SUNDAY 23^rd January 2022

 3^rd SUNDAY 

Readings: Nehemiah 8:2-6 8-10. Psalm 18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Matt 25:14-29

 

SERVICES FOR WEEK  22^nd  – 30^th January 2022

 

Sat    29^th Jan.   17.30                         Confessions

                          18.00                      Danny Lyons RIP (Lyons)

 

Sun  30^th Jan   3^rd SUNDAY                        

                           08.30                       Maureen Fitzpatrick (Jeyaseelan) 

                           10.30                       Anne & Dennis Newton (Frake)

 

Mon  24^th Jan     09.15 St Francis de Sales             Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                           10.00                                     Harrington & Sheehan families (Sheehan)      

 

Tues  25^th Jan      09.15 Conversion of St Paul      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                             Tony Sullivan RIP (Sullivan)

 

Weds  26^th Jan.    09.15 ss Timothy & Titus         Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                             10.00                             Maureen Fitzpatrick (Anderson)

 

Fri    28^th Jan.      09.15     St Thomas Aquinas         Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                             10.00                             Lucy Nencini RIP (Robins/Connolly)                  

 

Sat    29^th Jan.     17.30                                      Confessions

                            18.00                                    Joy & John Hubbard (Fogarty)

 

Sun  30^th Jan   4^th SUNDAY                        

                             08.30                              Bernie King (Jeyaseelan)

                             10.30                                   Brendan & Pet Kilcullen (Kilcullen)

 

Mon 31^st Jan       09.15                               Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                                    Communion Service

 

Tues 1^st Feb      CHURCH CLOSED 

                                                                           

LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE

All masses are streamed live and can be viewed on the website via the link.

Recordings are available there for a week or so. The Sunday sermon is also on the website in printed form.

 

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.

Many thanks for your collection last week:     £896.47 incl standing orders

 

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS

The Herald by subscription: Ring 0207 448 3607 or go to http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe

 

COVID PROCEDURES

In church please:

     •       Continue to wear facial coverings on Sundays unless you are exempt. 

    •       Socially distance 1metre. In other words, keep a space between yourself and anyone else.

    •       Continue to make your Offertory Contribution on entry.

 

 

Dear Parishioners, 

First of all, a big ‘Thank you’ to Larissa and Rob O’Halloran for conducting our part in the Synod process. This must be one of the biggest exercises in listening that the Church has ever undertaken, with Roman Catholics in every part of the world being asked to share their experiences of the Church and to express their hopes and concerns for the future. A summary of the findings here in Bexley is printed below and this is what will be carried forward from here in February to the diocese. A national picture is then to be formed before the international worldwide expression of the Church is gathered in Rome.

 

You will notice that we are listening to an alternative Gospel this Sunday. This is because we are exploring the spirituality of stewardship over the next few weeks and in particular, its expression in the stewardship of our gifts. Recognising that we are gifted by God is a sacred duty and we will be undertaking a prayerful process of discernment next weekend. Wwe hope thereafter to invite you to further express your giftedness in commitments to serve each other in parish ministries and through these voluntary efforts to offer service to God. Please, please, please engage with it.

                                                                                                                Fr Doug

 

PARISH SURVEY FOR THE SYNOD 2021-23: SUMMARY OF RESPONSES

Thank you for those who completed the Synod questionnaire, which contained three questions on Communion, Participation and Mission.

 

  •The gathering in the hall after the 10.30 mass was the most positively mentioned activity outside of the Mass;  Suggested improvements centred on connecting with people from outside of the parish, either those whose attendance had lapsed or those who have not yet joined the Churchl

 • Most respondents identified the Parish Priest and the Parish Council as effective ways in which to be heard within the parish.  There was no suggestion that it was difficult to be heard, should the need arise. 

  • Young people and housebound/elderly people who could not attend mass were thought to be the least included.  It was also felt by some people that those with non-UK heritage were not necessarily included

  •. Most people who completed the questionnaire agreed that the Church should spread God’s Word throughout the world, and that believers should reflect the Church’s teaching in their own actions;  Many felt that individuals’’ actions in the wider community could effectively demonstrate Catholic values and indirectly evangelise those who we meet;.

 

We will present a summary of the responses to the Bishop and Synod Team in February.

Larissa and Rob O’Halloran

 

CONFIRMATION

Completed application forms for the  2022  Confirmation Programme need to be returned to Father Doug or left in the church by Sunday 23 January – This weekend!  Please note that after this date no applications will be accepted.

 

PARKING 2022

Please could Parishioners renew their car parking permit for 2022. Applications forms are at the back of the Church.

 

 

SUNDAY 16^th January 2022

2^nd SUNDAY 

Readings: Isaiah 62:1-5. Psalm 95, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11;  John 2:1-11.

 

SERVICES FOR WEEK  15^th  – 23^rd January 2022

 

Sat    15^th Jan      17.30         Confessions

                             18.00         David Latimer RIP (Morris)

 

Sun    16^th Jan    2^nd SUNDAY                         

         08.30         Sean King RIP (Norton) 

                           10.30         Tess Truman RIP (Fitzpatrick)

 

Mon     17^th Jan   09.15 St Anthony,Abbot     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                           10.00         Dominic Saldanha RIP (Coutinho)  

 

Tues    18^th Jan   09.15 Octave Prayer,Unity. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

10.00         Rita Maynard RIP (Sullivan)

 

Weds   19^th Jan   09.15 St Wulstan    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

10.00            Tess Truman RIP (Eileen & Girls)

 

Fri      21^st Jan     09.15 St Agnes       Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

10.00         Peter Harold Sivyer RIP (Gardner)          

 

Sat     22^nd Jan    17.30                  Confessions

                           18.00            Danny Lyons RIP (Lyons Family)

 

Sun    23^rd Jan    2^nd SUNDAY                         

         08.30         Maureen Fitzpatrick (Jeyaseelan) 

                           10.30         Anne & Dennis Newton (Frake)

            

LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE

All masses are streamed live and can be viewed on the website, via the link.

If the above link fails please try: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTKMoTYHUEURyP0LXV1vdPg

This will take you to the St John Fisher channel on YouTube.

Recordings are available there for a week or so. The Sunday sermon is also on the website in printed form.

 

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.

Many thanks for your collection last week:                     £994.40 incl standing orders

2^nd Collection for Crib                                                          £295.60

 

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS

The Herald by subscription: Ring 0207 448 3607 or go to http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe

 

COVID PROCEDURES

In church please:

    Continue to wear facial coverings on Sundays unless you are exempt. 

    Socially distance 1metre. In other words, keep a space between yourself and anyone else.

    Continue to make your Offertory Contribution on entry.

 

 

Dear Parishioners,

Apologies were in the news a lot this week. “Sorry” does seem to be the hardest word, as Elton John once suggested. I think this is partly due to fact that we use it in so many different ways, just as we use the word “love” in so many different ways. Loving peanut butter is different from loving God, though we use the same word. More importantly saying for instance, ‘I sincerely hope that you feel loved by me’ is not the same as saying ‘I love you’. If I don’t feel loved properly then it might seem that this is my problem and nothing to do with whether you love me or not! We must love each other more, and say that we do, and much more so with God. He says it often enough to us. 

 

And the same with “Sorry”. Saying ‘I am sincerely sorry that you feel hurt by me’ really is not the same as saying ‘I am sorry for what I did to you’. The first expresses mere regret and as above may imply that my lack of feeling is my own fault, while the second owns what we call a sin. And we Catholics are supposed, by many, to know a thing or two about sin! So again, let us use our knowledge and lead by example in owning up to sin and what is our own fault. Let us tell each other when we do wrong and find sorrow in our hearts and let us tell God too when we sin. 

                                                                                                            Fr Doug

 

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 2022 rota is now available for collection from the cupboard.

More volunteers are needed to either join an existing group or make up a new one.  Each group cleans once every six weeks for about an hour.  An additional group of three or four people would mean cleaning once every eight weeks.  Please contact Carole Hughes on 07762 731303 if you are able to help.

 

CAFOD Afghanistan Appeal    CAFOD has joined with the Disasters Emergency Committee.  Your generous donations are needed to provide food and winter kits for the harsh winter.  If you can, call 08085 85 88 85 or visit cafod.org.uk.       John Rayer, Parish CAFOD Co-ordinator

 

TESS TRUMAN’S FAMILY would like to thank everyone who came to Tess’s funeral on Friday 7^th January and all those who played a part in the arrangements to make the day so special.  We also appreciate the many cards, mass intentions and donations to The Passage which have been received.  The day was a real celebration!

SUNDAY 9^th January 2022 

BAPTISM OF THE LORD 

Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5. 9-11, Psalm 103, Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7, Luke 3:15-16:21-22.

 

SERVICES FOR WEEK  9^th January – 16^th January 2022

Sat    8^th Jan       17.30                                    Confessions

                           18.00                                    Danny Lyons RIP (Morris)

Sun    9^th Jan      BAPTISM OF THE LORD              

                            08.30                                    The Back Family 

                            10.30                                     David Brailsford RIP (Brailsford family)

Mon     10^th Jan   09.15                                     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                                     The Meade Family (Sullivan)      

Tues    11^th Jan    09.15                                    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                                    Harrington Family RIP (Sheehan)

Weds   12^th Jan    09.15 St Aelred (Rievaulx)    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00                                      Lucy Nencini RIP (Fitzpatrick)

Fri      14^th Jan    09.15                                     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                           10.00                                     Sheila Beattie (Sullivan)                        

Sat     15^th Jan    17.30                                    Confessions

                           18.00                                    David Latimer RIP (Morris)

Sun    16^th Jan   2^nd SUNDAY                         

                            08.30                                   Sean King RIP (Norton) 

                            10.30                                   Tess Truman RIP (Fitzpatrick)

                                                                           

LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE

All masses are streamed live and can be viewed via the link. 

Recordings are available there for a week or so. The Sunday sermon is also on the website in printed form.

 

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.

Many thanks for your collection last week:                                     £991.02 incl standing orders

 

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS

The Herald by subscription: Ring 0207 448 3607 or go to http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe

 

 

COVID PROCEDURES

In church please:

•       Continue to wear facial coverings on Sundays unless you are exempt. 

•        Socially distance 1metre. In other words, keep a space between yourself and anyone else.

•       Continue to make your Offertory Contribution on entry.

 

 

First of all, let me express my thanks to you for your kind Christmas Offering. I am most grateful. Thanks also for the many cards and gifts. The cards are strung up as decorations in my sitting room and I shall feel very sad when I take them down on Sunday evening as the season of Christmas comes to an end. It is always a special time requiring extra effort and attention but this year in particular it seems to have been a little more stressful with all the challenges regarding keeping safe and well, and all the concerns about travel and whether or not we would be allowed to gather in all the different circumstances that our different lives dictate. But it has been worth it all. When someone casually commented that it will be a relief to get back to “normal” I wasn’t so sure. From Monday the church translates the sentiment by prescribing “ordinary time” between now and Lent, a period of seven and a half weeks. All the gold and white coloration of Christmas is replaced by the green of ordinary time – banners, vestments and even newsletters! There are some cold and frosty weeks ahead but our wonderful celebrations of Christ’s birth in mid-winter have served us well in making the winter easier to endure. We pray though, that ordinary time may reflect a more normal way of living and of keeping safe and well.

                                                                                                           

 

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 2022 rota is now available for collection from the cupboard.

More volunteers are needed to either join an existing group or make up a new one.  Each group cleans once every six weeks for about an hour.  An additional group of three or four people would mean cleaning once every eight weeks.  Please contact Carole Hughes on 07762 731303 if you are able to help.

 

CAFOD Afghanistan Appeal  

CAFOD has joined with the Disasters Emergency Committee.  Your generous donations are needed to provide food and winter kits for the harsh winter.  If you can, call 08085 85 88 85 or visit cafod.org.uk.        John Rayner, Parish CAFOD Co-ordinator

 

“WE MISS YOU”  

If you know of anyone who used to attend mass but has not yet returned since Lockdown, why not offer a bit of encouragement. The Church has produced a simple postcard that you might drop through their door. “We miss you” cards can be collected from the foyer.

 

THE ULTIMATE RELATIONSHIP 

This little booklet is available free of charge from the foyer

 

SOUTHWARK DIRECTORIES 

A few are available in the shop, or in the presbytery, priced £4

 

CONFESSIONS 

Confessions are now being heard before the Saturday evening mass at 5.30 p.m instead of Saturday morning.

 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2022

Application forms are now available for the First Holy Communion Programme 2022.  Children eligible for First Communion must be in Year 3 or above. Application forms can be collected from the church entrance porch or please speak to Father Doug or Ángela Underwood. The programme will commence late January/early February. Completed forms to be returned by 9th January 2022.