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Thank you for your offerings last week of £1,335. Mass attendance 492. |
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Sunday 3rd September (Saturday Vigil) |
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 6pm Bridie Duck’s 90th
Birthday (Ian, Angela & The Duck Family) |
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9.15am Francesca M Sio RIP (J&L Sio) 11am Edith Mary George (Family Members) |
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Monday 4th September |
Feria 9.30am Mrs K McCabe RIP (Deasy Family) |
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Tuesday 5th September |
Feria 9.30am Ernie Field RIP (M Field) |
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Wednesday 6th September |
Feria 9.30am Deceased members of |
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10.45am Eucharistic Adoration |
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Thursday 7th September |
Feria |
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9.30am Wilbur & Betty
Wright RIP (R&E
Wright) |
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Friday 8th September |
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 9.30am Paul
Robinson RIP (Troy Family) |
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Sunday 10th September (Saturday Vigil) |
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 6pm People Of The Parish 9.15am Francesca M Sio RIP (J&LSio) Dr Margaret Evelyn Ledger RIP 11am Anthony Olivelle RIP (M Olivelle) |
Confessions heard
Saturday 5.00-5.45pm or by appointment.
Morning Prayer: Takes
place Monday – Friday at 9.10am. All are
welcome to attend.
Pondering the Word (Lectio Divina)
A quiet reflective look at the following Sunday’s
Gospel. Mondays 11am - 12 noon, except
for Bank Holidays, here in the church. All
welcome.
Second Collection
Next week’s second collection (Sun 10th
Sept) will be for the Maintenance Fund.
The
following week (Sun 17th Sept) there is a 2nd collection
for Home Mission which “provides the bishops with resources to spread
the gospel in our own country”.
Fr David writes…
Every generation tries its best to improve their
lives and the lives of their children. My
generation falls into the end of the particular cohort called the baby boomers. Our parents were children in the Second World
War. Their young lives had been
disturbed by the war. They grew up re-building
their lives and their countries after the devastation of the war. They knew what it meant to be without
necessities. When they married, they
wanted to make our lives more comfortable.
Luckily, we grew up in a safer and now more stable
world. The children of our generation
once again are growing up in a totally different world than their parents with
all the technological advancements. However
looking back at my parents’ generations, I could see that they were more
resilient in hardship than us. Somehow
difficulties and pain had given them the inner resources they needed to face
the reality of life with all that entailed.
I hope I am not coming across as glorifying
suffering. I am just suggesting that
somehow the more we try to escape or deny pain in life, the more we are liable
to collapse completely when life throws at us problem. We would not know how to cope. We would not be trained enough to face
adversity which comes definitely in all shapes and forms at some point in life. I feel that we over protect our children
sometimes and shelter them from the pain of life. We are frightened to take them to a funeral
for example and so they grow up feeling a sense of disconnection from the
reality of life and death. It’s one
thing to be cautious and wise and it is another that we project all our fears
on our children. How can we train our
children – to be street wise when we constantly shelter them? Resilience in the face of adversity comes in
stages. We know that it is not real that
we would be in control always on whatever happens in our lives. We can be people who are always organising
and structuring our lives and others. We
would feel a sense of security and control by being so. However if we organise our lives in such a
way that makes us feel immune from the pain of life, what would be the
resources we are building up within ourselves to help us in times when things
do get out of our control. No wonder we
collapse. We sometimes do live in this
Utopian image of life. Once problems
come our way in the shape of illnesses, relationship breakdowns, job loss etc,
we feel completely lost.
Today’s first reading opens with a dramatic
accusation. The prophet Jeremiah accuses
God of seducing him to choose a life and mission that had created so much
suffering in his life. He had to endure
rejection and ridicule from others. He
is hurt and bewildered. He is so hurt by
the apparent failure of his life that he wants to give it up, but he tells us
that he cannot. He cannot extinguish the
fire burning in his heart. As Jeremiah
spoke of the approaching suffering of
Such an
attitude will eventually disempower us. We
need to savour life in its moments of ecstasy and relish those moments with
hearts of gratitude but also we need to pray not that the chalice will pass us
by when the harshness of life comes our way, but to be able to live it in the
most dignified and healthy way possible.
We need to search for help in order to cope when we feel so vulnerable
that we feel completely overwhelmed by suffering of ours or of those we love. We need at this time the gift of wisdom to
know to walk through this valley of tears.
Yes we need strength from the support of family and friends and also
spiritual strength in moments of darkness.
I pray for those in our parish at the moment who are feeling overwhelmed
by the extent of their sufferings, that they would allow people they trust to
walk with them at this time. Instead of
feeling resentful and angry, may they allow the cross to transform them. Pain has the ability either to destroy us or
to build us up. The choice is in our
hands.
“Drop-In” – Evening
Surgeries
There will be
no drop-in evening surgeries until further notice. So if you would like to see Fr David, please
email him or phone the parish office for an appointment. Thank you.
One Parish Weekend, our Autumn Festival on
30th September.
Please support the prize draw for our 'One Parish
Weekend' Festival. The prizes are, 1st:
an iPad, 2nd: Tea for Two at Fortnum and Mason’s and 3rd: a
Donations for the bottle tombola would also be very
welcome. If you would like to help with
this, please leave your donations in the box at the back of the church.
See you at the
Festival. Good luck and thank you!”
Confirmation 2018
Calling
all Year Nine and above students who wish to be confirmed next year. There is a “Come and See” meeting on Monday 6th
November at 7.30pm in the Church. This
meeting is for candidates and their parents.
At the end of the meeting, packs will be distributed ready for enrolment
into the programme which starts with a kick off day on Saturday 25th
November. If you intend to come to the
meeting on the 6th, please let the parish office know by phone or
email: parish.office@stjamespettswood.org.uk. We
look forward to meeting you all. The
Catechists
Mass Intentions
From
September 2017 you will be able to view Mass intentions on the website. This should enable people to see available
dates. However there are circumstances
when a confirmed date has to be changed such as funerals.
For
clarity a Mass offering or stipend is given for the
Steps to
booking a Mass intention:
1 Check
availability online or with the office.
2 Complete
an envelope stating all relevant details and include offering. (Please do not just email the office)
3 Put
the completed envelope into the box at the back of the church or through the
parish office door.
4 Your
Mass intention will be found online the following week
Hopefully this will make the system of booking Masses
easier for all. The PPC
Justice & Peace Group
Foodbank request this week
Custard, cold meat, (e.g. tins of ham, spam etc.), tinned fruit and
biscuits are all urgently needed. Also
still needed are: jars of pasta sauce, tinned vegetables, 'hot meat' (i.e. tinned meat that can form the basis of a hot
meal), rice pudding, tinned tomatoes, squash and UHT milk.
Liturgy Pillar
Eucharist Adoration
takes place for an hour each Wednesday shortly after the morning Mass starting at 10.45 am and
finishing at 11.45 am. This Devotion
to the Eucharist is a time of silent prayer and quiet music. Everyone is welcome for all or part of this
time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
First Friday of Month
- Eucharist Adoration also takes place on the 1st Friday of each month from 7.30 pm – 9pm and
concludes with Benediction. Everyone is
welcome for all or part of this time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Youth Pillar
Post-Confirmation Retreat
29th September - 1st
October 2017
In collaboration with
Southwark Catholic Youth Service, we are offering all young people who have
made their Confirmation the opportunity to attend a Post-Confirmation retreat
which promises both fun and faith exploration under the experienced guidance of
the youth team in Whitstable (costs to be confirmed). Please contact the parish office by 24th
July 2017 to register your interest.
Pastoral Care Pillar
Peace Candle in Our Lady’s Chapel
A quiet space is available in Our Lady’s Chapel,
and a book is available for anyone who wishes to write a prayer for peace or
for their own personal intentions.
Social Pillar
Knights of St Columba Action Project – The Passage
The
Knights will be holding a plant sale after all three Masses over this weekend. As before, all the proceeds raised would go
to their action project, The Passage, which is a charity based in
Monday Club
will
restart on Monday 4th September from 1.30pm. All parishioners welcome, come and make new
friends.
Firm Believers
our inter-church Fun-Fitness class to music every
Tuesday (in term-time), 7.00 - 7.45 pm, in our Community Centre here at St
James, and following the summer break restarts on Tuesday 5th September. Fru's back and her class improves all aspects
of fitness and well-being by using a combination of low-impact, pulse-raising
activities, dance activities (for fun, improved co-ordination and balance),
Pilates, stretching, relaxation and toning.
Stay for a cuppa and chat afterwards if you wish. So come and give it a try,
with a group of friendly ladies of all abilities -
cost £5. You're welcome to just turn up,
or contact us (contact firm.believers@stjamespettswood.org). Maybe bring
a friend. Wear
trainers, any comfortable clothing and bring a mat or towel, and get fit and trim for
the return after the holidays.
Catholic
History Walk
Around the City and
Please
see poster on notice board for more information
For King and Country
Tuesday 4th September at 6.30pm - Catholics and
politics, St Thomas More, Guy Fawkes, Pugin, Parliament and the Abbey. Meet on the steps of Westminster Cathedral
(nearest tube:
CAFOD Southwark Pilgrimage
An afternoon to walk, pray
and reflect
Join us at St Francis de Sales
Church, Hartley DA3 8DW on Saturday 16 September to walk on our pilgrimage
journey in the Kent countryside to pray and reflect on how energy poverty
affects the poorest overseas and to inspire each other to take action to ensure
that all have access to clean, safe and affordable renewable energy.
Gather at 11.45am for a simple
lunch, to start a 3-4 mile pilgrimage at 12.30 pm, using pathways through woods
and fields via St Mary's Fawkham and All Saints Hartley, stopping for prayer
and reflection along the way. (Transport
available for the less able). We aim to
return by about 4.00 pm for tea and cake and an opportunity to attend 5.30 pm
Holy Mass at St Francis de Sales. (The
nearest station is just over a mile away at Longfield, just 30 mins from
It will be helpful if you can contact CAFOD
Southwark to say that you will come, on 020 8466 9901 or email: southwark@cafod.org.uk
Wanted
If you have any unwanted Jam jars could you
please leave them in the box in the porch.
Jam Jars ONLY please.
Seeing a Chaplain if You Are Admitted to Hospital
Protecting personal information (data protection) is really important when you
become an inpatient in hospital.
So please specifically ask hospital staff to pass on your details to the hospital’s Roman
Catholic chaplain as soon as you are admitted if you would like a Chaplain to
visit you.
Fr David would always be very happy to visit you too, so please ask a relative
or friend to let him know about your admission.
You or they can email Fr David on father.david@stjamespettswood.org, or phone the parish
office on 01689 827100.
Weekend Rotas: Thank you for
helping.
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Saturday 9th
September |
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Cleaning the Church |
Altar Servers, CWL, Eucharistic Ministers |
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Wednesday Coffee 6th September |
T Forde, E Cushman |
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10th September |
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Mass |
Saturday 6pm (Vigil) |
Sunday 9.15am |
Sunday 11am |
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Welcomers |
M Walters |
C Cook |
Uniformed Groups |
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Readers |
K Salter C Kiely |
B Cotta C D’Souza |
Parade Mass |
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Ministers of Holy
Communion |
P Driscoll T Babb B Babb R Wright A Guyton |
T Forde M Smith M Howell S cotta A Ward |
K Chan P May S Ingle R Del Guercio Z Bajorek |
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Bar |
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M Smith |
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Coffee |
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D Delf F Curran |
P Flockhart A S Ingle |
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Tellers |
L Delamain, M Edwards |