September Update

 

The meteorologists decide, somewhat arbitrarily, the Autumn begins on September 1st.  Our brothers and sisters in the Eastern Orthodox Church certainly begin their Liturgical Year on September 1st and this weekend feels to me both literally and metaphorically ‘back to school’.

We are in a new season and this is the time to make a new start.

Our Bishops have identified Advent Sunday as the day they hope all Catholics will be able to participate fully and publicly in the celebration of the Sunday Mass. We, as a parish, are committed to work towards that date and take careful steps towards our ‘next normal’.

An essential theme for our new start is participation. Pope Francis has called the next Synod of Bishops on the theme: Synodality: communion, participation and mission. This sums up what we need to be and what we need to do. We must listen respectfully to each other and come to a common mind and commitment, we must foster that spiritual unity and fellowship that is communion, all our called to full, active and conscious participation, and this has outcomes in our shared mission.

At the present time we will maintain many of our currently familiar procedures of mitigation: ventilation, hand sanitiser, requesting that people wear face coverings in Church, Communion in one kind. However, we will also move to return to some of our more ‘normal’ patterns. Therefore we will:

  • Re-introduce all the set readings at Mass;
  • Add more congregational singing;
  • Restore the Offertory procession;
  • Have collection baskets at the doors of Church, after Mass;
  • Restart Exposition and Confession on Saturday evening; and
  • Reintroduce Morning and Evening Prayer at 9am and 5:30pm on most weekdays. (NB Not on Mondays which are Fr Philip’s Day Off!)

We will of course keep everything under review and continue to consult widely and listen to the best advice available. As circumstances change we will respond appropriately.

As ever we are dependent on you doing your part to keep us as a community functioning. Thank you to everyone who has helped – there are plenty of things to do for everybody! We will continue to have the online sign-up sheets (a paper copy will be available in the Sacristy). A list of areas we want volunteers for is at https://tinyurl.com/bc9afwf8  The list for September volunteers is at https://tinyurl.com/2hcr7jxv

 

EVERY BLESSING TO YOU!

A very warm welcome to the parish of St Thomas of Canterbury & The English Martyrs in Royston, part of the Diocese of Westminster.

You are welcome onsite or online.

Our usual times of mass are:

Sunday: (Saturday Vigil 6.30pm), 9am, 10.30am.
For weekday Mass times please see Church Newsletter 

Most weeks the usual pattern is
Tuesday 7:30pm
Wednesday 9:15am
Thursday 9:15am
Friday 9:15am

The Sunday 9am Mass, most weekday masses and several other events are usually on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/roystoncatholic 

 
Whether you are a current parishioner, new to the parish or just wanting to find out more, we hope that we can be of help to you.

Our postal address is 6 Melbourn Road, Royston, Herts SG8 7DB. You will find us on the West side of the A10 just North of the central roundabout, towards Cambridge.

The Parish Priest is Fr Philip Knights philipknights@rcdow.org.uk

You can contact us on 01763 243117.

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We’re keen to hear from you, so please feel free to contact us!

New to the Parish?

Please click HERE to download a registration form then print, complete and return the form.

Do please make yourself known to Fr Philip after mass.

Separate forms for additional adults, please.