Preparation begins on Sunday 14^th November 2021. Children taking part in the programme are required to attend eleven sessions in preparation for First Reconciliation and eleven sessions for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. Sessions will take place 45 minutes before Mass begins:

Our Lady Star of the Sea – Session begins 8:30am followed by Mass.

St. Joseph’s Church – Session begins 9:45am followed by Mass.

NB Sessions do not take place during the school holidays.

Your commitment:

Regular attendance at Mass and the session preceding Mass.

Your child’s register card to be marked weekly.

Children must remain in church throughout Mass and not attend the Children’s Liturgy Group.

Purchase a pupil workbook (from your school or parish office) £8.

Please ensure your child brings their workbook each week.

Complete weekly tasks with your child.

Enrolment forms are available at the back of Church and through the schools.

Dates For You Diary: 

First Reconciliation Service – Friday 10th June – St. Joseph’s Church

Sacrament of First Holy Communion – Saturday 18th June 2022 – St. Joseph’s Church

The Holy Spirit Prayer Group on Monday 20th September in St Joseph’s Parish Room.

Tea/Coffee from 7:00pm and the prayer group starts at 7:30pm.

Fr Chris will be in attendance at the Annual Charybdis & Limbourne Service on Sunday 26th September at 3:00pm at Le Foulon Cemetery.

The good news is that the “Missio Today” magazines have arrived. I am afraid only a limited number. There is an excellent article on pages 16-17. So far this year we are very short of donations. If you have a box that’s nearly full please bring it in for counting. Thank you so much for your continued support. Richard

On Friday 1st Oct there will be a Prayer Vigil with ‘Adoration’ to pray for our young people and youth work in the parish during the coming year. This will be at Delancey from 8:00pm-midnight and will consist of music, prayers and silent ‘Adoration’ until 11:00pm which will be followed by an hour of Taize prayer around the cross from 11:00pm until midnight. Everyone is invited to pop in for a short time, or longer, to pray for our youth.

Our local experts are helping people all over the world adapt to climate change and to protect our common home. By donating to CAFOD this family fast day you can help communities affected by the worst impact of the climate crisis. Envelopes and more information will be available next weekend.

Radio Guernsey Guidelines will be presented by Larry Malcic airing from Monday 20th September – Friday 24th September (approx 6:35am and 8:35am).

Reflecting on Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato si, with references to his more recent encyclical, Fratelli tutti, and his joint letter issued this month, For the Protection of Creation.

Mass of remembrance for the late Sister Marie Paul, former head teacher at Notre Dame school.

Thursday 23rd September at 6:00pm at Notre Dame du Rosaire Church.

All welcome especially ex teachers and pupils.

Encouraged by Canon Michael, the Befrienders group first met in November 2012. Members were aware that there were a number of parishioners who for reasons of age or incapacity were unable to come to Mass or join in Parish events. Many had contributed greatly to parish life and needed to know they were not forgotten by the parish community.

The first task was to identify people who would appreciate the hand delivery of a Christmas card on behalf of the parish. This small gesture was greeted with great joy and opened our eyes to the extent of the need and the numbers involved. These have stayed fairly stable between 70 and 90 people. Preparation for visiting then began. Anyone providing a regular service on behalf of the Church has to be cleared by the safeguarding service with a police check. With the help of technology this is now a more straight forward and quick process. Now, if anyone is interested in becoming a Befriender they can accompany someone who has a police check while awaiting their paperwork.

In the decade since this group started the Service has evolved. The first Service of Healing and Blessing took place In 2014 and has been held annually since then. A pattern of ‘get together’ tea parties, roughly quarterly, are also very popular.

These have required support from the Parish Youth Service as well as the wider parish as lift givers, cake-makers and servers. A close relationship has built up with the Youth Service who now regularly contribute to making the cards at Easter and Christmas. The group also values support from the Legion of Mary and the Catenians If you or someone you know who would value a visit from a Befriender please get in touch. Contact details below.

We do need more Befrienders so if you feel you would like to help and have an hour or two to spare we would love to hear from you. Meg White: 252401/07781 403378 mwhite@cwgsy.net

‘Retrouvaille’ to date has offered help, hope and support to over 6,000 couples experiencing difficulty within their marriage or who have already divorced or separated. Reconciliation is never too late. There is no group therapy or group work involved and the next on line course commences with a virtual weekend from October 21^st/ 24^th 2021.

For more details in complete confidence – Call or text 0788 729 6983 or 0797 388 0443

retrouvailleukinfo@gmail.com or www.retrouvaille.org.uk

Andrew Warren has sadly had to retire from playing the Organ at 8:00am Mass. We thank him for his great talent! However, he will still be playing at Notre Dame. Luke stepped in to play at 8:00am Mass, but this makes his commitment on a Sunday to three separate services at St Joseph. He and his wife are expecting their first child, so he needs to have more time as a family on a Sunday. He will now play for the 10:30am Mass and at Sung Vespers at 4:30pm, which is still quite a commitment!

So, what to do with 8:00am Mass? During August we had no singing at 8:00am and half the congregation approached me saying how much they enjoyed a quiet Mass and the other half wanting the music back. So as Parish Priest I cannot win. So I offer a compromise. The Church teaches that Parts of the Mass should be sung (Holy Holy: Lamb of God: Gospel Acclamation: The Doxology and Great Amen etc) before Hymns are sung. We will be singing these Parts of the Mass in English. We will try this as a way forward with perhaps a Communion Hymn. However, it is difficult to sing unaccompanied if we don’t all join in, so we all need to do our bit. We will also have some 8:00am Masses as a quiet Mass and I will produce a schedule. Also, if there are any Piano or Organists out there who are hiding their talents – can I ask you consider offering your gifts for the good of the Parish for the 8:00am Mass. Thank you and please be assured of my continuing prayers.

God bless, Fr Chris

Confirmation Preparation starts in January for young people in Year 8 and above who would like to be confirmed (in Summer 2023), or just want to explore more about their faith.

Contact Tom – Tel: 07781 129310 / E-mail: youth@catholic.org.gg

The Holy Spirit Prayer Group on Monday 13th September in St Joseph’s Parish Room.

Tea/coffee from 7:00pm and the prayer group starts at 7:30pm.

UCM on Tuesday 14th September at 7:30pm in St Joseph’s Parish Room.

Film night and raffle.

Laudato Si meeting on Wednesday 15th September at 7:00pm in St Joseph’s Parish Room

Prayer Vigil with ‘Adoration’ at Our Lady Star of the Sea Friday 2nd October from 8:00pm to midnight. We will be praying for our young people and youth work in the parish. Everyone is invited to come along for a short time, or longer, to pray for our youth.

Le Platon results of the August draw

1st £100 – 3

2nd £50 – 23

3rd £25 – 70

Allegro Choir rehearsal on Sunday 12th September after 10:30am Mass.

Venue in the old schools library next to the Parish room.

Please pray for Nuala Scarisbrick, LIFE co-founder, who has died peacefully aged 82. Nuala and her husband Jack, both faithful Catholics, co-founded LIFE, a pregnancy support charity based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. LIFE helps more than 60,000 people a year as they face pregnancy or pregnancy loss. Her legacy is tens of thousands of people here today who otherwise would have been aborted.

Please pray for Nuala, Jack, their daughters Emma and Sarah, and the rest of the Scarisbrick family. You can find more information about Nuala and funeral details on the memorial page lifecharity.org.uk/nuala

Deacon Stephen, LIFE, Chief Executive Officer.

Our local LIFE contact is Anne Setters – Tel: 07781 423146

As the new school year begins we welcome Miss Smillie, our new Reception teacher and 27 eager Reception children (aged 4 or 5 years).

The beginning of each school year is such a momentous time for pupils and staff (and also, anxious (or relieved!) parents) as an air of renewed excitement, anticipation and aspiration abound. Although our pupils shan’t begin school until Monday 6th September, we, as Staff, acknowledged the annual Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation during our first day back to school on 1st September. This afforded us the opportunity to pray, reflect on how we should act in order to care for God’s creation.

As our school year unfolds, the children are presented with challenges to work towards each week. Our School Values are based on our role as Stewards of the earth, and so challenges might include turning off taps or lights, recycling lunch litter as well as making time for God each day or being respectful of each other. We ask for your prayers throughout this school year for all staff, pupils and their families that we continue to be good Stewards in caring for God’s creation.

Education Sunday 2021 will take place on Sunday 12th September. The theme for 2021 will be “A word in season”. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education, marked by churches and schools across the country.

Rotas for Eucharistic Ministers and Readers at St Joseph’s Church for the period 12 Sept to 31 Oct 2021 are now available for collection from the folder on the table outside of the Sacristy.

If you are unable to attend on the dates please contact the below as soon as possible as the rotas have to be prepared well in advance.

Eileen Baird (Readers) – Tel: 244856 / E-mail: eileenb@cwgsy.net

Marie Maclure (Eucharistic Ministers) – Tel: 235251 / E-mail: mtmaclure@cwgsy.net

We would like to thank everyone who was involved with organising the wonderful Tea Party at Les Cotils. All who where able to attend had a very special afternoon meeting with old friends and making new friends. A sincere thank you to the kind benefactor who made this Tea party possible.

Guernsey Welfare Service has moved to it’s own dedicated Centre at the end of May. You are invited to pop in and have a look around, find out what we do and how we support those on low income in Guernsey. Drinks & snacks will be served. Tuesday 21st September 6:00pm-9:00pm, The Caves, Upper Mansell St, SPP. Parking available at Frossard House.

The Holy Spirit Prayer Group on Monday 6th September in St Joseph’s Parish Room.

Tea/coffee from 7:00pm and the prayer group starts at 7:30pm.

Allegro Choir rehearsal on Sunday 12th September after 10:30am Mass. Venue in the old schools library next to the Parish room. All abilities are very welcome, if you can play an instrument please come and share the gifts the good Lord has given you also remember, as attributed to St Augustine,”He who sings prays twice.” For further information please contact Marie Banton 07781 422558 or just turn up for rehearsals as above. Thank you

Fr Tom Grufferty invites you to join him on a Virtual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land at 7:30pm on Monday evenings from 6th September to 1st November… All are invited to join a Virtual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land each Monday at 7:30pm for 40 Minutes. To receive all the spiritual benefits it is recommended that all the Pilgrims join in all the sessions, but occasional pilgrims are welcome as well. We will cover all the major sites associated with the life of Jesus with a different presenter each week.

This on-line meeting is open to all by admittance. You are NOT required to register or Log In to the website. If you are new to Fr Tom’s virtual retreats then please email tomgrufferty1@gmail.com beforehand so that the Zoom Host recognises who you are.

You can find out more to join: www.lcsb.uk/pilgrimage

Even though the children have been on their summer holidays, it has been very busy at Notre Dame du Rosaire Catholic Primary School over the last six weeks. Thanks to our building fund, built up by donations from generous parents and parishioners, we have been able to do a huge amount of work within the school including replacing most of the old windows, re-carpeting areas, refitting the library and setting up a new classroom! Thank you to everyone who donates to this fund as it enables us to create a safe and welcoming environment for the children and staff.

Last term we had the highest number of children in the school on roll ever and want to maintain this. If you have a child due to start school in September 2022, or know of someone whose child has moved to the island, please contact the office for information about registration. We want to keep our Catholics Schools full as our children are the future of the church. If you have any questions or wish to offer support, please email the office on office@notredame.sch.gg. Thank you all again for your continuing support. Mary Robertshaw Headteacher, Notre Dame du Rosaire Catholic Primary School.

The Holy Spirit Prayer Group on Monday 30th August in St Joseph’s Parish Room.

Tea/coffee from 7:00pm and the prayer group starts at 7:30pm.

On the first Friday of each month the Novus Ordo Mass will be celebrated in English ad Orientem. Ad Orientem worship is simply the priest orienting the sacrifice of the Mass towards Jesus Christ in the re-presentation of the Crucifixion, with the Priest and people facing the Lord. There will also be simple tone for the parts of the Mass and tradition hymns.

It is an authorised way to celebrate Holy Mass and remains so. There is a consistent gathering of about 30 people at these Masses and I am pleased to offer it to the parish for those who wish to attend. Everyone is welcome.

Thanks to the generosity of Canon Lecluze, we are now in a position to undertake some repairs and improvements at Notre Dame Church. The outside of the Church is looking particularly manky and will be repainted and all the cracks attended to. New exterior lighting is currently being installed to light your way when its dark. The lighting inside the Church is currently being changed to LED which is far cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly. Extra lighting has been installed over the Sanctuary and over the Lectern. Improvements are being made to the Font area at the entrance of the Church and the Confessional will be moved to a more private area just off the Sanctuary. This will allow for extra seating where the Confessional was. The toilets will be improved with the Hall gaining a small kitchenette for tea and coffee etc. Canon Lecluze legacy is finite, so if you are feeling generous and would like to help financially with this most beautiful Church with a French history, please contact the Office.

You donations will be most welcome. Thank you.

The environmental impact of bottled water is up to 3500 times more than tap water and 500 times more expensive. An interesting statistic: in the US 17 million barrels of oil are used to produce the plastic to meet annual demand for bottled water. How many barrels might be used for Guernsey bottled water? Our local tap water is of a very high quality.

Allegro Choir Rehearsal on Sunday 29th August after the 10:30am mass in St Joseph’s Church. All abilities are very welcome, if you can play an instrument please come and share the gifts the good Lord has given you also remember the one who sings prays twice.

Rehearsal on Sunday 12th September after 10:30am mass. Venue in the old schools library next to the Parish Room. Please come and share your gifts with your congregation. If you would like further information please contact Marie Banton 07781 422558 or just turn up for rehearsals as above. Thank you.

News of great joy and excitement! La Couperderie is now opened once again with a brand new road. Therefore the barrier gate between the States building and our car park in La Couperderie will be locked as usual.

Legion of Mary rosary for the Beatification of Edel Quinn on Sunday 29th August at 2:00pm in St Joseph’s Church.

St Padre Pio & St Philomena Prayer Group meeting on Thursday 26th August at 7:30pm at Jenny & Bill Trubuil’s Home. Lifts can be arranged – Tel. 255163.

Notre Dame Du Rosaire Readers Rotas are now available to collect from the table inside the main door at Notre Dame Church.

Blanchelande College Open Morning on Saturday 25th September (10:00am – 12:30 pm). Guernsey’s Catholic Independent school for boys and girls from age 2 ¹/₂ to 18. From this year we have new nursery provision as well as a full Sixth Form cohort. There has been huge investment in facilities recently so do come and see Blanchelande’s beautiful educational setting and meet our team and high achieving students. The Principal, Robert O’Brien, will give a brief presentation at 10:00am, followed by guided tours. For enquiries contact Sonia Hollowell (Registrar) on 232744 or hollowells@blanchelande.sch.gg.

CAFOD is responding to significant crises across the world this week. We are working with local Church organisations in Haiti to deliver emergency aid to people affected by the catastrophic earthquake and tropical storm. In the tragic situation in Afghanistan, we are working to ensure the safety of our local partners and their communities. We are supporting local aid workers to deliver urgent food and water supplies to hundreds of thousands of people facing extreme hunger in Tigray in Ethiopia, South Sudan and north-east Nigeria. You can read more about how we can all express solidarity with our sisters and brothers affected by these emergencies on the CAFOD website: https://cafod.org.uk/News/Emergencies–news. Your compassion, generosity and prayers have helped us to stand together and enable us to continue to support communities in these difficult times. Thank you.

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart. Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person and is the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart. On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

Excerpted from The Prayer Book by Reverend John P. O’Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and lex Martin, M.A. (Catholic Culture.org)

Guernsey Cream Tea – Courtesy of a generous donation the Parish Befrienders are able to offer this special treat on Thursday 26^th August at 3:00pm-4:40pm in the Restaurant at Les Cotils.

If you are longing for a catch-up with fellow parishioners but prevented by circumstances, mobility or age you are warmly invited.

Please get in touch with Angela 07781 112 221 or Meg 252401 by 20^th August at the latest.

Please also contact us if a lift is required.

We look in horror at news of the destruction of The Amazon but we have problems much nearer to home. The destruction of peat boglands in UK and even more in Ireland for use by gardeners. Peat bogs store vast amounts of carbon which must be kept in the ground to avoid contributing to climate change. For this reason many large gardening groups such as RHS have given up using peat. We gardeners must follow their example and look for alternatives which are just as effective.

La Couperderie will be closed for 3 weeks from Monday 9th August for resurfacing to take place. We will still have access to the car park behind St Joseph’s in Cordier Hill via Vauvert. The barrier gate between the States building and our car park in La Couperderie will be unlocked from Monday and we are asked to enter and exit via the Grange. Please note that there is no parking in the States car park except on a Sunday.

We are a registered Fairtrade parish, using Fairtrade goods in the parish after Mass at coffee times and at other events. Look out for the Fairtrade logo on products like tea, coffee, sugar, chocolate and a variety of other goods. Buying Fairtrade means supporting communities in developing countries to trade independently of huge companies such as Nestles and sadly Cadbury’s whose main aim is profit not justice and welfare of their workers.

As Fr Chris will be on holiday from 25th July–9th August there are some Mass time changes which we ask you to please note. Also there will be no Vespers during the month of August and the 8:00am Mass on Sunday will be a “Quiet” Low Mass with no Music or singing (August only).

The Portsmouth Diocese Spiritual Formation Team invite you to take an Ignatian Staycation this summer on Wednesday evenings from 4th–25th August…

Due to travel restrictions, we may not be able to travel abroad this summer. So the Spiritual Formation Team have planned an alternative journey which costs nothing! As this year is dedicated an ‘Ignatian Year’, you are invited in August to spend four sessions in reflection and imaginative contemplation, travelling as companions of St. Ignatius. No Covid tests, passports, or luggage required, just bring with you an open mind and the willingness to be surprised at the destination God will choose for you. Each Zoom meeting will be based around a scriptural meditation and will last less than one hour. There will be a period of shared reflection in small groups after the meditation.

Please join us for all or any of the following dates, as we travel together: Wednesdays at 7:00pm on 4th August, 11th August, 18th August and 25th August.

For the ZOOM link please email: spirituality@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk

With the opening of our borders we ask that you please be vigilant with your interactions with others. Please sanitise your hands when you come into Church. Should you wish to wear a Face Mask please feel free to do so. The Priests will be wearing a Face Mask when administering Holy Communion. Out of Charity for your Brothers and Sisters would you please consider receiving Holy Communion in your hands.