Meet Maria Goncalves (between Francoise & Len). 

Maria, from Portugal, is a new parishioner and a friend and neighbour of Len & Fran.  Maria wants to improve her English and needs practice. She would also like a new job in Retail or Hospitality. Does anyone know of anything suitable? Contact Len or Fran.

Sr Daphne simply wows us

Sr Daphne Norden joined us this weekend to make an appeal at the end of each Mass to help support 14 missionary communities at home and abroad. Her modest, unassuming and unpretentious manner made a deep impression, and after Mass she greeted us at the church door, where Clare thanked her on our behalf.

Our Founder's family get together in Joseph's Place.

When you take a seat for your morning coffee after Sunday Mass, you never know who'll sit down with you.    Little did Mike and Nicky realise that that they would be joined first by June, who has been honoured this week by a well-deserved award from the NFDC for neighbourliness, and then by three direct descendants of the founder of Our Lady of Mercy Church, Joseph Weld.      For this week Annette was joined by her daughter Tanya (on the left of the photo) and her son Charles (on Annette's right).   Incidentally, both Tanya and Charles attended St Joseph's School when that room they were in today was a classroom!

Fancy meeting you!

Fr David's having his well-deserved summer holiday now, but when retired priest Fr Ron Hishon came to do supply at Our Lady of Mercy last weekend, he didn't expect to meet a descendant of Joseph Weld, who founded this Church in 1859.     Yet after Mass who should greet him but Joseph's great great granddaughter Annette.     We're delighted to see her too, and hope she'll stay a little longer with us, despite the weather!

Happy Birthday, Mary!

Eileen brought a little more light into Mary's flat on her birthday last Friday, by leading a Eucharistic Service there, during which Kathy used the technique of Godly Play to enthrall us with the Gospel story of the Good Shepherd and Mary was able to receive Holy Communion.     Then all the parishioners who came to wish her many happy returns joined in the party which followed.

Welcome, Father David!

This weekend we welcomed our new Parish Priest, Fr David Adams.    He said Mass at St Francis Milford and both Masses at Our Lady of Mercy Lymington.     After the eleven o'clock Mass he joined us in the Parish Rooms, now renamed Joseph's Place, for coffee, and managed to get round the room to meet everyone!    We wish him all success in his new post, and assure him of our support.

Goodbye, Father Danny

Last Sunday, September 25th, the parish of Our Lady of Mercy and St Joseph said goodbye to Fr Danny.     Holy Mass was concelebrated by Fr Danny and Fr Peter Ryan in the packed Church and relayed into the Parish Rooms, where the overflow congregation were able to watch the ceremony on the big TV screen.    At the end of the Mass Clare thanked Fr Danny, made a presentation on behalf of the parish, and said to him: "We never imagined what a large footprint you would leave behind, not only in our own Catholic family, but most of Lymington have been touched by you – especially Oakhaven Hospice where you brought peace and comfort to so many." Then lunch was served, and extra space provided in a marquee which had been erected in the car park.

We also said farewell to Rita and Max, not to mention Molly and Margaret Mary!

After lunch, goodbyes were said and Fr Danny was presented with a cake, a specially composed poem by Ros, many cards and a bouquet of roses.     We wish him well in his new post and pray that he will be able to make as valuable a contribution to the life of Bracknell Parish as he has done here.