Dear friends,
Having passed the summer solstice, we are now also in the second half of this calendar year – and it is now a prudent moment, therefore, to pause briefly, and to take stock. With some wonderfully exciting events ahead of us (see below), as well as so much for which to give thanks, I am nevertheless also somewhat concerned and disappointed to note that, over the first six months of 2026, our Usual Sunday Attendance stood at only 52 – in comparison with last year’s figure of 59 (a decline of seven souls, or 12%). Average Sunday Attendance January – June 2026 was 59 (2025: 62), and Usual Weekday Attendance 64 (71) – again, a gap of seven souls. The simplest solution to address this issue is to ensure that each one of us personally is present every Sunday (or Saturday evening, at the Vigil) for Mass, as the Faith teaches: the “Sunday obligation” (so-called) is the minimum commitment we are asked to make each week – to ensure our own sacramental sustenance; to play our part in the family of faith in our parish, and to ensure a warm welcome to those who come through our doors, seeking the kingdom of God. Where, for pastoral seasons, one cannot make it to Mass on any given weekend, we are instead encouraged to avail ourselves of one or more of the five further Masses regularly offered at St Mary’s – a privilege enjoyed, in our contemporary situation, by few other parishes. In this weekend’s responsorial psalm, we will acknowledge that God ‘crown[s] the year with [His] bounty‘: may the six months remaining to us, in 2026, be a time of renewed commitment, in expectation of – and in gratitude for – God’s abundant blessings.
This weekend is the final opportunity to purchase tickets (£15/adult, £5/under-18) for our forthcoming parish barbecue, on Saturday, 18 July: tickets may also be bought online – not forgetting to include your name when making payment, so that a paper ticket can be reserved for you on the door, on the day.
The deadline to pay for seats reserved on the coach to Walsingham for the Pilgrimage for Healing and Renewal (on Bank Holiday Monday, 31 August) is Sunday, 2 August: these cost £30/adult (£5/under-18), and can likewise also be paid for electronically.
Likewise included with this mailing is an invitation from Bishop Jonathan, to join him at St Andrew, Holborn on Wednesday, 22 July for a Solemn Pontifical Mass in honour of St Mary Magdalen – and afterwards for drinks and supper. Similarly, our friends at St Silas, Pentonville extend a warm invitation to everyone, to mark their Patronal Festival this Sunday evening, 12 July at 6pm – followed by a parish celebration.
‘The meadows clothed with flocks; the valleys are decked with wheat. / They shout for joy; yes, they sing!‘
Fr Richard