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Pray for Pope Francis I. We rejoice with the whole Catholic Church in the election of an Argentinian Pope. May he have a fruitful, pastoral and prophetic ministry as the 266th successor of the apostle Peter. Learn about him in our Catholic newspapers next week, and of course on the web now.
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Penitential Service for Lent, this coming Thursday at 7.30pm. Everyone is encouraged to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation before Easter. Priests from our deanery will be hearing confessions. Priority will be given to parents with young children who can depart after making their confession.
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Holy Week and Easter. The main services are the Triduum (‘three days’):
Holy Thursday March 28th. Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 8pm followed by watching before the Blessed Sacrament until 11pm. (Please sign list and watch for 15 minutes).
Good Friday March 29th (day of fasting and abstinence). Solemn Liturgy at 3pm. Children’s Stations of the Cross at 10am.
United Service at Christ Church Lutheran (Poverest Road ) at 10.30am. Please come along to this service if possible and accept this kind invitation of our Lutheran brothers and sisters. It will be an historic moment in the life of our PW churches.
Holy Saturday Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter at 8.30pm (NB time).
Easter Sunday Usual Mass times, 9.15 and 11 am.
Please fill in the rotas for all these services (in porch) –we must cover them all.
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Petts Wood Festival Chorus Concert. Here next Saturday (24th) at 7.30pm. Tickets ((£5) are going fast (from repository after Mass or on the door). Faure’s Requiem and other pieces by Faure and Elgar. A popular and beautiful programme, not to be missed. Supporting Bromley Borough Foodbank and sponsored by Petts Wood Churches Together.
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GIFT AID A very big thanks to all who have gift-aided their 1st and 2nd collection offerings and their donations to the Maintenance/Refurbishment Fund during the 2012/13 tax year.
Your boxes (with your name on) of new Gift Aid envelopes for the 2013/14 tax year are now ready for collection at the back of the church.
Standing Orders, for those who Gift Aid their weekly offering by Standing Order, please note that boxes with their number on only contain envelopes for 2nd Collections.
If you cannot find your box please speak to Geoff Ford (the Gift Aid Administrator) – email him at gift.aid@stjamespettswood.org.
The amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax you pay or will pay during a tax year must be at least equal* to the total amount of tax that all Charities, including Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs), (i.e. not just St James’), will reclaim on your gift-aided donations to them for that tax year. Other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify.
* You must have paid at least 25 pence in Income/Capital Gains Tax for every £1 of gift-aided donation you make to all Charities/CASCs (i.e. £25 tax for every £100 given).
Please also speak to Geoff if : a) you are unsure that you will have paid adequate tax, b) you wish to know the total recorded amount of your offerings, c) you move or marry and change your name. (It is important that our record of your name and address is recognisable to the taxman.) d) you wish to transfer your gift aid into your spouse’s name (perhaps because you have stopped working and no longer pay tax) e) you would like to Gift Aid your contributions to St James but have not yet completed a declaration form.
As every charity will tell you, by gift-aiding your donations your contributions are substantially increased at no cost whatsoever to you.
Please consider giving to the parish regularly through Gift Aid. It’s easy to arrange – just email Geoff Ford
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Many thanks to the 26 people who turned up last Wednesday for the Fundraising Meeting. It was a very fruitful session and there will be concrete results.
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Our Brownie pack and their friends had fun playing Bingo this week and raised £270 for us to send to CAFOD for the Connect2 project in Bangladesh. Thanks to the leaders for organising this and raising such an amazing amount.
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Mass attendances last Sunday were 738. TODAY - Second Collection for the Maintenance and Refurbishment Fund.
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Sunday 17/3/13 |
Fifth Sunday in Lent (C) 6pm – Elizabeth Pottier RIP (J McArthur) 9.15am – People of the Parish 11am – Welfare of Tom Benson (Mr & Mrs Benson
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Monday 18/3/13 |
Feria of Lent 9.30am – The O’Flaherty Family RIP
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Tuesday 19/3/13 |
St Joseph 9.30am – Kay & Ned Fitzgerald RIP
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Wednesday 20/3/13 |
Feria of Lent 9.30am – Terence Lynch (Mrs Jackson)
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Thursday 21/3/13 |
Feria of Lent 9.30am – Welfare of Martin O’Leary (M O’Leary) 7pm – Penitential Service
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Friday 22/3/13 |
Feria of Lent 9.30am – Joan Hansford RIP (Jill, Mick & Ellen)
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Sunday 24/3/13 |
Palm Sunday (C) 6pm – People of the Parish 9.15am – Wilma Dias Braga RIP (Karla Lima) 11am – Christopher Walsh RIP (Mr & Mrs Benson)
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TODAY - Festival Chorus at 2.30pm. Holy Week Choir at 4.30pm.
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Tuesday: Lection Divina, final session 1.30pm at the Baptist Church opposite. Repeated at 8pm at Christ Church, Willett Way. All most welcome, even if you have not been to other sessions. Sessions last 1 hour. On today’s gospel (the woman taken in adultery.)
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Wednesday: LiveSimply meeting 7.45pm.
Baptism preparation (for parents who have been invited). 8.15pm, meeting room.
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Thursday: Penitential Service at 7.30pm. Servers practice at 5pm.
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Friday: Stations of the Cross at 7pm.
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Week of Accompanied Prayer
A follow-up session will be held at St James on Saturday 13th April, from 10.30 to 12 noon, - please note this date in your diary. It will be for Participants to share ideas for following up the Week and seeing what we might want to do ourselves in the local churches. Some of the Guides from the Week will return to offer suggestions.
We plan to prepare a review of the Week of Accompanied Prayer. There is a box in the lobby, if anyone wishes to write any comments on their experience of the Week. There is no need to add your name unless you wish.
Chris and Doreen would like to thank very much the Participants for their lovely gifts - they came as a complete surprise and are really appreciated.
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Catholic Women’s League Section AGM Monday March 25th All welcome. More members needed, especially for the committee, please submit your name!
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‘Caught in the act’
a poem by Ann Lewin on today’s gospel.
I waited for the stones to
Cut my flesh, sharp pointed
Thrusts of angry scorn
Purging my accusers of their
Guilt. But one by one they
Left, themselves accused by
His sharp questioning,
’Who among you is sinless ?’
I stood alone,
Waiting to be condemned, but
As he looked, knowing me as I am,
Love set me free,
To go and sin no more.
Every blessing, Fr. Bryan