About Us:
Waterlooville Parish is situated just north of Portsmouth on England's
South Coast and services the area around Waterlooville including
Widley, Crookhorn, Purbrook, Cowplain, Denmead, Hambledon and Soberton.
Our Parish Priest is Father Kevin Bidgood and our Catholic Community is
strong and vibrant with more than 700 people attending Masses each
week. This website is intended to give both parishioners and enquirers
access to information about the Parish and its activities.
The Parish is supporting for its Parish Charity the
International Refugee Trust and in particular the work of the Sacred
Heart Sisters running the 'Moyo' orphanage in Uganda for refugees from the
Sudanese civil war.
We have for many years used the former Oratory of the Sisters of our Lady
of Charity, (picture top left), as our Parish Church and for this we are
deeply grateful. The Parish is in the process of planning a new church on
the site which, combined with a Parish Centre, will bring all of our various
groups and activities into one focal point of Christian witness.
You can read more about us
in our booklet for new parishioners
Father Kevin Writes...
This newsletter
covers the whole period that we in the West call “Christmas”.
It begins with the Fourth Sunday in Advent on 20/21 December 2008, and ends
with the Feast of the Epiphany on 3/4 January 2009! Two weeks that celebrate
the most fundamental and wonderful thing that has ever happened in our
world!!
When Pope Julius I chose 25 December to be the date of Christmas in the
fourth century, one of the reasons was because it was already a period of
pagan feasting around the winter solstice and new year celebrations. So
Christmas has always been intended to be full of fun, joy and feasting.
There is nothing wrong in Christmas trees, mince pies or Santa Claus. In
fact it is great that Christmas is still such a major feast, in many
countries, for Christians and non-Christians alike.
For Christians however, there is something utterly miraculous at the heart
of our celebration. A tiny baby is born, yet like no other baby before or
since: a human baby who is fully divine and who has come to save all
humankind.
We remember and celebrate over this next fortnight that God has become a
human being, has come to earth born of Mary and has lived, died and risen
again to give eternal life to each one of us. At this hectic time of year,
find the time to think of that beautiful baby laid in a manger who is born
for us all. Christ our light is born; and we give thanks for this wonderful
gift that God has given to us out of love for our salvation.
