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Thank you for your offerings last week of £1421 Mass attendance 730.
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Sunday 16th April |
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
8pm – (Easter Vigil) Brian Williams RIP (K Griffin)
9.15am – Fr David Camilleri Birthday celebration (Hilary)
11am – People Of The Parish
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Monday 17th April |
Monday within the Octave of Easter |
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9.30am – Marjorie Phylis Ingledew RIP (M Ingledew) |
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Tuesday 18th April |
Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
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9.30am – Kay Livingston RIP (Lorna Barrett & Family)
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Wednesday 19th April |
Wednesday within the Octave of Easter |
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9.30am – Carmen Novaes Suzzara RIP (Denise Suzzara)
10.45am - Eucharistic Adoration
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Thursday 20th April |
Thursday within the Octave of Easter |
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9.30am – Anthony Olivelle RIP (Foundation Mass)
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Friday 21st April |
Friday within the Octave of Easter
9.30am - M A Devassy RIP 25th Anniversary (Moonjely Family)
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Sunday 23rd April |
Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)
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6pm – Neil Meehan RIP (K Evans)
9.15am – David Forde RIP (H&T Forde)
11am – People Of The Parish
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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.
Offertory collections
The collections at all Masses over the Easter weekend are your personal offerings for your Parish Priest.
Next week’s second collection is for the maintenance fund.
Fr David writes…
When we lose someone significant in our lives, someone we love, we automatically enter into darkness. Nothing seems to lift the awful feeling of grief within us. Yes there is definitely a certain taste of grief. The world suddenly transforms itself from brilliant colours into black and white. Life loses its colour. Nothing seems to touch us emotionally. We encircle our heart from feeling. We feel numb. This protects us from feeling the extent of the loss. I remember when dad died, being in Valletta and hearing a band playing a piece of music that I knew that dad loved. I remember saying to myself: “when I get back home, I will let him know”. But after a split of a second, I awakened to the bitter reality that dad was no longer with us. Dad was dead. These are the moments when reality starts to set in. And the heart experiences the piercing of pain. These are also the times when we dread putting our heads on the pillow at night, because we are sure that we are going to be disturbed by dark dreams. And our throat in the morning will reveal the extent of our wailing during the night accompanying our dreams. People around us find it difficult to understand. They sometimes find it difficult to cope with the extent of our grief. We on the other hand feel that in any moment we would be going crazy. Emotionally we would be feeling all over the place. Entering the dark tunnel of grief is never easy going. The rollercoaster ride in grief has begun. Nothing can stop it. It needs to run its course. I compare grief with a virus. It needs to run its course in our system. There is nothing we can do but surrender to the overwhelming emotions in the process. This is the time of night.
During this week we have surrendered ourselves to the various emotions of each liturgical service. These days are charged with high intense emotions. We immerse ourselves first in the last supper with Jesus and his disciples on Thursday. We feel the sour sweetness of celebration with Jesus especially with the institution of the Eucharist but at the same time, we are conscious that this is just a beginning of a tragic narrative and end. We taste with Jesus the pain of being betrayed and disowned. We waited with him in silent adoration – waiting for the tragedy to enfold. On Friday, we have followed Christ through his earthly ordeal. Being tossed from one authority to another, all taking charge of his destiny. We could feel his hopelessness. The Narrative had to be pursued – there was no control over it. The process of the narrative had to be respected and honoured beyond our control too. We then have experienced him crucified on a Cross. Total surrender. Total giving! Total love – just love. Every drop of blood shed shouted out – I love you. Love then is entombed and the waiting starts. Waiting and hoping for the unbelievable. Waiting and hoping for the light. As a community of faith, we wait. We wait together for life. We who have loved and lost, know the feeling of waiting. Waiting for a new surge of life within us emerges. Waiting for something, waiting for someone who might re awaken in us life. Waiting for colour to reappear. But we wait in hope. Just hope and faith.
Mary Magdalene goes in the darkness to perform her customary duty of anointing the dead body with ointment. Downcast and depressed, she arrives at the tomb and realises in the darkness that the stone has been removed. Her first reaction is not about resurrection. Her immediate response was one of shock. “They have taken away My Lord!”. It was only when hearing the invocation of her name – Mariam that she awakens from her darkness and consciously understands and believes. In relating the story to the disciples, we see the disciple whom Jesus loved and Peter running to the tomb. John arrives first but does not go into the tomb. Peter arrives after him, enters the tomb and sees the cloths that enshrouded Jesus’ dead body. Then John goes in. He sees and he believes. Light had touched them both. A glimmer of new life had emerged. During these few days, we had allowed ourselves to immerse in this Narrative of Love, darkness and light – all at once. But is that not what life is all about too? A mixture of all these emotions and through all these emotions, aren’t we also invited to keep faith and hope that things will eventually be ok? The narrative of these days give meaning and sustain us, especially in moments of utter darkness and despair. May all of us as a community of faith, experience the touch of the resurrected Christ once more in our lives at this year. A Blessed Easter to all. And thank you to all those who have participated fully in order to make these ceremonies as prayerful and meaningful as possible.
“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery
The next Drop-in Surgery will take place on Tuesday 25th April between 5pm – 7pm. Please call at 281a Crescent Drive. No appointments are necessary.
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
All young people in Bromley Deanery between the ages of 10-18yrs are invited to attend a Youth Mass on Saturday 22nd April at 6.00pm at St Joseph’s Church, Plaistow Lane, Bromley. As usual, we will be holding afternoon workshops from 3.30-5.30pm in the Upper Room and the theme for this session will be to explore ‘The Creed’. We will need musicians’ singers and artists as well as those good at drama to make this a success.
Social Pillar
Children's Easter Egg Hunt and cake sale - Easter Sunday, 16th April
All children are invited to an Easter egg hunt taking place after the 9.15am Mass this Easter Sunday. They will be provided with a basket to collect their eggs and the cost will be £3 per child payable on the day. We're hoping that the April showers stay away. If they do, the hunt will take place in the Parish garden. If not, it will be in the Community Centre.
Everyone is welcome to come along to a cake sale in the Community Centre at the same time. Come along and buy a delicious cake!
Seniors’ Afternoon Tea - Sunday, 23rd April 2017
A slight change of plan for our senior’s event! We will be holding a celebratory St George's themed afternoon tea in the Community Centre from 3pm on Sunday, 23rd April. The cost will be £3 per person. If you would like to come along, please leave your name and £3 payment in the Parish Office before the Easter weekend. Please do also let us know if you require transport too. We hope you can come along to enjoy the afternoon.
Knights of St Columba St George’s Day Celebration
Social Evening on Saturday 29th April
7pm – 11pm. Singing and dancing. Please bring your own food. Family ticket £10 individual ticket £5. Tickets on sale after all Masses.
Songs from West End Musicals
A concert at St James’ on Sunday April 30th at 7.30pm given by The London Concert Chorus to include Songs from the Musicals. This will be a great evening of Songs from the West End Musicals and it is to raise funds for the Parish. Tickets are selling fast so please call into the Parish office or speak to Monica Cahill to purchase your tickets.
The St James’ Social Club
is responsible for the running and licensing of the bar in the Community Centre. The AGM will be held on Sunday 23 April at 12.30 pm in the Community Centre. Items on the agenda will be as follows:
1. Minutes of the last AGM
2. Election of Committee for 2017/2018
3. Financial Report
4. Any other business
All are welcome to attend.
Finance Pillar
The winners of the first 200 Club draw held last Sunday are as follows:
£100 No 130 Mrs J Molloy
£50 No 37 T Wrafter
£25 No 114 Mrs D Scutts
£25 No 98 W David
Congratulations to our winners. There are still numbers available so if any parishioner wishes to join please take a form from the carousel in the Church porch.
Justice & Peace
Bromley Foodbank
The Foodbank told us that the list of items needed is growing. It is mostly the same as last week, and is currently tinned tomatoes, long life fruit juice, long life milk, coffee, desserts, potato (dried/tinned), custard, rice pudding, washing up liquid, men's deodorants and shampoo. Many thanks to whoever responded so generously, with long life milk and other items, last week.
The Annual Plant Sale
in aid of our overseas project, St Helen’s Parish, Peru, will be held on 20th & 21st May. Gardeners of St James’ please remember to add a few extra for the sale if you are dividing, propagating or seed sowing. Anyone with a healthy but unwanted plant please do not discard but find it a new home at the sale.
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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23rd April |
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Mass |
Saturday 6pm (Vigil) |
Sunday 9.15am |
Sunday 11am |
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Welcomers |
A Delamain L Delamain |
C Cook E Froud |
M Cooper K Edwards
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Readers |
M O’Mahony K Salter |
Children’s Mass |
Z Bajorek R Del Guercio
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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 B Bridle A Bunnage
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Coffee |
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L Lynch S Barradell |
P Flockhart A Huntington S Ingle
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Bar |
O Clutton A Barradell M Horner |
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Tellers |
P Cosgrave P Dabrowski |
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Saturday 22nd April |
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Cleaning the Church |
A Haylock, A Crosland, G Macmanus, K Evans |