Weekend Mass times are:
SATURDAY 10.00AM Confession and Holy Hour followed by Mass
SUNDAY: 10AM and 6.30PM
For Daily Mass Time Please check the newsletter
For all enquires please contact Fr. Patrick 01432 265177
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OUR LADY QUEEN OF MARTYRS
Served by the Benedictine Community of Belmont Abbey
The Parish Our Lady Queen of Martyrs
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Parish News & Updates
Our very latest news updates and information about the parish activities.
Our Lady’s Parish Quiz will take place on Saturday, 16th November 2024 in the Parish Meeting Room, 6.45pm for 7.00pm. Tickets are £10.00 per person and will be available three weeks before that weekend. This event is always well attended and promises to be a warm, delightful and sociable evening with good company.
The Sunday evening Mass has been re-introduced at Our Lady’s. This Mass resumed on Sunday, 6th October at 6.30pm. The morning Mass at 10.00am remains unchanged.
Would you like to have a birthday or special occasion celebrated for a friend or family member or Sympathy for the loss of a cherished person? You can have a Mass said for that person on these special occasions or for any other special intention. Grab a Mass Intention envelope and enter the name and date for the Mass you require. Envelopes are available at the rear of the church. You can call or email the parish office at the Presbytery. This is a beautiful and special way to pay tribute to our loved ones. There is no better gift that we can that offer, none more supreme than the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
Just to remind you that my last weekend here at St Joseph’s will be Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th August after which I will take up my new role as Novice Master and Vocations director for Belmont Abbey. I will also be looking after SFX for a short while until a new priest is appointed. Fr Patrick will celebrate his first weekend on Saturday 17th / Sunday 18th August. Please do continue to pray for me as I prepare to leave you and for Fr. Patrick who is now preparing to move back to Hereford from St Wulstans Little Malvern
On Monday and Tuesday of this week the Belmont Monastic Community will be meeting in chapter. This will be the first one under our new abbot. A chapter is an important event in the life of any religious community and is a time when all the monks comes together to pray about and discuss the future direction of the community as well as to elect officials to serve the monastery. Please pray for the Belmont monks that God may guide our deliberations.
I want to say a massive thank you to our welcomers for their invaluable help since the start of the pandemic. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to open for Holy Mass. However, we are in urgent need of more volunteers to help with welcoming at Holy Mass please
Parish Priest Notices
Our very latest news updates and information about the parish activities.
The Sunday evening Mass has been re-introduced at Our Lady’s. This Mass resumed on Sunday, 6th October at 6.30pm. The morning Mass at 10.00am remains unchanged.
Would you like to have a birthday or special occasion celebrated for a friend or family member or Sympathy for the loss of a cherished person? You can have a Mass said for that person on these special occasions or for any other special intention. Grab a Mass Intention envelope and enter the name and date for the Mass you require. Envelopes are available at the rear of the church. You can call or email the parish office at the Presbytery. This is a beautiful and special way to pay tribute to our loved ones. There is no better gift that we can that offer, none more supreme than the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus again predicting his passion, death, and Resurrection to his disciples. The setting here is important. Jesus and his disciples are preparing to journey through Galilee, a Jewish territory in which Jesus has already encountered problems with the Pharisees. Perhaps this is why Mark, the evangelist, indicates that Jesus was trying to journey in secret. In predicting his passion, Jesus is acknowledging the danger they will face and is trying to preparing his disciples for it. Yet the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask what he meant. The disciples were aware that a new situation was emerging. An argument arose among them (possibly as to who would be the leader of the group after Jesus’ death). To this select group of disciples, Jesus teaches that those who would be first in God’s kingdom must be servants of all. Jesus then calls forward a child. In firstcentury Palestine, children were without status or power. In this action, Jesus teaches us that when we serve the least ones among us, we serve Jesus himself. Our judgment before God will be based on this criterion alone.
“This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Strong tensions may be perceived in the discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees. The debate is “pure religion” (James 1:27). Jesus places the heart of man and his liberation from evil at the centre of it, while the Pharisees defend the external ritual of the religion that came from God. “Their heart is far from me.” The truth is that we do not control our heart. How many people would like to stop drinking too much but struggle to do so? Let us take the example of the great saint of the early Church, whose heart was so divided, for many years, that it pushed him to pray: “Lord, make me chaste, but not just yet!” (St. Augustine). How many would like to get rid of envy and pride and they find themselves doing the opposite? “I do not what I want, but what I hate” (Rom 7:15). We often realise this when we begin to take our faith more seriously and follow a Christian way of life more closely. We are amazed at our tendency to repeat the same mistakes and fall into the same sin. We begin to understand the cry of St. Paul: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). “His heart is far from me.” The goal of the Christian life is union with God and unity with our neighbour. To achieve this, we must first be free from the bondage of evil intentions. We must earn our freedom! This is entirely the work of the grace of the Redeemer. Thus Jesus promises: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). The Church’s mission is a simple and divine duty
The Sunday evening Mass has been re-introduced at Our Lady’s. This Mass resumed on Sunday, 6th October at 6.30pm. The morning Mass at 10.00am remains unchanged.
Would you like to have a birthday or special occasion celebrated for a friend or family member or Sympathy for the loss of a cherished person? You can have a Mass said for that person on these special occasions or for any other special intention. Grab a Mass Intention envelope and enter the name and date for the Mass you require. Envelopes are available at the rear of the church. You can call or email the parish office at the Presbytery. This is a beautiful and special way to pay tribute to our loved ones. There is no better gift that we can that offer, none more supreme than the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus again predicting his passion, death, and Resurrection to his disciples. The setting here is important. Jesus and his disciples are preparing to journey through Galilee, a Jewish territory in which Jesus has already encountered problems with the Pharisees. Perhaps this is why Mark, the evangelist, indicates that Jesus was trying to journey in secret. In predicting his passion, Jesus is acknowledging the danger they will face and is trying to preparing his disciples for it. Yet the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask what he meant. The disciples were aware that a new situation was emerging. An argument arose among them (possibly as to who would be the leader of the group after Jesus’ death). To this select group of disciples, Jesus teaches that those who would be first in God’s kingdom must be servants of all. Jesus then calls forward a child. In firstcentury Palestine, children were without status or power. In this action, Jesus teaches us that when we serve the least ones among us, we serve Jesus himself. Our judgment before God will be based on this criterion alone.
“This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Strong tensions may be perceived in the discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees. The debate is “pure religion” (James 1:27). Jesus places the heart of man and his liberation from evil at the centre of it, while the Pharisees defend the external ritual of the religion that came from God. “Their heart is far from me.” The truth is that we do not control our heart. How many people would like to stop drinking too much but struggle to do so? Let us take the example of the great saint of the early Church, whose heart was so divided, for many years, that it pushed him to pray: “Lord, make me chaste, but not just yet!” (St. Augustine). How many would like to get rid of envy and pride and they find themselves doing the opposite? “I do not what I want, but what I hate” (Rom 7:15). We often realise this when we begin to take our faith more seriously and follow a Christian way of life more closely. We are amazed at our tendency to repeat the same mistakes and fall into the same sin. We begin to understand the cry of St. Paul: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). “His heart is far from me.” The goal of the Christian life is union with God and unity with our neighbour. To achieve this, we must first be free from the bondage of evil intentions. We must earn our freedom! This is entirely the work of the grace of the Redeemer. Thus Jesus promises: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). The Church’s mission is a simple and divine duty
It’s easy to keep our faith when everything is going well. We can feel very close to Jesus, believe that our prayers are being answered, and have few doubts. Unfortunately, this is not always the case when our life feels challenging or we are facing a difficult struggle. During such times we may feel far away from Jesus, and we can doubt whether He is hearing our prayers. We may feel alone, fail to see our Lord’s purpose and even wander away from Him. It is ironic; that we tend to have wobbles in our faith during the very times when we need Him the most. Jesus always answers our prayers, and wants what is best for us. Jesus is our true Lord, He will never forsake us, even though we may occasionally doubt Him. Today let us remember that He is everywhere and in everything, and pray that we will never doubt or question His unending love for us. Louise Bowen
Precious Lord, I am tired, I am weak. Take my hand, Lord, and lead me home. It is human nature to desire the trappings of success but, no matter how much money we have we will not be remembered for these things when our earthly lives have ended. No! We will be remembered for our love and goodness, and these do so much more for our Lord than expensive possessions. Saint Paul tells us that we need to fight against the sins of deceit and greed and work towards a Jesus inspired life. Of course, despite our best efforts and intentions, we will inevitably fail sometimes because we are human and we sin, but we know that Jesus will always forgive us. Our Blessed Lord died for our sin and, by His death and resurrection, He guarantees us a place with Him in Heaven. So today let us promise to try put the Lord first in our lives and then thank Him for His forgiveness and glory.
“How can we forget those ancient myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us. So you must not be frightened if sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like a cloud shadow, passes over you and all you do. Instead you must think that God has not forgotten you, that He holds you in His hands; He will not let you fall. Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
While the world looks upon me as I struggle along. In my heart I’m rejoicing, how I wish they could see. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me. All of us struggle sometimes, and we often pray out of sheer necessity. Whenever we feel low, down-beat or simply worn out, we have to remember that we have a lot to be thankful for. Jesus ensures that there is inevitably some sunshine in our lives, even when storm clouds threaten the sky. He always brings us comfort and He showers us with blessings daily. These may be the love and support of our families or friends, acts of kindness from strangers, or the answer to our prayers. It can be very easy to miss everyday miracles, but when we truly open our eyes we can see Jesus’ love, light and power everywhere. So let us pray, that we will not be blind to the Lord’s many blessings then let us smile, laugh and praise Him for His great goodness and limitless love. Louise Bowen
Lent brings together two important aspects of our Christian life and belief. The ashes which we put on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday remind us that we are all mortal, and one day we will die. Life is transitory and we shouldn’t cling to the things of this world but look towards eternity. Lent also reminds us that God loves us beyond anything we can begin to imagine and that He wants to be with us and us with Him. He calls us into friendship with Him now. He is calling out to each one of us asking us to give up those things which bind us to this world, those things which separate us from him and from each other. He calls each one of us to turn back to Him with all our hearts so that we will have life. The acts of self-denial central to our keeping of this holy season bear witness to the fact that God has a place in our lives. They are a sign to an unbelieving world that God still matters and that we are willing to stand up for our faith. So when people ask you why you have given something up for Lent tell them about the wonders of God who loved us so much that he gave his only son to die for us so that we might have new life.
Wednesday 14th February as well as being Valentine’s day is also Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Masses here at Our Lady’s will be at 9.30am and 6.30pm. Every Friday Evening at 7.00pm during Lent there will be the Stations of the Cross in remembrance of Our Lords passion and death. This is an excellent Lenten devotion and a chance to reflect on what Christ suffered for our salvation.
Parish & Diocese Events
Our very latest news updates and information about the parish activities.
There is an opportunity to visit Rotherwas Chapel in September as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme. Booking is essential for the free tour, please see the website for details: Tuesday 10 September 11am and 2pm Wednesday 11 September 11am and 2pm Thursday 12 September 11am and 2pm Email is www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/explore-the-secrets-of-rotherwas-chapel-and-its-pugininterior-965780875597
Last week’s parish quiz night was a roaring success, a very enjoyable evening which really did help to bring us together as a parish family. A massive thank you to all those who helped arrange the evening, especially Denise and her team who made delicious salad supper, I can personally vouch for the cakes. We raised nearly £400 towards the modernisation of the parish hall. Well done everyone, it shows what we can do when we pull together as a parish.
“Joachim” and “Anne” are traditionally the names given to the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although not mentioned in the authorised scriptures they are mentioned in the Proto-Evangelium of James, a second century gospel which tells of the birth of Mary, her upbringing and subsequent marriage to Joseph. Although not part of the official writings and teaching of the church, it provides us with an insight in how the early church viewed Mary and the later traditions that grew up around her. The strong character of Mary in making decisions, her continuous practice of prayer, her devotion to the laws of her faith, her steadiness at moments of crisis, and her devotion to her relatives—all indicate a close-knit, loving family that looked forward to the next generation even while retaining the best of the past. Joachim and Anne— whether these are their real names or not—represent that entire quiet series of generations who faithfully perform their duties, practice their faith, and establish an atmosphere for the coming of the Messiah, but remain obscure. Saints Joachim and Anne are the Patron Saints of : Grandparents Saint Anne is the Patron Saint of: Mothers Women in Labour
Holy Mass will be celebrated by the Abbot of Belmont in the beautiful medieval chapel at Longworth, on Thursday 25th July at 11.00am. The chapel is situated next to the old Bartestree Convent just off the road leading to St Michael’s Hospice. Please make a special effort to come and take part.
On Saturday 13th July at 7.00pm in the parish hall we will be holding our parish quiz night. Entry is £8.00 per person (£5 for children) with teams of up to six players. The price also includes a a delicious cold supper. Please come along, have a great evening and enjoy each other’s company.
Human Fraternity: The Church’s Message to a Divided World – with Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald. We are delighted to welcome Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald to the Herefordshire Deanery. He is one of the Church’s experts on Islam and inter-religious dialogue, having worked both in the Vatican and in the Middle East. How can faith in God and human fraternity guide us beyond hatred and war? Cardinal Michael will celebrate Mass at St Francis Xavier’s, Hereford at 6.00pm. There will be a talk and discussion at 7pm to which all are welcome. We would be delighted if you can come along!
All are welcome at our parish
About Our Parish"Dare to dream big dreams..."
Pope Francis teaches us that the youth of today must not live in fear, but must strive to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship should be a foundation for our younger generation to "dare to dream big dreams" with confidence and without fear.