WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
12th JANUARY 2025: FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD (YEAR C)
To download the print edition, please click here.
MASSES THIS WEEK:
Saturday 11th January (Baptism of the Lord– Vigil Mass): 6.30pm (Intention: Emily Galvin – LD)
Sunday 12th January (The Baptism of the Lord): 9.30am (Intention: The People of the Parish); 11.00am (Intention: Deceased – Chappell Family)
Tuesday 14th January (Feria): 7.00pm (Intention: November Dead List)
Wednesday 15th January (Feria): 9.30am (Intention: Yorkshire Brethren Society)
Thursday 16th January (Feria): 9.30am (Intention: November Dead List); 7.00pm Confirmation Mass
Friday 17th January (St Anthony of Egypt): 9.30am (Intention: Private Intention)
Saturday 18th January (2nd Sunday O.T. – Vigil Mass): 6.30pm (Intention: November Dead List)
Sunday 19th January (Second Sunday of Ordinary Time): 9.30am (Intention: November Dead List); 11.00am (Intention: The People of the Parish)
CONFESSIONS: Saturday 6.00pm-6.20pm; Tuesday 6.30pm-6.50pm.
BAPTISM: Prayers and congratulations to Florence May Fletcher who was baptised on Saturday, and to her proud family!
REST IN PEACE: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Malcolm Robinson, husband of Clare of our parish. His funeral will be at Pudsey Baptist church on Friday (17th January) at 12noon.
ONLINE SCRIPTURE GROUP: meets on Tuesday evenings. For info: pudseystjoseph@gmail.com
OFFERTORY RECEIVED LAST SUNDAY:
Envelopes: £285.00; loose plate: £106.12; bank transfers: £614.50; Total: £1005.62. Sincere thanks for your generosity! Ukraine appeal: £10.00. You can continue to give to CAFOD’s humanitarian aid for Ukraine by putting your offering in an envelope marked ‘Ukraine’.
* * * TO DONATE TO OUR PARISH ONLINE PLEASE CLICK HERE * * *
DIOCESAN DIRECTORIES: The 2025 Leeds Diocesan Directories are now available in the church porch, priced £5.00. Please put the money into the grey collection box in the porch.
LIVING FAITH: The new editions (January-March) of these popular daily devotional booklets are now available in the church porch. If you can leave a donation of £2 each, we would be grateful.
CONFIRMATIONS: Please pray for the young people of our parish who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this Thursday (16 January) and next (23 January). We are extremely grateful to our parish catechesis team & all the families who have helped to prepare our candidates over the past months.
CHURCH PORCH WORKS: This week the church porch will be fitted with a new electric-powered central heating system. The current convector heaters are totally inadequate, and when the weather has been like the deep freeze that we have had this week, the porch water pipes freeze. Hopefully we’ll all notice a big difference, and it will enable us to use the porch for meetings etc year-round. While the works are in progress, access to the church for the morning Masses this week may need to be up the side ramp.
RECYCLING: As part of our parish effort in the CAFOD Live Simply Award Scheme, we have started a project to collect and forward items that are not currently accepted in the Leeds Council green bins. We have signed up with Terracycle, and at the moment we are collecting plastic lunchboxes, water bottles, and cheese packaging. Full details of what can be collected (and what can’t) is on our parish website: www.stjosephpudsey.org.uk/recycle. We’ll try to expand the scheme to include more things over the coming year. The bin is located by Presbytery garage in the church car park. Many thanks to Amy Miller for organising this.
MEDICAL AID FOR PALESTINIANS: Tim Devereux is fundraising for Medical Aid for Palestinians and intends to ride 3431 miles on his bike – the distance from Leeds to Gaza. It’s an average of 10 miles/day in 2025 until he has reached the target. Donations very gratefully received at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/tim-devereux-map-2025
A YEAR OF HOPE: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE JUBILEE YEAR: with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD). 2025 is a Jubilee year, but what does that mean? Catholic talk show host and author Nana Churcher, and CAFOD’s Simon Giarchi will be hosting Fr Jan Nowotnik (Director of Mission for the Bishop’s Conference), Christine Allen (CAFOD’s Director) and Kayode Akintola (CAFOD’s Head of Africa) and more for a lively start to the Jubilee. With a special appearance by Catholic band Ooberfuse. Saturday 18th January, 10:30am-midday, online. All welcome. Register here for free: www.cafod.org.uk/jubilee
PUDSEY COMMUNITY PROJECT are appealing for food and toiletries for people in need in our area. We can collect donations here at St Joseph’s – so please leave any in the church porch and we will transfer them each week. For more info: www.pudseycommunity.org.uk
PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO ASSISI & PADUA:
As the coming Jubilee Year has as its theme “Pilgrims of Hope” we are planning to make two parish pilgrimages next year. One will be a local day pilgrimage in the late Spring, which will be family-friendly (more details later), and the other will be to Assisi and Padua from Saturday 25th October to Saturday 1st November 2025 (half-term). Flights to/from Manchester airport. Price £1075 sharing, £1295 single room. Half-board, guide, and all transport in Italy included. Mass each day in the various churches and shrines associated with St Francis, St Clare and St Anthony, plus a day visit to either Verona or Venice. This will be a joint pilgrimage with the parish of St Mary Magdalen & St Teresa in Penwortham, Preston – their Parish Priest is an old friend of Fr Peter.
BOOKING FORMS are now available from Fr Peter.
We now have all the details of the hotels and the flights.
For full details of the pilgrimage see: www.stjosephpudsey.org.uk/assisi/
SAFEGUARDING CONFERENCE: The Diocese of Leeds is hosting its first Safeguarding Conference on Saturday 8th February 2025, 10-3pm at Hinsley Hall, Headingley. Guest speakers include the Comboni Survivors Group, Hydrant Programme and Dementia Friendly Churches. This is a good opportunity to be part of the discussion and sharing of information, to book your place please email safeguarding@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
DIOCESE OF LEEDS COMMUNITY CHOIR: This new venture welcomes all parish musicians, parishioners, choir parents, friends, and school and Diocesan staff to come together and sing! Rehearsals on Sunday afternoons (19th January, 2nd & 9th February, 2nd & 23rd March, all at 2pm-3.30pm) at Immaculate Heart of Mary church, Moortown, LS17 6LE, working towards a concert performance, including music by Mendelssohn, Fauré, and Rutter, on Laetare Sunday, 30th March 2025 4pm. To book your place please email office@dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk
WORKSHOP FOR PARISH MUSICIANS – PREPARING FOR HOLY WEEK AND EASTER: Sunday 26 January, 2-4pm, Cathedral Chambers (accessed via Wheeler Hall, Leeds Cathedral). Meet musicians from across the Diocese in this free workshop exploring liturgical music for Lent, Holy Week and Easter. The practical workshop led by Diocesan Choral Directors and composer Teena Lyle, will introduce two new accessible choral pieces, including perusal copies of the music. Our musicians will be on hand for bespoke advice. To book please email the Music Office: office@dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk
HEALING SERVICE: The next Healing Service in the parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall will be Thursday 16th January at 7.00pm, St Mary’s RC Church, Broadgate Lane, Horsforth LS18 5AB. This is a beautiful opportunity to pray for healing for yourself or others, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. Everyone is welcome, including non-Catholics and those of no faith – all that is needed is an openness to Jesus.
PERMANENT DIACONATE: Are you inquisitive about the Ministry of a Deacon? Then you are invited to attend an open Information session at Hinsley Hall on Saturday 8th February 10.30am–12pm. For more information and to register please contact david.arblaster@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
YOUTH 2000 LEEDS RETREAT: offers young adults (aged 16-35) from across Leeds and beyond the opportunity to come together and explore what it means to be in relationship with God. Offering the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, grow in relationship with Him and His Mother, and form friendships with other young adults from the local area. Saturday 15th February, Leeds Trinity University, Brownberrie Lane, Horsforth, LS18 5HD. Tickets from www.youth2000.org/events
AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED OPEN LETTER CAMPAIGN: ACN (UK) has launched an Open Letter Campaign calling on Foreign Secretary David Lammy to make persecuted religious communities priority recipients of UK Overseas Development Aid (ODA). They need your help to reach their goal of 10,000 signatures, which will trigger a response from the Government. Please sign their open letter today:
www.acnuk.org/our-campaigns/red-wednesday-advocacy-letter
THE ANNUAL LOURDES DINNER DANCE: will take place on Friday 28th February 2025 at the Met Hotel in Leeds, Tickets are £40 each or £375 for a table of 10, Ticket price includes a reception drink, a 3 course dinner and entertainment throughout the night. Please contact Phil Marshall for tickets or more info on 07766 148375 or at philmarshall49@hotmail.com
LITTLE SISTERS FUNDRAISING EVENT: On Friday 28th February 2025 at Irish Centre Tara Suite, 7.30pm. Tickets £25.00. Meal of soda bread, Irish stew and dessert, also Irish band dancing, sing-a-long, auction and raffle. Please come along and support the Little sisters and have a great night of entertainment. All proceeds to go towards rebuilding of Mount St Joseph’s. Contact details Sr.Christina Email funds.leeds@lsplondon.co.uk
TRAIN TO TEACH: Are you interested in training to teach in a Catholic School? St. Anthony’s Catholic Partnership are recruiting now for September 2025. If you would like further details please contact Hannah Taylor on h.taylor@stanthonysleeds.org.uk or 0113 2776944.
THE BRIERY RETREAT CENTRE, ILKLEY:
Briery Weekly Online Meditations: The Briery hosts a weekly hour of meditation/reflection focusing on the following Sunday’s readings, providing an opportunity for shared reflection in small groups, on Thursdays – reflection begins at 7.30pm, doors open from 7.15pm for a welcome/chat. All are welcome to attend. Register for zoom link by emailing: admin@briery.co.uk
Briery Retreat Centre, 38 Victoria Avenue, Ilkley LS29 9BW
For bookings & further information, please email briery@btconnect.com or tel. 01943 607287. www.briery.org.uk