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June is the month of the Sacred Heart. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on Friday 27th June - which we will celebrate with a Mass at 9.00am at St Francis. All welcome. Great benefits are promised to those who practice this devotion. Also, during this month, we can seek to deepen our devotion to the love of God revealed in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus - a devotion encouraged by St Margaret Mary, whose relic rests in the altar at Blessed Robert Grissold church. We might even consider consecrating ourselves to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. To this end I have included, below, a Prayer of Consecration, written by St Margaret Mary, which we could pray during the month of June.
Consecration to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ I give and consecrate to the Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my whole life, all my actions, my trials, my sufferings, devoting every portion of my being to loving, honouring, and glorifying him, to working for his love alone, renouncing with all my heart whatever may be displeasing to him. I take you, then, O Sacred Heart, for the one object of my love, the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my inconstancy, the redeemer of all my faults, and my sure refuge in the hour of death. O Heart of all goodness, be my justification before God the Father, and shield me from the effects of his just anger. O Heart, overflowing with love, I place all my confidence in you, for I dread my own weakness, while I hope everything from your goodness. Destroy in me whatever displeases you or goes against your will. May pure love of you be so deeply imprinted in my heart that I may never forget you nor be separated from you. I implore you by all your love that my name be graven upon you. May it be my happiness to live and die as your slave. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
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Praying the Rosary in May, the Month of Our Blessed Lady - The Holy Rosary is a rich and powerful prayer. Firstly, the Rosary is vocal prayer in that, the fixed words can be prayed aloud, but it also lends itself to meditative prayer as we reflect on each of the mysteries. This enables personal insights that can change our lives and meditation can lead to loving contemplation when our mind is seized by the depth of the mystery we are praying. That’s why Pope St John Paul II wrote:“The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation.” The words of the Rosary also contain prayers of praise and petition and the faithful often offer up each decade of the Rosary for a special intention. Countless believers, down through the ages have born witness to the fruitful results of praying the Rosary. How could it be otherwise when, as Pope St John Paul II says: “To recite the Rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.”
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Praying the Rosary in May, the Month of Our Blessed Lady - The Holy Rosary is both Trinitarian and Christ-centred but it is also a Marian prayer. In the Rosary, we are happy to praise the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the words of the Archangel Gabriel and her cousin Elizabeth: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.” And in the Rosary, we meditate and reflect on the important events in Our Lord’s life through the eyes of Mary. Another prayer that makes the Rosary Marian is the concluding prayer - the “Hail Holy Queen.” But the two most important prayers of the Rosary are the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary. As St. Louis de Montfort said: “How could there possibly be any more pleasing prayers to Almighty God and the Blessed Virgin, or any that are easier, more precious or more helpful than these two prayers?”
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Praying the Rosary in May, the Month of Our Blessed Lady - the Holy Rosary is a rich and complete form of prayer. In the first place it is “Trinitarian.” We begin the Rosary with the sign of the Cross as we invoke the Three Persons of the
Most Holy Trinity: “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” We then recite the Apostles Creed, which calls to mind each of the Divine Persons in turn: “I believe in God the Father Almighty…and in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son…I believe in the Holy Spirit.” And each decade of the Rosary concludes with the Trinitarian prayer: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.” The Rosary is also Christ-centred for the mysteries of the Rosary upon which we meditate are the mysteries of Christ’s life. And in every “Hail Mary” prayed, we honour Christ by saying: “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
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Praying the Rosary in May, the Month of Our Blessed Lady - The Holy Rosary is 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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Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Humankind not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but is also called to practice mercy towards others. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” It is to this end that we receive the transforming Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit, who through the power of God’s great loving mercy, transforms our interior life in order that it might radiate outwardly and be a transforming power in the world.
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Christ has risen. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the joy of Easter. Today, with the Holy Church of God throughout the world, we proclaim and celebrate the truth which is foundational to our Christian faith, that on the third day Christ rose from the dead. And Christ, the Risen One, does not depart from us but returns to greet us with his peace and to remain with us until the end of time. And we share his peace and rejoice in his presence in the Mass.
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Holy Week begins today with Palm Sunday when the Church recalls the entrance of Christ the Lord into Jerusalem to
accomplish his Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery, the passage from death to life, is the heart of our faith. The account of the
Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus forms the oldest part of the Gospels. It is what the evangelists recorded first. For them,
it was the heart and nucleus of the Lord’s witness to the loving purposes of God. That is why the Paschal Mystery is at the heart
of our communal celebration as the Church and is at the heart of our lives as Christians and this is why the liturgies of Holy Week
and Easter are so important. Through the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday we celebrate the
greatest mysteries of our redemption keeping, through very special celebrations, the memorial of our Lord’s crucifixion, burial and
resurrection. I hope as many of us as possible will gather for these key celebrations in the Church’s calendar.
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We see in the Gospel today how the Jewish Law was interpreted at the time of Jesus such that it prescribed the death penalty for the sin of adultery. Jesus rejects the lack of humility and lack of mercy, shown in the story, by the woman’s accusers. “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus’ just authority made her accusers, all men, walk away. Jesus forgives the woman taken in adultery and rejects the cruelty and double standards of her accusers.
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Jesus’ parables invite us to reflect on where we find ourselves in the story he is telling. So in today’s Parable of the
Prodigal Son who do we most identify with? With the Father, having a care and concern for those in need and having a good nose
for when a party is needed? Or do we identify more with the reckless, but eventually repentant, younger son? Do we see something
of ourselves in his destructive self-centredness? Or do we see more of our self in the elder son - are we more like him in being full
of resentment and making other people pay for our loveless faithfulness? Perhaps we see a little of all the characters in us. Wherever
we find our self in the story, Christ invites us to reflect on the journey we have to make to be one with him.
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In today’s Gospel Christ calls us to repentance. It is a call for us to come to our senses - to realise who we really are and to be those people - and through Baptism we are children of God. Repentance is about turning away from all that prevents us from realising our true identity and a turning towards the God who wants us to live in a loving relationship with him and with one another. Repentance is about us realising the abundant life God created us for. It’s the reason Christ came to proclaim his message of repentance - for as he said: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” and to that end he calls us to, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
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Today in the Gospel we hear how the apostles Peter, James and John were given a glimpse of Christ’s glory on the Mount of the Transfiguration - the same glimpse of glory that we are all given when we gather for the Mass, for in and through the sacred mysteries of the Eucharist we ascend to the heavenly places where, with Angels and Archangels and all the host of heaven, we worship the Beloved Son of God who sits at the right hand of the Father. God, the Holy Spirit, gathers us into the cloud of his glory. We listen to him in the scriptures. We feed on him in the Sacrament of the altar. No wonder the disciples “kept silence.” “Master,
it is wonderful for us to be here.”
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Holy Week and Easter are the climax of the Christian liturgical year. The time of the Passion and Resurrection is proceeded by Lent, a lengthy period of preparation for these saving and illuminating mysteries. Lent is a time of penitence. It is a time for us to examine our conscience and seek reconciliation with the Lord. Lent is also a time for spiritual growth and enlightenment. In Lent we are invited to listen, and respond, ever more faithfully to the voice of God. Lent also commemorates Israel’s liberation from slavery in Egypt and their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Lent relates this to our own spiritual journey, to our liberation, our pilgrimage, our feeding on divine manna and of our meeting with God. And, as we see from today’s Gospel, Lent also recalls the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert during which he contended with Satan, the tempter. And our Lent must be a period of fighting against temptation. From this one can see that Lent is a very rich, a very deep mixture of elements which serve to purify and enlighten us. During the time of Lent the Church leads us towards the radiant glory of the Paschal feast. The more serious our Lenten preparation has been, the deeper we shall enter into the mystery of Easter and gather its fruits.
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In today’s Gospel Jesus says: “A man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.” Lent begins on Wednesday - Ash Wednesday - with the Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes. The Church’s season of Lent is an opportunity for us to go deeper into what is at the heart of our lives and what should be first in our hearts. It’s a season in which we are invited to grow in our awareness of those things that blind us to the truth about ourselves and the truth about Christ. Lent is an opportunity to notice the “plank” in our own eye that prevents us seeing clearly how to love God and how to love our neighbour as our self. And it is only by seeing clearly that we can act and speak lovingly. On Ash Wednesday, a day of penance, abstinence and fasting, we enter into the joyful season of Lent - joyful because it is a time established for the purification of our souls and the renewal of our hearts.
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In today’s Gospel Jesus calls us to love our enemies - to love like the God in whose image and likeness we were originally created. Humanity has made itself the enemy of God through its sinfulness - our turning our backs on the way of God’s love. This is seen most keenly in the way humanity treated God’s beloved Son. Yet God loves us. He loves us as we are, but he loves us too much to let us stay as we are. His love wants to transform us, more and more, into the likeness of Jesus, who is true the image of God and who loved his enemies - praying for those who crucified him: “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.”
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We were made by God and created for God - to know him and love him forever. So we are happy now if we are poor - poor in the sense of knowing our poverty with regard to the riches of the life for which God has created us. We are happy because this knowledge of our poverty allows us to realise our absolute need of God which leads us to turn to him in trust - trusting in his power to save us. And God does not disappoint those who turn to him in trust.
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After the miraculous catch of fish, which we hear about in the Gospel today, Peter realised, as never before, his own sinfulness and the holiness of Jesus. He asked Jesus to depart from him but Christ showed him that his sins and weaknesses would not prevent him from sharing in his work. While our sinfulness humbles us we should not let it get us down or make us feel that we do not belong to the company of Christ. Christ came to “call sinners.” He is known as the “friend of sinners” - he comes to help us to overcome our sins. That is why, with confidence, we can come before him in the Mass to confess our sins.
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Mary the Mother of Jesus lovingly and willingly united herself to her Son’s sacrifice on the Cross, sharing
in his self-giving for our salvation and redemption. That is why several Popes have called Mary Co-Redemptrix. Mary
teaches us to have faith. If our faith is week, we should turn to Mary. Jesus dying on the Cross bequeaths his mother
to all mankind and especially to all his disciples.
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In today’s Gospel Jesus says: “A man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.” Lent begins on Wednesday - Ash Wednesday - with the Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes. The Church’s season of Lent is an opportunity for us to go deeper into what is at the heart of our lives and what should be first in our hearts. It’s a season in which we are invited to grow in our awareness of those things that blind us to the truth about ourselves and the truth about Christ. Lent is an opportunity to notice the “plank” in our own eye that prevents us seeing clearly how to love God and how to love our neighbour as our self. And it is only by seeing clearly that we can act and speak lovingly. On Ash Wednesday, a day of penance, abstinence and fasting, we enter into the joyful season of Lent - joyful because it is a time established for the purification of our souls and the renewal of our hearts.
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Can we trust the Gospel accounts of what Jesus said and did and of who he claimed to be? Luke, Gentile doctor, Christian convert and missionary companion to St Paul, seems to have no doubts. In the prologue to his Gospel he describes the received teaching as “well founded.” and his confidence is in no small part due to the fact that the accounts of Jesus’ life and mission which had been handed down, were the work of those who, from the outset, were “eyewitnesses.” So we can reliably learn what Jesus said and did, and about who he claimed to be, by attending to the Gospels.
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Parish Events
Date
| Title | Description |
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| 07.10.2016 | One World Week Dinner | Our church will once again be hosting the dinner and speaker on Friday 7 October at 7 for 7.30pm. The Indian buffet meal will be provided by the Bengal Brasserie, bring your own drinks. Tickets are £12.50 available from John & Louise Perry |
| 07.10.2016 | CAFOD Harvest Fast Day | This Harvest Day we are invited to join 32-year-old Nicanora from Bolivia, on her journey from poverty to abundance. We can stand alongside Nicanora as she learns new skills and receives materials and seeds that will enable her to grow enough food to feed her family. Please pick up a Fast Day envelope and give what you can. |
| 09.10.2016 | Baptism | We pray that God will bless and guide Wyatt Bobby Chesshire-Ramon, who is to be baptised here today, and will strengthen his parents and Godparents to nurture him in the faith of Christ |
| 15.10.2016 | Parish Dinner | Last Call for Parish Dinner. Next Saturday,15th October, and if anyone else would like to come, please see Pam after Mass. It is a four course meal including a glass of wine and entertainment, all for only £20 per person. Dinner is 7:30pm for 8:00pm. Please remember to bring your own drinks |
| 16.10.2016 | Can you help? - Church Wardens | We are looking for some more volunteers to be church wardens and join our existing teams. The main duties are to welcome parishioners and visitors to Mass and help with the collections. Your turn only comes round about every eight weeks. If you are willing to help please give your name to Joe Martin after Mass. |
| 16.10.2016 | Can you help? - Children's Liturgy Rota | Please can parishioners (particularly parents of young children) give some thought to joining our children's liturgy rota? You are welcome to volunteer as a leader or a helper, or both! New child protection rules mean that we need to have two vetted people in every session we run, and without more volunteers we will have weeks when we are not able to run a session. The vetting procedure is very simple - please ask Louise Perry or Kathryn Driffield for the paperwork |
| 23.10.2016 | Parish Dinner | Thank you to everyone for supporting the Parish Dinner, especially all who helped to make this such a great evening. We raised the magnificent sum of £778.50. Watch out for pictures from the evening appearing soon. Pam and Chris |
| 23.10.2016 | 100 Club – October Winners | Congratulations to the October winners of out 100 Club: Number 78 £75 Kathy Jones, Number 67 £45 Ros Cawley, Number 95 £30 John McLellan |
| 28.10.2016 | Young Catholic Adult Weekend at Douai Abbey, 28th-30th October 2016 | An opportunity for those 18-40 to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic faith, learn its devotions, meet like-minded people and have fun. For more information click on the link. Prices start from £12. http//www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm for more information |
| 30.10.2016 | Parish Dinner - Pictures! | Our parish event archive has now been updated with pictures (and lyrics to 'Our Church'!) from our parish dinner on the 15th October 2016. Follow the link to see more |
| 30.10.2016 | Kathryn's African Adventure | Kathryn Green's adventures in South Africa are now online in our Parish Archive. Follow the link to learn more about Kathryn's visit to South Africa to team in a primary school, see the pictures and watch the video of her experience |
| 30.10.2016 | Candle of Dedication | The dedication for this week is for Tom Murray RIP |
| 30.10.2016 | Thanks | Thanks to all those who shared in the praying of the Rosary together in church during the Month of October - the Month of the Holy Rosary. Our gratitude, also, to Kathryn for sharing with us her experience in Africa and for the love and joy her team brought to the children there |
| 02.11.2016 | All Souls | A tray will be placed in front of the altar from this Sunday to receive Mass intentions for your loved ones to be prayed for at the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed which will take place at 7.00pm on Wednesday 2nd November. There are envelopes for your prayer intentions and offerings at the back of the church. Please write the names of your loved ones on the envelope and place them in the tray in front of the altar. We will pray for those named at the Mass of the Solemnity of All Souls and at Masses throughout the month of November. |
| 02.11.2016 | Get-together | Get-together. This Wednesday 2nd November. Meet at BRG 10.30am, then on to Melbicks Garden Centre for coffee and shopping! |
| 06.11.2016 | Millennium Project | Our 61st Breakfast will be on Sunday November 6th after Mass. There will be the usual menu of orange juice, warm croissants, toast, butter, jam, tea & coffee all for a donation of £2. Everyone is welcome, so please come and join us. There will be a chance to meet and chat with other parishioners |
| 06.11.2016 | Candle of Dedication | The dedication for this week is for Graham Jones RIP |
| 06.11.2016 | Project Host | If anyone is willing to participate in this Save the children/Churches Together Project for the children of Syria, please speak with Godfrey or Linda. |
| 08.11.2016 | Mass on Tuesday 8th November | Mass on Tuesday this week will begin at the earlier time of 9.30am to allow for Father to attend the Deanery Clergy meeting |
| 13.11.2016 | Candle of Dedication | The dedication for this week is for Jean Clarke RIP and Ann Greenwood |
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
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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
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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!
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10.12.2025
We are invited to the charity’s carol service, led by Archbishop Bernard Longley, at 11.30am on Wednesday 10th December. Further details on the noticeboard.
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07.12.2025
Following last week’s presentation by Ian Clarke about Planned Giving, our volunteers will be available after Mass today to assist with standing order and Gift Aid forms.
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07.12.2025
Stefan Hunka and Ken Higgins will be in the Narthex after Mass today if you wish to sign up for the 100 Club. The next draw will take place on 10th December
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07.12.2025
We are collecting donations for Fr. Hudsons Caritas in memory of Maureen, who died earlier this year. Envelopes will be available on 7th December; donations will be collected after mass on 14th December. There will also be a collection at the Carol Service.
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07.12.2025
There will be a collection today for the poor parishes of the diocese.
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30.11.2025
Please note the new start time for Tuesday masses – 10.00 am. Mass on the First Tuesday of each month will be followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction at 11:00am
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30.11.2025
Thank you to all those who supported the Save the Children Fayre last week. A total of £1,668 was raised, including £47.50 from the sale of cakes after Mass. Julia Greensall
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29.11.2025
Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell are holding a Quiet Morning, led by Rev’d Kathryn Darby, Methodist Minister on Saturday 29th November, 10am to 12 noon (coffee available from 9.30 am) at The Old Hall, Temple Balsall (adjacent to the church). If you wish to attend, please contact Doug Timmis on 01676 543346 – limited places available.
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23.11.2025
There are some small, knitted prayer cloths at the back of the church, that have been knitted by a member of our congregation. Each one has a blessing for you in every stitch. The church hopes you can find comfort in using these whenever you feel the need. There is no charge, but donations are welcome
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22.11.2025
This will be held in our Parish Room on Saturday 22nd November from 10.00am to 2.30pm. Hand-crafted items and gifts will be on sale. Refreshments available. Entry is free. If you would like to donate cakes, raffle or tombola prizes (or help in any way), please contact Julia Greensall on 07855 843 914.
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16.11.2025
Throughout November Masses for the Holy Souls will be offered, and we will pray for those whose names have been placed before the altar.
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12.11.2025
Our next Coffee morning will be in the Narthex at 10.30am on 12th November with coffee, buns and good conversation available in abundance. If you haven’t been before, give it a try - you will be made very welcome!
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10.11.2025
£799.00 pps. Price includes flight from Birmingham, 10kg hold luggage, 4 nights’ in 4* Castlecourt Hotel, Westport with Dinner, Bed & Breakfast. Full use of leisure facilities. All entertainment, excursions and transport included. Visit Knock Shrine, Ballintubber Abbey, Fr. Peyton Centre & Kylemore Abbey. Irish music nightly. Single supplement on Enquiry. Contact 01268 762 278 or 07740 175557 or email knockpilgrimages@gmail.com.
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09.11.2025
Today is Remembrance Sunday when we pray for the repose of the souls of all those who have lost their lives because of war, praying especially for local residents who died serving our country. The silence we keep presents us with an opportunity to remember, honour and give thanks to God for all those courageous men and women who have laid down their lives for the sake of others and in defence of what is right and good.
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09.11.2025
Many, many thanks to all who participated in the much-needed deep clean of the church. I was a wonderful turn-out
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06.11.2025
Berkswell choir will be singing carols at Hilliers Garden Centre on Thursday 6th November between 5.30 pm & 7.00 pm. Please come and join the choir. Contact Emma Bratton on 07977593017.
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03.11.2025
St Peter’s Church, Balsall Common, is running sessions for anyone bereaved anytime, starting on Monday 3rd NovemberSave the Children Christmas Fayre 1.15pm to 2.45pm. Further details on our church notice board. To book a place please contact Rev’d Suzy Pearson on 07443345584 or email vicar@spcbalsall.org.uk.
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Parish Calendar