Thank you for your offerings in recent weeks of £4260.46 (Easter Offering), £2346.14 (3/4), £1486.67 (10/4) and £1047.78 for the Maintenance Fund.  Mass attendances were 1051 (27/3), 596 (3/4) and 756 (10/4)

 

Sunday

17/4/16

Fourth Sunday of Easter (C)

 

6.00pm Louise Knight (McCabe Family)

 

9.15am People of the Parish

 

11.00am  Marjorie Ingledew RIP (M Ingledew)

 

Monday

18/4/16

 

Feria

 

9.30am  Fr David Camilleri and his twin Barbara (H Marvell)

 

Tuesday 19/4/16

Feria/St.  Alphege, Bishop & Martyr

 

9.30am  Margaret Thompson (J&M Clark)

 

Wednesday

20/4/16

Feria

 

9.30am   Anthony Olivelle RIP (Foundation)

 

Thursday

21/4/16

St.  Anselm, Bishop & Doctor of the Church

 

9.30am  Christian Jalady RIP (G Head)

 

Friday

22/4/16

Feria

 

9.30am Margaret Thompson (All her friends)

 

Saturday 23/4/16

 

Vigil Mass

 

6.00pm Ivy Sawyer RIP (McCabe Family)

 

Sunday 24/4/16

Fifth Sunday Of Easter

 

9.15am  People of the Parish

 

11.00am Brigit Donovan RIP (M Ramadan)

 

Confessions heard Saturday 5.00pm-5.45pm or by appointment.

 

Morning Prayers - 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 11-12 noon here in the Church.  All welcome.

Fr David writes….

One of the most precious gifts that we can offer another is the gift of listening.  Listening is not merely hearing what the other is saying and conjuring our response even before the other has finished the sentence.  Listening demands discipline – a way of trying to almost de-clutter oneself from all preconceived ideas and listen attentively to the other.  Giving the other undivided attention.  This demands skill and a lot of time and patience.  With all the sophistication of our current technology especially within the social media, we are lacking depth in our conversations I feel.  And once we don’t have the time to listen to and be listened to, we lack the ability to understand and get to know one another on a deeper level.  We lack the ability to get in tune with one another.  And so encounter each other as we are.  This can leave us feeling alone.  Even within our intimate relationships, we can talk about a thousand things every day – about the kids, about the house, about the job – but at the end of the day – we tend to not have the time or the ability to speak to one another on what really matters.  If the conversations always lack depth, we can easily find ourselves drifting apart.  And at the end of the day realise that we have become strangers to one another and the only reason why we stay together is because of the children, finance or the familiar.  When we come to this situation, it is very tempting when we find someone else who seem to be able to listen to us, to fall for him or her.

In today’s gospel we encounter Jesus who is saying “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me”.  It seems that he wants to let us know that there is an intimate relationship between him and us.  He knows us intimately and it is reassuring to hear that he is the one who will protect us.  But in order to know his voice and listen to him, we need to have the time and the willingness to build up our relationship with him.  Sometimes we think that to nurture our spiritual life, we only need to go to Mass and follow the commandments.  That helps of course – but our spirituality is about relationship.  It is about building an intimate relationship with the person of Jesus who is the human face of God.  In our prayer life, do we allow time to receive or is it all about saying the right words and doing the right actions?  In our discerning God’s will for us in our everyday life, decisions and choices, do we truly try to listen to his voice to lead us or do we allow our own egos to take over?  We need the gift of the spirit especially in the time that we need to discern life choices and vocation in life.  Discerning the right path, profession, partner?  Do we take the time to listen to the voice of God in these pivotal moments of our lives?  There is a profound connection between knowing oneself and knowing God’s will in our lives.

On the 20th of April last year I arrived amongst you.  Yes it has already been a year!  Time does fly by.  I feel that there has been mutual listening on the whole.  This does not mean that there is no need for improvement on both sides.  But, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your welcome and support through all the year.  It has been a very hectic and fruitful year I feel.  I thank you for allowing me to get to know you more and for accepting me as I am.  I also wish to ask you to keep me in your prayers.  God bless you all.   With gratitude – Fr David

“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery

The next Surgery will take place on Tuesday 26th April, 5.00-8.00pm.  Please call at 281a Crescent Drive – no appointments necessary.

Second Collections

Will take place this weekend for Ecclesiastical Education.  This collection helps to meet the costs of training students for the permanent diaconate and priesthood.

Next weekend the second collection will be for the maintenance of St George’s Cathedral.

Our Parish Faith Formation

2016 First Holy Communion Programme

The next session will take place on Saturday 23rd April, 4.30-5.45pm in the Community Centre.

2016 Confirmation Programme

The next meeting will take place on Monday 18th April, 7.00-9.00pm in the Community Centre.

Year of Mercy – Group Discussion

The second in our series of group discussions on the theme of Mercy will take place on Tuesday 3rd May at 8pm in the Community Centre.  The title is ”The First Gaze of Mercy” and we will be discussing the issues which come out of Matthew 28: 1-10.  We do hope you can join us.

Parish Group Activities

KSC Beetle Drive

The Knights are organising the above event on Saturday 23rd April from 7.00pm onwards.  Cost is £2 per head, Family ticket £5 – pay on the door.  All welcome.  All profit will go to the Seminary Fund.

Mother & Toddler Group

Will be meeting here again in the Community Centre on Friday afternoons 1.30-3.00pm – term time only.

Traidcraft Stall

Will take place next weekend after all Masses.  Stock up on your favourites as there will not be another stall until early July.  Thank you for your continued support.  J&P

J&P Plant Sale – Advanced Notice

In aid of St Helen's Parish Peru, will take place over the weekend of 21st/22nd May, please consider if you are gardening.  J&P

CWL Meeting

The next meeting of the Catholic Women’s League will be at 8.00pm on Monday 25th April and will be held in the Community Centre.  Please come along if you would like to learn more about the CWL. 

SVP Race night

Thank you to all who attended and participated in the race night last Saturday and for making it such a fun and enjoyable evening.  The SVP raised £300 on the Night.

Many congratulations to the winning ‘jockeys’ David Diniz(5) and Leo Jayasekra(7) who were first and second overall in the children’s races and to Rob Brookes for winning the adult race.

Many thanks to the Knights of Saint Columba for their help in running this event and special thanks to Catherine Price, Russel Diniz, Frank Simon and Stella Delf

Bromley Foodbank

This week the organisers are appealing especially for Pasta Sauce, Fruit Juice, Squash, Potatoes, Deodorants (particularly ladies’) and Sugar.  Please leave donations in or on the box in the passage at the back of the church.  Many thanks, J&P Group.

Deanery Event

Service for Bereaved Parents

Will take place this Sunday 17th April at 3.00pm in the St James’ Community Centre.

Deanery Pilgrimage to Cathedral

Home-school-parish-deanery pilgrimage to St George’s Cathedral Southwark on Saturday 17th September 10.30 for 11.00am.

Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry Meeting

The next meeting will be held in the Community Centre on Wednesday 20th April, 7.30-9.00pm.  All youth post Confirmation welcome. 

Youth Group

The next session will be held on Saturday 30th April, 12.00-2.00pm.

Charity Car Wash by the Confirmation Candidates

The next two Sundays present everyone with an excellent opportunity to leave Mass with a clean car and a healthy conscience.  The confirmation candidates will be washing cars, five pounds plus any donations gratefully accepted, in the upper car park.  First come, first served as realistically they will only be able to wash 10-12 cars per session.  All money raised is going to support the parish project in Peru.

Thank you for your support and generosity.  Confirmation candidates

"Keep that date"

Look out for information on our South American evening planned for Saturday 7th May. 

Confirmation Candidates

Finance

Gift Aid

If you have not already done so, please collect your boxes of new Gift Aid envelopes (with your name on) for the 2016/17 tax year – on table in the church porch.