ST PAUL’S PARISH NEWSLETTER
Fr Perry Sykes (Parish Priest)
Parish Office: woodgreen@rcdow.org.uk ; tel: 020 8888 2390 Fr Perry Sykes: perrysykes@rcdow.org.uk
Parish Website: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/woodgreen/
Parish Safeguarding Rep: Eileen Riordan – woodgreensg2@safeguardrcdow.org.uk
Sophia Piper – woodgreensg@safeguardrcdow.org.uk
17TH MARCH 2024 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Parish Mass Book: 5th Sunday of Lent: Order of Mass Page 7; Prayers and Readings Page 174
| MASS TIMES Monday to Thurs 9:10am Morning Prayer 9:30am Daily Mass Friday 9:10am Morning Prayer 9:30am Mass Saturday 6:30am Mass 7am to 5:15pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 5:30pm Vigil Mass Sunday Masses 8am, 10am & 12noon | Confessions Saturday: 11am – 12 noon 4:30pm – 5:15pm (No confessions on 23rd March) Stations of The Cross: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday after 9:30am Mass. Church opens at 7:30am Monday to Friday Church closes 4pm on Monday – Wednesday and at 2pm on Thursday & Friday On Saturday church opens at 9:30am and closes at 6:30pm. |
THE BODY OF CHRIST
This is the final week of our series of homilies on the Mass. Today we focus on Holy Communion and the Concluding Rites as we are sent with a Mission.
Asked to greet a monarch or head of state most of us would be concerned to get things right; to know what to say and do. At communion we come into the presence of Christ to receive him in Holy Communion. How much more attention should we give to our words and actions? Indeed the procession, of which we are a part, is not a queue, much as we queue for the bus. It is supposed to ‘express the humble patience of the poor moving forward to be fed, the alert expectancy of God’s people sharing the Pascal meal in readiness for their journey, the joyful confidence of God’s people on the march toward the promised land’
How might your reception of Communion be more prayerful? How might your gestures when receiving Communion more readily express that being at one with others which our receiving Holy Communion proclaims?
Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord
The Concluding Rites of the Mass the purpose of which is to ‘send the people forth to put into effect in their daily lives the Pascal Mystery and the unity in Christ which they have celebrated’ and to give them ‘a sense of abiding mission, which calls them to witness to Christ in the world and to bring the Gospel to the poor’.
Here, it is interesting to note that ‘Mass’, our usual word for the whole celebration of the Eucharist,m is derived from one of the Latin words in the traditional dismissal: Ite, missa est. In Sacramentum Caritas, Pope Benedict XVI explains ‘that in antiquity, missa simply meant “dismissal”’. He goes on to point out that the word dismissal has taken on a deeper meaning in Christian usage, implying ‘mission’. Thus in the final words of the Mass we are commanded to go out on a mission to the world.
Each one of us is strengthened by the gift of Christ received in the Eucharist, however, with this spiritual nourishment comes a task – to live our daily lives in Christ and to imitate his example. We are given this task of developing a Eucharistic spirit every Sunday, the day on which we traditionally set aside our daily concerns and habits in favour of rest and relaxation. In doing so, this day presents us with freedom not only to contemplate the Eucharist vis-à-vis our daily lives through prayer and Scripture study but also to practise works of charity – that enables us to bring into people’s lives the love of Christ that we receive through the Eucharist.
LENT 2024
Monday – Friday Morning Prayer at 9:10am & Mass at 9:30am
Friday 22nd March Penitential Service – 7pm – 8:30pm
Saturday 23rd March Mass at 6:30am followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 5:15pm
Confessions 11am – 12 noon & 4:30pm – 5:15pm
H.C.P.T boxes We would ask you to return them to the Parish on Easter Sunday. Don’t send
donations directly to H.C.P.T
It costs £1025 to sponsor a child on the HCPT pilgrimage. Can we raise enough to sponsor 3 children?
PENITENTIAL SERVICE – will be on Friday 22nd March from 7pm until 8:30pm. The following priests will be available for Individual Confession – Fr Perry, Canon Tom, Fr Michael, Fr Carlo, Fr Luis, Fr Enrique and Fr Javier
Confessions will be heard in the following languages – English, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese. During the time of Confession there will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Please take this opportunity to come and celebrate the Sacrament in preparation for Holy Week and Easter. There will be no Confessions on Saturday 23rd March
CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK – Tuesday 19th March St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
MASS INTENTIONS – Only 3 Masses left for April. Please note that if you asked for an intention on a specific date and a funeral is subsequently arranged on that day, the intention will be moved to the next available date. Masses can be sent to Fr henry in M
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT – 17th March – We have a First Holy Communion group Mass and some of the Altar Servers will receive their St Stephen’s Medals at the 10am Mass.
PALM SUNDAY – PARKING – The Masses on Palm Sunday are always very busy and the school playground gets very congested. Could you walk or take the bus to Mass?
THANK YOU FOR THE COLLECTION OF – Sunday 10th March – Total £1073.13 (Loose £701.60; Envelopes £371.53).
Contactless £423.
KATHLEEN ROWLEY RIP – We pray for the repose of the soul of Kathleen Rowley who died recently. We keep her family in our prayers. Her Requiem Mass on Tuesday 16th April is at 10:30am. May she rest in peace.
HOLY WEEK 2024
Holy Week & Easter Services – please take one of the cards that gives the times of Masses & Services for Holy Week and Easter
Washing of the Feet – We need twelve volunteers for the Washing of the Feet at the Maundy Thursday Mass. Please give your names to Fr Perry.
Good Friday Stations @ 10am – this is really for families with children. The 3 pm Service and Stations of the Cross at 7pm are for adults. Any children who would like to carry one of the banners or read, please see Fr Perry.
Good Friday 3pm – During the Good Friday Service we are used to coming forward to venerate the cross during the Liturgy. This year those who wish to venerate the cross we use in church can do so after the service. We would ask you to bring your cross from home that you can venerate during the service. If you don’t have one, we have some for sale in the repository.
Easter Water – Many people like to take the newly Blessed Easter Water home for the blessing of their homes. If you want Easter Water, we suggest you bring a filled bottle of water to the Easter Vigil and we will bless them during the Mass.
Easter Offerings – The Easter Sunday Collection is for the support of Fr Perry. The ordinary Sunday Envelopes and Standing Order offerings go to the parish. Please use the special Easter Envelopes or the Contactless Machine (Easter Donation). These offerings go towards the stipend (salary) that is given to Fr Perry each month.
Altar Servers – Please sign up to serve at Masses and Services during Holy Week and Easter. Servers must attend the rehearsal for the Mases they sign up for.
Maundy Thursday – rehearsal on Tuesday 26th March at 6pm
Good Friday – rehearsal on Wednesday 27th March at 6pm
Easter Vigil – rehearsal on Saturday 30th March at 3pm
MEET YOUR LOCAL COUNCILOR – Tuesday 19 March 2024 from 2pm – 3:15pm – Woodside Ward Councillor Lucia das Neves will be here for a surgery session in the Parish Centre. Come and meet her to discuss any issues or raise matters with the Council.
LOURDES PILGRIMAGE – Departs 29th May 2024 and returns 3rd June 2024. Cost £675 sharing (£835 in single room). Children 6 – 10 years of age £525 each. Children 11 – 15 years of age £575 each. Booking Forms available from the Parish Office and must be returned to Northern Star with a deposit of £275 per person.
ANNUAL MASS OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY – Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 25th May 2024 at 2:30pm. The Cardinal is inviting to this Mass all couples in the Diocese, who are celebrating their 5th 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th (and every year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage in 2024. If you are celebrating an anniversary, please give the following details: husband and wife’s names, wedding date, full postal address and email (or telephone number, if no email) to Fr Perry or to the Parish Office.
HCPT – Please return the boxes on Easter Sunday. If possible could you count the coins and replace with notes or a cheque? There is now a limit on the amount of coins we can take for banking. Thank You.
A happy St Patrick’s day to all our Irish and Nigerian parishioners.
Please join us for refreshments after the 10am Mass.
| PARISH DIARY Sunday 17th March Refreshments after 10am Mass Monday 18th March 7:30pm ABC Group 7:30pm SVP Tuesday 19th March Refreshments after 9:30am Mass Church Cleaning after Mass Wednesday 20th March 12am to 3pm Welcome Space 7:30pm Meditation Thursday 21st March 7:30pm Pre Marriage Course Friday 22nd March ASCENT 7pm – 8:30pm Penitential Service | Saturday 23rd March 6:30am Mass followed by Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament until 5:15pm 10am FHC Children’s Session 3pm – 4:30 pm Confirmation Session Sunday 24th March No Refreshments after 10am Mass NEXT SUNDAY 24TH MARCH – PALM SUNDAY 1st Reading Isaiah 50:4-7 2nd Reading Philippians 2:6-11 Gospel Mark14:1- 15:47 |