Altar Servers (Guild of St Stephen)

To be an altar server, you need to have made your First Holy Communion and be between 7 and 99 years old!

Any boy or girl wishing to become and altar server would be required to serve Mass on a rota basis on Saturday evenings, Sundays and on special occasions during the week.

For further details please speak to any member of the parish clergy or contact Jonathan Wright.

Bellringers

Our bells are renowned as one of the most celebrated rings of bells within the ringing fraternity. They are rung by local ringers from around the Cambridge area for mid-week services, weddings and special occasions. For more information, please see this page about OLEM’s bells.

If you would like any further information please contact Paul Seaman via 01223 351659 or mobile 07802 739105 or email.

Bookshop

This has been relocated to the Rectory. Access to view goods is from 9.00am until 2.00pm Monday-Friday. Please ring the doorbell on the Hills Road entrance to the Rectory and Annelize will help you.

We have a good selection of books, pamphlets, rosaries, statues, greeting cards (First Holy Communion, Confirmation, birthday, anniversaries, sympathy, etc.) plus a variety of presents and souvenir articles. We are open before and after most Sunday morning Masses. Browsers are welcome.

CAFOD

The official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and part of Caritas International. Across the world we bring hope and compassion to poor communities, standing side by side with them to end poverty and injustice. We work with people of all faiths and none. Inspired by Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching, and the experiences and hopes of people living in poverty, CAFOD works for a safe, sustainable and peaceful world. Together we pray, act and give to help our brothers and sisters living in poverty around the world.

This parish supports CAFOD, raising funds each year through the Fast Day collections (Harvest and Lent), emergency appeals, Lenten lunches, and a range of other prayer and social events. 

CAFOD works in partnership with agencies of the Catholic Church across the world. Because of these partnerships, between this parish and overseas partners, CAFOD keeps the cost of raising money low, making sure we can help more people. 

Anyone willing to help in any way please contact: www.cafod.org.uk

Catholic Young Adults of Cambridge (CYAC)

We are a group of young adults (~18-35-year-olds) who meet regularly for social events and to learn more about our faith. 
Our popular fortnightly Wednesday meetings in the Parish hall feature a bring and share dinner, a Bible study session or a talk, and end with sung compline in the main church. For those seeking more of the social interactions we organise a fun event on the last Saturday of each month.

Please sign up to our mailing list for regular updates: bit.ly/CYACsignup or find us on Facebook at ‘Catholic Young Adults of Cambridge (CYAC)’.

If you have any questions contact us at cyac.contact@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting you soon!

Children’s Liturgy

During Term Time, the Children’s Liturgy takes place at the 9.30am Mass. It is primarily aimed at Reception and Year 1-3 children who have yet to take their First Holy Communion.

We gather for a 9.30am start in the Parish Centre (through the car park at the side of the church, along side the school, through the gate until you’re behind the church). If your child is over 5 then you may leave them and return to Mass or stay, as you prefer. All our staff are DBS checked and we adhere to the Diocesan Safeguarding Regulations.

Foodbank

This parish is a founder member of the Cambridge City Foodbank, responding with care and charity for people in crisis living locally.

Cambridge City Foodbank works to support people who find themselves on the edge of disaster, following a sudden crisis, such as a redundancy, delayed benefit payments, illness, etc.  We help by putting people in touch with other agencies that can offer support.

We ask that monetary donations be made through the Cambridge City Foodbank Website, and food items be taken to the warehouse at Milton Road, as per directions on the website. There are also drop-sites at Sainsbury’s (Eddington & Coldham’s Lane), Asda and Waitrose. Please check the weekly newsletter for further announcements.

Cambridge City Foodbank is a registered charity (no. 1149883) and a member of the foodbank network grown by the Trussel Trust – a Christian charity.

Flower Arrangers

From time immemorial flowers have been placed on altars in temples and churches to express thankfulness and joy in worship. Our church, too, follows this tradition, and we are fortunate in having an enthusiastic team of ladies who enhance the beauty of our church in this way.

Should you be interested in this very pleasant parish activity, please contact Sheila Scott via the Rectory Office who will be pleased to give you further information.

Gospel of Life in Cambridge

In accordance with the teaching of the Catholic Church, we aim to:

• Promote and encourage regular prayer for the creation of a Civilisation of Love to replace the culture of death

• Protect and defend every human life from conception to natural death;

• Work with organisations that offer moral and practical support to expectant mothers in hardship;

• Share information with fellow parishioners about all relevant issues.

If you would like to join this group, please contact: mhorne1000@sky.com or clare_underwood@ntlworld.com.

Justice & Peace

We are a friendly group who meet once every month to reflect on the spiritual basis of our commitment and on the issues of the day. We discuss plans for the activities arising from these reflections – these may be liturgical events, speaker meetings, fund-raising, campaigning, publicity events, etc. These meetings are for all the Catholic churches in Cambridge. To find out more about the group please contact Ron Haynes via St Laurence’s Presbytery.

Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis (Secular Franciscans in Great Britain)

The OFS are Secular Franciscans in Great Britain. Secular Franciscans are ordinary people, both men and women, who live in the world, work for a living, but follow the Franciscan spirit without taking vows. You won’t see them wearing habits like monks & nuns, they wear ordinary clothes. They usually take on some voluntary charity work or parish work in their spare time and their motto is ‘Gospel to life & life to Gospel’

Our local group of the OFS meets on the second Saturday every month at the Church Hall. For more information, please contact Jaci_Matos@hotmail.com

Prayer Group

The Prayer Group meets on Mondays following 12.15pm Mass. Please join us in the Parish Centre Music Room.

Rosary Group

The Rosary Group meets in the Church after the 8.00 am Mass, Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays after the 10.00am Mass.

Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP)

Our OLEM SVP Conference is a branch of the global, fraternal organisation of Catholic lay people who are committed to helping those in need on a person to person, non-denominational basis. Our members meet regularly for mutual support/advice and to pray that God’s wisdom and guidance will make us warmly effective in our mission.

If you are interested in such work and learning more about us please don’t hesitate; contact:  07780 856212, or 353047, cfb79ten@gmail.com, and we’ll be pleased to respond as soon as we can. 

Soulfood

The Prayer and Praise prayer group meets on 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at St Laurence’s Church 91 Milton Road Cambridge at 8.00pm in the hall, and 2nd and 4th week in Our Lady and English Martyrs, Lensfield Road entrance. Any 5th Tuesday is held free.

Scripture Group

For further information email scripture@olem.org.uk

Textile Group

We are a friendly group meeting up once a week for textiles work and / or a chat.

For further info, please contact Urszula at u_chojnacka@yahoo.com.

Thursday Luncheon Club

The Thursday Luncheon Club meets on the first Thursday of each month, except during the summer. It aims to provide an opportunity for members of the parish to meet socially during the day time.

This is an extremely friendly and enjoyable group. For further information please contact the Rectory Office.