Parish Newsletter Sunday 12th April 2009

St Simon Stock Catholic Church

12th APRIL 2009

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU Tel: 01233 622399

EASTER SUNDAY

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 12 Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ 10.00am Mass (Bill & Philip Major RIP) 12.00noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (James Beach RIP) 6.00pm Mass in Polish th Monday 13 (Easter Monday) 10.00am Mass (Anthony Shanny RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Novena th Tuesday 14 (Easter Tuesday) 9.30am Mass (Holy Souls) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.30am th Wednesday 15 (Easter Wednesday) 9.30pm Mass (Marie, Patrick, Annie & Hugh Treacy, Phylis Wood and Sarah Mills RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Novena 4.00pm Reception of body of late Agnes McNicoll th Thursday 16 (Easter Thursday) 10.00am Requiem Mass of Agnes McNicoll RIP 6.30pm Divine Mercy Novena 6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (William Kiely RIP) th Friday 17 (Easter Friday) 9.30am Mass (Les & Cissey Crayden RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Novena th Saturday 18 (Easter Saturday) 9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9.45am Divine Mercy Novena 10.00am Mass (Kathleen Sorrell RIP) th Sunday 19 Second Sunday of Easter (B) Divine Mercy Sunday 10.00am Mass (Irene Zolna RIP) with baptism of Luke, Logan and Lewis. 2.30pm Divine Mercy Novena and devotions 4.00pm Mass of the Divine Mercy 6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) CONFESSIONS TIMES Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. Saturday: 10.30am; Sundays: ½ hour before Mass CHURCH CLEANING th th st th th 17 Bridie; 24 Sheila; May 1 Sue; 8 Sue; April 10 Tara COLLECTIONS LAST WEEK Offertory: £376.90, (Gift Aid: £176.85, loose plate: £200.05) + £99 approx by standing order. To contribute by a regular standing order please ask for a form. Second collection Flowers for Easter: £151.05. Thank you. No second collection today. Next Sunday: Maintenance & Development Fund. THE EASTER COLLECTION The offertory collection today is your personal gift to your parish priest. Envelopes are available in the foyer for those who are not part of the Gift Aid Scheme. To conform to Inland Revenue regulations, cheques should be made payable to "St. Simon Stock Catholic Church". Thank you for your thoughtfulness.

THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST YEAR B

TODAY‟S MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon: Ps 138:18.5-6 I have risen: I am with you once more; you placed your hand on me to keep me safe. How great is the depth of your wisdom, alleluia! First Reading Acts 10.34.37-43 We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 117 R: This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let his sons of Israel say: ”His love has no end (R) The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds. (R) The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. (R) Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is. Sequence Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer sacrifice and praise. The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb; and Christ, the undefiled, hath sinners to his Father reconciled. Death with life contended: combat strangely ended! Life‟s own Champion, slain, yet lives to reign. Tell us, Mary: say what thou didst see upon the way. The tomb the Living did enclose; I saw Christ‟s glory as he rose! The angels there attesting; shroud with grave-clothes resting. Christ, my hope, has risen: he goes before you into Galilee. That Christ is truly risen from the dead we know. Victorious king, thy mercy show! Gospel Acclamation: John 12-26 Alleluia, alleluia! Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast then, in the Lord. Alleluia! Gospel: John 20:1-9 He must rise from the dead. During Eastertide we recite the Apostles Creed Preface of Easter I, Eucharistic Prayer I Communion Antiphon: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Christ has become our paschal sacrifice; let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia. DIVINE MERCY NOVENA The nine days of prayer to the Divine Mercy commenced on Good Friday and end next Sunday. The chaplet will be recited in the church on Easter Monday after 10am Mass; Easter Tuesday and Wednesday after 9.30am Mass; Easter Thursday 6.30pm (before evening Mass); Easter Friday after 9.30am Mass; Easter Saturday 9.45am (before morning Mass); Divine Mercy Sunday: see special programme commencing 2.30pm, ending with Mass at 4.00pm (poster on notice board.) If you cannot attend, you are invited to make the novena privately.

HOUSE BLESSINGS Easter is a particularly fitting time to have one’s house blessed. If you would like a house blessing, please let me know and I’ll be happy to visit. If you would like to enthrone an image of the Sacred Heart at the same time, see Viv & Eileen at the repository. Fr. John 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 We have concluded our Holy Week celebrations. It was good to see such large attendances at our Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday Liturgies. (The Reconciliation Service on Tuesday was not so well attended.) I hope all who attended found their efforts rewarded by a deeper entering into the mysteries we celebrated. If you did not get to confession during Lent, try to ensure you do before Trinity Sunday. Now, after journeying through the long season of Lent, we are finally ready to proclaim full of joy: Christ is truly risen, Alleluia! In the midst of all the undeniable difficulties that our world is facing, and that many amongst us are facing in their own lives, there is still within the Christian a joy that cannot be defeated or overcome: the knowledge that life has overcome death. For the Christian, life is everything. We cannot be but ‘pro-life’. After all, where there is life there is hope. And so we need to rejoice in the fact that we are alive – physically, yes, but more importantly, spiritually. Sadness must give way to joy, discouragement to encouragement, sin to forgiveness, vice to virtue, death to life, self doubt to absolute trust in the power of Christ to transform us and reveal to us the meaning He wishes to give to our existence. At Easter the Church repeats the words of Psalm 117 (118) over and over again, in thanksgiving to and praise of and trust in God: „O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! … Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures for ever.”… With the Lord on my side I do not fear… The Lord is on my side to help me…‟ The reason for this confidence is the Resurrection: „The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner… This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.‟ As I thank you in the Lord’s name for all you do in your families, homes, places of work, the parish to spread the knowledge and love of Christ, I wish you all the joy and gladness of Easter. Fr John. 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. MUSIC PRACTICE 7.30PM TUESDAYS Choir gets a well-earned break this week. Thanks for all their hard work during Lent and Holy Week! BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM Come and join us as we commence St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. EVANGELIUM – CATHOLIC FAITH ENQUIRY For all, Catholic or not, who would like to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic faith. Next meeting: this Friday, Topic: The Eucharist. FUNERAL OF AGNES McNICOLL RIP Agnes’ body will be received into the church at 4pm on Wednesday; Requiem Mass at 10.00am Thursday. PRO-LIFE PRAYER VIGIL MAIDSTONE ON WEDNESDAY Fr. John will lead this vigil on behalf of The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. Commences 10.30am after the morning Mass at St. Francis Church, Maidstone, with a prayerful and peaceful procession to the Marie Stopes abortion facility in Brewer Street. Ends 12 noon. For fuller details see poster on notice board. TH

900 ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF ST ANSELM The Canterbury Gregorian Society will lead a service of Gregorian Chant Compline in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral st at 8pm on Tuesday 21 April, feast of St Anselm. All are most welcome to attend. th

PRO-LIFE CHAIN 2009 – SATURDAY 25 APRIL The annual pro-life chain organised by the Society for the th Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) is on Saturday 25 April from11am to 1pm on Hythe Road, near the Norton Knatchbull School. The chain is a peaceful and silent kerbside vigil where the pro-life message is witnessed by passing motorists. Please join the chain and show your support for a culture of life in our country. Further information available on notice board. TH

TUESDAY 12 MAY, 7.30PM GUEST SPEAKER RAYMOND DeSOUZA Raymond DeSouza is an international lay apologist, founder of St Gabriel Communications (Australia), a tv show host on EWTN amongst other things. He will speak about Jesus’ Presence in the Eucharist: Real … or just ‘Symbolic’? Raymond travels the world giving lively and engaging talks about the Catholic

faith, able to inspire old and young to a renewed engagement with their faith. Put this date in your diary now and be sure to come to what promises to be a great evening. See notice board. LEGION OF MARY PEREGRINATIO PRO CHRISTO (PPC) Volunteers from the Legion of Mary have offered to carry out a th th PPC project in the parish in the week 6 to 13 June. PPC volunteers, in a spirit of prayer and sacrifice, spend a week in a parish and aim to visit all the houses in the area and present the faith to everyone. They generally work a full day in three sessions: morning, afternoon and evening. All that the parish has to do is to provide accommodation. A financial contribution is payable to the hosts. If hosts in the parish cannot be found then cheap accommodation will need to be arranged. As the time for the PPC approaches, we can keep this project in our prayers. Could you offer bed and breakfast to one or more of the volunteers? If so please let Fr John or Thereza Baker know. TH

YEAR OF ST PAUL – AYLESFORD 27 JUNE “PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS” Archbishop Kevin would like to encourage as many parishioners as possible to attend this special day at Aylesford for the Year of St Paul. Those who attended the day at Aylesford for the Year of the Eucharist in 2005 will remember what a wonderful occasion it was. There will be a joint coach for the two Ashford parishes. Please indicate interest by signing on the board. RD

DAY TRIP TO WALSINGHAM – 23 JULY To the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk. Details on the notice board. The price is per seat and is calculated on a break-even basis assuming a full coach. Please sign up on the notice board. FAITH TESTED BY FIRE See the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) poster on the notice board to see how our Christian brothers and sisters are surviving persecution in the state of Orisa, India. Do consider including ACN among your top ‘good causes’ deserving of support. THE „REGINA CAELI‟ (recited instead of the Angelus during Eastertide)

O Queen of Heaven, rejoice. Alleluia. For he whom you did merit to bear. Alleluia. Has risen as he said. Alleluia. Pray for us to God. Alleluia. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary. Alleluia. For the Lord has risen indeed. Alleluia. Let us pray. God our Father, you give joy to the world by the resurrection of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of his mother, the Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eternal life. Through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

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