4th Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) 10.03.2024
MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS
Sun 10th Mar
8.30am Zorina Valdemoro, RIP
10am Maria Pasqualina Merola, RIP
12 noon Ann and Seamus Dunne, intentions
Mon 11th Mar Lent Feria
10 am Father Terry Tastard, intentions
Tues 12th Mar Lent Feria
10am John and Olive Maher, intentions
Weds 13th Mar NO MASS
Thurs 14th Mar Lent Feria
10am Funeral of Arcangela Moretto, RIP
Fri 15th Mar Lent Feria
10 am Funeral of Eileen Sweeney, RIP
Sat 16th Mar Fifth Sunday of Lent
5pm Lillian Murphy, 1st anniversary
Saturday 10 am – 11am; 4.30pm – 5pm: Confessions and Exposition
Your Prayers:
Let us keep in our prayers: King Charles III and all those suffering from Cancer, Michael O’Boy, Christina Cahill, Eric Nicholas Darwent, Therese Kemp, Bina, Noel, Jose Luis Pérez, Alice, Karina McKiernan, Jonathan Heller and Izabela Lissowska – all unwell at this time.
We also pray for: Rodolfo Icban, Marjorie Reid, Luis Goncalves, Sean Duffy, Iride Villa, John O Shea, Raffaella Di Trolio, Mercedes Bahillo, Amber Wood, Eileen Sweeney and Arcangela Moretto whose anniversaries occur at this time or have died recently. May they Rest in Peace.
Eileen Sweeney, RIP
Eileen Sweeney, a long standing and well-known parishioner of St Mary’s, has sadly died. Her funeral will be held on Friday 15th March at 10 am here at St Mary’s. Let us keep her and her family in our prayers. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.
Offertory Collections
The offertory collection for the week ending 3rd March was £ 860.03. Contactless Offertory Collection for February 2024 was £ 335.29. Many thanks for your generosity.
Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School Lent Prayer Group:
Every Tuesday morning during Lent, Fr Peter will lead a 20-minute prayer workshop for staff and parents of Our Lady of Lourdes School, and for parishioners of St Mary’s. The prayer group will begin at 8:15am at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Bow Lane. If you want a lift with Fr Peter please be in the parish car park by 8:00am
St Mary’s Lent Course 2024 – every Monday during Lent.
Will You Follow Jesus to Calvary?
Filmed on location in the Holy Land, No Greater Love is a biblical pilgrimage that reveals Christ’s amazing love for us. Best-selling author Edward Sri guides you through the last hours of Christ’s life.
You will walk step-by-step with Jesus from the garden of Gethsemane to Mount Calvary. Every step of the way, Old Testament prophecies, messianic expectations, biblical symbolism, and historical context shed light on the mystery of Christ’s suffering and death. Experience a deeper understanding and appreciation of God’s immeasurable and unconditional love for you—grow closer to Jesus than you ever have before.
We will walk with Jesus every Monday evening at 7:30pm during Lent in the Parish
Do you want to walk with Jesus?
St Mary’s Lent Reconciliation Service (confessions)
A reminder that Fr Peter will be joined by two other priests to hear confessions on Thursday 21st March at 7:30pm. If you cannot wait until then, confessions are heard every Saturday 10am – 11am or 4:30pm -5pm or you can make an appointment to see Fr Peter. Why go to confession? Because this is the method of Forgiveness that God has established. Why would you not take advantage of a grace from God?
Listening & Respecting one another; St Mary’s Synodal Results:
The synodal process was set up to encourage us to listen to one another and together plan a way forward for the Church and our Parish.
41 of our parishioners started the listening at St Mary’s by taking part in small groups or by sending their thoughts via the Presbytery letter box. They voiced some amazing ideas for the rest of us to hear and take notice of.
Father Peter has asked the newly formed Parish Council to take forward the work of building on these ideas at St Marys. (The Parish Council is a small group of parishioners invited by Father Peter to represent the different parts of the St Mary’s family. We hope to gradually build a network within the parish of people willing to contribute to the spiritual and practical life of St Marys. As we listen to one another what we do, our roles and membership will change.)
Six themes have emerged from the St Marys synod so far:
To build the spiritual life of the Parish in a variety of ways which include greater participation by the laity. To provide more teaching and study groups.
To build the sense of community within the Parish
To affirm and encourage young people as an important part of our community.
The need for the congregation to have more information about the practical and financial aspects of running St Marys.
To do more outreach in the local community and become a more significant part of that community, including links with other churches.
The need to embrace social media for better communication and to help build the community. This will be significant in most of the above areas.
Please ponder and pray about these themes and consider if you would be able to lead or join a group working on one of them. We may not be able to take them all forward initially, but we can make a start and watch St Marys grow. The Parish Council hopes we can start work after Easter.
We will keep you informed of how things develop.
Lin Farley. Parish Council Member
Annual Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sacrament of Matrimony
Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 25th May 2024 at 2.30 pm
The Cardinal is inviting to this Mass all couples in the Diocese, who are celebrating their 5th, 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th (and every year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage in 2024. If you are celebrating an anniversary, please give to Yvonne, the parish administrator, the following details: husband and wife’s names, wedding date, full postal address, email (or telephone number if no email). Details will be sent to the Diocese by the parish office and invitations will be sent out to the couples from the Diocese, on behalf of the Cardinal. PLEASE FORWARD YOUR DETAILS TO YVONNE – E MAIL: finchleyeast@rcdow.org.uk BY FRIDAY 5TH APRIL 2024.
The Synodal questionnaire last weekend threw up a number of questions in my mind……
First of all – how to evangelise? I think some of us feel ill-equipped to do this. Evangelising is much easier than you think. Just tell people why you come to Mass. How it helps you. Your needs will be very similar to those you are talking to. Trust yourself! At Baptism you have been given authority to evangelise. Just tell others how you pray, even admit that occasionally you get distracted or forget the words. Evangelising is always being realistic and truthful. Admit you do not have all the answers, but you are on a quest to search for them. People need to hear that we are on a lifetime pilgrimage, and some of those answers will only be discovered or realised as we grow and mature.
What about a “buddy system”? Bring a friend to Church. Encourage them to come with you each week. Sit with them in church and tell them what things are or guide them through Mass with one of the Mass sheets. Light a candle with them. All of that is evangelising.
It does not mean being a “holy joe”. It is about being “real”. Be yourself, and let them see that coming to Mass or going to church helps you.
If you notice I rarely ask anything about your personal lives. It is up to you to tell me. I might ask about your occupation or your family, but that is about as intrusive as it gets. If you tell me about your spiritual life that is a wonderful privilege and is something between you and me. Bringing someone to Mass does not mean an instant interrogation from the priest. Reassure them of that.
I hope that helps.
Fr Peter.
Confirmation Classes:
The Confirmation Course begins on Thursday at 7:30pm in the Small Hall
St Mary’s Pilgrimage to Assisi:
A meeting for Registered Pilgrims will take place in the small hall on Thursday 14th March at 7:30pm. The pilgrimage is now fully booked.
Please Pray for those undergoing RCIA formation:
Kate, Sandra, Eleanor, Sean, Allesandro and Adriano have been in Catholic formation since September. They will all receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Easter Vigil and one of them will make their First Holy Communion. Please pray for them and their sponsors as we all prepare for Easter.