Welcome to our parish website
This is the Justgiving site where you can contirbute to our parish finances.
You can use the code reader scan or the link below to make a contribution.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Good-Shepherd-Church-Downham
All churches are suffering financial hardship since the pandemic and now further exacerbated by our current economic climate.
You may not be a regular attender at Good Shepherd but have family links or fond memories of the church of your youth. Your parish is dependent on your generosity to continue serving our community.
Thank you for your support.
The Feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
Eucharistic Ministers are invited to renew
commitment of service at any of the Sunday Masses.
The renewal follows on from the 'Lamb of God'.
On Tuesday.
Holy Face Prayer Group
Upper Hall at 3pm.
On Wednesday.
2nd July.
Bible Study Group.
Upper Hall at 7.30pm
All are welcome.
I wanted to get in touch to let you know that there are just six days until the final vote on Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill.
Yesterday, Kim Leadbeater suffered her first defeat - with MPs voting 259 to 216 to pass an amendment, which the Leadbeater camp were opposing, to stop doctors raising assisted suicide with under-18s.
This is a major setback for the assisted suicide lobby, but we are not there yet.
We now face Third Reading and the final vote on Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill next Friday.
Your constituency, Lewisham East, could tip the balance and help stop this dangerous Bill in its tracks.
While your local MP, Janet Daby, voted for assisted suicide at the initial vote at Second Reading, just 28 MPs needed to change their minds after Second Reading to defeat this Bill - and a number of MPs already have. That means this is winnable - but only if people like you take action in your constituency.
If enough people in Lewisham East sign the local petition we are running in your constituency, it will be very persuasive in getting Janet Daby to change their vote from supporting assisted suicide to voting NO or abstaining when it matters - at the crucial final vote on the Bill next Friday, 20 June.
In fact, Janet Daby could cast the deciding vote on the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill. Every single vote will count. The numbers are tight, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Help with collecting signatures in Lewisham East
In order to bolster numbers on the local petition to Janet Daby, we are looking for people in Lewisham East to help collect signatures this weekend (14-15 June) ahead of the crucial vote next week.
Collecting signatures is simple.
Click here to download the signature sheet now. If you don’t have time to collect signatures offline, please help spread the word online instead.
You can do this easily by forwarding this email to friends and family, or you can use our easy-to-use tool to share on WhatsApp, Facebook or X by clicking here.
Thank you again for all your help during these critical last seven days before the vote.
Catherine Robinson
Right To Life UK
Scan this code to notify youir MP of your concerns.
Solemnity of Ss Peter & Paul
Second Collection for Peter's Pence.
A Jubilee Year
is a special time dedicated by the Catholic Church
to reconciliation, conversion, and spiritual renewal.
During this year, the faithful can receive
plenary indulgences, participate in events and spiritual activities, and deeply reconnect with their faith.
As so many will not be able to travel to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee Year,
the Pope asks local Bishops to designate appropriate churches in each diocese
to be centres of pilgrimage where the many Jubilee Indulgences may be obtained.
See link for further details.
Inauguration of Holy Year Jubilee 2025
Seee link for latest.
Mass in Celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, July 12th, at St George’s Cathedral.
If you are celebrating your 1st/10th/25th/40th/50th/60th + wedding anniversary this year,
please let us know as soon as possible, and no later than the middle of May,
providing the following details: your names in the format John and Mary Smith, your home address, your parish,
and the anniversary you are celebrating,
so you can receive an invitation from the Archbishop for the renewal of vows during Mass.
Spaces are limited.
Contact us at mflse@rcaos.org.uk As the title of your email, please write your parish location e.g. Clapham, Beckenham.
Marriage and Family Life South East
RC Archdiocese of Southwark
Parish Funday
Sunday 13th July 2025
12 noon to 3 pm.
Farewell Mass with Fr John
at 11am Mass.
Giving thanks to God for 34 years of service
to the parish community.
This will be the only celebration of his retirement
(at the request of Fr John).
Fr John will remain in the parish until the end of August.
Application forms are available at the back of the church.
Please return to Fr John in the sacristy.
A Year of Hope: Introduction to the Jubilee Year
How can we respond to Pope Francis’ call to be “tangible signs of hope” in this Jubilee Year?
Find out by watching this inspirational event
find it and other Jubilee resources at cafod.org.uk/jubilee).
Featuring Fr Jan Nowotnik, Director of Mission at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales,
CAFOD Director Christine Allen and more.
Discover how we can act in faith and in love as pilgrims of hope this Holy Year.
You Can Help Your Marriage –Do you feel alone?
Are you frustrated or angry with each other? Do you argue … or have you just stopped talking to each other?
Does talking about it only make it worse? Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long'i') helps couples through difficult times in their marriages.
Out of 21 couples who joined the Retrouvaille programme in February,
two couples have turned away from divorce, and others now found hope to restore their marriages.
There is no group therapy or group work.
This programme has helped 10s of 1000s of couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage.
For confidential information about Retrouvaille’,
or to register for the next programme commencing via Zoom on …
20-22 June 2025
Call or text 0788 7296983 Email info@retrouvaille.org.uk
Details of all programmes,
listed above,
in the Headline menu.
First Holy Communion Programme.
Sunday Liturgy for Children
Sacrament of Confirmation
Discovering the Catholic Faith
Infant Baptism.
Vocations to Priesthood, Diaconate and Religious Life.
See link for further details.
for children aged 3 years and above.
contact the school on 020 8698 4173 or
www.goodshepherd.lewisham.sch.uk.
Appeal for School Governors.
Governors have an important role to play in ensuring sure schools are run effectively.
They work as part of a team with the Headteacher and other staff
to provide a happy, safe, and thriving learning environment as well as an excellent education for all the children.
See link for details.
For families and young adults:
The latest CELEBRATE resource which is ourLent Online Family Activity pack designed to support family faith life.
It is packed full of engaging activities, ways to pray, books to savour and films that both entertain and promote conversation in faith.
Parishes, schools and families can download their free Lent family activity pack here.
CELEBRATE also has a couple of events coming up:
See link for details.
Some Reflections in Light of the Synod on Synodality.
Summary by Archbishop John Wilson.
See link for details
Racial Justice and Social Inclusion
See Link for latest Newsletter.
Newsletter of the Commission for Promoting Racial Justice and Cultural Inclusion
December 2024. Issue 12.
Jubilee Year 2025
Latest news on Jubilee Year 2025.
See link
Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis
See link for latest newsletter.
Caritas in Southwark
Archbishop John Wilson challenges his diocese to respond.
Pope Francis reminds us,
‘Each individual Christian and every community,’
he says ‘is called to be
an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor,
and for enabling them to be fully a part of society.
This demands,’ says Pope Francis ‘that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor
and to come to their aid.’
(EG 187)
Latest Bulletin June 2024
See link.
See link for details.
CSAN (Catholic Social Action Network).
Do Justice Campaign.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage Catholic parishes and schools to discern the needs of their local communities in the light of the Gospel and to act with the skills and resources they have at their disposal to bring about a more just society.
See link for details
Called to be Peacemakers
A new document of the International Affairs department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
A Catholic approach to arms control and disarmament.
See link for details.
Lewisham Council.
Lewisham Foodbank
Worrying about money!
Struggling to pay the council tax!
Better off Lewisham
Need for Foster Carers
Recycling and Waste Collections
click link for details.
June Edition
With the ESV translation of the scripture.
Price £1.
now available from the back of the church.
This is a useful little book (A5) which contains the daily Mass Readings.
Link yourself with the Universal Church in taking a few minutes,
on your way to work or during a break,
to unite with God's Word,
as it is received throughout the world on each day.
Available from the back of the church. Price £1.
Anne Duggan RIP
Received into Church: Monday 16th June at 4pm
Funeral Mass: Tuesday 17th June at 10.30am
Committal: Hither Green Cemetery at 12 noon
Martin Joyce RIP
Funeral Mass: Thursday 19th June at 11am.
Committal: Camberwell New Cemetery at 1pm.
Suzette Alexis RIP
Funeral Mass: Thursday 26th June at 9.30am
Committal: Grove Park Cemetery at 11am
Mary Shirley Davis RIP
Committal: Friday 27th June at 3pm
Lewisham Crematorium