Fr Wayne Coughlin: The Presbytery, 2 Severn Way, Bedford MK41 7BX. Tel: (01234) 352607; parishpriestbedford@gmail.comFr Wayne is the Diocesan Director of Missio. Missio is the Pope’s official charity for overseas mission and is part of the worldwide network of Pontifical Mission Societies.

Rev. Tony Quinlan: Tel: (01234) 950453; tonyquinlan15@gmail.comRev. Crispin Walkling-Lea: Tel: 07941 884645; deaconcrispin@virginmedia.comAny items for the Newsletter to the editor please. Tel: 07986 357320; charlie.stallard@gmail.comWebsite is: www.sspandjbedford.org.uk and the Webmasters are Liz & Fleur Budek; info@sspandjbedford.org.ukParish Secretary Holy Cross, Sheila Allen (Mondays and Thursdays): Tel: (01234) 353116; holycrosschurch896@btconnect.comParish Secretary Ss Philip & James, Maria Quinlan (Wednesdays, 10:00am to 2:00pm) Tel: (01234) 352607; sspandjparishsecretary@gmail.com

Mass Intentions and ServicesPJ – Ss Philip and James HC – Holy Cross SJR – St John Rigby

Sat 27 Jul Our Lady on Saturday6:00pm HC Ken Evans, AnniversarySun 28 Jul Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time8:00am PJ Catherine McLoughlin, Mass Intention9:15am HC Bett Donnelly, RIP11:00am PJ Mass for the Parish (Missa pro populo)1:00pm HC Baptisms of: Isla Giovanna Zara De Fortuna–Shah

Joey David CorbettCelebrant: Deacon Daniel Rooke

Mon 29 Jul St Martha, Memorial9:30am PJ Margaret Ainscough, RIP

After the above Mass: AdorationTue 30 Jul Feria9:30am HC Kotilda Lubega, recently deceasedWed 31 Jul St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest - Memorial9:30am PJ Deacon Daniel Rooke - Thanksgiving11:15am HC Funeral of Paola Pearce, RIPThu 1 Aug St Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor - Memorial9:30am HC Dermot Cathill, RIPFri 2 Aug Feria9:30pm HC Holy Souls in Purgatory - Novena Mass

After the above Mass: AdorationSat 3 Aug Our Lady on Saturday9:30am PJ Bob Moynaghan, RIP11:00am PJ Baptism of Huey Albert Samuels

Celebrant: Fr Wayne6:00pm HC James Obua Otoa, RIPSun 4 Aug Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time8:00am PJ Mass for the Parish (Missa pro populo)9:15am HC Eileen Ord, RIP11:00am PJ Anthony Morrish, RIP

Saints Philip and James Church Parish Priest: Fr Wayne Coughlin Deacons: Revv. Tony Quinlan, Crispin Walkling-Lea

Propers for the Seventeenth SundayEntrance AntiphonGod is in his holy place, God who unites those who dwell in his house; he himself gives might and strength to his people.First Reading: Gen 18:20-32Responsorial Psalm: Ps 137:1-3.6-8.R.v.3On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.Second Reading: Col 2:12-14Gospel Acclamation - The Alleluias should be sungAlleluia, alleluia! The Word was made flesh and lived among us; to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!Or: Alleluia, alleluia! The spirit you received is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, “Abba, Father!” Alleluia!Gospel: Luke 11:1-13Communion AntiphonBless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all his benefits.Or:Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

Morning Prayer: before the morning Mass or Liturgy from Monday to Saturday. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is on Monday and Friday for 30 minutes.Please pray for the repose of the souls of Cecil Arzu (RIP) whose Funeral Liturgy takes place on Tuesday, 30th July at 11:15am in HC, and Paola Pearce (RIP). Paola will be received into HC at 5:00pm the evening before for a short Vigil of Prayer led by Fr Wayne. Please pray for all who mourn at this time.

Confessions on Saturday:Ss Philip & James: 10:00 to 10:30amHoly Cross 5:15 to 5:45pmConfessions may be heard by arrangement or in need at a reasonable time.Baptisms: by arrangement. The next baptism preparation meeting is at Holy Cross on 20th August with Deacon Tony.Weddings: we need at least six months’ notice with Diocesan fee of £45. Those planning to be married in either Church (and those to be married in another parish) should make contact with Fr Wayne and Deacon Crispin.How to ask for a Mass Intention: Email, telephone, write a letter, drop a note, or beat a path to the Presbytery door: to Maria Quinlan, Parish Secretary at P&J. An offering is fine; it is used for the mission of the parish. Please make your request clear and legible or we will have to give it our best shot!Parish Priests must celebrate one Mass per weekend for the Parish.

Our Parish Family:Cherishing the Past, Celebrating the Present,Embracing the Future.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary TimePsalter week 1

28th July 2019

Meetings for sexual abuse victims and survivors, families and supportersBishop Peter offers to meet with victims and survivors, their families and supporters on a bimonthly basis. To book a meeting with the Bishop, phone the safeguarding office on: (01604) 723514.

Afternoon Tea for the Solemnity of the AssumptionThursday, 15th August starting with 12:00noon Angelus and Mass in SsP&J. Wonderfully, our celebration of Our Lady’s Assumption, and most particularly the midday Mass, will now include an opportunity to learn more about the work of Missio, my recent ‘tour’ of the Diocese and a forthcoming volunteer recruitment drive at our Cathedral. If there is sufficient interest in our celebrations, the day will still include Afternoon Tea and a short presentation about Our Lady. We are, of course, looking for a couple of volunteers to set up refreshments and for some donated cakes and savouries. Also, could someone bring in some nice tablecloths? All the food should be brought into parish room before Mass. We already know about and are expecting Lemon cake and scones with cream. The latest opportunity to sign up for “Afternoon Tea” is Sunday, 11th August.The Assumption is a Holy Day of Obligation and a great day of celebration.Our Lady, assumed into heaven: Pray for us.The Canonisation of Blessed John Henry NewmanDate for your diary: Votive Mass of “St” John Henry Newman (following his canonisation) - Monday, 14th October at 9:30am in SsP&J. Exciting news to follow about how as parishes we can celebrate this momentous occasion. In the meantime let us reflect on the following: “How we as parishes and individuals respond to the Canonisation of John Henry Newman is an indicator of the vitality of the Catholic Church in this country”. Please contact the Parish Secretaries if you have any ideas of how we might be a part of this historic event. For example, we could have a parish pilgrimage to the Oratory in Birmingham (Newman’s home) and a visit to St Mary’s College, Oscott (where Newman became a Catholic and preached his famous ‘Second Spring’ homily).National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of FatimaPrepare for the visit to our parishes of the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima and the Relics of Ss Jacinta and Francisco Marto on Saturday, 7th December. This will be a great way to prepare for the Immaculate Conception (our diocesan patronal solemnity).Please pray for God's blessing upon this important event in the life of our community.Bedford Foodbank are currently short of UHT Milk, UHT Fruit Juice, tins of vegetables, Spaghetti Hoops, fruit, rice pudding, and tomatoes, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and laundry tablets. All contributions are gratefully accepted and can be left in the special boxes in the Parish Room. Thank you for your continued support.SsP&J Finance CommitteeThank you for all the positive comments as regards the new arrangements for this group; you will recall its aim is to provide support to the Parish Priest in the careful stewardship of parish resources so that we might truly be an effective means of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Moreover, thank you to everyone who financially supports the parish week by week; it is your generosity that has enabled us to undertake necessary capital works and specific evangelisation projects.Draft prayer cards for Pope Francis' Extraordinary Month of Mission (October) are available in the narthex. The final version is imminent!News from MissioMissio is delighted to confirm that primary schools in England and Wales have raised just over £55,000 for its children’s branch “Mission Together”. When secondary school donations are taken into account this increases to £60,000. The overall total, which includes parishes and individuals, comes to £110,247. This total includes donations from our parishes, e.g. Sunday refreshments at HC, narthex charity box in SsP&J and the sale of books for the ecumenical Lent course. Thank you to everyone who has supported Missio in this way.Our Hospital Chaplain at South Wing is Fr Nathanial Onwuekwe. If you or a loved one are admitted and in need of sacramental care, contact him at St Joseph’s Presbytery: (01234) 352569. He regularly visits the hospital on Fridays and celebrates Mass in the chapel at 12:15pm.Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, the rota is in the narthex.Volunteer rotas: folders in the narthex.

This is my Body...This is my BloodFr Dominic Allain writing in the Catholic Herald (18/07/19): “I would say that the hardest thing about the last 20 years as a priest has been to see the lack of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.”Perhaps we might all ponder if we show appropriate and due reverence for the presence of Jesus Christ in His Eucharist Presence?A recent survey has worryingly found that only fifty percent of Catholics know what the Church teaches on core principles such as Holy Communion. Only fifty percent of participants correctly answered a question about Church teaching on Transubstantiation; that is, the belief that at Mass (through the action of the Priest calling down the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine) they become the actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Most of those who answered the question incorrectly spoke of Holy Communion as being a symbol of Jesus’ Body and Blood whilst the remainder were unsure.Perhaps we (Priest, Deacon and lay people) might use this as a spur to grow in our Eucharistic Faith and to be more devout in our reception of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion?Spend time with Jesus in Eucharistic AdorationThere is something wonderful about spending time in Eucharistic Adoration. Gazing up at the Lord in the monstrance, we have the opportunity to look directly at our Saviour, at the very God who created the universe. At Adoration we are given the space to speak with Jesus from the quiet of our hearts, we can confide all our joys and sorrows as well as our hopes and our fears. We thus lay them all before Him. Our Lord desires to be with us so much that He deigns to come to us; at the words of the Priest, God appears before us under the form of bread and wine. If Jesus has humbled Himself to be so close to us, how can we refuse to come to Him?Church StatisticOn average only 30% of a congregation reads a weekly newsletter. Those who don’t read the newsletter are also disinclined to listen to ‘notices’ at the end of Mass. If you are reading this: well done you! Please encourage others to do likewise.2019 Poland Pilgrimage - Transport ***THIS IS IMPORTANT, PASS IT ON***2nd - 8th September. The flight departure is 07.10am. If you booked a lift the first pick-up will be at 04:15am (prompt) at SsP&J followed by 04.30am at HC. Keith Allen will be passed a list and contact numbers of those travelling on the minibus. If you would prefer not to have your details passed, please let Deacon Tony know. Keith will drop you off where you were picked up on return. Deacon Tony - (01234) 950453. ***SEND THE WORD, NOT EVERYONE HAS BEEN TOLD***Fr Julian Thangiturai Thank you to all those who have given lifts to Fr Julian during his time with us. Thanks also to those who have entertained him with coffees and such-like.SS.CC Retreat in Buckden TowersThe Secular Branch of the Sacred Hearts Of Jesus and Mary (SS.CC) warmly invite parishioners to join them on their Residential Retreat from 6:00pm, Friday, 4th until after lunch Sunday, 6th October. The retreat will be led by Fr. Michael Ruddy SS.CC, Provincial of the Congregation, a fine and well-received leader of retreats in the past. For costs, booking and information, please contact Mary Makin on (01234) 871759. Early application is advisable.St Elisabeth’s ConventSister Olga is very sorry she was unable to visit this week, but illness intervened. We hope to see her in October. Thank you for supporting the work of St Elisabeth’s Convent (Belarus) through any financial donations to the sisters.There are many dates to keep in your diary. These are just some of them...Saturday, 14th September - Holy Cross Day12:00noon: Mass of Induction for our Catholic Youth Minister at HC followed by Lunch and youth activities. A wonderful way to welcome our Youth Minister.Friday, 4th October at 7:00pm; Pastoral Area Mass in St Joseph’s. All welcome.Saturday, 12th October. Why? It is the day of the mini-retreat being organised by our parishes for our local Churches Together group. All are welcome. At St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (Bletchley) we shall have full use of the church building and the adjoining hall. Transport to and from the venue will be arranged if there is sufficient interest.2020 Holy Land PilgrimageDates: 12th - 19th October 2020. Price £1540 pp (sharing) half-board. Single room supplement £280. Contact Canon Seamus on (01234) 352569.

In the month of July The Holy Father asks us to pray for the Integrity of Justice.That those who administer justice may work with integrity, and that the injustice which prevails in the world may not have the last word.

The weekly collections: 21st JulyLast week’s collection for PJ was: Open Plate £252.64p Gift-Aid: £308.08pLast week’s collection for HC was: Open Plate £477.64p Gift-Aid: £170.07pPJ collects £48 per week in standing orders with £31 per week direct to the Diocese. HC is £620 per week.