7th Sunday in Ordinary Time 19.02.2023

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS

Sun 19th Feb

8.30 am People of the Parish

10 am Rose De Costa, RIP

12 noon Peter McHugh, RIP

Mon 20th Feb Feria

10 am Susan Rynne, 1st anniversary

Tues 21st Feb Feria

10am Tom Redmond, special intentions

Weds 22nd Feb ASH WEDNESDAY

10 am People of the Parish

7.30 pm A private intention

Thurs 23rd Feb Lent Feria

10am Terry Smith, RIP

Fri 24th Feb Lent Feria

10 am Kay Redmond, special intentions

Sat 25th Feb 1st Sunday of Lent

5pm Agnes Day, intentions

Saturday 10 am – 11am; 4.30pm – 5pm: Confessions and Exposition

Your Prayers:

Let us keep in our prayers: Agnes Day, Christna Cahill, Eric Nicholas Darwent, Therese Kemp, John O’Shea, Rekha, Bina, Jose Luis Pérez, Alice, Lilian Murphy, Karina McKiernan and Izabela Lissowska – all unwell at this time. We also pray for:: Gino Tomei, James Meally,Peter Sartori, Noel Ryan, Donato Merola, Aurora Lobo–Buckland, Christine Pavlou, Tom Lohan, Siobhan Lynch, Dennis Lennane, Susan Wren, Geraldine Day, Catherine Kelly, Josephine Okuyiga, Betty Murray, Jane Ikwueke, Gail Yates,Ronald Kinsella, Maureen O Sullivan, Patrick Reilly, Ann Gourdarznia, Nina Cole, Lorenzo Marcantuono, Pat McMahon, Michael Walsh Esther Ampomah Arhin, Peter McHugh, Marguerite Kyunga, Kathleen Molloy, Maria Pini, Madeleine Melling, Jenifer Danvers, Enrico Soracchi, Raymond Tissot, Sr Theresa, and Patricia Caddle whose anniversaries occur at this time or have died recently. May they Rest in Peace.

Offertory:

The offertory collection for week ending 12th February £772.27 Many thanks. Please do not forget, that arranging a standing order is the easiest way to support St Mary’s

St Mary’s Special Commemorative Calendars

Fr Peter writes: “I am going to do a “Lord Sugar” and reduce our wonderful calendars from £7:50 to £6 – all monies go towards the parish.”

Nursery and Primary School Application Forms:

Fr Peter writes: “If your child needs their Catholic Certificates of Practice” stamped and signed, please attend one of the Sunday Masses with your child, bringing their nursery or primary school application forms. Please make sure you have completed address and dates of birth before coming to see me.”

If you are a “flaming” young person…

Join Holly and Deacon Dom and come to “Flame”…

“Flame” is a Catholic youth mega event that takes place in one of England's iconic arenas in the shadow of Wembley Stadium. Taking place on Saturday, 4 March 2023 at the OVO Arena, Wembley, Flame is the largest Catholic gathering of young people in England and Wales. Flame is open to everyone aged school Year 9 (usually 14 years old) through to University age. If you would like to be part of this amazing event – just watch this space or contact Holly or Deacon Dom to find out more.

CAFOD Syria-Turkey Earthquake Appeal

Our second collection last week for the CAFOD Syria Turkey Earthquake appeal raised approximately £1000. Thank you for your generosity and your prayers at a time of such need. For more details visit CAFOD’s Syria Turkey Emergency Appeal online at https://cafod.org.uk/give.

St Mary’s Pancake Race 2023!

Need to do some egg-based exercise? Are you bored of making batter and nowhere to run with it? Are you going pancake crazy? If you are, come to the great St Mary’s Pancake Race on Tuesday 21st February (Shrove Tuesday) between 4pm – 6pm. There will be races for all ages including pancake flipping and the traditional East Finchley “Single legged Frying Pan Pancake Lobbing on a Pogo stick”. Esteemed judges will be Sue Lemon, Lady Sugar of Lyle and His Excellency Otto Von Barky.

St Mary’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes – April 2023

If you put your name down to come to Lourdes, please pick up your booking form from the sacristy. Deposits and forms must be completed and returned by Wednesday 22nd February.

Ash Wednesday – 22nd February 2023

Mass times for Ash Wednesday are 10am and 7:30pm in the church and 1:30pm in Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.

Ash Wednesday Facts:

Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The ashes are made from palm branches, saved from the previous year's Palm Sunday Mass. Ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Ashes also symbolize grief, in this case, grief that we have sinned and caused division from God. It is important to remember that Ash Wednesday is a day of penitential prayer and fasting. Small children, the elderly and sick are exempt from fasting.

It is not required that a person wear the ashes all day, and they may be washed off after Mass. However, many people keep the ashes until the evening as a reminder of their commitment to God

A Worthy Lent Project:

A great lent project would be to help St Mary’s populate the allotment site behind the church with seeds and bulbs. If you would like to join the “St Mary’s Foodbank Allotment Project” please come to a brief meeting at 9am on Saturday 25th February. Coffee and toast provided!

“What Our Lord did say on the cross was to forgive. Forgive your Pilates, who are too week to defend your justice; forgive your Herods, who are too sensual to perceive your spirituality; forgive your Judases, who think worth is to be measured in terms of silver.” Venerable Fulton Sheen