MEMORIAL CONCERTS FOR SAMANTHA CASHEN

                                                                               with permission from Ballard School Performing Arts Centre

Samantha’s friends and admirers put on an entertaining and enjoyable series of concerts in her memory last weekend.     Among the many local musicians and dancers taking part were this group of flautists introducing themselves with the Harry Potter theme.                                                                 

THE PARISH BLOG TO VISIT CHRISTIAN WALES

                                                                                                                                        smallnations.com

This week two of your editorial staff will be walking the Towy valley in mid-Wales with a group of Christians of different denominations.    We shall be based just outside the village of Cilycum, and hope to visit some places of Christian pilgrimage in the locality.    You’ll be able to find out next week whether or not we were successful!

Why do the same people feature once again on this week’s blog?     Some weeks more than five hundred people log on to us, yet this week we appear to have only three or four faithful contributors.      If you take photos, however tenuous the connection with either parish, please send them with a few words of description to blog@gensearch.co.uk and help to make this blog more interesting for our readers.

THE CWL LEARN ABOUT THE WORK OF THE SVP

                                                                Blessed Frederic Ozanam

At the March meeting of the CWL, SVP President Tom Turnbull described how the Society was founded in post-Revolution Paris in April 1833 by a group of idealistic Catholic students, led by Frederic Ozanam, the privileged and gifted son of a Milanese doctor and a silk heiress. The young students wanted to put their faith into action by providing direct assistance to the poor, and were supported by the Daughters of Charity; the distinctively cornetted "butterfly" nuns founded by St Vincent De Paul.

 In 1844, the first SVP conference was formed in England and Wales. In 1860, Cardinal Wiseman, the first Archbishop of Westminster, commissioned the SVP to publish a Catholic newspaper. The Universe has been in publication ever since and remains the best selling Catholic newspaper in the UK and Ireland. 

Tom described how the Lymington Conference, founded six years ago, regularly visits and helps housebound, lonely and hospitalised people.

                                                                                Report by Gigi

A VISIT FROM THE VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

The SVP do not restrict their visits to people living in our Pastoral area, and they have been calling on Maureen for several years.  Her move to the Marie Louise house in Romsey did not cause their contact with her to stop, and regular visits there are still being made by SVP members and by other parishioners.    She and Fr Tom Dunne who is in the room next to hers are being well looked after, and their visitors are always made very welcome.     Maureen sends greetings and best wishes to all her friends in Lymington.  

SPRING IN A BROCKENHURST CHURCHYARD

                                                                                                      photo by Nicky

Primroses are in full bloom on the gentle slope outside St Nicholas Church.

A BITTER SWEET ANNIVERSARY FOR NORAH

This should have been a wonderful week for Norah and Jim, who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last week, but unfortunately Jim has been taken ill.     They were married on March 3^rd 1962 in what is now the St Charles Borromeo Chapel in Heath Road, Weybridge, but was then the town’s only Catholic Church. 

Our thanks to Norah for the super photo, our best wishes and prayers to Jim for a speedy recovery, and our apologies for the poor quality of the scan.

MEMORIAL CONCERT TO BENEFIT BRAINSTRUST

Three weeks ago at Nicky and John’s wedding a collection raised £400 for Brainstrust, the charity which helps victims of brain tumours and conducts research into its causes.     Next week’s Samantha Cashen Memorial Concert will also be raising money for Brainstrust.

PARISHIONERS MAKE RETREAT AT BOAR’S HILL

Our hosts at this year’s annual retreat were the Carmelites at their house in Oxford.     Thirty-five pilgrims from the combined parishes were joined by  Sr Jenny, on sabbatical from her missionary order in the Philippines.

Our morning talk from the sub-prior, Father Liam Finnerty OCD (Order of Discalced Carmelites), preceded the sacrament of Confession and an intimate Mass in the bright chapel. Father Liam spoke to us of pain, reconciliation and forgiveness as desert landscapes. Memorably, he talked of the necessity for "ventilating" old hurts to enable new growth. His Irish lyricism held a captive audience as he reminded us that our fears and chaos, seemingly insurmountable, are tiny when placed before the stillness of God.

After a hearty lunch, we gathered for Father Liam's second talk. He spoke emotively and humorously about relationships and our expectations of ourselves and others. He referred to the roles of parents and guardians in the scriptures, describing the beauty of partners sustaining each other's faith through the sacrament of marriage. He was able to emphasise Christ's Passion and sacrifice with a quiet gentleness.

After a chance to browse the well stocked and surprising little bookshop, we were on our way home. After a long day, the group were animated and chatty through the evening traffic: the result of a day of valuable reflection in beautiful surroundings and good company.

                                                                                                                  Report and photos by Gigi

OUR WINTER VISITORS GET READY TO LEAVE

                                                                                                                                photo by Nicky

 Brent geese have a few practice dashes over the Salterns in preparation for their annual flight to cooler climes for the summer.                                                                          

FIFTY YEARS OF LOVE AND SERVICE

                                                                                                  photo by Barbara
March 4^th was the fiftieth anniversary of Tom and Ellen’s marriage.    Among the packed congregation in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy were about forty members of their family, many of whom had travelled considerable distances.   Afterwards they all retired to Stanwells for a  meal, and the rest of us ate their cake

FIRST ORDINARIATE YEAR COMPLETED

On March 5^th Fr Edwin Barnes celebrated the first anniversary of his ordination into the Catholic priesthood.     Assisted by Mgr Peter Ryan, he offered Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, and afterwards was given a well-deserved round of applause by the congregation.     As well as featuring in ours, Fr Edwin has his own blog at www.bishedwins.blogspot.com   

ABUSE ISSUES CLARIFIED FOR PARISH VISITORS

                                                                                                                         photo by Frances

Those members of our Pastoral Area whose ministries involve them in home visiting met in the hospitality centre last week as part of their CRB training.    They were instructed on how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable people, and then broke into groups to discuss what had been learned.

FISH, CHIPS AND FRIENDSHIP AT THE LTSC

The Friendship Club came together this week in the restaurant of the

 Lymington Town Sailing Club to eat a meal of fish and chips, to enjoy the

magnificent view from its grand windows, and to have a good old natter.

CUF WOOLIES ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION

In South Africa, winter is not so far away, and the work of the gallant ladies of our Knit and Stitch group will be really appreciated then. 
                                                                                 photos by Rini 

THE NEWLYWEDS VISIT THE NOTRE DAME

They spent four relaxed days in Paris, but they're back now and will have to get back to normal as soon as possible.    But they'll never forget the support, the kindness and the generosity of all their friends.

CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND?

These beautiful snowdrops are out at Lisle Court, to show the first signs of Spring.



Here's a close-up.    Aren't they lovely!



                                                   photos by Nicky