Parish of the Holy Child & St Joseph

Midland Road, Bedford

Faith Journeys

Pastoral Letter from ✠ David J Oakley

Below is Bishop David’s first Pastoral Letter :

24th March 2020

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. These words of the Apostle Paul root us firmly where we belong, in the grace and peace of God. Things are not turning out as we may have imagined, even a few weeks ago now, and this is not the letter I had hoped to send you as my first communication with you! It is unfortunate that the episcopal ordination took place as it were, behind closed doors. That very image speaks to us of the Easter Gospels, and the disciples gathered together in fear and anxiety within a locked room. But the coronavirus is certainly affecting every aspect of our society. We have heard so much about what it can do, how it attacks the respiratory system and can cause damage, even fatalities. Those who have political responsibility are obliged to offer sound advice to us in this state of crisis, and we must be prudent in our response to this advice. However, we should not allow this virus to rob us of the breath of the Spirit. The Holy Father encourages us to deal with this viral threat in these encouraging words, ‘with the strength of faith, the certitude of hope and the fervour of charity’ (Pope Francis, March 8, 2020).

[Read more…] about Pastoral Letter from ✠ David J Oakley

EVC Uganda update

Ted Fawcett, parishioner at St Joseph’s and chairman of EVC Uganda, gives us an update on the achievements of the charity last year, made possible by the magnificent support of its donors, trustees and volunteers.

Church Appeals

This year EVC will have held a total of 17 church appeals, covering a large area of the country and, with parishioners providing enormous financial support through their collections and in taking up individual child sponsorship.  The churches of Our Lady’s in Bow, East London and St George’s, Wembley are making EVC their Lenten Charity for 2020.

Major Donor

One of our donors has provided the funds to build a boys’ dormitory at St Matia Mulumba, Primary School, the building of which will hopefully commence in the Spring of 2020. We very much value our donors and see care and support for them as a vital part of our work.

[Read more…] about EVC Uganda update

Parish Project 2019 Update

For the past twelve months our parish has supported two charities, namely Mary’s Meals and the Bedford Daycare Hospice. A sum of £5,000 was raised which was split between both charites.

Below is a photo of the presentation of a cheque for £2,500 to the Bedford Daycare Hospice, Linden Road.

In the forthcoming year we will continue to aid the same charities. Thank you to everyone for your on-going and generous support.

Sister Wendy Beckett

By Marguerite Cook

Nun and Art Historian
February 25, 1930 – December 26, 2017

On the feast of St. Stephen, a much loved Catholic Nun died. Sister Wendy Beckett became an art critic and TV presenter during the 1990s. Sister Wendy wrote numerous books, and Pope John Paul II commended her for giving a positive image to the church. Sister Wendy’s obituary in The Times said St.Thomas à Becket; the 12C saint and martyr was a distant ancestor of this popular nun.  [Read more…] about Sister Wendy Beckett

Notes from the Organ Loft – March 2019

By Peter Roberts

Psalm 51 is an excellent text to consider during Lent. It has also been set to music by numerous composers in varying styles, two of which I will briefly discuss. Readers might like to look up the famous ‘Misere Mei, Deus’ by Gregorio Allegri. Written during the Renaissance, it is an interesting early example of blended styles, drawing inspiration from Gregorian chant and from contemporary polyphony. [Read more…] about Notes from the Organ Loft – March 2019