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Thank you for your offerings last week of £5,850. Mass attendance was 1,072
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Sunday 23rd April
Saturday Vigil |
Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)
6pm Neil Meehan RIP (K Evans)
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9.15am – David Forde RIP (H&T Forde)
11am – People Of The Parish
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Monday 24th April |
Saint George |
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9.30am – Sick members of the Petts Wood Wood Section of the CWL (CWL)
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Tuesday 25th April |
Saint Mark |
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9.30am – Kathleen Foley RIP (Wharton Family)
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Wednesday 26th April |
Feria 9.00am Mass at St James’ School – Year 4 – All Welcome. |
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Deceased members of the Barradell family (S Barradell)
10.45am - Eucharistic Adoration
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Thursday 27th April |
Feria |
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9.30am – Mary Casartelli
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Friday 28th April |
Feria
9.30am -David West (M Kelly)
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Sunday 30th April
Saturday 6pm |
Third Sunday Of Easter
6pm David Hawkins RIP Anniversary (The Hawkins Family)
9.15am - People Of The Parish
11am – Mrs Lea Dabrowska (Dabrowska Family)
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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
This week’s second collection is for maintenance fund. Next week’s second collection is for St George’s Cathedral.
Fr David wishes to thank everyone for their gifts and cards for Easter and his birthday
Fr David writes…
It is easier to conform. If you wish to advance in the world, one needs to appease the majority by saying things that they want to hear. It does not matter whether you believe in what you are saying or not. It is less demanding to think like the rest thinks. It rewards you with a sense of belonging. At the same time it disempowers you. Your truth is suppressed and in return you are rewarded by acceptance and inclusion. Our collusion with the general public spares us rejection. We do not stand out. We just blend in. Conformity is safe. It does not rock the boat. On the other hand, conformity hinders you to think on your own. It hinders your independence. It re-enforces dependency. Actually it disempowers you. You lose your voice in the process. It demands courage in a community, to be different, to think differently and to believe differently. It also demands a strong sense of self to stand out of the crowd and to be your authentic self. In most instances, to be different means being bullied and ostracized. A community/crowd wants you to remain dependent on it. You need to speak its language and to believe in what it believes. There is no place for subjective thinking and believing. In the olden days, men and women were labelled heretics and hung for uttering dogmas which did not reflect what the main community believed in. Even in today’s world, we find cultures that punish severely their citizens if they speak and live out of their truth. In most countries it can be dangerous to be different.
In today’s gospel we encounter a community which fear had paralysed. The one who loved them, who gave them their identity, who gave them meaning was no longer with them. They had witnessed him tortured and hung on a cross. Who are they now without Jesus? They are also confused. Were they deceived all along by Jesus? Was he really what he claimed to be? They were also terrified at the prospect of being treated the way Jesus was. So they hid. Today we are encountering a very vulnerable and grieving group of people. They lock themselves in a room. They enclose themselves in their fear. In the midst of this crisis enters Jesus and greets them with Peace be with you. His appearance in their midst must have restored their faith in Jesus and also in their mission and direction in life. His greeting must have reassured them that they had not been abandoned. “Receive the Holy Spirit”. On that day, Thomas was not with them. The story continues to tell us that when he returned to the room, Thomas refused to believe that Jesus had appeared to them unless he touches his wounds. Thomas refuses to believe just because the community said it. He refuses to disempower himself by allowing the community to tell him what to believe. He wanted to experience it himself. He felt the need to be authentic with himself. He gave himself permission to doubt.
Most of us are frightened to give ourselves permission to doubt. We are frightened that God might punish us or that we judge ourselves as bad Catholics because we doubt. We need to give ourselves permission to doubt in order to feel strengthened in our faith. We need to allow ourselves to question, to be authentic like Thomas. Faith is alive. And Faith is not linear in nature. It is more like a spiral. If we never doubt, we never can grow as persons and as Christians. Once Thomas encountered himself the risen Christ, he cries out – My Lord and My God – the ultimate Profession of Faith. But first he had to go through a process in his life of faith. If we do not doubt and question, we would always remain infantile in our faith. Questioning and doubting needs to be encouraged in our journey in faith. If Faith is black and white, then it is no longer faith. It is just a fabrication of our psyche to help us remain in control. This is an illusion. Faith will always have an element of doubt in order to be authentic and alive. Let us give ourselves permission to question our faith in order to mature as Christians.
“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
We welcome Mai Ling, Mark, Craig, Matt, Mark and Antonio who were received into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.
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.
Mass in celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage
St George’s Cathedral 17th June 2017. If you are celebrating your 1st, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th or 60th+ wedding anniversary this year and would like to attend the Mass then please give in your names as soon as possible. Forms can be found at the back of church.
The Parish Pastoral Council
The next Parish Pastoral Council meeting will take place on Wednesday 26th April at 7.30pm in the Community Centre. Parishioners are very welcome to come along for the first half hour of the meeting. Alternatively, you may raise any relevant issue using the PPC mailbox which is ppc@stjamespettswood.org.
Social Pillar
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. 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.
Fundraising Event
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.
Petts Wood Catholic Women's League
The CWL will hold their monthly meeting on Monday 24th April at 8pm in the Community Centre. We will be having a talk about jewellery and there will also be a chance to buy items. A percentage from the sales will go to charity.
Caste discrimination conference
The Christian Network Against Caste Discrimination (CNACD) is holding a two day international conference on Christian responsibility to Dalits and caste discrimination on 9-10th May at Amigo Hall, St George’s Cathedral from 10am to 5pm. Representatives from different Christian communities are invited to take part. Speakers include Cardinal Turkson, Bishop Pat Lynch, Bishop Richard Harries and Lord Alton. To register and for further information email Fr Appu Anthony Paul at apauls@gmail.com
Appeal from the Knights of St Columba
Please continue to bring in your used postage stamps. If they are on postcards, it is fine to donate the postcard as well. Many Thanks for your continued support.
Justice & Peace Group
The group will meet on Wednesday 26th April at 7.45pm in the Parish Office meeting room (281A Crescent Drive). All parishioners are assured of a warm welcome.
Bromley Foodbank
The list of needs is the same as last week, which 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 those who continue to respond so generously.
Plant Stall
This is in aid of St Helen’s Parish, Peru and will be held on 20th & 21st May. Please consider if you have anything suitable if you are gardening. Any enthusiastic gardener who would be interested in helping at the sale would be most welcome to join the team. Enquiries to di.betts@stjamespettswood.org
Parish Life…
Firm Believers
is our inter-church Fun-Fitness class to music. It is every Tuesday (in term-time), 7.00 - 7.45 pm, in our Community Centre here at St James’. Stay for tea or coffee and chat afterwards if you wish. So come and give it a try, with a group of friendly ladies of all abilities - cost £5. You're welcome to just turn up, or contact us by email at firm.believers@stjamespettswood.org). Maybe bring a friend. Wear trainers, any comfortable clothing and bring a mat or towel, and get fit and trim for Summer.
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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30th April |
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Mass |
Saturday 6pm (Vigil) |
Sunday 9.15am |
Sunday 11am |
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Welcomers |
M Sands |
L Thomas F Mace |
S Barradell P Benson
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Readers |
K Lams L Rusmini |
R Lim J Gibson |
D Ducat M Ingledew
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Ministers of Holy Communion |
C Wakefield S Poulton C Cosgrave P Cosgrave P Driscoll |
M Smith M Howell S Cotta A Ward A Hawkins |
P Murray V Terry N Longhurst T Willard R Mwansa
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Coffee |
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G Brookes D Brookes |
C D’Arcy T Lowe
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Bar |
N Longhurst B Meehan |
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Tellers |
C Delf M Troy |
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Saturday 29th April |
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Cleaning the Church |
S Ingle, I Hutchins, P Driscoll, J Rogers, M Mitrovic |