WELCOME!
A very warm welcome to the website of our Parish of Saint John Henry Newman, which was founded on 1 October 2010, by the Rt. Rev. Peter Doyle, Bishop of Northampton.
We consist of two Catholic churches: St Wulstan’s church in Totteridge and Our Lady of Grace church in Booker.
Our aim is to bear witness to the love God has for us in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, to share this love with each other and to spread it into the wider community in which we live; acting always in communion with our bishop, Rt. Rev. David Oakley, Bishop of Northampton and His Holiness Pope Francis.
We look forward to welcoming you into our friendly, supportive and caring Christian community, bringing with you your unique, God-given gifts! So please make yourself known to us and do not hesitate to get in touch.
Fr. Benedetto D’Autilia – Parish Priest
Office hours: Mon / Thur / Fri: 10am -3pm
IMPORTANT NOTICE – Changes will come into effect from Friday 20th March at 5.00pm
PARISH OF ST JOHN H. NEWMAN
Letter from Fr Benedetto
Dearest brothers and sisters, 24th March 2020
May the Lord be constantly present among us, especially in this time of social distress. Please, let us keep praying for each other and for the end of the scourge of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is affecting our daily lives more and more. As a community we are all shaken and some are frustrated by the great weight put on our shoulders.
There are new rules for us as Church members, highlighted in our Bishops’ letter which you can find below. Remember that we are always a community despite any obstacle that we might encounter in our faith journey. The flesh might be weak but the Spirit is strong, as the Lord reminds us, while He was experiencing His spiritual passion in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:41).
I am talking to you as a brother, a friend, a father. Please allow me the expression: my heart is cracked with sorrow and I want to express the great affection that I feel for each one of you, as I find myself having to announce the…
closure of our two churches for public worship and for private prayer.
It is something that no priest must have ever thought to happen in his lifetime. I am sure every one of my fellow brother priests are of the same mind. It is something that no Christian, in time of peace, could have ever envisaged in two thousand years of Christianity.
This situation should not affect our Faith, our communion, our being followers of the one true Master, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us experience this ‘desert’ as a true Lenten offering. Let us rediscover the prayer of the Church within the warmth of our domestic churches, our Families! And if some live alone, as I do, let us find comfort in prayer and by maintaining contacts with each other by the different means of communication available e.g. by phone or email. I am not going on ‘holiday’. You can contact me on the phone and by email. If I am not in, just leave a message and I promise to reply as soon as possible.
Following the Government rules, our churches will not be open for private prayer, at least for thee weeks. I will celebrate each day the Sacrifice of the Mass for ALL privately, according to the guidelines provided. I will be available to hear Confessions on request.
You will also be able to watch Mass on our cathedral’s website at the times scheduled. You might decide to do so by watching it from different churches around the country, and indeed around the world. If you can get the EWTN channel on your television, you will have a chance to watch Mass at various times of the day. On your web search engine, you can find even more options to watch Mass from the many Catholic networks present there.
If you would like to continue your contribution to our Parish, please visit the diocesan website (look below), where you can donate by providing the name of our parish (St John H. Newman – High Wycombe).
However, your prayers are far more precious than any worldly goods.
Be assured of my prayers and my continual support.
Thank you for the great care and affection you always show me.
May God be with you always.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Benedetto
Any other activity in our church premises has stopped, such as Sacramental Preparation, Prayer Groups and Refreshments.
THE RE-DEDICATION OF ENGLAND AS THE DOWRY OF MARY
Sunday 29th March 2020
In 1381 AD King Richard II dedicated England as the Dowry of Mary during a major uprising across large parts of the country, called the ‘Great Rising’. After 639 years the Catholic Church will Rededicate the land and the people of England to Our Lady as being the Dowry of Mary.
Please unite in prayer with the Shrine at Walsingham (12noon) or our Cathedral in Northampton (11am). Online services are broadcasted live on the respective websites. (See links below)
DONATIONS
Dear Parishioners, if you would like to continue your contribution to our parish and do not give by Standing Order already, but only by envelopes or cash please consider to give, if you can, your usual Sunday donation through:
ONLINE DONATION on the Diocesan Website:
https://northamptondiocese.org/donate/
Scroll down to find the ‘Donate’ button and follow the instructions on the Catholic Diocese of Northampton Virgin money giving page. Please ensure the parish name and area e.g. St John H. Newman, High Wycombe that the donation is intended for is indicated in the notes section of the donate page. Please include your full name too.
OR
STANDING ORDER via donor’s own bank:
You can also set up a standing order for donations to the parish using either your on line bank account or in branch. The information required to make the donation is as follows.
Bank: NatWest
Sort Code: 60-06-11
Account Number: 46898093
Account Name: Northampton Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust
Payment Ref: Parish of St John Henry Newman, High Wycombe
Thank you for your generosity!
EASTER DONATION TO THE PRIEST
ONLINE DONATION on the Diocesan Website:
https://northamptondiocese.org/donate/
Scroll down to find the ‘Donate’ button and follow the instructions on the Catholic Diocese of Northampton Virgin money giving page. Please ensure the parish name, area and priest’s name e.g. St John H. Newman, High Wycombe, Fr Benedetto D’Autilia that the donation is intended for is indicated in the notes section of the donate page.
Thank you for your generosity.
THE NORTHAMPTON CATHEDRAL LIVE STREAMING SERVICE
THE WALSINGHAM SHRINE LIVE STREAMING SERVICE
LIVE STREAMING FROM CHURCHES IN: UK & IRELAND
Please click here
This Network provides many Prayer Services and Holy Masses from all over the British Isles.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I passionately desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my soul so that I may unite myself wholly to you now and forever. Amen.
based on a prayer of St Alphonsus Liguori
DOCUMENTS & LETTERS
Liturgical Advice – COVID19
ViralKindness Volunteer to help those in Self Isolation
Public Acts of Worship in Catholic Churches in England and Wales – COVID19
Easter 2020: guidance from Rome in the form of a decree
Vatican News YouTube channel
RESOURCES FOR PRAYER
When Mass cannot be celebrated publicly (A4)
Prayer for times of ‘flu and illness
CAFOD Prayer resources on www.cafod.org.uk
| BOTH CHURCHES | CHURCH CLOSED |
For full details of Masses, including rotas, please visit our Masses page.
NOTICES
Notice about Coronavirus
NEXT EVENT
LATEST NEWS
Lay Formation Fund
The Diocese is delighted to announce the creation of a new grant giving fund from the Together in Faith lay formation fund. This is to support lay formation and training and is available to help with matched funding for theological courses, practical courses that will benefit the parish (eg book keeping or flower arranging), or [More…]
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY
Our Parish Prayer
FATHER, We thank You, That you have always loved us, whatever our state or belief; that you have sent your son, Jesus, to help us find our way back in to your family. and that you know each of us, and have called us by name. May our lives be so transformed by your Holy Spirits power, that they shine as beacons of light drawing all to “come and see” what you have to offer and to celebrate together Your measureless love. Through Christ our Lord Amen.Prayer for Generosity (Jacques Sevin SJ after St Ignatius of Layola)
Lord, teach me to be generous:
to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek to rest;
to labour and to ask for no reward
save that of knowing I do your will.
Amen.
Visit our PRAYER page for:
- a categorised selection of more than 150 relevant prayers.
- the opportunity to request a prayer for yourself, or for someone else.
- details of prayer groups
NEWSLETTERS
Our Newsletters contain detailed, up-to-date information on worship, meetings, events, classes and much more.
March 21st & 22nd March 1.docxArchives
If you would like to receive our Newsletter by e-mail, please submit your details below.
Our Patron: Blessed John Henry Newman
In 2010, the churches of St Wulstan's, Our Lady of Grace, St Edmund Campion in Hazlemere and St James' the Great in Downley were joined together as one parish.
The Parish then took the name of Blessed John Henry Newman, who had been beatified by Pope Benedict XVI a few months earlier during his State Visit to the UK.
Our Sponsors
Saint John Henry Newman Parish would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support of our web site. By clicking on the logos you can learn more about each organisation.
