Newsletter Sunday January15th 2017

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Lamb of God

We celebrate the Servant of God who came to do the Father’s will in perfect obedience.
Yet he was more than a servant. John the Baptist calls him the Lamb, the chosen one of God.

MASS INTENTIONS FOR WEEK 14 – 22 JANUARY 2017

Saturday 14 Jan 9.00am Wellbeing of Audrey O’Hara (Tony Frake)
                          6.00pm Bridie, Michael & Brendan Houlihan (Eileen Sheehan & Family)
Sunday 15 Jan 8.30am Parishioners
                       10.30am Wellbeing of Alicia Sconcia (Carole Hughes)
Monday 16 Jan 9.00am Mr R Gray RIP (The Morris Family)
Tuesday 17 Jan 7.00pm Sean Coogan RIP (Mary & Vincent Jeyaseelan)                                                    Followed by Adoration and Our Lady & St Pio’s Prayer Group
Wednesday 18 Jan 10.00am. Fr James Dudley MSc (Eileen Sheehan & Family)
                              1.00pm Funeral Mass for Russell Gray RIP
Thursday 19 Jan 9.00am Eucharistic Service
Friday 20 Jan 9.00am Mrs J Keeley RIP (The Morris Family)
Saturday 21 Jan 9.00am Deceased Members of The Dunne Family (Bridie Haylett)
                           6.00pm Marnie, Sonny & Tim Anderson (Eileen Sheehan & Family)
Sunday 22 Jan 8.30am Parishioners
                           10.30am Wellbeing of Maureen Fitzpatrick (Tim Bowman)

Feast Days:
Tue: St Anthony, Abbot, Memorial Thurs: St Wulstan, Bishop,  Fri: St Fabian, Pope & Martyr. St Sebastian, Martyr,  Sat: St Agnes, Virgin & Martyr

Sick:
Audrey O’Hara, Christine White, Kevin Harper, Ed Jones, John Bird, Gail Noel, Chris Neal, John Edwards, Tony Speed, Elvira Vaz, Geoffrey Hildebrand, John Underwood, Mary Stubbs, Una Carpenter, John Harrington, Ida Leitao, John Larkin, Norma Brooker, Nina Szredski, Nora Lenihan, Angela Gillespie, Ann McDonald, Eileen Weald, Geoff Birch, Maureen Fitzpatrick, David Shaw, Clare Kent, Liam Gray, Arthur Moss, Alicia Batey

Anniversaries:
Erwin Janota, Carol Brooker, Jim Smerdon, Avril D’Silva, Mary Clancy, Anne Ryder, Anthony Gray, Charlotte Seekings

ROTAS:    Readers: Saturday 6pm Christine Hand Sunday 8.30am Peter Wilkes 10.30am Sarah Finlay.   Copying of Newsletter: John Stanton.   Newsletter Typist: Ruth Powers. Collection for 8.30am Mass: Mr V Jeyaseelan.    Parishioner Attending To Front of Church on Saturdays: John Stanton.    Eucharistic Ministers: Saturday 6 pm (1) Carole Hughes (2) Paul Rowland Sun 8.30am (3) Bridie Haylett (4) Peter Whiffin Sun 10.30am (5) Kathy Connolly (6) Eileen Wheatley (7) Patricia McQuaid (8) Molly Robbins (9) Margaret Gillis .   Washing of Purificators: Norma Brooker.   Flower Arranging: Sue Murphy & Mary Kevan

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: Sunday 8th January 2017
Gift Aid:  £ 377.90;  Loose:  £ 175.30;   Total:  £ 553.20
This week’s retiring collection is for: Bexley Deanery Developing World Group

RUSSELL GRAY, RIP:   The Funeral Mass for Russell Gray will be held on Wednesday 18th January 2017 at 1.00 pm at St John Fisher.

CHURCH FLOWERS:   I hope you all enjoyed the flowers in the church over Christmas. Those of you who buy flowers regularly will have noticed how prices have risen lately. Unfortunately, this is more than the usual seasonal increase and is a result of the falling pound against the euro and the ending of Dutch Government subsidies to their flower producers. During the winter, most of our flowers are imported and even though prices will fall when home-grown varieties are again available they are still expected to be higher than last year. As a result, Fr Christian has agreed that we should once again have a collecting box in the church for those who wish to make a contribution towards the costs. We are using the box mounted in the wall on the left-hand side as you come into church. It is clearly marked “FLOWERS”. Donations for the Holy Souls should be made in the box on the right-hand side as you enter.
Thank you – Sue Murphy

OUR LADY’S FILM EVENING: Wednesday 18th January (Christian Unity Octave): Inspirational movie on St Teresa of Calcutta, the selfless missionary who brought hope, love and salvation to the poorest of the poor. Her life and service transcended hardships and ultimately earned her international acclaim, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Bar open. All Welcome 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.

CAMINO DE COMPOSTELA SOCIAL EVENINGS: 1) Fri 20 Jan: Entertaining movie about pilgrims walking the Camino (The way of St James) – their encounters, struggles and how they learn to love strangers and share each other’s hurts. 2) Fri 27 Jan: Illustrated presentation on The Camino and his four walking pilgrimages to Santiago by Tim Bowman. For both events: all welcome, admission free, bar open, arrivals in Hall from 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY: On Sunday 22nd January at 3.00pm, St John Fisher is hosting the annual service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The service is rotated among the different churches of Churches Together in Old Bexley. It is eight years since we last hosted the service and two new churches will be joining us at St John Fisher for the first time – Albany Park Baptist Church and St James North Cray. Cakes for the refreshments afterwards and help in the Hall serving tea and coffee would be most welcome.   Kathy Fogarty, Parish Unity Contact, 01322 553993

THE NEW YEARS DAY LUNCH: To share our love for one another within the community and to celebrate the gift of a New Year was enjoyed by about 50 people from the Parish and other churches in the Deanery in the church hall. A welcome glass of wine, home prepared cooking, a talk by Father Christian on the history of our Parish and meeting those from other churches, all contributed to the day.

Many thanks to the coordinating team and the teams that cooked the food, prepared the hall and cleared away – all well organised at fairly short notice.