Re-Opening for Public Worship

We’re delighted to have re-opened for public worship.
Masses at 8.00am & 9.45am on Sunday
Daily throughout the week – times here

In order to allow social distancing of 1m (3 feet) everyone except for children under the age of 11 is required to wear a face covering

We look forward to welcoming you.

Our church building is open daily: 9-11am – more here.

Support our work in the community

Re-Opening

Welcome back to Saint Helen’s, the Parish Church of Hemsworth.
Church Open
9-11am Daily.
All welcome

There has been an announcement that public worship may return to our church building from 4 July and detailed guidance is to follow. Whilst await that guidance before we are able to make any detailed announcements, let us rejoice, that the period of exile from the sacraments is drawing to a close. In the meantime do make use of the church being open for individual prayer.

Support our Work in the Community

Unfortunately, at the moment, we’re unable to do our usual fundraising to support our vital work in the community. Nevertheless we still need to pay our bills. Please support us by making a secure donation here: parishofhemsworth.org.uk/SupportUs

Perhaps you could also donate any unwanted books, CDs, DVDs and computer games (they have to have a barcode on them)? These items can be brought to church between 9-11am each day. If they can’t be brought then please contact Fr Robert who’ll try to arrange collection.

We’re also collecting food at the church for those who need it.

Celebrate Hemsworth’s Patron Saint

We’re getting very excited about Saturday’s Celebration of Hemsworth’s Patron Saint.

Coming to a street near you!
(timings are approximate)

1-2pm
Woodland Crescent
Conisborough Way
Lowfields Estate

2-3pm
Little Hemsworth
Common End
Scots Estate
Hamel Rise

3-4pm
AbHHH
West End
Holly Bank
Spring Vale Rise

Please join in by:
-praying for good weather
-arrange to have a socially distance festive afternoon tea (or perhaps something bubbly) in your front gardens to be able to receive the blessing of the relic.
-encourage your neighbours to join in too

#SaintHelenPray4Hemsworth

May Online Rosary Group

May is traditionally ‘Mary’s month’, when we join with her in celebration of her Son’s glorious Resurrection.  Pope Francis is encouraging households to join together in praying the Rosary throughout May, and we are encouraging families to do the same.  

To help with this we’re hoping to have May Online Rosary Group. We’re planning to meet

Each Tuesday in May at 5pm using Zoom

This will allow us to come together to say hello, briefly share some news, and to Pray the Rosary together. Fr Robert will lead the meeting.

Some guidance on how to get yourself set-up to join the meeting, and on how the meeting will be conducted is available here.

If you would like to join the group please contact Fr Robert for the zoom link.

Digital Booklet – How to Pray The Rosary Booklet

Printer Friendly Sheet – Printer-friendly Rosary guide

PDF Pope Francis Prayer to Our Lady – DOWNLOAD

Watch a how to pray the Rosary Film:

With thanks to Fr Allen Morris of the Parish of St Nicholas, Boldmere who gave this inspiration for these notes.

Sub tuum praesidium

In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis has “encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May“.

Fr Robert is encouraging everyone to join in this initiative. For some excellent resources see here.

The Pope’s initiative is based around the Sub tuum praesidium, the oldest preserved extant hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Theotokos, probably dating back to the third century (before even the New Testament reached it’s current form). For more see the wiki entry.

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genetrix.
Nostras deprecationes ne despiciasin necessitatibus
sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper,Virgo gloriosa et benedicta

Listen to this version.

We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions in our necessities,but deliver us always
from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

Here is an an English metrical paraphrase (776776) written by Canon Jeremy Haselock which is produced in the hope that the hymn can become popular once more.

Beneath your loving mercy,
God’s Mother, we take refuge.
Our prayers, do not despise.
In all our needs please help us,
And in all dangers save us,
O only pure and bless’d.

Manuscript of paraphrase sung to tune: In Allen Meinen Thaten
Recording of a paraphrase

A version by Louise Lambillotte SJ – Recording & Score

A Swedish translation:
Under ditt beskydd tar vi vår tillflykt, heliga Guds moder.
Ringakta inte de böner som vi ber när vi är nödställda, utan befria oss alltid från alla faror, du ärorika och välsignade Jungfru.

At the Abbaye de Lérins they sing this version of the Sub tuum praesidium in a French translation (the photo of the statue which can be seen at the beginning and end of the short film is closely related to the Sub tuum praesidium devotion):

This is Holy Week

Holy Week and Easter cannot be cancelled.  2000 year ago, all the forces of hell tried that.  They failed.

As we begin this Holy Week, we do so in different circumstances to normal. Normally, we would begin the wonderful celebration of Palm Sunday Mass.  This year must be different – we are not able to gather as a congregation – but we are still able to live out the events of this week as we read the scriptures and make the journey to Jerusalem with our Lord.  We hope the resources provided will help you as you seek to keep this week holy.

During Holy Week it is good to pray the stations of the cross. A form can be found for doing that here.

Many of us will normally want to meet Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at this time of year, and to leave our sins at the foot of the cross and hear the comforting words of absolution from a priest. This will not be possible this Holy Week and Easter, so we recommend that during Holy Week you make an ‘Act of Contrition’. There is a booklet for this here.

A full schedule of the Psalms and Reading can be found here.

Devotional Videos 

Those who use Facebook are encouraged to watch them there and to share them so that they reach as many people as possible. However, it is also intended to subsequently post the videos (for those who don’t use Facebook) here.

Holy Week with Children

Please see this excellent resource.

Sadly our Church Building is Closed for Individual Prayer at the Moment

Mass will still be celebrated, the offices of morning and evening prayer will still be sung and the needs of the parish of Hemsworth will still be prayed for. Do please make sure you follow the daily posts being made on our Facebook page.

For pastoral care, please don’t hesitate to contact the Rector He is endeavouring to produce a weekly pastoral message. If you do not currently receive it, but would like to do so, again, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Public Worship Suspended

A First for Hemsworth