27th/28th December 2025  THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY YEAR A (II)

Saturday  27 - December
  3:30 pm Confessions at Marple Bridge 
  4:00 pm Mass at Marple Bridge for Cathleen Cairn's intentions 
  4:30 pm Confessions at Chapel-en-le-Frith
  5:00 pm  Live streamed Mass at Chapel-en-le-Frith  for Pat and Leo Feeney RIP

Sunday   28 - December 
  9:00 am  Confessions at New Mills
  9:30 am  Mass at New Mills  for Eileen Kearns RIP
  9:30 am  Confessions at Buxton
10:00 am  Live streamed Mass at Buxton  for Joan Taylor RIP 
11:00 am  Confessions at Marple Bridge
11:30 am  Mass at Marple Bridge for Kathy Ford's intentions

Monday   29 - December
10:00 am  Mass at Buxton for Ann Parkin RIP
10:00 am - 12:00 noon Chapel-en-le-Frith Church open for prayer

Tuesday  30 - December
10:00 am  Mass at New Mills 

Wednesday 31 - December
10:00 am  Mass at Marple Bridge
10:00 am  Mass at Chapel-en-le-Frith 
 
Thursday 01 - January  SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
10:00 am  Mass at Buxton
10:00 am  Mass at New Mills for Deacon Don and Jacqui's intentions

Friday 02 - January 
10:00 am  Mass at Buxton
10:00 am  Mass at Marple Bridge

Saturday  03 - January  
11:00 am -12:00 noon  Adoration and Confessions at Buxton
  3:30 pm  Confesssions at Marple Bridge
  4:00 pm  Mass at Marple Bridge for Edmund and Monica Anderson RIP
  4:30 pm  Confessions at Chapel-en-le-Frith
  5:00 pm  Live streamed Mass at Chapel-en-le-Frith 

Sunday   04 - January  
  8:45 am Confessions at New Mills
  9:30 am  Mass at New Mills 
  9:30 am  Confessions at Buxton
10:00 am Live streamed Mass at Buxton  for Victor Brocklehurst RIP anniversary
11:00 am  Confessions at Marple Bridge
11:30 am  Mass at Marple Bridge 

Please pray for all who have recently died: Joan Taylor (Lisa Cooper’s Mum) and Mary Bradbury from Marple Bridge. Please remember their families in your prayers.

FR GREG WRITES: On behalf of Father Benjamin and myself, may I thank all our wonderful parishioners for a truly beautiful Christmas. The churches looked magnificent, the music was splendid, and the large numbers at Mass were a real sign of hope and joy. All the preparation truly paid off. On a personal note, we would like to thank you all for your kindness, love, and generosity over the Christmas period. We were overwhelmed by the Christmas cards, presents, gifts, and offerings we received. We are deeply humbled and sincerely grateful for your thoughtfulness. We look forward to working with you again throughout 2026 in bringing Christ our Saviour to the world, and wish you all a very happy, hopeful and grace filled New Year. Father Benjamin and I are always happy to travel in order to celebrate Mass across our four churches. However, there are times when this is not possible. One such occasion is this coming week, on New Year’s Day, 1 January, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, when there will be a 10:00 am Mass in Buxton and 10:00 am New Mills. We kindly ask that, in order to attend Mass, you travel to the church nearest to you. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. If anyone experiences travel difficulties, please contact your local church PPC or myself, and we will do our very best to assist. Thank you for your understanding. 

The Feast of the Holy Family invites us to gaze upon Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as a living icon of love, faith, and unity. In their home at Nazareth, we see a family rooted not in wealth or worldly power, but in trust in God’s will. They faced trials—uncertainty, exile, and daily labour—yet their hearts remained steadfast in prayer, mutual respect, and self-giving love. The Holy Family reminds us that holiness in family life is not about perfection, but about presence—being there for one another, forgiving quickly, and placing God at the centre of every decision. Whether our own families are harmonious or wounded, God meets us where we are, offering grace to heal, strengthen, and guide us. 
Today, we are called to: 
• Imitate their faith by seeking God’s will in our daily choices. 
• Embrace sacrificial love that puts others before ourselves. 
•  Foster peace in our homes through patience, kindness, and prayer. 
May we entrust our families to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, asking them to intercede for us so that our homes may become small Nazareths — places of love, safety, and faith. 

On Sunday 28th December, the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, in accordance with the Bull Spes non confundit, Bishop Patrick will CLOSE THE JUBILEE YEAR OF 2025 IN THE DIOCESE OF NOTTINGHAM according to the approved liturgical Rite, during Mass in Saint Barnabas Cathedral at 11.15am.  All are very welcome to participate in this celebration.

CRIB OFFERINGS 2025 This year, as part of our Jubilee 2025 Pledge, our crib offerings will support THE HOLY FAMILY PARISH IN GAZA CITY, via Friends of the Holy Land. Despite the fragile ceasefire, Christians in the Holy Land continue to face immense hardship, yet their hope in Christ endures. Friends of the Holy Land, one of the few charities operating directly with local Christian communities across the West Bank, Gaza, Israel, and Jordan, provides vital practical aid, including education, employment, healthcare, and community support. For more information see: https://www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/

ST ANNE’S REPOSITORY - a selection of gifts and cards is available at the back of St Anne’s Church. If you’d like to order a specific item not currently stocked, you can browse the catalogues or visit https://www.cbcdistributors.co.uk/ Order forms are available in the repository cabinet. For any questions or assistance, please contact Trish Bothamley on 07964 235659.  

“PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL: TOWARDS AN ‘UNARMED AND DISARMING’ PEACE”   The theme of Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the World Day of Peace (1st January 2026) invites humanity to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace an authentic peace based on love and justice.  This peace must be unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons.  And it must be disarming, capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts and generating mutual trust, empathy and hope.  It is not enough to call for peace; we must embody it in a way of life that rejects every form of violence, whether it be visible or systemic.  The greeting of the Risen Christ, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19), is an invitation addressed to everyone - believers, non-believers, political leaders and citizens - to build the Kingdom of God and to work together to build a humane and peaceful future. 

According to AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED 5.4 billion people (2/3 of the world's population) live in countries where individuals and entire communities suffer violations of religious freedom.  More than 220 million Christians are at direct risk of persecution. In response, ACN has initiated a petition calling on governments around the world to implement in full 
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the gold standard of religious liberty - the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to change religion and the right to manifest religion in teaching, practice, worship and observance.  Parishioners are invited to stand with persecuted Christians and all who suffer for their beliefs by signing the ACN Article 18 petition: https://acnuk.org/article-18-petition-religious-freedom-humanright-not-privilege  

PARISH MASS BOOKS, are available at the back of the church, for you to use during Mass (the orange books on the table at the back of church). Please remember to return the books after Mass. At St Anne’s, the readings are also displayed on the church screens. You can find the readings Masses on Universalis: https://universalis.com/europe.england.nottingham/mass.htm Our weekday Masses, in addition to the Sunday Masses, are now being livestreamed on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/StAnnesRCBuxton 

ST ANNE’S 100 CLUB 25/26 RENEWALS – NOW DUE - £60.00 year/£5.00 month. Thank you to all our members for your continued support. If you pay by standing order you don’t need to do anything, as your subscription will automatically renew. Alternatively, please pay by BACS if you can, using the reference ‘100Club’ (bank details at the bottom of the newsletter) or by cheque. If you would like to join, ‘new member’ and standing order forms are available at the back of church; please speak to Margaret Swift if you have any questions. 

PARISH CENSUS - Please ensure that you have completed and returned a census form. The forms are available at the back of church and on our website: https://www.stannes.gbr.cc/   

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS TO CATHOLIC PRIMARY ACADEMIES (Reception Year) - Children born between 01/09/2021 and 31/08/2022. The deadline for submitting an application for 
a school place is 15th January 2026.  Application forms are available on your ‘home’ Local Authority website.  For every Catholic school you apply for if you wish your child to be considered and ranked under a faith criterion you should also complete a supplementary information form and return this form to the school by the deadline, (forms are available 
from the LA and the school). You must also include the supporting evidence as required with this form, i.e. a baptism certificate (photocopies are acceptable; contact the parish of baptism if you don’t have a copy); failure to supply the required supporting evidence will mean your child is ranked in a lower criterion which may affect your chance of a place. 

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN US FOR TEA AND COFFEE AFTER SUNDAY MASS IN ST. ANNE’S PARISH COMMUNITY CENTRE 

If you would like to include anything in the newsletter, please ensure that we receive it by Wednesday of the week before to allow sufficient time for printing.

BANK DETAILS
St Anne’s Buxton RCP: Sort Code 30-96-18: Account No. 00420334