Parish News
Our Diocesan Vision
“To be a Catholic diocese which is faithful to the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ, full of missionary disciples who work together co-responsibly in vibrant communities of faith, joyful in their service of God and neighbour.”
News & Events within the Parish
The Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation is offered on Saturday mornings after Mass and evening from 5pm to 5:30pm. Also available at other times by appointment.
PVS
The Parish Volunteer Service is a small group of volunteers offering lifts to anybody who may be experiencing difficulty getting to Mass, the Thursday Group, or other appointments. For more information, contact Jane Stevens: 01844 216076 / 07984 778687.
Live Streaming of Masses
Please note that our parish live streams the Sun 9am Mass and at other occasions on request, e.g. funerals. If you do not want to be seen on the live stream, please avoid the first two pews closest to the altar and ask for Holy Communion to be brought to you.
Food Bank
Please remember that you can donate tinned and other items to the food bank in the narthex as a way of supporting those in the parish and beyond who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. No perishables please!
Parish Open Meeting with Canon Paul Fitzpatrick
Parish Open Meeting with Canon Paul Fitzpatrick will take place at 7pm on Mon 2nd Nov. The first part of the meeting will be an opportunity to ask Canon Paul your questions about how the merging of the seven parishes of the deanery into one parish will work, and the second part will be for you to raise other parish matters for discussion.
School Open Days - Tue 3rd Nov 5-6pm & Wed 25th Nov 1:30pm-2:30pm
Join us for our Open Day and experience the heart of our school. Spend some time exploring our classrooms and learning spaces, meet our friendly and dedicated staff, and see first-hand what everyday life is like at St Joseph’s. We are proud to create a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe, happy and confident to learn and grow. Come and see what makes St Joseph’s such a special place for children and families. To book your place, please contact the school office and we look forward to welcoming you and your family to St Joseph’s.
Wed 18th Nov is Red Wednesday
Aid to the Church in Need’s special day of prayer, awareness and action for Christians persecuted because of their faith. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Red Wednesday, and the focus is on children and young people who have been orphaned, displaced or traumatised by attacks on Christian communities in countries including Nigeria, Syria, Lebanon and Pakistan. For more information and resources, visit www.acnuk.org/redwednesday
Rosario Iacono RIP
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Rosario Iacono whose funeral will take place at 11:30am on Mon 9th Nov.
Events within the Local Area & Diocese
Johnson Clergy Association
The Johnson Clergy Association (Birmingham) has supported priests for over 315 years. These priests who are sick, infirm or retired often depend on support of the Association. During the past year grants of over £399,000 have been made to approximately 60 priests. Please help us to care for those who have cared for you: www.johnsonassociation.org
Impact Thame Holiday Club
Impact Thame holiday club will take place at Chinnor Rugby Club from Mon 26th - Wed 28th Jul 2027, 9am - 12:30pm. Whether to be on team or for your children to take part, do make a note of the dates for another fantastic Gospel event: www.impactthame.org.uk
Sung Scriptural Rosary
For a different way of praying the Rosary, take a look at https://www.youtube.com/@sungscripturalrosary Scenes from Chartres Cathedral and other Cathedral windows are displayed whilst parts of the Rosary and verses from Scripture are sung by a choir.
Medjugorje Apostolate Annual Retreat
Fr Marinko Šakota OFM will lead the Medjugorje Apostolate Annual Retreat which will take place from Fri 5th-- Sun 7th Feb 2027 at the Kairos Centre, Roehampton, London. The retreat is open to all and there are places available for residents and non-residents. Fr Marinko was the parish priest of St James, Medjugorje from 2013 to 2022 having served there as an assistant priest from 2010 to 2013. Anyone interested should contact pilgrimsofmary@hotmail.com
Groups
Thursday Group
Thursday Group takes place at 12:30pm in the Parish Hall on Thursdays.
Prayer Group
Prayer Group takes place on Tuesdays at 5:30pm.
Walking in Faith
The next Walking in Faith group will next be meeting TBD.
Bible Study Evening
The Bible study evening runs every other Thursday from 6:30pm - 7:30pm in the Parish Hall.
The next session will be on 12th November & all are welcome.
Church Gardeners Group
Join our growing group of church gardeners who gather on Monday mornings from 10am – 12pm. Get to know other people in our church community and keep active. There is always plenty to do. No skills needed – just a bit of faith and enthusiasm!
Youth Choir
Youth Choir sings on the 1st & 2nd Sundays of the month at 11am Mass. Rehearsal 10:30am. New members welcome.
Adult Choir
Adult Choir sings on the 3rd & 4th Sundays of the month. Rehearsal on Tuesday evenings 7:30pm - 9pm. New members welcome and total commitment as far as possible is desired.
Please Pray for the Sick of our Parish
The sick of our Parish
Molly McVasey, Jon White, Kieron Carberry, Thomas White, Alexander Sparkes, Beryl Long, Veronica Smith, Ellen Mongan, Andrzej Geppart, David Harbour, Maria Crane, Edward de Rivera, Zaria Peecock, Heather Helgesen, Teresa Ferrara, Rita Tulloch, Peter Long, Christina Jacobs & Tony Durkin.
Rest in Peace
Peter Evans, Elsie Hubery, Stuart Dawson, Lucy Wood, Patrick Moynihan, Peter Sparkes, Prof Judith Champ, Helen James, Marie Byrne, Pat Phillips, Mary O’Brien, Maureen Clarke, John Godfrey, Rosario Iacono & David Healy.
Anniversaries of deaths this week
David Marchant, Derek Brown, Catherine Hurst, Eric Beeby, Barbara Colclough, Steven Bitmead, Gladys Fletcher-Randall & Eric Spencer.
Offerings
Totals for 24th/25th October
£220.10, many thanks.
2nd collection this week for the Johnson Fund.
Gift Aid
To keep giving regularly to support the Parish, please give standing orders, with Gift Aid where possible. The forms are always available in the Sacristy for Gift Aid or standing order set-up, or talk to our treasurer, Jim.
Other Methods of Giving
DONA Website
Our DONA website can be found here.
Direct Payments
Name - RC Birmingham St Joseph's
Sort Code - 60-21-21
Acc - 69377065
DONA
Just use your contactless debit/credit card or smartphone/device to make a donation. Simply choose the amount you wish to donate and hold your card onto the reader. Contactless donations are simpler to administer, secure and convenient. Please opt in for Gift Aid if you are a UK Tax Payer, it means we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 received.
The new DONA machine is now installed. Donors will need to input their personal details when they use their card. Once this is done, there will be no need to do it again. Thanks for your patience during the recent outage!