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06 February 2012

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Welcome

Canon Matthew Jones
Canon Matthew Jones

Fr Tomy Augustine CMI

Fr Tomy Augustine CMI
Welcome to our 3 Churches website where you will find information on all aspects of life in our thriving church communities in north Cardiff, together with information on our Catholic schools, activities and Mass times. There is a contact section if you wish to contact one of our priests to discuss baptism, reconciliation, first communion, confirmation, marriage, funerals, joining the Catholic community or just to pop in for a chat. Why not also catch up with Canon Matthew's blog! Read our 3 Churches vision that we are all signed up to along with the action plan.

FAR AWAY MARTYRS

On August 15, 1549, St Francis Xavier and his companions arrived in Japan from Spain with hopes of bringing Christianity there. Francis asked for permission to build the first Catholic mission, and the shogun and his government agreed, hoping to create a trade relationship with Europe. Within a year, however, he relented on this promise and made it illegal for people to convert. So after a promising beginning - perhaps as many as 300,000 Catholic Christians by the end of the sixteenth century - Christianity was suppressed. By 1630, the Church was banned, driven underground, and those Japanese who refused to abandon their faith were killed.

On February 5, 1597, twenty-six Christians - six European Franciscan missionaries, three Japanese Jesuits and seventeen Japanese laymen, including three young boys - were executed by crucifixion in Nagasaki. They were raised on crosses and then pierced through with spears. Persecution continued off and on, breaking out again in 1613 and 1630. On September 10, 1632, 55 Christians were martyred in Nagasaki in what became known as the Great Genna Martyrdom. It will never be known for sure how many Christians were executed in Japan over these years, as records were either destroyed or not kept, but some estimates run into hundreds of thousands..

The first martyrs of 1597 came to be especially revered, and the most celebrated is St Paul Miki. The group were canonized in 1862 by Pius IX. 16 more, martyred between 1633 and 1637 including St Lorenzo Ruiz, were canonized in 1987. 205 Martyrs of Japan from between 1597 and 1637 were beatified in 1867, and more recently two Augustinian priests, martyred in 1632, were beatified in 1989, while in 2008, 188 individuals murdered between 1603 and 1639 were also beatified.

So it was that the Church in Japan remained without clergy and any theological teaching until the arrival of Western missionaries in the nineteenth century. The astonishing thing, a real miracle, is that they found communities of Japanese Christians that had survived underground. For 250 years...

Tuesday is the Feast of St Paul Miki and his companions, Martyrs of Japan.

Fr Matthew

3 Churches Newsletter

Catch up with the latest in our 3 churches newsletter for

Sunday 6 February 2012 - Issue 5/12

Updates

Parish Centre Bookings - added 14 June 2011

You can now view the Christ the King Parish Centre bookings calendar online.

Our Vision

During 2011 we have been sharing our vision of how our churches could be. "Our Vision" is a summary of those dreams. It's not a Mission Statement as such, so it does not try to say everything. Rather it describes how we would like to be.

Our Vision

We will build our Church into a vibrant and confident community which will grow as we share together worshipping, praying, caring and serving.

We will:

Be a welcoming community where everyone feels that they belong.
Be an inclusive community which offers a variety of opportunities for people of all ages, gender, ethnicity and circumstances. We will seek to focus on young people and families.
Celebrate liturgy and worship which inspires people.
Reach out to the local and wider community so that we share our talents and put our faith into action.
Make our buildings bright, comfortable and welcoming so that they support us in working towards our vision.

more information on our vision and action plan...

Mass Times

Click on church below for the times of services

St Brigids Christ the King St Pauls

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Faith Matters

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"Landings has been a wonderful journey of faith and fellowship. I'm really grateful to have been part of this and feel I have returned to where I belong"

Just one of the comments from one of our three returners from last years Landings sessions. We are looking to start the next series of meetings.

Each week the meetings comprise a Welcome/Check in, Prayer /Music, a Spiritual Journey, Discussion with a weekly theme and not forgetting refreshments. Everyone takes a turn to lead each part. Any questions can be asked, without commitment and everything is confidential to that group.

If you are a Catholic who has been away from the Church we are missing you.

Our Landings programme provides an opportunity to explore your Catholic faith and the possibility of returning to our Church community within a small friendly group.

If you are interested or know someone who might be then in the first instance please contact Canon Matthew for further infomation and he will then put you in touch with the Landings Team.

~ L A N D I N G S ~

a Listening Ministry, for understanding and a safe harbour/landing place for returning Catholics to share and explore their faith & future with the Church.

View more details here...

The Canon's Stall (Fr Matthew's Blog)

Come and visit my blog, "The Canon's Stall". What do priests actually do? Find out what a parish priest gets up to, where he goes, what he thinks (and what music he likes - you might be surprised!) Why not add your own comments or feedback? And don't forget to feed my fish while you're there!
Fr Matthew

Contact

Canon Matthew Jones, e-mail: matthew@3churches.org

St Brigid's Presbytery, Crystal Glen, Cardiff CF14 5QN
Tel 029 2075 2389

Christ the King Office, e-mail: ckadmin@3churches.org
Tel 029 2075 3945