Parish Contact Information - Google Form



We are buiding a new database of our parish community.

Would existing and new parishioners

please click  below.


Parish Contact Information (google.com)



Fundraising at Good Shepherd


This is the Justgiving site where you can contirbute to our parish finances.

You can use the code reader scan or the link below to make a contribution.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Good-Shepherd-Church-Downham


All churches are suffering financial hardship since the pandemic and now further exacerbated by our current economic climate.

You may not be a regular attender at Good Shepherd but have family links or fond memories of the church of your youth. Your parish is dependent on your generosity to continue serving our community.

Thank you for your support.

Latest News

This Weekend.

We celebrate 

The Fifth Sunday of Lent (B).

Welcome to the Season of Lent.

Lent is a season of spiritual preparation before Easter.

It lasts for 40 days, beginning with the distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday

and ending on Holy Thursday.

The season commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert and resisting temptation.

During Lent, we practice fasting, prayer, almsgiving, repentance and self-denial

to imitate Christ’s sacrifice and to prepare for His Resurrection.


Activities during the Season of Lent at Good Shepherd.


Tuesdays.    

Lenten Reflection by parishioners (via Zoom). 7.30 pm to 9 pm.

(Beginning on Tue 27th February.



Thursdays.  

Morning Office of the Church at 9.40 am.



Thursdays. 

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after 10 am Mass 'till 11 am.



Fridays.        

Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament after 9.15 am Mass.



Fridays     

Stations of the Cross at 7. 30 pm.



Lenten Reflections.

 

A small group of parishioners join with me via Zoom during Lent as we discuss the theme chosen by our, ‘presenter for the evening’. Anyone who wishes to listen, share, or sample is most welcome to contact Fr John via parish email. We begin Tuesday at 7.30pm.

 

Morning Prayer of the Church.

Throughout the World clergy and religious begin the day by joining in the Morning Office of the Church. Here on Thursdays you have an opportunity to experience this Universal Prayer of the Church at 9.40 am.

 

Eucharistic Adoration.

“One cannot know the Lord without being in the habit of adoring, of adoring in silence,” the pope said in his homily. Yet, he lamented, “I believe, if I am not mistaken, that this prayer of adoration is the least known among us; it is the one we engage in the least.”

“To waste time — if I may say it — before the Lord, before the mystery of Jesus Christ. To adore, there in the silence, in the silence of adoration. He is the Lord, and I adore Him.” (Pope Francis morning homily)

 


Due to the Solemnity accorded to the Sundays in Lent,

St Patrick takes a back seat for this year but we remember him in our hymns on this, his feastday.

The Knights of St Columba

will distribute the Easter Posters 

at all Masses this weekend.

Your voluntary contributions 

will go to Macmillan Cancer Research.

Tuesday.

Feast of St Joseph.

Spouse of Our Lady.

Patron of the Universal Church.

Mass at 9.15am

Rota of Ministries for Holy Week.

Would our Eucharistic Ministers and Readers please volunteer for duty in Holy Week.

Lists available in Church porch.

Solemn Procession and Blessing of the Palm at 11am Mass.

We assemble on the house steps at 10.55am.

Simple Blessing of the Palm at 6pm Saturday and 9.15 am Sunday.

Online Survey.

All those registered with our parish

will have received an opportunity 

to complete our Parish Survey.

This exercise will guide our direction of travel

as we rebuild our parish community following the pandemic.

Please return as soon as possible.

(Available to 24th March).


Red Box  (Missio Appeal).

Please return your box for emptying

over the next three weeks.

Do not leave unattended

but hand-in at the Repository shop or the Vesting Sacristy.

Taekwondo European Champions.

Two of our young parishioners have achieved the status of European Champions 

and are members of the British Squad.

See link as we honour these two young men -

Timi since 2019

and Gabriel in 2023.

CAFOD Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal.


Donate to CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal at cafod.org.uk/ipc or call 0303 303 3030 to support those affected

and get funds to local trusted experts in Gaza and southern Israel who have been working alongside communities,

helping those most in need.

Your donation will help support aid workers providing urgent humanitarian aid

including food, water and emergency shelter to those in need.

Thank you for your prayers.”


A donation box is available at the back of the church.


 For fuller details on how Cafod is already working in the region

 


First Holy Communion.


Module 5 should be returned by 8th March.

Module 6 sent on Saturday 9th March.


First Confession: See below.



Sunday Liturgy sheet sent on Wednesdays.

Any questions directed to email: downhamparish@gmail.com

(no other parish email address will respond for this course).


See link for full details of the course.

Sacrament of Confirmation



Celebrated on 20th February 2024.

Next course will begin in October 2024.




Sunday Mass at 11am (Children's Liturgy).


Worksheet suggestion and Reading sent by email


Child and parent work together at home


Child presents work at Sunday Mass


Join us: email downhamparish@gmail.com


Our First Holy Communion children will lead this liturgy from Sunday 22nd October at 11am Mass.


See link for further details.



Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults  (RCIA)

(For those who wish to learn more about the Roman Catholic Church and teachings).

Enquiries: speak with Fr John or email:     downhamparish@gmail.com

see link for further details.


Our next Session 

Thursday 21st  March  2024

7.30 pm to 9 pm.

All are welcome to sample our course on any of the topics listed.

Our next topics are : The Christian Life / Prayer / Catholic Devotion


Diocesan Youth Ministry.


Under 18's

Young adults (18 - 35).


Pope Francis has called young people to be,

'Living stones in the Church'.


See link for details of events



Young Adults (18+). Mass on First Sunday at the Cathedral followed by Social.


Weekly Socials on Thursday evenings.


Advance notice of Flame 2025.

Largest gathering of Youth in UK.




Join the register for future updates




Archbishop John Wilson challenges his diocese to respond.


Pope Francis reminds us,

 ‘Each individual Christian and every community,’

he says ‘is called to be

an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor,

and for enabling them to be fully a part of society.
This demands,’ says Pope Francis ‘that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor

and to come to their aid.’

(EG 187)

Some Reflections in Light of the Synod on Synodality.

Summary by Archbishop John Wilson.

See link

First  Bulletin 2024

See link.

More than 1 in 5 of the UK population is living below the poverty line.


Here is the best way to access local services


click  below for further details


Lewisham Foodbank | Helping Local People in Crisis

Catholic Children's Society.


Crisis Fund  (Emergency Support for families in crisis).


Who is eligible?


One-off financial Support


We have helped

Families whose homes have been destroyed by fire.

Families where redundancy has brought hardship.

Families affected by illness/death of a loved one.


See link for details.

Would you be willing to open up your heart and home

and welcome individuals displaced

by the unnecessary war in  Ukraine?


Help St John of God find homes for Ukrainian families (mailchi.mp)


See link for latest newsletter January 2024


Newsletter of the Commission for Promoting Racial Justice and Cultural Inclusion


February  2024 ISSUE 8


As we look forward to Lent we would like to share James’s story–meet James in our Lent appeal video.

James is a Fisherman in Liberia .

James told us that when his family had no food, he faced a terrible choice: stay home and stay hungry or put everything on the line to go out onto the water in his small canoe. Five fishermen a month – many he called ‘brothers’ – were dying in storms at sea.

Just like him, they couldn’t afford the life jackets, compasses and other equipment they needed to stay safe at sea and get a good catch.

Even for a skilled fisherman like James, making that journey to sea and back alive without the right tools or safety equipment was difficult enough,

getting a catch was almost impossible.

We are inviting parishes to help hardworking people like James get the tools they need to feed their families.

More information about Fast Day will be available in the Fast Day pack at the back of the church.


Lent Family Fast Day is on Friday 23rd February,

Read latest story from Cafod

See link

Read stories of Christians being martyred for their Faith in various parts of the World.

We are asked for help none more so than by our prayers and solidarity in faith.

Nigeria

Democratic Republic of Congo


See link for details or 

visit

Aid to the Church in Need | About us (acnuk.org)

Organisations supporting

Respect for Life and all of God's Creation.


The Society for the Protection of Unborn Child


Act now to stop DIY abortion up to birth

Diana Johnson MP has tabled an amendment (New Clause 1) to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill,

which is coming up for the Report stage in Parliament in early March.

This amendment seeks to change criminal law

so that “no offence is committed by a woman acting concerning her pregnancy” at any gestation.

This means that a woman who induced her abortion

at home using pills (or any other method) at any stage of pregnancy,

including just before natural birth, would commit no offence.

This is dangerous for women and lethal for unborn babies.

Please contact your MP urgently,

asking them to oppose this extreme and barbaric proposal.

You can do this using SPUC’s easy-to-use web tool,

at https://www.spuc.org.uk/abortionamendments

See link for details.

 

Life is a UK pregnancy support charity.

See link for details.

Right to Life.

Latest News.


Pro Life Groups are asking for 1 million signatures to MP's this week

in support of an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill

to reduce the abortion time from 24 to 22 weeks.

Postcards are available from the back of the church.

See link for further details.

Since Catherine emailed you on Monday to ask you to sign the petition to the Prime Minister

calling for a reduction in the abortion time limit,

thanks to your help, we have gone far beyond our target milestone of 80,000

and now have 85,344 signatures on the petition!There is still time to sign the petition.

See link above.

Care (For what you believe).


The Government is currently consulting on guidance for English schools on dealing with “Gender Questioning Children”. A consultation will run until Tuesday 12 March. This issue is very important – especially to parents. As a mother of two teenage children, I’m deeply concerned about what is happening in schools. Heartbreaking accounts tell of children being encouraged down a pathway to experimental drugs and surgery in pursuit of the dangerous idea that they can ‘change sex’.


The Conversion Practised Prohibition Bill failed in its Second Reading before Parliament so this danger is removed for now.


See link for details.

Laudato Si Movement.

Interfaith Discussion on Laudate Deum of Pope Francis.

20th March at Westminster Cathedral.

See link for details.


Lenten Edition


now available from the back of the church.

Sold out

This is a useful little book (A5) which contains the daily Mass Readings.

Link yourself with the Universal Church in taking a few minutes,

on your way to work or during a break,

to unite with God's Word,

as it is received throughout the world on each day.


Available from the back of the church. Price £1.

  Is your marriage under stress?!!

Marriage and Family Life.

Two online courses on

Passing on the Faith.

A course for parents (beginning 28th Feb)

and

a course for grandparents (beginning 18th April)

See link for details

Couples celebrating significant anniversaries in 2024.

Special Mass for couples with their families on 13th July at St George's Cathedral.

Booking essential. 

See link for details.

Beginning Experience’


Beginning Experience provides peer support for Separated, Divorced, and Widowed persons,

to facilitate the grief resolution process, and enable those wounded by grief

to rediscover love for themselves, others, and God.

Facilitated by trained peer ministers, grief resolution programmes

take place in nine countries on three continents,

including here in the south of England.

See link for poster details


The next weekend, 12-14 April 2024.

Saturdays during the year at varied venues.



Press link for full list of engagements.

Escorted Pilgrimage to Knock & Co Mayo,

3rd March 2024. £899.00 pps.

Price includes flight, 10kg hold luggage, 5 nights in 4* Castlecourt Hotel, Westport with Dinner, Bed & Breakfast. Lunch on three days.

All entertainment, excursions and transport are included.

Visit Knock, Galway City, Kylemore Abbey, Croagh Patrick & Ashford Castle. Single supplement on enquiry.

Contact Patricia or Natalion at 01268 762 278 or 07740 175557 or emailknockpilgrimages@gmail.com.

See link.


Further information

A Day With Mary 2024 Pilgrimages

to Fatima (7-14 June)

and Italy (4-12 September)

is available at

www.adaywithmary.orgor email adwmary.uk@gmail.com

See link for details.


MEDJUGORJE IRISH CENTRE PILGRIMAGES APRIL - OCT 2024:


7 Nights Apartment B&B from €273 per person sharing. Airport transfer is available on request. Contact us for details and book the dates that suit you.


Tel. 020 3239 8662 or website www.med-irishcentre.com



MEDJUGORJE: 00387 36 651 518
ENGLAND: 0044 20 3239 8662
Email:reservations@med-irishcentre.com
Website:www.med-irishcentre.com


See link

Mottingham Parish - Polish Led Pilgrimage to Medjugorje.

27th April 2024 to 5th May 2024

See link for details.


Volunteers Required.

Sense Charity.

Downham shop

Location462/464 Bromley Road, Downham, Kent, BR1 4PP


See link for further details.

YOUTH MINISTRY LEADER IN THE LAKE DISTRICT?


Castlerigg Manor (Diocese of Lancaster Retreat Centre) are looking for a Programme Leader to join their youth ministry team.

The work involves working on retreats in the heart of the Lake District, and occasionally working on outreach visits around the area.

The post is residential and comes with a salary package in the range of £26-28k, made up of paid salary, accommodation, food etc.

Would suit somebody with youth ministry experience perhaps recently graduated. Interested –jack@castleriggmanor.co.uk

Jack Regan,

Director of Youth Services, Diocese of Lancaster.

Laleham Lea,

a Catholic Independent School in Purley,

is looking for a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) to start as soon as possible.

For more information and application forms please visit our school website -www.lalehamlea.co.ukor call 0208 660 3351.


Catholic Papers and Magazines.

We have no demand in our parish for printed newspapers

but it's important to provide access to digital newspapers

or an opportunity for those who might wish to subscribe to

a physical or digital copy of our popular UK Catholic media. 

Newspapers and Magazines offer us a fuller perspective 

on the issues of the day rather than settle for headlines.


Below you will find the means of accessing the subscriptions.


Forthcoming Funerals 

Grazio Horace Galea RIP

Funeral Mass: Friday 3rd May at 10.30 am.

Committal: Hither Green Cemetery at 12 noon.