Dear friends,
This weekend we will celebrate with joy the Baptism of the Lord, and also renew our own baptismal promises. Bottles of blessed water will then be available to take home, as well as blessed chalk: the formula to be written onto the doorpost of your home, using this chalk, is 20 + C + M + B + 26. These initials (set within the digits of the new calendar year) reference both the names of the Magi – Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar – and stand also for the Latin, Christus mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless this house).
All are welcome to join our Confirmation preparation classes, either to be prepared for the Sacrament, or to be renewed and refreshed in our understanding and practice of the Faith. Please ask me for details of upcoming sessions. The Confirmation Mass itself will be on Sunday, 8 February – when there will also be a party after Mass: please let Pat know what food or drink you can kindly bring to share on this very special occasion.
Volunteers are requested to help put away the Christmas trees and decorations in church, after the 9.30am Mass next week on Wednesday, 14 January. (The Crib will remain in place until Candlemas, and be dismantled on Thursday, 5 February.)
Please now return last year’s palm crosses (by 15 February): these will be burned to generate the ash for Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on 18 February – when there will be Masses (both with the Imposition of Ashes) at 9.30am and 6pm.
We would similarly be grateful to receive your (good-quality) surplus Christmas presents: these can then be reused as raffle prizes, throughout the year. Again, please see Pat with your contributions.
On Saturday, 7 February, Welcome Churches are hosting a Greater London Connect Day at St Peter, West Harrow – to inspire, encourage and equip churches to welcome refugees and those seeking asylum: places can be booked, and more information found, here.
There will be a Youth Group outing during the February half-term holiday, to FlipOut Watford, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 17 February (£10pp, to include food and drink): please sign up in church, by 8 February. We hope to share this activity with our friends from St Alphage, Burnt Oak.
On 28 February, Harrow Council will host a Drop and Go waste and recycling event in our car park, 9am-1pm: residents of the Borough (with ID) can dispose of up to 5 items of bulky waste; sign up for garden waste collection, and pick up free food waste caddies and liners.
I will be on annual leave next week, 12-19 January: please speak to Fr Mike in case of pastoral need, and to the churchwardens about any pressing matters relating to St Mary’s. Please also consult the attached pew sheet for changes to the Mass schedule in my absence.
Last weekend, we thought about how we can all play our part in sustaining the life of our parish: there is a list in church of various tasks to be taken on – and it would be wonderful if everyone in the congregation could commit to at least one such contribution. The tasks are varied, and range from cleaning and tidying, to administration (of differing degrees of complexity): please take a good look at the list in church, and sign up to help!
Our Statistics for Mission 2025 reveal that Usual Sunday Attendance increased by 4% on the previous year, to 55 adults and 4 children; Average Sunday Attendance remained static at 62, and Usual Weekly Attendance rose by 3%, to 71.
Likewise attached herewith are fliers for a Solemn Mass and supper (on the memorial of St Thomas Aquinas, 28 January) at St Andrew, Holborn – with Bishop Jonathan; a Voluntary Action Harrow faith communities workshop on supporting elders, on 12 February; and the Annual Report from Caritas Bakhita House, whom we supported last year in September.
May God, who has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, pour out in kindness his blessing upon you, and make your hearts firm in faith, hope and charity,
Fr Richard