SUNDAY 18th May 2025
FIFTH SUNDAY of EASTER Year C
Readings: Acts 14:21-27, Psalm 144, Apocalypse 21:1-5, John 13:31-35
Sat 17th May 17.30 Confessions
18.00 Molly Aldridge (Wood)
Sun 18th May FIFTH SUNDAY of EASTER Year C
08.30 Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (Connolly)
10.30 Anthony Moffat RIP (Moffat)
Mon 19th May 09.15 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (King)
Tues 20th May 09.15 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 John & Eileen Stanton (Wheatley)
Wed 21st May 09.15 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 Special Intention (Bosser)
Fri 23rd May 09.15 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.00 Serse Cima RIP (Foundation)
11.00 Funeral Service Patrick O’Brien RIP
Sat 24th May 17.30 Confessions
18.00 Tony Frake RIP (Newton)
Sun 25th May SIXTH SUNDAY of EASTER Year C
08.30 Mary Conlan RIP (Kilcullen)
10.30 Fiona Boome RIP (Howie)
Please join us in the Hall for refreshments after the 10.30 mass.
LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE
All masses are streamed via the link:
Recordings are available. The Sunday sermon is also in print on the website.
FINANCES
Many thanks for your offertory collection £923.40
Retiring Collection: Previous Week: MSP £237.30
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 foyer. Very easy to use!
Gift Aid Please join the GIFT AID scheme – Forms available in the foyer.
OUR PARISH HALL: Our hall is available for hire. Please email bexley@rcaos.org.uk at ANY time and our secretary will get back to you. Prices: £35 per hour on weekdays, £40 per hour at weekends
Newsletter: Please copy notices to Fr Doug by the previous Wednesday
Dear Parishioners,
Our late Holy Father, Pope Francis called on us all during this Jubilee Year to try and engage in a pilgrimage of some sort. Sometimes the essence of pilgrimage is diluted. It becomes a trip, often by plane to a site of religious interest, a religion-based holiday, in a way. But the essence of pilgrimage is really in the journey. We make a physical journey that helps us reflect on an inner journey, a journey of the soul. Centuries ago such pilgrimages were often made in penance with the rigours of the journey reminding pilgrims of their need for forgiveness. But people can make pilgrimages with other spiritual intentions – to mourn the loss of a loved one, to pray for a concern of personal significance, to seek the courage to make some significant decision, or simply to enjoy travelling with the Lord.
We are, as a deanery of Bexley preparing a joint pilgrimage on July 5th to St. John Vianney in Bexleyheath. Pilgrims from every parish will have an opening ceremony in their own church and then walk or travel by other means to St. John Vianney and gather there for a closing ceremony. The Archbishop has made the church a special sacred site for the Jubilee Year. There’ll be route maps for walkers and walkers from our parish will travel mainly through green space, avoiding roads. It will be a great opportunity to take part in a Jubilee Pilgrimage – heartily recommended!
Our Live Simply Easter Tree has been discarded this week. It held an amazing 347 pledges—including 20 from children—each one a step toward a more mindful way of living. From reducing meat consumption and walking to church, to lowering thermostats and turning off taps, our small changes added up. Together, we saved emissions equal to 9,000 miles of car travel, recycled over 50kg of electronics, and conserved enough energy to run a washing machine for over 60 cycles. Even our youngest parishioners joined in, saving energy equivalent to 500 phone charges!
We also stood in solidarity with those in need. Forty-nine parishioners supported foodbanks more than 130 times—enough to feed a family of four for over five weeks. These acts of care and compassion made a real difference—to our planet, to others, and to our spiritual journey. Thank you to everyone who took part. We look forward to celebrating together later this year—and to continuing this journey as a parish. (Live Simply Team)
God Bless, Fr Doug
PATRICK O’BRIEN RIP
The funeral Service for Patrick O’Brien will be on Friday 23rd May at 11.00
PARISH AGM
Our annual parish meeting will be on Sunday June 1st at 12 noon in the hall. Please come along if you can. Those in leadership roles will appreciate your interest and your scrutiny!
JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGES: Pope Francis encouraged us all to make some kind of a pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year of Hope
Deanery Pilgrimage to St. John Vianney Saturday 5th July
Diocesan Pilgrimages to Aylesford on Sat 7th June and Walsingham on Sat 28th June
Augustine Camino: Rochester Cathedral to Minster Abbey – for Mary’s Meals Mon 1 – Sun 8 Sep
WALK TO END HOMELESSNESS: On Sunday 18 May, four members of our AIC Passage Friends group are walking 10km in Battersea Park to raise money for the Passage. If you would like to support them, please see either Carole Hughes, Maria Ward or Alice (Ann) Harris. Thank you for your continued support.
SANCTUARY REFLECTION DAYS: Up in Hope – 24th May 11am to 3pm – offers time for personal reflection, space and peace as we consider the HOPE offered each of us through Christ’s Ascension.
Filled with the Spirit – 14th June 11am to 3pm – offers an invitation this Pentecost, to cooperate with the Spirit in reflecting on the need for HOPE in our time.
For more information or booking: email sanctuaryakwaaba@gmail.com or call/ text 07977 978536
stjohnfisherbexley.org 
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