Thank you for your offerings last week of £1,509. Mass attendance 650.
12th May (Saturday Vigil)	Seventh Sunday Of Easter 6pm Claire Draper RIP (Simon Family)
Sunday 13th May	9.15am People of The Parish 11am Mr Noel McDevitt RIP (Bunnage Family)
Monday 14th May	Saint Matthias 9.30am Canon John McNamara (H Marvell) Francesca M Sio (Mr & Mrs J Sio)
Tuesday 15th May	Feria 9.30am Victor Lobo RIP (G&E Rebello) 7pm Confirmation Mass
Wednesday 16th May	Saint Simon Stock 9.30am Marie Fitzgerald RIP (Wharton Family)
	10.45am Eucharistic Adoration
Thursday 17th May	Feria
	9.30am Pat Mulroy & Dorothy (G Mulroy)
Friday 18th May	Feria 9.30am Mary Casartelli
19th May (Saturday Vigil)	Pentecost Sunday 6pm William & Nora Kirwan RIP (R&E Wright)
Sunday 20th May	9.15am People Of The Parish 11am Sharon Fernandes RIP (Fernandes Family)

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.

Rosary

Every day after Mass there is rosary. All are welcome.

Sunday Mornings in the Community Centre

Every Sunday coffee and tea are served after the 9.15am and 11am Masses. Please join us for a while and get to know each other over a cuppa!

Second Collection

The second collection this weekend will be for the work of St Catherine's parish in the Philippines our parish overseas project. The support we give is to assist St Catherine's in providing technical education programmes for the benefit of people in the area to enable them to obtain employment and to support their families.

Following fundraising events over the past couple of months we have recently sent £3,254.52 to St Catherine's made up of funds raised from the Filipino Fiesta, by the Confirmandi candidates from their quiz night and by the Traidcraft stall together with some donations.

Further support for St Catherine's is needed and the parish priest Father Joe has expressed his great appreciation and gratitude for the support St James’ has provided. More information on the work done by St Catherine's can be seen on the notice board at the back of the Church and on the Parish website.

Thank you. Justice & Peace Group.

Fr David writes…

We have all heard about Jimmy Mizen. He was a 16-year-old school boy who was murdered on the 10^th May 2008 in Lee Green, London. The nightmare of any parent. A child going out from home and never to return. I remember how much his tragic and unnecessary death shocked the nation and in a particular way, the parish where I was working at the time, where gangs thrived, and postcodes made one safe or unsafe to walk through. I remember that it felt too much close to home. Parents felt very anxious in the parish as they knew that their children were not safe or immune to being involved in violence and prayer and education was the only recourse for their protection.

This week, I saw Barry and Margaret Mizen, the parents of Jimmy on the BBC in the morning news, as last Thursday happened to be the 10^th anniversary of his death and they celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass of his life at St George’s Cathedral. I was impressed by their dignity and focus on their mission. The experience of losing their son did not make them bitter and resentful. Through prayer and support, they turned their tragedy into their life’s mission. In 2009, the parents set up the charity The Jimmy Mizen Foundation, now called For Jimmy. The charity works with schools all over the United Kingdom and through CAFOD in Kenya, Africa. Margaret and Barry’s mission is to share Jimmy’s story and help young people make their local communities safer, so they can feel safe when walking home. The family has also opened diverse cafes in south east London whose proceeds go towards the Jimmy Foundation.

Any parent’s deep desire is to protect their child. However, through stories like the one of the Mizen family, deep down we know that we cannot control everything in life. We know that life is fragile and that we cannot protect completely those we love. There are two options we can take when feeling overwhelmed. Either live continuously in anxiety and fear and so we live our lives paralysed and continually protecting those we love so much that we kill in the meantime their full potential of growth. Or else live in the knowledge of life’s potential danger but at the same time, allow ourselves and those we love to live.

In today’s gospel we encounter Jesus who is saying his goodbyes to his disciples. We all know how much it is difficult to say our goodbyes. Relationships, friendships and bonds of love enter a new phase when we say goodbye. We may never see our loved ones again or in the same way. People will develop, grow and change. And we give them the freedom to do so. Jesus is giving the same freedom to his disciples and us. He knows that he is returning to the Father, leaving those who were entrusted to him on their own. He will no longer be with them. Jesus must have felt like any other human being, the pain of letting go of them. He must have grieved for them. Sometimes we forget that the person who is dying or leaving, is also grieving. We tend to concentrate on the fact that the relatives and friends would be the ones who would be grieving. The terminally ill in the hospice had taught me that before their death, they were grieving all those they loved including life itself. Jesus knew that he cannot physically protect his disciples and friends now. The only way he could help them now was by letting go of them and placing these relationships in prayer.

In a way this could be a healthy model for us. If we remain too much in control of our children for example and protecting them in all aspects of life, we are hindering them to learn how to live in this world. Over protectiveness is an ill service towards those we love. How many times do I meet people whose husbands or wives took care of everything in their lives. Whilst they were still alive, they felt protected and very special. The problem comes up when the protector dies. They feel completely disabled and lost. They don’t only have to grieve their loved ones but also what they had represented to them. They usually suffer much more as they must retrain and start learning how to be in the world. Jesus needed to leave his disciples for them to be empowered. He promised not to leave them abandoned. He promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot allow our loved ones to rely completely on us all the time. We need to remember that we are mortals. And love demands of us to let go and to be cruel at times in order to be kind. At some point we need to turn over to God, entrusting our loved ones and the relationship to his care. I know that this is not easy. Though the relationship may be buffeted by storms, in the meantime it is Jesus’ prayer and our own that we will be safe and the relationships will be secure and last the test of time that would keep us going. Giving over this trust to God can be an exercise in humility, knowing that we are not in control. When we turn over control like this, it can seem that we are dying to our own wishes and desires. But in letting go, we are giving new life. God bless you all!

Confirmation 2018

This week the following young people will be Confirmed on Tuesday 15^th May at 7pm by Bishop Pat. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

Marco Ariyanath

Orla Benson

Thomas Bromfield

Zoe Byrne

Charlotte Capon

Kieran Coughtrey

Daniel David

Francesca Dunning

Georgina Gibson

Flora Hegarty

Cameron Henderson

Max Honour

Joshua Ilsley

Anna Jimenez

Matthew Lamb

Annalise Lawrence

Oliver McCabe

Colm McCarthy

Connor McCracken

Joseph Osei-Bonsu

Dominic Poulton

Sebastian Purves

Sinead Finnegan Robert

Giulia Santoro

Georgia Somerville

Georgina Smith

Jessica Tomkins

Sonny Whybrow

Carys Whyte

Nathan Whyte

Inez Zajaczkowska

Parishioners are warmly invited to attend and celebrate with them

“Drop-In” Evening Surgeries

Please note that the next surgery will be on Wednesday the 16th May 2018. Fr David will be available at 281A Crescent Drive from 5.00-7.00pm and no appointment is necessary.

Pastoral Pillar

Service at St James the Great to mark Dementia Awareness Week.

On Sunday 20th May at 3pm you are warmly invited to a service here at St James’ to mark the start of Dementia Awareness Week which is from Monday 21st May to Sunday 27th May. The service will be led by Fr David and take place in the Church. It will be a time of singing, poetry and prayer followed by refreshments in the Community Centre. We do hope you can join us.

Healing Mass

This will take place on Sunday 27^th May at 2.30pm, followed by refreshments in the Community Centre. Should you require a lift to and from the Healing Mass please contact the parish office giving your name, telephone number and address. A member of the SVP will then contact you to make the necessary arrangements.

Helplines and Counselling Services

As part of our care for the community a list of helplines and counselling services has now been added to the parish website and placed in the porch. The purpose of this is to give contact details of various organisations which can provide help in difficult times thereby enabling people to seek privately the information and support they may need.

Liturgy Pillar

Eucharist Adoration

This 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 1^st Friday of each month from 7.30–9.00pm and concludes with Benediction. The next one will take place on 1st June. Everyone is welcome for all or part of this time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

The Road to Emmaus and Beyond

Fr Denis McBride CssR, who has been described in the Tablet as a “superb raconteur and thought-provoking scripture scholar”, will be speaking about his new book “The Road to Emmaus and Beyond,” at St. Anthony of Padua, Anerley, on Thursday 17th May at 7.30pm. A warm welcome is extended to members of the Deanery and their congregations to join us to hear someone whose “lectures and writing are designed to appeal to the heart as much as the head” (The Tablet).

Youth Pillar

St James’ Youth Group

The next Junior Youth Group will be held on Saturday 19th May in the Community centre from Noon to 2pm. £1.50 per session - which includes lunch.

Justice & Peace

Pots for sale

Several used garden pots have been donated. Have a look at the photos at the back of the church, or on the website, and if would like one contact the parish office to reserve it. All donations will be going to the St Catherine’s in the Philippines.

Foodbank

The list of needs has changed and is now: tinned potatoes, tinned tomatoes, tinned soup, long life fruit juice, jam, rice, shampoo, toothbrushes, baby wipes, washing up liquid and washing powder. Thank you for continuing to donate these much needed supplies.

Social Pillar

CWL Military Whist

Our eagerly awaited annual Military Whist Drive will be held on Saturday 12th May in the Community Centre. It is a fun evening for 10 - 100 year olds. Light refreshments will be served, there will be a raffle and the bar will be open. Tickets £6. Come along at 7.30 if you would like to learn how to play whist, otherwise please arrive in time to buy your drinks ready for the 8pm start.

Dad and Me

The next meeting of Dad and Me will be held at the Community Centre on Saturday 19th May at 10.00-11.30am.

Film Night

A big thank you to everyone who supported our first film night on 5 May. Apart from being deeply moved by the film, “I, Daniel Blake”, you donated an amazing £122 for the St James’ Memory Café. Thank you so much for your generosity!

Our next Film Night will be held on Saturday 9 June at 7.30pm. We will be showing “La Vie en Rose”, an OSCAR/BAFTA, Golden Globe winning French film about the life of Édith Piaf. The running time is 140 minutes. There will be a 15-minute interval and on this occasion any donations raised will be for the Foodbank. We look forward to seeing you!

Note for your diaries. The subsequent Film Club will be held on Saturday, 14 July. Details to follow in due course.

Senior Citizens Summer lunch

The SVP Senior citizens Summer lunch will be on Sunday June 10^th at 1pm.

This was a very popular enjoyable and sociable event last year so keep this date free in your diary. Signup sheets will be available next week.

Save The Date

St James’

Garden Party & Fun Run

8^th July

After 11am Mass

Music, Drinks, Cakes – Fun for the whole family!

If you would like to get involved, please contact either parish.office@stjamespettswood.org

or Mary O’Mahony at mary.omahony@stjamespettswood.org

Seeking Job

We have a parishioner who is an experienced domestic cleaner looking for work, housekeeping, ironing, cooking and cleaning. She has references. Please contact the parish office for more details.

Polite Reminder

The Parish disabled parking spaces are for Blue Badge holders only.

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.

Saturday 19th May 2018
Cleaning the Church	Readers

Wednesday Coffee 16th May

Volunteers Needed

20th May 2018
Mass	Saturday 6pm (Vigil)	Sunday 9.15am	Sunday 11am
Welcomers	A Huntington	C Cook L Thomas	K Edwards M Cooper
Readers	C Kiely J Bajorek	C D’Souza C Hairs	Z Bajorek R Del Guercio
Ministers of Holy Communion	J Bajorek H Rothon M Cahill C Cahill J Callinan	D Hairs B Cotta W David B D’Arcy T Forde	R Del Guercio Z Bajorek T Troy A Bunnage P Murray
Bar			P Troy M Wright
Coffee		L Lynch S Barradell	T Troy J Cosgrave
Altar Servers	R&F Norman-Brown A&D Poulton P Kukula P Marshall	J MacFadyen L Delamain	V Marcolina Emily

Tellers

C Delf, M Troy