News From the Abbey
Day for Life 2025
Every year the Church in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland marks the Day for Life, as a reminder of the need to respect and protect the inherent value and dignity of each life. This year it will be celebrated on 15th June, Trinity Sunday. Ahead of the Day for Life, we invite the faithful to join in prayer through the Novena for Life. This will run up to the Feast of the Visitation, between the 23rd and the 31st of May. Prayers for each day can be found on the Day for Life page of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales' website. On the website you can also find a special message from the bishops and more prayers and resources.
On 15th June we will be holding a second collection for the Day for Life Fund. Every year the fund allocates over £200,000 in grants to organisations which promote respect for life in various ways. Donations can be also made online via the Catholic Bishops' Conference website, where you will find out more information about Day for Life.
Important Announcement
Calvary & the Circle
As part of our ongoing Restoration and redevelopment, we have been looking at our whole site including the grounds. We have also had a survey done as part of our insurance cover. This has highlighted a few issues, but we will not cover all of them here. Our main concern today is with the structure behind the church called Calvary
It has been deemed unsafe as some of the walls are in a perilous state. Unfortunately to keep everyone safe and to reduce the amount of people visiting that area of the graveyard we have been instructed to conduct some maintenance and restructuring work in the area and to temporarily fence the area off to avoid any potential injuries.
The first thing we will do is erect fencing around the path, this will hopefully be in place by Easter Week. The building work will follow sometime later when a contractor has been instructed to proceed with the renovation works.
We are aware that this may be an inconvenience for those who may wish to visit Family plots. However, you will still be able to view the Calvary area through the fence and we will endeavour to create 'visit times' when families can gain entry to the area on the understanding that they are accepting any liability for being there. This can only happen until the builders take charge of the site.
When the work is carried out temporary protection will be placed on the ground over the plots so that any items under the ground surface will be protected. All plaques will be temporarily relocated to a safe area in the church hall and reinstated in their original position upon completion of the remedial works.
Starting with Friday and Saturday 17th and 18th April the area will be open from 10.30am – 12Noon. This will remain the case for the next four weeks. To begin the visiting times, come to the office or church to find one of the priests, he will then open the area for you. If a family wish to remove anything from their plot at this time please inform one of the priests and contact Father Kieran by email detailing what has been removed, maybe even including pictures of the objects removed.
If you wish to leave that to us, we will remove all plaques etc sometime after Easter Week, and store them respectfully until they are reinstalled when the works have been completed.
Craft & Chat Raise an Amazing £1350
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!...to all who supported our Coffee & Craft morning. A huge total of £1350 was raised towards our restoration fund - Simply AMAZING!!!!!
Congratulations to our Cameroonian Brothers
Congratulations to our Cameroonian brothers consecrating themselves to the way of St. Joseph. They are in formation for the Catholic Men's Association (CMA). Some of them are from our dear Cameroonian Chaplaincy here in Erdington. Please keep them in your prayers.
Craft & Coffee
- Sunday 6th April 2025
- 8:45am - 1:30pm
- Cash Only Event
Come along and support our parish
EASTER EGG RAFFLE - Time has ticked and Spring has sprung! Please can you donate quality Easter eggs/or boxes of fancy chocs for the Easter Egg Raffle. Please deliver to the Parish office or Holy shop. Tickets will be sold after all Masses on Palm Sunday weekend 12/13th April with the draw to take place on Tuesday 15th April at Warm Welcome.
Stained Glass Window Restoration
As you can see, there are several pieces of glass which have already been repaired. These have been fixed together with a copper strip which was then stained to better fit with the glass. Several pieces that are either broken or in poor condition, such as the face, are being repainted on new pieces of glass.
Work will be done to the stonework surrounding the window. The roofs around the window, St. Joseph's Chapel, Sacristies, link corrider and Choir room and roof over the organ room have also been completed.
This means the whole area around the Shrine should be secure. In time we could begin to renew the decoration of the Shrine area.
Photos from the Christmas Fayre
The CHRISTMAS FAYRE raised a massive £7500.00! A huge THANK YOU to all who supported it. A great boost for the Restoration Fund!
Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary show their appreciation
A total of £1797.32 was raised through the raffle and Christmas Dinner for the Poor
Craft & Chat Fundraiser
A BIG THANK YOU to the craft & chat team who raised £325, for the Restoration Fund, at Olton Friary tabletop sale on Saturday 16th November 2024.
Environment - Care for Creation
Our Common Home
Pope Francis doesn't hold back:
'The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.'
This is God's creation, given to be our home.
What are we doing to look after it?
Jump to:
Craft & Coffee Fundraising Event
A HUGE THANK YOU to all who supported our Craft & Coffee morning, it was a lovely community event. A total of £1570 was raised for the Restoration Fund - absolutely WONDERFUL!
Sponsored Walk to Snowdon & Newhall Valley
WE DID IT!
Mount Snowdon is one of the toughest day hikes in Wales and many congratulations to everyone who took part in the fundraising walk on Saturday 21st September 2024. It was a tough hike in cloudy and damp conditions. The top of Snowdon was completely shrouded with mist and windy, just enough to cool our brave walkers down.
What a fantastic achievement by all our walkers who braved the conditions and made it to the summit. It is one of those moments that you look back and are proud of the achievement.
It was great to see our younger generation of parishioners and friends, the fitter and more able bodied sub group, taking part in the event. Hopefully, this will encourage our younger parishioners to take part in future fund raising activities. Although age did not put off our older parishioners to achieve this amazing challenge
Below shows our parishioners going through the climb and reaching the summit. The team felt confident and supported by putting their trust in each other to ensure everyone achieved their goal. It was a fantastic moment for the entire team to reach the top of Snowdon and realise what they had all achieved together. Well done to everyone.
Also, a BIG thank you to all the sponsors who have been generous in their contributions for all our walkers who were highly motivated by the messages of support. What a great community we have. THANK YOU!
Newhall Valley
Congratulations to all our parishioners and volunteers who completed this lovely, scenic walk around Newhall Valley Country Park and the perimeter of the grounds of New Hall Hotel.
All the parishioners young and old, together with Alfie the dog, walked in harmony together to support the Abbey Restoration Fund. Armed with refreshments, home made cakes and sweets ensure the walk was a great success.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us along this journey. Your amazing support will help us to restore our beautiful Abbey for generations to see. Your sponsorship will help us enormously to achieving our goal, THANK YOU.
Thinking of trying a new hobby?
Care for Creation
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, celebrated on 1 September, kicks off the Season of Creation, a time of sustained prayer and action which lasts a month and four days.
During this season we are encouraged to pray and engage in community events in order to deepen our relationship with God, our neighbour and the earth we share, being ever more attentive to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
Holy Hour
First Friday 3pm Holy Hour Friday 6th September
National Adoremus Eucharistic conference
The National Adoremus Eucharistic conference takes place at Oscott on Saturday 14th September. In union with them and all UK parishes we are encouraged to take part in a time of Adoration on Sunday 15th September. This will take place here from 5pm-5.45pm, please do try to join us for this special time of prayer at the Abbey.
Reception Welcome Mass
Also, on 15th September Parents of this year's Reception Class will be joining us for the 9.15am Mass a School led Mass, there will be refreshments in the parish Hall afterwards hosted by the parish. BOTH OF THE ABOVE EVENTS MAY CAUSE DELAYS IN THE CAR PARK. Perhaps 10.30 Mass attenders may consider parking in the Highclaire Car park to ease congestion.
Redemptorist Gravestone Restoration
We are very close to finally getting to bless Fr. Gabriel's new gravestone. It has taken a while as the stone required the workmanship and it took some time to find and acquire. As you will see from the pictures the Redemptorist section needed some TLC. All the old graves have been cleaned and reset and will also be blessed at this ceremony.
If people wish to give towards Fr. Gabby's gravestone or the restoration of the other ones, more details will follow. In the next few days, we will make sure money can be handed in to the shop for this purpose, or one can make your donation HERE.
Summer 2024 BBQ
We were delighted with the turnout to our Summer BBQ on Friday 12th July - even the weather didn't dampen the spirits. We were also delighted to have raised £1500 for the Restoration Fund - Please take a look at some of the photos of the evening.
Redemptorists released after 18 months in captivity.
Two Redemptorist priests, Fr. Ivan Levitskyi and Fr. Bohdan Geleta who have been held by the Russians since November 2022 were today released from prison. On the day we also commemorate our four beatified Ukrainian martyrs.
Fr Ivan Levytskyi CSsR and Fr Bohdan Geleta CSsR were taken into captivity on 16 November 2022 and freed on the 28th June 2024.
Novena at Erdington Abbey
Wonderful night of Novena at Erdington Abbey tonight [Wednesday 26th June 2024] with Fr Dan Baragry CSsR. Reflecting on God's love for us and sharing that love with one another.
Come to our last night at 7pm Thursday 27th June 2024.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Hednesford - Sunday July 7th
- 2.15 - 3.45 pm - Confessions.
- 3 pm Rosary.
- 4 pm Mass & Sacrament of the Sick Celebrant Bishop Stephen Wright
- Please bring your own chairs
Hednesford, near Cannock, is near Junction 11 of the M6 and Junction T7 of the Toll Road. Follow signs to Hednesford and Rugeley A460. Train Service from New Street, Birmingham to Hednesford. The Church and Shrine is on Uxbridge Street on the A460, WS12 1DB. For further information contact: Fr Jeremy Howard, 07868 542268 or email fr.jeremy.howard@rcaob.org.uk
Talk on Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes Hednesford Sunday July 7th 2024.
Early in the morning of Thursday February 18th 1858, in Lourdes in Southwestern France, Our Blessed Lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous a poor, Illiterate girl. Bernadette agreed to come every day for a fortnight to hear Our Lady's message. Following that encounter, Lourdes became the meeting point of the Christian world and an enormous flow of people started moving and hasn't stopped coming from all around the world ever since to hear Our Lady's message of Penance, Healing and Wholeness.
From the very beginnings of the Shrine in Lourdes, the message of Our Lady of Lourdes has spread throughout the world. In 1913 Fr Patrick Boyle, who became the first Parish Priest of Hednesford in Staffordshire, went on pilgrimage to Lourdes and made a solemn promise to build a new church, be modelled on that in Lourdes, and a Grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. His vision was shared by his successor, Fr Joseph Healey and work on the church and Grotto was finished by 1935. Our Lady of Lourdes Hednesford is now the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
A steady stream of people come to the Shrine throughout the year to ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. People who are able to travel to Lourdes for the Diocesan Pilgrimage come on the first Sunday in July as a continuation of the Lourdes experience and others appreciate the chance to make their own pilgrimage. A pilgrimage gives us a chance to begin again or come back to our faith. The profound commitment of Bernadette inspires us to deepen our own Christian faith.
We invite you to join us on Sunday July 7th - Refreshments available from 1 pm, Confessions. 2.15 - 3.45 pm, Rosary with local schools 3 pm & Mass & Anointing with Archbishop Bernard 4 pm. Bring a chair.
SUMMER BBQ 2024
Tickets on sale from the holy shop, in parish hall, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10.30 to 12 noon.
It would be fantastic to see as many of you at our Summer BBQ on Friday 12th July from 5:30pm - Adults only £7 and children at a bargain price of £3 entry which will include a burger or sausage bap and a salad bar. There will be a bar, live music, a range of stalls and a raffle to celebrate the evening away!
Thanks to our Cameroonian Friends...
Click on the video to see how much progress we made with our church yard clear-up. However, we still need a lot of help so please do get in touch if you would like to volunteer to keep our surroundings looking beautiful for everyone.
CAFOD's Sudan Crisis Appeal
Millions of families in Sudan, forced to flee their homes amid conflict, now face yet another urgent crisis – extreme hunger. Please give to CAFOD's Sudan Crisis Appeal in church or at cafod.org.uk/sudanappeal. Your donation will help CAFOD's partners to support more families with food packages and emergency cash payments as well as rebuilding water pipelines so clean water can reach communities who need it. Thank you for your generosity and prayers.
You can also text Text CAFODSUDAN to 70450 to donate £10.Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you'll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don't wish to hear more from us, please text CAFODSUDANNOINFO instead.
Caritas Social Action Network have just launched their Do Justice campaign. You can find out more at: https://dojustice.co.uk/Caritas Social Action Network have just launched their Do Justice campaign. You can find out more at: https://dojustice.co.uk/
The aim of the campaign is to encourage our parish to discern the needs of our local community in the light of the Gospel and to act with the skills and resources we have at our disposal to bring about a more just society.
Caritas have produced a three-session resource for us as a guide to this process, which you'll find attached. The sessions use the Conversations in the Spirit method of the synodal process, to make sure that everyone is heard, and the best ways forward can be discerned.
On the Do Justice website, you'll be able to download a copy of the 'core text' of the campaign, Do Justice: A Vision for Spiritual and Civic Renewal in England and Wales.
This document might be a helpful introduction for those who want to engage with Do Justice. It's a reminder of the scriptural roots of justice and the main principles of Catholic Social Teaching which guide our work for a better world.
Click on the below image to read the latest newsletter
Could you be a seed of hope?
The Archdiocese of Birmingham is inviting enthusiastic individuals to create a network of Environment Champions. To celebrate Laudato Si week (19-26 May). We need as many CHAMPIONS as we can get - and I know that there's many of you out there in our parish!
Your mission is to be a channel of communication between the Archdiocese and the Abbey Parish, to promote Care of Creation and to enthuse others to help in responding to Pope Francis' call in Laudato Si to a spirituality which supports an ecological conversion.
You will receive the full support of the Care for Creation Committee as part of the diocesan effort to act as stewards of creation - click on the image below for more details.
May Procession and First Holy Communion
Placing of the Time Capsule into part of the new roof.
The time capsule contains the names of all who have bought slates. Names of priests of the abbey past and present. A history of the abbey since 1843 and information of our abbey today. For posterity. Thanks to the continuing work by many to raise funds. Especially to Nicholas Bartleet, Ron Heeley, Ronnie Sweeney and Caroline McGonagle for the various ways they have helped this particular project to be realised.
Abbey Restoration Project Update 23 February 2024
I am very pleased to say that the next phase of urgent work is due to start on the 4 March which will be to the roof, valley and rainwater guttering over St. Josephs chapel.
This has been made possible by the considerable efforts of many parishioners in raising further funds for the restoration works. As you may appreciate, we have not raised all of the monies needed to complete all of the works in the adjoining area but with your efforts and with grant applications we do hope that the external restoration can continue.
So far just over £220,000 has been raised. Due to time moving on since repairs were first identified and increased costs we are doing our best with the available funds. The 'Sponsor A Slate' appeal has been successful but there are still some 200 slates for which sponsors are needed and we would ask you to consider this if you have not already done so.
As part of the next phase of roofing works, we are going to put a time capsule in the roof area, listing the names of those who have helped with this appeal as well as details of the present day so that when this is found in many years' time those future generations will hopefully appreciate the forward thinking of the parishioners of today.
If you look at the roof area over the pathway as you walk up to the church entrance door you will see, we have had further storm damage to the roof and this will be the next area needing attention when funds allow. Thanks to all for your continuing efforts Fr Kieran J. Brady CSsR PP
Abbey News
SVP Art Workshop
We deliver wonderful art workshops to the SVP community group at The Erdington Abbey.
It's always lovely to see numbers grow each week & everyone enjoy themselves.
We develop a range of art skills using all sorts of media. Take a look at some of our watercolour skills & here are just a few of their finished pieces.
If you would like to come along then please contact Nikki via the website below.
https://misscreate.co.uk/
Abbey Choir
After an absence of sung music for eighteen months, the choir is at last resuming weekly rehearsals and singing at the 10.30 Mass. Rehearsals are on Every Wednesday at 8.00pm. If you have a good knowledge of music and are interested in joining the choir please contact Joe on 07721 753992 or contact the parish office with your details.
Abbey Cemetery
As stipulated within the grave cremation deeds, Please do not place plants, pots or stones on the grassed area of the graves and cremation plots. No dogs are allowed in the cemetery. Thank you.
Car Park Gates
The barrier to the car park will be closed at the following times: Mon/Wed/Thurs 8.00pm, Tues/Fri 5.00pm & Sat/Sun 7.00pm. Any cars left in the carpark will be locked in!
Rev'd Fr Gabriel Ignatius Maguire CSsR
Fr Dickinson's 70 years of profession as a Redemptorist
We had a wonderful celebration of mass on Saturday 4th September 2022 to celebrate and give thanks for Fr Dickinson's 70 years of profession as a Redemptorist. Click here to view some images of the mass.
