Thank you for your offerings last week of £1,468.  Mass attendance 726.
Sunday 30th April (Saturday Vigil)	Third Sunday Of Easter 6pm  David Hawkins RIP Anniversary (The Hawkins Family)
	9.15am  People Of The Parish 11am  Mrs Lea Dabrowska (Dabrowska Family)
Monday 1^st May	Feria
	9.30am  Julia Devlin RIP (K Mooney)
Tuesday 2^nd May	St Athanasius
	9.30am  Keith Blacker
Wednesday 3^rd May	Saints Philip & James 9.30am  Teresa West (M Kelly)
	10.45am  Eucharistic Adoration
Thursday 4^th May	The English Martyrs
	9.30am Elaine Slattery (M Kelly)
Friday 5^th May	Feria 9.30am  Johanna Ashton RIP (K Griffin)
Sunday 7^th May (Saturday Vigil)	Fourth Sunday Of Easter 6pm  People Of The Parish 9.15am Terence Quinlan RIP (S Watson) 11am  Patrick & Lilly O’Connor RIP (Scott Family)

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 St George’s Cathedral.  Next week’s second collection is for Ecclesiastical Education.

Fr David writes…

Once we experience loss in our lives, we experience grief.  Grief is a normal way for human beings to process the actual loss.  Simplistically speaking, there are two kinds of grief.  There is what we call normal grief and there is complicated grief.  What is the difference between them?  Normal grief is the acute painful process of missing the person whom we have lost and of also renegotiating our identity and life in general without that significant person in our lives.  Complicated grief involves an acute painful process of grieving a person with whom we would have had unresolved issues with.  This kind of grief involves an ambivalence of emotions because the relationship with the diseased had been difficult for a number of reasons.  Normally people who experience complicated grief feel stuck in their grief even after a long period of time.  However, it is people who experience either of these losses that benefit deeply from having the space of safe listening ears either on a one to one level or in a group setting.  What we all need when we experience any kind of loss, is someone to hold the space for us.  What does holding the space entail?  Holding space means that we are willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them or trying to impact the outcome of the process especially of grief.  When we hold space for other people we open our hearts and offer unconditional support and let go of judgement or control.  To truly support people in their growth, transformation or grief, we cannot do it by taking their power away from them which is trying to fix their problems, shaming them which is implying they should know more than they do or overwhelming them which is giving them more information than they are ready for.  We have to be prepared to step to the side so that they can make their own choices, offer them unconditional love and support, give them gentle guidance with humility and thoughtfulness, when it is needed, and make them feel safe even when they make mistakes.  In these moments, we need to give people permission to trust their own intuition and wisdom.  We also need to keep our ego away.  We need to help by becoming a container for them for complex emotions, fear or trauma.  Learning to hold the space is not something that we can master overnight.  However, it is essential for a real healing encounter.

Today’s beautiful narrative, of the encounter of Jesus with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, gives us a model on which we can pastorally care for one another in our times of crisis.  Jesus encounters the two disciples where they were at.  He meets them in their grief.  He accompanies them along the way by posing questions to them about their experience.  He never assumes anything.  He holds the space for them.  He asks them to describe their experience from their perspective.  This helps them to open up and disclose their own confusion and sadness in losing the one they loved.  It was only then that he shares the scriptures with them.  By doing so he is helping them to interpret their personal experience of loss through the eyes of faith.  They were placing their feelings of loss in the larger context of God’s Narrative of love for all humanity.  This interpretation might encourage us wrongly to start spiritualizing to the grieving person.  Jesus is NOT spiritualising here.  That is a big NO NO in the accompaniment of anyone who is grieving.  Yet if we intuitively and wisely feel that what the person needs at that moment is to feel reassured of God’s presence in their present crisis and they specifically ask for prayers, then it is appropriate to do so with them.  However we need to be very sensitive to where people are at and as we said before, it is not about us or what could help us.  Accompaniment is always about the other and what could help them in their grief.

In the Emmaus Narrative then, Jesus makes as if he is walking on.  The disciples invite him as any good Jewish person would do.  The Jewish community believed that hospitality to strangers would bring blessings on the household.  Jesus agreed.  And whilst he was breaking bread with them, the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized him as the risen Christ.  However he vanishes from them.  At that stage, even though it was already night, the disciples rush out and walk the long way back to Jerusalem to let the disciples know that they had encountered the risen Christ on their way to Emmaus.  Sometimes the people who most need our listening ear and to hold space for, are the ones who are closest to us.  Because of our hectic lives sometimes we are oblivious that those who might also be living with us are in pain.  To be present to another demands discipline and quality time.  Holding the space is so essential in our world today.  No one has any more time for anyone else.  No wonder people feel alone and not supported.  Today’s story encourages us to be there for one another in times of crises.  But we need to be wise to know what to say or do in such moments.  Sometimes it is better to be silent when we feel awkward about a painful situation of another.  My desire is that we at St James’ would continue to develop into a community of believers who are sensitive and pastorally wise enough to support one another especially in times of suffering.  May our community always be a safe place to come to in our times of crisis.

“Drop-In” – Evening Surgery

The next Drop-in Surgery will take place on Tuesday 2nd May 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.

Mass in celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage

St George’s Cathedral 17^th June 2017.  If you are celebrating your 1^st, 10^th, 25^th, 40^th, 50^th or 60^th+ 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.

A Thank you ….

Volunteers Event Saturday 3^rd June 7.00 to 10.00pm

At the end of a beautiful and moving Easter season, I was once again reminded of the many gifts held by so many in our parish.  With this in mind I am now inviting all volunteers in the parish to an evening on Saturday 3rd June to say thank you for your service.

So if you are a member of any of the groups below please contact the office before May15th so that we can finalise numbers for catering.

Are you a church cleaner, a Welcomer, a Reader, a Eucharistic Minister, a Catechist?

Do you help with the bar, serving coffees, collecting and counting money?

Do you help with any of the uniformed groups or in the parish office?

Are you a member of the finance committee, J&P or the PPC?

Are you a server or involved in providing music at any of the Masses?  (Year 8 and above because there will be a different event for the younger volunteers.)

Do you prepare the flowers for the church?

Do you lead any of the various groups: CWL, Knights, Parent Toddler, Friends of St James’, Liturgy Group, Dad & Me?

If for any reason you are not on these lists please contact the parish office to book your spot at the event.

I hope as many people as possible will attend and allow me on behalf of the parish to say thank you for your service.

Every Blessing

Fr David and the Parish Pastoral Council.

Social Pillar 

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.

Parish Life……

On Sundays 7th and 14th May the Confirmandi will be washing cars to raise funds for St Helen’s in Peru.  Bring your cars to the top car park before the 9.15 and 11.00 Masses ready to be collected at the end of Mass.  The cost is £5.  If any regulars at the 6pm Mass want their cars washed they are very welcome to bring them along on Sunday morning.  Thanking you for your support.

Parish AGM

The Parish’s Annual General Meeting (the AGM)

This year’s AGM is scheduled to be held on Wednesday 21st June at 8pm in the Community Centre.  The meeting will include information about, and from, the PPC and parish groups and activities.  The Parish Groups are invited to prepare a presentation giving us an overview of the year and their aims for the next.  All parishioners are very welcome to attend so please put this date in your diary now.  We will let you know more in the coming weeks.  Thank you.

Justice & Peace Group

Manna Centre collection 13-14th May

With homelessness in London particularly, on the increase, the great work of the Manna Centre can't happen without the support and generosity of people! As a parish we have been generously supporting this worthy cause through 6-monthly collections over a number of years.  The next collection will be on the weekend of 13-14 May 2017.  Take a look at the display at the back of the church for more information and ideas of items that are much needed!

Bromley Foodbank

The current needs are for long life milk and fruit juice, tinned potatoes, tinned tomatoes, coffee, washing up liquid, washing powder, shampoo and all types of men's toiletries.  The new collection basket at the back of church has the list of needs and also what a typical food parcel consists of.  Thank you to all 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

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 9-10^th 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

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.

7^th May
Mass		Saturday 6pm (Vigil)	Sunday 9.15am	Sunday 11am
Welcomers		I Garcia Finan	D & C Hairs	S & J Ingle
Readers		A Prifti D Woolston	S & B Cotta	N D’Silva R Morrison
Ministers of Holy Communion		T Babb B Babb R Wright A Guyton J Bajorek	K Chan D Hairs B Cotta W David B D’Arcy	K Evans A Evans P May S Ingle R Del Guercio
Coffee			E Aletta S Dixon	T Troy J Cosgrave B Bridle
Bar	F Simon P Dabrowsk

Tellers

A & S Barradell

Saturday 6^th May
Cleaning the Church	O Clutton, M Mathews, R Blanco, R Mwansa