Dear friends,
After a very special conclusion to the liturgical year – with a fantastic Christmas Market and a joyous celebration of Christ the King, this Sunday we begin afresh in Advent, and hear the story of salvation told once more from its beginning – reminding us that God is faithful to His promises, and that He calls us to be faithful to one another and to Him. Please note that there will be NO public Evening Prayer, Confessions or Vigil Mass on Saturday this weekend; instead, we are encouraged to attend the Patronal Festival Mass at St Andrew, Kingsbury at 4.30pm.
On Sunday, the principal celebrant and guest preacher at our own 10.30am Mass will be the Rt Rev’d Peter Wheatley, sometime Bishop of Edmonton (and who also ordained me to the priesthood, 12 years ago this month): Bishop Peter will bless the new Lectionaries and Book of the Gospel which have been purchased for the start of the new Church year – and we will be joined by the family of our dear friend, the late Fr John Metivier SSC, in whose memory the beautiful Book of the Gospels has been given. After Mass, sparkling refreshments will be served in the Hall, not least to mark Bishop Peter’s own golden jubilee of priestly ordination this year.
The changes to the texts of the readings we hear at Mass in these new Lectionaries are intended to make the biblical translations more faithful to the original languages and to contemporary biblical scholarship, and to provide a text that is suitable for liturgical proclamation and – where appropriate – uses more inclusive idioms.
On Tuesday next week, the coach to Winchester for the Christmas Market will depart from St Mary’s at 10.30am (and return c.8pm): please pay the fee (per person) of £20 to Ryan this weekend. Next week on Thursday we will mark the 88th anniversary of the dedication of our church: Mass will be at the usual time of 6pm, and followed by celebratory refreshments. Then, on Friday, 6 December we will welcome more than 200 children from two local schools to our Christmas workshops: please sign up to volunteer to help. You can likewise sign up in church to attend the joint schools’ community Carol Service on Tuesday, 10 December at 1.30pm, in the presence of Bishop Jonathan.
Thank you for donations this month totalling £410 (+Gift Aid) for the Alzheimer’s Society; our chosen charity in December will be Crisis UK – for which there is a basket, and envelopes, in church. Please see also the attached information sheet, from this charity. Also at the back is a basket for donations towards the cost of this year’s Christmas flowers.
(Subject to their delivery this week!) there will likewise be Christmas invitations in church on Sunday, for delivery around the parish: please mark on the list to which roads you can deliver – and please be generous with your time for this important act of mission and witness.
Our Christmas service times this year include Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at 11.30pm, and a Sung Mass of Christmas Day at 10.30am on 25 December – as per the attached flier.
Also attached is a flier for the Stanmore Choral Society Christmas Concert in church on Saturday, 14 December at 3.30pm (note: NO public Evening Prayer or Confessions – but the 6pm Vigil Mass will be celebrated as usual) – for which tickets are available here.
Residents of Kenton West Ward may wish to attend a community consultation in Kenton Library today, Thursday, 28 November (1-5.30pm) to discuss planned changes to parking arrangements: your views can also be submitted online, here.
Your clergy thank you in advance for your Christmas kindness -we are very grateful for all gifts, cards and kind wishes! If you are unsure what might make a suitable Christmas present for Fr Richard, Fr Mike or for Ryan, please do know that gift cards, vouchers or simple cash gifts are quite appropriate and much appreciated(!), for us to put towards items we may ourselves in future wish to buy.
Please pray for our parliamentarians as tomorrow they debate the proposed “assisted dying” legislation. This is a sensitive and contentious subject: however, the clear teaching of the Church is that the proper response to end-of-life suffering is more heavily to invest in the wonderful palliative care offered by hospices such as St Luke’s Hospice in our own community – where I volunteer weekly as a chaplain, and with which other members of our parish family are involved. Bob Blackman CBE, the MP for Harrow East, has indicated his opposition to this bill: however, if you live in a constituency where your MP is in favour of this legislation, or undecided, there is still time to write to them to outline the case against any change.
Advance notice that on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, 1 January 2025 there will be a Sung Mass at 12 noon, in honour of Mary, the Mother of God, followed by a bring-and-share parish lunch in the Hall: please let Pat know what you can bring.
Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you, scatter the darkness from before your path, and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory,
Fr Richard