Christ the King's Parish Groups
CAFOD Family Fast Day | Children's Liturgy | Children's Summer Trip | Church Cleaning
Church Flowers | Church Maintenance | Community Gathering | Eucharistic Ministers | Financial Admin
Gardening | Music | Piety Stall | Readers | Red Missio Boxes | Sacramental Programme
Safeguarding Representative | Sick & Housebound/ Care Home Visits | Tea & Coffee
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CAFOD Lent Family Fast Day talk which was given at each of the Masses on the weekend of 9th and 10th March 2019:
Good morning. I’m here to talk about CAFOD’s Lent Family Fast Day next Friday. At the Harvest Fast Day last year, our parish gave an amazing CAFOD helps the poorest, most hard-to-reach people around the world. People who are facing drought, conflict, disease or injustice.
This Lent, whatever we give will go to help people like Mahinur in Bangladesh. Mahinur lives in an area badly hit by climate change. Cyclones are common, salty seawater floods the rice fields and, most devastating for Mahinur, a drought last year killed all the fish in the river. Now there are none for her to catch. Mahinur has a disabled husband and 12 year old son to support, so she’s working every hour of the day doing odd jobs for her neighbours in return for rice. It’s not enough – some days the family just drink water for dinner. CAFOD doesn’t have enough money to meet all the requests for help – it has to turn one in three away. Mahinur is the one in three.
As Bishop John said in his pastoral letter last weekend, climate change ‘most often’ affects ‘the poorest countries in the world and people who have done the least damage to our environment’.
Next Friday we can help our suffering sisters and brothers like Mahinur by eating a simple meal in solidarity, by prayer and by making a gift to CAFOD.
Please take an envelope as you leave church, remember Mahinur and millions like her next Friday, give what you can afford and bring the envelope back to church next weekend. If you are a taxpayer, please complete the gift aid declaration which will increase your gift by 25%.
Thank you Father for allowing me to speak.
Thank you for listening and for your generosity.
Click here to read more about Mahinur's story
An informal monthly gathering takes place in the presbytery at Christ the King. The purpose of our meeting is to provide constructive support for our church and its wider community.
Each gathering opens and closes with a prayer, embracing an open forum where we discuss practical ways to maintain and enhance all aspects of Christ the King Church life.
On the weekend prior to the next Community Gathering, a summary of the discussions is read out at each of the Masses at Christ the King.
Click here to view notes of previous meetings
For the date of the next meeting please see the Christ the King Main Page
Eucharistic Ministers
Gardening
Francis, our organist at Sunday 10:15 Mass has been playing the organ at Christ the King for 36 years and before that, his mother Pat was our organist. We are also fortunate enough to have an organist at the Sunday 9:00am Mass. Both of them are very talented indeed!
Francis writes:
Whilst there are suggestions of hymns for particular masses in the back of the hymn book, the congregation don't always know them so we try to choose appropriate hymns that the parish knows and that hopefully, everyone enjoys singing.
We keep a journal of most of the masses and hymn choices that have been used over the years to help with the suggestions. We try to find enjoyable new hymns and I have written a few new hymns along the way - my particular favourite hymn is a golden oldie though - Guide me oh thou Great Redeemer!
We also supply music on request for weddings and funerals. We are always amenable to requests so feel free to come up and tell us what you would like to sing- it helps us to know that the congregation enjoys our efforts so please smile and sing out loud and proud.
The Piety stall or repository is located at the back of Christ the King church and sells a wide range of religious items. We stock a variety of cards including sympathy, Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion as well as Mass Cards. There are all sorts of inspirational plaques, prayer cards and bookmarks. Almost a rainbow of rosary bead colours with some designed especially for younger children.
We also have bibles and prayer books, especially for those beginning their faith journey. There are also some lovely statues suitable as baptismal gifts. At Christmas we sell Traidcraft Christmas cards, traditional advent calendars (ie no chocolate) and last year started to sell nativity sets. If there is anything that you would like to see on the stall please let us know and we will try to assist.
We are always looking for volunteers to help man the stall.
Many hands, as they say, make light work!
Currently, in the churches of Christ the King and formerly St Teresa’s there are approximately 50 box holders, with many having had their box for many years. Typically, the holders put into the boxes any spare change – even small amounts of copper quickly add up to a very tidy sum.
Last year (2018) the amount raised was just over £2000: reflecting the generosity of our parishioners
The boxes are collected twice a year (April and October), with a request included in the Parish Newsletter asking box holders to bring the boxes into Church. If this is not possible, collection of the box from the holder can be arranged. Once the boxes have been emptied they are available for collection from the Church, or again if this is not possible, delivery to the holder’s address can be arranged.
A booklet is published four times a year, providing news and articles on the work of the Mill Hill Missionaries funded by the money donated.
Stephen and Francesca act as promoters for the Red Boxes in the Church aided by a number of other collectors this means we collect and return the boxes at the appropriate time - twice a year we can be found counting out the copper and silver and ensuring that the money is passed through to the Mill Hill Missionaries!
If you do not have a Red Box but would like to have one in your home then please contact Stephen or Francesca on 423496: your generosity, whatever the amount, is hugely appreciated by the Mill Hill Missionaries.
All Catholic parishes are determined to protect children and any adults who may be deemed to be vulnerable in any way. Each of the three parishes has its own fully-trained Safeguarding Representative whose role it is to respond to any safeguarding issues.
If you have any concerns, either about yourself or about someone else, please do get in touch with our Safeguarding Representative Mike Morris, phone 07563 998 334
Sick & housebound/care home visits
Refreshments of tea, coffee, biscuits and juice are available in the Presbytery after the 9:15am Mass every Sunday. It's a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with fellow parishioners, young and old alike.
Everyone is welcome, so please feel free to join us. The refreshments are served by a group of volunteers, and more are welcome to join the rota. If this is something you would like to consider, please contact Carmel Alexander (tel: 01282 454 421) for further information
Meeting clip art: thanks to Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Child with cross: Image by geralt / 21044 images
Bucket: Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images
Flowers: Image by Beverly Buckley
Eucharist: Image by aalmeidah
Rose Bush: Image by OpenClipart-Vectors
Shovel Trowel: Image by OpenClipart-Vectors
Wheelbarrow: Image by Debi Brady
Church organ: Image by Tobias Albers-Heinemann
Volunteer: Image by truthseeker08
Bible: Image by mmi9
Tea cups: Image by Oberholster Venita