Parish Newsletter Sunday 8th March 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 8 Second Sunday of Lent (B) 10.00am Mass (For the people of the parish) 12.00 noon Mass (Extraordinary form Latin, 1962 Missal) (Tony Simmons RIP) 5.15pm Stations of the Cross 6.00pm Mass (Recovery to health of Jacek Shay) th Monday 9 6.45pm Mass (Mary Conn RIP) th Tuesday 10 9.30am Mass (Paddy Tracey RIP) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.30am. th Wednesday 11 9.30am Mass (Holy Souls) th Thursday 12 6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Vivienne Smailes RIP) th Friday 13 9.30am Mass (Desmond Fitzgerald RIP) followed by Stations of the Cross th Saturday 14 9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.00am Mass (Tony Shanny RIP) th Sunday 15 Third Sunday of Lent (B) 10.00am Mass (Intentions and welfare of Archbishop McDonald) 5.15pm Stations of the Cross 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 rd th 13 Bridie; 20 Sheila; 27 Sue; April 3 Sue; 10 Tara COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Offertory: £357.73, (Gift Aid: £186.60, loose plate: £171.13) + £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: £116.16. Thank you. Second collection today: Pontifical Council „Cor Unum‟ expressing "the care of the Catholic Church for the needy, thereby encouraging human fellowship and making manifest the charity of Christ" and, on the Pope‟s behalf, grants humanitarian relief in response to disasters or in promoting integral human development in needy areas of the world. Please give generously. Second collection next Sunday: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund. THANKS FOR YOUR GENEROSITY Archbishop Kevin has received a letter from the Apostolic Nuncio expressing thanks for the Diocese‟s contribution of £30,813.97 to last year‟s Peter‟s Pence collection. STATIONS OF THE CROSS IN LENT On Sunday evenings at 5.15pm and after the Friday morning Mass. Do make an effort to participate in this devotion in Lent. VACANCY AT ST. SIMON OF ENGLAND SCHOOL Our parish primary school has a vacancy for a caretaker. Please see notice board for full details.

8th MARCH 2009 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B

TODAY‟S MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon: Ps 24:6.3.22 Remember your mercies, Lord, your tenderness from ages past. Do not let our enemies triumph over us; O God, deliver Israel from all her distress. First Reading Genesis 22:1-2.9-13.15-18 The sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 115 R: I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living. I trusted, even when I said; ”I am sorely afflicted.” O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. (R) Your servant, Lord your servant am I; you have loosened my bonds. A thanksgiving sacrifice I make; I will call on the Lord‟s name. (R) My vows to the Lord I will fulfil before all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. (R) Second Reading: Romans 8:31-34 God did not spare his own Son. Gospel Acclamation: John 1:12.14 Glory and praise to you, O Christ! From the bright cloud the Father‟s voice was heard: “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him”. Glory and praise to you, O Christ! Gospel: Mark 9:2-10 This is my Son, the Beloved. During Lent we shall use the Apostles’ Creed (p.9 in The Simple Prayer Book) nd Preface of 2 Sunday of Lent, Eucharistic Prayer I Communion Antiphon: Matthew 17:5 This is my Son, my beloved, in whom is all my delight: listen to him. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Please pray for 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. All our sick parishioners, named and un-named, are remembered in our prayers. ARCHBISHOP McDONALD‟S HEALTH As you may know, Archbishop Kevin has had heart bypass surgery and had a successful knee replacement last October. He goes into hospital today for a second knee replacement operation tomorrow. He will need some time of rehabilitation after this but hopes it will be his last visit to hospital for some time. His Grace is very grateful for the prayers of so many people and requests your prayers now for this third operation and the overall recovery process afterwards. DIVINE MERCY HOUSE PRAYER GROUP A group of parishioners meets roughly once a month. You are welcome to join the group tomorrow at 138 Beaver Road, Ashford. Arrivals from 10.00 am; finish approx. 11.30. Prayer and social. Contact Maria Lanzino 625428.

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 Today the Church commemorates St John of God. John was born in Portugal in 1495. In his younger years he was an adventurer who, among other things, fought against the Turks defending Vienna. He was also a shepherd in Spain, a manual labourer in North Africa and a seller of religious articles in Granada in Spain. There he was converted after listening to a sermon by the famous St John of Avila. It appears that he became somewhat confused at this point and was consigned to an asylum until St John of Avila intervened and obtained his release. Having witnessed how harshly the inmates of the asylum had been treated John founded a hospital to care for the sick and neglected. Together with some companions he founded the religious institute known as the Brothers Hospitalers. He is patron of hospitals and the sick, and nurses are particularly placed under his patronage. St John of God was an apostle of mercy and compassion. His consciousness of God‟s mercy led him to be compassionate to others. “If we kept before us the mercy of God,” he wrote, “we would never be deficient in doing good.” In his message for Lent, Pope Benedict says that this season must be an occasion for opening ourselves to God so that we can be more open to others. “Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God. At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live.” “Dear brothers and sisters … the ultimate goal of fasting is to help each one of us … to make the complete gift of self to God. May every family and Christian community use well this time of Lent, therefore, in order to cast aside all that distracts the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul, moving it to love of God and neighbour. I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass. With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential spirit of Lent.” Next Friday is „Red Nose Day‟ when lots of money will be raised for „Comic Relief.‟ There‟s nothing wrong in „doing something funny for money‟ but I would like once again to suggest that you do not support Comic Relief. Millions have been given by Comic Relief to „charities‟ that actually promote abortion and life-style choices that are contrary to the Natural Law of God. Rather than allow Comic Relief to give money to charities, choose the charities yourself. Missionary organisations such as The Association for the Propagation of the Faith, Aid to the Church in Need, Medical Missionaries of Mary; pro-life organisations such as SPUC, Good Counsel Network; or those who help the homeless and unemployed such as the Manna Centre and Cardinal Hume Centre are all deserving of our support. Today we have a collection for the Pontifical Council Cor unum through which the Pope channels aid to needy people around the world. Please pick up an article „Why Comic Relief should be boycotted‟ available with the newsletter this week (or visit http://spuc-director.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-comic-relief-should-be-boycotted.html) with its clinching argument: Some may say that "Only a small percentage of Red Nose Day goes towards abortions… Supposing, in the 1940s, only a small percentage of a charity's funds went towards the killing of Jews and ethnic minorities in concentration camps, would it be OK for people to give to that charity?” 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 TUESDAYS 7.30PM Newcomers always welcome. BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM Studying St Paul‟s letters to the Corinthians. Why not consider joining us for Lent? 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: Liturgy and the Sacraments TALK ON OLD ASHFORD Mr Richard Filmer, author and speaker will be giving an illustrated presentation about Old Ashford, on Friday 20th March at 7.30 pm sharp, in our hall. Tickets are now available from Shirley Hook or Thereza Baker, priced £2.50 which includes a glass of wine or tea/coffee; a very interesting evening is guaranteed. CELEBRATE LOVE MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT SEMINAR A non-residential weekend seminar for married couples who want to stay successfully and happily married and to live marriage as God intended. March in London, June in Kent. See notice board for details.

liturgy or at other times of prayer. If read from a Bible or included in hymns, the word „Yahweh‟ should always be replaced with „the Lord‟ or „Lord.‟ L‟ARCHE EXPERIENCE L‟Arche seeks assistants to live and work in L‟Arche communities, sharing life with adults with learning disabilities. See poster on notice board. AN AUSTRALIAN EVANGELIST TO VISIT ST SIMON‟S th This is advance notice of a visit by Raymond de Souza on 12 May. 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 as we prepare for his visit. You can find out more about Raymond de Souza at his website http://www.raymonddesouza.com/. APF BOXES It‟s time to have the red boxes emptied. Please bring them for counting before the end of March. The spring magazine is also available in the repository. If anyone would like to have a box at home please see Eileen Conn. Just putting your loose coppers in the box all adds up and all the money goes to the missions. MISSION TOMORROW The 2008/2009 newsletter of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle is available on the table in the church entrance.

THE USE OF GOD‟S NAME The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome has reminded us of the reverence that must be given to God‟s Name, particularly when translating the Name of God (YHWH). The use of „Yahweh‟ is highly offensive to Jews and it should never be read aloud, sung, or prayed in the There in their presence he was transfigured… To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/. Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/