St Bernadette's

The Parish Shop

06 January 2026

Shop - The Parish shop which stocks a variety of religious cards and items, is open after Masses on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, and can be open during the week on request. Here you will find greeting cards, at very reasonable prices, suitable for most occasions from Baptism through to Sympathy, including a number of Mass cards for various intensions. We also stock some lovely prayer cards for those who are sick, such as prayers to St Peregrine who is the patron saint of cancer sufferers, which is one of our most popular.

Rosary beads, statues, icons, crucifixes, books for both adults and children, and fair trade chocolate bars, are all available and if you can't find what you are looking for we can usually place an order for you.

Wednesday tea and chat - The social area is open each Wednesday morning following 9.15 Mass, from about 10am for tea/coffee, biscuits (and sometimes delicious home-made cakes). Good company and chat is guaranteed and everyone is welcome. A jigsaw or two have been undertaken by some whilst others prefer to chat.

It is very informal and since it is a fairly new venture is still evolving.

Margaret Godding

Faith & Justice Group

06 January 2026

St Bernadette’s Faith and Justice Group

We are a small group of parishioners who meet regularly to reflect together on how to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6: 8).

We try to gather at least once in the seasons of Advent, Lent, Eastertide and over the summer period leading into the season of Creation (September-October) and the period of remembrance.

We come up with ideas for events and ways to coordinate and celebrate all the efforts of the parish to serve Christ in the poor, to seek justice, to welcome God’s peace into our community, and promote non-violence, locally and internationally. We propose initiatives to the parish council but also build bridges with the wider “parish family”, including Ss Thomas and Elizabeth at Thurnham, St Bernadette’s Primary School and Our Lady’s Secondary School; the Syrian family whom we are helping to settle in the UK; and those in the community who may not be mass-goers but still have a connection to the parish. We pray, fundraise and campaign for various causes like prisoners of conscience, CAFOD, Pax Christi.

However, our group is as much about hearing about and celebrating what parishioners are already doing for the wider community. The Kingdom of God is not brought in by any particular petition, collection or campaign but begins with the everyday work of love in our families, workplaces, neighbourhoods. We would love to hear from you.

Please get in touch with Francis Stewart (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you want to join the group, or if you would simply like to come to share with us what you are doing in your own life for the coming of God’s Kingdom. Those who are from Ss Thomas and Elizabeth Thurnham, we would love to hear from you too, and will be adaptable in terms of the time and place of our meetings in order to be as inclusive as possible.

Francis Stewart

Published: 20/03/2024

Review: 19/03/2025