Parish Newsletter Sunday 18th October 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 18 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) World Mission Day 10.00am Mass (Daniel Kelly RIP) 6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) th Monday 19 St. Paul of the Cross, priest 6.45pm Mass (For baby Padge’s health) th Tuesday 20 9.30am Mass (Donor’s intentions) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.30am st Wednesday 21 6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Donor’s intentions) nd Thursday 22 9.30am Mass (Peter Boyle RIP) rd Friday 23 St John of Capistrano, priest 9.30am Mass (Donor’s intentions) th Saturday 24 Our Lady 9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.00am Mass (Mrs. H. Katola & Mrs. H. Matlobe RIP) 5.30pm Holy Qurbana – Mass in the Syro-Malabar rite th Sunday 25 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 10.00am Mass (Kath & Michael McHugh RIP) 12.00 noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Our Lord Jesus Christ the King) 4.00pm Mass in Polish 6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) CONFESSION TIMES Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. Saturday: 10.30am; Sundays: ½ hour before Mass CHURCH CLEANING rd th th th th 23 Sue; 30 Sheila; November 6 Tara; 13 Bridie; 20 Sheila COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Offertory: £423.42, (Gift Aid: £181.02, loose plate: £242.40) + £94 approx by standing order. Second collection Needs of the Diocese: £155.50. Thank you. Second collection today: Association for the Propagation of the Faith (Missio). Next Sunday: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund. WORLD MISSION SUNDAY TODAY Today Catholics everywhere unite in celebrating World Mission Sunday. This year’s theme is Reach Out with Love. Through Missio, the Holy Father invites every Catholic in the world to contribute to a special collection today; your help will bring hope and new life to people thirsting to hear of God’s love for them. An abridged version of his Papal message for Mission Sunday 2009 is on the notice board. Gift Aid envelopes are available. FIRST CONFESSION AND FIRST COMMUNION, CONFIRMATION Parents of children in Year 3 and above who would like their children to be prepared for First Confession and First Communion should see Father John for an invitation form. Young people of secondary school age who have not been confirmed please also see Father John for an invitation to join a preparation group. Meetings will be announced soon.

18th OCTOBER 2009 TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B

TODAY’S MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon Ps 16:6.8 I call upon you, God, for you will answer me; bend your ear and hear my prayer. Guard me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shade of your wings. First Reading Isaiah 53:10-11 If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life. Responsorial Psalm Ps 32 R: Make your love be upon us, O lord, as we place all our hope in you. The word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love. (R) The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine. (R) Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. (R) Second Reading Hebrews 4:14-16 Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace. Gospel Acclamation: John 14:5 Alleluia, alleluia! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord; no one can come to the Father except through me. Alleluia! Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many. Preface of Sunday 2 Eucharistic Prayer 3 Communion Antiphon Ps 32:18-19 See how the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those who hope in his love; that he may rescue them from death and feed them in time of famine. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Please pray for all our sick parishioners. Names of parishioners who need our prayers can be placed in the box in the church foyer. FIRE MARSHALL TRAINING PARISH EMPLOYMENT ISSUES Would you know what to do if a fire broke out in the church during Mass: which fire extinguisher to use, how to operate them, how to ensure the safety of the disabled…? There will be a training day for anyone who would be interested in being responsible (in part or in full) for either or both of the above matters (fire training, employment). It would be good to have some parishioners taking on these roles in the parish. The training session is on Wednesday from 11am to 3.45pm at Our Lady Immaculate Church, Whitstable. If you would like to attend, please let the parish office know. Thank you. APF BOXES URGENT – Please return your red APF boxes for emptying before next Sunday. Many thanks, Eileen Conn.

Parish email: [email protected]; Parish website: www.stsimon.org.uk; Diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk Fr John’s blog: http://caritasveritas.blogspot.com/ Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/

FR. JOHN’S DESKTOP Last Saturday a good number of parishioners enjoyed a lovely day at Aylesford as we joined between seven and eight thousand faithful in honouring St Thérèse of Lisieux and in venerating her relics. St Thérèse is a ‘Doctor of Love’ in the Church, and the peace and harmony of everyone gathered in Aylesford was a testimony of the love of God that binds us as faithful Christians from so many parts of the world to one another. Many non-Catholics attended too: one of our own group, spouses married to Catholics, and the driver of our bus Tony. Tony joined the queue of those venerating the relics and said at the end of the day how he couldn’t help but enter into the spirit of such a joyful pilgrimage. He told me that, although not a regular church goer, whenever he finds himself tired after a stressful day, he puts some Gregorian chant on to listen to and soon finds himself relaxed and at peace. Gregorian chant CD’s have become chart-toppers in recent years. Seeing the commercial potential of this beautiful music, record companies engage communities of monks and other choirs in recording contracts to enable people with or without faith to experience this music in the comfort of their homes. But where is the proper ‘home’ of Gregorian chant? It is the Sacred Liturgy which is celebrated in our churches day in and day out. Is it not ironic that as Gregorian chant increases in popularity in the charts, there are those who resist or even resent its use in its proper setting: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? As children fed on a diet of burgers and chips would find more healthy food unpalatable, it is understandable that those who have been fed on a liturgical diet of ‘Kum ba yah, my Lord’, ‘Bind us together, Lord’ and the ‘clapping Gloria’ might find the rather richer diet of Gregorian chant difficult to digest. However, according to the Second Vatican Council, the chant ‘should be given pride of place in liturgical services’ and, as a recent teaching document of the Church states, ‘Such chant has a great power to lift the human spirit to heavenly realities.’ Since the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict have all asked that the faithful in ordinary parishes not be denied access to this rich liturgical heritage but, on the contrary, be helped to participate in it. I would ask those parishioners who choose not to attend the 10am Mass on those Sundays when we sing some Gregorian chant to reconsider. I wish to congratulate our choir on the Communion antiphon they chanted last Sunday and to encourage all our parishioners to either actively join in the singing of the chant as best they can, being patient if at first they find it unfamiliar, or passively allow themselves to be raised up by it. After Mass last Sunday morning a couple from Norwich introduced themselves to me as visitors. She was born and raised a Catholic and said how nice it was to hear the Latin chant. Her husband had only been received into the Church last Easter. He too appreciated the opportunity to experience it. In the words of Psalm 51(50), we can pray: ‘O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.’ (Translation of the Latin above: ‘Adorn thy bridal chamber, O nd Sion’, antiphon for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 Feb.) 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. CHOIR PRACTICE THURSDAYS 7.30PM Newcomers always welcome BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAYS 7.30PM Studying the Acts of the Apostles. Newcomers always welcome. YEAR OF PRAYER FOR PRIESTS Come and pray the Rosary for our priests 20 minutes before the morning Masses, Monday to Friday. All are welcome to join. A special prayer calendar has been produced by the Southwark diocesan Vocations Office to help us pray for all the priests of our diocese. Please take one and say the prayer daily. This th week you are asked to pray for: Sun 18 Fr. Patrick Cannon; th th Mon 19 Fr. Francis Capener; Tues 20 Fr. John Castelli; Weds nd 21st Fr. Michael Chapman; Thurs 22 Fr. Anthony Charlton; Fri th th 23rd Fr. Fr. James Clark; Sat 24 Canon John Clark; Sun 25 Canon William Clements. Thank you. NOVEMBER- HOLY SOULS Envelopes are now available for you to put names of deceased relatives and friends whom you would like to be remembered during November. Offerings may be placed in the envelope so that a Mass may be offered either for those whose names you have submitted or for the Holy Souls in general. COMMERATION OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED If you would like the name of a parishioner, relative or friend who has died during the past year to be written in our Book of Remembrance please write it down and hand it in a.s.a.p. VOCATIONAL RETREAT th th 27 – 29 November for young men 16-32 years old with the Missionary Servants of the Poor of the Third World in Brentwood, Essex. Cost: voluntary offering. See notice board for details.

PARISH AUTUMN FAYRE ST 31 OCTOBER 12.00 – 2.30PM Just a couple of weeks to go to the Parish Autumn Fayre. Make sure you take a flyer giving details of the help that is still required. Please return any jam jars that you took filled with goodies to sell. Please leave any items that you may have suitable for any of the stalls but particularly for the bottle or tombola stalls in the church entrance. If you have any items that you would like collected please let Eileen Conn or Thereza Baker know. Please take a poster from the table in the church entrance to display. Many thanks. AUTUMN FAYRE DRAW Raffle ticket books are available in the church entrance. Please take some to buy yourself and to sell to your family or friends and don’t forget to return your ticket stubs, money and any unsold books. Cash prizes to be won. MEETINGS FOR ENQUIRERS ABOUT THE CATHOLIC FAITH Are you an adult who is not a Catholic but who would like to know more, a Catholic who has not been confirmed or who would like to review your knowledge of the Catholic Faith? If you are interested in finding out more, please give your name and telephone number to Fr John. Any parishioner who would like to be involved in this group is warmly invited to let Fr John know. “DIVINE DIMENSIONS” - ICON EXHIBITION ST. PETER’S CHURCH, OARE, NR. FAVERSHAM An exciting exhibition of contemporary icons from all over the world with contributions from some of the world’s leading iconographers. Open 11am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday from st yesterday to 1 November. See notice board or www.iconsatoare.org for details of this and the other events, including Gregorian Vespers sung by the Canterbury Gregorian Music Society, being held as part of the Canterbury Festival.

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