Dear Friends,
In last week’s missive I asked for donations of toys/gifts for the Catholic Children’s Society. The delivery date to the CCS is Monday 5th December so if you are able to donate something please bring it to St Mary’s this weekend. There is a basket at the front of the church. I know times are harder this year than they have been in decades but if you could see your way to giving something to those who really have nothing, it would be wonderful way to mark Advent. Thank you in advance!
My petition for singers, altar servers and readers seems at the moment to be unheard. Please step forward to contribute to our Masses. We need you and you will enjoy it. I promise!
I hope you enjoyed the wonderful talk on Sunday by Prof Ubiali. Our talk series is all down to Karen Luis so thank you Karen! She has also arranged another walk around Catholic sites of interest in London. The details are as follows:
Meet on 10 December at 10h30 at the Monument (nearest tube Monument!). Please email the Parish Administrator at hampstead@rcdow.org.uk to book your place.
The Irish Chaplaincy in London is running an Advent Retreat via zoom from December 5th-9th and it’s free! There will be a daily conference at 09h30 lasting 30/45 mins, with a reflection from a range of great speakers, including a prison chaplain and an Irish bishop. Contact: eddie.gilmore@irishchaplaincy.org.uk
We are now in Liturgical Cycle A and the focus falls on St Matthew. Our Gospel readings at Sunday Mass will be predominantly taken from Matthew.
God bless, Monsignor Phelim
ST MARY’S CONFIRMATION GROUP WALK FOR THE CARDINAL HUME CENTRE
The St Mary’s Autumn 2022 Confirmation Group will be walking from Hampstead on Saturday 19th November 2022 to help The Cardinal Hume Centre. They are an amazing organisation that helps teenage homelessness, supports rough sleepers and families. Please see the link below to learn more. https://donate.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk/donate/donate sends your donation straight to The Cardinal Hume Centre so that they can put your generosity to good use!
Mindfulness the Ignatian Way (www.ignatianspirituality.com)
At the start of each new year newspapers and magazines are full of ways to encourage us to re-create ourselves, change our diet, exercise, attitude to finance, friendships, work and many other areas of life. The year 2020 is no exception and perhaps even more hyped because it marks the start of a new decade. Many articles seek to help us improve our mental health and frequently focus on mindfulness to do this. More than 400 years ago St. Ignatius Loyola encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness by proposing what has been called the Daily Examen.
The Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and to discern his direction for us. This is very worthwhile so why not give it a try? It might make Dry/Vegan/Weight-loss January more bearable!!
1) Ask God for Light—I want to look at my day with God’s yes, not merely my own.
2) Give thanks—The day I have just lived is a gift from God. Be grateful for it.
3) Review the day—I carefully look back on the day just completed, being guided by the Holy Spirit.
4) Face your shortcomings—I face up to what is wrong—in my life and in me.
5) Look toward the day to come—I ask where I need God in the day to come.
A Daily Prayer by St John Henry Newman
May the Lord support us all the day long,
Till the shades lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging,
and holy rest, and peace at the last.
Amen.
ECOLOGICAL EXAMEN
All creation reflects the beauty and blessing of God’s image. Where was I most aware of this today?
Can I identify how I made a conscious effort to care for God’s creation during this day?
What challenges or joys do I experience as I recall may care for creation?
How can I repair breaks in my relationship with creation, in my unspoken sense of superiority?
As I imagine tomorrow, I ask for the grace to see the Incarnate Christ in the dynamic interconnectedness of all creation. Joseph Carver SJ
POPE FRANCIS ON THE AMAZON FIRES
At the Angelus last Sunday, Pope Francis noted the universal concern for the “vast fires” that are raging throughout the Amazon region. The Holy Father prayed that, “with the commitment of all,” the fires “might be contained as soon as possible.”
“That forest lung is vital for our planet,” the Pope said.
In a statement, the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM) urged the governments of Amazon countries, the United Nations and the international community to help “save the lungs of the world.” Quoting a homily by Pope Francis, they called on people in authority to be “custodians of creation, of God’s design inscribed in nature, guardians of the other, of the environment” and to “not allow the signs of destruction and death accompany the path of this in our world” – because, they say, “if the Amazon suffers, the world suffers”.
TALKS ON THE LIFE AND WORK OF BLESSED JOHN HENRY NEWMAN: SAINT OF OUR TIMES
Fr Michael Lang has given a series of talks on the life and work of Blessed John Henry Newman, in the run-up to his Canonisation on 13th October 2019. The talks are all at 8pm in St Wilfrid’s Hall at the Brompton Oratory, Brompton Rd, SW7 2RP. The final talk is on 4th September. All are welcome.
Blessed John Henry Newman will become the first English Saint since the Forty Martyrs (executed under Reformation laws) were canonised in 1970.
Members of our parish including Mgr Phelim will be attending the canonisation in Rome in October.
Please contact Anthony Coles if you wish to join the parish pilgrimage this great event:
Anthony Coles on 020 7431 3414 or at arctc@btinternet.com.
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CARE OF CREATION
Prayer for World Day of Prayer
Father, Lord of creation, we praise you with all your creatures
and the whole universe that comes forth from the work of Your hands.
We acknowledge the privilege and responsibility that You give us as stewards of Your creation.
In our ignorance we have done damage to our common home and our brothers and sisters are suffering. Through faithfully following your Son guide and direct us to prepare for a better future. Teach us to contemplate
You in the beauty of the universe, for all things speak of You. Give us the grace to recognise, respect and protect all You have created,
using wisely all that you have entrusted to us.
Holy Spirit, who first hovered over the dawn of creation and drew order out of the chaos
help us to build your kingdom of justice, love, peace and beauty where the poor of the earth are crying out. You, who live and reign, world without end, Amen.
Four Steps to Sainthood
The process by which a person can become a saint process cannot begin until at least five years after the candidate’s death and involves scrutinising evidence of his or her holiness and work. There are four steps:
1) The individual is declared a “servant of God.”
2) He or she is then called “venerable”
3) Beatification: an individual is declared blessed after a miracle is attributed to him or her.
4) Canonisation: The candidate becomes a saint after a further Vatican-authenticated miracle.
The Examen
The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
ABORTION DECRIMINALISATION
Please send a postcard to the Home Secretary, with an important message: “Don’t bring in abortion decriminalisation by the back door!”
The pro-abortion lobby in the House of Commons is trying to amend the draft Domestic Abuse Bill to push through abortion decriminalisation. The Draft Domestic Abuse Bill will introduce measures to tackle the horror of domestic abuse. This important Bill must not be hijacked to decriminalise abortion and make women even more vulnerable to abusive men. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has produced postcards. For more information, visit http://www.spuc.org.uk.
Position Vacant
Pax Christi (the international Catholic movement for peace) wishes to recruit a Communications and Resources Manager at their offices in Hendon. For further information see http://paxchristi.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/
RENEW OUR COMMON HOME CAFOD CAMPAIGN ON CLIMATE CHANGE
To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we must limit global temperature rise to 1.5C. Going above 1.5C warming could multiply hunger, migration and conflict.
To avoid this, we need the UK to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2045. This will mean Britain no longer contributes to climate change.
Climate change affects our health, our homes, our heritage and our beautiful landscapes. It ruins the work we do to fight poverty and to lead better lives. We have made huge progress on climate change, but things are urgent now.
We need to work together to go further, faster to end climate change. Together we Catholics can turn the tide. We can treat our home with respect by leading the way, taking responsibility and forging new habits. We can call on politicians to go further and faster with emissions cuts.
Get involved in the Our Common Home campaign today. Download our resources or order our resources from the CAFOD shop.
We need urgent action now. Sign the petition.
BISHOP OF TRURO’S INDEPENDENT REVIEW FOR THE FOREIGN SECRETARY OF FCO SUPPORT FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS
The interim report is already available online – https://christianpersecutionreview.org.uk/interim-report/. The full report is due to be presented to Jeremy Hunt by the end of June. It seeks to catalogue and quantify the extent of persecution faced by Christians across the globe and makes policy recommendations. The figures do not include the horrific attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday as they were compiled before the atrocity. The key findings in the review include evidence from the Pew Research Centre which found that in 2016 Christians were targeted in 144 countries, up from 125 in 2015, and concluded: “Christians have been harassed in more countries than any other religious group and have suffered harassment in many of the heavily Muslim countries of the Middle East and North Africa.” The charity, Open Doors, produces an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Its latest figures show that “approximately 245 million Christians in those countries are suffering high levels of persecution or worse”, 30 million up on the previous year. The worst countries for this are (in order) North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, India and Syria. According to Persecution Relief, 736 attacks were recorded in India in 2017, up from 348 in 2016. Reports in China show an upsurge of persecution of Christians between 2014 and 2016. Visit https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/11654/christians-among-most-persecuted-
PLANNED GIVING ENVELOPES
Please collect your planned giving envelopes this Sunday. The Parish Accountant, Tony Brophy, will be in the pastoral office handing them out. If you are not in the scheme but want to be, talk to Tony about signing up. Planned Giving is hugely beneficial for our Parish especially when gift-aided. Thank you in advance.
JOB VACANCY
The Irish Chaplaincy is looking for a Chair for its Board of Trustees. For more information go to www.irishchaplaincy.org.uk and click on News and scroll down.
THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE
Thank you to all who supported the bake sale in support of the Jesuit Refugee Service. Special thanks to the Confirmation candidates who baked delicious treats. A total of £697.65 was raised which will help the lives of people in real need on the fringes of our society.
CAFOD CYCLONE IDAI APPEAL
Thank you for the donations of £1,084.43 to CAFOD’s Cyclone Idai appeal. CAFOD is the Catholic charity that supports projects all over the world to alleviate poverty and hunger.
SEEKERS’ GROUP FOR VOCATIONS TO PRIESTHOOD
This group of men meets regularly at Allen Hall for prayer and reflection, and a chance to talk to and get to know other men discerning a call to the priesthood. It usually meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6pm for Mass, supper and a meeting. It ends by 9pm. The dates so far for 2019 are: 26th March and 28th May. To be kept up-to-date with Westminster Vocations events, please ‘like’ the Westminster Vocations Facebook page or follow on Twitter @WestminsterVoca
Location: Allen Hall Seminary, 28 Beaufort Street, London SW3 5AA
Contact: Canon Stuart Wilson at vocationspromoter@rcdow.org.uk or on 020 7349 5620
THANK YOU
Thank you to all who supported the Fairtrade Event last weekend and to the Confirmation candidates who baked delicious treats. A total of £324.55 has been raised which will help bring about positive change in the lives of producers in the developing world. The Traidcraft stall made a separate profit of £35. Thank you.
WOMEN’S VOCATION GROUP
A group for women discerning their vocation meets on Fridays at 7pm (arrive from 6.30pm).Location: Hinsley Room, Morpeth Terrace, Westminster, London SW1 beside Westminster Cathedral). Contact: VGW, c/o Cathedral Clergy House, 42 Francis Street, London, SW1P 1QW, or call: Cathy: 0421 095386, Camilla: 07931 795769, Sian: 07880 560799.
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR THANK YOU
The Little Sisters of the Poor have sent their thanks for the generosity shown by St Mary’s. A great sum of £2,246.22 has been raised for their valuable work!!
YEAR OF THANKSGIVING—THE SISTERS OF ST DOROTHY
The year 2019 marks 210th anniversary of the birth of St Paula Frassinetti and the 35th anniversary of her canonization. The Sisters dedicate themselves to educating the poorest pupils in the poorest countries. We thank God for their work.“We are in God’s hands, we certainly could not be better anywhere else.” Sr Paula Frassinetti.
Safeguarding Conference in Rome
The Pope summoned all the Chairs of Bishop’s Conferences throughout the world to Rome last weekend to look at the safeguarding of children, and vulnerable adults in our Parishes. I would highly recommend that you look at Cardinal Vincent’s reflections available on the Diocesan website or CBCEW.
SUMMARY OF FINANCES FOR ST MARY’S HAMPSTEAD 2018
Thank you to everyone who gave generously to our planned giving appeal which considerably strengthened our finances. Overall income was up 23% (reversing the 15% fall in 2017) and spending was up 10% largely reflecting an increase in the Diocesan assessment. Please see detailed summary at the back of the church.
LIVING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL: ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI AND POPE FRANCIS
A series of 4 talks by Fr Paul Rout OFM on the following themes:-14 Feb ‘Praised be you, my Lord, for all that you have made’: Caring for our common home28 FebLooking to Christ7-8.30pm Vaughan House, 46 Francis Street, SW1P Book at living faith@rcdow.org.uk or leave a voicemail at 020 7931 6078. Donation £5.
POPE FRANCIS’ VISIT TO UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Read the full text of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam’s historic declaration of peace, freedom and women’s rights at https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36475.
A MESSAGE ABOUT A REFUGEE FAMILY AT HEATH STREET BAPTIST
Wilf Merttens writes:Ali, Leyla (40s) and Elias (14) are a family of Iranian refugees who go to Heath St Baptist. They are some of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever met, and they have given up everything —money, family, jobs, house —to be able to be Christian. Now they have won asylum they may be moved out of London, and we are fighting to keep them here. We want to support them and they want to stay. We are looking for somewhere to rent that is not too distant from Camden. Heath St Baptist will be fundraising to cover any shortfall from their housing benefit.Please contact Wilf Merttens: stanleywilfridmerttens@gmail.com
FARM STREET CHURCH 20TH MARCH 17:45 to 20:15 THE ROLE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN THE MODERN WORLD
Another Tablet event. Speaker: Melanie McDonagh is an Irish journalist based in London and a senior leader-writer for the Evening Standard.Followed by Q & As –Drinks and canapés -Book sales Tickets as above.
REMEDIES FOR SADNESS
Having recently celebrated the feast day of St Thomas Aquinas, did you know he proposed five surprisingly effective remedies for sadness?
- Grant yourself a pleasure. We know that Jesus willingly participated in banquets and parties, and enjoyed the beautiful things in life.
- Weeping. Pope Francis said that “certain realities of life are only eyes that have been cleansed by tears. I invite each of you to ask: Have I learned to mourn?”
- The compassion of friends
- The contemplation of truth
- Sleeping and bathing
These five remedies show the human and divine promise of Jesus: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”
LIVING THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL: ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI AND POPE FRANCIS
A series of 4 talks by Fr Paul Rout OFM on the following themes:
07 Feb‘Francis, rebuild my Church’: Being Church in the 21st Century
14 Feb ‘Praised be you, my Lord, for all that you have made’: Caring for our common home
28 Feb Looking to Christ
7-8.30pm Vaughan House, 46 Francis Street, SW1P Book at living faith@rcdow.org.uk or leave a voicemail at 020 7931 6078. Donation £5.
DEEP CALLS TO DEEP
Transforming conversations between Jews and Christians. A new volume of essays, the fruit of several years of learning and dialogue between a group of Christians and Jews, is the inspiration for an eight week course supported by The Liberal Jewish Synagogue & The London Society of Jews and Christians. Venue: The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, 28 St John’s Wood Road, NW8 7HA Time: Tuesday evenings 5-26 March & 30 April –21 May, 8.00-9.30 pm
Camden Winter Night Shelter DONATION
St Mary’s has donated £500 to Camden Winter Night Shelter (C4WS) for their work over the Christmas period with homeless people.
REQUEST FROM SVP
If you have any marmalade-size unwanted jars, could you please bring them to church asap? We need them for homemade preserves ready for the next bazaar. Many thanks from the SVP.
GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE
The Apostolic Exhortation ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’ of Pope Francis on the call to holiness in today’s world can be found online at w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20180319_gaudete-et-exsultate.htmlThe Latin translation means ‘Rejoice and be Glad’ and is taken from the Gospel of St Matthew (5:12). It is well worth a read.
SVP BAZAAR
A spectacular total of £1,600 has been raised for the work of the SVP. Thank you.
AFTER-SCHOOL CLUB FOR CHILDREN AGED 5 -9 YEARS
Sister Paula is starting an after-school club for children aged 5-9 years on weekdays 3.30pm to 6pm at St Dorothy’s convent.
MGR PHELIM WRITES:
I understand that the Volunteers’ Fair last Saturday was a great success. I am truly delighted and hope and pray that this is a pivotal moment in the life of our Parish. Whatever we do in this Parish is done because of Christ’s command to “make disciples of all the nations”. I am so grateful to all who planned, set up and ran the event. “May God who has begun this good work, bring it to completion.”
CONTACT CLUB APPEAL!
Rough sleepers and people in need who visit the Contact Club, run jointly by Heath Street Baptist Church and St. Mary’s, urgently need men’s clothes in GOOD condition, especially large: winter coats, jeans, boots and shoes, NEW socks and underwear. The Contact Club would also welcome any new volunteers (commitment: ca. 1 hour on a Sunday evening per month). Please bring donations to the Parish Rooms and/or contact the parish at hampstead@rcdow.org.uk.
JOBS IN THE DIOCESE OF WESTMINSTER
If you are interested in a new opportunity, please visit our rcdow.org.uk/diocese/jobs.
MUSIC GROUP REQUEST –ACOUSTIC GUITARIST FOR 10AM MASS
The music group at the 10am Sunday Mass would love to welcome another acoustic guitarist to the group. If you play (knowledge of all the common guitar chords including barre chords is needed) please call Emma on 07812 018068 or say hello after Mass
CONFIRMATION –SUNDAY 9 JUNE, 2019
Confirmation 2019 will be on Sunday 9 June at St Mary’s. Please email Mary Stanier at marystanier@rcdow.org.ukif you want your child to be added to the list of candidates.
WAYS TO PRAY
It can be hard to find time to speak to God when your day is full of work, family and the pressures of daily life. Praying the Our Father, Hail Mary, the Rosary or saying Grace before meals and praying the Divine Office of the Church are some ways. The following websites show some more ways to pray and contemplate the Word of God and to encounter Our Lord perhaps on the way to work, school, etc.:
www.sacredspace.ie/daily-prayer
www.ibreviary.org/en/tools/ibreviary-web.html
Lectio Divina is a dynamic way of reading the Scriptures that has been around since AD 300. It follows a four-step approach of: Reading, Meditation, Prayer and Contemplation. Lectio Divina invites you to savour and mull over God’s words quietly, slowly and intently. It gives you the space to respond to what you feel God is saying and helps you build a vital bridge between your encounters with God and everyday life with its joys, monotony and challenges.We also have an app with readings of the day, a whole host of prayers and other helpful resources to look up. Search for “myParish” in your app store (or click: AndroidiOS.)
THANK YOU!
Thank you to all who supported the Interchurch Justice and Peace Commission for Colombia. A total of £276.90 was raised by St Mary’s for the work of Father Alberto, providing legal representation and accompaniment services to victims of human rights abuses, including forced land displacement, primarily working with campesinos (peasant farmers), Afro-Colombian communities and indigenous groups.
CAFOD APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEERS
CAFOD is looking for Catholics in this area to share their faith with their MP. Write 3–4 times a year on a topical issue to support those living in poverty around the world. No experience needed as information will be provided. Online or by post. See www.cafod.org.uk/mpcor contact Tony Sheen on 020 8449 6970 or westminster@cafod.org.ukfor more info.
NEW DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Our ‘Dates for your Diary’ section at the back of the newsletter has been updated with upcoming dates and will be updated as space permits. Keep an eye on it!
THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION
Please remember to receive Holy Communion either in the palm of the hand or on the tongue. The sacred Host should be consumed at the altar before returning to your place.
THANK YOU FROM MRS CONNOR-EARL
Huge congratulations to Mrs Connor-Earl for completing the 106KM Isle of Wight Challenge in a very impressive 22 hours and 36 minutes!“I found this challenge extremely tough, but the incredible donations from St Mary’s pupils, parents and the parish buoyed my resilience and helped to keep me going through the night. Thank you so much to everyone for their support and generosity. I was inspired to complete the walk when I was told by Little Village, the School charity, that their free accommodation in Camden was no longer going to be available. They now have new premises which increases their outgoings, while also continuing to support 70 families across North London who are living below the poverty line. I’m absolutely overjoyed that we’ve raised well over £2,000 for the children in our community who need our help.”If you would still like to support the charity, please donate through our JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/harriet-connor-earl2.
THANK YOU BAKE SALE BY THE CONFIRMANDI
An impressive sum of £451.22 was raised for the Sister Mura Foundation which Fr Vincent Docherty helps with, a charity in South Africa which assists children with HIV/AIDS.
PRIESTS TRAINING FUND ANNUAL COLLECTION
On behalf of the Diocese, I want to thank you for the incredible collection for the Priest Training Fund last week. £2,033.55 is an amazing sum of money.Now all we need are the vocations!! –Mgr Phelim
PLANNED GIVING–THANK YOU
“For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.”1 Chronicles 29: 14–16
Thank you for taking part in our ‘Planned Giving’ appeal last weekend.If you took away a promise card and/or standing order form last weekend, once completed please hand it to Monsignor Phelim or the Finance Committee member at the back of church after Mass, or alternatively post it to St Mary’s Church, 4 Holly Place, London, NW3 6QU, for the attention of Tony Brophy. If you are new to the parish, or missed signing a promise card last weekend, and would like a box of donation envelopes, to donate to the parish by standing order (bankers order) or wish toGift Aid, please email Tony at tonybrophy@rcdow.org.uk.Once again, thank you for all that you do. Please keep our parish in your prayers.
FAIR TRADE EVENT THANK YOU
A big THANK YOU to the Confirmation Candidates who baked such delicious cakes and ran the stall. Thank you also to all who supported the Fairtrade event. A great sum of£322.20 has been raised and sent for the work of Traidcraft helping thousands of producers worldwide make a living and improve their future.
CAFOD LENT FAST DAY
Thank you for your donations of £150.65 for the work of CAFOD
A CALL TO YOUNG ADULTS –YOUR BISHOPS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Cardinal Vincent and the auxiliary bishops of the diocese are inviting Catholic young adults, aged 18 to 30, to meet with them to discuss the theme of the next Synod of Bishops –‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’. In particular, they would like to hear about how you see your place in the world, how faith impacts your life and how the Church can best accompany you as you work out God’s plan for your life. The Cardinal is hosting two meetings at Archbishop’s House in Victoria and the auxiliary bishops are hosting meetings across the diocese. You are invited to attend one of these meetings. They will involve discussion of the synod theme, an opportunity to questions your bishops, and light refreshments. Please do consider making your voice heard and playing your part in the shaping of the Church’s approach to young people in the future. If you would like to attend, please register at dowym.com/events, where you can find details of all events.
AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED
A great sum of £1,524 has been raised for the work of Aid to the Church in Need. Thank you.
MISSION AND STRATEGY CORE GROUP
Please pick up a sheet with a message about the Mission and Strategy Core Group.
THANK YOU –PANCAKE SALE FOR THE ROSARY SCHOOL
A huge thank you to all those who helped make last Sunday’s pancake sale for the Rosary School playground an enormous success. £1,090.24 was raised. The school Governors are extremely grateful for your generosity. We still have a long way to go to raise £100,000. If anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to make a donation is interested in doing so, please contact Anne at anneblayney@hotmail.co.uk. The school is our local state Catholic school providing a solid, Catholic education to children from a wide variety of backgrounds, including a large population of disadvantaged pupils.
CATHOLIC PRACTICE –THE PRACTICALITIES OF OUR FAITH
On entering a Church, we make the Sign of the Cross with Holy water from the Holy water bowl to remind us of our Baptism. We next genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle to remind us of the Real and True presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
CATHOLIC SINGLES
Catholic Singles is an organisation which helps single Catholics of all ages (over 18 years) meet other single Catholics, either one to one or through social events. For further information, visit www.catholicsingles.org.uk or call 0161 941 3498.
KEEP THE TYBURN NUNS WARM!
The archaic and very costly electric heating system in the Infirmary and Community needs to be changed to keep our Sisters and especially our old and sick Mothers warm.The temperatures are already dropping, and we hear that this will be a very cold winter.We wish to install gas boilers and a heating system which is more cost effective and eco-friendly and at the same time renew the old hot water system. Tyburn Convent is situated on the site where 105 canonised martyrs died during the English Reformation. We have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please help us in our Eucharistic mission. We keep you all in our prayers. Any donation gratefully accepted! Donations can be made through our website, www.tyburnconvent.org.uk/fundraising, by cheque payable to ‘Tyburn Convent’ or by cash! TYBURN CONVENT: 8 Hyde Park Place, London, W2 2LJ. Phone: 020 77 723 7262. Email: convent@tyburnconvent.org.uk.
THE TABLET
Learn more about your faith and world events by buying and reading The Tablet.We have two copies available here every week, and you can also subscribe online.
CATHOLIC PRACTICE –THE PRACTICALITIES OF OUR FAITH
We are required to fast from food for one hour before we receive Holy Communion at Mass. Until 50 years ago, you would have been required to fast from midnight the night before!
VOLUNTEERING IN THE JUSTICE AND PEACE OFFICE
A chance to help with the nuts and bolts! Justice and Peace needs help with:regular bookkeeping, filing, compiling the e-bulletin, Fairtrade follow-up and campaigning. Details of duties and commitments on the parish noticeboard.If you are interested, please email the office at justice@rcdow.org.uk.