Day for Life

This Sunday, 21 June, we mark Day for Life, the day in the Church’s calendar when we come together to celebrate the dignity of all human life from conception to natural death. This year’s theme is ‘The Wonder of the Child in the Womb’. A child is a gift from God to be nurtured and cherished, but the theme also recognises the tragedy of babies who died before birth and the grief experienced by their parents and families.

The Bishops’ message and prayers can be found on the website: www.dayforlife.org. The second collection will go towards the Day for Life Fund, which distributes grants to organisations that promote respect for life from conception until natural death. You can also donate online on the Day for Life website.

First Holy Communion Sunday

A group of our children has been preparing to receive First Holy Communion over the last 9 months. They will receive the Blessed Sacrament for the first time at 11.30am Mass next Sunday. Please keep them and their families in your prayers in a special way this coming week. We are thankful, too, for Deacon Michael, Elaine Kelly and Monika Manser who so generously give of their time as catechists for the children and their parents.

Adoremus – Third National Eucharistic Congress

The third National Eucharistic Congress will take place in London on Saturday 10 October. The Principal Mass will be celebrated at St George’s Cathedral in Southwark, followed by a procession across the Thames to Westminster Cathedral, concluding with a Vigil of Adoration from Midnight to 6.00am the following day. If you would like to be one of our 50 diocesan delegates, please contact Fr Chris Findlay Wilson on 01202 746539.

Catechetical Summer Camp

At this year’s Summer Camp at Buckfast Abbey, 27-31 July, young people aged 9-12 will explore Pope Francis and Pope Leo’s Dilexi Te – ‘I love you’. Summer camp has been enjoyed by many generations. It is a great way for young people to meet others from across the Diocese and gain a sense of belonging to the Diocesan and Catholic family. Cost £150 per person. To book: Summer Camp 2026 – Fill in form For further information please contact: summercamps@prcdtr.org.uk.

Society of St Vincent de Paul

The parish SVP group continues to help needy clients of CHAT, recently buying a tabletop stove for an individual. If you know of anyone who would like a visit from the SVP, please let Simon Coombs, Margaret Found, Maggie Pulford, Shelagh Eastwood or Sheelagh Bourdon know. 

June – the Month of the Sacred Heart

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion which gained popularity after Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 1670s, revealing to her the image of His Sacred Heart. It is a month dedicated to contemplating the wonderful mystery of the human heart of Jesus that contains all of God’s eternal, infinite, self-giving love for each person. In 2024, Pope Francis wrote an encyclical, Dilexit nos, on the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus and its relevance for today. In this letter, he invites us to rediscover the importance of the heart, both in our spiritual life and in our human and social relationships. The Heart of Jesus is the perfect model of unconditional and total love, which calls us to live an authentic and full life, in communion with God and with others.

St John’s Starmakers Production – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The children of St John’s Starmakers will be performing a musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the New Hall on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July at 6.30pm. Everyone is welcome to come and watch the show. Tickets cost £6 and will be available on the door, or, if you would like to reserve your seats. contact Catherine Fitton (catherine.fitton@plymouthcast.com) indicating how many seats you would like and for which performance, you will then be able to pay and collect your tickets on the door – cash only please.

CHAT Newsletter AGM

The June edition of CHAT News can be found here. The AGM of CHAT will take place on Thursday 2 July at 7.00pm in the Salvation Army Hall, Chapel Street, Tiverton. All welcome.

CAFOD Middle East Humanitarian Appeal

Following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, families are facing unimaginable hardship but, with your support CAFOD’s partners are continuing to support people affected across the region. In Lebanon, more than 1.2 million people have fled their homes, with over 3,000 killed and thousands more injured as strikes regularly hit the south, the Bekaa and Beirut, but also other areas in across the country. Thanks to your steadfast support, CAFOD has already sent £467,210 to its trusted partners in Lebanon, including Caritas Lebanon, who are providing urgent aid to families in crisis.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on 28 February, has had an immediate and significant impact on the humanitarian situation in the area. Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s Middle East Programme representative, provided this update on 16 March: “Increased Israeli restrictions on the entry of people and goods into Gaza since the start of the war have caused severe shortages of basic essentials. CAFOD’s partners are continuing their work to provide healthcare, run community kitchens and provide mental health support but their work is hindered by a lack of fuel. In the West Bank, settler violence has spiralled and people are terrified. Our partner Caritas Jerusalem told us of how they ran twice today to find shelter from a missile attack – afterwards they sent a message: These moments are tense, sudden, and very real. We are still here, we are safe together. And we are back at work.” Please visit https://cafod.org.uk/give/donate-to-emergencies/middle-east-appeal if you would like to make a donation.