hST JOSEPH’S JOURNAL Volume 53 No: 41
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: 7 November 2021 THIRTY 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
First of all, many thanks for your contributions to the retiring collection for World Mission Sunday. The total raised was £564.92 and we shall send this off as soon as we can.
All Saints and All Souls went off as well as they could have done. We were blessed with good weather for our visit to North Road Cemetery and it was good to sprinkle the graves of so many of our former parishioners. The next big November event is next Sunday, when we celebrate Remembrance Sunday. There will be a Requiem Mass for the Fallen at 10.30 and after the Mass we shall gather in the cloister for the Last Post and Reveille. You will see that we have already prepared the cloister for this and we have a ceiling of poppies, which have been loaned to us by the Secret Knitters of Hertford. You may remember that a couple of years ago there was a big cascade of poppies put up on Hertford Castle. Well, the poppies that we have in our cloister formed part of that cascade and have now been put up here to help us in our thoughts and prayers. I must thank John Cleave and Trevor Thomas who worked hard to put them up.
We always pray for the dead in November, and the usual 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.
You will remember that we gave notice last week that there would be a retiring collection for the Sick and Retired Priests Fund this weekend. Priests usually retire at 75, but often stay on to supply or do lighter duties after that age. At present there are more than 80 sick and retired priests who receive support from this fund, so you can see that it is a very important resource in the diocese. There are envelopes on the chest at the back if you wish to use one and if you can Gift Aid your donation that would be very helpful. I do not like to ask for money, but I do know that this is a very important help to many of my brother priests in their later years.
Our next meeting about the preparation for the 2023 Synod 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!
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 NOVEMBER
People Who Suffer from Depression
We pray that people who suffer from depression or burn-out will find support and a light that opens them up to life
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.
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: Jesse James Greene, Luke Dylan Alavi
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.
RECENTLY DECEASED:
Peggy Stevens, Mary Shevlane
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday:
6.00pm: Holy Souls
Sunday: THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
8.30am: Patrick Cusack (Ints)
10.30am: George Robert Emmett (RIP)
6.00pm: People of the Parish
Monday:
10.00am:Marion Grimm (RIP)
Tuesday: THE DEDICATION OF LATERAN BASILICA
12.15pm: Deceased clergy and catechists of the Deanery
Wednesday: ST LEO THE GREAT
10.00am: Marion Grimm (RIP)
Friday: ST JOSAPHAT
12.15pm: Holy Souls
Saturday:
6.00pm: People of the Parish
Confessions: 10-10.30am & 5-5.40pm
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 5pm and Benediction at 5.45pm