Events: Learn to Pray

Dear friends in Christ,  Our Annual Parish Garden Fete is this coming Saturday (20th June) at 2pm! Once again, it should be a great afternoon of fun and delights. Books of raffle tickets for our Grand Draw are available in the glass porch for you to sell to your family and friends. We still need donations of bottles for the bottle stall, plants for the plant stall and cakes for the cake stall! Next weekend we have a mission appeal from the Comboni Fathers. One of their priests will be here in person to make the appeal. Their founder, Bishop Daniel Comboni (1831-1881) was canonised on October 5th 2003 by Pope Saint John Paul II in recognition of his decisive role in bringing the Gospel to sub-Saharan Africa in the second half of the Nineteenth Century. Today almost four thousand Comboni Missionary priests, brothers, sisters and lay people of forty-four nationalities follow in the footsteps of St Daniel Comboni in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the ‘poorest and most abandoned’ in Africa, the Americas and Asia. Next Sunday, 21st June, is the Day for Life with the theme, “The Wonder of the Child in the Womb.” The theme also recognises the loss of children who died before birth and the grief of their parents. The bishops’ message and prayers can be found on the Day for Life website: www. dayforlife.org. Next week I will be attending my aunt’s 80th Birthday on Saturday and so will be up in Newcastle from Monday to the following Monday. Fr Patrick will be looking after the Parish while I am away and will be available on the Parish telephone number.

WELSH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA CONCERT: Friday, 3rd July in OLSM Church, Abergavenny at 7.30pm. "Mozart in Abergavenny." Tickets £20, or £35 including drinks reception after concert. More information is available on the parish website: www.olsm-abergavenny.co.uk

CAFOD EVENING: On Friday, 26th June at 7.00pm, CAFOD South Wales will be bringing to St Michael’s Centre in OLSM parish, Abergavenny two of their partners and associates from Columbia in South America - Gerardina Cardozo Aragon and Tania Ruiz Cardona. They will be speaking about the challenges in the Colombian Amazon (deforestation/destruction of their common home, extractivism (oil, illegal gold mining), the ongoing armed con􀀁lict, violence against women, impacts of climate change) and what they are doing in their diocese to resolve the issue with the support from CAFOD.

NEEDLE NEEDS: Help is needed, initially for some napkin-hemming for the Monk’s Refectory. If you are able to help please contact either Fr Augustine, Fr Patrick or Fr Christopher.

LE VOCI LADIES CHOIR & CANTAMUS GIRLS CHOIR: Present an evening of song in aid of Yeleni Therapy and Support, a local charity.  In Belmont Abbey on Saturday, 27th June at 7.00pm. Tickets are £12 for Adults, £5 for Students and under 16s go free. Tickets are available at: levocicantamus.eventbrite.com or on the door.

HEREFORD POLICE MALE VOICE CHOIR ANNUAL CONCERT: Takes place on Friday, 26th June, 7.00pm at St Francis Xavier’s Church, Hereford. Tickets are £12 and under 18s go free. For more information visit: www.herefordpolicechoir.org

DOWNSIDE ABBEY FESTIVAL 2026: A series of concerts this Summer in the magnificent setting of Downside Abbey, 16th-19th July. Artists include David Bednall and the Bristol Brass Consort, the Choir of St Mary’s, Wimbledon and the Tenebrae Associate Artists. The highlight of the four-day festival will be a ‘Come and Sing’, directed by Sir John Rutter. Tours of the Abbey Church will take place and there will be an opportunity to see the exhibition ‘Everyday Lives’. More information is available at: https://www.downsideabbey.co.uk/downside-abbey-festival-2026/

Meetings are on Wednesdays 11am–12noon : 24th June, both in the Parish Centre, 22nd July in The Chapterhouse (all three are major feasts of the English Church). This is a way of opening our hearts to reading scripture in the Holy Spirit. It is an ancient practice, commended by St Benedict in his Rule. Lectio, whether in a group or on your own, begins with prayer, and then focuses on a brief passage of scripture. Read it several times, silently or aloud, and just allow yourself to sit with it. Be open to the Holy Spirit and to the Word of God - allowing yourself to be moved by it. Let it resonate with you and think about what it is saying to you. This helps us grow in love of scripture, and is a way of growing into prayer.

THE BIBLE: MYTH OR HISTORY?: A free illustrated lecture series in Biblical Archaeology with David Rohl. Session 5 - Kadesh-Barnea - The location of Kadesh-Barnea. Aaron’s tomb on Mount Hor. The journey to Abel-Shittim. The death of Moses on Mount Nebo. Saturday, 11th July 2.00pm to 4.00pm, location within Belmont Abbey to be con􀀁irmed. Free parking, Free entry. Monthly lectures on the second Saturday of each month.