Christmas 2017Issue 96

ST MICHAEL’S NEWSINSIDE

Page 3 Page 4 Pages 7 & 8

Blooming Marvelous

Walsingham Pilgrimage

Fr Tim at 25Silver Jubilee of his Ordination

Christmas BlessingsThe Christmas Tree

From a tree a Manger was made,On the first Christmas, in it He laidAlso from a tree a Cross was made

And on it, for our sins, the price He paidI remember each year, as the tree I adorn

His gift giving began, the day He was bornAs I gently place, each ornament of gold

In His hands I place my heart, and my life, for Him to holdTrusting in Him, to take good care of me,

I pray and I sing, as I decorate the tree“I am the Way, the Truth and the Light,” said He,

That’s why I put lights, on my Christmas tree

They light up my tree, and the rest of the room, As He lights up my heart, and the rest of my home

I pause to think, just before I plug them in, They remove the darkness, as He removed my sin

This past year has been a challenge, nightmares have come true, How do others make it, without Jesus to hold on to

I’m praising you Jesus, for the strength you’ve given me, Let your light shine through me, so that others may see

With such great memories, the smiles, and the happy tearsI look forward, to putting up, the tree this yearEach one is unique, and decorated differently But your Cross, in each one, is what I will see

From now on, when I look, at each Christmas treeI will remember, you AROSE LORD, after dying for me.

K. Ross

Our tree is decorated in gold and red poinsettia to compliment the flowers being arranged by our flower ladies. With thanks to Clodagh John.

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Page 2 St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – In Brief/Lourdes

IN BRIEF with Mgr Jim OvertonFirst Prize! Congratulations to Gavin Boyle, Jim Archer and Michael Glynn for winning for the parish the First Prize in the Spelthorne Best Kept Place of Worship 2017 (see opposite). We are looking for the help of more gardeners – if you would like to be involved, please let me know!

Growing in Faith Campaign. The Cardinal’s five-year Growing in Faith Campaign has now been completed. We were one of the first parishes to be part of Growing in Faith. I would like to thank you for your very great generosity in making your pledges and for raising the truly magnificent sum of £230,413 for the Campaign from our parish.

Of this amount the Growing in Faith Campaign allocated £144,413 for the care of our sick and retired priests, for the training of our seminarians, and for the support of the social outreach work of Caritas Westminster; and gave back to the parish the truly splendid amount of £86,000 for our two parish projects, the all-weather pitch for St Michael’s School, and the renovation of our parish hall (both pictured below).

Renovation of the parish hall. I am delighted that the excellent renovation of the hall is now complete! I am most grateful to Clive De Souza and Shenda Holmes for all their work in organising and co-ordinating this last stage of the renovation. The hall is available for parishioners to hire for family events (e.g. baptism celebrations, birthday parties for children aged 8 and under) through the Parish Secretary, Shenda Holmes on 01784 252330 or ashford@rcdow.org.uk

Lourdes MemoriesHaving read the two pieces in the last issue of St Michael’s news about Lourdes (also other articles in previous issues), I’d like to share my memories of Lourdes.

My wife Debbie and I finally got to Lourdes together in October 2015, when we went with Our Lady of the Rosary, Staines to Lourdes and Paris.

I had been in 1968 as part of a touring holiday and in 1978 as part of an Across group by Jumbulance (travelling overnight), Debbie had visited Lourdes four times. We had always said that we should visit Lourdes as a couple and in 2015 we did as part of a group of 30+ led by Fr Philip.

Fr Philip doesn’t enjoy flying so we travelled by train (a long and full day’s travel) starting by joining the commuters at Ashford (at 6:11), then the Victoria line to Kings Cross. Eurostar to Paris, coach transfer and 6½ hours on the French High Speed train across France arriving in Lourdes late evening.

We spent two full days in Lourdes taking part in the Torch Light Procession (when it rained) and Mass at the Grotto celebrated by Fr Philip. On the Thursday, we had an early Mass, then breakfast, coach to the station and 6 ½ hours back to Paris for two nights. It was quite a sight when we boarded the train as there were several groups leaving Lourdes that morning.

My last memory from this trip was that as we left the Chapel after Mass (which was celebrated in a Chapel above the Bascilla) was the sun rising and the peace and quiet of the shrine. We said a prayer in front of Our Lady’s Statue before leaving.

Our return home on Saturday was the day of the Rugby World Cup Final. Somehow we all got seats on the train from Waterloo and returned home late afternoon.

As Patricia Gillespie said at the end of her article “Lourdes is a truly amazing place, why not give it a try, you won’t regret it!”

At the end of each of my three visit’s, I felt something special (even as a 14 year old in 1968, when we spent two days in Lourdes) and very much so in 2015 when I was there with my wife.

Will I go again? I’d love to! As would Debbie.

by Chris Lee

I wish you and your family a very Blessed and Peaceful Christmas. I pray that the Lord may bless you as you celebrate the great feast of our Lord’s Incarnation.

Page 3St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – School Report/ In Brief

Simply Outstanding!Staff and students at St Paul’s Catholic College in Sunbury have been celebrating the outcome of their recent OFSTED inspection. Judged to be Outstanding in all categories after the inspection, which took place 31st October - 1st November, everyone at the school is extremely proud of the achievement and recognition they have received. Over the past 4 years, St Paul’s has been in the top 10% of schools nationally for Progress and Achievement and was eagerly awaiting an inspection from OFSTED. To emerge from this to be judged as Outstanding in all areas is a fantastic achievement and a real reflection of the work undertaken at the school.

The report highlights St Paul’s accomplishments and the strength of the school’s ethos commenting that “The Headteacher, supported by a team of skilful

leaders, has developed a vibrant, inclusive ethos across the school. Their work is firmly grounded in the school’s values, achieving excellence, learning to serve’ and that “Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is underpinned by the varied and stimulating curriculum that leaders have designed”.

S a t u r d a y s 2 0 1 82 7 t h J a n u a r y, 2 4 t h F e b r u a r y

2 4 t h M a r c h , 2 1 s t A p r i l

S T A L L S £15.00 each

by Mgr Jim Overton

It was a great joy that St Michael’s had been awarded First Prize for the Best Kept Place of Worship 2017 in Spelthorne.

Our congratulations to our gardeners, Jim Archer, Gavin Boyle and Michael Glynn for winning this award for the parish.

On a bright, crisp, November morning, the crowds gathered at Ashford’s War Memorial, to honour the fallen. Next year sees the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1.

12.11.2017: A Fine Turnout for Remembrance Sunday

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23.10.2017: First Prize for Best Kept Place of Worship

Their skill and hard work allows us, and those passing by, to enjoy the beauty of our gardens.

(Ashford was also voted the Best War Memorial).

AntiQue Arts crafts and collectors fayre

E N Q U I R I E S : 0 1 7 8 4 2 5 4 4 6 2

St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – WalsinghamPage 4

Very early on 7th October, seven parishioners from St Michaels joined a coach full of people from other local parishes and travelled in comfort to the lovely Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in North Norfolk. Once we arrived, we met up with 800 or so other parishioners from across the Westminster Diocese for this year’s pilgrimage which had the theme of ‘Lift up the Lowly’.

When we arrived there was a short time to walk around the Shrine and visit the Slipper Chapel and the Holy Ghost Chapel and there was also the opportunity for Reconciliation. Mass, at noon, was celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Bishop John Wilson and various priests who had travelled with their parishes, including Father Chris Vipers who was pleased to see the little group from St Michaels. Before Mass started, we were assured that it wasn’t going to rain, although the skies looked very threatening, and we were encouraged to sit outside, not least because the Chapel was filling up. We had an excellent view of the Altar from our position in the peaceful garden and very much enjoyed the Mass and the Cardinal’s thought- provoking homily.

After Mass, we had our picnic lunches in a very joyous atmosphere in the garden and then we gathered for the Procession along the Holy Mile towards the ruins of the Abbey. The processional route took us along an old railway track with

Westminster Pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine at Walsingham

fields on either side. The statue of Our Lady of Walsingham led the procession which snaked slowly along the lovely route with lots of parish banners being held high. We said the Rosary throughout the procession and sang hymns

to Our Lady. When we reached the Priory grounds in the heart of the village of Walsingham, Bishop John led prayers, benediction and hymns. It was then back to the coaches which had come to meet us and then, and only then, that the skies opened and the rain which had been threatening all day poured down.

We had a wonderful day together travelling to and from Walsingham and experiencing the lovely peacefulness of the Shrine. The Cardinal had a quick chat to us as we looked

at the new and informative display about the history of the Marian Shrines in this country.

He later made mention of the new display and the rich history of the many beautiful Shrines to Our Lady in this country. We returned home feeling very privileged to have completed our Pilgrimage to Walsingham.

by Margaret Carter

The Slipper Chapel

Walsingham Abbey

Page 5St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – Quiz Night/Sunday Friends

The night the Grenfell Tower burned was so horrific that I felt compelled to do something to help the victims of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea in some way.

I know many people enjoy a quiz and good night out but many struggle to find a babysitter, especially if the children are small. Therefore, why not combine the two and have a Family Quiz?

My friend Paul Gregory is well known at church for his quiz knowledge and so I approached him to be quiz master to take care of questions for adults and children. He agreed and a date was set. I applied for a bar licence and then started approaching firms for their support, including help with drinks and prizes for both an adult and children raffle.

Wonderful prizes

Pubs offered vouchers for meals out, Spelthorne Leisure Centre offered badminton and swimming sessions, The Entertainer contributed with a voucher; other prizes included a large bottle of rum, toys and more vouchers. Costco generously donated a cheque for £100.00 which almost paid for all the alcohol for the evening and there were good contributions from Tesco and Sainsburys.

On the day of the quiz, the room was packed. We had an emotional speech from Mark, a fire fighter, who attended the disaster on the night itself. The children rallied round by running the tuck shop, adult raffle and children’s raffle and they were extremely well behaved. They worked hard with very little supervision with no arguing. I received great support from a number of people on the night and would like to say a special thank you to Andrea Gregory who helped effortlessly in the bar. Well done to the quiz winners, ‘No Eyed Deers’.

It was a fantastic night and altogether we managed to raise a grand total of £611.55.

I am so grateful to those of you who came and made the evening such a great success.

14.10.2017: Over £600 Raised for Grenfell Tower Victimsby Tina Gale

Come and Join usby Zoe Wells

Attending Sunday Friends each week was a key part of my childhood. Like many children, I attended whilst also going to St Michael’s school and both worked alongside each other to help to lay the foundations for my Catholic faith. I can remember the words for one prayer were stuck on the back of a cornflakes box; I knew exactly what prayer I had to say as soon as I saw that familiar green and red bird on the back of the sheet! Even now, I still have a picture my Sister and I made one Sunday of a sheep (with cotton wool stuck on top for added style) when we learnt about the parable of Jesus acting as the Shepherd.

It is amazing how quickly I have grown up in St Michael’s, having attended Sunday Friends and Followers, I am now a helper for Sunday Friends myself. After joining recently, it has been so lovely to work with so many fantastic directors, helpers and most importantly the children. It is a real privilege to help the children learn about the faith; I am often amazed at how much they already know and I love how thoughtful their answers can be. When the children were asked what they have done to be kind one week, many of them told us about all the housework and chores they have done- you are all very lucky parents!

The lead up to Christmas is probably the most exciting period for children but at Sunday Friends it is important that we explain to the children the real meaning. This Advent we will be using a pull out story book with beautiful illustrations. Just like opening an Advent calendar, different children will be chosen each week to find a story book which explains part of the Christmas story. We will also be updating our Sunday Friends board each week by adding different elements to an empty manger. The board is located on the first pillar on the left hand side of the altar, so over the next few weeks you can see how the nativity scene is being set for the children.

We are always looking for more people to bring their ideas and enthusiasm to the team; you usually help out once every five weeks and even then it is very flexible. I would encourage anyone to help out at Sunday Friends it is such a positive and friendly environment for everyone involved.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the entire team at Sunday Friends!

To join our fantastic team, please contact Rob Andrews on 07905 249266 for more information.

Page 6 St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – Visit

A visit to the Church of the Holy Virgin in Egypt

My husband and I decided to visit the Church of the Holy Virgin, Dair al-adhra.

We crossed the bridge over the river Nile that bisects the Upper Egyptian city of Minya over to it’s Eastern bank. This is about 200 miles south of Cairo. The narrow uphill

road passed through small villages, farms and finally stone quarries. To the right of us were tall cliffs and behind that the Eastern Desert. There

were no signs on the roadway so we relied on the local people for directions. At the top of the mountain which is Bird Mountain, Gebel-el -Teir, taking a right turn we came to the large village of the Virgin Mary. All the houses and churches were painted white and had a cross on them.

As we were the only visitors that day, the Army who guarded the site called for the monk who was the keeper of the key to the Church to open it for us.

The church had been originally built by Empress Helena the mother of Emperor Constantine in 328 A.D. It had subsequently been added to.

Inside the church had an internal courtyard with tiers of galleries overlooking it. There were

paintings of St George and Our Lady which were decorated with tiny, twinkling lights. At the back of the church was a very small cave hewn out

of the dark brown rock, there were inscriptions on parts of the rock. This was the place where the Holy Family had taken shelter.

We were then taken outside along narrow pathways and stairs to a twisting, narrow rock cutting that had a very low roof. We had to bend down to move along it. This was

where the Holy Family had travelled, along such narrow spaces staying in a tiny cave to seek safety.

I have read that the painting of the Virgin Mary weeps Holy oil and that many miracles have been performed there. It was a special place to visit and sitting outside the Monastery, overlooking the beautiful farmland and clusters of palm trees, Nile side, could only imagine that this was the same view, high above the Nile that the Holy Family had seen.

by Joanne and Salah Saleh

Page 7St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – Jubilee

I knew I would be a priest at the age of seven. I grew up with good Catholic teachers in Exeter where our very kind French-Canadian sisters imparted the Faith to any small child who was paying attention. And I do remember paying

attention. Particularly to Sister Sebastian and Sister Jeanne – God rest their souls. No subject was of greater interest to me than the life, death, resurrection and triumph of Jesus Christ. Clearly nothing – nothing at all in human affairs – could possibly be more important than the redemption of the world, which Jesus by his life and love for humanity, had accomplished.

So in this, I was very, very blessed. Many kids just wanted these lessons to end so they could get on with making raffia table-mats or playing rounders.

Unfortunately, the priesthood became such a fixture in the back of my mind - so early - that I proceeded to put the whole matter to one side and lived all my later school years as if nothing had happened.

But something had happened. I knew I was a marked man. With a destiny I could not shirk. Although shirk it, I did, as you are about to discover. When the school years ended I presented myself to the Bishop of Plymouth, who sent me to Oscott College the seminary of Birmingham diocese. (There is no seminary in the West Country, you see.)

It was to be a six-year course and I lasted for two. My formators (as they are nowadays called) then advised me to step away from life in the seminary but maybe return when I was noticeably better prepared for the life to which it was leading.

Back home in Devon – it was the week that President Kennedy was shot and died in Dallas – my father said: ‘Well, you’d better get a job then’ and put me on a train to London as countless parents have done before and since. I drifted into the advertising business and found that I enjoyed writing fairly inconsequential words – and getting paid for it - anything from the odd jingle (some of them very odd indeed) to travel brochures and commercials for soap powder. They were the years (long gone now) when Daz, Persil and other cleansing agents fought it out for supremacy on national television. Something you never see today.

But we rarely created advertising for a product we hadn’t seen being manufactured. I remember the great interest of visiting factories of every kind up and down the country. I know how they make Smarties in York, Champion Spark Plugs near Heathrow, floorcoverings in Kircuddy (Kircaldy - I have pronounced that right) and Kraft Cheese Slices somewhere in Manchester.

It was the sixties, the time of ‘Swinging London’, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Just like today, London was a fascinating Ship of Fools for the young.

As regards the priesthood, I had set it to one side, but with every vague intention of returning to the matter, some time in the future.

Looking back, the folly of my attitude is breath-taking. But only for me, because only I remember the details. (Thank God!)

As I turned 30, the opportunity came up to take a job in Hong Kong, so off I went, intending to stay in the Far East for a couple of years before returning to England, to look again at the priesthood. The arrogance of it!

In truth, I was not giving the matter much thought and I stayed in scintillating Hong Kong for the next twelve years. Eventually, this epic complacency came to an end and back in England I was encouraged by Father Michael Hollings to look again at the priesthood (“Why not?” he said), I was accepted by Cardinal Hume and allowed to pick up my studies for the priesthood in Rome.

Called at seven, ordained at fiftyHis homily for a Mass of Thanksgiving, 26 September 2017, celebrated at Our Lady Help of Christians, Rickmansworth, England, the Silver Jubilee of his Ordination.

Fr Timothy Dean, 75, was a seminarian at the Beda College, Rome from 1988 to 1992 and parish priest at St Michael’s from 2001 to 2002.

St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – JubileePage 8

By 1988, just past my mid-forties, I was enrolled in the Beda College, renowned over many generations for accepting and training Late Vocations. (I prefer the Italian phrase for this, which I believe is Vocationi Maturi). I was ordained in 1992 for the Diocese of Westminster – to this day, a matter of the greatest joy and thanksgiving and – to be honest - a recollected sigh of relief.

You cannot duck a vocation. Well, you can, but you really shouldn’t. Because only you know that this calling from God exists. And you know in the depths of your being that it is the will of God. And a committed Christian cannot refuse to do the will of God. To do so is a denial of everything we believe. It is a disinclination to return our capacity to love for love divine. Every day we pray in the Our Father “thy will be done”. And we must mean that and express its meaning in all our decisions and ways of living. My experience shows that the Holy Spirit will find ways to coax the wanderer back to his true path and does so with extraordinary tenderness and delicacy. Even if the candidate is hardly the sort of person that most people would consider even appropriate, a backslider like me or even a peculiar vagabond, may in fact be God’s choice. And secretly, he makes it known to them. Yes, there are scholars in the priesthood – many - fine administrative minds, men who understand budgets and the bottom line – just as well – priests who are profoundly holy, whose holiness is known only to God. Priests whose lifelong consistency and reliability is legendary among their peers – I think of the late Father Michael Archer of our diocese whose life and work I observed at close quarters in my years at Westminster Cathedral. I knew that whatever the Holy Spirit saw in me that he could use in the priesthood, they were not the same serene gifts with which Father Michael was able to serve Almighty God.

When people hear that I was ordained at 50, they have often said to me: ‘It’s so good that you came to the priesthood later, with plenty of life experience, you bring that knowledge to your dealings with people in the parish!’ Well alright, that may be true, but only up to a point. Looking back, I have the greatest regard nowadays for those men who enter the seminary when they are really quite young and embrace the life in prospect with generosity and single-minded commitment.

I know two chaps at the moment who have completed their first couple of years of study, prayer and discernment. They are the ones who are giving up a great deal. (I never did). One

of them, shortly before entering the seminary, gained a degree in engineering and had to walk away from a terrific job in the railways where he already had an established a career. Often there is very little or no encouragement from their friends and family, yet they have set out on a course that God has prepared for them with absolute trust. We need such young people to train for the priesthood.

The Church always needs candidates for the priesthood both young and not-so-young. There must be men all over the world – all over this country - who are hearing the call in the depths of their being, but have yet to understand or translate their vocation into action. We don’t know who they are but God has chosen them from all eternity and he expects us to pray for them. Our society today seems to be in a state of confusion, like sheep without a shepherd. So our need for the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Holy Redeemer has never been greater.

I give thanks today for the graces I have received, particularly those I never realized I needed. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for calling me forward, forgiving my sins and giving me some work to do in his vineyard for the past 25 years. I give thanks to the Holy Spirit for enabling me to respond - eventually - to the word he spoke to me when I was seven.

And I give thanks to our Father in heaven for the Faith he instilled in me from my earliest days. Because Faith, like a vocation, is a gift of God. Although those in receipt of such a gift have done nothing to deserve it, God is intensely interested to see what it is we are going to do with it.

Thank you for your prayers and goodwill. Thank you all for being at this Mass.

From the RegistersOctober - December 2017

Baptisms: Nancy Louise Bailey, Ivy Rae Frances Harris, Georgina Rose Always, Edgaras Olsauskas, Ava Marie Nixon, Aubree Rose Baily-Root, Kai Jacob Walshe, Keelan Riley Michael McGovern, Ethan Kristian Michael Davis, Alia Ozdemir, Haroon Dhahir-Adams, William Paul Wondsor, Lucas Arthur Lloyd, Joshua John Watson.Deaths: Carmelina Mausolle, Tina Dunning, Davide Bratessani, Anne Marie Cordery, Paddy McMahon, Leo Crossling, Vincenzo Mingoia.Marriages: Justin Thomas and Samantha Sweeney, Lincoln Lawford and Laura Mead.

Page 9St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017

Schools Near Ashford ParishSt Michael’s Primary School (Age 5-11) Feltham Hill Road, Ashford, Middlesex TW15 2DG Telephone: 01784 253333 www.st-michaels.surrey.sch.ukOur Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Parish: Staines-upon-Thames Distance: 1.1 miles www.ourlady.surrey.sch.ukSt Ignatius Catholic Primary School, Sunbury Parish: Sunbury-on-Thames Distance: 1.4 miles www.st-ignatius.surrey.sch.ukSt Paul’s Catholic College Parish: Sunbury-on-Thames Distance: 1.5 miles www.st-pauls.surrey.sch.ukSt Lawrence’s Catholic Primary School Parish: Feltham Distance:1.5 miles www.st-lawrencesprimary.co.ukSt Michael & St Martin’s Catholic Primary School Parish: Hounslow Distance: 2.7 miles www.stmichaelandstmartin.co.uk

Talks on the Catholic Faith. If you are interested in becoming a Catholic or indeepening your knowledge of the Catholic Faith, you are most welcome toattend the series of talks on the Catholic Faith on Tuesday evenings at 7.00pmin the presbytery meeting room. Please just come along.

Manna. A big thank you from all the volunteers at Manna.to all who have donated to Manna over this Christmas period. The donations have been overwhelming and so generous. The next Manna Shortages list will be sent out in the New Year. May we take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

We are very grateful to our advertisers who enable us to distribute the magazine free to our parishioners. If you would like to advertise your business in our magazine, please telephone: 01784 252230 or email: ashford@rcdow.org.uk

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMESMasses for 4th Sunday of Advent, Sunday 24th

December6.00pm (Saturday Vigil Mass), 9:15am and 11.00am

CHRISTMAS MASSESChristmas Eve Sunday 24th December: 6.00pm and Midnight Mass at 11.00pm (Carols 10:30pm)Christmas Day, Monday 25th December: 9:15am and 11:00am (NO evening Mass)

SUNDAY MASS(Vigil) Saturday 6.00pm,9:15am Folk Group, Children’s Liturgies of the Word;11:00am Sung, (First Sunday, Ordinary of the Mass sung in Latin) 6:00pm

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION MASS9:15am and 7:00pm

WEEKDAY MASSMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9:15amEucharistic Adoration, Saturday 9:45am to 10:15amSacrament of Reconciliation, Saturday 10:15am to 10:45am

Altar Servers Heather Nolan 01784 256549Ashford Hospital Chaplain Frances Castledine 01784 455915Baptism Lee Gibson 07713 760281Charismatic Prayer Group Frances Castledine 01784 455915Choir Peter Turner 07710 405634Church Cleaning Anna Floyd 01784 248099Church Flowers Louise Lloyd 01784 665719Church Gardens Gavin Boyle 01784 254345Churches Together Demetri Pavia 01784 251841Collection Counters Kathy Lee 01784 420801Confirmation Clive De Souza 01784 246580Finance Committee Chris Derby 01784 253483First Holy Communion Sarah Davies 01784 251763Followers (8-14yrs) Colin Berkeley 01784 246514Folk Group Rachel Glynn 07798 918064 Sarah Glynn 07808 236041General Intercession Writers Tess De Souza 01784 246580Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Tess De Souza 01784 246580Fundraising Committee Anna Hogan 01784 254462Housebound and Sick Parishioners Gavin Boyle 01784 254345Ladies Circle Maysie Boone 01784 557165Missio Maureen Meek 01784 251590Organist Peter Turner 07710 405634Parish Council Godwin Pullicino 01784 255680RCIA Lee Gibson 07713 760281Readers Tess De Souza 01784 246580Repository Patricia Gillespie 01784 252230Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults Amanda McCarthy 01784 256810 Jennifer Parsons 01784 248314Sunday Friends (4-8 yrs) Rob Andrews 07905 249266 St Michael’s News Julian Game 01784 252230St Michael’s School Anne Bulfin 01784 253333Transport Gavin Boyle 01784 254345Weekly Newsletter Shenda Holmes 01784 252230

Page 10 St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – Parish Contacts

PARISH CONTACTS Parish Priest Mgr James Overton

St Michael’s Catholic Church, 112 Clarendon Road, Ashford, Middlesex TW15 2QD. Telephone: 01784 252230 Email: ashford@rcdow.org.uk Web: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/ashford/

Parish Secretary, parish registration, baptism enquiries and hall bookings contact: Shenda Holmes on 01784 252230Office Hours: Monday – Friday (not Thursdays), 9:00am – 1:00pm.

Teas and coffees after 9:15 am MassWhy not help out and join our rota. Contact Madeleine Haxton Smith 07958 323495

Regular weekly meetings/eventsSundays: Charismatic Prayer Group, St Joseph’s Chapel, 7:00pmWednesdays: Choir practice, Organ Loft, 7.30pm;Folk Group practice, St Joseph’s Chapel, 7:30pm (alternate Wednesdays)Thursdays: Ladies Circle, 8:00pm, Parish Hall (alternate Thursdays)Saturdays: Antique Fair (3rd Saturday of month)

Volunteers Needed

Now!

Wanted Altar Servers for the 9:15am MassGirls and boys who have received their First Holy Communion are welcome.

Interested?To find out more, please contact Heather Nolan on 01784 256549 or email: heathernolan61@gmail.com

St Michael’s News is always looking for interesting and diverse articles, so if you would like to contribute a piece to the next edition in as many or few words as you wish, please do so. You can remain anonymous if requested and you can be any age. The copy deadline for the next edition is 30th March 2018.

Muggeridge & Hills

General BuildingCarpentry and Decorating - Ashford

Phone Martin on 256773 for a free estimate

For a quality job by a qualified

tradesman

St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – Classified Page 11

Oremus – The Best Things in Life are FREEThis magazine is now a FREE publication! And it is our hope that it will continue to be so for many years to come. Everyone who now visits Westminster Cathedral, be they worshipper, pilgrim, wanderer or tourist, is most welcome to take home a copy of its official magazine. For more information and how to subscribe* please call Oremus: 020 7798 9052 or go to Gift Shop On Line: www.westminster cathedralshop.co.uk and click on “Subscriptions”.*A small postal charge is made to subscribers.

Local hospital visits If anyone in your family is in hospital and would like a Hospital Chaplain to visit them, please contact Frances Castledine for Ashford Hospital on 01784 884488 or the Chaplain’s Office for St Peter’s Hospital on 01932 872000. Hospital Chaplains will only know if one of your family is in hospital if you inform them.

Usual Service TimesSunday MassesSaturday 6:00pm, First Mass of Sunday;9:15am (including Children’s Liturgy of the Word);11:00am and 6:00pm

Weekday MassesMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9:15am No Mass on Thursdays

Holy Days of Obligation Masses9:15am and 7:00pm

Eucharistic Adoration Saturday 9:45 – 10:15am

Sacrament of Reconciliation   Saturday 10:15 – 10:45am

Sacrament of BaptismSecond Saturday of the month. Contact Lee Gibson on 01784 252194 / 07713 760281 or lee.gibson.2na@btinternet.com

Pact, the Catholic charity for prisoners and their families, is

offering free training and support for parishioners interested in

volunteering with them in prisons or in the local community. No

experience necessary. All enquiries welcome. To find out more please

contact ParishAction@ prisonadvice.org.uk

Whist Drive

A group of parishioners is looking to set up a weekly Whist Drive on Friday evenings at 7.00pm in the parish hall. Come with a friend or come on your own.

Full instructions will be given to those who do not know how to play, so new players are welcome. Initially they are looking to gauge interest, so please sign up on the sheet in the narthex if you would be interested in joining on Friday evenings.

For more information please contact Olaf and Diana Lobo on 01784 252618.

Employment opportunitySupport Workers Urgently Required

Are you Kind, Caring and Passionate? Do you enjoy making a difference? We are recruiting for Support Workers to Support and Care for Adult Individuals with learning disabilities.We have Full time and Part time Hours available.

A driving license is essential. (Own vehicle NOT required)

Benefits:• Earn £17,000 basic, based on full-time (overtime

opportunities available)• Free Induction training• 28 days paid annual holiday• Free enhanced DBS check• Use of company vehicles during your shift• Regular Supervisions with your supervisor• Yearly refresher training sessions• NVQ 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care paid for by

Boyce Care.Please contact our office on 01784 245817 for further details.

Boyce Care Ltd 172 Feltham Hill RoadAshford, Middlesex

TW15 1LFinfo@boycecare.co.uk

01784 245 817

PARISH HALL FOR HIREPlease contact Shenda Holmes on

01784 252230 or ashford@rcdow.org.uk

for further information.

NEXT ISSUE ... 30 Mar Copy deadline 16 Mar

Page 12 St Michael’s News – Christmas 2017 – Classified

Printed by Colormax, 10A Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middlesex TW15 2RY Tel: 01784 245477

St Michael’s Repository... ...stocks a variety of cards and gifts for all occasions,

including Mass Cards, Sympathy Cards, Birthday Cards, Get Well Cards and Baby Cards. The Repository is open after all weekend Masses and on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

~LOCAL ELECTRICIAN~Do you want a quick response and a reliable service?

No job too big or too small.

When you need an electrical fault / problem solved, We will solve it for you.

Extend the warm summer evenings with outdoor lighting & heating

Watch the football outside via an external socket and aerial outlet

For your local qualified electrician call Richard – 07875 958 912 www.electricaltt.com or

facebook com/electriciantwarea/

St Michael’s News

If you would like to advertise in St Michael’s News, please telephone: 01784 252230 or email: ashford@rcdow.org.uk

Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2017

Issue 94

ST MICHAEL’S NEWSINSIDE

Page 5 Page 7 Pages 8 - 9

Mass for Marriage

Enie Forbes remembered

Gavin Boyle at 90

This year 58 of our children made their First Holy Communion. There were three masses, which took place over the weekend of the 13th and 14th May. The children, who started their preparations back in January, also made their First Reconciliation on the 3rd February. All of the children, who were both excited and nervous, took part in the service in some way and it was a very special occasion. We congratulate them all on making their First Holy Communion.

Continued on pages 2 and 3

First Holy Communion 2017Central to our Faith:

by Sarah Davies (First Holy Communion Catechist)

Feast of St Michael 2017

Issue 95

ST MICHAEL’S NEWSINSIDE

Page 3 Page 6 Page 10

Lourdes 2017

ResultsDay My Journey

Text

When Cardinal Cormac Visited St Michael’s

19th November 2006

Hundreds of the parishioners of St Michael’s Catholic Church in Ashford, Middlesex welcomed the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, on Sunday, 19th November 2006 for his visit to Ashford to dedicate the church and the new altar.

This year, St Michael’s celebrates one hundred years as a Parish in the Diocese of Westminster.

Throughout the year, new building works at the church, including the redesign of the sanctuary and a new altar, were completed in time for the Cardinal’s visit.November 2006

sanctuary and a new altar, were completed in time for the Cardinal’s visit.November 2006

More pictures inside

on pages 4 & 5

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