Old Happenings from the days when we were a Deanery!

Minutes of the Meeting
of the Pastoral Council of the Diocese of Portsmouth (PCDP)
held on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March 2004, at Park Place
.[ Click here ].

Report from the Department for Collaborative Ministry
on the Workshops held in June & July
.[ Click here ] 

LISTENING 2004
To read a Summary of the replies collated by Portsmouth
to the Questionnaire sent out to Parishes earlier this year
.[ Click here ].

For a really interesting collection of informative and easy-to-read
articles which show the development of LISTENING 2004
.[ Click here ].

'LOUD & CLEAR'
To see how that went
.[ Click here ].

'Listening 2004: My Family, My Church'

To find out more about what the Bishops propose doing about this
.[ Click here ].

[ Click here ] to see Agenda for Meeting at Lymington on 16th March 2006
 

[ Click here ] to see Minutes from Meeting held on 1st December at Ringwood

The Report sent to Portsmouth relating to possible future plans for the New Forest Deanery,
which comprises all the parishes listed in the navigation at the side of this page,
is now available in this web site.

[ Click to view ]

We publish below a report on the visit to Douai from our Chairman, Richard Mills:

Deanery Day of Recollection, Douai Abbey 

On 17^th September, 2005, 45 people from across the deanery travelled by coach for a Day of Recollection in the tranquil surroundings of Douai Abbey near Reading. The day was designed specifically, but not exclusively for Readers and Eucharistic Ministers and led by Father Gervase Holdaway OSB.

The focus was The Mass as a celebration of Word and Eucharist.

 The four keys to proclaiming God’s word were introduced and explored. The first key is Faith in the Word: the reader must be committed to the truth being revealed. Second, understanding the word of God: the reader must be prepared to analyze the text and find its meaning and relevance (exegesis and hermeneutics). Third, the reader should understand the power of the word (its ability to transform the future). The final key is the art of reading out loud. We thought about the skills needed and the ways they can be taught, learned and developed.

We were challenged to think of Eucharist as a verb not a noun; a means of nourishing and changing us into missionaries who can transform our world as we in turn become Eucharist for others.

There were practical examples of what this means and how we might become more attentive to our task of evangelisation and bearing witness.

This led us to consider the position of Christianity in the world today. We feel weak and the world is indifferent. This was the situation of the early Christians of the 1^st Century AD. The paradox is that by being powerless they were able to succeed: in a world of hatred and cruelty they introduced responsibility to be compassionate and caring. Christians grew in number because of their example.

 The day was informative and gave many of us new insights into the purpose and meaning of our ministries. It was a chance to share those thoughts over lunch and there was time for silence and reflection within the programme.

REPORT ON THE FIRST TWO DEANERY EVENTS OPEN TO ALL PARISHES

Storrington Pilgrimage

The Pilgrimage on 18th March to Storrington and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick during Mass which took place on Pentecost Sunday afternoon in New Milton were both very well supported by parishes in the New Forest Deanery.

The pilgrims travelled in two coaches, taking people from Ringwood and Fordingbridge areas and from New Milton, Milford, Lymington, Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst, and were blessed by beautiful weather. Although people were obviously busy at the run up to Easter, many of those who went on the Pilgrimage also managed to attend St. John's Cathedral for the Chrism Mass the following Tuesday. About 75 people went to Storrington. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was available there and a considerable number of the pilgrims availed themselves of the opportunity of refreshing their friendship with the Lord. This excursion was organised by the parishes of Lyndhurst, where it was initiated by Richard Mills, and of Ringwood and Fordingbridge, who organised everything for their parishes.

The Mass with Anointing of the Sick

This took place at New Milton on 15th May, was attended by roughly 100 people.  Those who came were very moved by the whole occasion.  Many people had never attended such a Mass and overheard conversations certainly covered initial doubts about the whole thing and delight at what they had experienced.

Sadly Father Vervenne himself, who had organised everything, was ill on the day and unable to attend. Mass was celebrated by Canon Alan Griffiths, who is now the Parish Priest of Ringwood and Fordingbridge, and concelebrated by Canon Dermot MacDermot-Roe.  New Forest Deacons Rev. Hilary Parsons and Rev. Michael Welch assisted. 

Refreshments were served afterwards in a crowded Church Hall and everyone agreed that the whole thing had been a memorable occasion and one to treasure.

Late News: 29th May 2005

Father Vervenne has received news of at least three people whose health appears to made a remarkable improvement since attending the above Mass with Anointing of the Sick, including your formerly limping webmaster!

NEXT STAGE OF
'GROWING TOGETHER IN CHRIST'

Members of some of the NFDPC Parishes involved with leading Parish Groups in the programme of 'Growing in Christ'   together with members of the Bournemouth Deanery, met this evening at the church of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Southbourne to be presented by the organisers of the next stage of 'Growing Together in Christ'. (Members of other Parishes will have attended a meeting elsewhere and are requested to let us have a report of their activities if they would like to do so.)

The new programme, designed by the consultative committee in this area in Portsmouth, looks challenging and is nothing like the first group of meetings held in the Autumn.  This is much more a 'hands-on' programme requesting idea from everyone about how we should go forward at this time of severely diminishing numbers of clergy, where the laity will have to take much more responsibility for the spreading of the Gospel and the Church Christ established as a means of bringing his Kingdom to our world.  Among other things it will ask us to re-think the Church and understand that the people of God are his Church, which is a spiritual creation, and that the buildings in which we offer our services are of this world and temporal. We have to work for the real Church - us, the members of Christ's body, and not the bricks and mortar, love them as we may.

We have the times of the Sessions in Milford and New Milton which are on their own pages.  If your parish isn't one of these, please send the details of your Meetings to the Webmaster.  They will then be put on your Parish page.
 

Richard can be reached direct by e-mail at Millsfamily@tesco.net. Just click it!  Webmaster)