Newsletter Sunday December 13th, 2020

Posted on by Nuntius

 3rd Sunday of Advent

Readings: Isaiah;61:1-2, 10-11, Psalm Luke 1:46-54, 1 Thess 5:16-24, John 1:6-8. 19-28

SERVICES FOR WEEK 12th – 19th December 2020
Sat 12 Dec 18.00 Tony Speed RIP Hughes)

Sun 13 Dec   3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT
                        08.30 Vincent Jeyaseelan RIP (Frake)
                        10.30 Arsenia Mencias RIP (Bernarte)
                        Baptism Isabella Satchi
                        Parish Mass – available to engage with via website at any time

                        John & Anne Rayer (Wedding Anniversary)

Mon 14 Dec   09.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
                        10.00 John of the Cross Deceased Members of Mulligan/Fitzpatrick families

Tues 15 Dec   11.45 Funeral Mass Patricia Coyne RIP

Weds 16 Dec   9.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
                        10.00 Patrick McQuaid RIP (Seamus,Siobain+Patricia)

Thurs 17 Dec   Tony Speed RIP (Fitzpatrick)
                        9.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Fri 18 Dec 10.00 Janet Maupome RIP (Hollis)

Sat 19 Dec   11.00 Confessions
                        18.00 Vincent Jeyaseelan RIP (Fitzpatrick)

Sun 20 Dec   4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT
                        08.30 Patricia Coyne RIP (Hyde)
                        10.30 Brian Keeley RIP (Stanton)
                        Parish Mass – available to engage with via website at any time
                        Denis Burke RIP (Burke)

FINANCES .
Direct Bank Payments to RCAS St John Fisher Church, Sort code 51 70 14, Account 01831763
Please put your name and if you use envelopes, your envelope number, as the code

LINKS AND CONTACTS.
Our Diocese of Southwark: http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk Lots of information and further links.
Bexley Council Helpline: 020 3045 5398. The helpline is open from 8am to 6pm.

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS
The weekly Catholic newspapers can be obtained directly (postage free) by subscription:
Catholic Universe and Catholic Times Go to http://www.thecatholicuniverse.com or ring 0161 820 5722 and they will arrange for you. Special offer 3 months for £22.00 or 12 months for £80.00
The Herald has a similar offer: Ring 0207 448 3607 or go to http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe

  
First of all, I have been asked to mention that there are plenty of scams around at the moment including one where a text or recorded phone message invites you to book a non-existent Covid vaccination. Several people have received such a call purporting to be from a local hospital. Please be careful and do not return any such call to a number you cannot verify.

Thanks to everyone who reserved places for the Christmas masses. There are just a few places left for the 6.00 mass and it will be organised with 1 metre spacing and NO KNEELING. At this stage the other masses look as if they can be organised in the usual way with 2 metre spacing that does allow kneeling.

CHRISTMAS IN ST. JOHN FISHER
Masses: Christmas Eve: 6 p.m. & 10 p.m. and Christmas Day: 9 a.m. & 10.30 a.m.

We want to safely accommodate as many people as possible and so we need to know how many people wish to attend each mass. There are booking forms in church for each of the masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Telephone and emailed bookings will be accepted too.

We will, wherever necessary, reconfigure the seating to the government permitted 1 metre (+) spacing, ensuring that there is at least I metre around any individual or family grouping. We will, like many other churches therefore, not permit kneeling at any such mass, only standing and sitting. This will allow people to be safely placed in benches one behind the other, thus increasing our capacity but within safe limitations. Where numbers allow, we will use our current ‘normal’ arrangements..

In any case, as the Archbishop reminds us: “the Church regards each day in the Octave of Christmas as if it were the solemnity itself. Liturgically, each of the days from 25th December until the 1st January is ‘Christmas Day’. So if it is not possible to attend mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day this year, why not go to mass on any of those 8 days of Christmas with the same sense of joy and solemnity.”

We are not allowed to enjoy communal singing but we will listen to recorded versions of carols. Masks will continue to be worn.

God Bless

 

STEWARDING
We are very grateful to the stewards who have volunteered to staff the church during these times.
Please ring John Rayer (01322 523499) if you can help.

PARISH MASS BOOKS
It is good to follow the mass (especially the readings) in a missal if you have one. We all got used to using the Parish Mass Book so…
We offer everyone the chance to borrow their own copy of the parish mass book. None can be available for casual or occasional use but there is nothing stopping everyone keeping and caring for their own. Bring it to mass and take it home each Sunday. The idea is that for a £10 deposit you can take your copy home and because there is a series of them covering 3 years, when the next is due, you return and swap your copy for the next one in the series, or return it at any time and get your deposit back.

RIP
We mourn the loss of Patricia Coyne and Norma Brooker. May they rest in peace.

Please print off this newsletter, using the screenshots below, and post it through the door of any parishioner you know without electronic access and make sure everyone feels okay and feels connected.

Published by Nuntius