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News & Stories
Young Adults Brunch
On the last Saturday of the month, more than 20 young adults gathered for the first young adults brunch. They began with food and conversation and moved onto prayer and engaging teaching delivered by Deacon Liam Lynch. This new initiative will take place on the last Saturday of each month (except December). For more information visit www.nymo.org/brunch
Celebrating 12 years of priesthood
Congratulations to Fr Nicholas from St Anthony’s in Slough. Fr Nicholas celebrated 12 years of priesthood and Bishop Peter celebrated Mass in the parish on the 1st December.
Patronal Feast of Our Lady Immaculate
Bishop Peter celebrated Mass for our diocesan patronal feast of Our Lady Immaculate on Saturday 7th December. Clergy and people gathered to celebrate this feast alongside the opening of ‘Year of The Word’. Bishop Peter urges the faithful to:
“Listen to God’s Word in groups together and let God’s word be at the centre”
Our diocesan finance board
Our diocesan finance board met today for their winter meeting. We are delighted to announce that Brid Vaughan, Andrew Clutterbuck, Kathy Goodwin and Peter Commons has joined the board from today. Sadly, we say goodbye to Charles Whitehead and Margaret Harwood after 10 and 7 years service respectively. Bishop Peter thanked them both for all they offered as members of the board.
Father Wilson Sebastian MSFS
Bishop Peter wrote: “It is with the greatest sadness that I write to let you know that one of the Fransalian priests who help us so much in the Diocese, Father Wilson Sebastian MSFS, did not appear for Mass this morning at St Edward’s, Kettering and was found dead in bed.”
Fr Wilson had been Assistant Priest at Kettering since September 2018, prior to which he was assisting at Our Lady’s, Corby. Aged only 51, he had undergone much medical treatment since arriving in the UK but his sudden passing was an unexpected shock. He was from the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry in Kerala. South India.
Farewell to the Vincentians in Dunstable
The 28th September marked a momentous moment in the life of our diocese as Bishop Peter said a final farewell and thank you to the Vincentian Fathers from St Mary’s Parish in Dunstable. The Vincentian Fathers have been present in Dunstable since 1927 and have contributed greatly to the mission of the local church for over 70 years. Bishop Peter has appointed Fr Tony Brennan as the new Parish Priest of St Mary’s Parish consisting of the churches of St Mary’s, St Vincent’s and St Elizabeth’s.
RIP Canon Antony Gerard Griffiths
Canon Griffiths died in the early hours of 28th September at Lincroft Meadow nursing home in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, aged 94. He was the oldest priest in the Diocese. He was ordained in 1950, serving at Norwich, Lowestoft, High Wycombe and Marlow, from where he retired in 2002, though he remained resident and active there until the last couple of years spent at Woodstock.
Bishop Peter will celebrate the Funeral Mass at 11.30 am on Thursday, 17 October at St Peter’s Church, Marlow followed by a burial in the church grounds. There will be a reception afterwards in the Pugin Rooms of St Peter’s Church, Marlow.
Beyond the Wild
‘Beyond the Wild‘ is a Catholic ministry for young people, Confirmation groups etc.
New Headships
There are new Head Teacher appointments at several of our Diocesan schools.
- St Joseph Primary, Luton Maureen Murphy
- St Louis, Aylesbury – Catherine Machin
- Cardinal Newman Secondary, Luton – Andrew Bull
- St Mary and St Gregory Primaries, Northampton – Kirsty Yuen
- St Anthony Primary, Slough – Siobhan Ope
- The Good Shepherd Primary, Northampton – Carmel Dodds
- St Mary, Aston Primary le Walls – Laura Concannon
Further Clergy Moves
Bishop Peter has announced some further clergy moves for September.
Fr Gregory Marchwinski, who has been assisting at Our Lady’s Corby, goes to Kettering as priest-in-charge, to be assisted by Fr Wilson Sebastian MSFS, who has also been at Our Lady’s.
Fr Paul Hardy is retiring after 28 years service at St Edwards Milton Keynes and as chaplain at St Paul’s School. The parish and school will now become part of the St Barnabas cluster.
Fr Nathanael Onwuekwe moves from St Josephs Bedford to join the team at the St Barnabas cluster in Milton Keynes.
Canon John Koenig has decided to retire, on health grounds.
Fr David Barrett will become parish priest at Olney.
Fr Eustace Durugbo MSP will be going to St Margaret of Scotland Luton for one year.
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future events
April 2020
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June 2020
August 2020