Welcome to the parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is a thriving parish community in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. We look forward to meeting and celebrating the word of the Lord with you at Mass or at one of our many parish events.

Here at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Charlton Kings we strive to be a family-friendly community, where sincere affection, patience, tolerance and mutual respect be freely given to all.

Parish Office

The parish office is usually open between 9.30am until 12.30pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays ONLY

Times may vary

  You can watch Mass live from Clifton Cathedral every day via the live-stream by following the link to their homepage:  https://cliftoncathedral.org

OFFERTORY COLLECTION

Baskets for your donations to the PARISH and for the RETIRING/SECOND COLLECTION are found as you enter and leave the church or your can make your donation ONLINE through the DONA portal or by STANDING ORDER. 

Parish Giving

Rather than using the collection plate, you can now make your donation to Sacred Hearts parish online by clicking on the ‘Dona’ logo below.

 

It will accept all Debit and Credit cards.

Contributions supporting the work of the Parish are always kindly received.

Thank you for your on-going support

Alternatively

1. click HERE and download a standing order form and post it back to the parish signed and completed or

2. Envelopes can be put through the presbytery door

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Shafts of Light, Shafts of Hope in Advent

Advent is a time of light, of waiting and hope, of light and joy. Join us as we reflect on these great themes with music, art, and scripture. See it as a mini retreat to give some focus to this busy time of present buying, food shopping, baking and wrapping of gifts.

The mini retreat will be run twice online, just follow the link and click on your chosen session:

Thursday 14th December 7-8pm: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/bef05e7a-38d9-4349-8c6c-39c0d79dda93@f10b8f13-604e-4fa2-9e12-04a7fad22e94

Repeated on

Tuesday 19th December 3-4pm: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e1cc27ee-0fba-403e-a6a4-86c34a930b1a@f10b8f13-604e-4fa2-9e12-04a7fad22e94

2024 Year of Prayer - Pilgrims of Hope

3 December is the First Sunday of Advent, and the beginning of Year 2/Cycle B (St Mark). Pope Francis has also announced that it will be the first day of the 2024 Year of Prayer. This is a year in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year Pilgrims of Hope. There are a few things you can do right now to begin preparing yourself.

One thing you can do, and possibly the most important, is to pray the Our Father – Pope Francis calls on the Church to focus especially on this prayer. Take some time out of your day and give it to God with this prayer.

Another is to look back through some of the resources on our website. Pope Francis called on the Church to look back at the Four Constitutions from the Second Vatican Council, so why not start with Bishop John Arnold’s talk on Lumen Gentium from our We Are the People of God series?

Follow this newsletter, and follow the Department for Adult Education and Evangelisation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkTree to keep up-to-date with our resources and events.

And why not consider purchasing a 2024 Liturgical Diary to help you keep track of your weeks?

Hamper Scamper

Hamper Scamper Appeal 2023

Thank you for continuing to donate foods to the Food Store

As we approach Christmas could you look at donate food towards our festive hampers by donating items from our Christmas shopping list to make up the hampers.

Gloucestershire Bundles

We are supporting Gloucestershire Bundles again this year. It is a local charity that supports disadvantaged families, particularly at this time of year.
They are looking for NEW books and toys for children aged between 0 and 16 years.
Gifts should not be wrapped so that they can see what has been given and allocate accordingly. But perhaps you could put your present in a festive gift bag.
Donations to be placed in the box at the back of church.

Final collection day is Sunday 3 December.
Thank you for your generosity.

Christian Leadership Formation programme

Are you currently in Lower Sixth/Year 12/S5? Are you considering a public-facing career? Do you want to help build a Christian society?

The Christian Leadership Formation programme uniquely offers a combination of stimulating and high-quality intellectual content, spiritual nourishment, personal development, inter-personal skills, team-building and socials in a tightly-knit community experience, with expert academics and professionals. Open to any student who is motivated by their faith and their studies, with bursaries available as needed.

More information and applications via our new website www.christianleadershipformation.com , and please encourage your parishioners and contacts to follow us on Instagram (@christianleadershipformation) for all the latest updates!

Parish life

For more information please click on the relevant section

Parish Hall

A large hall with a stage, lounge/bar, committee room and kitchen

Readings for Today

Find the reading and prayers for the day for reflection

Our Film Society

Charlton Kings Film Society is delighted to introduce its 4th season.

Safeguarding

Being loved and being kept safe go to the very core of the Church’s Ministry

Squash and Racket Ball Club

the valuable benefits of membership, which is open to the public.

Clifton Youth Ministry

Opportunities to further Your involvement in the Catholic Church

Sacred Hearts parish is always welcoming new people and encouraging them to get involved in one of the many ministries within the parish – as a community we are called to accept the invitation to come to faith in Jesus, to love and serve one another

Please download the parish census form, complete it and return it to the parish office.

New to the parish (Form)

Information provided on this form, together with all other personal data held by the Parish and the Clifton Diocese, is processed in accordance with the Diocese’s Privacy Notice; which is available at https://cliftondiocese.com/privacy-notice

or from the Parish Office.

Maintaining things as they are does not transform and change people’s lives – getting involved in parish life will help to do that!

Going into hospital

It is important that on admission to hospital, a patient (or his/her carers) inform the admission staff that they are Catholic. The hospital will not ask for this information, it is up to the patient to make it known and to make sure that a note is made.

If you know you are going into hospital, please ensure that you are anointed before you go in, as visits to hospitals have been severely restricted.

ALL emergency requests must go through the Chaplaincy office or the switchboard at the hospital ring 03004 222 222 and please remember to ask for the on-call Catholic Chaplain.

PLEASE NOTE: Visits relating to the distribution of Holy Communion at the weekend, are still not possible within the hospital.

If you need a priest, other than for the hospital, and you can’t contact the parish priest at Sacred Hearts please contact the Cheltenham Dean at St Gregory the Great, 10 St James Square, Cheltenham, GL50 3PR, on 01242 523737

Guidance on attending mass at Sacred Hearts –  DECEMBER 2023 UPDATE

While appreciating that any number of reasons can cause someone to be late, we do ask all attending weekend and weekday masses to make every effort to be on time. Arriving unnecessarily late for mass is not only a distraction for the priest and congregation, but it dishonours the attention and participation that is due to the celebration of mass.

Attending Mass: If and when you are coughing, sneezing and suffering from flu like symptoms please consider whether you are well enough to attend mass and if you choose to attend please wear a face covering, available in the porch. Please remember to use the hand sanitiser provided on entering and leaving the building

Adults and children who wish to receive a blessing at Holy Communion time are reminded to give a clear indication of this by crossing their arms in front of their chest. All who come forward to receive Holy Communion are asked to consume the Host while facing the altar and before returning to their place.

Please remember there are vulnerable people in our community and would like their personal space respected.

  • Holy Communion will continue to be given under ONE form and ministers will be encouraged to wear a face covering. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: will assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. 

  • PLEASE NOTE: that due to the reduced numbers of Extraordinary Minister we unfortunately will not be able to reintroducing Communion under both kinds. If you are interested in joining this ministry team then please arrange an interview with Fr Mark so that you can obtain a job description and the necessary DBS forms – on receipt of a clear DBS check you will be permitted to join the team. Thank you

  • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: takes place, on Fridays and Saturdays before the morning mass when it is at 10am. Confessions will be heard in the confessional from 9.00am until 9.45am 

CHURCHES & CHAPELS IN CHELTENHAM

Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, 
Moorend Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, GL53 9AU

Nazareth House
London Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6YJ

St Gregory the Great, 
10 St James Square, Cheltenham, GL50 3PR

St Thomas More,
Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, GL51 7RA

CLICK on the respective name highlighted in BLUE for mass times and more information: 

Nazareth House or St Gregory the Great or St Thomas More

Redemptorist Publications is pleased to introduce Celebrate: an initiative designed to help children grow in their faith.

Each week they will provide a Children’s Liturgy in the form of a video of the week’s Gospel reading, a reflection and a final prayer.

Fun, engaging and practical worksheets/resources will also be provided to help children continue to practise their faith during this difficult time. Please click on their image to go to their webpage. Thank you 

PARISHES & DEANERY/PASTORAL AREA [September 2023]

PASTORAL AREA: St Kenelm

Dean:  Fr David Mills

St Gregory The GreatCheltenham
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and MaryCharlton Kings
St Thomas More, CheltenhamCheltenham [Administered jointly]
St Catharine’sChipping Campden
St Peter’sCirencester
St Thomas of CanterburyFairford
St Benet’sKemerton
Our Lady and St KenelmStow-on-the-Wold
St Joseph’sTewkesbury [Administered jointly with Priest in residence]
St NicholasWinchcombe [Administered jointly]