Deacon Peter is walking 50km around Lourdes

After going to Lourdes with HCPT Groups 551 & 552 in October for the last four years, Deacon Peter has decided to try the Easter pilgrimage as well. HCPT Group 14 is based in our parish of St John the Baptist, Purley and we need to raise £5,250 to take seven disabled children to Lourdes at Easter 2012.

Deacon Peter will be walking 50km around Lourdes over the weekend of 11/12 February 2012 which takes in the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The average temperature in that area of the Pyrenees at that time of year is 5C but it will likely be much colder.

Please donate whatever you can to this worthwhile cause and make his sore feet feel worth it!

You can donate online at http://www.justgiving.com/PeterRennieHCPTGroup14 or there will be sponsorship forms in the sacristy.

CWG & Thai Children’s Trust

It was a proud moment for CWG Chairwoman Marion O’Shea and Treasurer Pat Mawer who were invited guests when Archbishop Vincent Nichols generously hosted an evening to meet those who had raised funds for the Thai Children’s Trust.

Over 30 years ago a baby was left on the doorstep of a Catholic priest in Pattaya. Father Ray Brennan took the child in, and with this single compassionate act the Thai Children’s Trust was born. The CWG have raised money for some years for The Father Ray Special Needs Centre in Pattaya – a day care centre for young people with disabilities, offering them support, educational activities and physiotherapy. and now sponsor a child’s education.

Funds raised help refugee children and families along the Thai-Burma border, children with disabilities, children at risk, street children, orphans who live in extremely chaotic circumstances, children with HIV and Aids.

More information at www.thaichildrenstrust.org.uk

Some pictures can be seen here.

Papal Visit

Despite all the negative press before the Holy Father’s visit, the state visit of Pope Benendict XVI was a triumph and parishioners from John the Baptist had numerous opportunities to see and hear the Holy Father in person.

Some of our parish children went to St Mary’s at Twickenham, a couple went to Vespers at Westminster Abbey, Deacon Peter was involved in the Papal Mass at Westminster Cathedral and Sr Sylvia who is a regular in our parish shook the Holy Father’s had at St Peter’s Residence in Vauxhall. By far the largest group went to Hyde Park for the Prayer Vigil and a smaller group went to Birmingham for the Beatification Mass of John Henry Newman.

Poor Canon Jim meanwhile was stuck in Littlehampton recovering from his hip replacement and had to watch on TV!

Walsingham 2010

In mid-May, 16 parishioners set out on our fifth bi-annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk. Our four day pilgrimage started with Mass in St John the Baptist Church after which we set out in four cars. We arrived at the Shrine, just outside Walsingham in time for a cup of tea and a visit to the Slipper Chapel where the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham stands, before Evening Prayer and Benediction in the Church of the Reconciliation.

The second day started with blue skies and sunshine and Morning Prayer in the Church of the Annunciation in the village. The fine, sunny weather was to stay with us for the three days. In the morning we walked the processional way with other pilgrims for Mass at midday in the Church of the Reconciliation and in the afternoon we followed the Way of the Cross in the grounds fo the Anglican Shrine. Prayers for Christian Unity in the Anglican Shrine, prayers for priests in this Year of the Priest at the Shrine of St John Vianney and prayers for the dead in the Holy Souls Chapel ended with a welcome cup of tea! Before supper we celebrated Evening Prayer as a group in the Church of the Annunciation.

The third day started with Morning Prayer as usual. Today was our day out, and after a group Mass in the Slipper Chapel celebrated by our parish priest, CAnin Jim, we set out towards Cromer. Having linked up in advance with the people of West Runton Parish Church, we visited three little churches to see a Saxon round tower, one of the oldest in Norfolk; a splendid 16th century seven sacrament font, beautifully carved; and a fine 15th century Rood Screen with its original colour and not one of the paintings of the twelve apostles defaced. We broke our day with lunch in West Runton church and returned there to celebrate Evening Prayer before returning to Walsingham.

After Morning Prayer and breakfast on our last day it was free time – to visit the Priory grounds, site of the original shrine; the little Russian Orthodox church, the former railway station; to shop or just to wander round. After midday Mass in the Church of the Reconciliation and lunch we drove home, arriving back in Purley in the early evening. We hope to go on pilgrimage again on May 2012!

[Article by Alan Watson, photographs by Lewis Horner]

Worth Abbey Retreat 2010

On the 16th to 18th of July, a group of fourteen parishioners ventured down to Worth Abbey near Crawley for the first Parish Retreat. The retreat was hosted by Worth Abbey’s Open Cloister programme in St Bruno’s retreat house.

Those attending the retreat participated in the prayer life of the abbey which revolves around the singing of the Divine Office and daily Mass. The theme of the retreat was “Deepening your Life of Prayer” and five talks were given in St Bruno’s

• Deacon Peter – “The Rhythm of Monastic Life” which covered the role that the Divine Office plays inthe life of the community and it’s history
• Deacon Peter – “Praying with Scripture” about the ancient meditative prayer Lectio Divina
• Br Anthony OSB – “Prayer in the Benedictine Way of Life” which covered the Rule of St Benendict and how it directs Benedictine prayer
• Canon Frank – “Reflections on a Liofe of Prayer” that described practical aspects of prayer
• Alan Watson – “Journeying into Prayer” which described the ACTS methodology of prayer

We were very well looked after by Fr Patrick OSB and Lesley from the Open Cloister team.

Worth Abbey is a place of great peace and spirituality only 30 minutes from Purley.

Another retreat is being planned for May 2011 and further details will be posted on this website.

The John Fisher School Chapel

Please note – During the School holidays, which started on Wednesday 21 July and end on Wednesday 1 September there will be no services in the Chapel during the week. There will, of course, be Mass in the Chapel each Sunday at 08.30. As soon as possible after the holidays begin, work will begin on major repairs to the lantern and flat roof above the sanctuary. This will entail the erection of scaffolding inside the Chapel on the sanctuary, as well as outside the Chapel. It is hoped that the scaffolding inside the Chapel will be dismantled by the end of the School holidays. During this time, a temporary altar will be placed in front of the steps for the 08.30 Masses on Sundays throughout the holiday period.

CAFOD Haiti Appeal

As a member of the Caritas Federation, we are supporting our partners to assist with the relief effort following the earthquake on the Caribbean Island of Haiti on January 12, 2010

As rescuers search for survivors among the rubble following the earthquake, our partners will be carrying out needs assessments.
Follow the latest on our Haiti blog

At present there are no accurate figures of the number of dead and those made homeless by the quake, but it is clear that with a population of around nine million people – with three million living in the devastated capital Port Au Prince – substantial humanitarian assisance will be required.

Any money pledged will help our partners supply water, food, medicines and shelter to the worst affected areas.

Please donate to the CAFOD appeal for the victims of the easrthquake in Haiti. You can do this online here.

Hall Bookings

You are reminded that hall bookings are not dealt with by telephone. All communication must be via email to jezstevens.hom@btinternet.com If you do not have email, write to Liz at the Parish Office who will email on your behalf.

Altar Servers

Re-registering is now complete and new rotas which include the 17 servers who have just completed their training are ready in the box in the Sacristy.

All servers are asked to collect their copy – last time round some remained uncollected for several weeks.

OliveAid

The Holy Land has long had a special place in the heart of our parish due to Canon Jim’s activity with the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. The OliveAid project has in te last year become a pet project of the parish of St John the Baptist Purley.

The parish has so far sponsored an entire field of new olive trees near Bethlehem.

Thousands of Olive trees have been destroyed in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and Gaza strip. Farmers have been deprived of their economic livelihood causing families to be forced into poverty. OliveAid’s aim is simply to restore the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people by replanting the Olive groves and providing families with a sustainable income from olives and olive based products.

We have identified over nine sites within the West Bank where sustainable Olive groves can be planted. Each site has been carefully selected and prepared to accept three year old Olive saplings with have been sourced locally and are certificated against disease. Irrigation has been secured and each site is fenced where necessary. Most importantly we have ensured that all OliveAid sites are positioned in non conflict areas ensuring the long term security of the Olives groves and their crop.

A local management infrastructure provided by The Institute for Community Partnership working in partnership with local farmers and the community monitors both the planting and the ongoing husbandry of the trees to ensure that they reach their fruiting maturity in seven years. OliveAid intend to plant 2,000 trees in the Apr 08 Mar 09 season with a further 3,000 trees next season.

We cannot accelerate the growth of the Olive tress but we can with your help maximise the number of trees planted this season so please give generously.

You can find more about OliveAid at http://www.oliveaid.com.