am - 1.00pm Simone and Emmanuala 3rd : 12midday - 1.30pm Lizzie and Paul 5th : 10.30am -11.30am Gardening Club 6th : 12.15pm- 1.00pm Administration Team 9th : Maggie (Bailey) and Geraldine 10th : Giannina and David 12th : Gardening Club 13th : Administration Team 16th : Patricia and Jim 17th : nb 3.00-4.00pm Carolyn and Maggie (Bowes) 19th : Gardening Club 20th : Administration Team 23rd : Regina and Patrick 24th : Lorenza and Kelly 26th : Gardening Club 27th : Administration Team 30th : Marian and Ros 1st December : Mary and Phil Thank you to everybody who acts as a Host. If an unexpected emergency occurs on the date you are scheduled to be a Host, please don’t worry about the Cafe. No need to try to find someone to ‘stand in’ for you. There is no need whatsoever to ‘swop’ with someone! We are not a Business, having to stay open to make money! - we open when and if we can. We take this role of ‘Host’ as a Vocation from the Lord to be his Missionary and his Prophet. Actually, the Cafe has, at times, functioned well with just one Host. The success of our Evangelisation Cafe depends on us. The more we speak to others of our Cafe, inviting them to visit us, the more successful it will be. Please invite members of your families, your friends, your neighbours and colleagues. Please check when it is your turn to be a Host (or a Baker!). Please see this role as a Calling, a Vocation from the Lord which you are generously telling the Lord you will do”. Thank you so much for your trust in the good Lord

CHILDREN PREPARING FOR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION AND THEIR PARENTS

By Webmaster • 26 May, 2024
Please pray for Leo, Eva, Isla, Alexander, Kelue and Alde and their parents as they come to the final days of preparation for the priceless gift of receiving Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion on Sunday 2nd June.

BRINGING THE LORD IN HOLY COMMUNION TO HOUSE-BOUND PARISHIONERS

By Webmaster • 20 May, 2024
Recently, on arranged and published days and times, our Eucharistic Ministers and myself have carried the Lord in Holy Communion to parishioners we thought were house-bound, only to find that no one was at home or was actually leaving home when we arrived! We are, of course, delighted to be the means of bringing the Lord Jesus to his people who are unable to genuinely leave their homes and we will do our very best to continue to do so. However, let’s not think of this as a sort of ‘Home-Delivery Service’! If someone is able to leave their home and come to holy Mass and can receive help from a family member or friend, then that is the right thing to do. Please let me know of anyone who is really unable to leave their home and we will be delighted to continue to do our very best to bring the Lord Jesus to them.

COUNTING AND DEPOSITING OUR COLLECTIONS

By Webmaster • 26 Feb, 2024
Many thanks indeed to Paul Mould for, single-handedly counting and depositing our Collections for some years. Going forward into the future, this humble but essential task must now be done on Wednesday mornings in our Parish Office. Paul is unable to help at this time and on this day. Is there anyone who could succeed Paul? It would probably take about an hour and a half to count and deposit our Collections. Please let me know.
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Parish Priest Notices

Important notices and items. These will contain news elements & important requests and parish notices

SERVICE OF HEALING AND SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
On Sunday afternoon, 17th November , at 2.30 in the afternoon, we will have a short Service of Healing and the Sacrament of the Sick. If you are 65 years or over, or if you are suffering from an illness of any kind, please come to this Service. I will pray a Prayer of Healing over you and offer you the great Sacrament of the Sick. This wonderful, powerful Sacrament brings healing of body, mind and Soul. After the Service we can enjoy refreshments in our Cafe. Please invite your family, friends and neighbours to join you at the Service of Healing.

SERVING HOLY MASS AND SACRISTY WORK

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
It is wonderful to see so many people, children, young adults, women and men, young and not so young, having the great honour of serving holy Mass. Please continue to do so. If you haven’t done so already, do come up onto the sanctuary and take this precious opportunity. Please may I also ask everyone in the church, to help to prepare the altar and sanctuary before holy Mass begins, to light the candles etc and then, after holy Mass, to help to return the sacred vessels to the sacristy, extinguish the candles, return the cruets etc. The full, conscious and active participation of everyone, will mean that holy Mass will become even more important to us all.

NEW LECTIONARY - MEETING ON 9TH NOVEMBER

By Webmaster • 03 Nov, 2024
From the 1st Sunday of Advent (30th November/1st December), all Catholic Churches in England and Wales will be using a new Lectionary. The ‘Lectionary’ is the book which contains all the Bible Readings used in every holy Mass and in the celebration of the Sacraments.We will be using a slightly different English translation of the Scriptures, the English Standard Version (ESV). The new Lectionary is a continuation of the process of revising liturgical translations. It is intended to make biblical translation more faithful to the original languages and biblical scholarship. Pope Francis writes: “We urgently need to grow in our knowledge and love of the Scriptures.” In them, the risen Lord “continues to speak his Word” to us.  May I especially invite all our ‘Lectors’, those who proclaim God’s Word to us in holy Mass, to join everyone at our Adult Formation meeting on Saturday 9th November, at 12.00pm, which will be held in our Cafe, to learn more about the new Lectionary and to try the new translation that we will be using from the 1st Sunday of Advent.

THANK YOU

By Webmaster • 03 Nov, 2024
To John for helping to fix the electricity problem in our Cafe. To everyone who came to support our ‘Blessing of Pets’ Service.  To Bridget for liaising with the clients of our Food Bank.

THANK YOU

By Webmaster • 07 Oct, 2024
To the very generous people who came to clean and tidy our church, last week. Please note that the next brief Church Cleaning session will be on Tuesday 5th November at 5.00pm for just 30 minutes. Pop the date and time in your diary. In the meantime, could we all please help to keep the church tidy, especially after each Sunday holy Mass.

THANK YOU

By Webmaster • 01 Oct, 2024
To Jim and Emmanuela and Maggie for Sacristy work. To all our Eucharistic Ministers. To all our Lectors. To all our Olde Forge Cafe Hosts and Bakers. To all our Gardeners. To the person who left me some plants. I love plants!  To everyone who supports our parish and our work for the Lord in so many ways.

Parish / Diocesan
 Events

THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER - PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED

By Webmaster • 03 Nov, 2024
During this month of November, we traditionally, pray for all those who have left our world and who, while on earth, opened their hearts and lives to the Lord. We believe there is a strong connection between God’s People on earth, those in Heaven and those who, having left this world, are on their way to Heaven. The holy Mass is the very best and most powerful way that links those who have died with the risen Lord Jesus. I will be most happy to celebrate holy Mass for your loved ones who have died, especially during this month of November, if you would like me to do so. Please use the special holy Masses envelopes for the Holy Souls, which you will find in the church porch if you would like me to celebrate holy Mass for your intention.  You will find our ‘Book of the Dead’ in front of the side altar in our church. At every holy Mass during the month of November, we place that book on the altar and we pray for everyone mentioned in it. If anyone you know has died in the last twelve months, please enter their name in the Book, on the date of their death so that we can pray for them too.

‘DEALING WITH ANGER’: ONE-DAY COURSE AT THE LONDON JESUIT CENTRE

By Webmaster • 10 Nov, 2024
Anger is a normal human emotion but it must be understood as a part of our lives that needs to be lived in a healthy, wise way. When this happens, Anger is a great force for good but when it is misunderstood and allowed to express itself in destructive ways then it can cause fear and chaos. This short one-day course, which I have been invited to deliver at the LJC on Saturday 7th December , from 10.00am until 2.00pm, will be helpful for anyone who wishes to better understand Anger in themselves or in someone else and will give suggestions about how to live this powerful human emotion in a good, life-giving way. Please check the LJC website for more details and to book a place on the course.

OCTOBER - TIME FOR THE BEAUTIFUL PRAYER OF THE ROSARY

By Webmaster • 20 Oct, 2024
During the month of October, as we usually do, we will pray a decade of the Rosary after every holy Mass. May I encourage you to carry a rosary beads with you and to pray the Rosary every day. It is such a simple but profound way of being connected to our loving God. If you don’t have a rosary beads, please look on the table in the porch of the church. Margaret who looks after our Repository, very kindly makes some Rosary beads available at very reasonable costs. If you may find it difficult to buy a Rosary beads, please just take one.

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PRAY FOR OUR ARCHBISHOP  - JOHN WILSON

As a parish we encourage our community to pray for our shepherd

Global Healing - care for our common home.



A film commissioned by the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (33 minutes long).


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