Our Lady of Mercy, St.Joseph and St Anne's Catholic Parish Blog

TO NAME OR NOT TO NAME?

2012-02-09T17:13:00.001Z

Since we last considered your views a fortnight ago, we have received three more written comments, all from named parishioners or contributors and all in favour of publishing names. All the comments are printed on the "to name or not" page in the right hand column of this blog. Our decision is that from now onwards we shall publish people's names where it is helpful to do so, but only with their permission.

HENS' SUPER SEND OFF FOR BRIDE-TO-BE

2012-02-09T08:16:00.001Z

Some of Nicky's friends gather to offer their condolences on her impending departure from the chicken run.

NIPPI IN NAME AND NIPPY IN WINTER

2012-02-09T08:06:00.001Z

photo by Nicky
When the manufacturers decided what to call their wheelchair-carrying scooter, we don't believe they were thinking about how cold the driver gets when it's racing along at full speed on a frosty day. But Ros has the answer - furry earmuffs!

LYMINGTON QUAY IN FEBRUARY

2012-02-09T07:58:00.001Z

photo by Nicky

Very peaceful at this time of year, but the visitors will return with the Spring.

2012-02-09T07:51:00.001Z

cartoon sent in by Gigi

REMEMBERING THE FOUNDING OF CAFOD

2012-02-03T00:28:00.000Z

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development was born when members of the National Board of Catholic Women organised the first Family Fast Day in 1960, in response to a devastating hurricane in the Caribbean. Two years later, CAFOD was officially registered. On Saturday 28 January 2012, on a grey winter afternoon, Westminster Cathedral was packed to capacity with vibrancy and joyful voices for a special Mass of Thanksgiving for the work of CAFOD over the past 50 years. Among the 1,500 strong congregation were CAFOD workers and supporters from the UK and beyond, together with representatives of international Caritas agencies. The Catholic Women's League was nationally represented, including 100 members of the Portsmouth Diocese branch. Of these, 15 ladies, including Ellen and Joan, had braved the chill to travel up from the Lymington Section.

The principal celebrant was the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, with more than 18 bishops and 30 priests concelebrating. Among them were the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Anglican Bishop of Winchester and the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini. Our leader Margaret also spotted Portsmouth's own much loved Bishop Crispian Hollis; it's reassuring to see him out and about in spite of recent ill health. The service was inspiring both in tradition and innovation. The homily was given by the Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster John Arnold, Chair of CAFOD Trustees. He told us that the work of CAFOD is founded on the Gospel, based on core values of Compassion, Dignity, Hope, Partnership, Solidarity, Sustainability and Stewardship. A procession of photos accompanied stories from places such as South Africa, Mozambique, Brazil, Ethiopia, Cambodia. The voices were those inspired by and involved with CAFOD, including Cardinal Basil Hume; and ordinary people from disadvantaged areas stricken by poverty, war and HIV. The presentation was simple but incredibly moving.

The Mass ended with a Rite of Recommitment, with colourful Nigerian hymns of thanksgiving from the Saint Ignatius African choir. We were addressed by Margaret Mwaniki from Kenya, a CAFOD trustee and partner. She spoke with humour and passion, emphasising that in supporting CAFOD we are not donating but sharing: we do not help the poor because they are poor but because we see one humanity; we do not give because we are rich but because we are sharing the fruits of one world. The Lymington ladies left Westminster warmed and cheered in spite of the cold journey home.

photos and report by Gigi

"In recognition of the generosity of CAFOD supporters the British Government has agreed, that through UK Aid Match funding, it will match a pound for pound every donation given to CAFOD during this years Lent Fast Day to help some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the world."

A MEMORY OF A RATHER DIFFERENT KIND

2012-02-01T14:43:00.062Z

As a complete contrast to the celebrations in Westminster, two members of the Parish went to Redlynch Village Hall last week to hear The Frenzied and The Diligent play vajazzle (a variety of jazz and skiffle), and to remember some stars of the past, including the great Lonnie Donegan.

SUNDOWN ON BRIGHTON BEACH

2012-02-01T14:05:00.019Z

May the sun set kindly on your prayers,

though you might call for the moon.

May your faith compass and anchor you;

may your soul rise in a sea of losses.

May you harbour truth within you,

and may the tides never turn you

from a stranger's shore or the face of God.

photo and poem by Gigi

For further photos and an eyewitness report on the Occupy Brighton Camp see Pages in the right hand column.

PLENTY OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE

2012-01-28T18:10:00.000Z

photo by Barbara
The ladies of our Parish are putting their many and varied skills to good use on projects such as the altar backdrop for Easter and the proposed banner for the Hospitality Centre.

TO NAME OR NOT TO NAME?

2012-01-26T22:14:00.001Z

This week our Blog is not naming its victims, in accordance with the wishes of the majority of those who have so far expressed an opinion, either personally or through the comment facility. There is still time to tell us what you think, either through comments or by email to blog@gensearch.co.uk

FLOWERS THAT BLOOM IN THE SPRING TRA LA

2012-01-26T17:21:00.001Z

The skill and patience required to create such a beautiful arrangement .....

These flowers were not born to blush unseen, or waste their sweetness on the desert air.

Our apologies to W.S.Gilbert and Thomas Gray, and our thanks to Brian for the photos.

QUICKSNAP KID CATCHES 'EM IN THE ACT

2012-01-26T06:53:00.001Z

Walking past Hadleys earlier this week young Jonathan spotted, through the glass door, some activity he thought might be worth recording. Thanks to his quick thinking it was all over literally in a flash, but he'll have to wait three weeks before he will be allowed to see what the two embarrassed victims of his intrusion into their liberty did eventually buy!

photo by Jonathan

2012-01-26T06:44:00.001Z

cartoon sent in by Gigi

2012-01-19T16:10:00.001Z

As we had promised, where most of the people in one of the photos in our blog have already been named in an earlier edition we no longer publish a list of their names. Please let us know whether you approve of this or not, by clicking on the word comments below, and making your views known.

2012-01-19T15:54:00.001Z

Words and illustration by Ros

RYLIE JOINS AN EVEN BIGGER FAMILY

2012-01-19T15:43:00.001Z

Proud parents Wayne and Carolyn Chrisp with godparents Fiona and Andy, carrying baby Rylie Douglas after his baptism, which was conducted by Fr Danny. Rylie, already part of a lovely family, now also becomes a member of the community of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph, and a child of God.

MORE WOOLIES FOR THE AFRICAN WINTER

2012-01-19T13:51:00.001Z

photo by Rini
The ladies of the Knit and Stitch Club are happy to show us yet another splendid batch of pullovers they have knitted for the Children of the Universe Foundation.

2012-01-19T13:48:00.001Z

cartoon supplied by Gigi

DANGER! CAKE DEMOLITION IN PROGRESS!

2012-01-12T16:39:00.001Z

Please spare a thought this week for the members of the Friendship Club, who have to spend so much time chatting with their friends and then are expected to consume lots of homemade cake!

PARISH ACCOUNTANT GETS JUST DESERTS

2012-01-12T16:06:00.001Z

The lovely Frances is persuaded with difficulty to pose with her well-deserved papal blessing, awarded for the huge amount of unpaid work she has done keeping the parish accounts going over many years.
photo by Den

RUNNING OUR OFFICE IS KITTEN'S PLAY

2012-01-12T15:46:00.001Z

Newly appointed office volunteer Felix, having mastered the photocopier, tackles the job of opening the daily post.

photo by Frances

THE RISE AND FALL OF PEGGY'S LEGS

2012-01-12T15:33:00.001Z

No, Peggy, it's not a toy. You bought it to give your legs a chance to heal!

photo by Frances

HAPPY JANUARY FOR NICKY AND JOHN

2012-01-12T15:24:00.001Z

February's going to be even more special!

photo by Frances

MARY HAS CHOSEN THE BETTER PART

2012-01-05T23:34:00.001Z

photo by Barbara
All the rushing about at Christmas, and even now it's over Mary still had to wait until everyone had left so that she could make her steady way up the aisle to spend a few minutes meditating before our lovely crib, which looked even more stunning this year.

NORMAL SERVICE HAS NOW RESUMED .....

2012-01-05T23:30:00.003Z

Let us hope that our recent enforced abstinence from morning coffee helps us to fully value the effect our Sunday after-Mass get-togethers have on the spirit of our community. If we love God, if we believe in Jesus Christ, if we trust in the glory revealed in the mystery of Christmas and Epiphany, then we in turn must love one another, so that our daily lives continue to manifest God in our day. (www.magnificat.com)

THEY ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY SIT AND COUNT

2012-01-05T16:12:00.005Z

photo by Frances
Another year begins for all the parishioners who work in the Church or the office voluntarily every week. Without the help he receives from people like Tony and Gale Fr Danny wouldn't be able to carry out all the many duties which he performs at present.

EXCUSE ME, IS THIS THE RIGHT CASTLE?

2012-01-05T15:51:00.001Z

cartoon submitted by Gigi
Our blog differs from some of its contemporaries because it doesn't attempt to lay siege to the fortifications of the mainstream Catholic media, or try to divert our attention from the worship of God by creating controversy about which rite is being used.

WE CANNOT BE SERIOUS!

2012-01-05T14:29:00.001Z

Our Blog has made a New Year's Resolution not to take ourselves too seriously. All contributors please note!

WHAT DID OUR BLOG DO DURING THE YEAR 2011?

2011-12-29T21:17:00.000Z

One of our New Year resolutions in 2011 was to widen the scope of our blog by bringing in other activities than purely Parish ones. So when, in February, older children from St Joseph's School took part in a project which enabled them to learn more about, and to emphasize with the problems faced by elderly day-patients at Oakhaven Hospice, the blog was there.

In March, after receiving the sacrament of confirmation and being ordained to the diaconate, Edwin Barnes of our parish became a Catholic priest of the Ordinariate. So the blog was at the Cathedral to celebrate with him. Since then, despite his other duties, we have frequently benefited from Fr Edwin's dedication to this Parish and his willingness to

offer Holy Mass at Our Lady of Mercy on weekdays.

The Pastoral Area pilgrimage for this year took place in Greece, and was entitled In the Footsteps of St Paul. Under the guidance of Mgr Peter Ryan the group visited sites like this one in Philippi where St Paul is known to have preached. Those who went were thrilled with their experience, and the blog was delighted to receive not only a splendid collection of photos, but a full report as well from a group member.

photo by Tony

The opportunity to knit pullovers and bonnets for the infants being schooled because of the work of the Children of the Universe Foundation gave impetus to the formation of a new parochial group, the Stitch and Knit Club. It soon gained support, and has continued to thrive throughout the year.

The broadening of the coverage of the blog enabled it to report on the activities of individual parishioners, especially those who achieve remarkable feats or who successfully pursue unusual hobbies. Those who dabble in photography have done much to help broaden the coverage, and one of the most striking changes this year in our parish blog is in the number of extra photographers who have contributed. They are always acknowledged.

Another of the features which has made 2011 stand out for our blog is the way in which birthdays have so often been the occasions of communal celebration. Usually cake replaces biscuits with the coffee in the parish rooms after Sunday morning Mass, but even confinement to Southampton General Hospital did not deter parishioners from joining

Peggy for her ninetieth in July.

photo by Frances

July also saw the beginning of our new extended blog, which now includes the parish of St Anne's at Brockenhurst. Early forebodings about the difficulties of covering activities in two churches several miles apart have been somewhat calmed by the good photography and timely communication of Brockenhurst parishioners, whilst the differences

between the ways in which the two parishes do things has added a new dimension to our blog.

In August five of our younger parishioners travelled to Madrid for the World Youth Day and had a great time. Other people visited Rome, Lourdes, Walsingham and the Holy Land and let us use some of the photographic records of their trips. Some came home from holidays in places as far away as Australia and New Zealand (not to mention Marrakech) and allowed the blog to publish their snaps.

photo from Mike

Inevitably the interesting and varied programme of the Catholic Women's League captured more space on the blog than that of any other club or society. The Friendship Club, the Catenians, the Wednesday Word and the Choir also featured, and with the opening of our refurbished Hospitality Centre the future may well see the formation of more groups with common interests.

photo by Barbara

photo by Michael

"Let's get the food back under cover - it's starting to rain!" This moment of hesitation captured on cyberspace for future generations to admire and wonder about is one of a small but growing number of outstanding photographs which we have had the privilege of being able to publish this year. In recent weeks we have even included photos which, though taken here, have had no other connection with our parishes than to show, admire and hopefully remind us to be thankful for the beauty of God's creation in this area.

During the year several talks, discussions and workshops were arranged for those in the pastoral area or in this part of the diocese. If the blog wasn't there, a photographer nearly always was and even succeeded sometimes in capturing the atmosphere as well as the spirit of the day on Praying with Children and Grandchildren has been caught here.

photo by Anthony

One facet of this year's blog has been the lessening of the "attendance register" element in the captions of photos of groups of parishioners. When the blog began in 2009 we thought it a good idea to list the names of everybody in each photo. Do you think we should always do that? Or would you prefer us usually to concentrate more on what the photo is about? For example: Some of our parish volunteers are at work making flower arrangements in the new hospitality centre at Our Lady of Mercy. (Here is one they made earlier.) So that is why the window sills of our church looked so attractive during the Christmas season. What do you think? Please comment.

Average weekly readership of our blog: December 2010 : 135 December 2011 : 326

ALL SATISFIED AT ST ANNE'S PARISH LUNCH.

2011-12-22T21:39:00.000Z

Parishioners from both parishes were invited to the annual St Anne's Christmas lunch, arranged by their social committee and held in the St Saviour's Church Hall.

Deacon Stephen and his wife Caroline were happy to come and join in the festive spirit.

Although the invitation was welcomed, the number of different Church activities taking place that afternoon in the Lymington area made it inevitable that a number of Our Lady of Mercy parish were unable to attend. Parishioners from St Anne's, however, were there in good numbers.

Those from either parish who did come, including Canon Peter Wilkie, thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

They had a choice of dishes prepared on the premises

by the hard-working volunteers, or cooked at the house of parishioners who live nearby.

The delightful desserts were provided by members of the parish.

Fr Danny obviously enjoyed his meal, and can look forward to the fact that from now onwards with the help of parishioners it may be possible to organize a similar function in the new Hospitality Centre at Our Lady of Mercy.

These photographs were supplied by Carole Puttick, to whom many thanks.

YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO ENJOY A SURPRISE

2011-12-22T21:37:00.000Z

Saturday was John's eightieth birthday. His daughter Theresa, seen here holding a plate, decided to spring a surprise party for him. She began planning it in September, was aided and abetted by several people who should have known better, and the secret was kept so successfully that John, who was told he was being taken to Mass at the Priory, knew nothing about it until he arrived at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. He could hardly believe it when he found members of his family from across the South of England (and Wales) here to greet him, and many other friends, a good number of whom were parishioners, had joined them for a special Mass. Afterwards the renovated Parish Hospitality Centre with its new kitchen area was put to immediate use.

They're all expecting words of wisdom, well, words at any rate. Is he going to say something? No, not really. He is still in such a state of shock that he is unable to string together more than a few incoherent remarks. This is what he would have said had he been able to think lucidly: Thank you, every one of you for making this day so unbelievably fantastic. Thank you, especially, Theresa, for the enormous amount of work and planning you must have done, and thank you also to all those who must have helped you to make it such a memorable day. Thank you Fr Danny, for offering the Mass for me, and thank you Tina and Holly and Cathy and Norah and everyone who took part for helping to make it so special. What a wonderful family I am lucky enough to be part of, and what wonderful friends I have!

This photo of John with Charlotte, one of his three lovely granddaughters, proves conclusively that all the long-held scientific theories about physical beauty being derived from inherited genes is a load of old eyewash.

Many thanks to Brian Choules for taking these photographs at the party.

WE THOUGHT IT WAS ALL OVER ..... IT IS NOW!

2011-12-22T21:36:00.000Z

On the day that the the last American troops were withdrawn from Iraq, a smaller but equally hard-fought war was concluded at Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph. There were two forces responsible for the execution of Father Danny's dream of a reburbished Parish hospitality centre. One, spearheaded by Gerry, was determined to ensure that the building works were of the highest professional standard, and he has worked incredibly hard over the last few months to achieve this. The other, led by Clare, was intent on achieving modern, comfortable furniture in one room, with a hygenic and efficient kitchen in the other. Both fought hard, and in the end both got their own way, and thanks to them we have a super modern high-quality Parish centre.

Now Clare's going to cut the cake to celebrate the official reopening of the centre and she's delighted to do so. But when you carry out a official function with a really sharp knife you have to watch carefully to make sure you don't have an accident. So keep your mind on the job, Clare. No! Stop! Look what you're doing, Clare! Watch where that knife's going! Oooooooww!

2011-12-15T20:58:00.001Z

Our thanks to Michael Webb, whose comment made this week on our report of October 20th identifies his family's friend.

A TIME FOR FORGIVING ...... A TIME FOR PEACE

2011-12-15T20:44:00.000Z

While so many carol services are going on, it is sometimes easy to forget that we're still in Advent. But we were reminded of this on Wednesday evening, when parishioners from the whole Pastoral Area took part in a well attended Service of Reconciliation at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. To inspire us we heard a modern story about a prodigal daughter and listened to Mozart's Miserere while following the translation in our service sheets. No less than six priests took part during the actual reconciliation, and confessions that evening were heard in the office, the presbytery dining room, the sitting room, the sanctuary, the confessional and the choir loft.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT - THE END IS IN SIGHT!

2011-12-15T20:42:00.000Z

In case anyone hadn't noticed, we've now finished the refurbishment of our Hospitality Centre, so there's only the trappings to be put in. Here we provide you with a unique opportunity to see the team at work. The crockery and cutlery for the new kitchen has arrived, and it's all got to be unpacked, washed and put away. They've only been here for two hours, and they've already got the coffee out. Peter's on the floor wrestling with a flatpack, and it looks as if the flatpack's ahead on points. Margaret is maintaining communication with the world outside. Meanwhile Lesley's arrived to see that everything's being done properly. The others are making decisions.

An anxious moment - will he like it? But the smile on Fr Danny's face tells it all. "It's very comfortable," he says to Clare and Cathy. The Hospitality Centre's new furniture, which had been selected by parishioners, was delivered only minutes before this photo was taken.

SOME BITS OF NEWS FROM BASICS BANK

2011-12-15T20:39:00.000Z

Our first piece of news concerns the staffing of Basics Bank. On September 29th, as regular readers of our blog will remember (well, you weren't paying attention then, were you) we advertised for a new treasurer as the current holder, Peter Haslett, on the right of this photo, wanted to retire and put his feet up (a likely story). Well, we can now confirm that the successful applicant is none other than Anthony Kirke, from St Francis of Assisi Church in Milford, who is well known to us because he and Judith often visit Our Lady of Mercy Church, and in fact were unlucky enough to get blogged there on Mar 3rd. You can see from Peter's broad smile how happy he is to be relieved of his burden, but we're not quite sure why Anthony's smiling as well! Seriously, we welcome him to the team, we're delighted to have him with us, but we can only promise him plenty of hard work.

We've been visited by lots of generous people this week; the Lions of New Milton and all those who contributed to their trolley drops have helped the Basics Bank's team to keep the shelves well stocked up for quite a few weeks, while a big donation from Rotary and a number of other gifts and donations enabled Clare and her team to make up 112 Christmas parcels for local people who would not otherwise be able to afford the extras which make Christmas meals special. Our photo shows the volunteers, including a very efficient group of young ladies from the Lymington Rangers, who formed an assembly line at the URC Parish Rooms to pack the parcels.

photo by Lemontree Photography
We were very grateful to Elmers Court for allowing the annual Basics Bank fundraising event to take place there last Sunday afternoon. Some of those to whom special thanks are due posed for the photographer: Councillor Elizabeth Cox, Elmers Court General Manager Jean-Marc Poume, Santa Claus (we didn't find out who you really were, sorry Santa) local MP Desmond Swain and staunch supporter April Laraman.

photo by Lemontree Photography

As the fans arrived, there was a table crying out to be filled with items of food and toiletries and a nice big bucket for donations of money. Unfortunately not as many arrived as had been hoped for. Was this because other things were happening that afternoon? There were two carol services, one at the Priory and one arranged by Lymington Churches Together which was held at the URC, St Anne's Parish held their Christmas lunch, and Our Lady of Mercy had Exposition, Rosary and Benediction. Some parishioners tried to attend two of the five, but it depended on how long the event they chose to go to first overran its time as to whether they arrived at the second breathless or, in at least one case, more than half an hour after it had started.

Our thanks to Lemontree, for rescuing us. They are at http://lemontree-photography.co.uk/

CAN THIS REALLY BE DECEMBER?

2011-12-08T21:45:00.001Z

No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face. (John Dunne)

photo by Barbara, on a Lymington footpath

CHRISTMAS LUNCH WITH THE CWL LADIES

2011-12-08T19:35:00.001Z

We have today received the following from our special reporter:

Well, it may seem unlikely in the extreme to describe a Catholic Women's League lunch as not for the faint hearted. Certainly the Christmas Lunch for the CWL Lymington Section at the Stanwell Hotel had all the essentially reassuring ingredients: tasty seasonal dishes, mini mince pies, Christmas crackers and party poppers. The assembled ladies were warmly but glamorously adorned.

Peggy Walsh's attendance, in a crimson berry ensemble, was particularly welcomed. But additional excitement of the unexpected kind was provided by Father Danny, who recited a selection of dark fairy tales from Roald Dahl's "Revolting Rhymes" between courses, complete with moral analysis.

We had just recovered our composure over tea and coffee when a vivacious Anne Heppenstall took centre stage to give a rousing rendition of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", the Yukon-cowboy poem by Robert W. Service, notably referred to in song as "Put The Blame on Mame". (The poem, that is, not Anne.)

It should be noted that table manners were universally impeccable (apart from a couple of wall-lights bedecked with streamers from an expertly aimed party popper - surely not Patricia!).

What delightful company: Ladies Who Lunch indeed!

Many thanks to the lovely Joan Hayward for organizing it all.

Our thanks to Giselle for the photos and for the commentary.

HIGH STREET CLOSES FOR CHRISTMAS EVENTS

2011-12-08T18:44:00.001Z

On Friday Lymington High Street by St Thomas' Church was occupied by a large crowd who sang carols and joined in prayers around the crib which Peter Cooper puts up for us each year. This event was arranged by Lymington Churches Together and the Lymington and Pennington Town Council. The Revd Chris Vivian (URC, nearest the camera) Mrs Linda Lee (St Thomas', far right) and Quaker Mrs Jan Rimbault each read a passage from the Christmas stories in the Gospels, and Town Mayor Mrs Anna Rostand (furthest left, wearing hat) switched on the lights on the large Christmas tree.

The children crowded forward to look more closely at the figures in the crib, although once the ceremony was over their attention was diverted by the arrival of Father Christmas!

Two days later traffic in the High Street was interrupted again, this time after the two services of dedication at St Thomas' Church to remember loved ones and to raise funds to support Oakhaven Hospice to enable it to continue to provide its wonderful specialist services for our community.

Afterwards the packed church emptied out onto the street.

The crowd then made its way to the part of the High Street outside Moore and Blatch where they sang carols, ate mince pies and drank mulled wine, while waiting for the Mayor to switch on more lights.

We were pleased to see that the Police allowed these ceremonies to go ahead, even though they have refused permission for the Good Friday Walk of Witness, which also used to take place in the High Street.

WILL THIS BE OUR LAST COFFEE AT STANWELLS?

2011-12-08T18:25:00.001Z

photo by Giselle
During the past two weeks the level of activity by firms responsible for the refurbishment of what were our Parish Rooms has greatly increased and we expect shortly to be able to show you our newly restored and completed Hospitality Centre. Shall we be using it this weekend? We very much hope so, but it will mean less custom for Stanwells, who have catered so often for Tom, Leigh and many other parishioners having a coffee break after morning Mass.

But of course the most important thing, as Ellen well knows, is to check your supply of Stanwells discount cards to see which one could help with the bill today.

photo by Giselle

NO POSSIBILITY OF TAKING A WALK THAT DAY

2011-12-01T21:39:00.003Z

There were varying degrees of concentration on the faces of members of the the Friendship Club and parishioners who were watching Jane Eyre at the Malthouse Theatre in the Lymington Community Centre last Wednesday Afternoon. We were all very well behaved, and nobody booed when we found that the story had been changed to give us a happy ending so we couldn't have a good weep afterwards.

photo by Frances

After it was over we had a cup of tea and a chat, and it was a truth universally acknowledged that watching the film of an early romantic novel was a very good way of spending an afternoon.

Altogether twenty-six of us went, thanks to Clare's making all the arrangements, purchasing a block of seats, and undertaking the task of selling them all.

Den and Frances had prepared refreshments for us, and they made sure that everyone had a second cuppa.

photo by Den

THINGS AIN'T WHERE THEY USED TO BE

2011-12-01T21:35:00.000Z

At last the kitchen is being installed in Our Lady of Mercy Hospitality Centre, in the opposite corner of the room to where it was. To help us get our bearings the door through to the loos has been included in the photo so we can see where we are ............... if you see what we mean.

Your intrepid reporter boldly went down into the cellar to look at the heating system, but was unable to find the boiler. For it appears that this ancient piece of equipment, having been kept going for 47 years, has finally given up, can no longer be repaired and has had to be scrapped.

So where do we find its replacement? Back up the stairs again, for a damp cellar is not the best home for a modern high-tech appliance. This smart new compact boiler, which will provide the heating for the church and the Hospitality Centre, has been installed in what used to be referred to in polite company as the Germolene room, right by the side of what was the original fireplace when the school was built 126 years ago.

WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS

2011-12-01T21:33:00.000Z

photo by Barbara
'Ah came tae cliffs by the sea and jist sat there. The sea looked affie big and ah felt very wee, but ah wis happy. Daft, isn't it? Ah cannie tell ma mates, 'cos they'd think ah wis kinky.' (Jock in God of Surprises by Fr Gerard Hughes.)

SO THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO DO!

2011-12-01T02:30:00.013Z

photo by Barbara

Help! The stable at Lymington's been invaded by a motley flock of piebald sheep. So who was responsible for leaving the door open? It must have been that conniving quintet of Christmastide Church windowsill plotters our blog uncovered for us the week before last. We'll have to look around and see what else they've been up to!

WE SAY GOODBYE TO BISHOP CRISPIAN HOLLIS

2011-11-24T19:11:00.000Z

Several parishioners were able to attend the beautiful Mass last Saturday in Portsmouth Cathedral in Thanksgiving for Bishop Crispian. Despite his recent illness Bishop Crispian was able to concelebrate the Mass with most of his Diocesan Priests including Frs. Danny, Peter and Edwin. The Liturgy reflected Bishop Crispian's 23 year long Ministry in our Diocese.

'You did not choose me: I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. (John 15 v.16)

At the Litany of Intercessions there was a Procession of Symbols from Bishop Crispian's time in Portsmouth. His involvement in the City of Portsmouth was symbolised by the presentation of a Pompey Football shirt!!
At the end of the Mass Mary Dunn thanked the Bishop on behalf of the People of the Diocese and presented him with a gift with our hearfelt thanks.
photo and report by Cathy

INDUCTION OF LYMINGTON U.R.C. MINISTER

2011-11-24T19:09:00.000Z

On Sunday Fr Danny and some parishioners from our and other local churches attended the induction of the Revd. Chris Vivian, the new Minister of Lymington's United Reformed Church. The deeply moving service included the prayer: We affirm our intention to go on praying and working, with all our fellow Christians, for the visible unity of the Church in the way Christ chooses, so that people and nations may be led to love and serve God and praise Him more and more for ever.

Despite the great number of people waiting to congratulate her afterwards the new minister made a point of stopping to give a warm welcome to Fr Danny.

We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Lymington URC community, especially through our joint links with Churches Together, the Carers Cafe and the Basics Bank.

Our thanks to Lymington URC and to Mike Saqui for the photos.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

2011-11-24T19:08:00.000Z

Oh, Lord, when I’m not sure which way to go,

Good Shepherd, from temptation rescue me;

Your will may not be mine, but make it so,

However challenging your will may be.

Impatient as I am, teach me to wait

In peace and silence; teach me to be still,

To trust in you to so direct my fate,

That I may ever joy to do your will.

Keep me within your flock, let me not stray,

Yes, *“Keep me as the apple of your eye,”

Oh, God of David, steer me in your way,

Even if in loud protest I should cry.

Good Shepherd, pour your mercy upon me,

I am a sinner, Jesus. Set me free.

R B
(*Psalm 17) Written on the feast of Christ the King 2011

Our thanks to Ros for allowing our blog to have the privilege of being the first to publish this fine sonnet.

NEW STORAGE SPACE CREATED IN THE CENTRE

2011-11-24T18:40:00.000Z

Where novels used to be sold in the corridor so that we all got in each other's way, there are now wardrobe-shaped storage areas being constructed. What a good use of the space.

But is that to be the end of book sales, some parishioners will wonder.
Others say no, they're going to take place elsewhere.

We shall see.

TIME TO CHECK THE REMEMBRANCE BOOK

2011-11-24T18:38:00.000Z

Our Parish Book of Remembrance will be open at the back of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy for the remainder of the month of November. This is a good time for us each to check that the entries relating to our own families are complete and correct.

THE WINDOW OF ST EDMUND OF ABINGDON

2011-11-17T19:43:00.000Z

St Edmund Rich was a child of great piety, brought up in a devout Catholic family. He was severe to himself, yet gentle and kind to others, especially the poor and the sick. When he was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1234 he strongly defended the English church against the corrupt King Henry III, but after a few years the King's greater power and the opposition of other English bishops drove him into exile at Pontigny. He is the patron of the Diocese of Portsmouth (his feast was on Wednesday) On the left you can see how he appears on the stained glass window in the sanctuary of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. The delightful image on the right is from the Nuremberg Chronicle.

OUR CHRISTMASTIDE PLOTTERS UNMASKED

2011-11-17T19:41:00.000Z

There's no hiding from the fearless investigations of our intrepid reporter. They thought he'd left, so they unwrapped their treasures to show one another, but he returned unexpectedly with his camera and they were caught red-handed! There's Eileen and Barbara with sheepish-looking sheep, John and Adele with angelic angels, and Clare with a starstruck star. What can they be up to at this time of the year? It's not even Advent yet. And we complain about the shops beginning Christmas early!

..... BECAUSE LOVE IS AN UNSKILLED TRADE

2011-11-17T19:40:00.000Z

Not many experienced non-fiction authors publish their first novel after they've retired, but that's what long-serving Lymington parishioner Angeline (Paddy) Hampton has done. It is called "Unskilled Trade", and is now available in paperback. The publisher's blurb reads: Unskilled Trade is set partly against the backdrop of the Philippines and the Celtic atmosphere of Ireland - exquisitely descriptive and sensitive, exploring relationships, changing attitudes and the expectations of male and female behaviour. Compelling reading! It's compelling, too, to chat to Paddy about the possible conflict between a woman's family life and career, which underlies the plot in her story.

SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGEWAY UNCOVERED

2011-11-17T19:38:00.000Z

We're used to seeing holes in the ground, but this is ridiculous! It's almost in the middle of the car park! Or rather, it was. For as part of the work at present being done to our Lymington site, the opening has now been sealed with heavy concrete T-beams packed together and tarmacked over. Whatever the purpose of the underground brick walls on either side of the opening, they are relatively modern. It's the dark space beyond them which is so intriguing, for although it may have been used for other purposes in recent times, it was almost certainly part of the late medieval smugglers' tunnel which stretched up behind the High Street so that contraband could be moved to the Angel or to other parts of the town, and may well have been used in penal times to shelter missionary priests starting on their dangerous way to service the Catholic faithful in different parts of the country.

KIM ATTENDS HER MASTER'S FUNERAL

2011-11-10T20:03:00.001Z

The newly decorated sanctuary of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, resplendent in its golden framing, hosted a very special occasion on Wednesday. Paul Duffy's relatives could not be traced, so a congregation packed with parishioners from our own and those of other Lymington churches took part in a truly splendid requiem Mass offered for him by Fr Danny. Homeless Paul was welcomed home that day and received in our Church the care and the respect every human being deserves. We pray that his soul may now rest in peace.

His beloved black labrador Kim was brought to the church, sat under the front pew, and behaved beautifully throughout the service. But once she was outside she was so playful that it was difficult to get a good photo of her.
(The redecoration of the sanctuary was by Lee Decor.)

ISABELLA BECOMES A CHILD OF GOD

2011-11-10T20:01:00.000Z

Victoria and Christopher Bickle are very happy that their daughter is about to be baptised Isabella Ruby Quinton at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, but it looks as though Isabella herself is not too sure about it! Yet through this great Sacrament she will be justified, transformed and renewed, becoming a member of Christ's body and a temple of the Holy Spirit. We warmly welcome her into our Parish family.

FR RICHARD SAKSON TALKS TO THE CWL

2011-11-10T19:59:00.000Z

Fr Richard Sakson, chaplain to the Dominican sisters at Sway, had been invited to speak to the Lymington section of the Catholic Women's League about Faith. He told us that the new Catholic Missal, although not perfect, was in his view, a great improvement on the old rite and would necessarily change the way we worship in church. This in turn will lead us to reconsider how faith and the Eucharist are essentially related. There has been a recognised crisis of faith across Europe since before the second Vatican Council, with parishes forced to amalgamate or even close; some Catholic schools and seminaries have also closed in the past decade. The current shortage of clergy is sadly all too evident in the Portsmouth Diocese, with our own Father Danny in charge of four churches. Father Richard noted that there are many reasons for loss of faith today, one being loss of faith in the Eucharist itself. In his encyclical letter, "Mysterium Fidei", Pope Paul VI had urged people not be diverted from the truth of the Eucharist.

Man's inhumanity to man can only be fully addressed through love and obedience to God; unequivocally, as in the First Commandment. Fr Richard told us that reverential love for the sacrament of Communion leads to sacred actions: genuflecting, blessing ourselves and bowing at the mention of the Incarnation. Ultimately, this instils in us a sense of understanding and veneration of the defining words of the Catholic Church, "Do this in memory of me". He concluded his beautiful and thought provoking talk with an emphasis on the imminent traditional illustration of our faith as we approach Advent, when the Word becomes flesh. Father Richard's own words were warmly appreciated, as indeed were Eileen Rayner's delicious flapjacks and chocolate cake which followed! Thank you to Eileen and Tom for the hospitality and to Father Richard for inspiration.
photos by Barbara; report by Giselle

THE HOSPITALITY CENTRE TAKES SHAPE

2011-11-10T19:56:00.000Z

The kitchen area, in the opposite corner to where the coffee has been served until now, has now been electrically wired and has had plasterboard mounted around it.

The contractor for the electrical work in our Centre is Roger Carman.

The disabled toilet, which will be just inside the main door on the right, has been divided off, and the small piece of the old hatchway which has not been cut away to make room for the door has been bricked up.

The plumbing left from the old school has survived and some of it is being brought back into use.

2011-11-03T21:28:00.000Z

The untimely death of Paul, the homeless man who walked the streets of Lymington with his black labrador, Kim, has shocked and touched all those of us who knew him. We pray that after suffering so much abandonment during his earthly life he will now rest in peace. His funeral will be held at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph on Wednesday November 9th at 11am.

ST ANNE'S RESPOND TO FR ADAMS' ARRIVAL

2011-11-03T21:26:00.000Z

On All Saints Day parishioners at St Anne's welcomed Fr David Adams, who already has a fulltime job as parish priest of Lyndhurst and the Waterside churches. Yet because of the acute shortage of regular clergy in this area he has agreed to serve St Anne's on Sunday evenings and holy days. His congregation on All Saints Day clearly appreciated his generosity, and after a few minutes of instruction and practice willingly joined in singing all the responses throughout the Mass.

JAN WATCHES NEW SAINTS BEING CANONISED

2011-11-03T21:24:00.000Z

Whilst on a family trip to Rome last Sunday, Jan Anderson was lucky enough to arrive in St Peter's Square just in time to hear Pope Benedict celebrate Mass. The service included the canonisation of Guido Maria Conforti, Luigi Guanella and Bonifacia Rodriguez De Castro. Many of the congregation were wearing a yellow cap, a white cap or a scarf, showing their devotion to one or other of the new saints and they unfurled banners at the end.

Our thanks to Jan for the report and photos

How to ADVERTISE without ANYBODY NOTICING

2011-11-03T21:22:00.000Z

As our investigative reporter levelled his camera to take a shot of our rebuilt manhole by the Church before the area around it had been properly filled in, this board was thrust out in front of it. What a cheeky thing to do, we said, but this firm has done a good job and has provided us with decent drainage (and we shall certainly not discuss the state of the old drain they had to clean out) so we've been very kind and left their board in the photo. Now if anyone knows what the rates are for transglobal advertising, we can finish making out Mr Smith's invoice.

Now that the main arch in the Church has been repaired, the sanctuary is being redecorated for the first time in about forty years. This photo was taken as the painting of the first large ceiling panel had just been finished, as you can see from the straight edges of the red border around it.

Meanwhile work continues in the new Hospitality Centre. A new door has been cut for one of the toilets which is being constructed just inside the main entrance. The electrical work and the plumbing are now almost ready, and the dividing walls are about to be put in place.

Next week your Parish blog will have more news of the progress being made in the Church and in the Hospitality Centre.

A DOUBLE BAPTISM FOR THEIR FAMILY

2011-10-27T19:08:00.000+01:00

Now here's a really handsome couple! That's Thomas Edward Alexander and Hannah Katy Theodosia, who were baptised on Sunday, held by their doubly proud parents Simon and Clare Quinn. Hannah is already a child of God, marked with the seal of Baptism which she received in hospital shortly after her birth, but on this very special family day she was with Thomas as he also passed through the gateway to Life in the Spirit, and we welcomed them both into our community at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph.

LOURDES ROADSHOW SPARKS INTEREST

2011-10-27T19:07:00.001+01:00

On Tuesday evening at the Parish Hall of Our Lady of Lourdes a small audience of parishioners from our Pastoral area watched a multimedia presentation about the annual Catholic Association Pilgrimage to Lourdes. After the presentation was over Fr John Cooke, who is the Portsmouth Diocesan party's assistant director, answered questions. Several people, including one or two who were not able to get across to New Milton that day, have expressed an interest in forming a group to go to Lourdes with the Portsmouth Diocesan party in the last week of August 2012. Leaflets giving detailed information about travel and accommodation will be available early in the new year.

PREPARING FOR THE TRANSFORMATION

2011-10-27T19:04:00.000+01:00

This week has seen the completion of the work needed to get the old parish rooms ready to be transformed into the new Parish Hospitality Centre.

The stripping off of the wallpaper in the central corridor exposed this mural, painted when the School was here. It's in incredibly good condition. How has it survived? It'll probably be covered up again in a day or two. When was it done? If you can tell us more, please comment below.

This part of the coffee room is diagonally opposite the corner where we got our cuppas after Mass until last week, but it's in a better position. For one thing, a a queue here will not clog up the entrance to the room. The corner has been completely cleared, so as to make it ready for the new kitchen furniture to be installed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TWO-YEAR-OLD!

2011-10-27T19:00:00.002+01:00

Our Blog made its first unsteady attempts to toddle into cyberspace during the last week of October, 2009. Initial attempts to master the ether were so incompetently conducted that almost everything produced during the following fortnight has now been lost from our archives. The earliest entry to have survived is headed "The New Forest R.C.Churches Website", and the title was supposed to link to the Pastoral Area site, but our technical skill didn't match our optimism, so the link doesn't quite link. We were also uncertain of what to do on our blog, and so were watching other blogs closely to see what they were doing. One of the comments on that first entry reads:
Aardvark has been poking his nose into the blogs of some other churches, to see what they do. He started by digging into the blog of the St Expedite Independent Catholic Church, which has found a unique way of rewarding its bloggers. Their blog is run by the Archbishop himself, and he has the perfect answer to the current shortage of clergy. He simply ordains all his followers. If you log into their blog, you can ".... become a priest straight away." Or you can even ".... have a diocese of your own." Sadly. however, there's appears to be a definite lack of laity - St Expedite's has a total congregation of twenty-one!
Now, two years later, instant priesthoods are still available. However, St Expedite's is no longer offering bishoprics in its online advertisement. Perhaps they've run out of mitres.

But what about us? Well, during those two years you lovely readers have visited our blog more than 13,412 times, and are continuing to visit it nearly 300 times a week. You come from all over the world:

United Kingdom

9,297

United States

1,632

Slovenia

178

Germany

163

Italy

160

Australia

129

Canada

126

Poland

122

Guernsey

115

Japan

  ...... and so on. And you've arrived on our site in a number of different ways. During these two years .......
2690 of the visits we had were through www.google.com
979 through one of the links from our Pastoral Area website at www.newforestrcchurches.co.uk
605 through our link on the British Catholic Blogs site at www.britcat.blogspot.com
but only 238 through typing out our own address www.lymrcchurch.blogspot.com
Of course, the majority of visits are revisits, because most of you have put us in your "Favourites". Our system isn't sophisticated enough to trace your original route when you do that!

2011-10-20T20:04:00.003+01:00

On Tuesday the funeral of Eileen Hutchins, a parishioner for many years, was held at Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph Church. Our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

HOMELESSNESS ON OUR OWN DOORSTEP

2011-10-20T20:02:00.000+01:00

Three weeks ago we promised to print the facts about homelessness in this area as told at the AGM of Basics Bank by Lynn Lyons the Service Manager of In Touch. We can now reveal the true facts about the appalling problems facing some families and young people in the New Forest area as she described it. We have published a summary of Lynn's talk that evening under the heading "Pages" in the right hand column of this blog entitled "Homelessness". We hope you can spare a minute or two to read it.

CAN ANYONE BEAT THIS RECORD?

2011-10-20T20:00:00.000+01:00

The picture was taken circa Christmas 1962. It shows the late Ellie Webb surrounded by her sons, Michael, Keith and Derek with a family friend. All three of the Webb boys attended Our Lady of Mercy & St Joseph's School. To the far left of the picture is their red A.P.F. Box. After Ellie's death Keith Webb has continued to collect for the A.P.F., which helps to fund the Mill Hill Fathers and the Pontifical Missionary Society in their work throughout the world. Do you know of a red box which has been going for longer than this one? (At present about £1500 a year is raised for the A.P.F. from boxes distributed among parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph.)
photo and report from Cathy

SUPER FUNDRAISING DINNER FOR CUF

2011-10-20T19:59:00.000+01:00

Radio Personality Chris Walker and his Jazz Quartet played at the Children of the Universe Foundation fund-raising dinner at the Walhampton Arms last Friday.

photo by Rini

It was a great party, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. No less than 67 tickets were sold, and a magnificent £1866.50 net was raised, which is a new record on both counts.

photo by Rini

Rini and Keith Stutterford have asked us to pass on their thanks to all those who came for their very generous support, and their thanks also to those who couldn’t attend but made very generous donations instead. For more information and news about CUF, click on www.cuf.org

PASTORAL AREA MINISTERS' RETREAT

2011-10-20T19:57:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday the second presentation of a retreat which was attended by parishioners with responsibilities in one or other of our four parishes was hosted by the Sisters at the Priory. It was led by Mgr Jeremy Garrett who took as his theme Conforming our lives to Christ with particular reference to St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, chapters 5, 6 and 7. The talks were quite short but full of powerful ideas and relevant anecdotes, and there were no reports of anyone even beginning to doze off! At lunch there was no table exclusive to one parish, so we all got to know each other a little better. Altogether a thoroughly worthwhile day.

2011-10-13T18:51:00.002+01:00

Those who are following our new Live Feed (Feedjit) may be wondering why we appear to be so unpopular! In the first full week of its operation our Feedjit only recorded the arrival of about 125 viewers on our blog. Yet during those seven days our blog's own statistical analysis logged 390 viewers visiting us. The reason for this discrepancy is of course that the only arrivals which Feedjit records are the arrivals of Feedjit members!

2011-10-13T18:50:00.001+01:00

We are sad to have to report the recent death of Sheila Cozens, a parishioner here for many years, whose funeral was on Wednesday. Our sincere condolences to her sister Eva and her family.

WARM JUMPERS FOR THE COLD WEATHER

2011-10-13T18:48:00.001+01:00

photo from Barbara
It seemed appropriate, during the week of the CUF fundraising dinner, that we should publish this photo, taken at their regular meeting last Friday, of members of the Knit and Stitch Club hard at work producing more woolly pullovers for the poor kiddies being looked after by the Children of the Universe Foundation. It must be very gratifying to produce as part of one's charitable work an item which will actually be worn by the recipient during the chilly South African winter.

I WAS IN HOSPITAL AND YOU VISITED ME

2011-10-13T18:47:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday at St Thomas' Church the Anglican Bishop of Southampton, the Right Reverend Jonathan Frost, led a service to commemorate the reopening of the Church after its recent restoration. To the delight of all of us who know of her and the work she has done, he also commissioned Linda Lee as Lymington Hospital Chaplain. Our congratulations to Linda from all those of us who have seen and experienced her compassion, her vivacious personality and her ability to gain people's confidence during the years that she has already served as chaplain there.

PRESENTS FOR A DISADVANTAGED CHILD

2011-10-13T18:45:00.000+01:00

photo by Barbara

Thanks to the generosity of members of the Catholic Women's League in our pastoral area, these beautifully decorated shoeboxes are being filled with small presents for disadvantaged 12 to 15 year-old boys and girls in Albania, Montenegro, Tanzania and Romania.

photo by Barbara
The boxes will be distributed by Rotary International, which is a worldwide voluntary organisation dedicated to helping others. It has no religious or political affiliations.

2011-10-06T17:23:00.000+01:00

To get the best from our new Live Feed Widget (Feedjit) in the right hand column, click on the dark blue bar at the bottom labelled "menu". Then you will be able to see a much longer list with more detail. Careful, now. It can become quite addictive!

PRIESTLY EXEGESIS HAS KEY TO HEAVENLY LIFE

2011-10-06T17:22:00.000+01:00

More than seventy parishioners of the New Forest Pastoral Area packed the church hall at New Milton on Tuesday to hear Margaret Heaven tell of events in her life which influenced her spiritual growth, concluding with an account of the quiet, loving way she was received by the Carmelites which resulted in her entry into their third order. Then Fr Danny explained the importance of relational nourishment from birth, and of the primacy of love and of compassion in our dealings with each other, from childhood and throughout our lives. He showed how the impact of this has been proven through scientific research, and in a brief practical session asked us to form groups and to recall one or more persons in our lives who allowed us to grow in love. The evening began and ended with a few minutes of prayer.

TIMID START TO FIRST HARVEST THANKSGIVING

2011-10-06T17:21:00.000+01:00

It had not previously been the habit at Our Lady and St Joseph to make a specific physical recognition in the church of our gratitude to God for the annual harvest. This year, however, it was decided to remedy this omission, albeit rather gently, and several parishioners decorated the altar with flowers, fruit, vegetables and a much-admired but rather lonely loaf of soda bread. Some of the congregation brought in items for the Basics Bank box for needy people here, to coincide with the announcement of the following week's CAFOD collection for the needy in poorer parts of the world. (To express your view, please click "comments" below.)

HOPE JONES ROOM HOSTS FRIENDSHIP CLUB

2011-10-06T17:19:00.000+01:00

With the Parish Rooms not yet available the Friendship Club met this week in the Hope Jones Room at Lymington Community Centre. After we had devoured Joan's delicious homemade Dorset apple cakes and Scotland's very own Tunnock tea cakes, the conversation became so interesting that nobody noticed this photograph being taken, and afterwards there was not a single complaint about having no comfortable armchairs or sofas to sit in!

LOURDES ROADSHOW TO VISIT NEW MILTON

2011-10-06T17:18:00.000+01:00

thecatholictour.com
Each summer the Catholic Association arranges a pilgrimage to Lourdes, and each Diocese can send a group to be part of that pilgrimage. Fr John Cooke, who was the deputy director of the Portsmouth group in last summer's pilgrimage, will be bringing his "Lourdes Roadshow" to the Parish hall at New Milton on Tuesday October 25th. This roadshow will be of real interest to all of us, whether or not we may wish to be part of a group which could join the Diocesan party next year.

PRAYING WITH CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN

2011-10-06T17:17:00.000+01:00

At Brockenhurst on the last September Saturday Mary Dunn organised a day about bringing God more fully into our kiddies' lives.

photo by Anthony
At the Workshop there was a display of 'Godly Play' resources. The Presenter (Carolynn Pritchard) gave us an inspiring and detailed introduction to this way of telling Bible stories to children. The child can enter into the story and tell it, with little figures, in their own way. That would be fun to hear!

photo by Anthony
The participants spent a beautiful Saturday thinking about playing and praying with children. We handled ribbons - and blessing bowls - and name-stars - and we loved being children again.
report by Mary

2011-09-29T21:44:00.001+01:00

You will notice a new addition to the right hand column of our blog which shows some of the traffic coming into our site from outside the area or through other websites. This is just a trial, as we have not yet made up our minds whether or not to keep this widget as a permanent feature. Please let us know what you think.

OUR NEW HEAD DESCRIBES HER CAREER

2011-09-29T21:42:00.000+01:00

We asked Mrs Kirstie Richards to tell us more about herself. This is her reply:
I was originally a secondary history teacher at Hamble Secondary School and thoroughly enjoyed this as history is my passion. The reason I moved to primary teaching was because I decided to find out how to teach children to read and write as there were a number of children who could not do this when they reached secondary education.
I made the move in 2001 and taught at Weston Park Infant School in Southampton where I realised I loved teaching children to read and write.
I then moved to Springhill Catholic Primary School in Southampton where I taught for a couple of years until I became Deputy at North Baddesley Infant School.
I stayed at North Baddesley for 5 years and I am now really excited about the opportunity to lead Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School. It is a beautiful school with lovely children and a wonderful, supportive and hard working staff team.
We wish all success to Kirstie Richards and the staff of Our Lady and St Joseph School.

INTOUCH STATS SHOCK BASIC BANK AGM

2011-09-29T21:40:00.000+01:00

At the Annual General Meeting of Basics Bank last Thursday it was reported that during the past year over 820 emergency parcels of food and other essential items were distributed in this area to support around 1800 individuals, many of whom were children. Despite the generosity of those who regularly donate food items through the baskets in church porches, a further £150 has to be spent each week on basic goods to make up the shortfall.

During the meeting delegates were given a forthright address by Lynn Lyons, the Director of the New Forest and Eastliegh sections of the housing charity Intouch, who can be seen on the right of the photo above wearing a white jacket. We feel that her talk was of such value and some of the particulars so disturbing that as soon as we have confirmation of her words we intend to publish details on a page headed "Homelessness" in the right hand column of our blog.

Deputy Mayor Jacqui England and Basics Bank Chairman Phil Wiseman discuss ways of advancing the profile of the organisation, which relies entirely on the generosity of donors for the tins of food and other items which are distributed to those in need, and for money to purchase essential things which have not been donated.

Here are three Basics Banks stalwarts who between them have served the organisation for a considerable number of years. Peter Haslett (centre), who now wishes to retire from the post of treasurer, is hoping that a retired accountant or other person with appropriate experience would be prepared to take over this very rewarding role working among a team of cheerful volunteers. Al and Jo Gourley will continue to be part of the team but have now decided to leave the Committee. We are very grateful to all of them for the time they have given to helping needy people through their work for Basics Bank.

SPIRITUALITY - AN INSPIRING EVENING

2011-09-29T21:38:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday evening, almost forty parishioners from New Forest parishes attended the third of the four "Rejoice in Hope" series, this time on Spirituality, addressed by Mary Dunn. She showed how, as Christians become more mature, they may rely less on routine religious practices, yet develop an increasingly close spiritual relationship with God. She explored the effect of this on our way of praying, of the relevance of Feminist Spirituality, of the Green movement and of other influences such as Buddhism, and concluded with a plea for an appreciation of the value of everyday experience, through which we continually discover the true Word of God in Jesus. The unusually warm applause at the end of her talk showed our appreciation of a fascinating and inspiring evening.

OUR CWL CELEBRATES ITS FORTIETH BIRTHDAY

2011-09-29T21:36:00.000+01:00

photo by Barbara
On Wednesday there was a special Mass concelebrated by Fr Danny and
Fr Gerrit to mark the forty years since the Catholic Women's League was established in our Parish.

photo by Barbara
This was followed by a splendid meal at Stanwells, with all the ladies looking simply gorgeous.

photo by Barbara
Doreen certainly deserves that hug. She is 98 and has been a CWL member since she was 18. Is 80 years the longest anyone has been in the CWL?

WE'RE BARBECUEING IN THE RAIN!

2011-09-22T21:45:00.000+01:00

photo by Michael
Last Sunday St Anne's defied the showers and held a barbeque in the Church grounds. And St Anne's have also provided us with a new photographer. This superb action shot, taken as the "sides" table was about to be placed in position, speaks for itself. No words are necessary. Welcome to the team, Michael! This is the kind of photo that will make our blog stand out from the crowd.

It takes more than a few showers to discourage the parishioners of St Anne's. The barbecue was well supported by Brockenhurst residents, young and old alike.

photo by Michael
So that's what they did with the "sides" table! There's a fine selection of items on it to make a burger into a meal.

Although parishioners from Our Lady of Mercy had been invited, only a few of us braved the weather. We were soon rewarded by a break in the clouds, and a great welcome from our hosts.

After it was over - the clearing away. This is what happened when we asked some of those who were doing the washing up to allow us to take their photo! (For one dreadful moment we thought that Helen was going to hand us the tea towel!) Who does that cheeky face in the background belong to?

A DAY AT WESTMINSTER WITH JAMES FINLEY

2011-09-22T21:42:00.000+01:00

photo by Cathy
Parishioners from Our Lady of Mercy have spent the day at Westminster Cathedral with Doctor James Finley as he traces the way followed by the mystics through the narrow gate. After such a day of spiritual enlightenment Nicky, Frances, Peter, Clare and Margaret are now looking forward to some material refreshment, but it looks as though Fr Danny can't wait any longer and is starting to chew up the glass screen. Perhaps he's sharpening his teeth in preparation for the outcry when he announces the new weekend Mass times!

photo by Cathy
During the day, Fr Danny had a chance to chat with Dr Finley. What was his comment - Wow!

ST ANNE'S VISIT TO RELIQUARY EXHIBITION

2011-09-21T16:42:00.002+01:00

photo by Michael
What a photo! A real classic, this time - splendidly posed and located. It certainly deserves a place in the parish Al-bum! Does it need any explanation? Of course not! Sack the caption-writer! And many thanks to all five of you for allowing this super shot to be published. Let's have more photos like these, please. Send them to blog@gensearch.co.uk

PARISH STARLET TO APPEAR IN NUTCRACKER

2011-09-21T16:25:00.001+01:00

The English Youth Ballet are coming (with a cast of 100 dancers) to the King's Theatre, Portsmouth on Tuesday October 4th and Wednesday October 5th (including matinée) for three performances of Nutcracker. Our very own Holly will be getting time off from school to take part. Her Mum Tina says:
"Holly has a solo part as the Ice Queen's attendant and is also dancing as an Arabian in the Arabian dance!! She is a little frightened as it has just been announced that she is the official understudy for Clara - the lead girl!! Let us pray that Clara remains fit and healthy and able to dance!"
To find out more go to "Pages" near the top of the right hand column of this blog (the page headed "Nutcracker"). There you will find more about the work done by English Youth Ballet, a summary of the story of Nutcracker, and reviews of the show. There is also a link to the EYB website plus a link to enable you to check times and prices and to order tickets online.

THE AFRICAN MISSIONS NEED OUR PRAYERS

2011-09-15T19:26:00.000+01:00

The celebrant of this weekend's Masses at Our Lady of Mercy was Fr Bob Morland SMA (the Society of African Missions.) He works in Nigeria, and to illustrate the value of the work the Society do, told us the story of an African parishioner who, although he had converted to Christianity, was not allowed to become a communicant member of the Church because he had four wives. Yet he suceeded in persuading all his many children and their families to convert to Catholicism, and after his death his wives were also received into the Church.
The SMA currently serve in seventeen African countries, and Fr Bob appealed to us not only to support them financially, but even more especially through our prayers.

NEW SLIMLINE PPC ASSESSES PARISH NEEDS

2011-09-15T19:24:00.001+01:00

Hardly had the ink dried on last week's pastoral note from the Bishop when a meeting was called of the Lymington members of the parish pastoral council. The impact of the changes which will occur as a result of the absence of Fr Danny from the parish during the current transitional period was discussed, and detailed proposals made to ensure that the parish continues to thrive in every area of its activity and growth. These proposals will be put to Fr Danny, who could not be at this meeting as he was attending a parish meeting in New Milton.

CHRIS WALKER JAZZ TO STAR AT CUF DINNER

2011-09-15T19:17:00.005+01:00

photo by Rini
Radio Personality Chris Walker and his Jazz Quartet will play at the Children of the Universe Foundation fund-raising dinner at the Walhampton Arms on Friday October 14th at 7pm. There will be an auction and a raffle, and all proceeds will go to help the CUF continue its excellent work for some of the most underprivileged children in South Africa. Tickets at £25 each are obtainable from Keith or Rini Stutterford (01590 675386).

SURELY NOT ANOTHER NINETIETH BIRTHDAY!

2011-09-15T19:16:00.000+01:00

Once again parishioners attending the Sunday morning Mass at Our Lady of Mercy enjoy birthday cake with their coffee afterwards in the Parish rooms. Fr Danny, having presented Mary with her well-deserved Papal Blessing after Mass, joined her table to help the rest of us quietly celebrate her ninety years dedicated to the service of God.

REJOICE IN HOPE AT OUR LADY OF LOURDES

2011-09-15T19:10:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday evening Nicky Stevens was the speaker at the first of four weekly talks to help us update our Catholic thinking. This week's subject was "Scripture and Jesus", and the talk was attended by about thirty parishioners from the parishes of the New Forest Pastoral Area.

THE NATIVITY OF OUR BLESSED LADY

2011-09-08T19:04:00.000+01:00

www.turnbacktogod.com
This exhilarating painting attempts to depict the tremendous excitement in Heaven as God's plan for the redemption of mankind is brought a step nearer by the birth of the immaculately conceived baby Mary, which we celebrate on September 8th. (We haven't yet been able to identify the artist, but we shall be patient, confident that one of our readers will use the "comments" button below to enlighten us.)

A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST FOR BABY LUKE

2011-09-08T19:03:00.000+01:00

Here are proud parents Helen and Matthew Ruane holding little Luke Alexander up in front of the door of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy shortly before his baptism here last Sunday. Through that sacrament he entered the gateway to life in the Spirit, and was marked with a seal that can never be broken. We rejoice for him and welcome him into our Parish!

CLARE READS THE DISAPPOINTING NEWS

2011-09-08T19:01:00.000+01:00

This weekend a pastoral note from Bishop Crispian was read at Mass. It confirmed that Fr Gerrit would be retiring on September 30th, and that Fr Danny will then take on the duties of Parish Priest for New Milton and Milford as well as for Lymington and Brockenhurst. He will be arranging with the help of other priests to cover all current Sunday Masses until the end of October. Meanwhile the Vicar General Mgr Vincent Harvey will be working with the clergy and with us to find how best to make Sunday Mass available across the Pastoral Area and to ensure the provision of the best possible pastoral care for all of us from November 1st.

THIS IS MARY'S FIRST NINETIETH BIRTHDAY

2011-09-08T18:58:00.000+01:00

Mary's ninetieth birthday hadn't yet arrived. So she was taken by surprise when at Monday's meeting of the Friendship Club at Adele's house she was presented with a lovely cake made by Pat and a beautiful card from all her friends. She had obviously expected to have only one ninetieth birthday! But Veronica and Ellen and the rest of her friends don't mind how many she has!

A WARMER WINTER FOR THE PARISH CENTRE

2011-09-08T18:56:00.000+01:00

A skilled glazier from the Bournemouth Glass and Glazing Company is silhouetted against the Lymington sky as he prepares to fit the high window in the south room of our Parish Centre with its double-glazed sealed unit.

This photo of the newly glazed windows in the north room show how carefully the two upper units have been crafted to replace the original windows. Our congratulations to the Property and Finance team for planning and seeing to the implementation of this work, which will result in warmer winter meetings and functions for all of us.