Spiritual Communion Prayer

Now that the English Bishops have ‘invited’ us back to church to fulfil our Sunday obligation it has been decided that we no longer need to recite the prayer of spiritual communion as most of us will now be present in the church and therefore able to receive communion. Those

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Ordination of Joseph Gulliford

Many of you will remember Joseph who came to St Edmunds for a year’s work experience just six months before the first lockdown. Joseph enriched our liturgy with his wonderful music and as lockdown started he livestreamed a daily personal reflection of words and music that was picked up by

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Fr Ashley to attend Rome Conference

This is a picture of the Notre Dame University Rome Global Gateway, a centre for the American Catholic university where some American students come to study each year. I am going there for a conference later this week inaugurating a new international Consortium of Catholic Universities, as part of a

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Basket collections at Mass

We now have over 450 people making their offerings to the parish electronically, either by standing order or through ChurchSuite. These payments will be from individuals, couples and families and probably cover the majority of our parishioners. Thank you to those of you who are donating in this way. We

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9.30 Mass Singers Wanted

As things slowly return to normal we find ourselves short of singers to help lead the congregation at the 9.30 am Mass on Sundays. We are particularly looking for more men to join us but would welcome anyone who could sing on a regular basis. Come and chat to any

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Lifting of Covid Restrictions in Church

We are pleased to be able to announce that some restrictions on worship in church have been lifted now in St Edmund’s. The first is that although Holy Communion from the chalice for laypeople has not yet been restored by the bishops we will now be giving Holy Communion from

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Returning to Mass at Pentecost

At its recent meeting in Cardiff, the Bishops Conference issued a statement inviting all Catholics, from the feast of Pentecost next weekend, to return to Mass attendance in church on Sundays and Holy Days – you can read it here . This invitation recognises changes in Covid-19 infections in recent

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St Edmund’s 72nd Anniversary of Consecration

Tomorrow is the 72nd anniversary of the consecration of our church by Bishop Cyril Cowderoy, twelve years after the building was finished before the war. Vigil Mass this evening at 6, Mass tomorrow at 10 and 6. The consecration candles will be lit around the church, marking the places where

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Family Mass – One Year On

Last Sunday, 15th May, marked one year since we relaunched the Family Mass in our Parish of St Edmunds celebrating it each week in the Parish Hall. One year ago we were still very restricted by rules governing what we could and could not do. When we began only two

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Which Bible to buy?

Sometimes people ask for advice about buying Bibles. I am not a biblical scholar but I think I always indicate two things. First of all, make sure you get a Catholic Bible (so not, for example, the ‘Authorised Version’ or the ‘New International Version’). I am not being anti-Protestant or

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