ST JOSEPH’S JOURNAL Volume 53 No: 14
CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION & SAINT JOSEPH
23 ST JOHN’S STREET, HERTFORD SG14 1RX
https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/hertford
Email: hertford@rcdow.org.uk
Parish Priest: Canon Terence Phipps Tel: 01992 582109
DATE: 11 April 2021
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER – DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
The page numbers for the prayers for this Sunday’s Mass are at the front of The Parish Mass Book. Please note that there is a Loop system in the Church.
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THE VIEW FROM THE PRESBYTERY
This weekend we complete the Octave of Easter and a number of people will also complete the Divine Mercy Novena, which comes to a close this Sunday. I have found it a strangely quiet week, with shops, pubs and restaurants still closed, but I imagine things will change a good deal on Monday, when many more businesses will reopen and social gatherings outside will be governed by the rule of six. I am particularly excited by the prospect of having a haircut, as I suspect many people are. What a strange year it has been!
Preparation classes for First Confession and First Holy Communion will start this coming Tuesday at 4.00pm in the Parish Hall. This too will mark a return to a bit of normality and we wish the children and their families a good time as they prepare for this great step in their sacramental lives. Please keep them all in your prayers as they follow these (socially distanced) classes, which will be another element of progress in their growth towards Christian maturity.
For the time being we shall keep to the revised timetable for Masses (10.00am on weekdays, 10 and 6 on Saturdays, 10.30 and 6 on Sundays) and we need to continue to book places and to keep a record of the names and telephone numbers of those who attended. I imagine it will still be a couple of months before we can stop this. And, of course, we have to keep up the vigilance, the masks and the social distancing until the restrictions are relaxed.
I have sent off the Cafod collection from the Lent Fast Day and the total came to £775.43, which is pretty good given our smaller numbers this year. It may be obvious to people that all our collections area down this year, but you may well want to make up some of the money you would have given and either put it in the weekend collection or post it through the presbytery letter box. If you are usually someone who pays by planned giving envelopes, please make sure you give the number of the envelope on your contribution. And that reminds me: the new envelopes are ready for collection and forms are also available for the setting up of Bankers’ Orders. We can’t leave the boxes out, but they can be picked up from the presbytery. And I should be able to give you a total for the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal next week.
This Sunday’s Gospel has the rather touching story of “Doubting” Thomas. I always find it a great consolation to realise that even the first disciples who had actually met Jesus in the flesh still had doubts about the whole thing. And we see from today’s story that it is important to persevere through the doubts so that we can come to the kind of faith that Thomas finally professed as he stood before “His Lord and his God”.
Keep smiling; keep safe; keep going. The Lord is risen indeed – alleluia!
God Bless – Fr Terry
POPE’S INTENTION APRIL:
Fundamental Rights
We pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.
ONLINE DONATIONS TO OUR CHURCH:
Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee Hertford as the account name.
Account number 21263242
Sort code: 40-05-20
If you would like to use STANDING ORDER to donate your weekly/monthly offering, the forms are available on the website to download.
IF YOU WRITE A CHEQUE TO THE PARISH please can you make payable to WRCDT Hertford. Thank you.
FOOD BANK:
We are in desperate need of food for the foodbank. Items can be dropped off at the church hall with Mrs. Sue Walker any weekday morning. Don’t forget that foodbanks also accept essential non-food items such as toiletries and hygiene products, helping people in crisis to maintain dignity.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CLASSES
Preparation for First Confessions and First Holy Communion begin again on Tuesday 13 April at 4pm in the church hall. Please can you bring £8 per child to cover the cost of their book.
NEW OFFERTORY ENVELOPE BOXES
These are ready for collection from this weekend. Please come to the Presbytery to collect your boxes.
How does a parishioner sign up for Gift Aid?
All the parishioner has to do is to fill in a Gift Aid declaration form or Gift Aid envelope (which the parish will need to provide). This requires him/her to:
- Sign a declaration saying that he/she is a UK taxpayer and that he/she will pay more tax than the amount that the parish will reclaim.
- Give their name, home address and the date on which the declaration should start (usually the start of the current tax year).
GIFT AID FORMS ARE AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FROM OUR WEBSITE.
IF YOU ARE A GIFT AIDER AND YOU STOP PAYING TAX OR CHANGE ADDRESS
you must let the parish office know.
Thank you.
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday of Easter Octave:
6.00pm: Thora Martin (RIP)
Sunday: Second Sunday of Easter
10.30am: People of the Parish
6.00pm: HRH Prince Philip (RIP)
Monday: Easter Feria
10.00am: Mary Flach (RIP Anni)
Tuesday: Easter Feria
10.00am: Anna Kilcullen (RIP)
Wednesday: Easter Feria
10.00am: Moya Robinson (RIP)
Thursday: Easter Feria – Church is closed
Friday: Easter Feria
10.00am: Irene Edgar Jones (RIP Anni)
Saturday: Easter Feria
6.00pm: Private Intention
RECENTLY DECEASED:
Moya Robinson, John Steel, Yvonne Coyle
May they rest in eternal peace.