Newsletter Sunday January 3rd, 2021

2nd Sunday of Christmas

Readings: Sirach;24: 1-2, 8-12 Psalm 147, Ephesians 1:3-6. 15-18 John 1:1-18

SERVICES FOR WEEK 2nd – 10th January 2021
Sat 2 Jan   18.00 Breda & Alec Wemyss 60th Wedding Anniversary

Sun 3 Jan   2nd SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
                        08.30 Vincent Jeyaseelan RIP (Weeks)
                        10.30 Norma Brooker RIP (Bowman)
                        Parish Mass – available to engage with via website at any time

                        Tony Speed RIP (Choir)

Mon 4 Jan   09.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
                        10.00 Marie Sullivan (Sullivan Family)

Tues 5 Jan   Kathy Connolly (Morris)

Weds 6 Jan   9.30 Epiphany Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
                        10.00 Maureen Fitzpatrick 90th Birthday (Hughes)
                        19.30 Graham Underwood RIP (Gower)

Thurs 7 Jan   Tony Speed RIP (Connolly)

Fri 8 Jan   09.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
                        10.00 Bernie King (Fitzpatrick)

Sat 9 Jan   11am Confessions
                        18.00 David Brailsford RIP (Brailsford)

Sun 10 Jan   BAPTISM OF THE LORD
                        08.30 Denise Adams RIP (O’Halloran)
                        10.30 Flor Valdez RIP (Bernarte)
                        Parish Mass – available to engage with via website at any time
                        Sonny Sheehan RIP

FINANCES – from the Diocesan and Parish finance teams. .
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

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, let me wish you all a Happy New Year.
But “Wow!” That’s what so many have said about the look of our sanctuary, this Christmas. It looks spectacular, so well done and a big ‘thank you’ to all who have been involved with the flowers, the crib, the Christmas tree and everything else.
But thanks also to all those who have contributed to the life of the parish throughout the year – albeit a very different year! – the parish council and all the groups and activity that they lead or coordinate – including our AIC, our M.C. and altar servers, the teams for baptism, first holy communion, confirmation, and children’s liturgies, our hard working finance team, our gift aid organiser, our premises committee; our offertory collection counters, our incredible stewarding teams at masses, without whom the church could not open, our coffee morning organisers, our events committee, the SVP team, the liturgy committee, our newsletter team, the representatives for diocesan and national charities, our hall staff, our meeting point helpers, the church care team, the organist, the choir and their leader, our Eucharistic ministers, shop staff and sacristans, the parish secretary, our readers, the parish registers keeper, the safeguarding team and the fantastic person who runs our website and has filmed and uploaded all our on-line masses, and who offers other technical support. On behalf of the whole parish, I say a big thank you to you all. Not everything could happen this year but much did. Thanks also to everyone who has attended and patiently accepted all the restrictions we have to live with these days

But as we say ‘Goodbye’ to the old year and begin this New Year let me wish you and your families every blessing. We live with great hope in what medical science has come up with, and we live in great debt to the brave doctors, nurses and carers who try to keep us safe and well. We must continue to pray for them as they try to look after us under such a terrible strain.

Please note that Wednesday is the Feast of the Epiphany and that Christmastime ends next weekend with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

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.

CHURCH CLEANING.
A big thank you to the small group of parishioners who give their free time to help keep our church clean. The rota for 2021 is now available for collection from the cupboard.
We would be grateful if more volunteers came forward to either join an existing group or make up a new one. At the moment, each group cleans once every six weeks. If we had another group of three or four people, that would change to once every eight weeks. If you think you might be able to help, please ring Carole Hughes on 07762 731303.

PARISH MASS BOOKS
For a £10 deposit you can take a copy home and bring it to church each Sunday. There is a series of them covering 3 years, when the next is due, you simply return and swap your copy for the next one in the series, or return it at any time to get your deposit back. Ask a steward if you want one.

READERS:
A new rota is available in the Sacristy for collection. As it says in the Daily Missal “When the scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people” so your reading becomes the voice of God. I would therefore like to thank you for all your efforts. God bless you for your ministry. Should anyone wish to join in this ministry, please contact me: Carol Anderson on 07913 698912 or carolmcanderson@hotmail.com putting ‘Readers’ in the subject line.

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.