News
Redemptorists released after 18 months in captivity.
Two Redemptorist priests, Fr. Ivan Levitskyi and Fr. Bohdan Geleta who have been held by the Russians since November 2022 were today released from prison. On the day we also commemorate our four beatified Ukrainian martyrs.
Fr Ivan Levytskyi CSsR and Fr Bohdan Geleta CSsR were taken into captivity on 16 November 2022 and freed on the 28th June 2024.
Novena at Erdington Abbey
Wonderful night of Novena at Erdington Abbey tonight [Wednesday 26th June 2024] with Fr Dan Baragry CSsR. Reflecting on God's love for us and sharing that love with one another.
Come to our last night at 7pm Thursday 27th June 2024.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Hednesford - Sunday July 7th
- 2.15 - 3.45 pm - Confessions.
- 3 pm Rosary.
- 4 pm Mass & Sacrament of the Sick Celebrant Bishop Stephen Wright
- Please bring your own chairs
Hednesford, near Cannock, is near Junction 11 of the M6 and Junction T7 of the Toll Road. Follow signs to Hednesford and Rugeley A460. Train Service from New Street, Birmingham to Hednesford. The Church and Shrine is on Uxbridge Street on the A460, WS12 1DB. For further information contact: Fr Jeremy Howard, 07868 542268 or email fr.jeremy.howard@rcaob.org.uk
Talk on Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes Hednesford Sunday July 7th 2024.
Early in the morning of Thursday February 18th 1858, in Lourdes in Southwestern France, Our Blessed Lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous a poor, Illiterate girl. Bernadette agreed to come every day for a fortnight to hear Our Lady's message. Following that encounter, Lourdes became the meeting point of the Christian world and an enormous flow of people started moving and hasn't stopped coming from all around the world ever since to hear Our Lady's message of Penance, Healing and Wholeness.
From the very beginnings of the Shrine in Lourdes, the message of Our Lady of Lourdes has spread throughout the world. In 1913 Fr Patrick Boyle, who became the first Parish Priest of Hednesford in Staffordshire, went on pilgrimage to Lourdes and made a solemn promise to build a new church, be modelled on that in Lourdes, and a Grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. His vision was shared by his successor, Fr Joseph Healey and work on the church and Grotto was finished by 1935. Our Lady of Lourdes Hednesford is now the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
A steady stream of people come to the Shrine throughout the year to ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. People who are able to travel to Lourdes for the Diocesan Pilgrimage come on the first Sunday in July as a continuation of the Lourdes experience and others appreciate the chance to make their own pilgrimage. A pilgrimage gives us a chance to begin again or come back to our faith. The profound commitment of Bernadette inspires us to deepen our own Christian faith.
We invite you to join us on Sunday July 7th - Refreshments available from 1 pm, Confessions. 2.15 - 3.45 pm, Rosary with local schools 3 pm & Mass & Anointing with Archbishop Bernard 4 pm. Bring a chair.
SUMMER BBQ 2024
Tickets on sale from the holy shop, in parish hall, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10.30 to 12 noon.
It would be fantastic to see as many of you at our Summer BBQ on Friday 12th July from 5:30pm - Adults only £7 and children at a bargain price of £3 entry which will include a burger or sausage bap and a salad bar. There will be a bar, live music, a range of stalls and a raffle to celebrate the evening away!
Thanks to our Cameroonian Friends...
Click on the video to see how much progress we made with our church yard clear-up. However, we still need a lot of help so please do get in touch if you would like to volunteer to keep our surroundings looking beautiful for everyone.
CAFOD's Sudan Crisis Appeal
Millions of families in Sudan, forced to flee their homes amid conflict, now face yet another urgent crisis – extreme hunger. Please give to CAFOD's Sudan Crisis Appeal in church or at cafod.org.uk/sudanappeal. Your donation will help CAFOD's partners to support more families with food packages and emergency cash payments as well as rebuilding water pipelines so clean water can reach communities who need it. Thank you for your generosity and prayers.
You can also text Text CAFODSUDAN to 70450 to donate £10.Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you'll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don't wish to hear more from us, please text CAFODSUDANNOINFO instead.
Caritas Social Action Network have just launched their Do Justice campaign. You can find out more at: https://dojustice.co.uk/Caritas Social Action Network have just launched their Do Justice campaign. You can find out more at: https://dojustice.co.uk/
The aim of the campaign is to encourage our parish to discern the needs of our local community in the light of the Gospel and to act with the skills and resources we have at our disposal to bring about a more just society.
Caritas have produced a three-session resource for us as a guide to this process, which you'll find attached. The sessions use the Conversations in the Spirit method of the synodal process, to make sure that everyone is heard, and the best ways forward can be discerned.
On the Do Justice website, you'll be able to download a copy of the 'core text' of the campaign, Do Justice: A Vision for Spiritual and Civic Renewal in England and Wales.
This document might be a helpful introduction for those who want to engage with Do Justice. It's a reminder of the scriptural roots of justice and the main principles of Catholic Social Teaching which guide our work for a better world.
Click on the below image to read the latest newsletter
Could you be a seed of hope?
The Archdiocese of Birmingham is inviting enthusiastic individuals to create a network of Environment Champions. To celebrate Laudato Si week (19-26 May). We need as many CHAMPIONS as we can get - and I know that there's many of you out there in our parish!
Your mission is to be a channel of communication between the Archdiocese and the Abbey Parish, to promote Care of Creation and to enthuse others to help in responding to Pope Francis' call in Laudato Si to a spirituality which supports an ecological conversion.
You will receive the full support of the Care for Creation Committee as part of the diocesan effort to act as stewards of creation - click on the image below for more details.
May Procession and First Holy Communion
Placing of the Time Capsule into part of the new roof.
The time capsule contains the names of all who have bought slates. Names of priests of the abbey past and present. A history of the abbey since 1843 and information of our abbey today. For posterity. Thanks to the continuing work by many to raise funds. Especially to Nicholas Bartleet, Ron Heeley, Ronnie Sweeney and Caroline McGonagle for the various ways they have helped this particular project to be realised.
Abbey Restoration Project Update 23 February 2024
I am very pleased to say that the next phase of urgent work is due to start on the 4 March which will be to the roof, valley and rainwater guttering over St. Josephs chapel.
This has been made possible by the considerable efforts of many parishioners in raising further funds for the restoration works. As you may appreciate, we have not raised all of the monies needed to complete all of the works in the adjoining area but with your efforts and with grant applications we do hope that the external restoration can continue.
So far just over £220,000 has been raised. Due to time moving on since repairs were first identified and increased costs we are doing our best with the available funds. The 'Sponsor A Slate' appeal has been successful but there are still some 200 slates for which sponsors are needed and we would ask you to consider this if you have not already done so.
As part of the next phase of roofing works, we are going to put a time capsule in the roof area, listing the names of those who have helped with this appeal as well as details of the present day so that when this is found in many years' time those future generations will hopefully appreciate the forward thinking of the parishioners of today.
If you look at the roof area over the pathway as you walk up to the church entrance door you will see, we have had further storm damage to the roof and this will be the next area needing attention when funds allow. Thanks to all for your continuing efforts Fr Kieran J. Brady CSsR PP
Abbey News
SVP Art Workshop
We deliver wonderful art workshops to the SVP community group at The Erdington Abbey.
It's always lovely to see numbers grow each week & everyone enjoy themselves.
We develop a range of art skills using all sorts of media. Take a look at some of our watercolour skills & here are just a few of their finished pieces.
If you would like to come along then please contact Nikki via the website below.
https://misscreate.co.uk/
Abbey Choir
After an absence of sung music for eighteen months, the choir is at last resuming weekly rehearsals and singing at the 10.30 Mass. Rehearsals are on Every Wednesday at 8.00pm. If you have a good knowledge of music and are interested in joining the choir please contact Joe on 07721 753992 or contact the parish office with your details.
Abbey Cemetery
As stipulated within the grave cremation deeds, Please do not place plants, pots or stones on the grassed area of the graves and cremation plots. No dogs are allowed in the cemetery. Thank you.
Car Park Gates
The barrier to the car park will be closed at the following times: Mon/Wed/Thurs 8.00pm, Tues/Fri 5.00pm & Sat/Sun 7.00pm. Any cars left in the carpark will be locked in!
Rev'd Fr Gabriel Ignatius Maguire CSsR
Fr Dickinson's 70 years of profession as a Redemptorist
We had a wonderful celebration of mass on Saturday 4th September 2022 to celebrate and give thanks for Fr Dickinson's 70 years of profession as a Redemptorist. Click here to view some images of the mass.
