St Joseph's RC Church, Basingstoke

09/06/2026

The Holy Spirit is at work

The Catholic faith is alive in Europe. 🙏

Pope Leo draws crowd of over 1.2 million, mostly young people, during visit to Madrid.

One of the largest papal Masses in world history.

30/05/2026

🙏 ✝️ The Most Holy Trinity – 2026 ✝️ 🙏

📖 (Exodus 34:4b-6,8-9; Daniel 3; 2 Corinthians 13:11-14; John 3:16-18)

✝️ Every time we start a prayer, we start by saying – In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We do this at the start and end of Mass and we recognise the significance of the Cross before we hear the Gospel by tracing the sign of the Cross on our head, our lips and our chest. This is a request to God that He will place the Gospel in our minds, on our lips and in our heart.

💧 These same words are the words we hear as our Christian life begins, when the celebrant says the words, ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.

🕊️ The Trinity is central to our Christian life and by using the Sign of the Cross, we not only recall our Baptism but we are placing God at the centre of our life and by recalling that Our Lord is the Son of God, leads us to think of the Father, whose Son He is and of the Spirit which He promised and sent to us.

📜 The Scripture readings we have today outline the importance of the Trinity in our lives.

⛰️ In the reading from the Book of Exodus, we have Moses; having returned to Mount Sinai after having smashed the original stones which God had inscribed with the 10 Commandments; return and God tells him that the He is ‘the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.’

💛 The LORD also demonstrates this mercy and faithfulness by inscribing fresh stones which He had ordered Moses to cut; remembering that Moses had smashed the stones because of the Jewish people’s sinfulness.

🔥 In the place of the psalm today we use a small selection from the Book of Daniel allowing us to praise God in the same way that Daniel did when he was faced with imminent death for not bowing down to false gods.

👑 Pope Benedict XVI said about today’s Solemnity:
"The liturgy invites us to praise God not merely for the wonders he has worked, but for who he is; for the beauty and goodness of his being from which his action stems."

🎵 Using the reading from Daniel allows us to praise and exalt God for the many benefits and gifts He bestows upon us; as his beloved children.

🤝 In the second reading from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we are encouraged to remember that we are his children and that everyone else who professes Jesus to be the Son of God is our brother or sister.

❤️ For this reason, he says we have to live in harmony, support one another and love one another.

🪞 When I think about this in my life, I know that I struggle.

⚖️ A very recent example of this, was earlier this week when I let my frustrations get the better of me because an activity that Pam and I were doing together, wasn’t done the way I wanted it to be done.

🤔 I wonder why it had to be done my way?
🤔 Did I not trust that someone else could have a different, maybe even better way of doing this?
🤔 Why do I and perhaps we, make things like this so important, that it affects the harmony we should be enjoying as brothers and sisters in Christ?
🤔 What does my anger tell me about myself?
🤔 Why do I put my pride first, rather than be life giving to the people I love?

🌍 In St John’s Gospel we hear that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that we, who believe, would not perish.

🕊️ Our belief in God, His Son and the Holy Spirit call on us to set aside our own needs; and look out for the needs of those around us.

💞 The beauty of this is that if we surround ourselves with other people of faith, then they will also be looking after our needs.

🚪 I started this reflection by saying that our Christian life begins by us hearing the words of our Baptism.

🌅 If we are truly blessed, our life may end by hearing the words from a prayer attributed to St John Henry Newman which is a prayer for the dying:
"Go forth upon the journey, Christian soul!
Go forth from this world! Go in the name of God
The Omnipotent Father, who created thee!
Go, in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
Son of the Living God, who bled for thee!
Go in the Name of the Holy Spirit, who
hath been poured out on thee!..Go on thy course;
And may thy place today be found in peace,
And may thy dwelling be the Holy Mount
of Sion; through the Name of Christ our Lord."

🙏 Please accompany in your prayers
🏥 All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
🕯️ Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
⛪ Those who have completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.
🌱 The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
💙 Those affected by addiction.
💼 Those in need of work.

✍️ Deacon Tony
📅 30th May 2026

30/05/2026

JoinPope Leo XIV and Catholics around the worldin praying a rosary for peace today, May 30th.

Pope Leo XIV is inviting Catholics around the world to join him in praying a rosary for peace on May 30.

The Holy Father is set to pray the rosary live from the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens at 7 p.m. Rome time. Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., will join Pope Leo in praying the rosary with a simultaneous livestream at 1 p.m. ET, according to a May 22 press release.

Shrines that have joined the initiative, coordinated by the Dicastery for Evangelization, include: the Shrine of the Mother of God (Zarvanytsia, Ukraine); the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Antipolo, Philippines); the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary (Fátima, Portugal); the Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Peace (Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina); the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (Lourdes, France); the Shrine of St. Charbel Annaya (Byblos, Lebanon); and the Pontifical Shrine of the Holy House (Loreto, Italy).

“As the preeminent Marian shrine and patronal church of the United States, the basilica joins shrines throughout the world in this worldwide rosary with the Holy Father,” according to a statement from the basilica in Washington, D.C. “All are invited to participate in this special moment of unity and prayer for peace throughout the world.”

During his homily at Pentecost, Leo called Catholics to pray to the Holy Spirit to “save us from the evil of war, which is overcome not by a superpower but by the omnipotence of love.”

Leo has issued repeated calls for peace around the world, including the Middle East, Africa, and Ukraine, since the start of his pontificate.

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/vatican-announces-global-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-leo-xiv

24/05/2026

Thank you, Andy, for a beautiful testimony! I had a chance to catch up with him briefly after the service, and it hit me just how much his journey echoes so many of our own. God has probably worked enough miracles in his life to fill a whole library! We are definitely going to hold you to a sequel, Andy; we need the full tracklist.

What really struck a chord with all of us was how clearly he recognized the presence of the Holy Spirit. When he said, "I am finally home," I think everyone in the room felt a collective flutter in our chests.

So, welcome home, Andy. We are so incredibly glad you’re part of this family. And to the rest of us—Happy Birthday to us! Let’s set our hearts on fire and celebrate the birth of the Church.

24/05/2026

🔥 Pentecost Sunday 2026 🔥

📖 (Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13; John 20:19-23)

Most of us are familiar with the story of the day of Pentecost as described in the reading we take today from the Acts of the Apostles. Imagine how frightening it must have been initially for the Apostles. They had been told they would be sent an advocate and had seen Jesus Ascend into Heaven, but would it have prepared them for what happened that day? The noise of the descent of the Holy Spirit was so loud that people from all over the city rushed to see what was happening.

🌪️ So, what was happening?

The Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles was not a gentle occurrence. We read there was a mighty rushing wind which filled the whole house; this was noisy! There were what appeared to be tongues of fire, which divided and rested on each one of them. 🔥 Does this mean that they felt a great heat as well? They were filled with the Holy Spirit and started speaking strange languages. If we were to read further on in this chapter than what we use for today’s readings. we would see that some thought they were drunk, nowadays some may say ‘under the influence’.

✨ As believers we know that they were under the influence, but not from alcohol or other substances; they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and through this influence they were filled with the gifts which would enable them to take the Gospel out to the whole world.

🕊️ We are also under that influence, but do we allow the Spirit to control our lives or do we seek to maintain control?

🔥 Are we afraid to let the gifts of the Holy Spirit flourish in our lives?

🎭 Do we try to hide or supress our gifts?

🌫️ Do we live and act sometimes as if there was no such thing as a Holy Spirit?

Jesus left us His Spirit to help us stay connected and ultimately be with Him. Many of us over the last nine days may have taken part in the original Novena, which is a time of prayer between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday; seeking the Holy Spirit. Some of us may have let other things get in the way of that.

🙏 I’d like to suggest that we engage in another nine days of prayer, another Novena over the next nine days. I’d like every one of us to think of an individual, who used to come to Church, or even someone who has never been to Church; and to pray for the Holy Spirit to enter into their lives.

🕊️ We can use our Mission prayer for this, and as we say it, picture the person you are praying for in your mind, say the Mission prayer as if they were saying it for themselves.

✨ “Breath in me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Guard me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy. Amen.”

🌍 That day when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles, they went out into the crowd who had gathered to find out what the almighty noise was. Then St Peter addressed them telling them about Jesus, telling them how they had been part of the Salvation story. Peter’s testimony was so strong, powered by the Holy Spirit, that three thousand people were added to the Faithful that day.

💫 Our prayer during these nine days can help to call loved ones back to the Church or bring new believers. We just need to use the gifts we have been given by the Holy Spirit.

📚 Further Reading

📖 The Catechism of the Catholic Church

🔥 The Solemnity of Pentecost

• CCC 696, 726, 731-732, 737-741, 830, 1076, 1287, 2623: Pentecost
• CCC 599, 597,674, 715: apostolic witness on Pentecost
• CCC 1152, 1226, 1302, 1556: the mystery of Pentecost continues in the Church
• CCC 767, 775, 798, 796, 813, 1097, 1108-1109: the Church, communion in the Spirit[1]

🙏 Please accompany in your prayers

✝️ All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.

🕯️ Those who have died and those who grieve for them.

🕊️ Those who have completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.

🌍 The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.

🔥 The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.

💧 Adanna and Camille who will be baptised at St Bede’s this Sunday.

✍️ Deacon Tony

📅 23rd May 2026

[1] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

18/05/2026

A Huge Thank You from our Lourdes Pilgrims!

A heartfelt thank you to all our generous parishioners who baked, donated, and purchased treats for our recent cake sale! Thanks to your incredible support, the sale was a resounding success.

All proceeds will go directly toward subsidizing travel costs for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the pilgrimage to Lourdes this year. May God richly bless you all for your kindness and generosity.

13/05/2026

One Church Basingstoke invites you to an evening of prayer and worship at St. Joseph’s.
Come along to connect, pray, and support what’s happening in our local church community.
Everyone is welcome!

09/05/2026

Cast Your Vote!
Your voice matters in defining our new identity. Voting booths are now available in the foyers of all five churches in the Pastoral Area to help select our shared Parish name.

09/05/2026

✨ Sixth Sunday of Easter 2026
📖 (Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Psalm 66; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 When we facilitate the Baptism Preparation sessions, we emphasise strongly how much the parents and Godparents need to be good role models. As part of the Confirmation sessions for both the young people and in the RCIA programme we also talk about Sponsors being good role models and encourage the Candidates to choose a Saint who they see as a good role model for their lives. But what do we mean by being a good role model? In the Gospel we hear today, Jesus tells us that those ‘who love Him and keep His commandments will be loved by Jesus and the Father. I would suggest that those who listen to the Word of God and keep it are suitable role models for us all. It is not enough to read or listen to the Word and then tell people about the Word, we must also put the Word at the centre of our life and obey. Jesus is telling us that it is our actions that demonstrate whether we love God or not.

🙏 If we are Godparents or Sponsors, do we remember that we are role models? Do we take our responsibility seriously?

🔥 The first reading is starting to prepare us for Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fills the disciples with courage and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles happened after Pentecost and the Apostles used those gifts to call down the Spirit to Baptise them in the Spirit, just as Jesus had stated. I think of the 80 young people from this Pastoral Area who were Confirmed at the Cathedral last Sunday. I pray they and their Sponsors will be thriving after celebrating this Sacrament. May their Sponsors be great role models and may these young people go on to be great role models for others in the future.

🎶 The Psalm used today reminds us of the joy of Easter [by recalling the Exodus reading of the flight from Egypt], that we are Easter people and that we need to share that joy with those we meet.

🕊️ In the second reading St Peter is encouraging us to share that Good News in a gentle way, ensuring we are respectful to those we encounter. He is also telling us that because we are followers, we might be subject to false accusations. He says, ‘it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.’ He reminds us that Jesus, who was all good, ‘was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.’ Something we all hope for is to be ‘made alive in the spirit.’ This will help us to know why we follow Jesus and to be able to state why if we are challenged by anyone.

✝️ The words we hear from the Gospel are from the long prayer Jesus said at the Last Supper. Jesus, before the crucifixion prayed for all of his disciples, that includes us. He wanted us all to follow his commandments, obey his word and to be good role models to those around us. It is by following those commandments that we demonstrate our love for Jesus and that we know that Jesus loves us. We also know that when we try and fail to follow those commandments then we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help us be reconciled with God and our Community. Pope John Paul II said about today’s Gospel ‘it shows us how love is the complete fulfilment of the person’s vocation, according to the plan of God. This love is the great gift of Jesus that makes us truly and fully human.’ St John Paul who was a great role model following the attempt on his life 45 years ago next Wednesday, he visited the man who shot him and offered him forgiveness.

🌿 Padre Pio said, “Let us always strive more and more to love the Lord. This great truth of loving God must not seem hard to us; on the contrary, we must consider ourselves honoured, because the Lord God didn’t limit himself to creating us and telling us to love him, but he made a commandment of it . . . He commands us to do so, and the commandment is full of love. It is he who instils it into our hearts. It is he who gives us the means to be able to love him. But that which is more surprising, he has also promised us the prize. It isn’t something that is temporary, passing, or limited. It is as eternal as he is eternal; it is as immense as he is immense; it is as lasting as he is lasting. And God lasts forever, for all eternity.”

❤️ If we remember that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that God is love, then we are made in the image and likeness of love. We are made to love and be loved. Nothing else really matters. If we do not experience love, then we are living in a void. If we do not love, then we are not doing what we were created to do or being what we were created to be.

📚 Further Reading
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Sixth Sunday of Easter
CCC 2746-2751: Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper
CCC 243, 388, 692, 729, 1433, 1848: the Holy Spirit as Advocate/Consoler
CCC 1083, 2670-2672: invoking the Holy Spirit

🙏 Please accompany in your prayers
• All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
• Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
• Those who have completed and those who continue with the RCIA programme; especially those who received the Sacraments of Initiation this Easter.
• The young people from our Pastoral Area who were Confirmed at Portsmouth Cathedral last Sunday.
• The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
• The success of the current Called & Gifted programme.
• The young people preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist within our Pastoral Area, especially those celebrating their First Holy Communion this weekend.
• Maia, Aaliyah and Hunter who will be baptised this Sunday at St Bede’s Church.

✍️ Deacon Tony
📅 8th May 2026

04/05/2026

Celebrating our youth: A Journey of Faith ✨

Yesterday, our hearts are full as we celebrate the Confirmation of our wonderful young people! 🕊️ It has been a true blessing to witness each of them make the courageous commitment to follow Christ and embrace their faith journey with such sincerity.

From our catechists:
"We are incredibly proud of the growth and maturity they have shown. Thank you for your presence, your questions, and your dedication during our preparation sessions. Watching you reach this milestone is a moment we will cherish.

We also want to extend a massive thank you to the parents and families. Your unwavering support, encouragement, and guidance have been the foundation for this special day"

Please join us in praying for our newly confirmed youth as they continue to shine their light in the world! 🙌📖