Services for the last Pope Francis

Bishop Peter invites all to a solemn Requiem Mass at 6pm this Thursday, 24th April, in St John’s Cathedral, Norwich.

Bishop Peter will celebrate Mass for the repose of the Holy Father's soul at 11am on Sunday, 27th April, in St John’s Cathedral, Norwich.

All are most welcome to attend.

We are praying for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis at Masses in Wymondham this week. 

A VERY WARM WELCOME TO
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
OF OUR LADY & ST THOMAS OF CANTERBURY

Mass Times

Wymondham

1 Norwich Road, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0QE
Saturday 6:00pm
Sunday 10:00am
Weekday Services - Please check the newsletter.

Attleborough

Methodist Church, London Road, Attleborough, NR17 2BX.
Sunday 8:30am

External Viewing

All Masses held at Wymondham can be viewed on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPstVjBimy3N0oC3Zmln8g/videos?live_view=502&view=2

The Day’s Readings

The daily Mass readings and prayers are available on the Universalis website, click here to access. This link points to the current day with future dates available on the right hand side.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Wymondham - Thursday 9:15 am - 9:45 am.

The Wymondham church is open each day until dusk

Pope Francis

With the whole church we mourn the loss of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, who made the journey back to the Father's house on Easter Monday. In this Easter Octave we pray that he may have a share in the life of the risen Christ whom he served so dutifully and devotedly throughout his life. We pray that the man who reminded us constantly that the name of God is Mercy may receive a kindly welcome into the halls of heaven.

We thank God and our Lady for the life and legacy of Pope Francis, and we pray for the happy repose of his soul.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Fr Denis

Parish Finance Figures 2024

Following the recent Finance Committee meeting, the financial dashboard for the last year 2024 is available for all parishioner to view by clicking here

FUTURE PASTORAL PROVISIONAND MISSION STRATEGY

Bishop Peter introduced the Parish Consultation at a Council of Laity Meeting. He explained the purpose was to give parishioners the opportunity to share the information which gives an insight into the reality of the state of provision and future structure of the Diocese of East Anglia. Parishes were issued with packs of data and invited to study and discuss the content. Finally, working in small groups, there were three questions to answer and record. The information was collated and a report was written and submitted to the Bishop’s Office from our Parish. Please click here to view.

The final session of the Synod
October 2024

Please read the summary of the final session from Anne Jackson our Parish Synodal Coordinator below or click here

New Sanctuary Lamp.

There is a new Sanctuary Lamp in the church. This lamp is in memory of the late Jean O’Raw who died in July of this year. We are most grateful to Jean’s husband, Robert and the O’Raw family for their generous donation to the church. Jean was much loved and is sadly missed. May she rest in peace.

WCYG-Wymondham Catholic Youth Group.

The WCYG meet on the last Saturday of each month, during term times.
The sessions take place straight after the Vigil Mass in the mdeeting Room until 9:00pm and focus on food, fun and building friendships.
All youth of secondary age upwards are most welcome especially the new year 7 starters .
Please pray for the success of this parish group.

 The final session of the Synod – October 2024

The synod, which started three years ago and involved thousands of listening sessions worldwide, Bishops conferences in every country, Continental assemblies and two major sessions in Rome has finished. The final document was produced on October 26th at the end of the final session. It was immediately approved by Pope Francis and is now part of the magisterium of the Church.

The synodal process has attracted intense interest throughout the church. It has raised hopes among many who want to see change and has dashed those hopes when certain items of discussion appear to have been omitted from the agenda for the final meeting. The delegates in Rome has been through a profound learning experience to understand how synodality works and how it will be used in future decision making.

Synodality is not about making bishops obey the will of the people or shouting loudly in order to make your own point of view seem more important. The process is not a public relations exercise and it is not an intellectual game. It is about pastoral transformation. It is about the People of God, ordained and lay, coming to a shared decision after a period of prayer, listening and discernment in obedience to the Holy Spirit. The bishops will make the final decision as the Catholic Church is not a democratic organisation.

Many people will be disappointed that the synod did not propose any dramatic changes. Fr Timothy Radcliffe, now Cardinal, said “The church is undertaking a period of renewal. The final document was never going to be a place for decisions or headline grabbing statements”. The most important thing is to understand that the way of decision making in the church has changed forever as a result of this document, and it is right to have spent so much time on developing the synodal process so that all future decisions will be taken in the light of this new way of working. It includes lay people, men and women, as well as those who are ordained in a forum where listening to each other and to the Holy Spirit with openness and transparency form the basis of decision making. The final document promises that these processes and structures will transform how the church listens, discerns and decides for ever.

Some issues that many people wanted to see discussed were taken off the table for this synod as it was considered much more important to establish the process by which future decisions will be made. The synod has left some issues to be discussed by 10 study groups who will report back to the Pope next year. These include

• Listening to the cry of the poor
• Mission to the digital world
• Women’s ministry and issues concerning LGBTQ+
• Revision of the training of priests and selection of Bishops
• Revision of some aspects of church law for greater transparency and accountability

Pope Francis has said that the synodal church now needs its words to be accompanied by actions. This requires all people, by virtue of their baptism to realise that we are the ‘the People of God’ and to get involved in order to make a difference. We need to take part in ‘conversations with the Spirit’ through prayer, patience and people development. The Pope feels that the issues of women deacons is not yet ready to be addressed, partly because if everything is reduced to ordination, we risk having a very clerical mind-set which is against the Pope’s desire.

The Pope is not an innovator Pope, he is a disruptor Pope. He has dismantled the established pattern of past synods in order to bring the teachings of the second Vatican Council to life. The success of the synod lies in the Pope’s decision to endorse the final document as an essential part of the Church’s teaching rather than issue his own response to the document (i.e. the post synodal exhortation has been omitted.)

To find out more about the synod and read some of the documents on this link https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/tags/7396/synod-on-synodality

Anne Jackson,
Parish Synodal Coordinator.

Fr. Denis

We are a large parish, serving the communities of Wymondham, Attleborough, Hethersett, Mulbarton and Hingham and all points in between.  The Church was originally built in 1952, since when we have enlarged with a Narthex and meeting rooms attached to the Church, together with a separate Parish Hall. We are a lively Parish, with monthly social events, prayer groups and a number of volunteer groups, including the Catholic Women’s League and Far East Prisoners of War, to whom the Church is dedicated (further details can be found here) and a social events committee.  There is also a Parish Pastoral Council and a Finance Committee. I hope that you find the information you are looking for on our website. I can always be contacted either by phone or email, or in person before or after Mass.  Please do not hesitate to get in touch. The Parish looks forward to welcoming you and hope you feel at home with us.

Our Church

It is worth while taking a while to look at our church closely, there are lots of beautiful pieces of ornamentation to see. Please take a few moments to look at them, the more you stop to look, the more you will notice. You may want to take a few moments to reflect and say a prayer.

Don’t forget to look at the FEPOW chapel and say a pray for those effected by war. Bearing in mind that it is not just those that take part in the war but also their loved ones left behind.

Points of Interest in our Church

During COVID this section of the website was introduced as a regular feature in the parish’s newsletter. As there is a lot of information for both the visitor and the local congregation it was decided to leave these articles on the website.

This page on the website can be found at http://www.wymondhamrcchurch.org.uk/points-of-interest

Mystery Photograph

Similarly, over the period of COVID lockdown a series of “Mystery Photographs” were displayed in the parish’s newsletter, with the answers given the following week. Out of interest there can be found at http://www.wymondhamrcchurch.org.uk/mystery-photos-items

Live Streaming

For those who are unable to attend in person, all the up and coming Masses can be viewed online using a smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop PC via our YouTube channel at

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPstVjBimy3N0oC3Zmln8g/videos?live_view=502&view=2
Having found the YouTube site, you may like to subscribe to our channel for easy access and bookmark it.

You can watch recent services by clicking on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmPstVjBimy3N0oC3Zmln8g/videos?live_view=502&view=2

Other live streams from the diocese can be found at: https://www.rcdea.org.uk/new-guide-to-live-streamed-masses-across-east-anglia/

NEWSLETTERS

 

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Baptism

In Baptism we joyfully welcome new members into God's family of the Church. 

For parents seeking to have their children baptised, the first step is to speak to the Parish Priest at Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury. 

Marriage

If you would like to hold your wedding ceremony at Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury, please contact the Parish Priest in the first instance. Six months notice is normally required.

For the Sick

If a friend or relative is in the N&N who would like a visit from the Catholic chaplain, this request is made either through the ward itself or by contacting the hospital chaplaincy (01603 287 470). This will enable the chaplaincy to summon the correct chaplain for the given day and the appropriate chaplain would be able to respond immediately. The team will need to know the patient's name, ward, confirmation that he/she is a Roman Catholic and how urgent the request of a visit is.

Confirmation

In this sacrament young people recognise the presence of the Holy Spirit calling out the fullness of Christian life

For further guidance about Confirmation, contact the Parish Priest.

Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available after each Mass on request. 

First Holy Communion

Please contact the Parish Priest for details about Catechism classes for Catholic children. 

Funerals

Please ask your funeral director to contact Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury as soon as possible so that arrangements can be put in place.

Local groups are at the heart of our church community. Whether you are a young person, a visitor, or someone looking for ways that they can help with local initiatives, getting involved in one of our groups is a great place to start.

CWL

Catholic Youth Club

NEWS & EVENTS

Find out about what's happening at Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury

REFLECT & EXPLORE

Gallery
Virtual Catholic Youth
Virtual Catholic Youth
Norwich Food Bank
Norwich Food Bank
Pray As You Go
Pray As You Go
Pope App
Pope App
CAFOD
CAFOD
Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia
Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia
Catholic National Shrine | Walsingham
Catholic National Shrine | Walsingham
NEWMAN LECTURES
NEWMAN LECTURES
Pax Christi
Pax Christi
Radio Maria
Radio Maria

The Catholic Diocese of East Anglia is fully committed to safeguarding in the Church in order to ensure that we maintain peaceful, loving and safe Christian communities in which everybody, particularly young and vulnerable members, can confidently participate.

We have therefore eagerly adopted and implemented the policies and procedures of the Catholic Church of England and Wales, which is committed to safeguarding as an integral part of the life and ministry of the Church.

We recognise the personal dignity and rights of all vulnerable people, to whom we have a special responsibility.  The Diocese, parishes and individuals in it will: take all appropriate steps to maintain a safe environment for all; practice fully and positively Christ’s Ministry towards children, young people and vulnerable adults; and will respond sensitively and compassionately to their needs in order to help keep them safe from harm.

We will liaise closely with statutory agencies to ensure that we: promptly and properly respond to any allegations of abuse; appropriately support any victims; and hold perpetrators to account.

 - Bishop Alan Hopes

IICSA Report response from the Bishops’ Conference 20.11.2020

The Statement issued on behalf of all the Bishops of England and Wales with regard to the IICSA Report on safeguarding in the Catholic Church and the Executive Summary of the Independent Safeguarding Review (the Elliott Report) which has been carried out over the last eighteen months and incorporates many of the final recommendations made in the IICSA which need to be addressed within the next six months. The report was released Friday 20th November 2020. The two documents can be found here - Statement on Safeguarding and Executive Summary of the Independent Safeguarding Review

Your Safeguarding Representatives

Safeguarding representatives have special responsibility for promoting good and safe practices in all activities including children, young people and adults at risk

The safeguarding representative at Wymondham is Tony Hedges Telephone 07811 825460 and the Diocesan coordinator can be contacted on 07429 215344

Find out more at

www.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk and the Diocese of East Anglia safeguarding website www.rcdea.org.uk

God, of thy goodness, give me Thyself; for Thou art enough for me, and I can ask for nothing less that can be full honour to Thee. And if I ask anything that is less, ever Shall I be in want, for only in Thee have I all.

Julian of Norwich