Newsletter- 29th Week of Ordinary Time
This Sunday the Church keeps World Mission Sunday. Our Holy Father Pope Francis in his recent address to Missio, spoke about: ‘dreaming with eyes wide open.’ That is looking forward towards an era of missionary activity when each one of us will live out the mission entrusted to us by Jesus Christ. He spoke too that the heart of the Gospel is this: ‘God loves us with an eternal love; he calls us to be his children and to share in the joy that comes from him. He comes to seek us when we are lost; he lifts us up when we fall and raises us from the dead. He turns no one away, but welcomes all, excludes no one, but calls everyone.’ On World Mission Sunday we use this belief to keep the dream alive, for indeed it is Gods dream for us. Today at all our weekend Masses there will be a second collection for the work of Missio, to help support churches, hospitals, schools, and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young, and very often poor.
Regular Giving/Gift Aid/Easyfundraising (giving to St Mary’s through online shopping):
We are all currently suffering the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and our parish is no exception. St Mary’s is not a wealthy parish and you’re regular giving to the parish really makes a huge difference. As a parish we must be creative in our approach to increasing our regular income if we are to remain solvent and pay our bills for the future. As we all know so well every little bit helps!
There are some important ways in which everyone can help:
- I am very grateful to the generosity of so many parishioners who have in the past few months reviewed, and in many cases, increased their regular giving to St Mary’s. Your generosity is an enormous help as we continue to be able to pay our way, maintain our church and buildings, and offer the pastoral care and support needed within the parish. If you have not reviewed your regular giving for some time now, I would urge you to consider doing so. The parish is a charity and the only income we receive comes through the generosity and regular giving of our parishioners.
- Making your regular offering by Standing Order directly into the Parish Bank Account either weekly or monthly really helps us gain a clearer picture of our actual income and helps us to budget more effectively. Details of the Parish Bank Account and Sort Code are published weekly in the Bulletin under ‘Weekly Collections’ to assist you in setting up a Standing Order with your Bank.
- I am grateful to those parishioners who pay Tax and who have chosen to Gift Aid their donations to St Mary’s. Gift aiding a donation adds to our regular income as we can reclaim the Tax from the Government on the donation given. Please do consider setting up Gift Aid if you are a Taxpayer. Forms to set up Gift Aid can be found on the table as you come into church.
- You will see more details further on in this Bulletin about signing up to Easyfundraising and nominating St Mary’s as your chosen charity. Every time you shop online through the Easyfundraising App a small portion of all you spend with a retailer or supermarket online goes directly to St Mary’s without any actual cost to yourself!
- Signing up to Easyfundraising and encouraging your friends and family members to do likewise is an important and very easy way that you can help support your parish financially.
- Please take a copy of this week’s Bulletin home with you or take an Easyfundraising leaflet found in the entrance as you come into church or on the small table by the garden door. Here you will find all the information you need to get signed up. It’s very easy to do, I have signed up myself this week!
Looking ahead to November: November is the Month of the Holy Souls. You will find in the entrance to church the November Dead List Envelopes, and printed sheets for writing the names of deceased family members and friends to be included in the envelope with a donation, which can either be given to me or dropped through the letter box of the Rectory. The names of your deceased relatives and friends and all for whom you wish to pray will then be placed in a basket close to the Altar throughout the month of November and at the end of November I will divide these names up into special Masses for the intentions of ‘The Holy Souls – November Dead List.’ These Masses will be offered by me for you throughout the year.
Aid for Chad and Peru: at both the Weekend Masses on Saturday/Sunday 4th/5th November we will welcome again two parishioners from St Joseph’s Oakham who will set up stalls in the Link Room where you will be able to buy a selection of beautiful hand-crafted items made in the shantytowns of Lima to help support the work of the charity: ‘Aid for Chad and Peru.’ Do pop into the Link Room on your way out from Mass that weekend as I feel sure you will find some high quality and very charming Christmas presents and stocking fillers. All the funds raised from your purchases will go directly to support the work of this small but important charity.
On Sunday 12th November we keep Remembrance Sunday. The Parish Mass at 9.30 a.m. that day will be a Requiem Mass in anniversario for all who died in the past two World Wars and all subsequent conflicts since. At this Mass there will be an Act of Remembrance, a Trumpeter playing the Last Post, then we will keep Two Minutes Silence, after which the Trumpeter will play the Reveille before we hear the Kohima Exhortation and receive the Final Blessing from the altar. We keep in our prayers on Remembrance Sunday all who died in the service of their country and for our freedom.
On Sunday afternoon, 12th November at 2 pm, I invite you to join me at Grantham cemetery for the yearly Blessing of Graves. This will be a simple liturgy of prayer and blessing with holy water of all our Catholic graves. A chance too to pray for the repose of the souls of family members and friends buried in the cemetery grounds. Please meet at the stone archway as you enter the main cemetery gates.
With my prayers for you and for your families,
Your parish priest and friend,
Fr Jonathan
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2023 22nd October 2023– Newsletter – Download