This Sunday, 29th June, there will be a Missionary Appeal at both Masses. Founded in 1703, The Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers) are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation dedicated to sharing hope and love worldwide. For over 300 years, their mission has been clear: to evangelise the poor and the needy, pursue justice, foster peace, care for creation, inspired by Luke 4:18 and advance God’s kingdom here on earth. Today, more than 3,000 Spiritans from all continents bring this mission to life in over 60 countries, serving where the need is greatest - hospitals, parishes, prisons, schools, and refugee communities. They also support integral development for young people and work for justice globally. Your support and prayers keep this mission alive. Together, we carry the Spiritan light to the world’s darkest corners. Please give generously to this appeal.
The June prize draw, including the First Quarter Bonus Prize, will be made a little later than scheduled due to holiday absences and will take place in the Garden Room after 10:00 Mass on Sunday 13th July. The Club has capacity for new members. Are you a subscriber? Could you help support your parish in this additional way? For just £1 per month you can join this venture and enter the prize draw for cash prizes, with all proceeds going to the parish. Application forms are available in the church porch and also online here on the parish website. Please do sign up and help support your parish in this way.
The July 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.
This edition includes news of developments at St John Henry Newman Catholic Primary School in Peterborough, a report on the inaugural Ipswich Deanery Walking Pilgrimage and a report on the marriage celebration Mass held at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist 14th June.
Following the recent appointment of new joint head teachers at St Pancras school, efforts have been made to reinvigorate the relationship between school and church which has declined in recent times. Mr Ross McGill, a teacher at St Pancras for many years, has been appointed as the new Head of School and the new Executive Headteacher is Mrs Jo Berry. Fr Luke has met with the new leadership team at the school and one early outcome from these changes is the reintroduction of regular school Masses. Starting Thursday 5th June, year group Masses for the St Pancras children will be held each week at 10:00 in church, and in July a leavers Mass will be held. The new leadership team is looking for opportunities for the school to engage more with the parish and is open to approaches from parishioners to be involved with the school, and to further promote this interaction, it is hoped that Mr McGill will take up an ex-officio appointment on the Parish Mission Council. Let us pray that the rekindling of the church-school relationship develops and proves to be a source of inspiration and development of the faith of our young people.
The Ipswich Catholic Polish community will be celebrating an additional weekly Mass in St Mary Magdalen church. Starting on Saturday 31stMay, a regular Saturday evening Mass will be held in addition to the current Sunday noon Mass.
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.
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.
We are very grateful to the North West Ipswich Big Local Trust which has recently made two grant awards to the parish to be used for improvements to our church hall. These are an award of £1,000 for participating in a Dragons Den event at the end of September and a further £3,000 towards refurbishing the kitchen. We are very grateful to the Trust for these awards which will greatly assist with our continuing activity to modernise our hall.
