Newsletter- 13th Week of Ordinary Time
Today we celebrate the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are reminded in the Gospel today that doing God’s will requires some determination. We will be asked to let go of things we are attached to. We might have to leave behind family and familiar places. But the path of discipleship is never lonely, for Jesus is always walking with us.
The Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus is “resolutely” headed to Jerusalem. He knows this is a terrible, difficult journey as it will ultimately lead to the Cross. But He does not look back or turn aside. He leaves the familiarity of Galilee and the favourable response He received there. It must have been a difficult road to travel for Him and for His disciples. Jesus clarifies for his disciples, and by implication for each of us too, as His modern-day disciples in the world in which we live, that all worldly goods find their value in relation to Him. If we believe Jesus is the only Son of God, we must put our grudges, personal desires, and even our most sacred worldly obligations aside in order to walk more fully and completely with Him.
Peters Pence: This Sunday there will be a Second Collection for the Holy Father, to support his Apostolic and Charitable Mission in favour of the Universal Church and the wider world. Each donation, small or large, has a symbolic value – as it is a concrete sign of communion with the Holy Father himself. Peters Pence helps make possible many works of service throughout the Church, carried out by the various Dicasteries that assist the Pope Francis in evangelisation, the promotion of integral human development, education and such like and it helps to contribute to numerous charitable works too: directly assisting the most needy within society, people and families in distress, populations hit by natural disasters and war, or who are in need of humanitarian assistance or development support. Please do give as generously as you can to our Second Collection this weekend.
Mass Times this week: This coming week we celebrate the great Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. On Tuesday 28th June at 7 pm I will offer the Vigil Mass for Saints Peter and Paul and on Wednesday 29th June at 10 am (please note the change to our normal Mass time) the Mass of the Day for this great Solemnity. The young people from St. Mary’s Primary School will be assisting at Mass on Wednesday morning in church. On Thursday 30th June at 12 noon, the Funeral Mass for Michael Joseph McLoughlin will be celebrated by me in church. This Requiem Mass will replace the normal 11 am Mass on that day.
First Holy Communion: On Saturday 9th July at 11 am those young people from our parish who have been preparing so hard and so well, over the past few months, will make their First Holy Communion together in church. Please pray for them and for their families and all our Parish Catechists at this time .
This year Vicky Wakley will be standing down as Head Catechist for First Holy Communion Preparation. Vicky has become increasingly busier in the past few months with extra studies, as well as trying to juggle an already heavy work load and personal commitments and caring for her family. Vicky has though very kindly agreed to assist again next year as a Catechist but not to head up the new team. I will make a presentation to Vicky on your behalf after the First Holy Communion Mass, to acknowledge with deep gratitude her hard work and commitment over these past few years. I have been enormously impressed with the standard of catechesis being offered to our young people in this parish, since I arrived here as your Parish Priest last September. Vicky has played an important part in this assisted by our other catechists and volunteer helpers.
Little Church –will now resume in September. My sincere thanks to those who have kindly come forward to offer to help. We can though always do with a few more helpers to ease the burden upon our small team of volunteers. As the saying goes: “many hands make light work!” or in this case more helpers mean we can offer Little Church each Sunday rather than as we are planning initially to do, twice a month! If you were thinking about volunteering in this way, please still do so! I would be grateful if you would make contact directly with me.
With my prayers for you and for your families during the coming week,
Your friend and parish priest,
Fr Jonathan
——————————————————————————————————————-
IMPORTANT Newsletters – Our Parish Newsletters are available to be viewed and downloaded from our Parish website.
The online version will not include the Sunday Message
The Sunday Message and Newsletter will be available to download but this will be password protected – the password can be obtained from the Parish.
——————————————————————————————————————-
2022 26th June – Newsletter – Download
2022 26th June – Newsletter (Including Sunday Message – Password Protected)– Download
2022 26th June – LOOK – (Password Protected)– Download