Welcome

Welcome:

Welcome to the web site for the Roman Catholic parish of St. Mary Magdalen Ipswich.  We welcome all visitors and newcomers to the Church, and hope that you find everything you are looking for on this site. Our aim is to keep this web space up to date with current parish news, information and events, aiming to be accessible for the people of the parish and the community in which we are situated.

Under the guidance and leadership of our parish priest, Fr Luke Goymour and his assistant priest Fr Paul Chanh, we are looking to expand and enrich our community in youth projects, music in worship, children's liturgy and other areas. If you want to be active in our future please speak with Fr Paul at the church, or use the contact page. 

If you have any comments about this site, its content or suggestions for additional content, particularly if you could not find the information you were looking for, please use the contact form to send a message to the webmaster.

On-Line Giving

During the times when our ability to attend church in person was impacted by Coronavirus restrictions, on-line donations to our offertory collection were a lifeline for the parish.  Even if you are now attending again in person, please consider donating on-line to our offertory by setting up a regular payment by standing order from your bank account, or alternatively you can make a one-off payment. This is easy to do - you can find details here. 

A Prayer for Ukraine

Mary, Our Lady of Kiev, Mother of God,
we ask you to intercede for the people of Ukraine,
for their government
and all who suffer as a result of war.

Be with them as you stood beside your son,
suffering on the cross at Calvary.
Give them strength and courage 
through faith, hope and justice.

May we, in our turn,
support them through prayer and generosity
that human lives may be saved,
that the injured may be healed,
that the dead rest in peace,
that there will be peace after the war.
Amen

Prayers for the Sick

Almighty and Eternal God, You are the everlasting health of those who believe in You. We ask you to remember those in our parish who are unwell, afflicted or distressed. Grant them comfort, relief and consolation of your Holy Spirit and through the aid of Your tender mercy, restore  them to bodily health. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Find our Facebook Page

Use the QR Code below to find the St Mary Magdalen Facebook group which you can join.

St Mary Magdalen's Parish Newsletter
The latest issue of the parish newsletter is available on-line: you can find it here.
Back copies of the parish newsletter from 2018 to date are also available on-line - select Newsletters from the menu bar, and then select the year required.

The Diocesan Newspaper
You can read the latest edition of Catholic East Anglia, the Diocesan newspaper on-line: you can find it here.

Fr Luke's Homilies
Each week, Fr Luke Goymour records and publishes his homily. You can listen to these recordings by clicking here.

The Divine Mercy
Each Friday, after the 10:00 am Mass, there will be Exposition, a Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Benediction

The Second Sunday in Advent - 8^th December 2024

The three Synoptic Gospels - Mark, Matthew, and Luke - attest to the importance of the baptism of John in preparing for Jesus. Only the Gospel of Luke, however, extends the connection between these two men to their birth. The first two chapters of Luke's Gospel contain the Infancy Narrative, which tells about the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. These stories set the stage for the beginning of Jesus' public ministry in chapter 3.

The evangelist Luke is the author of the Gospel that bears his name, and he also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a continuation of the story of Jesus and the Church. In these two works, Luke's sense of time and history emerges. He identifies three epochs of salvation history: the time before Christ, the time of Christ, and the time of the Church and the Holy Spirit. In today's Gospel reading, as elsewhere, John the Baptist is presented as the figure who bridges the time before Christ and prepares the way for Christ's own ministry.

In today's Gospel we also note Luke's attention to political and historical detail. Luke shows that salvation is for all people and situated in world events. Therefore, Luke lists the political and religious leaders at the time of John's appearance in the desert. Salvation is understood as God's breaking into this political and social history.

John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus, we too are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives the coming of the Lord, as John did. Courtesy Loyola Press

The Advent Wreath

On the first Sunday of Advent, we place upon the sanctuary our Advent wreath. This is a circular garland of evergreen branches, representing eternity, on which five candles are arranged: three purple candles and one pink around the wreath and one white one at its centre. During the season of Advent, one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday as a part of the Advent service. Individually, each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ and, as a whole, these candles represent the coming of the light of Christ into the world. Each Sunday in Advent, a particular Advent candle is lit. Catholic tradition states that each of the four candles, one for each of the four weeks of Advent, represents one thousand years, to total the 4,000 years from the time of Adam and Eve until the birth of the Saviour. On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This first candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah and is typically called the "Prophecy Candle" in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ:

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel.

On the second Sunday of Advent, we light the second purple candle, which traditionally represents love - some traditions call this the "Bethlehem Candle," symbolising Christ's manger:

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Certain Sundays throughout the liturgical year have taken their names from the first word in Latin of the Introit, the entrance antiphon at Mass. The third Sunday in Advent, Gaudete Sunday, is one of these. The name comes from Philippians 4:4-5 Gaudete in Domino semper – Rejoice in the Lord always. Gaudete Sunday is a joyous celebration. Although it takes place during the penitential period of Advent, Gaudete Sunday serves as a mid-point break from the austere practices to rejoice in the nearness of Jesus' return. Like Lent, Advent is a penitential season, so the priest normally wears purple vestments, but on Gaudete Sunday, having passed the midpoint of Advent, the Church lightens the mood a little, and the priest may wear rose vestments. Similarly, today, the pink or rose-coloured candle of our Advent Wreath is lit. This pink candle is customarily called the Shepherds Candle and it represents joy:

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’”

On the fourth and last Sunday in Advent, we light the last purple candle. This candle, often called the Angel’s Candle, and represents peace.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests."

On Christmas Eve at the Christmas Midnight Mass, the white centre candle is lit. This candle is called the Christ Candle and represents the life of Christ that has come into the world. The colour white represents purity. Christ is the sinless, spotless, pure Saviour. Those who receive Christ as Saviour are washed of their sins and made whiter than snow:

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Prayer for Peace in the Middle East

They will hammer their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, no longer will they learn how to make war.
Isaiah 2:4
God of peace, bearer of hope, we seek your help for the peoples of the Middle East.
Quiet the clamour of war and guide us towards peace.
Where there is hatred and division, sow seeds of calm and openness.
Where there is destruction, help us to rebuild.
Where children are crying, bring an end to tears.
Shelter your peoples and protect them.
Guide them and keep them from harm.
Show us how to break down the barriers of history and fear and breathe whispers of hope.
Amen.
Linda Jones / CAFOD

The Divine Mercy