Welcome to St Edmund’s Catholic Church
in Bury St Edmunds
We are a friendly Catholic community who welcome others to join us in our worship and service of God.
We hope that you will find this website useful and that it will help you encounter Jesus Christ who is our life.
Mass Times
Saturday
18:00 St Edmund (Vigil)
Sunday
08:30 St Edmund
10:30 St Edmund
10:30 Lawshall
10:30 Montana
16:45 St Edmund (Polish Language)
For weekday Mass times see the parish newsletter
Holydays of Obligation
09:00 St Edmund’s Primary School
Term time only
12:00 St Edmund
19:00 St Edmund
Syro-Malabar Rite Masses
15:00 St Edmund
1st & 3rd Saturday of Month
Confessions
10:30 Wednesday & Saturday
Adoration & Prayers for Peace
10:30 Wednesday
Sunday’s Gospel
At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided: three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
Luke 12:49-53
News
Pilgrimage to Norwich
As part of this year’s Pilgrimage Programme, we are organising a trip by coach to Norwich on Tuesday 28 October to visit our Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, the local synagogue, and the shrine of Mother Julian of Norwich.
At each location we will have a short talk or tour. We will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral and have lunch together in the Narthex.
The coach will leave from Bury St Edmunds at 08.30 and we aim to be back by around 17.45. Cost will be confirmed shortly. Sign up sheets to book your place are now in the church porch.
Pilgrimage to Walsingham
Another chance to be a pilgrim of hope in this Jubilee Year. We are organising a trip to Walsingham in Norfolk for Saturday 4 October. The coach will leave Bury St Edmunds at 09.00 to arrive in the village of Walsingham by around 10.30. We will then walk the holy mile together to the Catholic Shrine. Mass will be celebrated in the Basilica there at 12.00 followed by time to explore and have your packed lunches. In the afternoon the coach will take us to the Anglican Shrine where we hope to join their traditional sprinkling ceremony from the well. After time to explore the Anglican shrine and village we will return home, hopefully around 17.45. Cost will be confirmed shortly. Sign up sheets to book your place are now in the porch.
Bury Teens
Bury Teens is our recently started youth group for the parish, open to all in Years 9, 10 and 11. Meeting once a month in the crypt on Saturdays from 19.00 until 21.00, each session will include a meal together, lots of fun activities and chance to socialise, and some prayer. Participants need to be registered by their parents/guardian before their first attendance. Registration forms can be downloaded here. For more information email buryteens@gmail.com
Bethany Bereavement Support Service
Most of us will suffer bereavement at some point in our lives. Our parish runs a bereavement support programme which has been described as ‘a journey from heartbreak to hope.’
The Bethany Team offers support for anyone (all faiths and none) who is over the age of 18 years old and living in the Bury St Edmunds area.
The team offers individual and group sessions to support someone through the stages of grief and bereavement and will suggest other services as needed.
St Josephine Bakhita
Feast Day: 8 February
St Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. There are 50 million victims of human trafficking across the world and as many as 5,000 in the Diocese, hidden in plain sight in your neighbourhood. Pope Francis describes human trafficking as “blood money” and a “crime against humanity”. We are all called to combat this evil trade. To find out more and what you can do click the button below.
Praying for Peace
There seems to be so much conflict going on around the world and sometimes, albeit on a much smaller scale, even within our own lives. As Christians, we are particularly sensitive to conflicts taking place in the Holy Land of Jesus’ birth and it is terrible to see the plight of the people of Gaza, as well as witnessing the terror attacks on those who live in Israel. As people living in Europe, it is shocking to see another European country engaged in such a long and brutal war with Russia. Each Wednesday, after Mass, we pray before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and ask for peace in our world. You can join us in person, or online using the parish’s live stream, or simply use the prayers provided here to pray at home whenever you can.
Retrouvaille
Retrouvaille is the name of a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages. It all began in 1977 as a French language weekend for couples in Canada who were experiencing difficulties in their marriage. The word ‘Retrouvaille’ simply means ‘rediscovery’ and the programme offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your partner, and a loving relationship in your marriage. Retrouvaille now offers support and a lifeline for married couples facing difficulties in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
A Dementia Friendly Parish
A number of parishioners recently completed a dementia awareness course as our first step in ensuring that we are a dementia friendly parish. The five key takeaways seem obvious, but they challenge how we often think about dementia: (1) that dementia is not a natural part of ageing; (2) that dementia is caused by diseases of the brain; (3) that dementia is not just about losing your memory - it can affect thinking, communication and completing everyday tasks; (4) that it is possible to live well with dementia; and (5) that there is more to a person than the dementia.
Prayer