Newsletter

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 23^rd May at 11.00

 

PARISH AGM

Our annual parish meeting will be on Sunday June 1^st 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 5^th July 

Diocesan Pilgrimages to Aylesford on Sat 7^th June and Walsingham on Sat 28^th 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

SUNDAY 11th May 2025,

FOURTH SUNDAY of EASTER Year C – Good Shepherd

Readings: Acts 13:14-52, Psalm 09, Apocalypse 7:9-17, John 10:27-30

 

Sat   10th May     17.30   Confessions

18.00       Special Intention (Cottle) 

 

Sun  11th May  FOURTH SUNDAY of EASTER Year C – Good Shepherd

                            08.30          Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (Puddy)

                            10.30          Dec Relatives & Friends of Lyons Family (Lyons)

 

Mon  12th May      09.15    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

                             10.00          Mary Kane RIP (Laws)

 

Tues  13th May     09.15    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament  

                             10.00           Mary Reilly

 

Wed   14^th May      09.15      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament  

                             10.00           Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (King)

                            

Fri    16th May     14.00         Requiem Mass         Dorothy Cima 

 

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)

 

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.       £838.92                               

      Retiring Collections: Last Week:         MSP

      This week: Priest Training Fund

                                                                                                                        

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,

Habemus Papam – Pope Leo XIV

Our new pope takes the name Leo expressing a commitment to the great activity of the church in social welfare that took place during the pontificate of Leo XIII and to the great body of “Catholic Social Teaching” that arose in those times. This seems to indicate his intention to continue the work of Pope Francis in positioning the church alongside the poor and marginalised, while, as he said, building bridges with those in the church who have been slower to move in this direction. May God who chose him, now support him with all the strength and courage he will need. He is less than a year older than me!

God Bless,                                  Fr Doug 

 

 

MARY IN MAY – PRAYING THE MAGNIFICAT

We like to mark the month of May by paying some special attention to the place of Mary in the history of the world and especially in our lives, particularly in our prayer lives.

Saturday May 17 10.00 – 1.00 in our parish hall. Fr Doug will lead the presentations.

 

DOROTHY CIMA, PATRICK O’BRIEN RIP

The Requiem Mass for Dorothy Cima will on 16^th May at 2.00

The funeral Service for Patrick O’Brien will be on Friday 23^rd May at 11.00

 

PARISH AGM

Our annual parish meeting will be on Sunday June 1^st 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 5^th July 

Diocesan Pilgrimages to Aylesford on Sat 7^th June and Walsingham on Sat 28^th June

Augustine Camino: Rochester Cathedral to Minster Abbey – for Mary’s Meals Mon 1 – Sun 8 Sep 

 

PRIEST TRAINING FUND.

This week our retiring collection is to support the training of priests for our diocese. It is a very costly affair spread out over many years. It is a good time to pray for vocations to the priesthood.

 

WALK TO END HOMELESSNESS

On Sunday 18 May, four members of our AIC Passage Friends group will be walking 10km in Battersea Park to raise money for the Passage.  They are hoping to raise £500 and would be grateful for a few more sponsors to help them reach their goal.  If you would like to support them, please see either Carole Hughes, Maria Ward or Alice (Ann) Harris in the hall after 10:30 Mass. 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

 

ST CATHERINE’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL, BEXLEYHEATH 

We are seeking to appoint a Chaplain. The successful candidate will be a practising Catholic with a passion for encouraging young people in their faith, and the ability to lead and develop the spiritual, liturgical and prayer life of the school community. For more detail, see the school website.

 

SUNDAY 4th May 2025

THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER Year C

Readings: Acts 5:27-41, Psalm 29, Apocalypse 5:11-14, John 21:1-19

 

Sat   3rd May       17.30     Confessions

 18.00                     Holy Souls (Jeyaseelan) 

 

Sun  4th May    THIRD SUNDAY of EASTER Year C 

                            08.30              Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (Bennett)

                            10.30                  Josie Brown (Sarton)

 

Mon  5th May      09.15     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Sacrament 

                            10.00                  Sonny Sheehan RIP (Laws)

 

Tues   6th May          NO SERVICE TODAY

 

Wed    7^th May      09.15    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament  

                             10.00                  Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (Wheatley)

                            

Fri     9th May       09.15    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

                            10.00                   Thanksgiving (Bosser)

 

Sat   10th May     17.30     Confessions

 18.00                   Special Intention (Cottle) 

 

Sun  11th May  FOURTH SUNDAY of EASTER Year C – Good Shepherd

                            08.30                   Maureen Fitzpatrick RIP (Puddy)

                            10.30                   Dec Relatives & Friends of Lyons Family (Lyons)

 

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                                                 £849.81                                Retiring Collections: Last Week:         St. George’s Cathedral      £107.87

This week:     Missionary Society of St. Paul

                                              Next Week:       Priest Training Fund

                                                                 

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,

We welcome Fr Jude MSP, who will be saying our Sunday masses and making an appeal for his missionary society.

As we begin the month of May, we honour Our Lady by praying the Hail Holy Queen at Sunday masses and we also offer the opportunity to reflect on and with her wonderful prayer, the Magnificat – see below.  

God Bless,                                  Fr Doug 

 

MARY IN MAY – PRAYING THE MAGNIFICAT

We like to mark the month of May by paying some special attention to the place of Mary in the history of the world and especially in our lives, particularly in our prayer lives.

Saturday May 17 10.00 – 1.00 in our parish hall. Fr Doug will lead the presentations.

 

DOROTHY CIMA, PATRICK O’BRIEN RIP

The Requiem Mass for Dorothy Cima will on 16^th May at 2.00

The funeral Service for Patrick O’Brien will be on Friday 23^rd May at 11.00

 

JUBILEE YEAR PILGRIMAGES:  Pope Francis encouraged us all to make some kind of a pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year of Hope

Deanery Pilgrimage for ALL to St. John Vianney Saturday 5^th July PLEASE MAKE A NOTE

Diocesan Pilgrimages to Aylesford on Sat 7^th June and Walsingham on Sat 28^th June

Augustine Camino: Rochester Cathedral to Minster Abbey – for Mary’s Meals Mon 1 – Sun 8 Sep 

 

PRIEST TRAINING FUND:  Next week our retiring collection is to support the training of priests for our diocese. It is a very costly business spread out over many years. It is a good time to pray for vocations to the priesthood.

 

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

 PILGRIMAGE TO PENTECOST

Starting Friday 2nd May 2025 at 7pm at St Thomas More Church Hall Long Lane, Bexleyheath, DA7 5JW. There will be short filmed presentations with discussion and prayer

 

MASS IN CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE 

July 12th, at St George’s Cathedral

If you are celebrating your 1^st/10^th/25^th/40^th/50^th/60^th + wedding anniversary this year, let us know by May 15, providing:  your names, home address, parish, which anniversary you are celebrating, and you will receive an invitation from the Archbishop.  Contact us at mflse@rcaos.org.uk 

 

VE DAY – 80th Anniversary

Thurs 8 May, 7pm, St John the Evangelist, Parkhill Road: Service with North Cray & District British Legion, followed by a celebration at Old Bexley Ex-Servicemen’s Club, High Street, 

Sunday 11 May 3pm to 4.30pm. Bexley URC, Hurst Road, (opposite the War Memorial) – Free concert. All welcome to enjoy singing and refreshments.  Donations will be going to British Legion. 

 

FRIENDS OF THE HOLY LAND 

Invitation to a Service in Temple Church and simultaneously in Jerusalem on Tues 20th May 2025 at: 12.00 (noon), Temple Church, Temple, London EC4Y 7BB or on livestream at http://www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/temple25..

 

A reminder that the collection at our Easter Garden is for friends of the Holy Land.