NEWSLETTER

The Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi (Year C)

Sunday 22nd June, 2025

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Message from Canon Kristian

Dear brothers and sisters
This Sunday is the transferred Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, traditionally referred to as Corpus Christi.  As with last Sunday, this is a  celebration of a fundamental doctrine and belief of our Catholic Christian faith – our belief that, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and the action of the priest, the bread and wine at Mass become the Body and Blood of Christ.  Although the external “accidents” of bread and wine remain, ie they still look, feel and taste the same, their “substance” is completely changed into the body and blood of Christ, who is now truly present in them. Hence our use of the terms “transubstantiation” and “Real Presence” to describe this profound Mystery of Faith, which nonetheless goes beyond all our limited human philosophical categories.  It is the greatest and most precious gift that we are given, and one which this Sunday gives us the opportunity to reverence and appreciate anew so that, amongst other things, we may once again open ourselves to the enormous implications of our reception of Holy Communion, our eating and drinking of the Body of Blood of Christ.  In his Easter Sermon 227, St. Augustine of Hippo exhorts us: “If we receive the Eucharist worthily, we become what we receive.”  Thus, when we receive Christ in Holy Communion, we become one body in Him, and through Him, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Through receiving the Eucharist, we enter into a unique and personal relationship with the Trinity and with one another in the Body of Christ.  We truly become what we eat and drink!  What an awesome action we are invited to participate in at each Mass, Sunday by Sunday!
This past week has seen major decisions taken by Parliament regarding the decriminalisation of abortion and the legalisation of assisted suicide.  These are complex moral issues and ones which individuals, including Catholics, hold differing positions.  Whilst it is important to respect these carefully considered views, the Bishops of England and Wales, through the lead Bishop for Life Issues, Archbishop John Sherrington, have issued a statement in response to the latter decision:
The Bishops of England and Wales have been consistent and outspoken in their opposition to the legalisation of assisted suicide, and we are shocked and disappointed that MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. This Bill is flawed in principle with several provisions that give us great cause for concern.
The Catholic Church believes in promoting a culture of life and compassionate care. Allowing the medical profession to help patients end their lives will change the culture of healthcare and cause legitimate fears amongst those with disabilities or who are especially vulnerable in other ways.
We are also concerned about the future of palliative care, not least because experience suggests that, unless there are explicit protections, hospices may be required to co-operate with assisted suicide. If this were to happen, the future of many Catholic institutions could be under threat.
This is not the end of the parliamentary process, and we should not lose hope. We ask the Catholic community to continue to pray for members of parliament whilst they consider this legislation and to pray that government will act to promote and protect life from conception until natural death.
We have expressed the view, during this debate, that genuine compassion involves accompanying those who need care, especially during sickness, disability and old age. The vocation to care is at the heart of the lives of so many people who look after their loved ones and is the sign of a truly compassionate society. As we stated after the second reading, it is essential that we nurture and renew the innate call that many people have to compassionately care for others.
The Bishops of England and Wales believe that improving the quality and availability of palliative care offers the best pathway to reducing suffering at the end of life. We will continue to advocate for this, and we ask the Catholic community to support those who work tirelessly to care for the dying in our hospices, hospitals and care homes.
Wherever we fall within thse sensitive moral issues which touch the lives of so many people in profound ways, I am sure that we can all agree with the statement that the “vocation to care for others” is the sign of a true compassionate society and that is is essential that we nurture and renew this vocation in whatever ways we can, remembering that we are called as Catholics to uphold the dignity of all life, from its conception to its natural end.
This coming week our parish is also undertaking its Jubilee Pilgrimage Walk of Hope from St Andrew’s in Tiverton to the Shrine of St Boniface in Crediton.  A leaflet with the details of the various stages of the walk and a map showing the whole route are attached to the Newsletter.  It is great to hear that groups of walkers are already forming for the different stages and hopefully others will make themselves known to the members of the Laudato Si’ Group who will be available at the end of Masses this weekend.  Even if you are unable to take part in the walk itself, I really hope to see many of you in the church of St Boniface, Crediton, at 6.00pm on Tuesday for the celebration of Mass at the conclusion of the Walk.  The church will be open from 5.00pm for private prayer and reflection.  Many thanks to the members of the Laudato Si’ Group for all the preparation and organisation they have done to enable this Parish Pilgrimage Walk of Hope to take place.
Along with the Newsletter this weekend, I attach:
  • the weekly guide from Monika Manser to help with a prayerful reading of the Sunday Gospel
  • the latest edition of Inspire from Deacon Peter
  • the Parish Pilgimage Walk of Hope Itinerary and Map
  • the Catholic Children’s Society Job Vacancy Advert
  • the latest Newsletter from the Lighthouse Cafe and Bookshop in Tiverton
As our world continues to be in a very precarious state with regards to the potential for increased warfare and conflict, we persevere in imploring the Lord to convert the hearts of those intent on violence and to bring peoples together in reconciliation and peace.
May we indeed be messengers of hope to our world, to our society, to our community and to those most in need.
May God bless you all.
Canon Kristian
Canon Kristian Paver
Parish Priest
Parish of St Boniface and St James Mid Devon
40 Old Road Tiverton EX16 4HJ

Updating the Parish Database

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, it is necessary for us to ensure that the data the parish holds on our parishioners is up to date. We therefore need to ask each person/family to fill out a new census form at regular intervals. It has been some years since the parish database was last updated, so new census forms are available over the next few weekends and parishioners are asked to complete them and return to back to church as soon as possible. If you know of anyone who does not attend church regularly, but who would still like to be included on the database, please take a form for them to complete and return.

Parish Pilgrimage Walk to the Shrine of St Boniface, Crediton

This coming Tuesday, 24 June, we will be holding our parish pilgrimage walk from St Andrew’s, Tiverton, to the National Shrine of St Boniface in Crediton. We hope many parishioners will join us for some parts of this special day of pilgrimage. We will be starting from St Andrew’s Church at 7.00am and finishing with Mass celebrated by Canon Kristian at St Boniface Catholic Church in Crediton at 6.00pm.

The Parish Laudato Si’ Group has prepared a leaflet which explains the 5 Stages of the walk and gives an indication of terrain and difficulty. People are welcome to join just for a stage or two, for the whole walk or just for the Mass at the Shrine. There will be someone leading each stage of the walk, who knows the route and each stage will begin with a prayer. We hope that the whole walk will be a prayerful experience, attentive to the beautiful mid-Devon countryside and the gifts of creation all around us. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to come along too! The leaflet is attached, together with a map of the whole Pilgrimage Walk.

It would really be helpful to know if you will be joining the walk at any stage and also if you will be taking part in the Mass. Members of the Laudato Si’ Group will be around at Mass over this weekend to answer any questions you may have and to take down names.

Refugee Week 16-22 June – Community as a Superpower

Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. You can find out more at: refugeeweek.org.uk. Refugee Week offers us a prayerful opportunity to reflect on the struggles of refugees and to stand in faithful solidarity with those seeking safety, dignity, and a place to call home. CSAN, the agency of the Bishops’ Conference for domestic social action, has a range of resources around this year’s theme which can be found at: https://www.csan.org.uk/news/refugee-week-2025-community-as-a-superpower/. The Jesuit Refugee Service also has information on events to mark Refugee Week: https://www.jrsuk.net/refugee-week/.

Catholic Children’s Society Job Vacancy

The Catholic Children’s Society (Plymouth) is looking to recruit an Assistant Grants Officer to work alongside the Administrator and support the work already taking place, facilitating the provision of goods through the Essential Grants programme. This role is 14 hours a week working from home although based in the office at St. Boniface House in Ashburton. The contract is initially fixed for six months, but this will be reviewed at the end of the contract with the objective of extending the contract, although this extension cannot be guaranteed. The hourly rate will be £13.58.

To discuss the role further, please telephone Karen Grute on 01364 645420. To request an application form, please email ccs@ccsplymouth.org.uk or write to: Catholic Children’s Society (Plymouth), St. Boniface House, Ashburton, Devon, TQ13 7JL. The closing date for all applications is Monday 14 July 2025 and interviews will be held on Monday 21 July 2025. A person specification is attached to the newsletter.

Pretty Muddy Race for Life for Cancer Research UK

Our parishioner, Ewelina Zychlinska, is taking part in the Exeter Pretty Muddy Race for Life on 19 July to raise money for Cancer Research UK. She says: “Cancer is happening right now, which is why I’m taking part in a Race for Life Pretty Muddy to raise money and save lives. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every single pound you donate makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work”. If you would like to donate to her fundraiser, please go to link.

Diocesan Newsletter for June

To have a read of the Diocesan Newsletter for June please go to: https://email.workwithgusto.co.uk/t/t-e-gsudhl-jktjdkdrx-t/.

May Parish Giving

Loose: £987.76 Contactless: £345.00 Standing Order: £4037.00

Peter’s Pence Collection

At the Masses next weekend, the annual collection to support the ministry of the Successor of St Peter, our Holy Father Pope Leo, will take place.

Masses and Events this week

Sunday 22nd June – Corpus Christi

  • Saturday 21 June – St Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

    • Parish Finance and Property Committee at 9.30pm in St Andrew’s Hall
    • Youth Club, 11.00am-12.30pm, in St Boniface’s Hall
    • Vigil Mass at 6.00pm

    Sunday 22 June – The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

    • Holy Mass at 9.30am (St Boniface)
    • Holy Mass at 11.30am Pro Populo

    12th Week in Ordinary Time

    Monday 23 June – St Edward, King and Martyr

    • SVP meets at 10.00am in St Andrew’s Hall
    • Singing to Remember at 2.00pm in St Andrew’s Hall

    Tuesday 24 June – The Nativity of St John the Baptist

    • Parish Pilgrimage Walk of Hope starts at 7.00am at St Andrew’s, Tiverton
    • Monthly Lunch, 12noon-2.00pm, in St Andrew’s Hall
    • Parish Pilgrimage of Hope Mass at 6.00pm in St Boniface’s Catholic Church and Shrine, Crediton

    Wednesday 25 June – Weekday

    • Holy Mass at 12noon (St Boniface) Shine and Sharu (5th Wedding anniv)

    Thursday 26 June – Weekday

    • Holy Mass at 9.00am
    • Tough Times Support Group at 7.00pm in St Boniface’s Hall

    Friday 27 June – The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

    • Confessions and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 11.30am
    • Holy Mass with Prayers of Healing at 12noon
    • Holy Rosary at 12.30pm

    Saturday 28 June – The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    • First Holy Communion Preparation at 10.00am in St John’s School Hall
    • Vigil Mass at 6.00pm

    Sunday 29 June – Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul

    • Holy Mass at 9.30am (St Boniface)
    • Holy Mass at 11.30am Pro Populo

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