THE PARISH OF ST.THOMAS MORE, KIDLINGTON & ST.HUGH OF LINCOLN, WOODSTOCK

http://www.catholicparish.kidlingtonandwoodstock.uk

Parish Priest: Fr. (Dr) Prem Fernando Email: frpjfernando@gmail.com

142, Oxford Rd, Kidlington, OX5 1DZ Tel: (01865) 377093 Fax: (01865) 842265

Part of the Arch Diocese of Birmingham, Registered Charity Number 234216 Parish School: Temp. Headteacher: Mrs.Breda Bowles Tel & Fax: 01865 373674

Parish Safeguarding Reps.: Sandra Lenagan (01993 812973)

PRAYER TO THE HOLY TRINITY FOR THE PREPARATION OF MASS Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, come to us and renew us as we gather to celebrate this Sunday Mass. As we continue our pilgrimage of life, help us to become better Christians on earth so that we may rejoice with

you for ever in Heaven. To the Holy Trinity be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Fr Prem’s message: May I extend a big thank you to our music group and the choir for their effort in taking us through an ‘Advent Taize’ prayer service as a part of our preparation for Christmas. It was so heart warming to see many people across denominations attending. I am sure it was very pleasing to God. May I take this opportunity to echo our thanks to the music and choir group, and to all those who supported it in many ways, be it getting the tea, coffee prepared or getting the church set up and clearing, or bringing friends and family with you, even those from a distance. It is through our sheer contacts that God’s message is passed on, and fellowships are built upon it. I shouldn’t be the worthy one to preach it to you! But thank you for all your sincere efforts. It was all very visible.

On Thursday, 8th of December we also celebrated one of the most important feasts that falls within the Advent season. It is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a very important, teaching solemnity, that upholds the divinity of Christ, Christ the Son of God, coequal to God, not a lessor God, or a creature of God. So it is very little to do with deifying Mary, but recognises her as a human daughter, like any of us, but chosen by God, to be the first fruit of the redemptive grace of Christ, where she is born free from the original sin, Immaculately conceived, baptised so to say by God, full of God’s grace as Angel Gabriel greeted. So she be ready to give birth to our Saviour Jesus Christ, like us in all, fully human except sin and so fully divine. It is a beautiful feast that underpins the Truth of Christmas itself, though sadly misinterpreted by many Christian and so a borne of contention for dis-sension. But thank you for upholding this wonderful teaching feast in the Church with your presence and celebrating the solemnity. For it had a doubly effect, it was also the Patronal Feast Day of our Diocese and also the day that our Archbishop was installed. So it was a privilege to pray for our Archdiocese too.

This weekend we are given a Pastoral Letter by the Archbishop to be read in the parishes. It is also the weekend we shall raise awareness of the work of Fr Hudson’s Society and so extend our support for its work. Father Hudson’s is the social care agency of the Archdiocese, reaching out to support vulnerable people young and old. For more information of their work go to http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk/

10th - 18th Dec 2016 3rd Sunday in Advent Week 3

Altar Servers - St Stephen’s Guild Awards Altar servers who have served over a year in the par-ish are now eligible to make their application for the award of the medal on the Sunday the 1st of

January. Kindly make your application to Fr Prem. Applications are available in the sacristy.

The envelops with a red Christmas stamp, available at the entrance, is for your Christmas offerings due to your priest. Please feel free to take one with you. Thank you.

Parish Diary 1st January - 11 am Mass - St Stephen’s

guild (Altar Servers) awards. 26th February 2017 Parish Assembly,

after the 11am mass in Kidlington 11th June 2017, at 3.30pm Confirmation Mass with Bishop William Kenney 18th June 2017, Corpus Christi Sunday

First Holy Communion Mass 3pm

Fund Raising Events St Hugh’s Monthly Lottery draw - 1st

Sunday of the month. All welcome. Saturday 3rd December 2016: Christ-

mas Bingo Sunday 18th December 2016: Carol

concert & Christmas Draw, 3pm 4th Friday of the Month—Soup Lunch

after Midday Mass

Please email your news item to Fr Prem by Thursday

This Newsletter is for the parishioners and friends of the parish. It is for private circulation. Feel free to take it with you and share it with others especially the sick and the home bound.

Secret Santa - Would you like the idea of placing a simple present for a child under our Christmas Tree, so that on the Christmas day we could ask our children to pick their present (one only) after mass from the Christmas tree. If there are more, if I am very positive, we could send it to a charity. What do you think? If you think if it is not a good idea, do let me know.

Old Woodstock Hall ~ Everything must go......after Christmas.

Extremely sturdy plastic fold up tables with matching fold up chairs .

Ideal for that unexpected overspill of guests and so easy to store away after the event.

Small round Formica topped wooden tables, very useful for home, conservatory or

Summer garden. Neat wooden chairs with cushioned seat-

ing ,easily customised with a splash of colour and so attractive for conservatories and also

children's rooms.

First come first served for a small donation. Contact Sandra for further info. 07771845382

Catechists Training Course: This course will take place in the following three sessions, at 7.30 pm at the Kidlington Parish Hall in the new year. 12th January, 2nd February, 23rd February. It is highly recommended that all catechists try and at-tend this course and it is also open for all those who may be of interest. Please support in building a good team of catechists for the parish. Hope you will welcome and appreciate this effort

~ God bless, Sr Norbert

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES

St Thomas More, Kidlington 24th December 11.30pm Carols 12.00 Midnight Mass followed by mulled wine and mince pie in the hall. Please do join!

25th December 8.00am & 11.00am

St Hugh of Lincoln, Woodstock 24th December 7.30pm Carols 8.00pm Christmas Mass

25th December 9.30am Mass by Bishop Kenney

Parish Christmas Draw Tickets are now available 1st Prize - £150 cash,

2nd - Luxury Christmas Hamper. 3rd - £50 M&S Voucher, Plus many more prizes.

Draw takes place on 18th December. All ticket stubs & monies to be returned by 11th December. Please support parish fundraising by buying & taking some to sell to family and friends.

Donations towards the prizes, welcomed!!

PLEASE RETURN ALL TICKET STUBS & MONIES. Draw to take place next Sunday 18 Dec during

the Carol Concert at 3pm. Stubs and monies can be put in an envelope and put through the

Presbytery inner door. Transport can be provided for the Carol Concert

please contact Charles or Margaret King (01865 439440).

The Advent donation to Swaziland was sent last week. It was for £300 and with our good wishes and prayers that they might have a Happy and Peaceful Christmas. Thank you ~Sheila Cooper.

We Welcome Baby Maja Whyte

baptised in our parish on Saturday our congratulations to the parents

Agata P Nowakowska & Anthony J Whyte

Greenery for Christmas decorations - We need evergreens; ivy, holy etc. for

Christmas decorations. Kindly leave them behind the church bins.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK: Baby David Ruth, Jim Foley, Jane Lemon, Iris Ative, Lisa Crisp, Eileen Groom, John Pollard, Mark Sel-wood, Rebecca Lambert, Jonathan Fitzpatrick, William Hayes, Derek and Ella Osborne, Kit Murphy, Mary Couchman, Tina & Ray Hazell, Anne Howard, Sue Rugman, Fr Donald Cahill, John Morris, June

O’Leary, Tracy Richards, Bridget Spark, Jean Neale, Margaret Clancy, Pat Hornsby, Ambrose Har-greaves, Lord John Kerr, Rosemary Brown, Pauline Lilley, Mona & Jimmy Doherty, Christopher Brown,

Rosemary Hardwick, Joan Knatt, Zoe Kamen, Charlie Ellington & John Donnelly (Kindly keep us updated to remove names from the sick list as and when required)

WE PRAY FOR ALL THOSE WHOSE DEATH ANNIVERSARIES OCCUR DURING THIS TIME: Kathleen Gibbs, Michael Coyne, Maggie Berry, Alice Hitchens, Bernadette Mulligan, Ann Rowe, Agnes and Kieran

Connolly, Ivy Russell, Wasyl Holdak (Basil),Albert Wright, Alastair McKay, Bridget Taylor, Bet Mease, Mary Tivnan, Kathleen Walsh, Frank Taylor, Valerie Belton, Clara Cowley, Catherine Besemer, Anna Ka-

vanagh, Mary Ford, Norman Potter, Agatha Abraham, Eileen Cassidy, James O'Keeffe, Margaret Warnecke, James Bashforth, Margaret Dunseath, Walter Gadsby, Thomas O'Kelly, William Murray, Cyril Rowland, Alexander Eames, Bobby Docherty, Maisie Moran, Charles lavery, Maria Laina Relano, Mary

White, Joanna Morris (Annie), Ronald Castle, William Dunseath, Carl Leimer, Darren Howard, John Dorrington & Violet Hollis

Last Sundays Collection: STM: £406.61 STH: £147.77 Poor Parishes Fund 108.93 This weekend’s retiring collection is for: Fr Hudson’s Society, 18th Dec. Christmas Flowers. Thank You.

First Holy Communion 2016/2017 Programme PARENTS MEETINGS

Tuesday September 20th, 7.30pm Tuesday March 21st , 7.30pm

Tuesday June 6th, 7.30pm Celebration Masses Sunday

11.00am 2nd October, 27th November –Giving Mass,

29th January 2017, 5th March, 2nd April, 30th April, 21st May

First Confession– Catechist Session

2nd Oct—Pages 8-13 19th Oct—Pages 14-19,

30th Oct - Pages 20-25

6th Nov—Pages 26-30, 20th Nov—Pages 31-39,

27th Nov—Pages 40-46

First Confession Tuesday 6th Dec 1.45pm

First Holy Communion-Catechist Sessions

15th Jan 2017, 29th Jan, 19h Feb, 5th Mar,

19th Mar 2nd Apr 30th Apr 14th May 4th Jun

*Catechists sessions exact days, times and place will be arranged after the first parents meeting

First Holy Communion Mass,

Sunday 18th June 2017, 3 pm

Coordinator: Sr Norbert Tel: 01865 433143Email: quinnzita@gmail.com

Confirmation Programme—206/2017

27/09/16—Tuesday , 7.30pm, Parents Meeting

1/10/2016 -Sat 6.00pm Mass,

Presentation of the Bibles

16/05/2017- Parents Meeting

19/05/2017 Adoration & Benediction

23/05/2017- (3.15 –4.30) Meeting with Fr Prem & Confessions

Catechist’s sessions, Week Starting:

9/10/2016 , 13/11/2016, 15/01/2017, 19/02/2017, 12/03/2017, 02/04/2017, 14/05/2017

Organising Mass—Saturday 6pm

15/10/2016, 26/11/2016, 28/01/2017, 04/03/2017, 01/04/2017, 29/04/2017, 20/05/2017

8th June ( Thursday, 7pm) Rehearsals 11th June (Sunday 3.30pm)

Confirmation Coordinator: Contact: Fr Prem

Email: frpjFernando@gmail.com

May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen

ST THOMAS MORE, KIDLINGTON 2nd Advent / Week 2

SATURDAY 10th Dec

Sunday Vigil Mass

6.00 pm

RIP Noel Cashman

Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Ps 145

James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11

SUNDAY 11th Dec

3nd Sunday in ADVENT

11.00 am

Death Anni. Constance & John King

MONDAY 12th Dec

Advent Feria 9.30 am

Intentions of Debbie & Terry

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17 Psalms 24

Matthew 21:23-27

TUESDAY 13th Dec

Memorial Virgin Martyr

St Lucy

9.30 am

-

6pm

-

School Carol Service

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 Psalms 33

Matthew 21:28-32

WEDNESDAY 14th Dec

Mem. Priest, Dr St John of. Cross

12.00 Noon

Holy Mass at Woodstock

Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25 Psalms 84

Luke 7:18-23

THURSDAY 15th Dec

Advent Feria 9.30 am

School end of term mass

Darren Howard

Isaiah 54:1-10 Psalms 29

Luke 7:24-30

FRIDAY 16th Dec

Advent Feria 12.00 noon

RIP John & Constance King

Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8 Psalms 66

John 5:33-36

SATURDAY 17th Dec

Sunday Vigil Mass

6.00 pm

RIP John Hogan

Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalms 23

Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24

SUNDAY 18th Dec

4th Sunday in ADVENT

11.00 am

Death Anni. Lilian Borucki

ST HUGH’S, WOODSTOCK (Morning Prayer daily at 11.30) SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Saturdays normally 5-5.30 pm

BAPTISMS & MARRIAGES

by appointment with Fr Prem

Please make sure you attend the parish

regularly to ask for sacraments

SUNDAY 11th Dec

3nd Sunday in ADVENT

9.30 am

Special Intention (Humphry)

WEDNESDAY 14th Dec

Mem. Priest, Dr St John of. Cross

12.00 Noon

Well Being Helen Jones

SUNDAY 18th Dec

4th Sunday in ADVENT

9.30 am

Deceased family mem. Meade & O’Kelly

Scripture Study Group - Monday, 9th January, 1.30pm. Come join us to read a scripture passage,

and then to reflect and pray together. Contact Eileen Perkins on 01865 374129. All are most welcome.

‘Tea/ Coffee - chit chat’ at the Hall after 9.30 and 11 Masses. Stop by for a sip!