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. Saturday Vigil Masses alternate each Saturday at 6pm between St. Margaret Mary’s, Coleford, and St. Joseph's, Lydney. There are two Sunday Masses at Our Lady of Victories, Cinderford, and Our Lady of Lourdes,Newent. Mid-week Masses are normally on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For those parishioners that are 'shielding' we have recorded on-line Mid-week Mass on Wednesday as well as Mass on Sunday. The Friday Talk will continue on-line.
You can watch these Services by clicking on the appropriate Vimeo link.
For those parishioners fortunate enough to be able to attend Mass, it is important that we do our bit to beat this pandemic and follow Government Guidelines and the instructions of the Stewards when attending any of the Masses or Services.
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

Personal Assistant: Samantha Buchanan  forestrc@cliftondiocese.com

: 01594 833173

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

:

Forest of Dean RC Churches

Mass Times

 

Masses for the coming week

Bad Weather or COVID Alerts

If there is a likelihood of closing our churches due to bad weather or because of a COVID-19 incident, the information will be posted on this Church Website, on the Church FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/forestrcchurches and also by email to all those that have opted to receive the Newsletter by email. So please check the Church Website or FaceBook Page before travelling to church for Mass, Service or Private Prayer particularly if the weather is bad.  We don’t want you to arrive at a closed church!

Third Sunday of Easter
Saturday 17th April: Vigil Mass at Lydney 6pm - phone Dot&Brian 01594 560054

Sunday 18th April: Mass at Cinderford 9am - phone Fiona  01594 516175
Sunday 18th April: Mass at Newent 11am - phone Mary 01531 822156

Mid-week Masses
Tuesday 20th April: Mass at Coleford 10am - phone Beverley 01594 861345
Private Prayer after Mass in the church until 12noon.
Wednesday 21st April: Mass at Newent 12noon - phone Mary 01531 822156

Thursday 22nd April: Mass at Lydney 10am - phone Dot&Brian 01594 560054

Fourth Sunday of Easter
Saturday 24th April: Vigil Mass at Coleford 6pm - phone Beverley 01594 861345
Sunday 25th April: Mass at Cinderford 9am - phone Fiona  01594 516175
Sunday 25th April: Mass at Newent 11am - phone Mary 01531 822156

 

 

 

Recorded Masses & Services

Mass for Third Sunday of Easter can be found here

Gospel & Homily from Third Sunday of Easter can be found here
Friday Talk 16th April can be found here
Mass for Tuesday of Second Week of Easter can be found here

Gospel & Homily from Tuesday Mass of Second Week of Easter can be found here

Friday Talk 9th April can be found here

Masses & Services from Clifton Cathedral can be found here
For those of us who are unable to attend our own parish they can access all of our Parish services at Forest RC Church Vimeo

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.

Church News

Printer Friendly Version of Church News click here

Third Sunday of Easter (Year B)
18th April 2021

On-line Vimeo Masses & Services:

Sunday Mass available from 9am

Wednesday Mass available from 9am

Friday Talk awailable from 9am

Prince Philip
We are joining the Country in remembering the life of Prince Philip and his support to the Queen.  As Christians we are also able to pray for him and the Royal Family at this time.  Unfortunately he will not be able to have a State Funeral.
This reminds us of all the families who have had the difficult task of arranging funerals at this time.  We cannot honour and mourn our dead as we should during this pandemic.  I have thought for some time that it would be useful to have a Parish Team who could help families with arranging funerals and also with bereavement.  Not just during the pandemic but also for the future.  One good thing that has come out of this time of crisis is the use of technology.  It is possible at the Forest Crematorium to have the service live-streamed so people can watch from home.  If I do a Mass/service in the Church, we then seek to make the follow on at the Crematorium into a second appropriate service for the sake of relatives at home or abroad.  Just as people have felt connected through having our Masses online so we are able to include those who cannot be physically present with us.  This pandemic is a curse but it also presents us with new opportunities.  Having never done FaceTime before I am surprised how normal it now is to join with family or have Parish meetings online.  In this same way we will be able to join in with Prince Philip’s funeral.  Normally a televised Royal occasion is with the camera looking on.  The event isn’t organised around the camera, it is arranged for the benefit of those who are physically present.  This occasion will be different; it will very much take place with the cameras centre stage.
The people of the island of Tanna, east of Australia worshipped Prince Philip as a God.  The day after Philip’s death the island suffered an earthquake!  Now what will they make of that?
Bless Prince Philip and us all at this time.
Barnabas

There are lots of resources for anyone who needs to contact someone in a safeguarding capacity on our diocesan website – Clifton Diocese Safeguarding

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 or email Jenny for Newent and Fiona Mills 0758 717 2279 or 01594 516175 for the Forest.

Children’s Liturgy – Here is a link to the Sunday Gospel and reflection for children Children's Liturgy Playlist, although aimed at children, it can be enjoyed by all the family. Each new Sunday Gospel is posted on Saturday afternoons. This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Easter - Year B.  This week we are looking at number 21 in the series.

The Lord's Larder Food Bank - The Lord’s Larder Food Bank which serves the Forest of Dean, Newent, Leadon Vale and West of Severn areas provides basic food and toiletries to those in need through a voucher system.  During COVID they have seen a massive increase in this need.  If you would like to help this cause please leave a donation in the basket as you exit Our Lady of Lourdes in Newent.  Thank you for your help.

Parishes Picnic at Beechenhurst - A date you may want to put in your diary. Our picnic will be on Saturday 3rd July at 12noon. With an alternative date of Saturday 10th July if it has to be postponed due to the weather! This is a community event and therefore we would like everyone where possible to bring a plate/bowl of food to share - provided Government guidelines allow this. There will be a fun boules competition for adults and children.  More details will follow nearer the time.

The online weekly Clifton Diocese ‘Dare to Dream’ Lent Reflections 
will continue now as the ‘Dare to Dream’ EASTERTIDE REFLECTIONS. 
The reflections are available on the Clifton website. You can use these reflections entirely on your own or we are offering the opportunity to share our reflections with each other by joining either a weekly Zoom meeting or an emailing discussion group.  
To join one of the groups please contact;
for Monday's 2pm Zoom group -  Fiona on 01594 516175 
or email Fiona (Next session Monday 19th April)
for Saturday's 10.30am Zoom group - Mary on 01531 822156 
or email Mary  (Next session Saturday 24th April)
for the emailing group email Chris. 
Everybody is welcome, you can join at any time during Easter or as and when you can but please register your interest to receive the joining link.

FREE Webinar on Love and Loss
Exploring questions around dementia, bereavement and grief.
Tuesday 20th April 2021 on Zoom 11.00 - 12.30.
Please book your place through Eventbrite.

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.

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