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Wilhelmina Firmin RIP

Wilhelmina Firmin, known as Helmi, passed away on February 19th aged 97 years. The Firmin family were in the parish for many years living on Bramford Road, but Wilhelmina has been most recently a resident at Sherrington House Care Home. Her requiem will be at St Mary Magdalen church on Thursday 21st March at 10:00 am. Please pray for Wilhelmina and for her family and friends who mourn her passing.


Holy Week

Holy Week starts on Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Sunday 24th March. There are Holy Week posters available in the church porch – please take one home and display it prominently in your window to remind others of the true meaning of the Good News – that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead at Easter to redeem us all.


Chrism Mass

The Chrism Mass, one of the main Diocesan events of the year, will be celebrated by Bishop Peter in the Cathedral of St John, Norwich on Tuesday 26th March at 11:30. At this Mass the oils for the Sacraments are blessed, and priests, deacons and people of the Diocese renew their commitment to serve. A coach will be travelling from St Mary’s church, Woodbridge Road, departing at 9:00 am and this is open to members of all Ipswich parishes. There will be a fare of £15 return for the coach and if you would like to sign up, please contact the parish secretary at St Mary’s by email.


Gift Aid

Would all those parishioners who normally make their weekly offering using Gift Aid envelopes please note that their new 2024/25 envelopes are now available for collection from the Narthex. If you can't find your envelopes in the box please write your name on the sheet provided for this purpose and they will be made available to you next week. If anyone who has already signed up to giving by Gift Aid has changed their address during the last year, or did not pay sufficient income or capital gains tax to cover the tax reclaimable on their offerings, then please notify either Fr. Luke, Fr. Paul or Chris Croker (Gift Aid Co-ordinator).


The Chosen

Would you like to be Chosen? Hopefully the answer to that question is "Yes!"

What is Chosen? Chosen is a historical drama about the life of Jesus, but told through the lives of those who knew Him best, those whom He chose, those to whom He said, ‘follow me.’ And the greatest message of all is that we – watching the show today - are also the chosen. God chose to give His only son for us, that we might know everlasting life. It is probably the most successful TV show you have never heard of. It is a ground-breaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus Christ, seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the seven-season show shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings. The Chosen is based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ.

Who will be chosen? The Chosen sessions are open to all and you are all warmly invited to come along. There is no charge for attending.

Why Should I Be Chosen? This dramatic adaptation of the Bible will be helpful in understanding the stories in the New Testament and their context in the socio-political events of the time. The disciples were all ordinary men and their arguments, pettiness, irritability and confusion, as well as their bravery and conviction, are convincingly portrayed. You cannot understand the New Testament without appreciating the Hebrew scriptures, or Old Testament, which provides the social and religious context from which Christianity emerged, and the Chosen captures the Jewish commitment to faith in God permeating every part of life: every meal, every drink, every entrance to every house. The political context of Jesus life and ministry is evident in this production as Jesus lived and ministered during a time of imperial occupation and The Chosen conveys the political significance of Israel’s subjugation to the mighty Roman Empire. You also see the power-play between the Pharisees and a religious establishment determined to stamp out challenges to their authority. The Chosen helps you understand the controversy created by Jesus’ actions and his claims. In displaying his humanity, it does not downplay Jesus’ supernatural power and his claims to be the Messiah. But this is deeply controversial because Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah anyone was expecting - to many he was a deluded and dangerous blasphemer who should be condemned and silenced. Children as young as seven have been captivated by the series, while people who have been Christians for forty years or more have said that it has brought the Bible and the character of Jesus to life for them in new ways. Come along and judge for yourself.


Parish 150 Club

The February prize draw of the parish 150 Club was made Sunday 3rd March in the Garden Room after the 10:00 am Mass. The winners were Mr & Mrs T Smith, Mrs A Prentice, Mr J Cleary and Mr R Hennon. Full details of this month's prizes and winners can be found here.

As we approach the end of the Club’s financial year 31st March, we are especially on the lookout for additional members. Some of our supporters have sadly passed away during the year, others have moved away from the parish and so there is plenty of room for new joiners just to make up the numbers. If you are not a member, why not sign up today and help support your parish. Application forms are available in the church porch or, you can complete our on-line application form here.


The Alpha Course

The current Alpha course has now finished and positive feedback has been received from a number of the attendees. For the first time this year, Alpha course attendance was made compulsory for parents of the First Holy Communion children, but the course is open to all and a number of other people attended and have commented on its value. It is intended to hold two further Alpha courses later in the year and details of these will be announced soon.


Catholic East Anglia

The March edition of Catholic East Anglia, the Diocesan newspaper, is available in the church porch. This is free – please do take a copy home and read it.

The edition includes a report on Bishop Peter’s visit to Rome and Canterbury for the IARCCUM summit and a meeting of 50 Catholic and Anglican bishops in Norwich.

Also included is a story about an East Anglian Catholic’s family reliance on prayer when faced with a leukaemia diagnosis for their young son and the celebration of religious life in East Anglia.

The newspaper is also available to read on-line here on the parish web site - click the cover image to do so.


CAFOD Lenten Fast Day

Friday 23rd February is CAFOD’s Lenten Fast Day. This Lent, your donations to CAFOD’s Family Fast Day appeal will help hardworking people like James the fisherman in Liberia with resources, tools and training to feed their families for good.

The following Sunday, 25th February, we will be taking a second collection for the CAFOD appeal at each of the weekend Masses. You can donate using the special CAFOD envelopes – don’t forget to Gift Aid your donation if you’re eligible - or online here at the CAFOD web site and please pray with James that our sisters and brothers around the world have what they need to feed their families.

Click the red Play icon on the image above to watch a short video about James and the work that CAFOD is doing in Liberia to help James and others like him.

Lenten Prayer

Inspired by Jesus' relationship with fishermen in the Gospels, and the stories of fishermen in Liberia today, we pray

Loving God, when our boat is rocked on the sea of life, by poverty, illness or disaster, you quiet the waves, calm the storm, and lead us safely to shore.
When we work hard, for our daily bread, but at the end of the day go hungry, you walk alongside us, calling, "cast out your nets", knowing there is enough for all.
When we are lost, and uncertain of how to make a change in our world, your words ring out: "Come, follow me", guiding us to new life with you.
Lead us then, Lord, to play our part in calming the storm and sharing your gifts with each other, so that all people throughout the world may look to the future with hope.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.


Would You be Interested in a Craft Session?

It has been suggested that we might start a craft group within the parish. Such a group would probably meet on a monthly basis in the afternoon or possibly an evening during the week. If you would be interested in such a venture, or would like to hear more information about this idea and the sorts of crafts that might be covered, then please contact Jean McSorley on 01473 462740 or by email to [email protected]