ST JOSEPH’S JOURNAL Volume 53 No: 40
CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION & SAINT JOSEPH
23 ST JOHN’S STREET, HERTFORD SG14 1RX
Email: hertford@rcdow.org.uk
Parish Priest: Canon Terence Phipps Tel: 01992 582109
DATE: 31 October 2021
SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
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.
This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. When a Holyday of Obligation falls on a Saturday or a Monday, we celebrate it on the Sunday, so Masses this weekend will be of the Solemnity, and Mass on Monday, 1 November, will be of Monday of the 31st week in Ordinary Time. The Feast of All Souls will be celebrated on Tuesday 2 November as usual. We shall have the blessing of the graves in North Road cemetery at 10.00am and Mass will be here in the church at 12.15. As always, we have to take account of the weather on the day, but I certainly intend to be at the cemetery for 10.00am.
Another November duty is to pray for the dead and envelopes are available for the November Dead List on the chest at the back of the church. You can write the names of those you wish to pray for (with a donation if you wish) and these names will be kept in the casket near the Pietà. Masses will be said for the Holy Souls during the month of November and you can post the envelopes through the presbytery letter box, or give them to me directly. We shall have prayers for the dead at the end of each weekday Mass in November.
Many thanks for your contributions to the collection for World Mission Sunday last weekend. The collection is still open and I shall give the total raised next week. Envelopes are available on the chest at the back of the church.
I have to announce that we shall also have a retiring collection next weekend, this time for the Sick and Retired Priests’ Fund. We have quite a number of priests who are elderly and infirm and this fund helps them to sort out their living arrangements with help from the diocese. It is an enormously important collection, so please give what you can. I am always embarrassed to be asking for money, but I do know that this fund makes a huge difference to the lives of many elderly priests who have served the people of God throughout their time in parishes and other ministries.
Let me repeat the date for our next meeting about the preparation for the 2023 Synod. This meeting will take place on Wednesday 17 November at 7pm in the hall and it would be good to hear people’s experiences during the lockdown and particularly to hear from people who do not come to church much and who would be prepared to say why. Don’t worry – there will be no interrogation or recrimination!
There are three social events which we might find appealing this month. On Friday evening, 12 November, there will be birthday celebrations in the hall; on Friday 19 November there will be the Lobster Pot lunch and on Tuesday 30 November there will be the Advent Lunch. Please sign the lists on the chest at the back of the church. A number of people seem not to be wearing masks in church. Could I ask you all to wear masks if you are not exempt and to think very hard before refusing to be vaccinated? All of us need to be safe.
God Bless – Fr Terry
POPE’S INTENTION OCTOBER: Missionary Disciples – We pray that every baptized person may be engaged in evangelization, available to the mission, by being witnesses of a life that has the flavour of the Gospel.
IF YOU GO IN TO HOSPITAL: If someone is sick in hospital, please let us know here at the Presbytery, and/or ask the staff on the ward, so that your loved one can be visited whilst in hospital, and receive Holy Communion and any other Sacraments from the Chaplain.
MOTHER & TODDLER GROUP on Fridays at 9.30-11.00am. All are welcome.
ROSARY GROUP: Come and join us in the church on Tuesday evenings at 7pm for recital of the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
FIRST COMMUNION 2021/22: If you would like your child/ren to prepare for First Communion, please write to Fr Terry or Mrs Walker stating their name, address, date of birth, place of baptism and the school they attend. All candidates must be in year 3 or above. Classes will start on Tuesday 9th November from 4-5pm in the church hall.
THE LOBSTER POT LUNCH: Friday 19 November at 12.45pm in the church hall. Lunches cost £15 for a three course meal, glass of wine, coffee and chocolates. Please call Sue on 07711 584 517.
THE SVP are distributing 11,500 VINNIE PACKS containing cold weather essentials to the homeless this winter. Please could you consider sponsoring packs at a suggested donation of £3.70 per pack? Donations can be sent to Vinnie Packs, PO Box 72264, London SW1P 9EZ with cheques made out to SVP or by bank transfer to Nat West sort code 60-60-04, account no. 4608 8237. Thank you so much for your support.
CHRISTMAS STALLS: During November we will be selling Advent Calendars, diaries and many other Christmas items. The stall will be held after the weekend Masses.
Friday 12 November from 7pm there will be a BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION in the church hall for FR TERRY. If you would like to come along and bring a plate of something, please sign the board on the table in the cloister.
ADVENT LUNCH on Tuesday 30 November, in the church hall after the 12.15 Mass. If you would like to come along please sign the board on the table in the cloister.
‘THE HUNTED PRIEST: FR JOHN GERAD SJ, THE ENGLISH MISSION AND THE GUNPOWDER PLOT’ Thursday 11 November, 8pm at St Andrew’s Church Centre, St Andrew’s Street, Hertford. Michael Maslinski will be giving a talk about the extraordinary life of his ‘ten greats’ uncle, Fr John Gerard, to Hertford and Ware Local History Society. All are welcome. Tickets are £3 on the door.
RECENTLY BAPTISED: Holly Yin Yi Gorringe
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday:
6.00pm: Kevin & Dorothy Mullen (RIP)
Sunday: ALL SAINTS
8.30am: Linda Radford (RIP)
10.30am: Holy Souls
6.00pm: People of the Parish
Monday:
10.00am:Tony Crowley (RIP Anni)
Tuesday: ALL SOULS’ DAY
10.00am: Blessing of Graves
12.15pm: Shevlin & Sheehan Families
Wednesday:
10.00am: Teresa McCarthy (Ints)
Friday:
12.15pm: Katherine Keetch (RIP)
Saturday:
6.00pm: Holy Souls
Confessions: 10-10.30am & 5-5.40pm
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 5pm and Benediction at 5.45pm
RECENTLY DECEASED:
Maureen Byrne, Tony Queally, Peggy Stevens, Mary Shevlane