Thank you for your Christmas cards and gifts, and to those who will forever be anonymous as some gifts arrived without a card or name!

The money raised will be shared equally between helping the work of the Sisters of Mercy at Mutomo Hospital, Kitui, Kenya, and the Infant Jesus Sisters in Cameroun. Total: £2652

Ash Wednesday is February 25th. Easter Sunday is April 12th

If you want to check on availability of the Parish Hall there is a regularly updated Calendar of Events on the Parishes Web Site at the About Us web page and select ‘Parish Hall Calendar’ to view or at http://www.christthekingchurch.org.uk/page1/page 36/page36.html

The numbers of people who showed interest in the proposed weekend next September were insufficient to confirm the provisional booking. So this year, and in future years as we have to book a weekend at least 2 years ahead, we will probably try something different instead. Watch this space for more news in 2009. For now, thank you to all who have supported and helped with these weekends over the last eleven years.

Proposed prizes for the Christmas and December draw are as follows;

December
Two £50.00 Prizes
Four £25.00 Prizes

Christmas
Five £100.00 Prizes

A total of £700.00 up for grabs. To qualify for inclusion in the Draw, members must be paid up to date! You cannot get on the "Gravy Train" if you have not paid the fare!
Twenty six members are at present in arrears and will miss out if drawn. Arrears lists at back of both churches.
Draw will take place after the Mass at Christ the King on 21/12/2008
The continued support of the 200 club members throughout the year has been very much appreciated. Thank you all!
All queries to Tony Crouch - tel: 761052 Email arcrouch@talktalk.net

After the generous response I had last year, I again ask you to bring a present to go under the Christmas Tree, which will be shared between The Salvation Army and Oasis Outreach Centre. If it is clothing, please mark whether male or female. Thank you . With my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Marie Williams.

Thank you again to all of you who take part in the Gift Aid Scheme at St. Joachims. During the fi- nancial year 2007-2008 your offertory donations to the Parish amounted to £12,476, which means that we have been able to reclaim £3,255 from Inland Revenue. If you are a taxpayer and would like to join the gift aid scheme, please ask Amalia Fernández for details.

The next Evening Prayer and Benediction will be on Sunday, December 7th, 4:30pm, at The Holy Rood.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
The children preparing to make their 1st Communion next summer will be receiving this Sacrament for the 1st time at
- St Joachim on Saturday, Nov 29th @ 9:30am.
- Christ the King on Sat, Dec 6th @ 9:30am.
All are welcome to come and pray with them.

ADVENT SERVICE - EASTSIDE CHURCHES TOGETHER
Sunday, November 30th 4:30pm at St Barnabas, Kingfisher Drive, next to Langney Shopping Centre.

RECONCILIATION SERVICES IN PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS
Wednesday, December 10th 8pm Christ the King
Tuesday, December 16th 7pm Our Lady of Ransom
Thursday, December 18th 7:30pm St Joachim

CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24th:
4pm - Christ the King: Christmas Eve at the Crib
7pm - St Joachim: Christmas Mass
10pm - Christ the King: Christmas Mass
Christmas Day, December 25th:
10am - Christ the King: Christmas Mass

To help us in our spiritual preparation for Christmas, why not join an Advent reflection group on Wednesday mornings 10:45am or Friday evenings 7:30pm at Christ the King Parish Room, week beginning 24th November. Diocesan material is based on the Sunday Mass Advent readings, with a special focus on St Paul's letters,marking the 2000th anniversary of his birth.
You can download the Diocesan material from the parishes web site at http://www.christthekingchurch.org.uk/page4/page 15/page15.html in preparation for the group meetings.
Please sign your name on the appropriate list at the back of the churches if you would like to come.
More details from: Mary Maloney 768308

Thank you for bring in your boxes to be counted. Our apologies to all those who couldn’t find their emptied box but they are now available in the usual place for collection.
This year you have collected £1410.16 for the APF and Mill Hill Missionaries - Thank you for your generosity.

On this day at 4.00pm at Christ the King we will have our annual Service, a time of prayer not only for those who have died during War, but also for all our friends and relatives who have died.

This fund raising event will be held in Christ the King Hall. Proceeds will go to CAFOD and the Parish. Good Food and entertainment including line dancing and karaoke. The Manager of CAFOD for A & B, Roger Morton, will be speaking at this event. Contact Teresa on 767583 for more information.

Welcome back to Father Barry after his epic adventure down under. After an uneventful journey from Oz to England he has shaken off the effects of long distance travelling and is back on the beat (to use a moving analogy).

Click here to read the latest Fr. Barry message from Australia. You'll find it below the Mass times

St. Joachim, Friday November 21st at 7:30pm. Contact Ita (501793)

We are in need of help with the preparation for the children’s 1st Holy Communion. Two hours of your time once a fortnight is the only commitment. Please see Deacon Eugene after any of Masses over the week-end.

DAPHNE HOPKINS - Thanks everybody for their love and best wishes at her recent "Coming of Age" !! Special thanks to Little Kiera Fear.
CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY - Money raised came to £770.05 which will be sent to CAFOD. Well done!
RACE NIGHT RESULTS - Congratulations to the organisers of the Race Night on 11th October. The evening raised £773.25 to be split equally with St Wilfred’s Hospice and the Parish. Well done and thank you to all who participated in this event.

The next evening for training will be on September 18th in Christ the King Parish Room at 7:15pm to 8:30pm. All Ministers should try to make this evening please.

As most will know already Fr. Barry is off to Australia from September 16th to October 24th. A note explaining what will happen during Fr. Barry's absence is available on the Mass Information web page, or click here, and will be included in the newsletter

Many of you will have known Emma Moulding at some point in her brief life. Emma died peacefully from cancer during the return journey from Lourdes. Her Requiem Mass will be held on Friday August 15th, 1:15pm, at Our Lady of Ransom and she will be cremated at the Eastbourne Crematorium at 3:15pm.

Family flowers only. Donations in lieu of flowers to the funeral directors, Serenity, which will be distributed to Pevensey and Cuckmere Wards of the DGH, and the A&B Diocesian Pilgrimage Fund.

The next issue and all issues up to end-October will be every 2 weeks. Everyone submitting notices for the newsletter should bear this in mind to ensure that their submission is made on a timely basis. Thank You.

On Wednesday, July 30th at 7pm there will be a Parish Meeting for all those who attend St. Joachim. There will be an opportunity to talk about Liturgy, Social Events, Finance, Buildings, and anything you like about Parish Life. All are welcome.

There will be instruction for ALL altar servers from Christ the King, The Holy Rood and St. Joachim at St. Joachim’s Church on Thursday, 31st July from 10:30am to 12pm Please sign the list at the back of the church or in the porch or let Julia Matthews know via Father Barry or Deacon Eugene.

After looking after Parish Finances for almost 25 years, Mike has now handed over to Eugene Adams. On behalf of all in the parish, our special thanks go to Mike for giving so much of his time and expertise. It is a crucial task in a parish, and most of the work is unseen.

Baptism Preparation
Dates:   Tuesday 9th and 16th September
Time:    7:30pm
Venue:  St. Joachim's
Contact  Ita Tel. 501793

Clare and Sue Jones recently completed "Race for Life" for Cancer Research in Hampden Park. They would like to thank members of the parish who sponsored them - they raised almost £300 in total, which has been sent off to the charity.

In aid of local charities and run by Eastbourne Knights of St. Columba. Pitch prices; Car Boots - £5. Van Boots - £7. Limited space so apply early to Wilf (410998) or David (423323).

THANK YOU to all who helped with the Summer Fayre.Your contribution ensured a very enjoyable morning. The final figure raised was £847.00. This has been given to Fr. Barry for Parish Funds. THANK YOU!

If you would like to receive this Sacrament during 2009 and will be in Year 10 or above, this September, please make sure you collect a form from Ita or myself today and return it before July 20.

If you have a child who will be starting Year 3 this coming September and you would like them to make their 1st Communion at Christ the King or Saint Joachim in 2009 please make sure you collect a form from Ita or myself today and return it before July 20.

Veronica Dolan says, “Many thanks for your continued support of this worthy cause. Many thanks too for the two very large boxes of used stamps left in the repository. Thousands of pounds are raised in this way for Leukaemia Research so please keep them coming”.

FIRST COMMUNION - Please pray for the following children who will be reeceiving their First Holy Communion on Sunday 4th May at St.Joachim's - Adriana Casquero, Daniel Cleland, Sophie De Freitas, Jasmin Ferreira Drumond, Tamara Ferreira, Drumond, Rosie Holland, Emily Keats, Alex Savvas, Louis Wood, Sherhans Bernardo.

Please remember in your prayers, the young people from our parish who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation next Friday, May 9th at the 7:30pm Mass at Our Lady of Ransom: Jack BAILEY, Joe CUMMINS, Jake CUNNINGHAM, Daniel DALE, Melville D’SOUZA, Olivia EDMUNDSON, Christian GOMES, Joseph GUPPY, Mica JORGE, Toby LOCKYER, Jamie MARTIN, Amber MULDOON, Calum MCGUIRE VAN ROSS, Carlos De NOBREGA RODRIGUES, Emily TAYLOR, and James WICKERS

Theresa Swan thanks all who bought copies of the Irish Evening DVD. £210 has been added to the funds, making £1410 in total for the Parish Fund.

Please remember in your prayers, the children from our parish who will be making their 1st Communiion next Sunday at the 11.30am Mass at Christ the King:
Amelia BYSOUTH, Daniel CLELAND, Constanci CORNWALL, Charlotte DIMMOCK, Charles FARROW, Adam FOX, Lauren FULLERTON, Jose GOMES, Evie JENKINS, Sophia LAM, Niamh LATUSKE, Rachel OLIVIER, Rikkey PAAL, Samuel PAAL, Joshua TOBIN, Brogan WOODHOUSE.

Marriage Care is seeking people who are able to support them in one of three ways: -

1- To train in order to help couples explore their relationship prior to the Wedding day;

2 - To Train as a Councillor to help people in relationship problems

3 - To help support the local Marriage Care Management team.

The time commitment will vary according to path you take to help. Marriage Care has a national web site for those who may want to know more about the organisation, www.marriagecare.org.uk or you can contact me via your Parish Priest.
Heather McDonagh.

This is now fully booked.

Elderly Lady needs transport to Church on Saturdays for 6.00 Mass. If you can help
contact Frank Hennelly on 01323-461655.

Thank you to every one who bought tickets for the Easter raffle and special thanks to Anne Duncan for selling them. The proceeds will go towards the cost of rewiring St. Joachims. The winner was Pauline R. thanks again. Julia Matthews.

The governors of St. Thomas a Becket Catholic Junior School wish to appoint an enthusiastic KS2 teacher from September 2008. This is a thriving, friendly school. Applications from NQTs welcome. Please phone the school to arrange a visit. For an application pack please contact the school;

St. Thomas a Becket Catholic Junior School
7 Tutts Barn Lane
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN22 8XT
Tel: 01323 737221

Closing date - April 21st 2008

Good News! The Holy Rood Church is open for business on March 29th. Details of the dates are to be found here

Roni Boyle and family wish to express their heartfelt thanks to the Parish for the love & sympathy shown to them following the death of Tom and for all their concern and prayers whilst he was ill.

Sister Ita's new email address is ita.noonan@talktalk.net - please use it.

If anyone has not yet filled in their forms or thinks that they should be have one, Charlotte Williams, the Child Protection Officer for the parish, will be available after Mass on Sunday 9th March at Christ the King, to help with any queries. If you would rather, please feel free to call her on 760531.

The list of additional events during Lent and Easter Week are to be found here

The Trinity Players wish to thank all who attended the special performance of Cinderella. We were able to present Emma Moulding with a total of £590.00. Thank You.

Please see the list at the back of Christ the King church, and enter your name if you wish to join a small group focussing on Pathways of Prayer during Lent.

During the period of Lent, BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship and Daily Service will take up themes of Pathways of Prayer with a study guide and complementary materials available on both the Churches Together and BBC websites.

Each week the preacher on the Sunday Worship programme will focus on a particular Pathway of Prayer. The six Pathways will be:

The Path of Holiness
The Path of Social Justice
The Devotional Path
The Sacramental Path
The Contemplative Path
The Charismatic Path

More information can be download from here

Would Red Box parishioners please bring their box to either Christ the King or The Holy Rood for collection and counting on either Feb 16/17th or 23/24th, return of box to church the following weekend.

On Jan 26/27th we welcome Martin Gosling from Our Lady of England Priory, Storrington, who will be here to celebrate Mass.

"The Sisters Of Mercy in Mutomo,Kenya and myself would like to thank Fr. Barry and all the parishioners who contributed so generously to the gift of money this Christmas.

Poor Kenya is in a bad state right now but we are all safe. The Sisters are helping out as much as possible but most of the Kenyan Sisters are very concerned for their own families, some are seriously effected by the situation.

Please pray for us as we do for you.

Every good wish to all for 2008 and thanks again for all you do for Mutomo."

Sr. Marian Dolan.

"Dear Fr Barry and Parishioners,

I arrived back at my desk on Wednesday to find your very generous Christmas gift in the form of your cheques awaiting me from Ita.

A huge "Thank You" Fr Barry for your very generous gesture in giving the annual Christmas dues from your generous parishioners to our needy causes.

Just before Christmas we received an SOS for support from Sister Scholastique in Somo, Cameroon. On our mission complex there are 3 schools, the local Catholic parish primary school, the school for the deaf and dumb children and the secondary school for 100 girls,some boarders, both run by our sisters, in all a total of 500 pupils and staff.

The water supply has become very badly polluted. The children draw the water each day from the local river often they come across snakes especially in the dry season which is now. Obviously they need water for drinking, cooking and the boarders for washing and showering. The pollution leads to constant infection and illnesses. They urgently want to dig a well that would provide sufficient accessible clean water for the pupils and staff of the 3 schools. I will get the money out to them straight away. Once again a very sincere thank you for your generosity and self- sacrifice which is hugely appreciated

Wishing you and all at St Joachim's and Christ the King parishes a very happy New year with every blessing"

Sr Alice KilBride, General Bursar, Infant Jesus Sisters

Members are advised that subscriptions for 2008 are now due. Quarterly (or annually) payments are appreciated where at all possible. Quarterly payments of £6.50 per number are a great help in the administration of the fund. Members paying monthly need to pay 13 instalments to avoid falling into arrears.
All queries to Tony Crouch - tel (01323-761052) Email (arcrouch@talktalk.net)

Sunday, February 10 at 4.30pm hopefully at The Holy Rood (if not yet open it will be at Christ the King)

For the £3684 Offertory collection at the Christmas Masses which will be shared equally between helping the work of the Sisters of Mercy at Mutomo Hospital, Kitui, Kenya and the Infant Jesus Sisters in Cameroun.

A lady living on Sevenoaks Road requires a lift to the 6.00 Mass every Saturday. Any Parishioner who can offer assistance please contact Frank Hennelly on 01323-461655.