Bulletin - 22/23 March 2025

Parish Details

Parish of Saint Joseph, Malvern, Worcestershire

Archdiocese of Birmingham, Registered Charity 234216

Address: 125 Newtown Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 1PF

Parish Priest: Fr. Nazarius Mgungwe fr.nazarius.mgungwe@rcaob.org.uk 01684 574250

Parish Administrator: Nazzarena Wood stjoseph.malvern@rcaob.org.uk 01684 574250

PAC Chairman: Edd Hogan, 07500 639308

Parish Safeguarding Rep: Kevin Douglas 01886 832468

Health & Safety, Room Bookings: Sue Stubbings 01684 541716

St Joseph's School - Head Teacher: Thérèse Langford 01684 573016

School Secretary: Charlotte Wilkinson 01684 573016

Co-Chairs of Governors: Chris Park & Maggie Griffiths 01684 573016

Safeguarding

The Parish operates in accordance with Statutory Safeguarding Guidance and the National and Archdioceses policies & procedures at all times. Our Parish Safeguarding Representative is Kevin Douglas. He can be contacted at sg.stjoseph.malvern@rcaob.org.uk or alternatively the Diocesan Safeguarding team can be contacted on 0121 230 6240 safeguarding@rcaob.org.uk if you have any concerns.

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Confessions

Fr Naz hears confession in the Confessional from 10:30am until 11 am on Saturdays or by appointment.

Mass Times

• Fri 21st, STATIONS OF THE CROSS, 7.00pm, Stations to be led by the One World Group

• Sat 22nd, LENT FERIA Demetia Prayer Week, 10.00am, Holy Mass, Pro Populo

• Sat 22nd, EVE OF THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, 6.00pm, Holy Mass, Kevin Grant ✟ (Tony Quinn)

• Sun 23rd, THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, 11.00am, Holy Mass Livestreamed, Michael Kelly ✟ (Edd Hogan)

• Mon 24th, LENT FERIA, 12.00noon, Holy Mass, Kondwani Nkhata ✟

• Tue 25th, SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD, 7.45am, Holy Mass, Intentions of Carol-Ann Harnett

• Wed 26th, LENT FERIA, Private Mass

• Thur 27th, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, 11.30am – 6.45pm, In Church

• Thur 27th, LENT FERIA, 7.00pm, Holy Mass Livestreamed, Martin Burger ✟ (Janet Williams)

• Fri 28th, Prayer Service at Waterside Care Home, 11.00am

• Fri 28th, STATIONS OF THE CROSS, 7.00pm, Stations to be led by the PAC

• Sat 29th, LENT FERIA, 10.00am, Holy Mass, For Prisoners

• Sat 29th, EVE OF THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, 6.00pm, Holy Mass, Intention of Leo & Oscar - Twins (Eckersley Family)

• Sun 30th, FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, 11.00am, Holy Mass Livestreamed, Bill Carew ✟ (Ann Wiseman)

Holy Mass at St Joseph's is livestreamed on some days via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@stjosephs.rcparish.malvernuk 

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About This Week's Mass

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT – YEAR C

22nd – 23rd March 2025 – Parish Mass Book Page number 160

Ex 3:1-8, 13-15 Ps 102: 1-4, 6-8, 11 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 Luke 13:1-9

The first reading tells us how God showed His mercy to His chosen people in Egyptian slavery by giving them Moses as their leader and liberator. The second reading warns us that our merciful God is also a disciplining God. Today’s Gospel features the parable of the barren fig tree. Jesus warns his disciples that although God patiently waits for sinners to repent, giving them grace to do so, He will not wait forever.

Pope’s Prayer Intention for March

For families in crisis. Let us pray that broken families may discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.

Please Pray

• For the Sick and Housebound of St Joseph’s Parish: Clare Gray, Anne Wiseman, Anne-Marie Elder and Elizabeth Docker. We include all those in hospitals, nursing homes & their own homes. Our Lady, health of the sick, pray for them. Amen.

• For Those on the Anniversary of their Deaths: John Kirton, Moira Keenan and Patricia Eastwood

EXTENDED TIME OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Stations of the Cross. There will be an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Otherwise in this Jubilee Year, the 12th edition of “24 Hours for the Lord,” a Lenten initiative of prayer and reconciliation introduced by Pope Francis, will be celebrated in dioceses and parishes around the world on that day but we shall only do a little bit of it. This will be for us a time set for the Lenten Penitential Service and effort will be made to invite priests to hear confessions.

ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL PILGRIMAGE WALK UP THE MALVERN HILLS

on Wednesday 9th April. The children will set off around 9:30am and be back at the church early afternoon. Crosses made by the children will be blessed. They will finish in the church for a prayer and a sing. The people of the parish are welcome to walk with the children.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER ROTA

please help to fill the various roles and ministries by adding your name to the list at the back of church for the important roles of stewarding, reading and extraordinary ministry. The list will remain available for the next few weeks.

WEEKLY LENTEN REFLECTIONS: ‘WE DARE TO HOPE’

Malvern Cluster of churches warmly invites you to a series of reflections on Hope, beginning on 11/03 and ending on 08/04. We will gather from 6.15pm for light refreshments with a talk of 15 minutes at 7pm; followed by a further 15 minutes of discussion/sharing and concluding with 15minutes of prayer – ending at 7.45pm.

• Tues 25/03 – St Wulstan’s, Little Malvern – The Prayer of Hope

• Tues 01/04 – St Joseph’s, Upton – Hope against Hope

• Tues 08/04 – St Joseph’s, Malvern – Christ, Our Hope

If you are unable to come along to the sessions, you can find the materials used on our Diocesan website, here: https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/news/we-dare-to-hope-resource-launched

MALVERN PARISHES LENT PENITENITAL SERVICE

will be at St Wulstan’s , Little Malvern at 3pm on Sunday 6th April. Please remind your family and friends and bring them to prepare for Easter.

AT ST WULSTAN’S

they are having Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 5.30pm followed by Mass at 6pm. Then they have informal Talks after Mass, explaining the scenario of the Passion Story, on the following dates: Friday 28th March ‘the Via Dolorosa to Calvary’, Friday 4th April. Crucifixion and Burial’. On Good Friday, apart from Stations of the Cross 10am, and the Solemn Liturgy at 3pm, in the evening I will celebrate ‘Maria Desolata’: this is a pious Devotion (really the Stations of the Cross in reverse) for those who are not able to take part in the Solemn Liturgy of the day because of work/travel etc. It is prompted by the thought of Our Lady, after burying the Lord, crossing Jerusalem once more to return to her lodging, reflecting upon the events of the day.

DISPOSAL OF OLD LECTIONARIES AND SUNDAY MASS BOOKS

The Diocese is collecting Old Lectionaries and Mass Books to send them to Nigeria. At St Joseph’s we could send our old lectionaries and Mass Books to Malawi instead. To ship a drum of books to Malawi costs £245. Starting with two drums would give us an idea how many books we can clear from the Aldwin Room shelves. Donations towards the shipping of these books will boost liturgies in Catholic schools, convents and parishes that do Masses in English language in Malawi.

MEN’S SPIRITUAL EXERCISES, 30TH MARCH – 4TH APRIL 2025

A 5-day version of the Ignatian Exercises offered specifically for men (whether lay or ordained), this retreat will be preached by the Benedictine Monks of St Joseph’s Abbey, Flavigny (France). Founded in 1988, this community has retained its charism of a specific apostolate to men with a shortened version of the Ignatian Exercises. One-to-one direction will be offered alongside the talks. Priests are welcome to attend and concelebrate or celebrate their own Mass. For more information and to book: https://christianheritagecentre.com/events/mens-spiritual-exercises/

COFFEE MORNING AT LYTTLETON WELL CAFÉ

10am-1130am. A chance to meet and enjoy the company of people from other Churches in Malvern. It will be a regular meeting on every second Tuesday of the month.

CARITAS SOCIAL ACTION NETWORK (CSAN)

is conducting a survey to understand the impact of the two-child benefit cap and the current economic climate on Catholic families in England and Wales. Please share your experience by completing the survey, which can be accessed at csan.org.uk/news/familysurvey where you’ll also find further information about the survey. The survey will close on 25th March.

MALVERN FOOD BANK

Please remember the needs of the Malvern Food Bank. Items in short supply are – baby wipes, UHT milk, packet Soups, tea bags, tins of meaty soup and toothpaste. Thank you.