Nicky and John went to the charming town of Bradford on Avon (in Wiltshire) this week, and visited the splendid Catholic Church there.  

                                  It's right in the centre, and was built as the Town Hall in 1855.    
When the Council moved to their efficient new offices it became redundant and was bought by the Church in 1955.   You can enter by the front door then up either of the grand, deeply-carpeted, semi-circular staircases to the first floor and into what was the huge Council Chamber.  It has been beautifully transformed into a magnificent church, dedicated to St Thomas More.

Year 6 Leavers' Assembly

At the year 6 Leaver's Assembly, Headtreacher Kirsty Richards gave glowing reports about each of the young people leaving our school this week.  From their willingness to help the younger school pupils to their prowess in sports and even to their welcoming smiles. 

A special presentation was made to Tony O'Connell on his retirement as a Governor after 15 years service.  

The young people each received a Certificate, their Records of Achievement and olive wood Rosary beads.  Fr Danny lead the whole Assembly in the Echo Our Father. 

Tea and cake was very welcome at the end of the afternoon. 

We give our prayers and best wishes to all our young people as they continue their educational journey.

Peggy Walsh's 92nd Birthday

 

On 11th July Fr Danny celebrated a House Mass at Birchy Hill Care Home.  
 It was for Peggy's 92nd birthday, Mary's 92nd birthday in September.....and also for Cathy who celebrated her (considerably younger) birthday on the day!
Though space was restricted, the Mass was attended by friends plus Jean who represented Birchy Hill. 

"Ramona, Charles, Adrian and Maria Heath-Saunders wish to thank Fr Danny for the presentation of the very beautiful Apostolic Blessing. This was a complete and delightful surprise and a great honour on the occasion of Ramona's 80th birthday. The whole family also wish Fr Danny every success, health and happiness in his new venture in Bracknell."

Thank you to all the Lymington Parishioners who sent their prayers and who came to my Dad's Funeral.  It was the best Funeral I have ever been-to! 

The Flowers were designed by Finola Shaw to incorporate my Dad's precious pieces of China from his career as Harrods Fine China Buyer. 

Finola also designed the Light of the World and the Sun and Moon display which you saw last week, at the St Saviour's Flower Festival. She is highly recommended!

Mary Dunn

There was a stunning Flower Festival at St Saviour's in Brockenhurst this weekend.

 Here are contributions by St Anne's chief flower-arranger, Janet Ward, on the themes of "Fire", "Light", and "Sun and Moon".

 

 

Fire

 

Light

Sun & Moon

Brockenhurst garden fete at St Annes

As our main fund raising event for the year it was a great success. We were blessed with ideal weather and a steady stream of visitors who enjoyed the many varied stalls and the entertainment.

 The parishioners of St Anne's were pleased to welcome Canon Wilkie at their Sunday service to celebrate his diamond jubilee with Father David.  

We had a celebratory drink after mass to mark this special occasion. The delicious chocolate cake went down very well - particularly with the children.

Canon Wilkie cutting the cake presented by the parish to mark his 60th Anniversary of Ordination.  Canon Wilkie offered the 6pm Mass with Monsignor Ryan and Fr Danny.  The celebration supper afterwards was attended by parishioners from Lymington and Milford-on-Sea and finished at 9 pm.

Last Sunday 11 of our young parishioners received Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time on their First Communion day.  Let us pray that God will keep them safe all the days of their lives.

The Hospitality centre was thronged afterwards and there were refreshments for the children in the Paul Duffy Room, including a wonderful cake.

The lovely Peggy Walsh pictured here with Fr Danny during a visit to her at Birchy Hill Nursing Home in Sway.  Peggy has settled in nicely in her new home and says the staff are 'absolutely marvelous' and those of us who have visited her recently couldn't better that!

St Anne's honoured the memory of Drummer Lee Rigby in the Lady Chapel.

 FATHER DANNY'S 30th ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION.

Despite his wishes not to mark this event, it got marked anyway,....by a last-minuit guerrilla celebration.
After Tuesday morning mass (in which Fr Danny gave a very moving account of both his auspicious birth and a life full of meaning) the congregation adjourned to the Hospitality Centre.
Our heartfelt thanks go to Fr Danny for his devotion to his calling

 Rita, Fr Danny and Liz with the cake that was presented to Father on the 30th anniversary of his ordination, in front of a good number of parishioners who had assisted at the Mass he had just celebrated.

The cake which had been made for him by Pat Choules.

Our Lady of Mercy on Pentecost Sunday morning. 

The superb flower arrangements; the flags of many of  the nationalities of our parishioners; the work of the children's liturgy group and the altar decorated with the dove representing the Holy Spirit with seven ribbons for the seven gifts . 

Our congratulations to all those involved in preparing this splendid display.

Taken as we gathered round the altar to say together The Lord's Prayer after our celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday Morning.  11 of our young people were invited (before making their First Confession) to place on the altar something which they value as very special to them.  Our theme for this service was 'Caring for what is precious'.  Please continue to pray for our young people and their families as we all look forward to the feast of Corpus Christi when they will partake at the Lord's table for the first time.

Welcome to our newest little brother........Harley Duane Barnet

A huge thank you to everyone who helped support our Craft Fair on Saturday.  A total of £242.58 was raised for parish funds. 

We had a total of 9 craft tables with a tremendous range of items including hand-made silver jewelry, paintings, wood craft and hand-knitted items.

Alice, from the NSPCC also sold raffle tickets for the beautiful quilt which was on display, and raised in excess of £100 during the day.

Pete and Liz served coffee and cake in the morning, followed by baked potatoes and coleslaw at lunchtime.  There was an impressive display of cakes, contributed by parishioners, which disappeared very quickly.

Many thanks to all our volunteers for their hard work and input which made it such a fun day.

Parishioners collaborated to create a beautiful spring-flower screen for the Mission at St Anne's. 

Fr Tony Nolan (from Sarum College) facilitated the day, and we were further blessed by the weather!

Last weekend Sarah Parrish opened her delightful garden to supporty the Red Cross.    This is Willowbank in Brickfields Lane, next door to the British Legion Cottages.    Their back gardens stand where in 1851 a chapel was built of brick (of course) to enable Catholics of the area to worship safely until the Church of Our Lady of Mercy was founded eight years later.   Unfortunately Mrs Parrish only opens her garden once a year, so don't miss her delicious scones and cream next year at this time.    See redcross.org.uk/opengardens

Fr Danny's 55th birthday cake.

                                                             

Pat, who made the cake and decorated it, has retreated from the limelight!

                      

                                                   

             

And here's one we made earlier!

           In fact it was presented to Father Danny on Saturday night, and was made by Patricia Sey

Easter Illustrated under the Altar

 

 

Each Good Friday at Our Lady of Mercy Church a group of parishioners prepare for Easter by producing the scene as it was after Our Lord's body had been laid in the tomb.      Behind the altar the tabernacle is empty, and under it the stone has been rolled in place.

 

 

On Easter Day the stone has been rolled back, and Our Lord appears to Mary Magdalene in the garden.        The tabernacle now contains His Body and Blood, and we rejoice together at His Resurrection.



Nicky and John have been in New Zealand, staying with her daughter Ruth and visiting Nicky's grandchildren and her great grandchild Cody.

                            They helped out on Ruth's homestead, doing many of the interesting jobs!

 They celebrated their first wedding anniversary with their hosts in the restaurant of the Auckland Skytower, currently the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere.

 They also visited Wellington when Cardinal Dew, the Archbishop of New Zealand, was in Rome, and John snapped Nicky giving her support to the Cathedral.    (It is right next to the Anglican one, and the two Cathedrals combined to celebrate a joint service of Ashes on Ash Wednesday.)