Parish Newsletter Sunday 8th November 2009

St Simon Stock Catholic Church

8th NOVEMBER 2009

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

THIRTY-SECOND 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 8 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Remembrance Day 10.00am Mass (Deceased relatives of Lanzino & Panza families RIP) 12.00 noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) 6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) th Monday 9 No Mass (7.30pm Mass for deceased clergy at St Teresa’s) th Tuesday 10 St Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church 9.30am Mass (Deceased parents, relatives & friends of the O’Neill and McQuillan families) followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until 10.30am th Wednesday 11 St Martin of Tours, bishop 6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (James Beach RIP) th Thursday 12 St Josaphat, bishop and martyr 9.30am Mass (Joan Mary O’Boyle RIP) th Friday 13 9.30am Mass for the Dead (All Souls in Purgatory) th Saturday 14 Our Lady 9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 10.00am Mass (Holy Souls – Saturday morning coffee group) th Sunday 15 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) 10.00am Mass (Jean & Walter Borucki RIP) 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 th th th th th 13 Bridie; 20 Sheila; 27 Sue; December 4 Sue; 11 Tara COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Offertory: £335.20, (Gift Aid: £147.53, loose plate: £187.67) + £94 approx by standing order. Second collection: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund: £127.86. Thank you. Second collection today: Archbishop’s Diocesan Administration Fund - this collection helps to meet the cost of the central administration of the Diocese. Next Sunday: Parish Maintenance and Development Fund. TODAY - REMEMBRANCE DAY At the end of the 10.00 Mass children will be invited to place a poppy by the altar in memory of all who have given their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. Our joint annual remembrance service with St. Teresa’s parish will take place at Bybrook Cemetery, Kennington. Please assemble in the cemetery at 2.50pm for 3pm. PARISH AUTUMN FAYRE The grand total raised was £1561.81 which will go to the Parish Maintenance and Development Fund. Well done everyone!

IN ORDINARY TIME REMEMBRANCE DAY YEAR B

TODAY’S MASS TEXTS Entrance Antiphon: Ps 87:3 Let my prayer come before you, Lord, listen and answer me. First Reading 1 Kings 17:10-16 The widow made a little scone from her meal and brought it to Elijah. Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:7-10.R.v.2 R: My soul, give praise to the Lord. It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free. (R) It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raise up those who are bowed down. It is the Lord who loves the just, the Lord, who protects the stranger. (R) He upholds the widow and orphan but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age. (R) Second Reading Hebrews 9:24-28 Christ offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself. Gospel Acclamation: Revelation 2:10 Alleluia, alleluia! Even if you have to die, says the Lord, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life. Alleluia! Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 This poor widow has put in more than most. Preface of Sunday IV, Eucharistic Prayer 2 Communion Antiphon Ps 22:1-2 The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want. In green pastures he gives me rest, he leads me beside the waters of peace. PRAYERS FOR THE SICK Please pray for all our sick parishioners. Names of those who need our prayers can be placed in the box in the church foyer. MASS FOR DECEASED CLERGY OF THE CANTERBURY DEANERY Tomorrow at 7.30pm at St Teresa’s. All clergy and laity of the deanery are invited to join in this Mass for the repose of the souls of all the deceased clergy who served in our deanery parishes. DIVINE MERCY HOUSE PRAYER GROUP The group extends an invitation to join them on tomorrow for prayer and social at 23 Cleves Way, Ashford. Arrivals from 10.00am finish approx. 11.30am. Contact Kath Racine 339858. NOVEMBER- HOLY SOULS Envelopes are 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. ALTAR SERVERS DAY – NEXT SATURDAY Would all parents of altar servers who wish to attend this day please return consent forms to Fr John as soon as possible.

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 As we continue to pray for the souls of the faithful departed in November it is useful to remind ourselves of the Church’s traditions concerning those who have died quoting from the “Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy” published in 2002 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Funeral Liturgy consists of three parts: i. The prayer vigil during which family, friends and members of the Christian community gather to pray to God in suffrage, to hear the “words of eternal life” and, in their light, to see beyond this world by contemplating the risen Christ in faith; to comfort those who mourn the deceased; and to express Christian solidarity in accordance with the words of the Apostle “be sad with those in sorrow.” (Rm 12:15) Hence the laudable tradition of receiving the coffin into the church the night before the funeral. ii. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist in which we listen to “the word of God which proclaims the paschal myste ry, assures us of the hope of meeting again in the Kingdom of God, enlivens our devotion to the dead and exhorts us to witness through a truly Christian life.” The priest is to avoid any form of funeral eulogy in his homily. In the Mass “the Church expresses her efficacious communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice of the death and Resurrection of Christ; she asks Him to purify His child of his sins and their consequences, and to admit him to the Paschal fullness of the table of the kingdom.” iii. In the Rite of committal the deceased is commended to God. In the funeral cortege mother Church who has sacramentally borne all Christians in her womb during their earthly pilgrimage now accompanies the body of the deceased to his place of rest while he awaits the resurrection. The burial recalls the earth from which man comes and to which he returns and the burial of Christ. 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 letters of St. John. 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 8 Nov Canon John th th Devane; Mon 9 Fr. Matthew Dickens; Tues 10 Fr. John Dillon; th th th Weds 11 Fr. John Diver; Thurs 12 Fr. Josef Doetsch; Fri 13 th th Fr. Desmond Doherty; Sat 14 Fr. Wilfred D’Silva; Sun 15 Fr. Gary Dyer. Thank you. 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. ALL SOULS DAY Thanks to all who attended Mass last Monday for the Holy Souls. It has to be said that attendance was disappointing. I know that parishioners live in a busy and complicated world so it is not the role of the parish priest to judge the decisions they make. But if so few make it to Mass on such important days (even if they are not Holydays of Obligation), either people’s lives are too busy, or they are not allowing God to break into the rhythm of their daily lives. At this time of the year, and in the coming season of Advent, we are encouraged to think about death, judgement, hell, purgatory, heaven. Whilst we live in joyful expectation of Christ’s coming again, we are also aware of our need to love God more and prepare to meet Him face to face. The greatest act of charity we can show to the faithful departed is to pray for them, whether or not they are relatives of ours. Do try to make attendance at Masses and other liturgical ceremonies on important days of the Church’s year a family event, adjusting your family timetable (even foregoing attendance at clubs etc.) to fit God’s timetable. Thanks to all who are arranging for Masses to be offered for the faithful departed.

ASSISTED SUICIDE CONSULTATION The Crown Prosecution Service is carrying out a public consultation on factors which should determine whether or not a person is prosecuted for assisting someone else in the act of th suicide. You have until 16 December to submit your observations. Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff and Chair of the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has said: "It’s a criminal offence to assist someone’s suicide and there are serious penalties for anyone who is convicted of that crime. The result is that we don’t see many cases in this country: the law as it stands deters most people from doing it... The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued draft guidelines setting out what circumstances will incline him to prosecute or not to prosecute in cases of assisted suicide. Though it’s clearly unintended, the overall effect of these guidelines is to provide those who are tempted to assist someone to commit suicide with pointers as to how they can avoid being prosecuted. And some of the circumstances themselves are just plain objectionable. The Director of Public Prosecutions is having a public consultation and we have until 16 December to make our views known. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference will, of course, be responding but it's also extremely important that as many people as possible give their own individual response." The consultation document is available for download at the Bishops’ Conference website http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ccb/catholic_church/legislation_ and_public_policy/consultation_assisting_suicide. You can also contact the Assisted Suicide Policy Team, Crown Prosecution Service Headquarters - 6th floor, 50 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7EX for a copy. Please take the trouble to send your observations in so that assisted suicide will not become part of our culture. WINTERSHALL NATIVITY PLAY 2009 There are a number of performances of this play. See notice board for details. People can book and go individually but if anyone would be interested in going as a group, please let Thereza Baker or Fr John know personally or by signing up on the notice board, indicating which performances you could make. Early booking is advised. Further information from www.winterhshall-estate.com. TOWARDS ADVENT – FESTIVAL OF CATHOLIC CULTURE The annual TOWARDS ADVENT Festival of Catholic Culture takes place next Saturday at Westminster Cathedral Hall. Displays by a wide range of Catholic groups and organisations, talks, music, a chance to buy Catholic books, DVDs and devotional items. Refreshments available all day; play corner for children. Official opening 10.30am with Archbishop Vincent Nichols and the Chamber Choir of the London Oratory School. Admission FREE, everyone welcome. See notice board for fuller details.

To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/