The four catholic churches within the Forest of Dean area are all served by Fr. Barnabas Page, our Parish Priest. Fr. Barnabas also serves the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Newent with St. Michael in Blaisdon. Our parishes lie within the Clifton Diocese, which is part of the Catholic Church in England & Wales.

Our Churches:

Our Lady of Victories

Our Lady of Victories, 70 Abbey Street, Cinderford, GL14 2NP. [ Map » ]

Pastoral Council Members: Teresa Hare (Secretary), Greg Moger

St. Margaret Mary's

St. Margaret Mary's, 4 High Nash, Coleford, Glos, GL16 8HN. [ Map » ]

Pastoral Council Members: Peter Chisholm, Sarah Perkins.

St. Joseph's

St. Joseph's, Tutshill, Lydney, Glos, GL15 5PA. [ Map » ]

Pastoral Council Members: Pip Deave (Chairperson), Dorota Dufort

Sacred Heart Chapel

Sacred Heart Chapel, Grahamstown Road, Sedbury, NP16 7AD. [ Map » ]

Pastoral Council Members: Helen Molyneux

Parish Office

A number of our parishioners are shielding and unable to attend Mass during this pandemic, so we will try and help and keep everyone in contact.
Our aim is trying to reach as many people as possible through this website, by phoning those who do not have computers, and by videoing the Mass for those that do have computers. You can be part of this effort by phoning those who are isolating.
Sadly, the new 'Lockdown' rules commencing Thursday 5th November prevents us from holding public acts of worship. However, we are allowed Private Prayer in our churches from this date. We will re-commence the recorded Sunday Mass, Wednesday Mass and Friday Talks once again from Friday 6th November for the period of this 'Lockdown'.
You can watch these Services by clicking on the appropriate Vimeo link.
We pray for all who are sick or who have died and for our front line staff. If you give me the names, they will be included in the Mass. But as well as this, as a church we are listening to what God may be saying through this crisis.
God Bless and protect you.
Fr.Barnabas

: 01594 833173

: 4 High Nash, Coleford, Gloucestershire. GL16 8HN.

Forest of Dean RC Churches

Mass Times

There are no Public Masses or Services during the current period of Lockdown. Our churches will be open for Private Prayer.

Sunday 8th Nov: 10am - 12 noon - Cinderford
Tuesday 10th Nov: 10am - 12 noon Coleford
Wednesday 11th Nov: 10am - 12noon - Newent
Thursday 12th Nov: 10am - 12 noon - Lydney

Recorded Masses and Talks

Wednesday Mass: 25th November can be found here

Sunday Mass: Solemnity of Christ the King can be found here

Friday Talk: 20th November can be found here

Sunday Mass: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time can be found here

Daily Mass from Clifton Cathedral can be found here

Phone contacts;

To help those without internet, Mass by phone 01642 130120 [ calls charged at local rate and free if included in your minutes]

Hospital; Gloucester and Cheltenham Chaplaincy Team will visit and Pray with patients on our behalf 0300 422 6200/4286.

News

We are a family of God, a community of disciples, striving to continually deepen our relationship with Christ and with each other. We recognise and value each member of our community, encouraging everyone to share in our life and worship. Together we celebrate the joy of the gospel and witness in faith our hope of eternal life with our heavenly Father.

Lockdown Updates:

Printer Friendly version of Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
(Last Sunday in Ordinary Time)
22nd November 2020

Sunday Mass available from 9am   )
Wednesday Mass available from 9am    )
Friday Talk available from 9am    )

Hope you are managing?
Normally when you meet people you can often tell how they are by their eyes. Just by looking you can get the picture. Somehow our eyes reveal what is going on within. It is a good thing that our masks don’t cover our eyes.
My first appointment as a curate was to Holy Rood Parish in Swindon. The Parish Priest liked horse racing. We often ate our Saturday lunch watching a race meet from somewhere. The Parish Priest said you could tell a horse by looking at their ears before a race. I’m not not sure what we were looking for in the ears but he did seem able to pick some winners.
Also if you know someone well, you can tell by the tone of their voice how they are. When you are on the phone to them, you soon get an idea. In fact I still think the phone is better than Facetime for a proper chat although Facetime is good for close family.
All of this asks the question of how good we are at looking out for others? Do we see our belonging to a Church Community as having a responsibility to each other? Does Christ Call us to Minister to one another? Family fills us with joy and drives us to our knees in prayer. And as they say about neighbours ‘God sees everything and the neighbours miss nothing!’
Bless you all.
Barnabas

Our churches are open for private prayer only during these times:
Tuesday 10 - 12 noon Coleford
Wednesday 10 -12 noon Newent
Thursday 10 - 12 noon Lydney
Sunday 10 - 12 noon Cinderford.

There are lots of resources for anyone who needs to contact someone in a safeguarding capacity on our diocesan website – www.cliftondiocese.com/departments/safeguarding
The Silver Line – a helpline for older people 0800 4 70 80 90 www.thesilverline.org.uk
Child Line – a helpline for children 0800 111 www.childline.org.uk
Our safe guarding representatives are also available to help you with your needs at this time please contact Jenny Heseltine Tel: 01989 750665 PSR.newent.ourladyoflourdes@cliftondiocese.com for Newent and Fiona Mills 0758 717 2279 or 01594 516175 for the Forest.

Parishes of Newent and Forest
Parish Priest Barnabas Page 01594 833173
barnabas.page@cliftondiocese.com

Bless you all. Barnabas

Prayer of Columba, translated by W. Muir, which expresses the humility of Columba as well as his great desire for God:

Almighty Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

eternal, ever-blessed, gracious God,

to me, the least of saints,

to me, allow that I may keep a door in Paradise;

that I may keep even the smallest door,

the furthest door, the darkest, coldest door,

the door that is least used, the stiffest door.

If so it be but in thine house, O God!

If so it be that I can see Thy Glory,

even afar, and hear Thy voice, O God!

And know that I am with Thee, ~ Thee, O God

Church Hall

Our Church Hall is located next to St. Margaret Mary Church in Coleford is currently not available for hire because of the Covid-19 situation.

Address: St. Margaret Mary's, 4 High Nash, Coleford, Gloucestershire. GL16 8HN. Get Directions »

When the Covid-19 situation allows, our Church Hall is used for various groups. Below are some of the regular activities. To find out more about any of these activities, please contact our Office.

Hard of Hearing - Fourth Monday of the month - 10 - 12.
FoodBank - Every Monday 2 - 4pm & Every Thursday 9am - 11am.
Pilates - Tuesdays 1 - 2pm. Please contact the office for dates.
Tai Chi - Tuesday 2 - 3pm. Please contact the office for dates.
Busy Bees Parent & Toddler Group - Tuesdays during term time 9.30 - 11am. Snacks provided. Activities for the Children.
West Dean Wind Band - 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7.00 - 9.00pm. www.westdeanwindband.uk
Faith Group - 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 7.30 - 8.30pm with tea & coffee from 7pm.
Young @ Heart Group - Thursdays 2 - 4pm.
Yoga - Thursday 7 - 8.30pm.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Group - Once a month on a Friday from 7-10pm. Contact the Parish Office for dates.
Lunch Club - Held every last Friday of the Month. 3 Course meal followed by tea/coffee.
Coffee Morning - Third Saturday of the month 10 - 12 noon. No Coffee Morning in Dec, Jan or Feb.

To download the hall booking form click here

To view regular bookings please click here

Links

Below are several links that we think might be of interest to you. Clicking on the logos will open the link in a new browser tab.

The Catholic Diocese covering the Counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, North Somerset and Bath, the City and County of Bristol and North East Somerset.

The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world. It has more than one billion members worldwide and around five million of these live in England. There are 22 dioceses in England and Wales seeking ways to help all the people of God grow closer to Christ.

The school's mission is to provide a rigorous and broad education within the context of a Christian environment. An understanding of the Roman Catholic faith, in line with the Gospel message, underpins the whole work of the school.

CAFOD is the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales. In more than 40 countries across the world, we bring hope, compassion and solidarity to poor communities, standing side by side with them to end poverty and injustice.

Celebrating Family: Blessed, Broken, Living Love, is the overarching theme of a range of pastoral initiatives developed by the Bishops following the Listening 2004 conversations.

The UK's premier campaigning and charitable organisation affirming and defending human dignity, and the right to life of every member of the human family, from conception to natural death.

SPUC represents a voice for the unborn. SPUC promotes awareness of the humanity of the unborn child to encourage more widespread recognition of the obligation to defend those with no means to defend themselves.

Marriage Care helps couples and individuals to build and sustain strong, fulfilling healthy relationships, as well as providing counselling support in times of relationship difficulty. Our vision is a society in which all adults can build and sustain strong, fulfilling, healthy relationships.

We exist to save lives and transform the futures of some of the most disadvantaged children and young people in the UK by supporting vulnerable pregnant mothers and young families through difficult times, offering them the help they need to turn their lives around.

We are a Christian organisation that seeks to put the hope of Christ at the heart of our nation. We aim to empower Christians to speak out with a strong voice in the media, in law and in government.

Gloucester Cathedral sits in the heart of the city of Gloucester, acting as the centre for the areas' Anglicans and the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Gloucester.

Mid-Wyedean Churches: the Church of England serving Coleford, Broadwell, Staunton, Clearwell, Newland, and Redbrook and surrounding areas.

CLIFTON DIOCESE (a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales under number 10462076. A registered charity number 1170168. Registered Office: St Ambrose North Road Leigh Woods Bristol BS8 3PW)