earlier 2021 newsletters listed below

Bishop Mark's 5th Jan pastoral message pdf & video - for 3rd lockdown

newsletter 17th January

2020 newsletters etc are here

'Sunday Message' - January

for Mass readings + commentary

live streamed Masses links
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live Mass directory for England + Wales
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Walsingham times
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childrens liturgy (with CAFOD)

Week of prayer for Christian Unity 18-25th Jan, more info & podcasts below

 newsletter Sunday 24th January

Homilies from Fr. Philip

Fr. Philip: Please continue the time of prayer with people of all faiths at 6 p.m. daily for an end to the pandemic. I ring the church bell for the Angelus each day at 6 p.m. (traditional time to pray the Angelus)

'Let us make room in our heart and in our day for the Lord. Each Christian family can first of all - as Mary and Joseph did - welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, guard Him, protect Him, grow in Him; and in this way improve the world'. ~ Pope Francis.

"Dial-a-Mass" A Middlesbrough Diocese Mass is available by telephone from noon Sunday - local call cost - to 01642 130120

Vatican News Network

Vatican website

Vatican: Word of the day

p4 + p16 UK Gov rules: 'You can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times.' UK Gov C-19 website

video: St Mary's Catholic Primary School Mass recorded in church in  December for children to watch in school.

If you wish to support the parish by Bank payment / standing order, please email for account details.

'A Culture of Care As a Path to Peace'. Pope Francis' message for Jan 1st 2021, the 54th World Day of Peace

'Communicating by Encountering People as They Are' Pope Francis' message for World Communications Day, Jan 24th 2021

click for readings of the day

Medjugorje 25th December below

Peace Sunday is celebrated in England and Wales on 17 Jan 2021. see Pax Christi, the International Catholic movement for peace for resources

Food banks etc & latest

Mary's Meals: donations to the Double The Love campaign matched up to £ 2 million by UK gov't until 31st Jan 2021

CAFOD World Gifts an ethical way of giving anytime, from £4.

"20 + C + M + B + 21" Epiphany traditional New Year Home Blessing "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" - “May Christ bless this house” pdf ~ ( adaptable for any time of year, eg a new home)

Reading the Whole Bible in a year?! A reading plan can help: example - advice - 'Word on the go' for busy Catholics > scripture crash course - Bishops conference scripture group

Helpful Mask Advice for Holy Communion: When consuming the host, remember to slip the elastic off one ear and return it without touching the front of the mask with your hand. Touching the part you are breathing through is where you are at most risk of picking up - and then passing on the virus to surfaces that other people will also touch.

homily on offering up 'suffering' by Bishop Robert Barron, special Mass for Hospital Workers and First Responders (Jan 12)

Pray for the pandemic: Almighty ever-living God, only support of our human weakness, look with compassion upon the sorrowful condition of your children who suffer because of this pandemic; relieve the pain of the sick, give strength to those who care for them, welcome into your peace those who have died and, throughout this time of tribulation, grant that we may all find comfort in your merciful love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen (from Carmelites Kensington)

Fr Matt Blake OCD will give 4 talks on the Gospel of Mark, on Wednesdays Jan 20th & 27th, Feb 3rd & 10th at 10.00am (repeat 8.00pm). Information and live stream on Carmelite Kensington website and YouTube (also for catch up). His aim is to help us enter more deeply into the extracts we hear most Sundays in year B.

see Newsletter 17th + 24th Jan The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed from 18th - 25th January, the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. Theme for 2021 is 'Abiding in Christ', with resources for download from 'Churches Together in Britain and Ireland' (link above) For 2021 these are prepared by the Monastic Community of Grandchamp in Switzerland.

How can prayer help us navigate the struggles and conflict of our world today? For this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity as we #PrayForCornwall, join Churches Together in Cornwall for 10 min podcasts daily Mon 18 - 25 Jan, containing short reflections  to strengthen us in our daily lives, from church and community leaders including Bishop Philip, Rev Mark Dunn-Wilson, Bishop Hugh, Deacon Andrew Shute, Roger Mills, Jane Yeomans, Lesley Chandler and others. see the CT podcast page or Facebook / Twitter pages, also Spotify / iTunes later each day.

From our audio library: The CTIPA Christian Unity Service, with Choral Evening Prayer, in our Parish church on 22nd Jan 2012. Preacher: The Bishop of  Tim Thornton; 'if we take prayer seriously, will the process of prayer allow the possibility of change ... structural unity, working together.'  listen / download mp3 audio (16:20 mins) 

The Pope’s Prayer Intention for January: 'Human Fraternity. May the Lord give us the grace to live in full fellowship with our brothers and sisters of other religions, praying for one another, open to all.'

'Stay Awake 2021' (see Newsletter 24th Jan) announce that 'Stay Awake' will be taking place this year from the comfort of your own home! Included will be praise and worship, two keynote talks (including the inspiring David Wells, a past speaker here in Holy Family parish), discussion time and a kids session! Date: Saturday 27th February, 2021 click link above for info poster pdf

links from 2020 with useful info and newsletters list have moved here

Supporting Local Food Banks and Food Aid groups:

click here for latest pdf - scroll down to 'Churches Together in Penzance Area (CTIPA) Foodbank' ... and also to 'Hayle Foodbank' - for latest needs + info (boxes in church)

Collecting points in local shops and supermarkets, money donations also welcomed ... ('Transformation Cornwall' is an ecumenical charity that strengthens faith based social action in Cornwall).

* Penzance Street Food Project - has info on Facebook (part of 'Growing links')

* Food for Families Penzance CIC has info on Facebook - aim to reduce food poverty in Penzance + West Cornwall

Mary's Meals provide daily school meals to more than 1.6 million children, in 19 countries across the globe. It costs only £15.90 to feed a child for a whole school year. Giving talks for churches plays a huge part in raising awareness and raising vital funds. While volunteers are currently unable to do so, founder, Magnus, sends a video message for church groups. Also links to watch short films Child 31 and Generation Hope. Their mission is to provide one daily meal in a place of learning to attract chronically poor children into the classroom, where they receive an education that can, in future, be a ladder out of poverty. 
Watch video 2nd June - how Mary’s Meals is feeding hungry children through this pandemic with personal reflections on how faith is bringing hope and comfort ~
also recent video "Love Reaches Everywhere".

newsletter featured links and info for 2021

A Year of St Joseph: See newsletter 10th Jan and later

2021 Sunday newsletters list below (2020 with links etc are here)

LINKS: Plymouth Diocese YouTube channel \  Diocese on Facebook \ Catholic Church England and Wales: YouTube Channel & website \  Vatican News Network \  Vatican website \ Vatican Radio \  Vatican YouTube channel videos \  Catholic Church UK News \  Pope Francis on Twitter \  Daily Mass readings \ Medjugorje messages \ UCB Word for Today \ Vatican Word of the day

what's on in RC Cornwall: Camborne-Redruth \ Truro \ Falmouth-Helston\ Bodmin \ St Austell \ Newquay \ Launceston \ Liskeard-Saltash-Torpoint \\ across the Tamar: Plymouth Cathedral \ Buckfast Abbey

Medjugorje: message for the world via visionary Marija, December 25th 2020: “Dear children! I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace, Him who is the past, present and future of your existence. Little children, do not permit for your faith and hope in a better future to be extinguished, because you are chosen to be witnesses of hope in every situation. That is why I am here with Jesus that He may bless you with His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.” ... more from Medjugorje 

Our Lady’s message to Jakov Dec. 25, 2020: “Dear children, also today Jesus is here beside you, even when you think that you are alone and that light does not exist in your life. He is here and has never left you or distanced Himself from you.
The light of His birth illuminates this world and your life. His Heart is always open towards you, to receive your every pain, every trial, fear and need. His arms are extended towards you, that as a father, He may embrace you and tell you how important you are for Him, how much He loves you and cares for His children. Children, is your heart open towards Jesus? Have you completely surrendered your life into His hands? Have you accepted Jesus as your father, to whom you can always turn and in Him find consolation and everything you need to live true faith? That is why, my children, surrender your hearts to Jesus and permit Him to begin to rule your lives, because only in this way, will you accept the present and be able to face the world in which you live today. With Jesus, every fear, suffering and pain disappear, because your heart accepts His will and everything that comes into your life. Jesus will give you the faith to accept everything and nothing will distance you from Him—because He firmly holds you by the hand and does not permit for you to distance and lose yourselves in difficult moments—because He has become the Lord of your life. I bless you with my motherly blessing.”

Letter from Ivan Dragicevic Medjugorje (Dec 2020). My dear friends in Christ, Our lives have been changed since the temporary darkness of this storm has entered the Church and the world. Life seems complicated and uncertain; our hearts are restless. Many feel anxious and frightened. We seek clarity; we seek light; we seek true peace. Now more than ever, our Mother's voice is being heard. Our Lady is the new voice calling out in the desert: “Do not be afraid of the storm! It is more important to prepare your hearts for the Lord! Live in hope!“
Our Lady gives us the remedy of hope: conversion, prayer from the heart (especially the Rosary), active reading of the Scriptures, frequent confession, fasting and Holy Mass. For nearly 40 years Our Lady has asked us to pray for the realization of her plans.
Dear friends, these plans come from our Father. “Thy will be done”. It is Our Lady's will that we live in “joyful hope” every day, in the faith that Jesus gave us in the Gospel. St. Paul tells us that “hope does not disappoint.” Hope is the “anchor of the soul.” Christmas is a time of great “joyful hope.” It is not simply a sense of optimism. It is the truth. That truth is Jesus Christ. Jesus, our Savior, through the Virgin Mary, came to earth as a man to select and understand us, heal and raise, liberate and transform us into new beautiful creations. Only Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our true hope. Christmas does not apply to expensive gifts that emphasize our wallet and our time. Joy is the real gift of Christmas.
Our Lady says, “Dear children, I want you to become carriers of the peace and joy of God into this world.” Wear it simply: smile a lot, laugh often, do kind gestures, and offer forgiveness. I pray that you will strive to find the deepest of all joys: the knowledge of Christ's joy. I pray in a special way that Jesus may be born anew in your hearts. The Gospel tells us that God is revealed to the little ones. To experience the birth of Jesus means just that — to become small and to approach the deep mystery of the Christmas Nativity scene. The celebration of Christmas invites us to discern the essential from the unimportant things in life.  Therefore, we ask the Lord for perseverance on this path and perfection in faith and love. We pray that we be honest and authentic Christians.
In this spirit, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New 2021 Year! Peace and good!  Yours, Ivan, Laureen, Kristina, Mikayla, Daniel and Mathew.

A random older message: June 25, 1987 “Dear children! Today I thank you and I want to invite you all to God's peace. I want each one of you to experience in your heart that peace which God gives. I want to bless you all today. I am blessing you with God's blessing and I beseech you, dear children, to follow and to live my way. I love you, dear children, and so not even counting the number of times, I go on calling you and I thank you for all that you are doing for my intentions. I beg you, help me to present you to God and to save you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

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newsletter 31st January; Jan; 7th Feb; 
available Saturday mid pm

'Sunday Message' - February

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usually by Sunday AM

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