ST JOSEPH’S JOURNAL Volume 53 No: 2
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: 17 January 2021
SECOND 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
So we now begin our second week of Ordinary Time and use again the green vestments that are the sign of it. We are in Year B of the Sunday cycle (Year 1 of the weekday readings) and this means that we are reading the Gospel of Mark. However, Mark’s Gospel is shorter than the others, so there is not quite enough of it to spread out over Ordinary Time and we have to use some passages from the Gospel of John. Today is an instance of this and we read about the calling of the first disciples in John before taking up Mark’s account next week. It is always good to know what we are about, and it’s a good time to think of our own calling also. We all have a role to play in the mission of the Church, and in the upbuilding of our families and community. Let’s get on with that, despite the many problems we face.
And there are many problems at present. We just have to listen to the news to realise that many are sick and that many have died. This is a very sad situation, but the vaccination programme has begun and a number of parishioners have told me that they have now been vaccinated, so we can hope that this will gradually bring things under control. For the time being, we shall continue to have our church open for prayer and communal worship every day except Thursday. There is no obligation to attend Sunday Mass at the moment, and certainly no obligation during the week, but the Government has recognized what a remarkable effort has been made in our churches, with stewards and a regime of regular cleaning and have allowed public worship to continue. There is a letter from Bishop John Sherrington on the table in the cloister which explains all this and you are welcome to take a copy if you wish. Apart from Masses, though, things are a little bit less than usual. We shall not be able to have our Marriage Preparation as we usually do. We have postponed the opening date for First Communion classes and we must see what we can do about Confirmation. The Wednesday Word Group, which had started so well last year will have to wait until meetings are allowed. Confession can be arranged by appointment, but house visits are now to be undertaken only when someone is close to death. Once again, I thank all our stewards for their marvellous work and would encourage anyone else who might like to help to make themselves known either to me or to Leslie Judd and I would also like to repeat the request I made last week for volunteers to count the collection. This, too, is a great contribution to Parish life and you can put your details (name, telephone, email) through the presbytery door if you think you might be able to help.
As I write this, very early on Friday morning, there is a strange silence on St John’s Street: very few cars being driven, almost no people going off to work, and a great stillness about the place. We need to keep up the prayers for an improvement in our situation, but for the moment comply as best we can to the rules of lockdown. It will be worth it in the end.
God Bless – Fr Terry
POPE’S INTENTION JANUARY:
Human Fraternity
May the Lord give us the grace to live in full fellowship with our brothers and sisters of other religions, praying for one another, open to all.
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.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH CAFOD AS A VOLUNTEER. CAFOD Westminster is looking for volunteers, who care about global poverty, to help us inspire others to act here, so we can tackle poverty and injustice across the developing world. Are you a people-person who would relish involving and encouraging others? Are you a good communicator who would enjoy speaking about our work in a Parish or School? Please get in touch with us on westminster@cafod.org.uk or 020 8449-6970 to find out more and book a place on one of our CAFOD online information sessions.
THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: Vinnie Packs contain essential items i.e. thermal hat, gloves & socks. The contents of each Vinnie Pack cost around £3.50 and donations to sponsor packs would be most welcome. Donations can be transferred to SVP Vinnie Packs, a/c 46088237 sort code 60-60-04 or cheques made out to SVP can be sent to Vinnie Packs, PO Box 72264, London, SW1P 9EZ
TO OUR CATHOLIC UNIVERSE AND CATHOLIC TIMES READERS 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 or call on 0161 820 5722 and they will arrange for you. SPECIAL OFFER 3 MONTHS: £25.00
SPECIAL OFFER 12 Months: £99.00
DIGITAL COPY 12 Months: £55.00
HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN IT IS MY TURN TO HAVE THE VACCINE? Surgery staff are fully aware and empathetic about your understandable worries, but are finding it challenging to cope with the volume of calls at this point in the pandemic. Please do NOT ring your surgery to ask when it is your turn for the vaccine. Telephone lines are extremely busy. The surgeries will ring every patient who is due to have a vaccine to book an appointment time. This is currently being done by age group, with the over 80s receiving their vaccinations now. We will be looking to move forward with patients in the next age group [over 75 years of age] as soon as possible
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday:
6.00pm: People of the Parish
Sunday: 2nd Sunday of the Year
10.30am: Brian August (RIP)
6.00pm:
Monday:
10.00am:
Tuesday:
10.00am: Mgr Mark Langham (RIP)
Wednesday:
10.00am: Fr James Duffy (RIP)
Thursday: St Agnes
7.30am: Private Intention
Friday:
10.00am: St Joseph’s School (Ints)
Saturday:
10.00am: Lister Hospital Staff & Patients (Ints)
6.00pm: People of the Parish
RECENTLY DECEASED: Mgr Mark Langham
May he rest in eternal peace.