This
evening (Sunday) we start our new confirmation
programme. We have 22 young
people registered and in due course they will be presented to the
congregation. Bishop Pat will be here to
confirm them next May.
We
are also pioneering a brand new group for young people in school years 7
and 8 and which will, hopefully, act as a ‘bridge’ between primary school and
confirmation (year 9).
Both these groups will meet
fortnightly, and the aim is to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ and also give
them time to socialise together. I am immensely grateful to the leaders and
helpers of both groups.
However I am very aware
that we still do not, as a parish, provide anything similar for our primary age
children (apart from our first communion programme)-many of whom do not attend
a Catholic school. We shall hopefully
address this in the coming weeks; but it is interesting (worrying?) that I have never been asked (by anyone!) about this lack of spiritual/social
provision for our primary age children!
What
do you think? Ought we provide something for years 4, 5, and 6?
Many
of us (I hope) are very concerned about young people falling away from the
church. The answer must lie with us,
as a parish community, as we nurture the young up to the age of 18, and provide
high quality catechesis for them
(and for adults, as well.) And it is
hard! We need people, time, resources- but above all the conviction that it
is all worth it.
I think it is. . Do
you ?
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Mass Attendance at Mass last week was 692.
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Saturday
21/9/13
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St Matthew,
apostle
9.30am
– Jo White, RIP
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Sunday
22/9/13
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25th
Sunday in Ordinary Time
6pm
(Sat) – International Day of Peace (Justice & Peace
Group)
9.15am –
Rachel Cronin, RIP (Jackson
family)
11am – People
of the Parish
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Monday
23/9/13
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No
Monday Mass
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Tuesday
24/9/13
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Our
Lady of Walsingham
9.30am –
David Coffey, RIP (A & S Barradell)
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Wednesday
25/9/13
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Feria
9.30am – Anglia Callen (Mothers Prayer Group)
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Thursday
26/9/13
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Feria
9.30am
– Vocations (CWL)
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Friday
27/9/13
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St
Vincent de Paul, Priest
9.30am
– In Thanksgiving
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Saturday
28/9/13
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Feria
9.30am
–
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Sunday
29/9/13
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26th
Sunday in Ordinary Time
6pm
(Sat) – Dennis Ashton, RIP (K Griffin)
9.15am
– Angela Denman, RIP (Diana Betts)
11am – People
of the Parish
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Today:
Second
Collection for Maintenance (Parish Buildings) Fund. The hall toilets will be
officially ‘handed over’ in a week’s time (Monday30th). Blackwaters have done
an excellent job and I know you will be pleased with the final result.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed. We now need to decorate the hall (including
re-wiring) and make the whole plant light, airy and attractive. Please
keep on giving generously to the monthly Fund. Every penny you give will help with the
improvement of our plant- thank you again- and don’t forget Gift Aid!!
Children’s Liturgy Group starts again today (9.15am
Mass). Children from 3 yrs up to 1st
communion. Many thanks to all leaders and helpers.
7’s and 8’s – 5pm-6.15.pm.
Confirmation group- 6.30pm-8.30pm.
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Tuesday:
Clergy
fraternal (all Petts Wood Churches ministers). Meeting room, 12.15pm.
Petts Wood
Churches Together Meeting, Society of
Friends, 7.30pm (Ladywood Rd).
Project
Board – 8.30pm – meeting room.
(members please NB time).
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Wednesday:
Justice
and Peace Group- 7.45pm (hall). We would welcome new members (see today’s
first reading.....)
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Friday:
Parents
and Toddlers -1.30pm-3pm- everyone most welcome.
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Saturday Mass at 9.30am- confessions heard and Blessed
Sacrament exposed 10-10.30am. Do
come and pray before your busy Saturday starts......
10.30am-11.30am
– church cleaning – year 3 parents
(this does not just mean St James’ school parents- but any parent who
has a year 3 child). Sadly last week (Sept.14th)
no-one from the designated group
came and so the church was not cleaned...........Many thanks to all who
take their turn (only 2 or 3 times a year) Full timetable in porch and on
line.
First communion programme begins (4.30pm)
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Next Sunday:
Traidcraft goods will be on sale after all Masses.
Please buy something to help those
struggling in various parts of the world (see today’s first reading.) And
thank you.
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Monday 30th: Catholic Womens’ League- meeting
at 7.30pm. Speaker on Environmental Issues – ALL are
very welcome.
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Roger Wright, a member of the
LiveSimply Group writes:
“Thank
you to the many parishioners who made special efforts last weekend to Live
Sustainably by supporting the ‘Leave the Car at Home’ event. Analysis of the reply slips (from 83% of
the congregation) showed that whereas 196 said they normally walk to Mass,
355 people walked this time. 364 would
normally come by car but last week only 172 did. About 140 cars are usually brought to Mass
but only 63 were this time, according to the replies. This is a fantastic response, so well done
St James’!”. Report on website.
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Sound system in church.
Through the generosity of four parishioners the sound system will be
renewed fairly soon- but we do want to get it absolutely right! This will benefit us all!
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Fun Run – final profit from the run and
barbecue was £772! Many thanks to Chris, Michelle Clare, Sue
and Stephen for their fantastic organisation and commitment and to all who
supported them. It was a great day!
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Next Sunday (11 am) we shall celebrate as we welcome six adults into the communion of the
Catholic Church: Meihua Li, Simone Ebah, Faye and Keith Mace, Frank
Vorstenburg and Paul Haylock. Please pray for them all this week, together
with their sponsors and families. There will be a short celebration in the
hall after Mass, at which all are welcome.
(Sadly
no-one has come forward enquiring this year, and so Journey in Faith will not
run.)
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Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster has asked that a letter from
Mgr. Keith Newton (‘Ordinary=leader) be made available to all Catholics,
explaining the Personal Ordinariate of
Our Lady of Walsingham. Please
take a copy from the porch.
We keep Our Lady of Walsingham on Tuesday.
Walsingham (11th cent.) was one of the most important and most
visited Marian shrines in Europe until it was destroyed by Henry V111 in 1538. It was revived around the start of the
twentieth century, and is now visited once again by thousands of both
Catholic and Anglican pilgrims. It is
a lovely part of Norfolk
and has a wonderful atmosphere. Could
we organise perhaps a weekend retreat there in 2014, our 75th
anniversary year? Any takers?
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Eco tip of the week
from our LiveSimply Group and with thanks to the
Monday Craft Club for the idea of
Household cleaning – the LiveSimply way
To support the principle of Living Sustainably, the
use of chemical cleaning products should be reduced. For an all-purpose cleaner, mix equal parts
of white vinegar and water and keep in a plastic spray bottle.
So there
you go.
Have a
good week.
Fr.Bryan.
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Your Choice: a poem by Thom M Shurman.
(based on Matthew 8:1-4).
If you choose, Lord,
you could wipe out
the poverty in our land
If you choose, Lord,
you could end the suffering
of children and women
If you choose, Lord,
you could destroy all weapons
and institute a reign of peace
throughout the world
If you choose, Lord,
all these things-
and more-
could take place
now.
Lord, like the Hebrews
in the wilderness,
help us to stop our grumbling,
and to remember
you have chosen
to do all these things
through us.