Lord Jesus, you bless those who mourn or are in pain. Bless Gerry Fernandes’ family and friends who are keeping him in prayer as we journey to the day of his funeral, which will be on the Feast of St. Faustina the Secretary of Divine Mercy. His Requiem Mass will take place at 9.30a.m. on Monday 5th October.
Grant Him Eternal Rest O Lord.
Lord Jesus, you bless those who mourn or are in pain. Bless Gerry Fernandes’ family and friends who are keeping him in prayer as we journey to the day of his funeral, which will be on the Feast of St. Faustina the Secretary of Divine Mercy. His Requiem Mass will take place at 9.30a.m. on Monday 5th October. I hope all is going well for the young people of our parish. You are in our thoughts and in our prayers. Blessings to you and to the school, college of university you attend. There are over 2,000 Catholic schools, academies and colleges in England educating over 800,000 students. Thank you for supporting Catholic Education. Everyone has a role to play in Catholic education and this includes each of us. Please keep our Catholic schools across the country in your prayers, that God may lead them in faithfulness, wisdom and charity. May they remain informed about issues and commit to the work of advocacy to sustain their future. Your involvement will support many parents who see religion and the Catholic faith as an integral value in the education and formation of their children. High school forms will be signed on Thursday 24th September and Tuesday 29th September from 3.45p.m. to 6.30p.m. at St Teresa’s school. To ensure safety, you must book an appointment. All bookings are to be made through the school.
Home Mission Sunday provides us with the opportunity to focus on spreading the Gospel in our local communities. Thank you for all you do to live the faith and to be the ‘Living Page’ of the Gospel. Never forget, our Lord Jesus gave those first disciples the Great Commission to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. That commission is ours now. We must share our Catholic faith; and the opportunities are everywhere. By our words and by the witness of our live, we can proclaim Jesus’ Good News - and it is Good News – to those who have drifted away from the Faith or who have never heard the Gospel. This sharing can be with family members across the dinner table, with our next door neighbours, with colleagues at work, even at the side-lines at children’s soccer games. Be an apostle of light, hope and friendship. Get to know your faith more and more. With good knowledge and the guidance of the Spirit, you will be a servant of the Lord, and a servant of the Catholic faith. Share that faith with pride and love.
A new Private Secretary for Archbishop John.His name is Fr. Philip Andrews who takes up his new post this week. His predecessor Fr. Philip Glanfield has been appointed parish priest of Whitstable and Tankerton. We wish him well and thank him for his service to the diocese and three Archbishops.
Thank you Lord – Four Newly Ordained Priests. Please continue to pray for vocations and especially for the Archdiocese of Southwark led by Archbishop John. In case you missed the news during July, Archbishop John ordained four men to the priesthood: Fr Giovani Prandini Fr Peter Sebastian Fr Dermot O’Gorman And many of you may remember Fr. John Howard. Who spent some time with us last year and gained pastoral experience at St. Helier Hospital under the guidance of Fr.Philip Pak. May their years ahead in the Lord’s service be fruitful and blessed. Monsignor Canon John O’Toole In recent times we have been keeping the former Dean of St. Georges Cathedral, and now Episcopal Vicar for Kent, in prayer. The Holy Father has appointed him as a Chaplain with the title ‘Monsignor’. Monsignor John is a truly outstanding priest with many gifts and his role in the service of Dialogue and Unity at the Bishop’s Conference will long be remembered. Agency for Evangelisation, Catechesis and Formation Following recent rounds of consultation, Archbishop John has announced that the current Centre for Catholic Formation (C.C.F.) based at Tooting is to make way for a new model. The Agency for Evangelisation, Catechesis and Formation. The Archbishop says that “Our new model will continue to be shaped in the light of collaboration and experience, in the service and grassroots of the Church in our Archdiocese.” The new agency comes into being this month and will feature an advisory team based around the three areas of Evangelisation, Catechesis and Formation rather than the current geographical basis. The formation of this new Agency is the right move at the right time. In due course we will be briefed on its vision for our diocese. In the meantime, I echo the words of our new Archbishop – Please pray for a “continued fruitfulness through the new Agency as, together, we seek to help each other, and those we shepherd, in knowing, loving and serving Christ.” St. Vincent’s Residential Youth Retreat Centre, Whitstable. For the past 17 years this Centre has played host to thousands of young people from all corners of the diocese. Times are changing and with Covid-19 and other challenges we are facing, St.Vincent’s has closed its doors for the last time. Archbishop John says: “We are sad that this work is unable to continue at St. Vincent’s Centre.” New creative ways are going to be forged of engaging with young people in our schools and parishes. Day retreats at Aylesford Priory, working with the Carmelite community, will bear fruit. As will many other special days and special events. In the months to come, a new team will emerge, trained and energised to drive forward the vital work of supporting young people in their journey of faith. I join the Archbishop in saying: “We give thanks for the many blessings received at St. Vincent’s Centre: for each moment of encounter with Christ, for each member of the peer ministry team who has given a year in service to the diocese and for the hospitality and encouragement received by visiting clergy, catechists and youth workers.” |
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