Parish Newsletter 25th January 2009

St Simon Stock Catholic Church Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU Tel: 01233 622399

Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle Saint Simon of England RC Primary School, Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199 Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS th Sunday 25 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 10.00am Mass of the Conversion of St Paul (George Gatt RIP) rd 12.00 noon (Latin, 1962 Missal, Mass of 3 Sunday after Epiphany) (Elizabeth Honywood RIP) 4.00pm Mass in Polish 6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) th Monday 26 St Timothy and St Titus, bishops 6.45pm Mass (Gay Gillet) th Tuesday 27 St Angela Merici, virgin 9.00am Mass (Maria & Francesco Turano RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.00am. th Wednesday 28 St Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church 9.30am Mass (John Vella RIP) (St Simon’s School Year 5 attending) th Thursday 29 6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal, St Francis de Sales, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor) (Forgiveness) th Friday 30 6.45pm Mass (For Mary McGinty’s intentions) st Saturday 31 St John Bosco, priest 9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.00am Mass (For Guy Masterson’s intentions) 5.30pm Holy Qurbana - Mass in the Syro Malabar Rite st Sunday 1 February Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 10.00am Mass (David Bonnefin RIP) 6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) CONFESSIONS/CONSULTATIONS Saturday: 10.30am, Sunday 9.30am, 5.30pm. Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. CHURCH CLEANING th th th th th 30 Tara; February 6 Bridie; 13 Sheila; 20 Sue; 27 Sue COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Offertory: £339.44, (Gift Aid: £174.06, loose plate: £165.38) + £99 approx by standing order. To contribute by regular standing order please ask for a form. If you are a tax payer and are not already using the Gift Aid scheme, please ask for a Gift Aid form. Second collection: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund: £126.57. Thank you. Second collection today and next Sunday: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Sr Catharine goes into hospital tomorrow for some treatment. Please pray for her and all our sick parishioners. If you know of anyone who needs our prayers at the present time, please place their names in the box in the Church foyer. CRIB OFFERINGS nd The Crib will remain on display up to 2 February, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas). Your offerings will go to the Good Counsel Network who help women to keep their children rather than opting for abortion. See the notice board for the Good Counsel News and their appeal for funds. Total collected so far since Christmas Day: £134.31.

25th JANUARY 2009 THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B

10.00 AM MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon: 2 Tim 1: 12; 4:8 I know whom I have believed. I am sure that he, the just judge, will guard my pledge until the Day of Judgment. First Reading: Acts 9:1-22 Lord, what will you have me do? Responsorial Psalm: Ps 116:1-2.R Mk 16:15 R: Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News Praise the Lord, all you nations, acclaim him all you people. (R) Strong is his love for us; he is faithful for ever. (R) Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 The world as we know it is passing away. Gospel Acclamation: John 3:16 Alleluia, alleluia! God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son; everyone who believes in him has eternal life. Alleluia! Gospel: Mark 16:15-18 Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News. Preface of Apostles I, Eucharistic Prayer 1 Communion Antiphon: Gal 2:20 I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and sacrificed himself for me. 6.00PM MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon: Ps 95:1-6 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Truth and beauty surround him, he lives in holiness and glory. First Reading: Jonah 3:1-5.10 The people of Nineveh renounce their evil behaviour. Responsorial Psalm: Ps24:4-9. R: Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths. Make me walk in you truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour. (R) Remember your mercy, Lord, and the love you have shown from of old. In you love remember me, because of you goodness, O Lord. (R) The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray, he guides the humble in the right path; he teaches his way to the poor. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 The world as we know it is passing away. Gospel Acclamation: Mark 1:15 Alleluia, alleluia! The kingdom of God is close at hand; believe the Good News. Alleluia! Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 Repent, and believe the Good News. Preface of Sunday I, Eucharistic Prayer 1 Communion Antiphon: Ps33:6 Look up at the Lord with gladness and smile; your face will never be ashamed.

Email: [email protected]; Web: www.stsimon.org.uk; Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/; diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk

FROM FATHER JOHN’S DESKTOP Once he had encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus, and after meeting with the apostles to learn more about the Christian faith, St Paul was transformed from a persecutor of Christians into Christianity’s greatest ever apostle. What hardships was he not prepared to accept for the sake of ‘the Name’? Aware of his unworthiness, he is also aware of being possessed of a power that is not his own but God’s. ‘We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our body. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are continually being handed over to death, for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our mortal flesh.’ (2 Cor. 4:7-12) Today we need, too, to pray that we may be possessed of something of God’s power like St Paul. One of St Paul’s most beautiful passages is his ‘Hymn to Love’. One can have the gifts of prophecy or faith that moves mountains; give all one’s possessions to the poor or even give oneself up for martyrdom, but ‘if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever.’ (1 Cor. 13:3) Many people elect to have this passage read at their weddings and St Paul speaks of marriage with the greatest esteem when he compares the union of Christ and the Church to that of a husband and wife. (cf. Eph. 5:21-33) Yet marriage is in decline. It was reported last week that, if current trends continue, in a year’s time people living in matrimony will be a minority group. In 2007, just 51% of adults were registered as married compared with 59% in 1998. Less than half of women aged 18 – 49 were registered as married in 2007 compared to ¾ in 1979. The decline in marriage leaves society weakened and individuals vulnerable. A partner has no guarantee that the ‘other half’ is in it for life. Children do not have the security of knowing that their parents are together for life. The marriage bond is the ‘glue’ that keeps families together and gives children security. When families break up, the poor suffer most. The wealthy can sue one another for their respective assets. The poor have nowhere to turn and the parent-State must pick up the tab – financially, emotionally, socially – and all too readily takes over the running of family life. School breakfast clubs are just one sign of a home activity taken over by the State, wrongly in my opinion. I have heard a number of women say they feel vulnerable because their partner is reluctant to commit to marriage. They want to not know where they stand. Ultimately, they want to know if they are loved with the enduring, never-ending love proper to husbands/wives. We know not all marriages are made in heaven. The Church is able to assist those whose marriages are in difficulty or which have failed, or who are victims in other ways of the general difficulties that family life faces these days. I wonder: are there any parishioners, married or not, who would like to come together to see what we can do for the situation in this area? Fr John REGULAR EVENTS DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP after the 9.00am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of intercession for various needs and silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10am. MUSIC PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30PM Newcomers always welcome. BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM Studying St Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and Pope Benedict’s Wednesday audiences on St Paul. EVANGELIUM – CATHOLIC FAITH ENQUIRY For all, Catholic or not, who would like to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic faith. Next meeting: 7.15pm this Friday; Topic: The Paschal Mystery VISIT OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX SISTERS Next Saturday two Sisters of Mercy from the Monastery of St Elizabeth the New Martyr in Minsk, Belarus, will visit the parish to raise funds for their convent and charitable work. They work with disabled people at a children’s and adults’ psychiatric asylum in Minsk as well as running an estate where many homeless, former prisoners, drug and alcohol addicts find shelter and work and a chance to start a new life. They are also constructing churches and their hospital and charitable work is growing. Sister Photinia and her co-sister will be present at the 10.00am Mass next Saturday after which there will be a brief presentation about their projects and a coffee morning with the opportunity to buy some of the products made at their convent. Why not come along and find out more about the Church in the East and how we can help? See poster on notice board for more information. ARE YOU IN THE 2% OR 98% Think of a number between 1 and ten. Multiply by 9. If the number is a 2 digit number, add the digits together. Subtract 5. Determine which letter in the alphabet corresponds to the number you ended up with (example: 1=a, 2=B, 3=c, etc.) Think of a country that starts with that letter. Remember the last letter. Think of the name of an animal that starts with that letter. Remember the last letter of the animal. Think of a fruit that starts with that letter. See upside down text to find if you're in the 98% or the 2%.

VOCATIONS RETREATS A retreat for men considering a vocation to the priesthood: at St. John’s Seminary, Wonersh, from next Friday evening until after lunch on Sunday. For more information or to book a place, please contact the Vocations Director, Fr Stephen Langridge. Tel: 020 8835 0211; email: [email protected] VOCATIONS RETREAT FOR WOMEN for women aged 18-30 considering the religious life from Friday th th 13 to Sunday 15 February at St. Joseph’s Priory, Lymington. For more information, contact the Diocesan Vocations Office: [email protected] ALTAR SERVERS DAY Can you help with welcoming, refreshments, supervision, etc. at th our altar servers afternoon on Sunday 15 Feb from 2.00pm until Mass at 6.00pm? If so please let Fr John know. Thank you. ASHFORD CATENIAN ASSOCIATION The Ashford Catenian Association will be holding their monthly meeting tomorrow at the Sandyacres Sports & Social Club at 8.00pm. Anyone interested in joining or finding out more about the activities of the Association is invited to come along or alternatively contact Phil Wall on 502040. READERS & EXTRA-ORDINARY MINISTERS OF COMMUNION Please pick up your rota for February and March. POSSIBLE PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO KRAKOW, POLAND TH RD 19 – 23 OCTOBER Krakow is where Pope John Paul II was Archbishop and there are many places to see connected with his life. There are also the famous sights of Krakow (Wawel Castle, the Market Square), the shrine to the Divine Mercy where Sister Faustina was a nun and received her revelations, the salt mines, the national shrine to Our Lady at Jasna Gora, Auschwitz... Four nights is really not enough! It would be helpful to have some idea of numbers of people who might be interested. Please sign up on the notice board to express interest without obligation at this stage. I will then be able to get a price together. At present this is only a possibility, not a definite event.

To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/. Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/