There are four catholic churches within the Forest of Dean area all served by our Parish Priest, Fr. Barnabas Page. 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

Although our churches are closed during the lockdown 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. You please can be part of this by phoning those who are isolating. By clicking on the Vimeo link below you can watch Sunday Mass, Wednesday Mass and a talk on Fridays.
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

Current Masses and Services

Masses and talks

Sunday Mass and Wednesday Mass from Coleford Click here

Daily Mass from Clifton Cathedral can be found here

Friday talks from Fr.Barnabas on our Parish Vimeo Channel

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:

Parishes of the Forest and Newent

Parish Priest Barnabas Page 01594 833173

barnabas.page@cliftondiocese.com

Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
20th September 2020

Sunday Mass available from 3pm )
Friday Talk available from 9am )
Where are you heading?
It can be hard to keep up with road closures. Which dates will the road be closed? What did the yellow sign say? How can I get around it?
The direction we are facing with the Coronavirus also doesn’t look good. Unfortunately at present it is heading the wrong way. I find now I’m no longer following the news closely. Only taking note of how much it is increasing or where the next lockdown is taking place.
It would be good to think that this crisis will draw us closer to God. That we will learn to trust Him. Hopefully this is the direction we are heading. But sometimes more honesty can get us further than more trust. Being real with myself about my relationship with God. In the Gospels we meet people who are strong and people who are weak in their faith. However Jesus seems to work best with those who can be honest about their situation.
I was told today of a Church in Ireland where people sat in their cars in the Church car park during Mass. There was a loud speaker outside the Church and the Priest came out to give Communion! A Drive-in Mass. And how would the Priest know what they were doing during the sermon?
Bless you all.
Barnabas

Masses
Please book a place by phoning the following contacts for each Church, thank you.
Sunday 20th   9am Cinderford    To book phone Fiona 01594 516175
               11am Newent       To book phone Mary 01531 822 156
Tuesday 22nd    10am Coleford   To book phone Beverley 01594 861345
Wednesday 23rd    12noon Newent    To book phone Mary 01531 822 156
Thursday 24th    10am Lydney        To book phone Dot and Brian 01594 560054

Please note we now have permission to have Mass at Coleford on Tuesdays in the Church Hall. An altar has been installed and all COVID instructions are being followed. The Church will still be open after Mass until 12noon and you will be welcome to spend some time in silent prayer or to light a candle.

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

Fr Barnabas Pastoral Talk Friday 8th May:https://vimeo.com/416034273

Church Hall

Our Church Hall is located next to St. Margaret Mary Church in Coleford and is available for hire. If you wish to find out more, arrange a viewing or to discuss requirements, please contact the Parish Office.

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

Our hall is in frequent use. Below are some of the regular activities currently running. 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)