Dear friends,
Please note that there will be no public Morning Prayer or morning Mass on Saturday this week, 7 June; however, Evening Prayer and the 6pm Vigil Mass will take place as usual, as we begin our celebration of Pentecost! To this Mass, and on Sunday, please wear something red!
Pentecost is traditionally celebrated as the birthday of the Church, and an opportunity likewise for us to begin afresh in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Let us join together in worship this weekend, and ask the Lord to empower us anew for His service.
Our guest preacher at both Pentecost Masses will be Fr Nicolas Stebbing CR, a brother of the Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield (and also my New Testament Greek tutor, when I was at theological college!) Fr Nicolas is likewise the founder of Tariro UK – Hope for Youth in Zimbabwe, our chosen charity for the month of June. Please see the attached flier for further information, as well as this beautiful video about Tariro’s valuable work.
After Mass on Sunday, a memorial stone for the late Andrew Doherty will be blessed in the memorial garden, to which short service all are welcome: Andrew’s is one of three stones which were recently installed in the garden to mark the final resting places of departed members of our church family: please also pray for the repose of the souls of Peter Coe (whose stone was blessed this past Tuesday, on his year’s mind), and Susan Tye-Smith.
The joint parish coach trip to The Friars, Aylesford on Saturday, 21 June will leave St Mary’s at 8.30am prompt! Please bring a packed lunch, or money to spend at the tea-room. If you have reserved a seat on the ‘bus, but have not yet paid, please do so this weekend. If you would still like to come, but have not yet signed up – please speak to Fr Richard. The Friars is one of sixteen designated Jubilee Churches and Shrines in the Archdiocese of Southwark, ‘sacred places of welcome, and privileged spaces for the rebirth of hope‘, at which the Jubilee Indulgence is available to the Faithful.
Please note that the intercessions list is now being revised: please (re-add) clearly to the list in church the names of those in need, for whom prayer is requested.
I found very interesting this blog post from Fr John Root, which deals with ministry among people of other world faith backgrounds – a subject highly apposite to our own context. Particularly as we prepare for our Parish Conference after Mass on 14 September, I encourage you to reflect on Fr John’s words – who reminds us of the priority of prayer, humility, encouragement and relationship, and exhorts us to be “good news” to our community.
The ALMA (Angola, London and Mozambique Anglican Churches’ link and covenant) celebration Eucharist will take place on Sunday, 20 July at 5.30pm, at St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Kenton West Safer Neighbourhoods Team alerts us to three women’s safety “walk, talk and do” sessions – at 12pm on Thursday, 12 June (outside Kenton Post Office); at 10am on Saturday, 21 June (at the Alicia Avenue entrance to Kenton Recreation Ground), and at 12.30pm on Friday, 27 June (at Priestmead Recreation Ground).
Pope Leo has issued his first monthly prayer intention, for June – inviting the Faithful to pray ‘that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and, from His Heart, learn to have compassion on the world.’ May our encounter with the Lord prompt us to go out on mission, in compassion, to draw all people to the divine source from which all consolation flows.
Gather us by your grace into your love – where the lost can be found; the hungry can be fed, the weary can find rest; and all can be nourished for everlasting life, by the true and living bread, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Fr Richard