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April MMVIII

Dear Friends,

Always wishing to be at the cutting edge of developments within the Universal Church, and in line with the spirit of our Holy Father's recent Motu Proprio, we are pleased to report that the transferral of numerous side altars into our Church is nearing completion.

Kindly provided by Cardinal Vaughan's Mill Hill Missionary Fathers, we will be caring for four new altars, one of which is the magnificent National Shrine of St Joseph. An indult was granted by Blessed Pius IX to Cardinal Manning to crown the statue of St Joseph in the presence of the hierarchy of England and Wales on 13th April 1874, with a magnificent jewelled crown, thereby establishing the National Shrine to St Joseph. One of a select few statues of St Joseph to be granted this priviliege, it is set at the centre of a beautiful marble altar.

Housed today in the sanctuary of our magnificent Abbey Church of St Michael in Farnborough, the National Shrine of Saint Joseph remains a place of prayer and pilgrimage for those who wish to prayer for the Church, for families, or for whatever personal prayer or intention they bring to Saint Joseph's feet.

A website dedicated to the shrine will be launched later this month and a facility will be offered on the site for the public to request the celebration of Holy Mass to be offered at the Shrine for their intentions.

We hope that St Joseph will protect and guide us our community grows.

Yours sincerely in the Lord,

For further information or comments please contact info@farnboroughabbey.org