SUNDAY 25th December 2022,
NATIVITY of the LORD, YEAR A
Sat 24th Dec 18.00 Christmas Eve Kay Gillespie RIP (Gillespie)
22.00 Night Mass For the Parish
Sun 25th Dec NATIVITY of the LORD
08.30 Christmas Day Gerry Lambe RIP (Friends)
10.30 Tony Sullivan RIP (Sullivan)
Mon 26th Dec 09.15 St Stephen Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 Jacqueline Downey (Downey)
Tues 27th Dec 09.15 St John,Evangelist Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 Sonny Sheehan RIP (Sheehan)
Wed 28th Dec 09.15 Holy Innocents Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 Tony Speed RIP (Speed)
Fri 30th Dec 10.00 Holy Family Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Jamie Cowdell RIP (Foundation)
Sat 31st Dec 17.30 Confessions
18.00 Sabrina (TG) (Bosser)
Sun 1st Jan MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
08.30 New Year’s Day Private Intention (Jones)
10.30 John Rayer RIP (Blackheath & Chislehurst Catenians)
LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE
All masses are streamed live and can be viewed via the link.
Recordings are available. The Sunday sermon is also on the website in printed form.
FINANCES Many thanks for your offertory collection last week: £912.02 Incl. S.O.s
Direct Bank Payments to RCAS Bexley, Sort code 51 70 14, Account 01831763
Please put your name and if you use envelopes, your envelope number, as the code.
Card Payment Machine – located in the porch, is easy to use. Select a donation amount by pressing one of the amounts. The card reader screen will read “Please Tap”, select the amount you wish to donate, and tap your card or phone on the card reader.
Gift Aid Please join the GIFT AID scheme – Forms are at the back of the Church. For every £1.00 donated the Parish will receive 25p from the Tax Office. Standing Orders are advisable. Thank you
OUR PARISH HALL: Our hall is available for hire. Please email bexley@rcaos.org.uk at ANY time for enquiries and our hall secretary will get back to you.
Newsletter: Please copy notices to Fr Doug by previous Wednesday
Dear Parishioners,
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
In the joy with which we celebrate these wonderful days there is often a shadow of sadness. In any gathering there is always an awareness and a memory of those who we’ll not be with this year because they have died or are too unwell to be present. In our joys it is right and fitting to be aware of our sorrows and losses. We can also be aware too, of those unable to celebrate well for particular reasons, like those in Ukraine suffering such awful persecution or those celebrating secretly in China and elsewhere for fear of persecution. We don’t have to feel guilty about celebrating but it is right that we remember such souls and ask God to share our blessings with them in a spiritual communion. Perhaps a “Grace” before our meal would be a good time.
On a personal note, let me thank you in advance: The offertory collection at masses this weekend is your gift to me.
God Bless, Fr Doug
CHURCH FLOWERS To see more of our floral decorations in the church this year click on the Christmas Tree above.
PARISH FESTIVE OPEN HOUSE
Join us between 11am-3pm on Wednesday 28th December for a cuppa and chat in the church hall. Enjoy good company, tea, coffee and biscuits and a touch of soft jazz. Feel free to bring along any Christmas nibbles/tipples for our ‘sharing’ table. Look forward to seeing you there. Elaine 07941 264011
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2023
Application forms are now available for the First Holy Communion Programme 2023. Children eligible for First Communion must be in Year 3 or above. Application forms can be collected from the church foyer. The programme will commence late January/early February 2023. Completed forms are to be returned by 9th January, 2023. Angela Underwood
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
Members of the St. John Fisher Conference would like to make parishioners aware that anyone who is feeling lonely and would like a visit or a phone call can contact the Parish Office. One of us will then contact you. We’d also like to recruit new members. If you can help with visiting and fund raising to support the more vulnerable in our area, please contact the Parish Office.
CHURCH CLEANING
A big THANK YOU to the small group of parishioners who give up their free time to help keep our church clean. The Rota for 2023 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. Currently, each group cleans once every 10 weeks for about one hour. If you think you might be able to help, please ring Carole Hughes on 07762731303.
FUNERAL OF VERNON ROGERS (Mary Rogers’ husband).
Vernon Rogers died on 7 December after a long illness. For those wishing to attend, the funeral will take place at Eltham Crematorium at 11.45 am on Monday, 9th January.
Please pray for the repose of his soul.
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