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CHURCH ACTIVITIES
ALPHA
Alpha is for people who want to investigate Christianity, new Christians,
newcomers to the church and those who want to brush up on the basics.
Contact King’s Arms Church (telephone 01234 306500) or e-mail
info@kingsarms.org
GROUPS SUPPORTED IN THE PARISHES
Information refers to Holy Cross Church unless indicated as St Philip & St James.
For details contact Fr Tony Brennan - Tel: 01234 353116
Adult Choir
All adults are most welcome to join this group who help with the music, particularly at the First Communion and Confirmation monthly Masses and the other special occasions that these groups are involved with. At most it is a once or twice monthly commitment, and people give of their time and talent whenever they can. Please make yourself known to us and join in whenever you can. It is fun and very satisfying and all ages and abilities are most welcome.
Altar Servers
Holy Cross has always been blessed with dedicated Altar Servers (boys and girls) to help our priest at Mass.
If there are any children who have made their First Communion and feel they would like to become a server, please make yourselves known. Don’t be shy – give it a try!
APF (Association for the Propagation of the Faith) Red Boxes
Red Box donations made regularly in over 200,000 Catholic homes in England and Wales, bring God’s love and hope to the poorest and most in need. Red Box holders become members of the APF worldwide, the only charity to support ALL mission dioceses on their way to self-sufficiency.
The APF website is: www.pontificalmissionsocieties.co.uk
Baptism Preparation
Baptism Preparation Classes are held approximately every 6-8 weeks on a weekday evening. The requirement is to attend once. The purpose of the class is to explain the sacrament and the Baptism service to couples who want to have their child/children baptised. There is also discussion about the responsibilities of parents bringing up their children as Christians, the practicalities of attending Mass and the facilities and activities available to families in the parishes. The class is run by Fr Tony with the support of parishioners who are parents themselves. The sacrament of Baptism can be celebrated either during Mass at either church, or as a stand-alone service, usually at around lunchtime on Sunday. Celebrating the sacrament during Mass serves to introduce the child/children to the community in which they will live. If you want your child to receive the sacrament of Baptism, please complete a form available at the back of church and speak to Fr Tony in the first instance. Dates of Baptism Preparation classes are advertised in both parish bulletins.
Bedford Credit Union
Bedford Credit Union is situated at 6 St. Paul’s Square Bedford – just by the Council Offices. We offer facilities for savings, loans at reasonable rates of interest and a friendly atmosphere – why not come and join us?
Membership is now open to anyone living or working in Bedford, Kempston and the surrounding villages and Mid-Beds. We are open: Monday 12 – 4, Tuesday 7 – 8.30 pm, Wednesday 10 – 4, Friday 10 – 1 pm and Saturday 9 – 12 noon.
We are always looking for volunteers, so if you have any spare time, why not come and work in a friendly and busy office or become a member of one of the three committees that run the Credit Union.
For more information please visit our website: www.bedfordcreditunion.org.uk
Car Boot Sales
These are held on a Saturday morning regularly throughout the year
Catenians
The Catenian Association was founded in Manchester in 1908. Its aims were simply to provide a monthly opportunity for Catholic business and professional men to meet in a cordial atmosphere, to pray together as a group and partake in a relaxing social meal.
The Association is exclusive to Catholic men, but wives are invited to join their husbands for ladies’ nights in October, December and March. They also meet on special occasions which the president of the Association chooses to organise throughout the year. These include visits to places outside the area, opera visits, safari supper and pub lunches. There are also opportunities to take part in sports, (if you find it absolutely necessary), such as golf and cricket.
The Association meets on the third Wednesday of each month at The Swan Hotel Bedford at 7.30 pm.
Usually the president for the year will choose a charity to ask the members to support.
Catholic Women’s League (St Philip & St James)
Our motto is charity, work and loyalty. There has been a CWL section in the parish of St Philip & St James since the 1970s.
We meet monthly and the meeting date varies. We hold formal meetings where we start with prayers and then discuss issues and plans for future fund raising events in support of charities. We fund raise in different ways including the Christmas and Easter Bazaars.
Our monthly meetings are held after the 11 am Mass on Sunday.
We support different charities through donations and provide practical and financial support when needed at St Philip & St James. We support each other and the parish community.
St Margaret Clitherow and her fellow martyrs pray for us.
Children’s Liturgy
Children’s Liturgy meets every Sunday in term time at the 9.15 am Mass. There are two groups aged 3-5 and 6+. Activities are usually based around the Gospel and there are special programmes during Advent and Lent. All children, including visitors, are most welcome.
Communion Assistants
If you are interested in becoming a Communion Assistant, please contact Fr Tony.
Confirmation: 13+ year olds
The programme runs from October to July, with fortnightly meetings, two overnight/day retreats and several social occasions. It runs on Tuesday evenings from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm. As a supportive community, we grow in awareness of how much we are loved by God, explore our faith and different ways to pray, as well as enjoying each other’s company.
Approximately once a month there is a special Mass on Saturday evening. All are welcome, but preferably when young people are in Year 9 (aged 13) and above.
Confirmation: Adult Helpers
We desperately need adults to accompany our young people during their work in First Communion Preparation, Confirmation and Impact groups. We are grateful for all help. Unless we have enough adults we cannot continue to run these activities. Adults who come forward are most welcome to contribute whatever they can in time, from a weekly commitment, excluding school holidays, to just a couple of times a term on a rota system. Adults can contribute to the activities in the sessions as much or as little as they feel comfortable. It is very worthwhile, a fun thing to be a part of and a very special way of getting to know people and being inspired by our young people.
Cub Scouts: 8 – 10½ year olds
Meeting time is 6.45 pm – 8.15 pm on a Thursday in term time, in the Pastoral Centre.
The Cub Scouts have a full and varied programme of activities throughout the year. Annual major events consist of BAG (bring a grown up) Cub Scout camp at Great Barford in September; Easter weekend camp plus various camps throughout the year.
They try to combine learning new skills with fun and entertainment. The Cub Scouts are directed towards the Scout section once they reach ten and a half years old, so as to continue their Scouting activities within the Scout movement. There are currently about 20 Cub Scouts in the group.
Daughters of the Holy Spirit
There are at present two sisters in our community as Sr. Delia is now part of the Northampton community. As a community we welcome Youth 2000 who pray in our house on a weekly basis and we are also hoping to organise a prayer group. Sr. Kathleen visits the elderly in their homes. She is also a member of the SVP group and the hospital chaplaincy team. Sr. Eileen works at our convent in Olney. She cares for our sick and elderly sisters, in addition to supporting the Olney community as administrator, doing the accounts etc.
Daughters of the Holy Spirit – Lay Associates
An international group of men and woman who share the charism of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, and order whose origins began very simply in 1706, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in Brittany. The Bedford group meet on the first Wednesday of the month at the Sisters house in Bradgate Road. They come together in prayer to reflect on the way the Holy Spirit is working in their lives – with their families, parish work and wider roles in the community. The internationality of the Associates has a real flavour at the meetings, especially when we hear and pray about Associates in Peru or France and when we meet Sisters visiting from Africa or the States. The Associates welcome men and women who, after a period of one to two years formation within the local group, can choose to make their first annual commitment in sharing the charism of the DHS in their own lives. The group provides a powerful support network through prayer and action. For further information you are warmly invited to contact them.
Emmaus Village – Carlton
The principal objective of Emmaus is to provide accommodation and employment for homeless people in accordance with the principles of the Emmaus movement. The name Emmaus comes from the village in Palestine where two despairing disciples found hope again. For all of us, whatever our background, it symbolises a shared conviction that love alone can unite us and enable us to move forward together.
The Emmaus movement was born in November 1949, when people with a sense of their own privileged position and personal responsibility in the face of injustice encountered others who no longer had any reason for living. They decided to join forces to help both each other and others in need, in the belief that only in saving others can one save oneself. To achieve this they set up communities whose members work both to earn a living and to give to others. They are supported by groups of friends and volunteers committed to public and private action.
Emmaus Village, Carlton, has a Bistro (their Pavlova is scrumptious!) and shops, which are open from 10 am to 4.30 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Donated furniture is repaired and renovated for resale. There are many lovely walks around Emmaus. Pay a visit to Emmaus – you will be assured of a warm welcome.
Finance Committee and Gift Aid
The Finance Committee makes regular reviews of parish finances and it reports on whether material expenditures planned by the Parish Pastoral Council can be funded. The Chairman is Bernard Waddingham. Margaret Wells looks after the Parish's Gift Aid records and also standing orders for parishioners' contributions. If you complete a Gift Aid declaration, this enables the parish to recover from the Government 28p for every pound of contributions. Standing orders may also be completed directly by those with on line or telephone banking.
First Holy Communion: 7+ year olds (year 3)
There is a programme running from September to June, during which the parish, school and parents work closely together to prepare children to celebrate their first Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Communion.
Parents’ meetings, children’s meetings and special monthly celebrations of Mass are all part of this special journey in faith.
Flowers
The church flowers are replaced on a fortnightly basis. There is a rota for helpers and you don’t need to have experience or have any artistic qualifications to volunteer! It is not a heavy commitment as you would only be on the rota about 3 times per year and you will be given some money to buy the flowers. However you can always help with the flowers for special services during the year if you would like to do more.
Girlguiding UK
Founded in 1910, the organisation continues to be strong and vibrant, offering girls and young women the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world. We are fortunate that in our parishes we have:
Rainbows who “LOOK, LEARN, LAUGH and LOVE”. They are aged 5–7 years old.
Brownies have many and various “ADVENTURES”. They are aged 7-10 years old.
Guides are always ready to “GO FOR IT” by accepting various challenges. They are aged 10-16 years old.
In the Senior Section our young women are able to select their own path which may include qualifying for a Young Leader’s Certificate which is recognised by employers nationally. There are also opportunities for overseas travel both for work and play.
Goldington Churches Together
After many years of working together informally, Holy Cross Church together with St Mary’s [C of E] Goldington and Priory Methodist Church signed a formal agreement at Pentecost 2000.
The agreement begins...
“Mindful of Christ’s prayer: “May they all be one so that the world will believe that you sent me,” we, the priests, ministers and people of Holy Cross, Priory and St Mary’s Churches, who have shared through our ecumenical partnership our Christian life in a variety of ways over recent years, now seek to further God’s work in Goldington by a formal commitment to grow together in doing His will. “
We have a small group with representatives from each church who meet through the year to plan various activities which are advertised in the newsletters.
Holy Cross Shop
The Bookstall and Repository are open after both Masses over one weekend most months. The aim is to provide a selection of books for the young and not so old. The books can be to help with prayer, to entertain or be relevant to the liturgical time of the year.
A selection of cards for most occasions are available, in particular, Mass cards. Rosaries and crucifixes and a selection of other goods are available. Prices start from as low as 60p so children can be encouraged to spend a little.
Any profits made are donated to purchase items for the church. Please see the Parish Newsletter for the next date and we look forward to meeting you – for a chat – to browse – to purchase
Hospital Visiting
An ecumenical group who meet every Tuesday at South Wing Hospital. They visit all the wards and talk to all the patients and help in any way they can, if required. Then they report back to the chaplain.
Impact: 14 – 17 year olds
This group is for people who have been confirmed. In fortnightly meetings there are discussions, enquiries and social occasions. Most of the Impact group are catechists, and help with the confirmation meetings, weekends away and social occasions. They have been raising money for the work of the Bedford Prebend Centre for the homeless and rootless.
Knights of St Columba (Holy Cross & SS Philip & James)
An organisation of Catholic men who support the clergy of the diocese in their work and raise money for local, national and international charities including Keech Cottage Children’s Hospice, CAFOD and many more. They also organise a number of regular social events within Bedford for parishes, our elderly and infirm members and general fundraising purposes. They can often be seen running their candyfloss stall at a parish fair, providing car park stewards for a parish event or wracking their brains at the monthly quiz. The motto of the order is “Charity, Unity and Fraternity”, which they try to live up to through their varied work. They are a friendly bunch and meet on the second Wednesday of the month at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Kempston.
Marriage Preparation
Courses are held at Buckden. A minimum of 3 months notice should be given to Fr Tony. Both partners must be free to marry and one partner should be baptised Roman Catholic.
Music Group (Sunday 9.15 am Mass)
We are Steve, Philippa, Hilary, Simon, Duvessa and Stephanie: a group of people who attempt to enhance the liturgy of the Mass by providing appropriate music whether instrumental, congregational, solo or choir pieces. We ensure that those parts of the Mass that should be sung are sung and so we sing the Gloria, proclaim the Psalm through song, sing the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. Our aim is to support and enrich the spiritual life of the Parish in this way.
According to the theme of the Mass and the season of the liturgical year, we highlight different parts of the Mass and we use the publication ‘The Liturgy Planner’ by Decani Music to help us do this well. We try to balance new hymns and music with the stalwarts!
We have all been parishioners for many years – some for well over 20 years, others for at least 10 years. We meet after the 9.15 am Mass on the second Sunday of each month to spend about an hour looking at new music and forthcoming Masses.
We would welcome your ideas and participation, so please contact us if you would like to join the group.
Operation Christmas Child (Holy Cross and St Philip & St James)
DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE LIFE OF A NEEDY CHILD?
DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE AS WELL AS GIVE?
DO YOU WANT TO MEET FRIENDS, MAKE NEW ONES AND HAVE FUN?
If the answer is “yes” to these questions and you have a few hours or days to spare in November or the early part of December, then please do come and join the North Beds team of Operation Christmas Child. The ‘Shoebox Scheme’ as it is affectionately known, is one of many projects run by the International Relief Organisation, Samaritans Purse. Its mission is to demonstrate practical love to children who have nothing, by distributing shoeboxes filled with simple gifts to countries throughout the world. The boxes are given solely on the basis of need to children who are victims of war, poverty, persecution, famine, disease and natural disaster with nothing required from them, their families or their communities in return. Thousands of people throughout many countries donate boxes which will bring smiles to the faces of the recipient children and a moment of joy to their lives. Help us process these boxes by volunteering your time. There are many roles you may be able to fulfill but primarily we urgently need to recruit drivers from as early as MAY! Because a lot of the donors are schools and churches, all driver volunteers need to be enhanced CRB checked – this process takes time and needs to be started as early in the year as possible in readiness for the campaign.
So please help us to show these children that they are not forgotten.
Samaritans Purse is registered as a charity, number 1001349
Parish Council
The Council meets every 2 months. The aim of the Parish Council is to support Fr Tony in the day-to-day running of the parish. All parish groups are invited to nominate somebody to attend Parish Council meetings to keep us all informed of what is happening within the parish and look at ways that we can work together to support each other.
We are currently in the process of forging links with the parishioners of St Philip & St James. We are a small group and new members would be welcome.
Parish Newsletter
Items for the newsletter should be given in to the sacristy by Friday afternoon. They can also be emailed to the address in the contacts list at the back of this Directory.
Parish Newsletter (St Philip & St James)
Items for the newsletter can be emailed to the address in the contacts list at the back of this Directory. If you need to confirm any content, please speak to Fr Tony. If you do not have access to email, then please leave items for the newsletter with Fr Tony by Thursday afternoon at the latest.
Pastoral Centre
For more information and bookings, please contact the Parish Secretary Barbara Doyle at Holy Cross Church.
PJs (St Philip & St James)
This is a group of single, mature adults who meet occasionally for meals, quiz nights, gentle walks, going to the cinema etc.
Prayer Group & Home Rosary
The Prayer Group has combined with the Kempston prayer group and meet every Tuesday at 7.30 pm at Our Lady of Ransom in Kempston.
The Home Rosary group meets every last Sunday of the month (see notice in the Parish Newsletter) at 6.30 pm for the Rosary, which lasts approximately 1 hour. Everyone is welcome to join with them in answering Our Blessed Lady’s call to pray the Rosary for peace in our world, as well as in our families and ourselves. The Home Rosary group meets at 22a Francis Groves Close, Bedford.
RCIA (Holy Cross and St Philip & St James)
Readers
If you would like to read at a particular Mass, please contact Peter Commons who will be pleased to put you on the rota.
Rosary Group
The group meets at 6.30 pm every Friday in the church to pray five decades of the rosary and concludes with the Angelus. This takes approximately 25 minutes. Everybody is welcome.
Rosary Group (St Philip & St James)
The group meets at 1.45 pm every Monday in the church for Divine Mercy and the Rosary. Afterwards we enjoy a cup of tea and a chat. If you need a lift to the church then that can be arranged.
Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults (Holy Cross and St Philip & St James)
Following the recommendations laid out in the Nolan report, the Diocese of Northampton now has a Safeguarding co-ordinator, currently Kay Taylor-Duke, who can be contacted via the Bishop’s House in Northampton. Each parish is also required to have a Safeguarding Representative.
Their main duties are to ensure that everyone in the parish who works with children or vulnerable adults completes the Diocesan application forms and undergoes an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check.
They are also responsible for offering support to the volunteers in the area of Safeguarding and ensuring that Diocesan policies are followed when allegations of child abuse or vulnerable adult abuse are made within the parish.
Schools Transport
For information on transport to our Catholic Schools please contact Mike Chappell. To support parents who may not be able to afford some or all of the cost of a bus pass we run a 200 club.
The “Second Collection” Group (St Philip & St James)
The “Second Collection” folk music group sing on the first Sunday of the month at the 11.00 am Mass and usually practise on the Monday evening beforehand. We sing to music provided by guitars, violins, a clarinet and saxophone. New members – both musicians and singers are always welcome.
Secular Franciscan Order
An international order of lay men and women founded by St. Francis of Assisi and canonically established in 1221 to help people to live in the Franciscan spirit of detachment from earthly possessions. “The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ….Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to the careful reading of the Gospel, going from Gospel to Life and from Life to Gospel”. (SFO Rule 4). Members make a life long commitment to a daily office, regular participation in the sacraments and regular attendance at the monthly community meetings. The Bedford Fraternity supports our parish priests and the local homeless Day Centre.
Monthly
meetings are held at the Church of St Joseph and the Holy Child, usually on the
fourth Sunday of the month from 3.15 pm until
6 pm.
The committee aims to organise a range of events to provide opportunities for people to come together and socialise; enabling them to feel welcome as part of the parish community. In addition, we organise events which raise funds for Holy Cross Parish.
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The SVP is an international lay society that reaches out to those in need, offering friendship and providing practical help. Members of the Holy Cross SVP carry out local activities that include home visits, lifts to Mass or to the shops/appointments and distributing parishioners’ gifts at Christmas and Harvest Festival to local charities and those in need. Members also provide help on the annual SVP Pilgrimage to Walsingham in July.
Additionally, the Holy Cross conference participates in the SVP international twinning system, linking with two villages in S. India and with the Swaziland Bursary Fund. Financial contributions are made to the SVP Disaster Fund when required. The conference sponsors a tsunami orphan and a medical student in India.
Meetings are held on alternate Mondays at 7.30 pm in the Pastoral Centre. All welcome.
Society of St Vincent de Paul (St Philip & St James)
The SVP is an international organisation with more than 11,000 volunteers in England and Wales. The conference at SS Philip & James has been in existence for many years and during this time has tried to aid the local community by way of visits, transport, hospital help and some financial assistance. Local charities and institutions are not forgotten, with gifts being distributed at Christmas.
Our “twinned” conference is in Grenada and we are in regular contact with the members there. Other overseas interests include sponsorship of 2 Indian students and help with the Sudanese orphan feeding programme.
To find out more please come along to our meetings which are held on Thursday evenings at 7.45 pm in the Church
Soup Run
The soup run was originally started from Holy Cross Parish 30 years ago. A few of the original volunteers from Holy Cross have been doing the soup run for over fifteen years.
It is mostly funded by donations from parishioner at Holy Cross. Soup and sandwiches are provided 6 nights per week at the town end of De Parys Avenue. It is often the only food some of the homeless people receive each day, and some of the volunteers become the only friends these vulnerable people have, as they may be excluded from the Prebend Centre or Night Shelter for various reasons.
Volunteers and donations are always most welcome.
SSCC Lay Associates
This group are lay associates of the Sacred Hearts Congregation who ministered in Holy Cross for many years until 2003. They meet monthly either on the first Wednesday of each month or at the weekend. Meetings are either in the Pastoral Centre or other locations. There are National days in Bedford, Acton or Daventry between November and July. Each month there is a presentation focusing on the spirituality of the Sacred Hearts, sometimes with time for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. They also have an annual visit to a place of interest to the community and an annual retreat. More information is available on the website:
Tea & Coffee: 9.15 am Mass
Each week after the 9.15 Sunday morning Mass, a team of volunteers provide Fairtrade refreshments to all those who enjoy the opportunity to chat with other parishioners. We are always looking for new people to join the rota.
Teams of Our Lady
Teams of Our Lady is an international organisation which was formed to help married couples within the Catholic Church – although couples do not necessarily have to belong to the Catholic tradition. It promotes, in particular, the spiritual side to the lives of married couples and families. The group of couples meet monthly on an informal basis, in one of the couple’s homes, for a ‘simple’ meal, discussion and prayers. They also participate in other activities within the organisation including regional Masses, family picnics and conferences. There are two teams in Bedford and other teams can be formed, if there is sufficient interest. A new team is usually ‘piloted’ by a couple who are familiar with the Teams of Our Lady ethos and constitution but, if there is space within an established team, it is possible for a new couple to join.
Further information is available at: www.equipes-notre-dame.com
Third World Group
This friendly group seeks to support the Fr. Damien Centre, Democratic Republic of Congo, through fundraising. They also aim to raise awareness of the issues facing communities in economically developing countries, with ideas about how our actions can support these communities.
Traidcraft
A Traidcraft sale is held in the Pastoral Centre after each Mass on the first weekend of each month, selling mostly foods and some craft items. They are continuing to get good support but always welcome new volunteers to help on a rota basis.
Traidcraft is a Christian response to poverty, established in 1979, to fight poverty through trade. It buys directly from people, helping them to build better lives for themselves, their families and communities through fair prices for their produce.
Traidcraft works with local people across Africa, Asia and Latin America to help build fair trade nationally and internationally.
University of Bedfordshire
Visit the website at: www.beds.ac.uk
For more information contact Fr Tony
Welcomers
We are looking for more people to join a rota to welcome parishioners to the Masses on Saturday evening, Sunday morning and special occasions. Badges are provided and the Welcomers give out books and leaflets as people come into the church for Mass. The Welcomers also stand at the back of the church as the people leave in case any new parishioners would like to make themselves known to us, or if anyone would like help in any way.
Young Christian Workers: 18 – 30 year olds
This is the next stage on from the Impact Group. It is a group concerned with the challenge of being Christian in the world of work, study or unemployment. In addition, this internationally organised group is committed to reflection and social action – and also has a lot of fun!
Youth Music Group
This group comes together for the special Confirmation Programme Liturgies during the year at the Mass on Saturday evening at 6.00 pm. The young people also form the core of a larger group of mixed ages who sing at various feasts. All musicians, singers, “ideas” people and helpers are very welcome and much appreciated.