These pages are intended to give information on some of the many groups and organisations that make up and enrich parish life for Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick's
If you are interested in any of the groups or (even better!!) wish to lend your help and support, please contact the persons indicated.
If you have a parish group that you wish to appear on this website, please send all the details to Father Graham. If you wish to update any of your Groups details listed here, please contact me via email or leave a message with Father Graham and I will call you directly.
A new route of travel for this year is to fly from Gatwick to Toulouse and transfer to the Pilgrimage coach which will take people to the hotel in Lourdes.
A Parish Lourdes Fund set by Fr Graham was started this year with a very successful cheese and wine evening. A Parish raffle and a fish and chip lunch was held followed by a recent video showing of Bernadette's story.
Contact : Maureen Buni (Tel: 01273 303337)
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HCPT Group 71 travelled to Our Lady's shrine in Lourdes for a week from Easter Monday 2006, taking 8 children and young people with a variety of special needs from Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. The pilgrimage holiday was extremely successful, despite many changes from the previous year (including a lack of Chaplain and a change of hotel accommodation). It would probably be a fair assessment that much of the success of the week was due to both these changes and strenuous preparation prior to departure. Whilst in Lourdes the Group followed Our Lady's request to "come in procession" and "wash at the spring".
It is only with the very kind assistance of a lot of people, many of them parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes, that the Group is able to travel, as it costs over £4,000 just to fund the children's fares (with over £3,000 for other sundry costs). As part of this report I would like to offer my grateful thanks to them.
Contact : Andrew Harvey, HCPT Group Leader (Tel: 07736 930849)
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For the past sixteen years, Jubilee Campaign has been exceptionally effective in taking practical action for the oppressed throughout the world. Working with an unrivalled network of politicians, Jubilee has made a tangible difference to suffering communities and individuals. Those facing prison or even death have walked free. Children have been protected and seen their exploiters brought to justice. Prayer and letter-writing sheets are printed about every 2 months, high-lighting particular issues, for example, the systematic genocide of the Karen peoples in Burma under the military government and the appalling conditions of children as young as 5 years old imprisoned with and abused by adult prisoners in the Philippine gaols.
I have been trying to create interest in Jubilee Action by distributing these prayer/action sheets for over 2 years, but it was only after a successful Lunch on January 31st (which raised £130.50 for Jubilee Campaign) and words of encouragement from Father Graham, that people really started to give Jubilee Campaign their support and to take the action sheets. Thank you.
Contact : Victoria Schofield (Tel: 390179)
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Mothers' Prayers has been meeting monthly over the last year. We held a night away at the Convent during Lent which people found helpful. We now meet at the Convent where we pray for our children and have a cup of tea afterwards.
Contact : Tessa Rickets (Tel: 302903)
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The group continues as before meeting in the church hall on Wednesdays at 1.45 to 3.15 during term time
Contact : Zoe Hilton
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Proclaimed in our parish on the 23rd June 2006 - Feast of the Sacred Heart.
Everyone will probably ask - what is this "just another prayer group" in our joint parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Patrick's? Well you can be assured it is that, and an awful lot more. It was the express wish of Jesus when he appeared to St. Faustina, a humble young nun in Poland in 1931, that the very important message of Divine Mercy should be spread world-wide. Jesus appeared to her many times, each time delivering the same message and warning the world not to delay.
Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, shortly before he was elected pope had made the decision to promote the message of Divine Mercy to the world and after his election, put all his faith and energy into telling the world about the gift Jesus was asking us to accept. After his very long painful illness, it is no surprise that Jesus took him to himself on the Feast of the Divine Mercy in 2005. Let us not fail to accept such a wondrous message and gift which is for the honour and glory of God and our own salvation.
Contact : Vincent Gallagher (01273 307008)
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The SVP Conference in this parish entered its 27th year in 2006. The Conference has 10 active members and a few auxiliary members. During the last year members made in excess of 2500 visits to people in their homes, hospitals and nursing homes.
The nightly Soup Run in Brighton is strongly supported by both Conference members and over 20 parishioners. In addition to the Soup Run, members are also involved in the SVP Furniture Scheme, visiting persons requiring help in furnishing their dwellings. This Conference is twinned with three Conferences in India. I have been able to offer financial help in recent disasters that have occurred. Last year we also sent a parishioner to Lourdes. During the summer we take the less able parishioners out for a day, normally to a National Trust Garden.
At Christmas time, we arrange a Christmas event and give out presents to those we visit. The Conference has always had great support from the parish and trust this will long continue. Thank you all at Our Lady of Lourdes.
Contact : Eve Tanner
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The Ecumenical Group are rethinking their meetings, possibly every quarter instead of each month. In the meantime, Sr. Marie gives a talk at least once a year to groups in St. Nicholas (Anglican) and St. Martin's (United Reform)
Contact : Sr. Maire (01273 305565)
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Sr. Maire's brief is to prepare special liturgies and be Chairperson of the Ecumenical Group. As part of this brief, she has organised pilgrimages each year and in 2004 went to Salisbury Cathedral. Not only was it a wonderful day it was also a day of prayer. Fr. Graham said Mass in the Lady Chapel. The Dean was most welcoming and invited the visitors to stay for Vespers and Fr. Graham was invited to participate. Look out for Pilgrimage 2005!
The Office of the Church is now being recited at Our Lady of Lourdes and at St. Patrick's. Fr. Graham and Sr. Maire held an evening on the Psalms - please contact Sr. Maire if you would like to join this universal age-old recitation of the Psalms.
Contact : Sr. Maire (01273 305565)
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To post notices on the boards at Our Lady of Lourdes, place it in the folder on the wall above the newspapers. This is checked at least twice a week. If you spot an out of date notice or has a notice or poster requiring immediate attention, please contact us.
Contact : Ann Turner (Tel: 01273 305990)
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Please note that there is a postbox on the outside wall of the Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall. All items for the newsletter should be put in the box by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, which is the deadline for collection. Items are collected from the box by Wednesday evening, the newsletter is typed and edited by Thursday evening and photocopied on Friday morning after Mass. Putting last minute items through Father Graham's letterbox will not ensure their inclusion in the newsletter for the comming week. Email items are welcomed but again, please submit them by Wednesday evening to deans.newsletter@ntlworld.com
Last but not least, we would be grateful if you could submit concise and clearly worded items which will not need editing. Thank You.
Contact : Julie Williams, Tracy Stickland, Maria Cuddeford, Barbara Pierce, Vanessa Blackburn and Sheila Cullen
Email : deans.newsletter@ntlworld.com for Newsletter submissions.
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It is now an obligation rather than a recommendation, for everybody who deals with children or vulnerable adults within the parish, to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau Police check.
To find out more please visit our Children and Vulnerable Adults page.
Contact : Lisa Harris (01273 272817)
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The Planning Group continue to meet and a newsletter will continue to be published two or three times a year with the iad of volunteers. The office is still a link between the church and the rest of the community and also used by the SVP Furniture Scheme, which is now administered from there.
Contact : Ann Knox (01273 301252)
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Four Deans Stroke Club meet at St.Patrick's church hall once a week. It is for people who have suffered a stroke living in Ovingdean, Rottingdean, Saltdean and Woodingdean with the aim of continuing rehabilitation by providing activities,companionship and also sharing experiences and information amongst members and volunteers.
Contact : Mrs Ann Jenkins (01273 306215)
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Volunteers required to reduce the strain on the parish (working within Health ans Saftey guidelines)
For Our Lady of Lourdes Contact : Louis Gaskin, Jim Curtis (Tel: 01273 304480) and Roy Butler (01273 305941)
For St. Patricks Contact : Tom Goudy and Don Young
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The Parish Hall at Our Lady of Lourdes is kept very busy with many regular bookings. To ensure there is no duplication, it is essential to check before arranging any activities
Contact : Rosemary Reade (01273 386832)
St. Patrick's Church Hall and Rooms are available to hire for suitable occasions, such as classes and meetings. The terms and conditions of the hire are open to negotiation. There is also a fully fitted kitchen and toilets.
Contact :
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Ann is responsible for printing out the rotas for Flowers, Church Cleaning, Coffee and Hall Cleaning. The rotas for Flowers and Church cleaning are produced for approximately a 3 month period. The Cofee and Hall cleaning rotas are for 2 months.A notice will appear on the newsletter announcing new rotas. A plea to those on the Coffee and Hall cleaning rotas - if you are unable to do the week assigned to you, would you please first try to change with someone else on the rota. If this is not possible, then by all means contact Ann.
Unfortunately we have had only one new name added to the list during the past year. Most of the parishioners helping to keep the hall, kitchen and toilets clean have been doing this for many years. Most of them are also involved with other jobs in the Parish. It would be good if we could have some more volunteers to do this important work.
Contact : Ann Turner (01273 303990)
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Contact : Maria Jose de Arriba
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We desperately need volunteers for cleaning the churches. There are only seven people sharing this task at Our Lady of Lourdes, and when holidays and sickness are taken into account, it is sometimes quite difficult to cope. The only alternative will be to clean the church less often.
Lately we have found such articles as tissues, sweet papers, food and in particularm raisins and chewing gum. The last items are difficult remove and also attract ants.
For Our Lady of Lourdes Contact : Maria White (01273 308816)
For St. Patrick's Contact :Maria Jose de Arriba
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If you wish to help in the organisation and planning of Parish social activities, please contact Eileen. To find out more about upcoming social events, please visit our News and Events page.
Contact : Eileen Cross (01273 588842)
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