View from the Presbytery 11 October

ST JOSEPH’S JOURNAL Volume 52   No: 37

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 October 2020                                                                                                                                                 

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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

 

First of all, thank you very much for your contributions to the collection for Peter’s Pence last weekend. This is our contribution to the work of the Holy See and all its many activities and I will be able to give you a total next week once it has been counted. One of the current virus restrictions is that we leave to leave the cash for a couple of days before we count it and so we are doing our counting one week in arrears. I have not been giving the Offertory Collection totals recently for a couple of reasons. One, because a number of people have switched to paying by Bankers Order; two, because some people are ‘catching up’ with their contributions and paying several weeks at a time; and three, because the numbers in the congregation are much lower than usual and a comparison of the figures is not really relevant. Keep doing what you can, though, since we still need support. This weekend there will be a retiring collection for the work of Cafod. Gift Aid envelopes are available in the cloister and we all know what good work Cafod does. Do please give what you can.

One of the effects of the lockdown and its restrictions is that the Food Bank is not getting its usual contributions while having a larger number of people to feed. If you wish to help this fine local initiative, you can leave food in the hall or at the presbytery and we shall see that it gets to its proper destination. And while we are on the subject of assistance for those in need, we are often asked for children’s clothes and could find a home for some more. It’s best to contact Mrs Walker in the hall to sort this out.

We still need to finalise the membership of the Parish Finance Committee and the Red Missio Boxes Secretary. Any volunteers should make themselves known to me and we can get cracking.

We celebrate an important Feast on Friday of this coming week, namely the Anniversary of the Dedication of our Church on 16 October 1866. What changes there have been over that time! Whatever would Cardinal Manning, who presided at the Dedication, have thought of all the restrictions and limitations which we are having to endure at the moment? Perhaps he might remind us that our little church has had much to endure for over 150 years. It was here in the Boer War; it was here for two World Wars; and it will be here for a long time to come. It rests on the site of the original Priory grounds and can look back on nearly 500 years of monastic tradition. It is beautiful and well kept and is a wonderful place to meet the Lord in the sacraments and in prayer. We are certainly hampered in our activity at the moment, but the Lord is still with us and we can ask him to help us through it.

We shall continue our practice of saying one decade of the Rosary after each weekday Mass in this month of October. Let us ask our Blessed Lady’s help also and continue to pray and look out for all those in need.

God Bless – Fr Terry

 

 

 

POPE’S INTENTION OCTOBER:

The Laity’s Mission in the Church
We pray that by the virtue of baptism, the laity, especially women, may participate more in areas of responsibility in the Church.

 

ONLINE DONATIONS TO OUR CHURCH:

Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee Hertford as the account name.

Account number 21263242

Sort code: 40-05-20

 

Many parishioners are now using Standing Order to donate their weekly/monthly offerings THANK YOU! If you would like to do the same, 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.

 

TO OUR CATHOLIC UNIVERSE AND CATHOLIC TIMES READERS IN THE PARISH: – at the moment you are unable to collect your paper at Mass, but you can get it delivered direct to your home every week, POST FREE.   Please go to www.thecatholicuniverse.com

 

NHS APP FOR TRACK & TRACE: Places of worship and halls are now expected to display a QR code which people can use to ‘check in’ and which will be used by Test & Trace. Please scan the QR code when you arrive, using the NHS COVID-19 app. If you do not have a smart phone please do not worry, we will continue to ask for your name and contact details. Consent is required for your details to be taken and recorded, however, registration in this way is not mandatory. It is to assist the tracking of people to prevent the spread of the virus. Posters with the QR code can be found on the notice boards and in the hall.

BOOKING YOUR PLACE AT MASS: Please book your place in advance and arrive in plenty of time so that you can sanitise your hands and be seated by our Stewards. If you have not booked, then unfortunately you will not be guaranteed a place. Please inform the Parish Office if you are unable to attend Mass after you have booked a seat, so that the space can be offered to another Parishioner. In response to Government guidance and for your safety, we are asking for your contact details so that individuals can be notified in the event of any suspected Covid-19 case. Your details will be kept for 21 days following each Mass to enable us to provide details to the trace & test system should an outbreak occur. Full details of the Privacy Notice can be found at www.rcdow.org.uk/privacy-policy

 

RECENTLY DECEASED: Eileen Scanlon

 

Mass Intentions

Saturday

10.00am: People of the Parish

6.00pm:

 

Sunday: 28th Sunday of the Year

10.30am: George Robert Emmett (RIP)

6.00pm: Marjorie Macleod (RIP)

 

Monday:

10.00am: Renée Whiting

 

Tuesday: St Edward the Confessor

10.00am: Rosemary Hope (RIP)

 

Wednesday:

10.00am: Paddy Cowan (RIP)

 

Thursday: St Teresa of Jesus

7.30am: Betty O’Neill (RIP)

 

Friday:  Dedication of the Church

10.00am: People of the Parish

 

Saturday: St Ignatius of Antioch

10.00am: Rita Holden (RIP)

6.00pm: Mary Manning (RIP)