Newsletter 23 January 2022
During this coming week on Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th and Friday 25th January I shall be taking part of my Christmas break, and I will not be available in the parish. I would be grateful whilst I am away if in the first instance should you have a problem that you make contact, please with Andrew on the parish phone. On these days there will be a Service of Word and Holy communion replacing our normal Masses. I am very grateful to Andrew and to our Eucharistic Ministers for offering their help and support in this way.
Last Tuesday, 18th January, we began the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, which lasts until 25th January. As I mentioned previously this Sunday 23rd January, Churches Together in Grantham are planning a special service to be held at Harrowby Lane Methodist church at 6.30 pm. I hope to be there myself and it would be good if as many as possible from our parish community could come to join me there that evening, as we pray together with our brothers and sisters in Christ from the other Christian denominations in our town.
We are reminded in the Gospel reading at Mass this weekend that The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ gift to the Church. The Holy Spirit enables the Church to continue the mission of Jesus. When we do what Jesus did—bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, healing to the sick, and freedom to the oppressed—we serve the Kingdom of God. This outreach of mercy which is intrinsic to Christianity is something truly ecumenical. Something to reflect upon this weekend during the Octave of Christian Unity.
This Saturday 22nd January at 11 am, we celebrated a special Mass in the parish for our First Holy Communion candidates, who all received their first Holy Communion that day. It was a very joyful occasion, and we pray this weekend for those young people and for their families and our parish catechists and volunteer helpers, giving thanks for this important and very special moment in their journey of faith. As we look towards the future, we hope to be able to start First Holy Communion preparation again in March, however it will be dependent upon a few more volunteers coming forward to assist. I am very grateful to those who have already offered themselves as catechists and volunteer helpers, but we still need at least two more volunteer helpers to assist with this important programme of catechesis. Please see the insert in the Bulletin for further details. All training and support will be provided. It is important to remember that preparation for First Holy Communion should involve not just the child, but the child’s family, and the wider parish community too. If you can give a little of your own time to assist, please get in touch with either myself or Vicky Wakley.
This weekend, Saturday/Sunday 22nd/23rd January at all Sunday Masses, we shall have a collection as you leave church organised by Peter Balfe, for the White Flower Appeal 2022. – The Society for the Protection of Unborn children (SPUC). SPUC are currently campaigning to protect Pro-Life speech. Pro-Life witness is being restricted now more than ever; please be as generous as you can to help SPUC defend unborn babies and their mothers.
With prayer and best wishes,
Your Parish Priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
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2022 23rd January – Newsletter – Download
2022 23rd January – Newsletter (Including Sunday Message – Password Protected)– Download
2022 23rd January – LOOK – (Password Protected)– Download