Category: Weekly Newsletter

SUNDAY 12th Jan 2025,

BAPTISM OF THE LORD YEAR C

Readings: Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalm 29, Acts 10:34-38, Luke 3:15-22.   

 

Sat    11th Jan          17.30                                      Confessions

18.00                                      Colette Hunt RIP (Linthorn) 

 

Sun   12th Jan         BAPTISM OF THE LORD YEAR C 

                                 08.30                                      Delia Willis RIP (Wilkes)

                                 10.30                                      Maureen Fitzpatrick (Wheatley)

 

Ordinary Time – Week 1 Year 1

Mon  13th Jan           09.15                                      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

10.00                                      Denis Bourke RIP

 

Tues  14th Jan          09.15                                      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                                 10.00                                      Vince Kilcullen RIP (Kilcullen)

 

Wed  15th Jan          09.15                                      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

10.00                                      Norman Pearson & Jim Miller RIP (Meeting Place)

                               

Fri     17th Jan          09.15 Anthony                     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

10.00                                      Bridget Head RIP (Kilcullen)

 

Sat    18th Jan          17.30                                      Confessions

18.00                                      Cath Fitzpatrick RIP (O’Brien) 

 

Sun   19th Jan         SECOND SUNDAY YEAR C – Peace Sunday 

                                 08.30                                      Anne Maxted RIP (Wilkes)

                                 10.30                                      John Hughes RIP (Hughes)

 

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           Last Week:                           £ 974.84 incl S.O.

                                                Retiring Collection   Next Week:                           Pax Christi

 

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, 

As Christmas comes to an end today, we face the year ahead and firm up on any resolutions we might have made about making our lives better – some serious ones alongside other trivial ones.

Every year I suggest that a simple resolution might be about socialising in the church foyer or outside under the porch rather than in the church itself, so that the church can be a sacred space for prayer and worship – but in the last 6 years there hasn’t been much change, I lament! It may just be my hobby horse!

Another possibility though, might be to make use of our “library bookshelf” and our CTS publications. A few of us recently put a little effort into examining what’s there. I am now fairly confident to recommend any of the material. Why not resolve to borrow and read a book or a pamphlet. Some of it concerns spirituality, prayer and the lives of the saints, some is more concerned with the teachings of the Church. It is certainly better than Mr Musk’s “x” material. 

So I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:


“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown”.


And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.


That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way”.


So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.


And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. Minnie Louise Haskins

 

Sadly, we heard the news this week that Fr Paddy Cannon has died. Through his missionary work in Peru, he gained a certain “edge” in his pastoral ministry and he exercised that ministry very generously here in Bexley as Parish Priest between 1992 and 1996. He has, I know, been held in great affection ever since. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

              God Bless,                                                Fr Doug 

 

CRIB COLLECTION:  This year we are collecting for Friends of the Holy Land.

This charity, endorsed by Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, actually has workers based in Bethlehem and is therefore able to help the Christians there survive even under the current siege conditions imposed by Israel. They assist with emergency aid, with counselling and with a limited amount of development.

 

MAUREEN WATKINS, CATHERINE FITZPATRICK, LESLEY DOYLE, FR PADDY CANNON RIP

May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Cath’s funeral will be in church at 10.00 on Monday 20^th January

Lesley’s funeral will be at Eltham Crematorium at 1.00 on Wednesday 22^nd January 

 

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY – 18-25 January

Churches Together in Old Bexley invite you to a service on Sunday 26 January at 3pm at Albany Park Baptist Church, Stansted Crescent, DA5 3JB.  We are all invited to celebrate, draw strength and encouragement from the gift of our shared faith. In these turbulent times, we can take heart from the endurance of that faith.        Kathy Fogarty, Parish Unity Contact k.fogarty@ntlworld.com 

  

BUILDING A BETTER MARRIAGE 

A fulfilling and enjoyable day for married couples. 25th January at St Stephen’s, Welling. The day is hosted by the Marriage and Family Life Team. To celebrate this Jubilee year, why not take the opportunity to explore how blessed you are in your marriage – not to mention how blessed the Church is with your dedicated love to one another. These days are popular and fill up quickly so please book your place. Please contact Carole on 07983 524 727 or email mflkent@rcaos.org.uk

 

 

 

SUNDAY 5th January 2025,

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD YEAR C

Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72, Ephesians 3:2-6, Matthew 2:1-12.

 

Sat      4th Jan     17.30                                      Confessions

18.00                                      Catherine Fitzpatrick RIP (Staden) 

 

Sun     5th Jan           EPIPHANY OF THE LORD YEAR C 

                            08.30                                      Rhona McIlfatrick (Cannon)

                            10.30                                      David Brailsford RIP (Brailsford)

 

Mon    6th Jan     09.15                                      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

10.00                                      Maria & Bianca Nucera RIP (Highland)

Tues   7th Jan     09.15                                      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                                      Veronica & Paddy (Kilcullen)

 

Wed    8th Jan     09.15        Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

                            10.00                                      Maureen Fitzpatrick (Hughes)

                                       

Fri     10th Jan     09.15     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

10.00                                      Sadie McLaughlin RIP (Hagen)

 

Sat    11th Jan     17.30                                      Confessions

18.00                                      Colette Hunt RIP (Linthorn) 

 

Sun    12th Jan         BAPTISM OF THE LORD YEAR C 

                            08.30                                      Delia Willis RIP (Wilkes)

                            10.30                                      Maureen Fitzpatrick (Wheatley)

 

The Last day of Christmas!!! “Ordinary time” from now till Lent.

 

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           Last Week:                           £ 1078.22 incl S.O.

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 weekdays, £40 per hour weekends

 

Newsletter: Please copy notices to Fr Doug by the previous Wednesday

 

Dear Parishioners, 

                                     HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

As we begin this New Year together, let me look ahead and wish you and your families every blessing and also look back to the year past and thank everyone who has given so much to the parish: 

To the parish council, and to 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 premises committee; our offertory collection counters, our welcome teams at masses, our coffee morning organisers, our events committee, the SVP team, the liturgy committee, the representatives for diocesan and national charities, our hall staff, our meeting point helpers, the church care team, the flower arrangers, the crib and Easter garden builder, the Christmas tree team, the organists, 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 person who runs our website and offers other technical support, and indeed everyone who has taken part in our parish activity and helped to carry our mission forward. On behalf of the whole parish I say a big thank you to you all. 

 

On a personal note, I also wish to thank you for all the Christmas cards and gifts that I received and especially for your very generous Christmas Offering. I am most grateful. 

 

And oh yes, hasn’t our sanctuary looked spectacular over this Christmas period. We hope to repurpose the Christmas tree later in the year when we hope to join a Cafod campaign to “Live Simply”, but more about that in due course.   

                                                       God Bless,                                       Fr Doug 

 

CRIB COLLECTION:  This year we are collecting for Friends of the Holy Land.

This charity, endorsed by Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, actually has workers based in Bethlehem and is therefore able to help the Christians there survive even under the current siege conditions imposed by Israel. They assist with emergency aid, with counselling and with a limited amount of development.

 

MAUREEN WATKINS, CATHERINE FITZPATRICK, LESLEY DOYLE RIP

May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Cath’s funeral will be in church at 10.00 on Monday 20^th January

Lesley’s funeral will be at Eltham Crematorium at 1.00 on Wednesday 22^nd January 

 

FESTIVE PARTY :  Huge congratulations to all those involved in the event – to the organisers and to the participants. An enjoyable festive time was enjoyed by all and £230 was raised for parish funds.



 

CHURCH CLEANING:   A big THANK YOU to the parishioners who give up time to help keep our church clean. The 2025 rota 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 12 weeks for about one hour.  Please ring Carole Hughes on 07762 731303.

 

MARLENE BURT:  Congratulations to Marlene who has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours List for her services to education.

 

 

SUNDAY 29th December 2024

HOLY FAMILY YEAR C

There are 2 sets of readings available this Sunday. Archbishop John has elected to use these:  Readings: 1 Samuel 1:20-28, Psalm 84, 1John 3:1-24, Luke 2:41-52.   Page 105

 

Sat   28th Dec   Please welcome Fr Luke who is saying mass this evening.

18.00                                           Tony Speed RIP (Speed) 

 

Sun  29th Dec   HOLY FAMILY OF MARY, JOSEPH AND JESUS, YEAR C 

                            08.30                                     Matthew Bhalla (Bhalla)

                            10.30                                     Jamie Cowdell (F)

 

Mon  30th Dec     09.15                               Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

10.00                                    For the Parish

 

Tues   31st Dec   09.15                              Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                                     Sonny Sheehan RIP (Sheehan)

 

Wed     1^st Jan     09.15  Mary, the Mother     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00         of God                  Bishop John Hine RIP (Kilcullen)

                              

 

Fri     3rd Jan       09.15                             Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

10.00                                          Agatha Sant (East)

 

Sat   4th Jan         17.30       Confessions

18.00                                     Kathleen Fitzpatrick (Staden) 

 

Sun  5th Jan     EPIPHANY OF THE LORD YEAR C 

                            08.30                                     Rhona McIlfatrick (Cannon)

                            10.30                                     David Brailsford RIP (Brailsford)

 

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 Last Week:                         £ 1012.35 incl S.O.

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 weekdays, £40 per hour weekends

 

Newsletter: Please copy notices to Fr Doug by the previous Wednesday

 

From Archbishop John Wilson’s 2024 Christmas message

Dear friends,

As I began to reflect on the year gone-by, I was hit, sadly, with a sense of ‘haven’t we been here before’. Just like the year before, the world seems so troubled, so divided. The conflict in the Holy Land is ongoing. The conflict in Ukraine is ongoing. The conflict in Sudan is ongoing. Sadly, this is not an exhaustive list. The need for peace in countries experiencing war and violence is vital. We know too there are attacks on the dignity of life at home, through the proposed legalisation of assisted suicide. And so many people in our communities face poverty and inequality. In a world that seems so divided, it can be easy to lose hope; even to lose faith.

 

But in times of darkness, in times of pain, in times of division, instead of giving into the temptation of losing hope we must turn to our one, great living hope – the Lord Jesus. In Him, and in His message of Good News, we see the possibility of a different and better world. This is what the truth of Christmas is all about. It’s a story of hope triumphing over darkness. It’s God’s love story towards our world and each one of us. On a cold night in Bethlehem, our hope arrived in the form of a tiny baby, a new-born Prince of Peace, a king of love. God became man for us. A Saviour was born out of love: love of you, love of me, and love for our world. This love in action fills our hearts us with so much hope. Not just at Christmas, but also for the year ahead.

Next year is a Year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church worldwide. We are called to be pilgrims of hope. It’s a chance to renew and deepen our faith, our hope and our love, as we journey together as disciples of the Lord Jesus. The account of the birth of the Lord Jesus inspires our journey as pilgrims of hope. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Our Lady, she was troubled by the Angel’s message. It can’t have been easy for her when they were turned away at the inn. But Mary, the Mother of the Lord, never despaired or gave up hope. She put her faith and trust in the Lord. Mary is the timeless example of what it is to follow Jesus. No matter what, to trust, hope and believe that God is with us in everything. That we are never abandoned or alone. 

This hope, like Our Lady’s resounding yes to God’s plan for her, must be an active one. This means putting our faith into practice, speaking out for justice and against war, hatred, and poverty, and in defence of human life and all creation. We need to speak the truth that every human life is made in the image and likeness of God. That every human life is to be protected, nourished and nurtured. We must be a people who promote life, not death. We need to be active in making the case for peace. The Lord Jesus is the Prince of Peace and we are duty bound to follow his commands and call for peace in our troubled world. This is all rooted in actively placing our hope in the Lord Jesus. How do we do this? By coming to Him in prayer and in adoration of his Eucharistic presence, by reading the Gospels and praying the rosary. My brothers and sisters, seek out and deepen your friendship with the Lord Jesus. Prayer is the most active expression of our love and hope. And there is no more hopeful and active prayer than when we place ourselves before the Blessed Sacrament, the Real Presence of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples to remain with Him, and keep watch with Him. This is what He invited us to do. To stay with Him in prayer. As you spend time in adoration, kneeling before our Lord – truly present in the Eucharist – you will feel your heart fill with peace and hope. Because He is there, waiting for you, yearning for you, just as your heart yearns for Him.

Friends, in this coming year, continue to seek the Lord Jesus in prayer and, as often as you can in Eucharistic adoration. Pray for peace within yourself, for peace in our world, with the hope of Christ in your hearts. Please be sure of my prayers for you and your families and loved ones. And please pray for me. I wish you a holy and blessed Christmas. May God, be with you and strengthen your hope. And may God bless you, and those your love, and our world, with peace in the year to come.

 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2025

Application forms are in the foyer for the 2025 First Holy Communion programme, commencing in January. Children in year 3 or above can apply.  Completed forms must be returned by 31st Dec.