4^th SUNDAY OF EASTER

Mass Intentions this Week

Saturday 10^th May	6.00pm	Mai Callan. RIP.
Sunday 11^th May	8.00am	In Thanksgiving.
	10.30am	Pro Pop. (In Word and Sign)
	1.00pm	Congolese Community Mass
Monday 12^th May	10.00am	Deceased Members. McPartland & Shipton Families.
Tuesday 13^th May	10.00am	Julia. Sick.
Wednesday 14^th May	10.00am	Betty & Alec Hughes. Anniv.
Thursday 15^th May	9.00am	Peter Manning & Family Int.
Friday 16^th May	9.30am	Mai Callan. RIP.
5^th SUNDAY OF EASTER
Saturday 17^th May	6.00pm	Mai Callan. RIP
Sunday 18^th May	8.00am	Sercelina Ricablanca. Anniv.
	10.30am	Pro Pop.
	1.00pm	Congolese Community Mass

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Sat 5.15pm– 5.40pm or on request.
Weekday Masses take place in the Sacristy

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK ““God had only one Son, and he was a missionary and a physician.”

Dear Parishioners,

If we look around the church at any Mass we will see people of different ages, shapes, sizes and colours; male and female; with different abilities and ambitions. People who are joyful, sorrowful, confident, nervous, emotional, prayerful, distracted. All in all quite a mixed bag. What unites us is Christ, and as we sing in the psalm: “We are his people the sheep of his flock”. We are called to be part of the “huge number, impossible to count” that we hear about in the second reading.

To us city dwellers the image of sheep and shepherd might be a little unfamiliar, but it certainly wasn’t to the people of Israel. They were God’s chosen people, his flock, he loved them and cared for them, but like sheep they often went astray. Some of the people he sent to lead and guide them, priests, prophets and kings, didn’t always do a good job. In the end God sends his Only Son to be their leader and guide, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. He called them and he calls us to follow him.

Today we are asked to pray and think about how God is calling us and how we are responding to that call? What path does he want us to follow in life? There are many ways in which we can follow—many vocations – married or single, lay or religious; let us pray for those who have answered God’s call to serve in a special way as priest or religious and to pray also that others may hear his call to serve the flock of Christ in this special way. We give thanks especially this weekend for our newly elected Shepherd, Pope Leo XIV, and keep him especially in our prayers as he begins his new ministry as the successor of Peter with the task we heard about in last weeks Gospel to “Feed my lambs” “Tend my sheep” “Feed my sheep”.

As a parish family we give thanks this weekend for 17 of our young “lambs” who received Christ in the Eucharist for the first time on Saturday morning. Congratulations to them all.

With continued Easter Joy and Blessings.

Fr. Keith.

SECOND COLLECTION TODAY—Good Shepherd Sunday— to support the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. There are currently 50 men studying at Allen Hall seminary, 13 of whom are for our own Diocese, two of these are Deacons for Westminster. We also have 2 seminarians at the Royal English College in Valladolid (Spain). Last year 3 Deacons who studied at Allen Hall were ordained Priests. His fund also supports the ongoing and enrichment and formation of our ordained priests. Your generous donation helps ensure we can support these men who are called to be like Christ the God Shepherd. Donation envelopes are still available at the back of the church. Please take one home, read the information and return it with your donation as soon as possible. Please continue to pray for vocations and for our priests. You can also make a donation online or visit www.rcdow.org.uk/donations. Please continue to pray for those in training and also that more may hear the call of Christ the Good Shepherd and respond to that call with an open and generous heart.

READERS Your New Rota is available from the Sacristy. Anyone interested in becoming a Reader please email the Parish with your name and the Mass you normally attend. Please put “Reader” in the subject line.

ALTAR SERVERS If you have received your First Holy Communion and would like to become an Altar Server please speak to Fr. Keith

PARISH CHOIR If interested in starting a choir please send an email to the parish with “Choir” in the subject line and your name/s. Only one volunteer so far!

URGENT HELP REQUIRED Since the start of Covid volunteers, organised by Neighbours in Poplar, have cooked and delivered over 55,000 meals every Wednesday and Sunday across the whole of Tower Hamlets and will continue to do so until the Council re-instates Meals on Wheels. We need some Deliveroo Angels from outside the E14 area between 11.30am and 12.15pm. We have over 100 different addresses across the Borough to reach, so a few new drivers would be much appreciated! The best way to reach me is through email: nip65@msn.com. The project is based in St. Matthias Community Centre 113 Poplar High St. E14 OAE.

LOST PROPERTY (Apologies for the late notification) A child’s watch was found in the Church on Palm Sunday April 13^th.

MASS IN WORD AND SIGN takes place at our 10.30am Mass this weekend followed by Refreshments—help and food/drink contributions gratefully received.

PARISH COUNCIL Meet last Sunday, a report on the meeting will follow shortly.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS: For Father Aidan Sharrett, who was in residence here before moving to St. Anne’s. – his mortal remains will be received at St. Anne’s Care Home, 77 Manor Road, Stoke Newington N16 5BL at 4.45pm on Wednesday 21^st May before a Requiem Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul McAleenan at 5.00pm. The Funeral Mass will be on Thursday 22^nd May at 11.00am with Bishop Nicholas Hudson presiding. The homily will be given by Fr John Williamson OCD. Cremation will follow at Islington Crematorium, N2 9AG. All are welcome to attend.

PRAYERS PLEASE FOR: Those of our parish who are sick: at home or in Hospital, remembering especially Fr. Victor; Peace in our troubled world — especially in Israel and Ukraine; Our Deanery: its Religious Communities, Bishop Challoner School and our Seven Primary Schools; Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV; Our young people: those who received their First Holy Communion this weekend and those undertaking public exams; For those who have died recently and for all whose anniversaries occur about this time.

OFFERTORY COLLECTIONS
	LOOSE	ENVELOPES	TOTAL
SUNDAY 27^th APRIL	£372.14	£161.10	£533.24
SUNDAY 4^th MAY	£422.84	£182.00	£604.84
FOR WHICH MANY THANKS INDEED (These figures do not include Direct Debits or donations made by “Dona”) COUNTERS: TEAM D (11/05) TEAM A (18/05) TEAM B (25/05) TEAM C (01/06)

4th SUNDAY OF EASTER

4^th SUNDAY OF EASTER