Parish Newsletter 28th June 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

28th JUNE 2009 SS PETER AND PAUL YEAR B

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS th Sunday 28 SS Peter and Paul, apostles, solemnity (B) 10.00am Mass (Irene Zolna RIP) 12.00noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) 3.00pm Baptism of Emanuelle Maria Veronica Baldwin 4.00pm Mass in Polish 6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) th Monday 29 9.30am Mass (Holy Souls) th Tuesday 30 The First Martyrs of Church of Rome 9.30am Mass (Peggie Fairess RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.30am st Wednesday 1 July St Oliver Plunkett, bishop and martyr 9.30am Mass (Michael Ryan & family) nd Thursday 2 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (In thanksgiving for priests) rd Friday 3 St Thomas, apostle, feast First Friday 9.30am Mass (Dennis Condon) th Saturday 4 Our Lady 9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.00am Mass (Edme Nerot RIP) th Sunday 5 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 10.00am Mass (John Kelly RIP) 6.00pm Mass (People of the parish)

TODAY’S MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon: These men, conquering all human frailty, shed their blood and helped the church to grow. By sharing the cup of the Lord’s suffering, they became the friends of God.

CONFESSION TIMES Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. Saturday: 10.30am; Sundays: ½ hour before Mass

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19 You are Peter, and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Preface of SS Peter and Paul, Eucharistic Prayer I

CHURCH CLEANING rd th th th st July 3 Sheila; 10 Sue; 17 Sue; 24 Tara; 31 Bridie COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Offertory: £322.19, (Gift Aid: £167.50, loose plate: £154.69 ) + £94 approx by standing order. Second collection: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund: £99.63. Thank you. Second collection today: Peter’s Pence – the financial support offered by the faithful to the Holy Father for the many different needs of the Universal Church and for the relief of those most in need. Next week: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund. PARISH BARBECUE NEXT SUNDAY Come along to the parish barbecue after the 10.00am Mass next Sunday. Burgers, hot dogs and ploughman‟s will be available to purchase. Come for some fun and games, social time, and a bit of fundraising for the parish. Everyone welcome. (Please pray for fine weather!) HAVE WE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT IS TO BE CATHOLIC? (2) (From Fit for Mission? Church by Bishop Patrick O‟Donoghue) Those who deliberately miss Sunday Mass forget they are Catholic.

First Reading: Acts 12:1-11 Now I know the Lord really did save me from Herod. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33 R: From all my terrors the Lord set me free. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. (R) Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free. (R) Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called; the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. (R) The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is happy who seeks refuge in him. (R) Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8.17-18 All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me. Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 16:18 Alleluia, alleluia! You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. Alleluia!

Communion Antiphon: Matthew 16:16-18 Peter said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus answered: You are Peter, the rock on which I will build my Church. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Please pray for all our sick parishioners, particularly Rita Redman and Ann Pullen. Names of parishioners who need our prayers can be placed in the box in the church foyer. All our sick parishioners, named and un-named, are remembered in our prayers. REGULAR EVENTS – COME ALONG! DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP after the 9.30am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of intercession for various needs and silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10.30am. CHOIR PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30PM Newcomers always welcome. BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM Studying the Acts of the Apostles. Newcomers always welcome.

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

FR. JOHN’S DESKTOP On the feast of Ss Peter and Paul we think of the two great Apostles of the Church. Both were great saints, but both were also conscious of their human frailty: Peter, the one who denied his Friend, Lord and Master; Paul, who once persecuted the early Christians. Both were enlisted as Apostles through the sheer love of Jesus. By choosing unlikely characters, it can be more clearly appreciated that the spread of the Gospel is truly a work of God, not of man. On this feast day which is normally celebrated on 29th June, newly appointed Archbishops (including Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the new Archbishop of Westminster) go to Rome to receive from the Pope the „pallium‟, a small woollen garment that they wear on their shoulders as in the illustration to the left. It is an image of the yoke of Christ, the will of God which they seek to accept and fulfil. This will of God does not weigh down but rather leads us to be fully our true selves. Made of lambs‟ wool, the pallium is also a symbol of the lost sheep which the bearer places upon his shoulder and carries to the waters of life. As Pope Benedict said in his inaugural Mass at the start of his papacy: “The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance.” On this feast the Year of St Paul comes to an end. Last week the Year of the Priesthood commenced. Like Peter and Paul, our pastors have their strengths and their weaknesses. Let us pray for them all – the Pope, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests – that they may lead us generously towards true friendship with Christ, the Son of the living God. Fr John EVANGELIUM CONFERENCE 2009 th th A weekend for young Catholics aged 18-35, 7 – 9 August, at the Oratory School, Reading. Details available from flyers in the church foyer. Excellent speakers, well worth going to hear the Catholic Faith explained for the modern world. TELEVISION AND CATHOLICS Some literature from a group of Catholic lay people called CUT (Catholics Unplug your Televisions) is available In the church foyer for your information. There is no intention to endorse or otherwise the position taken by this organisation but the literature might be helpful in making parents aware of some of the malevolent influences present in our mass media and the negative results in children who watch excessive amounts of TV. Further information from www.cutunplugtv.co.uk. CIGARETTE ENDS Our grounds maintenance contractors have asked if anything can be done about the mess of cigarette ends around the church, the hall and on the car park. They even end up inside the church sometimes. Naturally, it is not possible to apportion blame to any particular group of people or individuals. If you do smoke, please refrain from doing so around the church entrance, and please take your cigarette ends away with you, rather than throw them on the ground. Your help in this would be greatly appreciated. SOLEMN MASS FOR THE FEAST OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE RELICS OF ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY th Tuesday 7 July at 8pm in Canterbury Cathedral The celebrant will be Canon Michael Bunce, parish priest of St. Thomas‟ Church, Canterbury and our Dean. All are warmly invited to attend. Fr. John can offer lifts. “A DIOCESAN DAY OF CELEBRATION”, SHARING IN THE GIFTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AT AYLESFORD TH PRIORY, SUNDAY 12 JULY This yearly event enables many people of all abilities, to share in a day of activity and prayer; activities include art, music and a disco. The day will begin with a gathering service at 12.00 noon ending with a Mass of celebration at 4pm. SPUC PRO-LIFE PETITION DAY NEXT SUNDAY After Mass next Sunday you will be invited to sign The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children‟s „Child Protection Petition‟ to the Prime Minister seeking to stop secondary schools being used as abortion referral centres. Among SPUC‟s concerns are that the Government is; giving a clear remit to school nurses and other advisers of schoolchildren to refer for abortions without informing parents; insisting that sex education lessons include information on how to get abortions; and wants to establish school-based sexual health clinics. The aim is to gather half a million signatures and bring pressure on the Government to reverse its policy. Please add your name to the petition and help stop this unjust attack on the rights of schoolchildren, families and the unborn.

QUESTIONS I GET ASKED – DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE Sometimes people raise matters that might be relevant to others too. One matter that comes up from time to time is the question of divorce. Marriage is of its nature indissoluble, i.e. it only comes to an end with the death of one of the spouses. Yet the church recognises that sometimes a civil divorce is the only way for an individual or a family to put an end to an intolerable situation. So, if someone gets divorced, can they marry again? The simple answer is „No.‟ As Jesus himself taught, what God has joined together let no man put asunder, and he who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. So, if one is divorced in a civil court, one is still married in the eyes of God and is, in principle, called to be faithful to that marriage bond. If one wants to marry „again‟, the person concerned can ask the Church to look into the status of their previous union to see whether, in fact, a true marriage existed. If there is sufficient evidence, the Church Tribunal might be able to declare the previous union „null‟, in which case the parties concerned would be free to enter into a new marriage. There is a big difference between being simply divorced, and being divorced and remarried. Being divorced does not necessarily mean one is guilty of going against the law of God. Being divorced is not, in itself, a bar to receiving Holy Communion (although there might be a need for confession concerning matters that led to the divorce). But if one who is divorced marries again without first obtaining a decree of nullity from the Church Tribunal, then one is barred from receiving Holy Communion, just as is anyone who is living together with someone to whom they are not lawfully (i.e. in the eyes of the Church) married. And a final point: a Catholic must marry in the Catholic Church. A Catholic who marries outside the Catholic Church without a dispensation from the Bishop is not married in the eyes of the Church and, so, may not be admitted to Holy Communion. I am pleased to say that, recently, several parishioners have gone through the process of putting their „irregular‟ marital situation right. If anyone has any queries in this regard, please do not hesitate to see me and I will happily advise on possible ways forward. Fr. John YEAR OF PRIESTHOOD A Daily Prayer for Priests Heavenly Father Grant that our priests be strengthened and healed by the power of the Eucharist they celebrate. May the Word they proclaim give them courage and wisdom. We pray that all those whom they seek to serve may see in them the love and care of Jesus our eternal High Priest. Who is Lord for ever and ever. Amen Mary, Mother of the Church, look tenderly upon your sons, our priests.

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