

+44 (0)1626 774640 | office@allsaintsparish.co.uk
With the relaxing of lockdown it has enabled those Churches which are ready and able to open for private prayer until we are able to worship publicly together. We continue to pray for all those who are struggling with illness and isolation and all those who are working so hard for our safety and healing. Below are the Churches in our area who have opened with the times that we have been given. For any other Churches it is probably best to contact their office directly.
Our Lady and St Patrick. Teignmouth. Mon-Fri 10am-2pm
St Joseph’s , Newton Abbot. Daily. 10-12; Thurs Evening. 6-8pm
St Gregory’s, Kingskerswell. Mon and Fri. 4-6pm
Our Lady, Help of Christians and St Denis, St Marychurch Daily. 11-1pm; 5-6pm
Assumption of Our Lady, Abbey Rd. Daily. 11-1pm; 5-6pm
Sacred Heart and St Therese of the Child Jesus, Paignton. Daily 2-4pm
Pastoral Message to the Diocese: “Let us be like Christ the Servant”
Dear friends,
You will recall when I wrote before Easter, that I described this period we are living through as “a long Good Friday”. That is still so true, in so many ways. I have also been struck, over these past days, at how much each of us is having to live the Paschal Mystery, participating in a very real way in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, I would like to share some thoughts with you on how we have been invited into sharing in the Lord’s experience of His Last Supper with His disciples. At first, this may appear odd, since we are still unable to celebrate the Eucharist publicly, and we are not even able, yet, to visit our Churches to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Hopefully, it will not be long before we are able to do so.
You know that on Maundy Thursday, alongside remembering the gifts of the Eucharist and the gift of the Priesthood, the Lord also gives us a very profound example of loving service. The Gospel for that night is from John 13, where Jesus humbles himself to wash His disciples’ feet. We experience Him as Christ the Servant in a very beautiful way. Having washed their feet, he says, “I have given you an example for you to copy what I have done”. We know that message is for us, too.
This Gospel, of the washing of the disciple’s feet, is being fulfilled many times over, in these days. Again, and again we hear the stories of people caring for others. On a personal note, my brothers and I are extremely grateful for the loving care and treatment my mother received in hospital these past weeks whilst battling Covid19. I also wish to thank all of you for your concern and prayers. Mum was discharged to my brother’s home earlier today. As she left the ward, all the hospital staff cheered and clapped, exclaiming, “Mary is going home”. Every patient who returns home is celebrated in this touching manner. For me, it is a real experience of the power of prayer, as things looked very dark some days. She now requires ongoing support at home and a team of carers are assisting with that. I am conscious that it is doctors, nurses, cleaners, carers, the Catholic Chaplain, and support staff, who are presenting the face of Christ the Servant to our family in these days. I know it is the same for many of us.
I want to give thanks, too, for the many acts of loving service that are taking place in our Diocese, carried out by so many, in so many different situations. I would like to highlight the following as examples of the various ways in which priests and parishioners are modelling Christ the Servant.
Reaching out to the Isolated and most vulnerable
Caritas Plymouth has developed a short guide for parishes to support social action and offer some top tips for keeping volunteers and communities safe. Some of the very good things that they point to:
Any parishes wanting any further advice or support are invited to contact caritas@prcdtr.org.uk
Young people and schools
Proclaiming and Celebrating the Faith
I am sure that there are many other examples of loving service which you have experienced locally. Let us thank God for them all.
In this period, leading to the Feast of Pentecost, we recall the experience of Our Lady and the disciples waiting in the Upper Room for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It looks as though ‘lockdown’ will go on for us, for several weeks yet. May we unite ourselves to that experience of the Early Church, so that the Holy Spirit may be freshly poured out upon us all, leading us ‘outwards’ in the mission of the Lord. Let us each be like Christ the Servant.
Pray for me.
Yours devotedly
Rt Rev Mark O’Toole
Bishop of Plymouth
CathFamily.org have supplied us with a Family Stations of the Cross designed for use at home, as a way of engaging the family in the Passion of Jesus.
The document can be downloaded here and printed off at home.
This short YouTube video suggested for the website by Sarah Barreto, features 14 of the most beautiful Catholic cathedrals and churches in the world. If we can all be as inspired as those who created these most beautiful places of worship.
A possible candidate suggest for ‘number 15’ on the list, is the large 14th-century cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary situated in the town of Orvieto in Umbria, central Italy. This cathedral has a most spectacularly beautiful gilded facade, contains a wonderful fresco cycle by Luca Signorelli, and is location in the heart of what is just a small cliff-top Italian town.
Find out more about how the parish is run, the successes and challenges of the past year and our plans for the future.
There’s even a chance to ask our Parish Pastoral Council questions and make your views known.
For all this and a chance to socialise with other parishioners afterwards, come to our Annual General Meeting at 6pm in OLSP Church on Wednesday 17th July.
And if you’d like to join the PPC, pick up a nomination form from the back of church or contact the Parish Office for more information.
Interested in learning more about the Parish?
Would you like to serve on a ministry team or help with a particular area of Parish life?
Would you like to find out a bit more about what we do?
Could you suggest some other things we could try to do?
Whether you are a first time visitor or have been attending our church/es for months or even years, we’d love to help get you connected to the life of our community and take your next step in your journey with us!
So we are holding a Parish marketplace to showcase the vibrant life of All Saints. It takes place between 10:30am and 1pm on Saturday 6th July at Our Lady & St Patrick church in Teignmouth. We’ll start with coffee from 10:30am and then from 11am-12noon you’ll be able to look around the church where you’ll be able to meet our Parish Priest, Deacon and others from our community and learn more about our church and find ways to grow, belong, serve and engage! We’ll stop for an informal buffet lunch and chat until 1pm
If you’re involved in any aspect of Parish life, anything from cleaning or Eucharistic Ministry to being a member of an organisation like the CWL or Apostleship of the Sea, we need you to share your experiences and passion by manning a table at this event. Please sign up on the sheets at the back of each church or contact the Parish Office.