St Joseph's Catholic Church, Oakham

Statement from the Bishop on the Death of HM The Queen Statement from Bishop Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Churches Together in Oakham    There will be a Churches Together in Oakham United service at All Saints, Oakham on Sunday 31^st July at 6.00 pm.   Please make every effort to join in this shared service as we worship together and pray for the work of Churches Together in Oakham

Please read Philip and Mich's (Sturley) letter, who have opened their home in Rutland to a Ukrainian family ....

Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

In the light of the current crisis unfolding in Ukraine,

Oakham Update March 2022 - Dear Friends, There are as many reasons for homelessness as there are homeless people – everyone’s story is different.

Update: 22 March 2022 - Caritas has received numerous expressions of interest in hosting, welcoming and supporting refugees from the conflict in Ukraine.  

Message from Caritas Diocese of Nottingham - There are few words for the tragedy and barbarism unfolding in Ukraine. There seem to be few actions we can take that match the onslaught faced by its people. Caritas Diocese of Nottingham invite you to join Pope Francis in starting this season of Lent in prayer and fasting for their suffering and for the long labour of peace.

We would also like to offer you two ways to show practical solidarity with the Ukrainian community, here in the Diocese of Nottingham and in their homeland. I invite you to extend your prayer and fasting into an act of practical solidarity.

The Year of St Joseph

The official prayer of the Year of St. Joseph—To you, O blessed Joseph (Ad te, beate Ioseph)—was composed by Pope Leo XIII in his 1889 encyclical, Quamquam Pluries. The Holy Father asked that it be added to the end of the Rosary especially during October, the month of the Holy Rosary. This prayer is enriched with a partial indulgence (Source: USCCB).

This evening, the Prime Minister announced further widespread restrictions in England beginning on Thursday 5 November.  The Government have published their New National Restrictions Guidance on their website here.  Whilst there was no formal announcement on Places of Worship by the Prime Minister, there is clear guidance on this website that places of worship will be required to end all acts of collective worship, except for funeral ceremonies. In response the following statement is issued by the President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference.

A Message from the Metropolitan Archbishops of the Catholic Church in England and Wales

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The radiance of the risen Lord shines upon us. At a time when so many shadows are cast into our lives, and upon our world, the light of the resurrection shines forever to renew and restore our hope. In the words of our Holy Father, Pope Francis: ‘In the midst of isolation when we are suffering from a lack of tenderness and chances to meet up, and we experience the loss of so many things, let us once again listen to the proclamation that saves us: he is risen and is living by our side.’ (27 March 2020) The impact of Covid-19, both nationally and internationally, has been immense. So much of what we take for granted has changed.

Halleluia!  All glory, praise and honor to You Most Glorious Lord Jesus!  You have risen from the grave, You have conquered sin and death, You have opened the gates to Heaven!  Halleluia!  All praise and honor to You Most Glorious Lord Jesus!

Do you know a vulnerable parishioner/person who needs help?

If so please email Maria - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Adoration and the rosary video from the chapel at Bishop's House as we begin this period of more intense social distancing, without access to public worship. Let us pray for everyone affected by the COVID19 pandemic and all those working in healthcare or seeking to find a vaccine.

Celebrate Holy Mass from St Barnabas Cathedral Nottingham Sunday 29th March for 5th Sunday of Lent with Bishop Patrick McKinney. Live streamed video from 11.15hrs

To all the Clergy of the Diocese of Nottingham

Celebration of the Sacraments and sacramentals of the Church During the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Dear brothers in Christ,

Please note that this advice will be reviewed and developed as necessary weekly.

The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, having consulted the Ordinaries of the Dioceses, have agreed that the cessation of public liturgies should begin from this Friday evening, 20th March 2020. Because of the situation the Church finds herself in, the obligation for the faithful to attend Holy Mass on a Sunday or Holy day of Obligation is removed, until further notice. Please do all you can let your parishioners know this as soon as possible, especially those who are elderly or in a vulnerable group, so that they do not feel anxious or worried about not attending Mass.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In  response  to  the  Coronavirus  pandemic, so many aspects of our lives must change. This includes the  ways in  which we publicly express our faith. It is very clear that, following  official advice and in order to keep each other safe, save lives and support the NHS, at this time we must  not gather for public acts of worship in our churches. This will begin from Friday evening, 20th March 2020, until further notice.

We are in desperate need of flip flops, sizes from 4 years old to 12 years old and 10-12 years old boys shorts.   15 more back packs are making their way to children in need of food and clothing.

Thank you, as always, for your very generous help.

Kairos is a Christian Mission which goes into prisons to show the transforming love of Jesus Christ to inmates.  The mission is a five day programme which explains and demonstrates the Christian faith in action. Through the Bible, personal testimony and unconditional love, inmates come to understand that they can be forgiven, accepted and transformed through  encountering Jesus.

Call to Holiness in Today’s World

Our Parish mission week will be from October 7th until October 10th.

Each day will start with morning Mass at 9.30 with sermon by Fr John Farrell, Prior Provincial of the English Province of the Order of Friars Preachers, followed by Exposition for 30 minutes and a short Benediction followed each evening with a series of talks and meditations using Scripture and Pope Francis’ Exhortation On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, “Gaudete et Exsultate”.

We had a wonderful Sports Week last week which ended with our Sports Day.  The weather was kind to us again, the children performed brilliantly and it was lovely to see so many families coming to support the children.

Many thanks indeed for the toothpaste and spoons donated this week - just what was needed!

Thank you for the dress, towels and toothpaste left this week. There is a very moving tiny film that has just been made showing lots of backpacks being distributed to very excited little children! Click on this link One of the backpacks could even be ours!

We have received £80.98 in Giving Machine donations this month. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to this. If you need any more information on how to sign up to give free donations to school when you shop online, please get in touch with the school office, Mrs Archer or Mrs McGrory.

We have had our Storytelling week this week so children have been involved in lots of activities revolving around reading and writing. We also celebrated World Book day on Thursday and the children came to school dressed as their favourite book character. There were some wonderful costumes and the children had a great day.

Magnus writes "Thank you everyone for your incredible support. 40 schools in Zimbabwe are now receiving Mary's Meals. So 197,363 more children in Zimbabwe in 2019 now enjoy a meal every day.

Your kindness has done this for them".

Our gymnastics team were in action this week at the gym competition in Ashwell. They all performed brilliantly and we were very proud of them. Our KS1 team won the bronze medal for coming 3rd of 9 teams and there were also some individual medals for both the KS1 and KS2 girls too!

The Bishops of England and Wales will hold a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress in Liverpool from 7th – 9th September 2018.

Cardinal Nichols wrote: "We seek to rejuvenate Eucharistic adoration in our parishes as the source of strength for our lives and for our mission, that of making present the love and compassion of Jesus in our society." 

Did you know? Every donation you made up to 31st December 2017 was doubled thanks to three amazing donors.

Your response to Mary’s Meals appeal this Advent has been fabulous. The total amount sent is £415 which was doubled making a total of £830.

It has been sent and will feed many children with a meal at £13.90 a school year!

Maybe you could help with girls skirts aged 10-12, boys shorts or trousers aged 10 - 12 and flip flops in the coming week? We are also desperate for spoons ...used ones are fine as we have none left, if you have any to spare?

Year 6 have been on their residential this week, visiting Alton Castle in Staffordshire.

We are pleased to welcome our new families to our school and parish community and hope that they soon feel part of our family.

The new reception children have settled really well and are enjoying exploring and finding out about “marvellous me!” All our children and staff,as well as family members, celebrated Mass at St Joseph’s on Thursday 14th September with staff and our new Little Lights modelling the order of the Mass.

A huge thank you once again for your ongoing support for this charity. We received lots of pencil cases, pencils and towels this week which is much appreciated. If you have any children’s flip flops you are throwing out at the end of summer, please donate them to Mary’s Meals.

All contributions are really appreciated. Please just pop them in the box in the Church porch.

Congratualtions to all the pupils, staff, governors and parents that make our small school community so special and 'probably the best primary school in the county!'

After a long 24 hours of travel, we arrived in Kota Kinabalu. We spent two days there, acclimatising and getting started on our expedition before travelling for 3 hours into Tenom to start our project work. With your generosity some of the money that has been raised went towards building an extension to the community church, which doesn't get government funding as the community are Christian.

On the great feast of Corpus Christi 18th June 2017

9 children made their First Holy Communion.  

The children read the readings and participated in the Mass.  

It was a lovely occasion.

Fr Stephen with our First Holy Communion Children

The Senior Leadership Team and the Governors of English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, the only Catohlic Primary school in the Parish of Rutland have circulated a letter appealing for support from the Parish and the wider public. To read the letter please Click Here

I will be carrying out a community project in a rural area of Borneo where the majority of people are living below the poverty line and don’t have access to proper housing, education facilities, medical treatment or even reliable clean drinking water.

The 4.30 pm Mass on Saturday 13th May will be a Confirmation Mass celebrated by Bishop Patrick for some of our young parishioners and students at Oakham and Uppingham Schools. It is likely that there will be over 20 Confirmandi plus relatives – that means the Church will be very full. I hope this will not inconvenience our regular Saturday Mass congregation too much. The 11.00 am Sunday Mass that weekend on 14th May will be less crowded.

This week is the most solemn and Holy Week in the Christian calendar. Easter Triduum Masses and Liturgy:

Holy Thursday - 7.30pm
Good Friday - Walk of Witness 10am, Liturgy 3pm, Stations of the Cross 7.30pm
Holy Saturday - Easter Vigil 8.30pm
Easter Sunday - 11.00am

The children have thoroughly enjoyed their visits from Lim and look forward to him returning again to visit later on in the year.

Fr Stephen visited the children in Years 3 and 4 on Tuesday morning and answered some of their quite challenging questions about Jesus and His life.

Important Notice

During the winter months if the weather is inclement ie. ice or snow please note that the 9.00 am Mass on Sundays will be held at St Joseph's Oakham Not at St Thomas' Exton  - Many Thanks Fr Stephen

Stained glass windows project St. Joseph’s Church

Our windows here in the church are badly in need of an upgrade, they are old and let in lots of cold air and need replacing. When this church was built by the hard fund raising of the parish, plain windows were the best that could be afforded. They have done a good job over the years but now is the time for change. Fr Stephen set up a small committee to look into the possibilities of having some stained glass windows to replace the old ones.

A message from Magnus:  "Thank you for everything you do for so many suffering children in this world. 1,500 children now receive a daily meal in Aleppo. A further 1,430 Syrian refugees are also receiving a meal thanks to your generosity. Together let us continue this journey one step at a time, one meal at a time, one child at a time.  Thank you."

A huge thank you for the 25 exercise books, toothpaste and soap received this week. We can now complete 15 more backpacks for the children. Please keep it coming, especially larger shorts for the boys.

All contributions are really appreciated. Please just pop them in the box in the Church porch.

The Year of Mercy announced by Pope Francis begins officially on 8th December 2015 and continues until 20th November 2016. His intention is that the “balm of mercy” should reach everyone and that this would be a sign that the Kingdom of God is present in our midst.

16th July, the feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel, is the anniversary of Venerable John Lyon.

Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Nottingham appointed to be read at all Masses celebrated on the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Saturday 4th and Sunday 5 July 2015.   

Bishop Patrick McKinney was ordained tenth Bishop of Nottingham in St Barnabas’ Cathedral on Friday 3rd July 2015.

Mgr Patrick McKinney to be ordained Bishop of Nottingham by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, in St Barnabas’ Cathedral, Nottingham on July 3 2015.

CES Response to Westminster Faith Debates report A New Settlement: Religion and Belief in Schools

Could you spare a few hours a week or even a few hours a month?

The Staff and Governors of English Martyrs would be delighted to welcome Parishioners to the school who would enjoy reading with our children.

Pope Francis has appointed Mgr Patrick McKinney, a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, as tenth Bishop of Nottingham.

Bishop Malcolm McMahon has been appointed the ninth Archbishop of Liverpool.

On Monday 7 November 2012, Bishop Malcolm launched 'You are Living Stones', a consultation on the parochial structure of the Diocese of Nottingham.

A SOLEMN procession of about 250 people walked through Oakham this morning carrying a wooden cross for the annual Walk of Witness.