Newsletter

SUNDAY 16th June 2024

ELEVENTH SUNDAY, YEAR B

Readings: Ezekiel 17:22-24, Psalm 91, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Mark 4:26-34. 

 

Sat      15^th June     17.30          Confession

                                18.00          Alfred & Diamond D’Mello (Fernandes)

 

Sun     16th June      ELEVENTH SUNDAY (B)  

                                08.30         Bernard Gillespie (J. Gillespie)   

                                10.30          Fr Doug & Fr Peter (Anderson)

 

Mon    17th June     09.15      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                                10.00         Priti Patel (Bhalla)

 

Tues   18^th June         No service today

 

Wed    19^th June      09.15     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

John Rigby             10.00 John Rigby    Gloria Bowden (Hughes)

 

Fri       21st June       09.15     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Aloysius Gonzaga    10.00  Maureen Fitzpatrick (Wheatley)

 

Sat     22nd June    17.30 Confessions

John Fisher & Thomas More   18.00  For the Parish

 

Sun     23rd June      ***ST. JOHN FISHER***  

                                08.30          Patricia McQuaid (Anderson)   

                                10.30          Enzo D’Auria RIP (McCarthy)

                                    

LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE

All masses are streamed 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:                            £1158.38

            Retiring Collections                             This week: Day for Life

 

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.  

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 

 

Please join us in the Hall for refreshments after the 10.30 mass

  

Dear Parishioners,

At mass last Sunday all these children started to receive Holy Communion: Sidney Adams, Leo Bailey, Mila Bailey, Maria Benedict, Ralph Blood, Teddy Do, Diana Erihri, Pippa Hackett, Niamh Lynch, Dwayne Monteiro, Lily Stokes, Magdalene Yau & Scholastica Yau. It was a joyous occasion for us all. Please remember them in your prayers. On behalf of the whole parish let me thank and congratulate our catechists who supported their families in bringing the children to this moment.

 

This coming week Archbishop John has asked all the priests in the South East Area of the diocese to go with him on conference to a retreat centre in Merville in France. Most of us will be there. Fr Peter is also away at the moment so there aren’t many priests around! However, one of the Franciscan brothers at Erith has agreed to say mass here on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please note that there will be no mass on Tuesday.

 

Next weekend at all our masses we will be celebrating our own Feast of St. John Fisher. (The readings and prayers are not recorded in our mass book. READERS beware!!) We will of course be having a party on Sunday starting at 12 noon. We really will need your help and support to make as great a success of it as we have done in the past. See below.

 

The carpark (- and alleyway from 12.00 onwards -) will be closed ALL Sunday, but there is plenty of parking along the road and also in the club next door (with permission, for which we are grateful)

                            God Bless,                                                Fr Doug 

 

PARISH FEASTDAY BBQ – NEXT Sunday!!!

We will be celebrating with our BBQ party, starting at 12 noon. There will be a singer providing entertainment for the adults and there will be a face painter and a bouncy castle for children.

We do need everyone to chip in a little help though. Volunteers needed for providing salads and sweets, for setting up and clearing up, for supervising the children’s activities etc. Lists in the foyer.

Ticket holders (£8 and £4 for children) will enjoy a fulsome meal and all the entertainment. 

 

HOLY YEAR 2025. 

The whole church will celebrate a “Holy Year” in 2025. Pope Francis has asked us firstly to prepare with Prayer and Reflection on the Churches Renewal launched at the end of the second Vatican Council in the 1960s, and also on the Our Father.

Archbishop John has published: “Pondering and Praying Vatican II” £9.99. (St Paul’s bookshop) 

In the parish Fr. Eugene Curran C.M. can enlighten us with: 

“What happened at Vatican II” on Friday, 5^th July 7-9.30. in the parish hall.

 

A parish programme on praying the Our Father will be delivered in the autumn.

 

AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED

It was suggested at the AGM that we could and should support this organisation. If we are to do so we will need a parish promoter. If anyone already has any relationship with them, please let Fr Doug know or if you think you might be able to help, again talk to Fr Doug.

 

QUIET DAYS AT SANCTUARY (in Swanley Village)

FIRST FRIDAYS of every month: The garden is open for you 10 – 4. Wander in, find a place to sit, bring your prayer book and enjoy some reflection time. tkilcullen@live.co.uk or 07977 978536 

 

ST CATHERINE’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL – Senior Citizens Summer Tea Party

We warmly invite you to join us for the Senior Citizens Summer Tea Party on Thursday July 4^th, election day at 1.30pm-3.00pm RSVP 01322 556333 or dcunningham@stccg.co.uk

 

SUNDAY 9th June 2024

TENTH SUNDAY, YEAR B

Readings: Genesis 3:9-15, Psalm 129, 2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1, Mark 3:20-35. 

 

Sat   8^th June      17.30     Confessions

18.00           For the Parish

 

Sun  9th June   TENTH SUNDAY (B)  

                            08.30           Anton Jeyaseelan (Foundation)   

                            10.30         1st Holy Communion   Okyere family (Asaam)

 

Mon  10th June   09.15      Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00            Maureen Watkins (Wheatley)

 

Tues  11^th June    09.15    St. Barnabas    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                            10.00            Chandrawati Patel (Bhalla)

 

Wed  12^th June    09.15        Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

10.00            Sharon Anderson (Anderson)

 

Fri     14th June   09.15          Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

10.00             Pet Kilcullen RIP & family (Crump)

 

Sat   15^th June     17.30      Confessions

18.00             Alfred & Diamond D’Mello (Fernandes)

 

Sun  16th June TENTH SUNDAY (B)  

                            08.30             Bernard Gillespie (J. Gillespie)   

                            10.30             Fr Doug & Fr Peter (Anderson)

                            

LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE

All masses are streamed 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:                          £959.31

         Retiring Collections                                                           SVP £282.92

                                                 Next week:                           Day for Life                 

                                                                          

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.  

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 

 

Please join us in the Hall for refreshments after the 10.30 mass

 

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

Dear Parishioners,

I am thrilled that 13 children will start receiving Holy Communion this weekend. A warm welcome to all the guests – theirs AND ours – who are here today. Today they deepen their participation in the family of God the Father, in the Body of Christ and in the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. It is a wonderful moment for them and a great time for us as the wider family. We will become closer to them through our communion with them and of course they will become closer to God in that same Communion. We wish them and their families a very happy day and a very special celebration. Find their names below.

 

                                       God Bless,                                  Fr Doug 

 

AGM 2024

Last Sunday we had our Annual General Meeting of the parish. The various committees (listed in the foyer above their own section of the notice boards) reported on what they have been doing in this past year and what plans there are for the year ahead. Minutes are in the foyer. 

Thanks to all those who work in leadership roles on the Parish Council. Thanks also to all those who attended. It was very clear that the parish of St. John Fisher, Bexley is alive and well!

 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Our parish First Holy Communion Mass is this Sunday at 10.30am. 

Our communicants this year are:

Sidney Adams, Leo Bailey, Mila Bailey, Maria Benedict, Ralph Blood, Teddy Do, Diana Erihri, Pippa Hackett, Niamh Lynch, Dwayne Monteiro, Lily Stokes, Magdalene Yau & Scholastica Yau.

Please remember them in your prayers.

 

PARISH FEASTDAY BBQ

The Feast of St. John Fisher is June 22^nd so we will feast on the Sunday 23^rd June at our BBQ

There will be a singer providing entertainment for the adults and there will be a face painter and a bouncy castle for children.

We do need everyone to chip in a little help though. Volunteers needed for:

Sharing salads and sweets

Setting up

Clearing up

Supervising the children’s activities etc.              Signing up lists are in the foyer.

Ticket holders (£8 and £4 for children) will enjoy a fulsome meal and all the entertainment. 

 

QUIET DAYS AT SANCTUARY (in Swanley Village)

It helps if you let me know you are coming. email: tkilcullen@live.co.uk or phone 07977978536 

FIRST FRIDAYS – The garden is open and free for you between 10am and 4pm on the first Friday of the month. Wander in, find a place to sit, bring your prayer book and enjoy some reflection time.

 

AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED

It was suggested at the AGM that we could and should support this organisation. If we are to do so we will need a parish promoter. If anyone already has any relationship with them, please let Fr Doug know or if you think you might be able to help, again talk to Fr Doug.

 

SOUTHWARK ARCHDIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 

Archbishop John warmly invites you to join him as he leads the diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, from 23^rd to 30^th August 2024. Details of this can be found on the Archdiocesan website: rcaos.org.uk. Experience the unique spirituality of Lourdes, along with people from parishes around the Archdiocese.

Direct link: https://rcaos.org.uk/news-events/news/archbishop-john-to-lead-pilgrimage-to-lourdes/

SUNDAY 2nd June 2024

CORPUS CHRISTI, YEAR B

Readings: Exodus 24:3-8, Psalm 115, Heb 9:11-15, Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 

 

Sun     2nd June       CORPUS CHRISTI (B)  

                              08.30                      TG Gillespie Family (Gillespie)   

                              10.30                     John Ellis RIP (Ellis)

                              12.00 PARISH AGM

 

Mon    3^rd June       09.15  Charles Lwanga     Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                              10.00                         For the Parish 

 

Tues   4^th June      09.15                                 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

                              10.00                         TG Patel Family (Bhalla)

 

Wed    5^th June      09.15  Boniface                  Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

  10.00                          John Bowman (Bowman)

 

Fri       7^th June     09.15  Sacred Heart of Jesus    Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 

 10.00                                         Joan Aspeek (Wheatley)

 

Sat      8^th June     17.30                                      Confessions

 18.00                                      For the Parish

 

Sun     9th June         TENTH SUNDAY (B)  

                              08.30                                      Anton Jeyaseelan (Foundation)   

                              10.30  1st Holy Communion   Okeyere family (Asaam)

                                    

 

LIVE STREAMING OF MASSES ON THE WEBSITE

All masses are streamed 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:                            £910.98

            Retiring Collections                                     Last week:                             SVP                

                                                                                                

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.  

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 

 

Please join us in the Hall for refreshments after the 10.30 mass

 

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

 

 

Dear Parishioners,

I go away for a few days and what happens? They call a general election! This is an important time for us as Catholics. We have a long and proud tradition of taking politics seriously. Catholic Social teaching has always played an important role in world development. Much reflection has gone in to almost every issue of social importance and we have a responsibility to exercise a Christian influence in the future direction of our nation. No one issue can take priority. We must take a balanced view but always act for the “Common Good”, a well-defined concept in Catholicism. This means using our influence with others and particularly our vote, to promote the well being of ALL people ahead of any personal gain. Politicians should be wary or at least aware of what Catholics have to say. 

                            God Bless,                                                Fr Doug 

AGM 2024

Today we have our Annual General Meeting of the parish. The various committees (listed in the foyer above their own section of the notice boards) will be reporting on what they have been doing in this past year and hoping that you will help shape their plans for the year ahead. 

 

This year’s broad plan of activity was in large measure generated by thoughts expressed at last year’s meeting so do come and take part. It is important that we continue to progress and move forward as a parish. To do that we need to believe in ourselves and those in leadership roles need to know that they have the support of others.

 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Many children of the parish will be receiving Holy Communion for the first time at the 10.30 mass next Sunday. Please pray for them and their families. Mass on this occasion may be a little longer than usual – and fuller!

 

PARISH FEASTDAY BBQ

The Feast of St. John Fisher is June 22^nd so we will feast on the Sunday 23^rd June at our BBQ

There will be a singer providing entertainment for the adults and there will be a face painter and a bouncy castle for children.

We do need everyone to chip in a little help though. Volunteers needed for:

Sharing salads and sweets

Setting up

Clearing up

Supervising the children’s activities etc.              Signing up lists are in the foyer.

Ticket holders (£8 and £4 for children) will enjoy a fulsome meal and all the entertainment. 

 

QUIET DAYS AT SANCTUARY (in Swanley Village)

It helps if you let me know you are coming. email: tkilcullen@live.co.uk or phone 07977978536 

FIRST FRIDAYS – The garden is open and free for you between 10am and 4pm on the first Friday of the month. Wander in, find a place to sit, bring your prayer book and enjoy some reflection time.

 

STELLA MARIS

Stella Maris is grateful for your prayer and financial support on Sea Sunday last year.  

There will be some copies of the Stella Maris Annual review put in the foyer for you to take and read – it’s an interesting publication with a lot of information on the work the charity undertakes. 

Many thanks,                                                            Emma Fox

 

SOUTHWARK ARCHDIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 

Archbishop John warmly invites you to join him as he leads the diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, from 23^rd to 30^th August 2024. Details of this can be found on the Archdiocesan website: rcaos.org.uk. Experience the unique spirituality of Lourdes, along with people from parishes around the Archdiocese.

Direct link: https://rcaos.org.uk/news-events/news/archbishop-john-to-lead-pilgrimage-to-lourdes/