Thank you for your offerings last week of £1,355.  Second Collection £849.  Mass attendance 655.
Sunday 25^th June (Saturday Vigil)	Twelfth Sunday 6pm Ron Thompson RIP (M Thompson) 9.15am Francesca M Sio RIP (J&LSio) 11am Kathleen Foley RIP (Roche Family)
Monday 26^th June	Feria 9.30am First Holy Communicants (CWL)
Tuesday 27^th June (Please note change of time)	Feria 10am Requiem Mass for Dermot Enright
Wednesday 28th June (Please note change of time)	St Irenaeus Mass at St James’ School – Year 3 Mass – All Welcome 9.05am Ronald Connolly RIP (E Connolly)
	10.45am Eucharistic Adoration
Thursday 29th June	St Peter & St Paul Whole school Mass 9.30am Dorothy Robson RIP (Foundation Mass) 8pm People of the Parish
Friday 30th June (Please note change of time)	Feria 10am Requiem Mass for Sharon Fernandes
Sunday 2^nd July (Saturday Vigil)	Thirteenth Sunday 6pm Kay Livingston RIP (M Farrell) 9.15am Joshua Canning on what would have been his 18^th birthday (Canning Family) Francesca Sio RIP (J&L Sio) 11am Peter Keen RIP (Jo Keen)

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 the “4 –in-1” Racial Justice, Day for Life, Apostleship of the sea and Catholic Education service.

Thursday’s Collection will be for Peter’s Pence on the feast of St Peter & St Paul.

Next week’s collection will be for St Helen’s parish in Peru.

Grenfell Tower Collection

Should you wish to make a contribution to the Grenfell Tower victims there will be a collection box on the sanctuary over the next few weeks.

Fr David writes…

Along our life’s journey, we tend to encounter lots of different kinds of people.  As part of our socialisation process, we start developing our own social skills.  These skills definitely help us to engage in the world.  As the saying goes “No Man is an island”.  We are without any shadow of doubt, social beings.  Some of us are better than others in this respect.  Some of us have a natural knack with people.  It is sheer gift.  However, we also learn from a very tender age, that we cannot trust everyone.  And part of our learning, unfortunately sometimes after a painful experience, is to protect ourselves.  My “age of Innocence” ended when I started realising that not everyone accepted me or liked me.  I remember opening up myself to others and taking them at face value and experiencing betrayal.  Life taught me that people can be very complex.  With this realisation, I learnt how to protect myself.  The intuitive part of me observes and discerns whom to trust and feels safe with and who are those to put strict boundaries with.

In every sphere of life we encounter people whom we call “bullies”.  These are people who have a very complex makeup.  Their aim is to intimidate people – sometimes physically but mainly more subtly on an emotional level.  They try to make you feel small.  They are experts at undermining others.  There is nothing straightforward with this kind of people.  They scheme day and night.  They are very territorial.  They feel threatened easily.  They come across as heartless and very clinical.  However, if you dig deeper into their story, you will find that they had a hard upbringing.  They themselves would have been made to feel small by significant others in their lives.  Bullies start showing who they are from the school playground.  We find them at workplaces.  In domestic relationships.  In friendships.  In church committees and in all kinds of groups which we take part in.  Bullies target mainly people they perceive to be vulnerable.  They do not tend to target those who have a good sense of self.  They have a knack of knowing who is struggling within the group.  Struggling with self-esteem issues for example are main attraction for bullies.  People who are going through a hard time for one reason or another.  Bullies try to disempower you in order to make you feel dependent on them and they would feel in control.  Their main fear is that actually – losing total control.

Someone who knows who he or she is, and have a healthy sense of self does not fall under the spell of people who are there to intimidate him or her.  A person who is centred in oneself and knows their worth has the ability to protect themselves from these kinds of people.  They have too much self-respect to allow others to undermine them.  Protection sometimes would mean disengaging with people who are bullies.  Bullies need victims.

In today’s beautiful gospel reading Jesus appears in strong voice against intimidation.  He does not disguise the truth that his disciples will be confronted by those who threaten, bully and intimidate others into submissive agreement. Jesus tells his disciples “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul”.  If you believe deep down that you are worthless, there is no point in defending anything.  Anyone can intimidate a sparrow, and anyone can intimidate those who regard themselves as worthless.  However if you believe that who you are and what you stand for add up to some worth, then you will be willing to take on those who would try to rubbish you and your values.  This is Jesus’ point.  Your real worth before God is a more powerful force than your real fear of your persecutors. This week I have been inspired by the Iman who, in the face of utter hatred, instead of colluding with his natural tendency for revenge, he took a different path of action.  After the tragic event of Seven Sisters, the Muslims who were naturally enraged against the perpetrator of the atrocious terror act, they tried to get hold of him and give him a lesson, a peace loving Imam, stood in the way and protected the perpetrator until the police arrived.  When I saw him being interviewed, I realised that I was listening to a man who knows who he is.  I realised that he is a man of integrity.  He became the face that most of us needed to see.  The human peace loving Muslim.  The Muslim Extremists masqueraded this face for us.  But this week we realised through him that it exists.  In the face of sheer intimidation, cowardly bullying act, he remained strong to his values.  This man knows that he is loved by Allah, his God.  May we also learn from something important from him.

“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery

The next Drop-in Surgery will take place on Tuesday 27th June 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 1^st 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.

Children’s Liturgy Cancelled on 25th June

We apologise there will not be a children’s liturgy session on 25^th June due to the Community Centre being used for setting up for the Holy Communion breakfast.

Pastoral Care Pillar

Service of Remembrance for Bereaved Parents

Losing a baby or child is one of the most painful experiences anyone may ever have to face.  On Sunday 25th June you are warmly invited to a Service of Remembrance for Bereaved Parents.  It will take place at 4pm in St James' Community Centre and family and friends are also very welcome.  The service will be a time of music, prayer, poetry and reflection.  We do hope you will be able to stay afterwards for refreshments.

Youth Pillar

Cheese & Wine Event for all Youth Ministers - Tuesday 27th June at 8pm

If you are interested in youth ministry and are already involved in your parish or would simply like to find out more, you are warmly invited to attend our Cheese & Wine event at St James’ the Great Church in Petts Wood on Tuesday 27th June at 8pm.  Take this opportunity to get to know other youth ministers in Bromley parishes, share your experiences and discover the programme of exciting activities and projects we have in store to engage young people in their faith for the coming year.  To reserve your place, RSVP: susan.longhurst@bromleydeanery.org by 20th June 2017.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Post-Confirmation Retreat 29th September – 1st October 2017.

In collaboration with Southwark Catholic Youth Service, we are offering all young people who have made their Confirmation the opportunity to attend a Post-Confirmation retreat which promises both fun and faith exploration under the experienced guidance of the youth team in Whitstable (Costs tbc) For more information and to register your interest please contact the parish office by 20^th July 2017.

Parish Life……

Silver Jubilee & St James’ Feast

Celebrations

Garden Party & Fun Run

9th July

After 11am Mass

Music, Drinks, Cakes – Fun for the whole family!

First Holy Communion

This weekend the children will be presented with their certificates at the 11.00am Mass.  After Mass they will be attending a First Communion Breakfast in the Community Centre.  Congratulations to them all and their parents.  Also a massive thank you to all the Catechists who helped to prepare the children for their First Holy Communion.

Senior Citizens’ Lunch

On Sunday 16^th July at 1pm in the Community Centre.  If you would like to attend please sign the sheet at the back of the church.

The Power of Colour

Seven Sisters Seascape, October 7^th 10am to 1pm in the Community Centre.  Unleash your creativity at a palette knife workshop with Zsuzsanna Pataki.

Following a step-by-step demo by Zsuzsanna, you will develop your own seascape in acrylics, with sponges and palette knives.  Great fun and a new technique if your default tool is a brush.  Professional colours, canvas and tools provided.  Beginners are very welcome.

Invite friends and sign up together by calling the parish office on 01689 827100.  Recommended age 14-144 years, special discount for the parish £25 per person.

Job Vacancy

St Philomena’s Catholic Primary school

KS1 Class Teacher required for September 2017.  Please see notice board at the back of the church for full details.

CWL Teddy Bears’ Picnic

If you go down to St James’ today, you’re sure of a big surprise…

Teddy Bear’s Picnic

Friday 30^th June 3:00pm

Parish Garden*, St James’ RC Church, Petts Wood

£3 adults (includes a drink and a cake)

£1 child (please bring your teddy); Teddy Bears free!

Raising money for CWL Charities

* If the weather is poor the event will be held in the Community Centre

Justice & Peace Group

J&P group will meet on Wednesday 28th July at 7.45pm in the Parish Office meeting room (281A Crescent Drive).  All parishioners are assured of a warm welcome.

Traidcraft Stall next weekend

There will not be another stall for 3 months so stock up on your favourites.  Thank you to all our regular supporters and please come and browse.

Bromley Foodbank requests

The list of priority foods and household goods is: toilet rolls, tinned tomatoes, long life fruit juice, tinned potatoes, desserts (sponge puddings, jellies, instant whips), UHT milk, men's razors and shaving foam.  Please make sure milk and juices are long life.  Thank you to all those who continue to respond so generously.  If you shop at a Tesco store in Bromley Borough please look out for the tokens given at the checkout desk.  Tesco makes a donation to local charities from the proceeds of their plastic bag sales.  Please vote for the Foodbank by putting your token in that box

Parish Peru Project

Second collection next weekend.  This will be for our overseas project to help St Helen's parish in Peru.  We normally look to support an overseas cause for two years and as we have now been supporting St Helen's for about two years this will be the final collection for St Helen's. 

So far £10,387 has been raised which has helped to fund the building of a chapel, called the Adoration Chapel, at the Family Centre in St Helen's parish and to fund the cost of buying tables and chairs, a projector and screen and a sound system in a small hall in the Family Centre.

Fr Alex the parish priest has expressed his gratitude for the generous help St James’ has given him.

The Justice and Peace Group is looking at a new overseas project to replace the Peru project to propose to the parish.

Communications Pillar

Mass Intentions

Please note that, due to high demand, mass intentions for services up to and including August 2017 are fully booked.  Please bear this in mind when filing your mass intentions, and try to give the office as much lead in time as possible to help ensure you get the dates you would like.

Parish Facebook Page

We have a Facebook page for the Parish and are posting a mixture of spiritual and informative items.  If you would like to receive these updates from the Parish on Facebook you can find the page by searching Facebook for ‘St James’ the Great RC Church Petts Wood’ and click on ‘Like’.

What is easyfundraising.co.uk?

Raise parish funds when you click the link on our home page before shopping online with retailers such as Amazon, eBay, M&S, John Lewis, Argos, tour operators, etc.  Without any extra cost to you, St James’ will receive a donation each time you buy something this way.  Supermarkets also make donations but only for non-food items.  You have to register first but once that’s done it really is easy!  So far we have raised £2,253 for the parish.  The current figure is updated regularly on the parish website home page.

Appeal from 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

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.

Wednesday Coffee	28^th June B Bridle, M Howell
Cleaning the Church Saturday 1^st July	S Ingle I Hutchins P Driscoll J Rogerson  M Mitrovic
Mass 2^nd July	Saturday 6pm (Vigil)	Sunday 9.15am	Sunday 11am
Welcomers	K Kirby	L Samuels J Samuels	S Ingle J Ingle
Readers	A Prifti D Woolston	A Hansford H Denham	R Morrison L Benson
Ministers of Holy Communion	P Crosland C Wakefield S Poulton C Cosgrave P Cosgrave	B D’Arcy K Chan D Hairs B Cotta W David	V Terry N Longhurst T Willard R Mwansa P Murray
Coffee		G Brookes D Brookes	T Troy J Cosgrave B Bridle
Bar	F Simon, P Dabrowski

Tellers

A Barradell, S Barradell