Welcome to the website of St Michael’s Catholic Parish in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in the UK. My name is Fr Philip Shryane, I am the parish priest and I have been here since November 2017. You can read information on our website about our parish, I hope it helps you and that you will contact us if you wish or come to visit us if you are in Huntingdon.
St Michael’s Parish is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia, we are midway between Cambridge and Peterborough. We are a friendly parish with a mixture of different nationalities coming together at weekends to celebrate Mass and to pray together. On our website you can find Mass times, the weekly newsletter and read contributions from some of the communities who make up our parish. You can also find out how to access the Sacraments and what preparation is required by the Church for each Sacrament.
May God bless you and your family,
Here a few notes of what to expect when you come to Mass, where to park safely and what you need at the door of the church.
We are on a main road, please park in Riverside Car Park, about 100 yards away, free on Saturday evening and Sunday.
We have two entrances, one off the main road and the other round the back of the church from the garden into the Good Shepherd Room. In church, please take a newsletter, a Parish Mass Book (PMB) and on Sundays a hymn book, all can be found near the doors. There is seating downstairs and upstairs and in the Good Shepherd Room (GS Room), front on the left or through the garden door.
Our parish collection is in an orange bucket near both doors or you can use a card reader near the door in the GS Room. Retiring collections are a wooden plate near the doors and an option on the card reader.
Welcome to our parish community.
MASS TIMES AT ST MICHAEL’S: Saturday at 18.00; Sunday at 09.00 and 11.00. Polish Mass at 15.30
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Latest news
Season of Lent in St Michael’s
PRAYER: there is a time of silent Adoration every Thursday morning after Mass: on Sundays we join together to walk the Way of the Cross with Jesus, that is at 17.00 each Sunday. To help open each of us to the Word of God there is a course of 4 talks on the Gospels of Lent, the final session will be Monday 27th March we will look at the gospel for the third Sunday of Lent, the woman at the well. Each talk will be at 12.30 accompanied by a soup lunch. The talk will be repeated on Monday evening on zoom, if you wish to attend, please email to the office for the zoom invitation.
FASTING: it is hard to fast together, but we share a simple meal on some Mondays during Lent, the final soup lunch is on Monday 27th March at 12.30, hope to see you there.
GIVING TO CHARITY: our Lent collection this year will be shared between Aid to the Church in Need appeal for Lebanon, details of their work and the need there can be found here: Aid to the Church in Need | Lebanon Appeal 2022 (acnuk.org). The second charity will be CAFOD’s appeal for Yemen, details here: Yemen crisis explained (cafod.org.uk).
I have chosen these two emergencies because they have slipped out of the news but remain in great need and are serious humanitarian emergencies. Our blue bowl collection in Church for these Lent charities will close on Sunday 2nd April; you can give your family collection until next Sunday. The blue bowl on top of the font, at the front of the Church and also on the card reader. Thank you.
Attending Mass at this time
We have now stopped booking to attend Mass on Sundays and most of our other procedures have also stopped.
Please DO NOT come to Mass if you have tested positive recently and should be self-isolating or if you have covid symptoms.
For Live streaming of Mass click here
If you are joining Mass via live stream you may wish to use these two prayers, the first at the time of Holy Communion, to make a spiritual communion and the second at the end of Mass.
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot, at this moment, receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
The second prayer we say together at the end of Mass, asking God’s help in this whole pandemic situation.
A PRAYER TO BE SAID AT THE END OF EACH MASS AND TO BE GIVEN TO ALL WHO ARE SELF ISOLATING
God our Father, Creator of the world, almighty and merciful,
out of love for us You sent your Son into the world as the doctor of our souls and our bodies.
Look upon your children who, in this difficult time of confusion and dismay in many regions of the world,
turn to you seeking strength, salvation and relief.
Deliver us from illness and fear, heal our sick, comfort their families, give wisdom to our rulers,
energy and reward to our doctors, nurses and volunteers, eternal life to the dead.
Do not abandon us in the moment of trial but deliver us from all evil.
We ask this of You, who with the Son and the Holy Spirit, live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Mary, mother of health and hope, pray for us!
St Michael, pray for us
Sacraments and other services
Confessions
Confessions are available on Saturday morning at 10.00
First Confession and First Holy Communion
These celebrations will be postponed until such time allows for family and friends to gather safely in our Churches; our programme sessions will also be cancelled at this time. It would be very good for parents and children to continue to use the I Belong book during this time and work through it together; this will help the children to be ready to share the sacraments when it is possible to do so.
Confirmation
A group of young people have now started their preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation for 2023. Please pray for them. The programme has officially started with sessions every Wednesday evening.
Anointing and Holy Communion for the Sick
Pastoral visits to the sick and housebound will continue as they wish and as long as they are not self-isolating. This also depends on Fr Philip staying free of the virus. We can also do much on the phone, supporting each other and asking for help if necessary. If you need visits during this time of separation and isolation, please phone to ask.
Funerals
We are now allowed to have Funerals in the Church again, both a Funeral Mass and a Funeral Service. There are Government limits on the numbers attending, at present the limit is 60 people; this applies to the Church and also to any refreshments you might wish to have after the Funeral.
For now, these are the main items for our parish, I am sure there will be more changes as the days go by. Please remember to keep your times of prayer, feel free to come to the church at weekends or ring if you wish to come in during a weekday, I am more likely to be at home during this time. Although we cannot gather at the Church, the Lord will not abandon us He will be present in the Blessed Sacrament for you This is a time when we need to turn to the Lord asking his help and guidance, praying for his protection for ourselves and our loved ones. Remember in your prayers those who are sick and their families; pray also for those who work in the NHS and all caring for others; pray for yourselves and your own family. Keep safe and well, be sensible about what you can do; if you are vulnerable take care and accept the limitations; if you are not in the vulnerable group, please pray for those who are and help them if you can. Please keep an eye on our parish website for the newsletter each Sunday morning.
May the Lord bless us all during this time,
Fr Philip
