The March edition of Catholic East Anglia, the free Diocesan newspaper, is now published and you can collect a paper copy from the back of church. Alternatively, click the image to the left and you can read the issue online.
The edition includes news of the Jubilee Mass held to celebrate religious life.
Also included are reports on Bishop Peter blessing the foundation stone at the St Philip Howard redevelopment site and a report from the Diocese youth team’s pilgrimage to Northern France.
For 5 consecutive Wednesday evenings starting 12th March at 7:00 pm in the Garden Room, Fr Luke will lead a reflective journey through the Apostles’ Creed using the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This series of sessions provides an ideal opportunity for us all to enhance our Lenten observance this year.
The February prize draw took place Sunday, 23rd February in the Garden Room after the 10:00 am Mass. The prize-winners were Mrs R Shorten, Mr A T Long, Mr P Boast and Mr M Campbell. Full prize draw results can be found here.
Are you a member of the 150 Club? If not, application forms are available in the church porch or you can also apply online here on the parish website. Please do sign up and help support your parish in this way.
We will shortly be starting a Bible Study Group in the parish. Come along, learn and pray more in the Scriptures with our Bible Study group. This will be held weekly on Thursday evenings starting at 7:15 pm Thursday 6th March and the group will start by looking at St Luke’s Gospel. The venue is yet to be confirmed, and will be dependent upon the number of people interested. If you are registered on ChurchSuite, you can sign up there, or alternatively please click [javascript protected email address] to email Martin Pakes. This would be a good way to do something extra as part of your Lenten preparations.
We are soon going to be continuing with our showings of the acclaimed television series depicting the life and times of Jesus Christ – The Chosen. We will begin showing season 3 in the Garden Room on Saturday evenings in March, commencing 8th March at 7:00 pm. For four consecutive Saturday evenings we will show two episodes each evening, with a refreshment break between and a short period of discussion and reflection. This is highly recommended for all parishioners, and guests, young and old. Please do come along - it would be good to do something extra for Lent.
If you are new to the parish, or have only recently joined, please could you complete a registration form that can be found in the church porch, or downloaded here. This will ensure we have your details in the parish records and can effect a proper introduction and welcome to you and your family.
If you are, or know of anybody who is, housebound and cannot get to Mass regularly, and would like a home visit with Holy Communion from a priest or an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, please let Fr Luke or Fr Paul know, or send an [javascript protected email address], and we will organise something for you.
Alpha started in 1977 at Holy Trinity church in Brompton, London where Alpha was positioned as a course for people outside of the church to explore the Christian faith through a series of talks and through conversation with others, and since then it has grown and now runs all across the world. Millions of people have experienced Alpha in over 100 countries and over 100 languages around the globe.
Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each session looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha can be a great tool for evangelisation, creating a space in parishes where everyone is welcome.
Alpha is a series of group conversations that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith in an open, friendly environment. Everyone’s welcome. No matter your background or beliefs, you’re invited.
Alpha is for everyone, whether you’re new to exploring faith or simply open-minded about it all, Alpha is for you. We all bring different thoughts to the table, and at Alpha we want to create a space that’s open for everyone to find what faith means for them. Each Alpha course is different, but fundamentally each session revolves around:
Food – Most sessions start with food, because it’s a great way to connect and get to know everyone there.
Talk – The talks explore the basics of the Christian faith and are designed to inspire conversation. Usually around thirty minutes long, they are played as video episodes each week.
Conversation – There is a discussion after the video where you can share your thoughts and ideas on the session’s topic. You can say anything you like, or nothing at all. It’s your Alpha, on your terms.
Alpha is a space to explore different parts of the Christian faith in a relaxed and friendly environment. Each session covers a different topic, like prayer, the bible, who Jesus is and loads more. Then there’s plenty of time to chat about what you think. Each group has a leader to help guide the conversation. There’s never pressure to share your thoughts, but the floor is yours if you do want to say something.
There will be a further Alpha course starting on Wednesday 30th April 2025. This will be held in St Mark's church hall, 180 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich, IP2 0QQ at 7:30pm, and weekly thereafter. The full dates of all these sessions can be found here in the parish calendar. If you are interested in finding out more about Christianity, exploring your faith further, or looking for a spiritual boost in your life, then why not come along and explore Alpha for yourself.
If you would like to find out more about Alpha, or would like to register your interest in joining our next course, please [javascript protected email address] us with your details and we will get back to you nearer the time, or you can click here to watch a short introductory video about the Alpha course.
Now available in the church porch are the new editions of the Diocesan Year Book for 2025 priced at £3.50 per copy. The annual Yearbook contains a comprehensive, up-to-date guide to the Diocese of East Anglia. It can also be read and referenced online here on the parish web site - click on the image to the left to access it.
The East Anglia Diocesan Youth Service exists to help young people in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to connect with Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church. It carries out this mission by running pilgrimages and events, by providing support to parishes and schools and also through its Ignite Team, which visits schools and churches to run retreats, activities and workshops.
The Diocesan Youth Service publishes an annual newsletter summarising the passing year's activities, and the most recent newsletter, November 2024, has just been published - you can find copies in the church porch or you can read it online here.
