Newsletter 31st October 2021
A reminder that the clocks go back an hour this Sunday, 31st October, which will allow everyone hopefully an extra hour in bed!
At all the Sunday Masses this weekend we keep the great Solemnity of All Saints. On this great solemnity we are reminded that holiness comes in all shapes and sizes. The saints were rich and poor, young, and old, warriors and peacemakers, hermits and organisers of charities, parents and celibates, scholars and those who could not read, and every era has its saints. The struggles may change but the saints are still amongst us. On the solemnity of All Saints, we celebrate with great joy the vast throng of saints, each utterly different, yet each one themselves by being one in Christ.
On Monday 1st November Andrew and I will be welcoming the whole of St. Mary’s Primary school at 10 am, to St. Mary’s, for a special school Mass to celebrate with them the Solemnity of All Saints to include the blessing of Icons chosen for each year group. I am afraid because of the numbers attending Mass that day from the school that this Mass will not be open to the public and the church will remain closed as normal throughout the day as I hope to be able to take some time off myself after the Mass.
A reminder that November is the Month of the Holy Souls – On Tuesday 2nd November – All Souls Day, we will celebrate a Requiem Mass at 7 pm in church to commemorate All the Faithful Departed. You will find in the entrance to the 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 throughout the year. Wednesday 10th November – Mass this morningwill be a Requiem Mass celebrated at 9.30 am. At this Mass we will welcome clients and volunteers from The Passage. This year The Passage are marking their 20th Anniversary and at this special Mass in the month of The
Holy Souls we shall pray for all clients and volunteers from The Passage who have died during this period. We shall also be giving thanks for the life and faithful witness of Mike Monaghan from our parish, who died earlier this summer, and who worked so tirelessly in helping this important outreach initiative to succeed. Next year we hope to be able to put a plaque up outside in the church gardens and plant a tree in his memory.
On Sunday 14th November, at 3 pm we shall go to the local cemetery for the Blessing of Graves – I invite you to come and join us there that afternoon. This will be a simple liturgy of prayer and blessing with holy water of our Catholic graves. A chance too to pray for the repose of the souls of family members and friends buried in the cemetery. Please meet at the stone archway as you enter the main cemetery gates.
Looking ahead, the First Parish Meeting as part of the diocesan synodal process will to be held on: Tuesday 9th November in the link room or the upper hall depending upon numbers – after evening Mass from 7.30pm -8.30 pm. There will be a period of Exposition at 6 pm with special intentions for the Synodal Process, followed by Benediction at 6.40 pm and Mass at 7 pm. The meeting will consider what a synod is, and how we as a parish can contribute to the Synodal Process. We will be considering 3 important questions:
1. What is my dream for the Church?
2. To achieve this dream, what do we need to stop doing?
3. What are we doing that needs to be developed or done differently?
Do give time during these days before the first parish meeting, to reflect upon these questions and please continue to pray the Synod Prayer each day at home. Let us pray that as a parish we may be guided by the promptings of the Holy Spirit to discern more fully the Church we are called to proclaim in the Third Millennium.
My sincere thanks to all who so kindly gave of their time in volunteering to help serve refreshments after the 9.30 am Mass last Sunday and all who came to play music, sing, arrange flowers and prepare the church for the Bishop’s visit to St. Mary’s. I have received a lovely letter from Bishop Patrick, and I know he really enjoyed his second visit again to our parish this month. It was I felt too a very joyful celebration of Andrew’s admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders. Please do continue to pray for Andrew as he continues to discern his Call to the Diaconate.
With my prayers for you and for your families during the coming week,
Your friend and Parish Priest,
Fr. Jonathan
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Thank you to all of you for your kindness and many messages and cards of support for my journey towards Candidacy as a Deacon.
Sunday was an emotional day and made truly special to be able to share my ceremony of Admission to Candidacy and Holy Orders with my family and Parish family who have been there during a very difficult year. The last year may have been difficult both in relation to Covid and having no Parish Priest but it proved what a strong Parish we are and now God has blessed us with Father Jonathan.
It was so very kind of Bishop Patrick to make this special visit to Grantham and something I know that our Parish has not seen before. It was also the first time Bishop Patrick had undertaken a Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders to a permanent Deacon in formation as this normally takes place at Seminary.
Thank you to everyone who helped to make Sunday such a special day, Father Jonathan, Father Stephen, Father Michael, musicians, those who helped serve tea and coffee and not forgetting the stewards who remain devoted to volunteering after these many months.
Please keep me in your prayers as I continue along my journey towards being a Deacon and many more hours of study.
God Bless
Andrew
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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.
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2021 31st October – Newsletter – Download
2021 31st October – Newsletter (Including Sunday Message – Password Protected)– Download
2021 31st October – LOOK – (Password Protected)– Download