Blessed Robert Grissold Catholic Church
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Welcome to the website of Blessed Robert Grissold Catholic Church in Balsall Common. Here you can find details of the parish, our latest newsletter, services and sacraments offered by the Church and, in our parish archive, the events we have held. As a parish we value your privacy. Please follow the link here to learn more about the privacy policy that covers all catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Birmingham,
Father Frank writes
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and we leave behind the touching scene of the crib. Jesus has moved from the helpless infant of Bethlehem to a grown man who takes upon himself a tremendous burden and responsibility. The burden is the weight of the sins of humankind. The responsibility is to make reparation for those sins.
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The Pope’s Prayer Intention for January: Let us pray that praying with the Word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us to build a more fraternal and missionary Church
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If we want to understand Jesus’ life and mission there is no better place to begin than with the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The humble home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth is a fruitful school of the Gospel and a place where Christian virtues are nurtured and thrive. Here we see the outworking of the Divine plan to make the family a community of life and love - the “domestic church” - in which the members of the family are formed in the faith. In this way the Holy Family is a model for every Christian home.
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We see in the Gospels how God fulfils the promises he has made through the people of the Old Covenant, and he does this in a bewildering way. The fulfilment of the promises of old comes through a young Jewish girl who accepts the will of God and the work of his Holy Spirit in her. Her husband, Joseph, is confused about the events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus but such perplexity is to be expected because God’s ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts and, according to God’s loving purposes, revealed in both the Old and New Testaments, something utterly ‘good’ and utterly ‘new’ is breaking into our world with the birth of Christ
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We see in today’s Gospel how God fulfils the promises he has made through the people of the Old Covenant, and he does this in a bewildering way. The fulfilment of the promises of old comes through a young Jewish girl who accepts the will of God and the work of his Holy Spirit in her. Her husband, Joseph, is confused and perplexed by how is betrothed came to be found with child but he believes God’s word, delivered by the angel of the Lord, and takes his wife to his home.
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In the first reading today we hear some of the loveliest words in Scripture. The prophet Isaiah, setting aside the fear and gloom of the contemporary political situation, looks forward to a Golden Age when God’s salvation will transform every living thing. The barren places of nature will bloom; the weak and the frail will be strong; Jerusalem will be a new centre of creation. And if we listen carefully, we will recognise words used by Handel in his setting of the Messiah - celebrating the God, who comes to us in Jesus, to make all things new.
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The invitation to welcome the God who comes to us in Christ and to cast away empty living is repeated in the liturgy of the Second Sunday of Advent. The Opening Prayer of the Mass asks that no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet Christ. And today we hear the lonely voice of John the Baptist who exhorts us to prepare a way for the Lord. May our faithfulness to the spirit of Advent create a space so that the Lord can come to us.
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As we begin Advent our thoughts are guided, through the liturgy, to the coming of Christ - his first coming to us in humility and weakness and his second coming in majesty and power. The description of the Second Coming of Christ should not fill us with fear, rather we should look forward to it and prepare for it through prayer and right living. So let us resolve to stay close to Christ through our daily prayer. Perhaps praying the rosary daily - even if it is only offering up a decade - and meditating on what Christ wants to say to us in the Gospels. In this way we will learn to discern his voice - calling us to follow him in the way we must walk.
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The feast of Christ the King, which the holy Church throughout the world celebrates today, brings to a close the Church’s liturgical year. Our image of a monarch tends to be of one who lives a privileged life and lords it over others. Christ our King is not like that. He came to serve, not to be served and he wants us to imitate him in his loving service of others. That is why, as St. John of the Cross said: “In the evening of life we shall be examined on love.” If to love and to serve our neighbour is heavenly, hell is the suffering of one who can no longer love.
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The Gospel today speaks of persecution for Christ’s true followers and Jesus makes it clear that in time of trial it is profitable for us to endure this suffering for the sake of Christ. The Lord says: ‘By patient endurance you will win life for yourselves.’ To patient endurance in every trial we suffer, in every affliction, whether this is insolent and contemptuous treatment, humiliations, bodily weakness or the attacks of Satan, or any trial whatsoever caused either by people or by evil spirits, must be added wholehearted thanksgiving, prayer and humility. For, it is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give God thanks, for he disposes all things, good or otherwise, for our benefit.
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In the Gospel today Jesus speaks of the life of the Resurrection and he makes it clear that this is eternal life - a life qualitatively different from our natural life - because ‘the children of the Resurrection’ ‘can no longer die.’ We were made children of the Resurrection through Baptism - when we were baptised in the name of God the Holy Trinity in whose eternal life we now share. It is because we are ‘children of the resurrection’ that we ‘dare’ to call God ‘Our Father’ and it is for this same reason that we are presented, at Baptism, with a candle lit from the Easter candle which represents the light and life of the Resurrected Christ, in whose light and life we share. And being children of the Resurrection, we are also children of God - the God who lives and reigns for ever and ever and we are called to shine as lights in the world to the glory of God, our Father
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We have completed the month of the Holy Rosary. St Dominic, a Catholic, did most in the development and the early spreading of the Rosary, and many Catholic saints since have highly praised the power of this great means of prayer, nevertheless the Rosary is valued and prayed by members of many different Christian traditions, including Lutherans, Methodists and Anglicans. Richard Baumann, a Lutheran, writes: “When the Rosary is said, truth sinks into the subconscious like a slow and steady downpour…It is a long and persevering gaze, a meditation, a quieting of the spirit in praise of God.” J. Neville Ward, a Methodist minister says: “The Rosary has a profound message for our times…It is a message of consolation, Scriptural in its background, and reasonable as well as devotional in its content.” According to the Reverend Ward, the Christian who has a Rosary in his or her hand is within an ancient tradition, for no other scheme of prayer has been so widely used in the Christian West. And the Anglican Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham write in their handbook: “The Rosary is a devotion of which many people are frightened. But it is quite simple and quite sensible; it is like looking at a picture book on our mother’s knee… pictures connected with the Life, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord, are shown to us by His Mother and our Mother, who prays with us and for us.” The Holy Rosary is a sure weapon and protection of true unity in the Church.
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October, the month of the Rosary continues. Through praying the Rosary, we are invited to contemplate the mysteries at the heart of our faith. This leads us to draw closer to Jesus’ life and teaching and helps them to become ever more deeply embedded in our hearts and minds. We can also relate the mysteries of the Rosary to our own lives - applying them to our own spiritual journey and needs. Also, we can name an intention as we pray the Rosary, dedicating our prayer to someone or something - giving thanks to God or exercising love for others by praying for them or asking God’s grace for our own personal needs. If anyone requires instruction on how to pray the Rosary, I will be happy to help.
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In October we find ourselves in the month of the Holy Rosary and so it is fitting, at this time, that we should reflect on the power of the Rosary as a means of prayer and of the important part it can play in our spiritual life. God’s grace comes to us through our praying the Rosary and that is why the saints prayed it faithfully and why Popes have endorsed it through the ages. Our Holy Mother has urged the praying of the Rosary wherever she has appeared in recent times. Surely this should be an encouragement to us to try and pray, at least, a decade of the Rosary daily. To this end, it can be useful to carry a Rosary with us always and to have one beside our beds. If anyone requires instruction on how to pray the Rosary, I will be happy to help
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October is the month of the Rosary - a form of prayer which has been practiced and encouraged by saints and
Popes down through the ages. More importantly it is a prayer that has been urged by Our Blessed Lady herself. Mary
appeared to St Dominic and instructed him to use the Rosary in combating heresy. In the apparitions in Lourdes in 1858,
Our Lady appeared with the Rosary in her hand and recited it together with Bernadette. And in Fatima, in 1917, she
appeared again holding the Rosary and encouraged the faithful to be diligent in praying the Rosary. It was at Fatima that
Mary identified herself as “the Lady of the Rosary” and asked for the “Fatima prayer” to be said after each decade: “O my
Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of your
mercy.”
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We hear in the Gospel today of the apostles’ desire to grow in faith, “Increase our faith,” they say. Jesus’
response is to speak of how faith can accomplish great things, even if it is small. What Jesus seems to be saying is that what
really matters is that faith is exercised, put into practice - that is how it strengthens and grows. Our faith increases when
we put it into practice, and our practice is to be that of disciples of Jesus. And when we have proved faithful servants of
Christ, all we can rightfully say is: “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”
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This week the Church celebrates the Feast of the Archangels Ss Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. In our scientific and materialistic age it is easy to lose sight of the supernatural nature of our faith. In the Creed we profess our belief not only in the 'visible' but also in the 'invisible' and this invisible realm is the home of the Holy Angels of God. The Angels of God are our brothers who protect us from evil and who guide us in our journey toward God. In the Mass we pray to Almighty God that the gifts of the altar may be borne by the hands of his holy Angel to his altar on high and we join with all the Angels in heaven in hymning God’s praise as we acclaim: 'Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.' Also, each of us has a Holy Guardian Angel, appointed by God, who protects us from the beginning of our life in our mother’s womb and accompanies us on our path to heaven. Devotion to the Holy Angels is a powerful means of turning us away from the errors of materialism toward the true faith in the invisible realm of the supernatural.
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There are notable parallels between the Parable of the Unjust Steward, which we hear in the Gospel today, and the
Parable of the Prodigal Son. Each story has a noble master who shows amazing grace to his wayward underling. Both stories
have a subject who wastes his master’s goods and in both stories the wasteful servant or son wake up to their dire situation and
then they throw themselves on the mercy of their master. In these two parables the principal concern for Jesus is not financial
propriety, rather, through these stories, he is inviting us to reflect prayerfully and deeply on the weightier matters of God, his
grace and mercy, and salvation
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An Invitation from Archbishop Bernard Longley : Today we give thanks for the gift of Catholic education. Our schools
have a mission to form Christ-centred pilgrims of hope, with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge and a hunger
for justice. We urgently need more Foundation Directors and Governors to help guide our schools and keep Christ at the heart of
their mission. This is not simply an administrative role, it is a true vocation and a way to serve Christ and His Church. If you are
a practising Catholic, committed to our mission, and willing to share your time, skills, and faith, you can make a lasting difference
for thousands of children and young people. No prior experience is required as full training and support are given. The Holy
Cross teaches us that service is not always easy, but it is always fruitful when rooted in love. Please speak to your Parish Priest
or visit the Diocesan Education Service’s website for further details: https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/news/could-you-be-
a-foundation-governor-or-director-at-your-local-catholic-school and https://www.bdes.org.uk/governor-online-application-
forms.html to complete an online application form
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Regarding discipleship and following Jesus, today’s Gospel makes it clear that it is a choice which each of us has to make. Christ calls us to radical commitment to him and for that reason he asks all those who would be followers to first count the cost of discipleship. The cost is great. Its demands all total but the reward is inexpressibly greater. We cannot follow him in our own strength. He leads us, he empowers us, he gives us the strength to follow so that we might increasingly immerse ourselves in that incomparable love of his which was revealed in his Passion and Cross - a love that is stronger than death and the love we were created to know and share in forever.
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Safeguarding
The Parish follows the safeguarding standards advised by The Archdiocese of Birmingham. You can view these standards by following the link here.
A link to the Archdiocese safeguarding website can be found here.
Safespaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales. If you have been affected, however long ago, Safe Spaces can provide you with support. You do not have to have told the police or the church authorities, and you do not have to still be involved with the church. Your information will not be shared without your consent unless you or someone else is in immediate danger. To contact Safespaces, please follow the link to their website here.
The Isaiah Journey The Isaiah Journey is a working group of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales which has grown out of the need for a pastoral-spiritual response to the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse in the Church. It provides A Guide for Survivors of Abuse that can be found here.
The Safeguarding Rep for our Parish is Monica Green and she can be contacted via email at sg.brg.balsallcommon@rcaob.org.uk.
The Parish follows the safeguarding standards advised by The Archdiocese of Birmingham. You can view these standards by following the link here.
A link to the Archdiocese safeguarding website can be found here.
Safespaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales. If you have been affected, however long ago, Safe Spaces can provide you with support. You do not have to have told the police or the church authorities, and you do not have to still be involved with the church. Your information will not be shared without your consent unless you or someone else is in immediate danger. To contact Safespaces, please follow the link to their website here.
The Isaiah Journey The Isaiah Journey is a working group of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales which has grown out of the need for a pastoral-spiritual response to the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse in the Church. It provides A Guide for Survivors of Abuse that can be found here.
The Safeguarding Rep for our Parish is Monica Green and she can be contacted via email at sg.brg.balsallcommon@rcaob.org.uk.
Parish Events
Looking for the rest of the Parish Event List? We have archived the list from our old site but you can still view them here.
Date
| Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 27.01.2026 | Midweek Mass | There will be no midweek mass at BRG on Tuesday 27th January. Fr. Frank will be taking his post-Christmas break at this time, apologies for any inconvenience. |
| 18.01.2026 | Week of Prayer for Christian Unity | A service for Christian Unity will be held on Sunday 18th January at 4pm at St John the Baptist Church Berkswell. All welcome, light refreshments will be served. |
| 18.01.2026 | Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity | The week of prayer for Christian unity begins next Sunday 18th January with a theme of “One Body, One Spirit”. |
| 18.01.2026 | Sacrament of Confirmation (for young people) | If any young people in our Parish, from Year 6 upwards, are interested in preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, please contact Teresa Green on 07583 540060 or speak to Fr. Frank. Preparation will commence at the end of January. There will be a brief meeting for parents/young people who are interested in preparation for Confirmation after Mass on Sunday 18th January. |
| 14.01.2026 | Coffee Morning | The next Parish Coffee morning will be in the Narthex at 10.30am on Wednesday 14th January with coffee and tea, cakes, scones and good conversation available to all. If you haven’t been before, give it a try - you will be made very welcome! |
| 13.01.2026 | Planned Giving Campaign | There will be a meeting for members of the Planned Giving Steering Group and co-ordinators of volunteer rotas at 7.00pm on Tuesday 13th January in the Parish Room, to discuss the next phase of our Parish Planned Giving Campaign |
| 13.01.2026 | Weekday Mass this Tuesday | The Tuesday Mass will start at 10am this Tuesday. |
| 11.01.2026 | Reception of Adults into full Communion with the Church | If any adults are interested in entering into full Communion with the Catholic Church, please contact Fr Frank ASAP as formation will begin shortly |
| 08.01.2026 | Prayer Group | Next meeting is on Thursday 8th January at 4pm. Everyone is most welcome |
| 04.01.2026 | Christmas Mystery Prize | A sincere thank you to everyone who contributed towards the Christmas Mystery Prize Draw. The results were announced and three very satisfied winners took their bag of mystery prizes home! We raised £150 towards parish funds. |
| 04.01.2026 | Healthcare Volunteers in Lourdes | Are you a doctor, nurse or carer? Would you consider donating your time and expertise on next year’s Lourdes Pilgrimage? Every year sick pilgrims are able to make the journey to Lourdes thanks to the support of a dedicated Healthcare Team. Without their expertise many pilgrims would not be able to go. If you are a healthcare professional and would like to try something new, please consider joining us. You will make a real difference. For more information, and to access the Volunteer Pilgrimage Pack and an application form, please visit https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/lourdes-pilgrimage. |
| 04.01.2026 | Thank you | Thanks to all those who worked so hard to prepare for the Christmas celebrations. Thanks also for your cards, gifts, kindness and support. I am overwhelmed by your generosity. Also, I am grateful for your devotion to the Mass - for ensuring that there is in this place a faithful witness to the love, light and hope of Christ and his in-breaking Kingdom. That is the peculiar and incomparable gift we are called to offer to the world as the Church, but, in order for this to happen, we have to be faithful to the Mass, to worship and prayer and many have to give of their time and energy in raising funds and being responsible for day to day administration and maintenance. May the Lord bless you for all your hard work on behalf of Christ and his Kingdom. It is a privilege and a joy to share with you in this service. Fr. Frank |
| 24.12.2025 | Christmas Offerings | The collection at our Christmas masses will be the customary Christmas offering for your priest. Thank you for all your support and generosity throughout the year. |
| 21.12.2025 | Christmas Masses | The masses at our church are on Wednesday 24th December (Christmas Eve) at 6.00 pm and Thursday 25th December (Christmas Day) at 09.30 am. |
| 21.12.2025 | Carol Service | Thank you to everyone who helped to make our carol service last week such a joyful occasion – including the readers, musicians and singers, wardens, children’s liturgy, refreshments team, and all who helped to prepare the church and clear up afterwards |
| 21.12.2025 | Father Hudsons Caritas Collections | Thank you to everyone who donated gifts or cash to Fr. Hudsons this Advent. Our collection in Maureen’s memory raised £370.65, and the charity was delighted to receive the gifts at the beginning of this week, in time to be distributed at their Christmas events. Claire Keane |
| 21.12.2025 | CAFOD World Gifts | There are a few CAFOD World Gifts catalogues at the back of the church. If you would like to give a World Gift to someone who has everything, or to a child or grandchild (for example) to teach them the real meaning of Christmas, then please take one. The gifts start from £5 and there are a few different ideas for less than £10! You can also buy them from the CAFOD World Gifts website: https://worldgifts.cafod.org.uk/. Chris Lynn |
| 14.12.2025 | Quiz Night Total | Our quiz night in November raised £330 for parish funds – many thanks to Bob & Kathy for organising it and to all who helped to make it such a successful evening |
| 14.12.2025 | Christmas Giving Tree | Please pick a tag from the Christmas tree and buy a gift to donate to the charity Fr Hudsons Caritas, who support families in need. Please wrap the gifts, attach the tag (you can add comments about the gift in pencil) and place them under the tree by 14th December |
| 14.12.2025 | 100 Club | The results of the draw on 10th December are as follows: 1st Prize (£300) – E. Power, 2nd prize (£200) – E. Selby, 3rd prize (£100) – B. Gibbs, 4th prize (£50) – C. Keane. The £100 Club raised £600 for parish funds, thanks to Ken and Stefan for running it! |
27.01.2026
There will be no midweek mass at BRG on Tuesday 27th January. Fr. Frank will be taking his post-Christmas break at this time, apologies for any inconvenience.
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18.01.2026
A service for Christian Unity will be held on Sunday 18th January at 4pm at St John the Baptist Church Berkswell. All welcome, light refreshments will be served.
|
18.01.2026
The week of prayer for Christian unity begins next Sunday 18th January with a theme of “One Body, One Spirit”.
|
18.01.2026
If any young people in our Parish, from Year 6 upwards, are interested in preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, please contact Teresa Green on 07583 540060 or speak to Fr. Frank. Preparation will commence at the end of January. There will be a brief meeting for parents/young people who are interested in preparation for Confirmation after Mass on Sunday 18th January.
|
14.01.2026
The next Parish Coffee morning will be in the Narthex at 10.30am on Wednesday 14th January with coffee and tea, cakes, scones and good conversation available to all. If you haven’t been before, give it a try - you will be made very welcome!
|
13.01.2026
There will be a meeting for members of the Planned Giving Steering Group and co-ordinators of volunteer rotas at 7.00pm on Tuesday 13th January in the Parish Room, to discuss the next phase of our Parish Planned Giving Campaign
|
13.01.2026
The Tuesday Mass will start at 10am this Tuesday.
|
11.01.2026
If any adults are interested in entering into full Communion with the Catholic Church, please contact Fr Frank ASAP as formation will begin shortly
|
08.01.2026
Next meeting is on Thursday 8th January at 4pm. Everyone is most welcome
|
04.01.2026
A sincere thank you to everyone who contributed towards the Christmas Mystery Prize Draw. The results were announced and three very satisfied winners took their bag of mystery prizes home! We raised £150 towards parish funds.
|
04.01.2026
Are you a doctor, nurse or carer? Would you consider donating your time and expertise on next year’s Lourdes Pilgrimage? Every year sick pilgrims are able to make the journey to Lourdes thanks to the support of a dedicated Healthcare Team. Without their expertise many pilgrims would not be able to go. If you are a healthcare professional and would like to try something new, please consider joining us. You will make a real difference. For more information, and to access the Volunteer Pilgrimage Pack and an application form, please visit https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/lourdes-pilgrimage.
|
04.01.2026
Thanks to all those who worked so hard to prepare for the Christmas celebrations. Thanks also for your cards, gifts, kindness and support. I am overwhelmed by your generosity. Also, I am grateful for your devotion to the Mass - for ensuring that there is in this place a faithful witness to the love, light and hope of Christ and his in-breaking Kingdom. That is the peculiar and incomparable gift we are called to offer to the world as the Church, but, in order for this to happen, we have to be faithful to the Mass, to worship and prayer and many have to give of their time and energy in raising funds and being responsible for day to day administration and maintenance. May the Lord bless you for all your hard work on behalf of Christ and his Kingdom. It is a privilege and a joy to share with you in this service. Fr. Frank
|
24.12.2025
The collection at our Christmas masses will be the customary Christmas offering for your priest. Thank you for all your support and generosity throughout the year.
|
21.12.2025
The masses at our church are on Wednesday 24th December (Christmas Eve) at 6.00 pm and Thursday 25th December (Christmas Day) at 09.30 am.
|
21.12.2025
Thank you to everyone who helped to make our carol service last week such a joyful occasion – including the readers, musicians and singers, wardens, children’s liturgy, refreshments team, and all who helped to prepare the church and clear up afterwards
|
21.12.2025
Thank you to everyone who donated gifts or cash to Fr. Hudsons this Advent. Our collection in Maureen’s memory raised £370.65, and the charity was delighted to receive the gifts at the beginning of this week, in time to be distributed at their Christmas events. Claire Keane
|
21.12.2025
There are a few CAFOD World Gifts catalogues at the back of the church. If you would like to give a World Gift to someone who has everything, or to a child or grandchild (for example) to teach them the real meaning of Christmas, then please take one. The gifts start from £5 and there are a few different ideas for less than £10! You can also buy them from the CAFOD World Gifts website: https://worldgifts.cafod.org.uk/. Chris Lynn
|
14.12.2025
Our quiz night in November raised £330 for parish funds – many thanks to Bob & Kathy for organising it and to all who helped to make it such a successful evening
|
14.12.2025
Please pick a tag from the Christmas tree and buy a gift to donate to the charity Fr Hudsons Caritas, who support families in need. Please wrap the gifts, attach the tag (you can add comments about the gift in pencil) and place them under the tree by 14th December
|
14.12.2025
The results of the draw on 10th December are as follows: 1st Prize (£300) – E. Power, 2nd prize (£200) – E. Selby, 3rd prize (£100) – B. Gibbs, 4th prize (£50) – C. Keane. The £100 Club raised £600 for parish funds, thanks to Ken and Stefan for running it!
|
Parish Calendar
