SUNDAY 23^rd May, 2021 

PENTECOST

Readings: Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 103, 1Cor 12:3-7, 12-13, John 20:19-23      

SERVICES FOR WEEK 22^nd – 30^th May 2021 

Sat      22 May       11.00     Confessions                                 

                              18.00      People of India (SVP/AIC)

Sun     23 May         PENTECOST

                              08.30       For the Parish           

                                    10.30       Paul Uhebagwi RIP (Cannon Family)

            Web – available anytime    Holy Souls

Mon    24 May     10.00        Funeral Mass for Rob (“Les”) Connor

Tues   25 May      09.30  St Bede    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                             10.00         Iris Keefe (Hughes)

Weds 26 May        09.30  St Philip Neri    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

        10.00          Jim Gallagher RIP (Eida/Connolly)

Fri       28 May        09.30         Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

         10.00          Fr Francis Hartley RIP

Sat      29 May        11.00        Confessions

                                18.00        Deceased Members of the DeSilva family          

Sun    30 May          TRINITY SUNDAY              

                                 08.30       Kathleen Bowman RIP (Bowman)

                                         10.30      Brian McKeever RIP (Hollis)

            Web – available anytime    Fr Francis Hartley RIP + Fr Ed Hartley RIP

 

FINANCES   .

Direct Bank Payments to RCAS St John Fisher – Bexley, Sort code 51 70 14, Account 01831763

Please put your name and if you use envelopes, your envelope number, as the code.

 

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS:            THIS WEEK              Catholic Trust for England and Wales

            

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS

The weekly Catholic newspapers can be obtained directly (postage free) by subscription:

Catholic Universe and Catholic Times Go to www.thecatholicuniverse.com or ring 0161 820 5722 and they will arrange for you. £99.00 per year or just £55 for the digital version

The Herald has a similar offer: Ring 0207 448 3607 or go to http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe

 

 

We are slowly emerging from the Lockdown necessitated by Covid. Restrictions are easing and the Catholic Church has been carefully considering what we can and cannot do at this stage. There will be a gradual lightening of our parish “lockdown procedures” as the weeks go by.

• In response to the numbers now attending the 10.30 mass we are today reinstating a Eucharistic minister to help with the distribution of Holy Communion.  We cannot restore the practice of offering the chalice yet. We will reinstate ministers at other masses in due course. Be assured that the ministers will receive special training in safe Covid practice.
• I am keen to reintroduce the offertory procession as part of our liturgy, but the collection cannot be taken through a basket or pouch being passed along the rows. I ask you therefore to please make your offerings in the baskets as you ENTER the church so that the basket can be brought forward in the procession.
• Social distancing of 1 metre is now all that is required, given that we are continuing to wear face coverings, that we are not positioned face to face, that the level of ventilation is high and that we are not yet returning to communal singing or recitation of the Gloria and Creed.

 

I have a feeling that every step away from the restrictions will feel almost as unsettling as the steps we took into the restrictions a year ago. We will all need to be aware of our own reactions and manage them carefully. Meanwhile I remain immensely grateful to everyone for your cooperation and to all who have gone the extra mile to keep us safe, especially the stewards.

                                    God Bless            

 

PARISH MISSAL

Those of you with Parish Missals will see that your current edition expires this week on the Day of Pentecost (last day of Easter). We will have a team ready after mass as well as before next weekend’s masses, and during the week to exchange your edition for the next one in the series.

If you don’t currently use one and would like to start doing so, then for a (returnable) deposit of £10 you can get one from next week as well.  We will need to use the same system of looking after our own personal copy for some time to come.  Safety first!

 

FREE ITEMS FOR CARE OF THE HOUSEBOUND 

A parishioner is happy to donate a Stairlift Chair (330 cm run) and also a 4-wheeled rollator with 2 trays for indoor use. Please contact Fr Doug if you’d like one or other or both!

 

THE PARISH HALL

We are beginning to make more use of our hall. Different activities are now permitted but as yet we cannot enjoy our usual social/hospitality functions. We hope that Sunday June 26^th will be the first day we can enjoy refreshments after mass, and if that is so then we will surely mark the occasion – a generous parishioner has offered to buy the first round! We are grateful to Peter Murphy for overseeing the installation of a new boiler and upgraded heating system.  There is a note about the hall heating on the “Premises Committee” page of this website.

 

FATHER FRANCIS HARTLEY RIP

Fr Francis’ anniversary is this week on 28^th May. Mass that day will be for the repose of his soul, and will have special prayers for the occasion. The web mass next weekend will also be for him and his brother so that friends and relations elsewhere can engage. 

 

LES CONNOR  RIP

His Funeral will be on Monday 24^th May at 10am. All are welcome.

 

RAYMOND SMITH RIP

We are sorry to announce the death of Ray. His funeral will be in Hawkinge with a small separate remembrance mass in Bexley. As soon as we know any other details, we will let you know.

 

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