NEWS FROM OUR PARISH...
Easter 2023
May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our minds and hearts.
Congratulations to Stella, Marenglen, Laura, Mesoe, Giovanni, Anashe, Danai, Anoushka, Jason, Serena who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this Easter. Please keep them in your prayers.
The Easter celebrations were beautiful, and the church looked amazing - thank you to everyone who work so hard to prepare for the liturgies!
Please remember that if there is anybody who wishes to enquire about the Catholic Faith then please speak to Fr Long.
Congratulations to Stella, Marenglen, Laura, Mesoe, Giovanni, Anashe, Danai, Anoushka, Jason, Serena who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this Easter. Please keep them in your prayers.
The Easter celebrations were beautiful, and the church looked amazing - thank you to everyone who work so hard to prepare for the liturgies!
Please remember that if there is anybody who wishes to enquire about the Catholic Faith then please speak to Fr Long.
Good Friday 2023
``Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world''.
Holy Thursday 2023
Staying with the Lord!
Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes & World Day of the Sick
February 11, 2023, the parish celebrated the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick and followed by refreshments in the parish hall. We hope to celebrate this healing Mass twice a year.
Quiz Night February 2023
An awesome Quiz Night! It was the biggest night on record. We raised £536.00 towards our parish building fund. Well done to everybody. May the good times continue. Thank you all.
Christmas Fayre 2022
An amazing variety of stalls at our Christmas Fayre. Thank you to everyone who attended and made the evening such a success.
First Holy Communion 2019
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The weather was beautiful for this year's First Holy Communion celebrations. On Saturday 18th May, Holy Mass was celebrated at 11.00 a.m. & 1.00 p.m. and the children from year three in our Parish school received Jesus for the first time supported by their family and friends. It was lovely to then welcome them back for their Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a celebration in the Parish Hall on Sunday 9th June at the 11.00 a.m. Parish Mass. We continue to keep them in our prayers.
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Easter 2019
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It was a joy to Baptise two members of our Parish during the Easter Vigil this year. They were also Confirmed and received the Eucharist for the first time during Holy Mass. They have been preparing with people from the parishes of Northfield & West Heath and Weoley Castle and Bartley Green. We keep them all in our prayers as they begin a new chapter of their lives as members of the Catholic Church.
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A Double Celebration at Our Lady of Fatima
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On Saturday 19th January 2019, the parish welcomed Bishop Robert Byrne C.O. to celebrate the Saturday Vigil Mass. At the end of Mass Bishop Robert presented the Diocesan Ubi Caritas Award to Mr John Peeney. This award was requested by the Parish Priest, Fr Craig Szmidt, as a way of recognising John’s untiring commitment to serving the parish and school of Our Lady of Fatima over many years.
Following Mass, Bishop Robert then blessed the recently refurbished Parish Hall. It was a great joy to see the completion of two-year restoration project which has involved replacing a dilapidated asbestos-cement roof, new electrical wiring and fittings, new heating and new windows. There was then an opportunity to celebrate with a Cultural Evening of food and entertainment which represented the many nationalities which now make up the parish. It was wonderful to see the Parish Hall so full for these important celebrations. |
Christmas Party
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It was a great joy to welcome members of our parish to the annual Over 60s and St Vincent de Paul Christmas Party. Parishioners rallied to provide transport for the elderly and housebound members of the parish on Monday 10th December. It was also a wonderful opportunity for them to enjoy our new refurbished Parish Hall - many of them were the ones in the 1950s who raised the money to build the hall! There was live entertainment and people took to the dance floor to show off their dance moves! Thank you to all those who worked incredibly hard to make it happen.
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Major Refurbishments of the Parish Hall
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The work of refurbishing our Parish Hall is now complete, and it is looking truly remarkable! On Saturday 29th September, we had a grand re-opening celebration with a cheese and wine reception. This was an opportunity for the parishioners and local community to gather to see what has been happening for the last 14 weeks. This work marks the culmination of months of planning, but is now fit for purpose, and serving the wider community of Quinton once more.
We are pleased to announce that we have received a grant of £4025.00 from The All Churches Trust. And £10,000 towards new tables and chairs from Awards for All. |
Confirmation Mass - 10th July 2018
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It was a joy to welcome Bishop Robert Byrne to the Parish on Tuesday 10th July to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on 28 members of year 6 from our parish primary school. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.
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New Disabled Toilet
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On 17th May, work began to install a new disabled toilet facility in the porch of the church. The lack of facilities within the church has been the topic of discussion for many years. With the closure of the Parish Hall for renovation, it was felt that this was the perfect opportunity. The new facilities and redecorated porch, has made a huge improvement to the entrance to our church.
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Major Refurbishment of the Parish Hall
On Friday 27th April, Fr Craig was pleased to present to the parish the works that are to begin on our parish hall. The works will begin in the summer and will see a complete refurbishment. This will include: replacing the asbestos-cement roof, new windows, new heating, new toilet facilities and lots of other exciting things. We now have the huge task of raising the massive amount of money needed. If you have any ideas, please do let us know!
Easter Vigil 2018
It was wonderful to welcome Bishop Robert Byrne CO to the parish to celebrate the Easter Vigil on Saturday 31st March. It was made more wonderful, because we also received three members of the parish into Catholic Church - please continue to pray for them. The Easter celebrations were beautiful, and the church looked amazing - thank you to everyone who work so hard to prepare for the liturgies!
St Stephen's Day Celebration 2017
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It was a joy to celebrate Mass on St Stephen's Day, and to enrol four new servers into the Guild of St Stephen. They have been serving regularly on a Sunday for the past year, and now have the experience necessary to be admitted to the Guild. It was also an opportunity to thank them for the dedication and reverence throughout the past year. Please continue to pray for our dedicated team of Altar Servers!
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Parish Hall Refurbishment - Phase One
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It has been a chaotic summer of works in the parish hall. Built in 1952, the hall was in urgent need of building work to eradicate years' worth of damp and a general tiredness. At the end of July, we closed the hall for this work to take place. To begin, we had to replace all of the drains around the building - many of which had cracked or collapsed. Work inside the building saw the complete transformation of the meeting room, storage rooms and corridor at the rear of the hall. This has cost a substantial amount of money, but, as parishioners say, it was well worth it!
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We are currently planning Phase Two of the works which will begin in June 2018. Externally, this work will look to replace the dilapidated windows, the roof, gutters, and down pipes. Internally, we will be completely stripping out the toilet facilities and replacing them with modern, up-to-date facilities as well as redecorating throughout. New heating and lighting will also be part of this work. This is going to cost a lot of money, and we are looking at fundraising and grant applications. If you think you might be able to help with this, or you would like to donate, please contact the parish office.
Decorating and Carpentry
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For the first time since the 1980s, the church has been decorated, and the new colour scheme above the Sanctuary draws our attention to the central part of the church - the Altar. But, the most dramatic change is the new panelling and Crucifix on the East Wall of the church. The hexagonal panel was badly damaged and beyond repair, so it was decided to remove it and replace it with new panelling to match the shrines to Our Lady of Fatima and the Sacred Heart. It has truly transformed the church.
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The end of the 100th anniversary of Fatima Apparitions
DAY THREE
On the final day of our celebrations, we welcomed Bishop Robert Byrne. It was a wonderful celebration with a full church. At the end of Mass, Bishop Robert blessed the new Crucifix and panelling behind the altar. Following Mass, there was a celebration in the Parish Hall.
DAY TWO
Monsignor Timothy Menezes, Vicar General, joined us for the second day of our Triduum of Masses. He celebrated Mass and reminded us of the centrality of Our Lady in our lives as followers of her Son, Jesus. He also encouraged the many young people present to tell someone that they have prayed for them, and watch their reaction!
DAY ONE
On Wednesday 11th we welcomed Fr Eddie Clare, Director of Maryvale Institute to celebrate the first of our Triduum Masses to celebrate the final apparition of Our Lady in Fatima. He preached about the importance of Our Lady's acceptance of God's will for her.
On the final day of our celebrations, we welcomed Bishop Robert Byrne. It was a wonderful celebration with a full church. At the end of Mass, Bishop Robert blessed the new Crucifix and panelling behind the altar. Following Mass, there was a celebration in the Parish Hall.
DAY TWO
Monsignor Timothy Menezes, Vicar General, joined us for the second day of our Triduum of Masses. He celebrated Mass and reminded us of the centrality of Our Lady in our lives as followers of her Son, Jesus. He also encouraged the many young people present to tell someone that they have prayed for them, and watch their reaction!
DAY ONE
On Wednesday 11th we welcomed Fr Eddie Clare, Director of Maryvale Institute to celebrate the first of our Triduum Masses to celebrate the final apparition of Our Lady in Fatima. He preached about the importance of Our Lady's acceptance of God's will for her.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
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We welcomed Archbishop Bernard Longley to the parish on Wednesday 5th July to celebrate the Confirmation Mass. It was wonderful to see the church so full for such a wonderful celebration. During Mass the Archbishop talked about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how these Gifts can help us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We pray for the children in year six as they now prepare to move to their new schools in September.
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Centenary Birthday Celebrations
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What a great joy to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mrs Mary Wyatt on Sunday 4th June. Mrs Wyatt was one of a handful of parishioners who worked to raise the money to build the first church (now the parish hall), the school and then the current church back when the parish was founded. The 11.00 a.m. Sunday Mass was offered for her intentions, and at the end of Mass, Fr Craig presented her with flowers, card and Papal Blessing. This remarkable occasion for Mrs Wyatt is made more special as she was born in the same month and year as the first apparition of our Lady at Fatima. We wish her every blessing in this, her centenary year!
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Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes 2017In the early hours of Saturday 27th May, Fr Craig and members of the parish set off from Quinton to join the annual diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes. It was an enjoyable week, and an opportunity to spend time in prayer before the grotto where Our Lady appeared to St Bernadette. We took lots of intentions from the parish with us, and lit a candle for the parish on the last night. Fr Craig looks forward to taking another group next year.
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Solemn Crowning of Our Lady of Fatima
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What a joyous celebration on Sunday 14th May, when we gathered in a full church to solemnly bless and crown the restored statue of Our Lady of Fatima. During a period of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament we were guided in a reflection by Fr Michael Glover, assistant priest in Worcester before we prayed the Holy Rosary for peace and our parish. Following Benediction, we solemnly blessed the new crown from Fatima before placing it on Mary's head. We seek her intercession for peace and our parish dedicated to her.
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New Shrines for Our Lady of Fatima & the Sacred Heart
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It was fantastic to see everyone's reaction as they entered the church this weekend, as the statues of Our Lady of Fatima and the Sacred Heart have been restored and put into their new shrines in the church. They are now prominently positioned so that we can offer prayer and devotion to them as we begin the Season of Easter. In the afternoon of Sunday 14th May, the statue of Our Lady will be solemnly crowned and blessed.
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Open Mic Night - Friday 24th March 2017
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What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the talent in our parish, than with an Open Mic Night! There was a great mixture of styles of music, with a few bad jokes thrown in for good measure. It was also great to see so many of our younger parishioners performing too. It was a most enjoyable evening which raised £400.00 towards the restoration fund. Thank you to everyone who was involved.
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Parish Quiz Night
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On Friday 10th February the Parish Hall was packed out for the annual Parish Quiz. It was a most enjoyable evening with lots of laughter and entertainment. Thank you to everyone who took part - and congratulations to the winning team. Thank you also to those who worked so hard to organise such a wonderful fundraiser. £461.22 was raised towards the fundraising.
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Mass for the Guild of St Stephen
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What a joyous occasion to enrol five of our Altar Servers into the Guild of St Stephen. During Mass on St Stephen's Day, 26th December, Fr Craig enrolled those servers who have completed their time of training and preparation. We are thankful for all of the hard work that our Altar Servers do each week, and we keep them in our prayers. St Stephen...pray for them.
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Come Home for Christmas Campaign
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Our parish was chosen to trial the Come Home for Christmas campaign this year. It was a wonderful opportunity to reach out the the community of Quinton and let them know that a warm welcome awaits them at Our Lady of Fatima. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, some of the Jesuit Novices from Harborne helped distribute leaflets and posters to the surrounding neighbourhood as a way of inviting people to remember the true reason for the season. The Church the Masses of Christmas was full and a truly joyful celebration of Jesus' Birth.
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New Heating and Lighting!
Christmas saw the completion of the installation of new, more efficient heating and lighting in the church. The results are instantly noticeable - and great improvement. We look forward to enjoying the warmth in the winter months ahead!
St Vincent de Paul Society Christmas Party
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The annual Christmas party organised by the parish S.V.P. group took place in December 2016. It was an opportunity to welcome members of our parish who are usually unable to get to church during the year. Wonderful volunteers bring the elderly and housebound to the parish hall for an afternoon filled with entertainment and food. It was an enjoyable time together.
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