Dear friends,
In November 1950, Pope Pius XII spoke of ‘the wonderful harmony and order of those privileges which the most provident God has lavished upon [the Blessed Virgin Mary,] this loving associate of our Redeemer, privileges which reach such an exalted plane that, except for her, nothing created by God other than the human nature of Jesus Christ has ever reached this level‘: chief among these privileges was Our Lady’s preservation from the stain of original sin, and thus also from sin’s consequences, namely mortal death. Accordingly, Pope Pius affirmed that, at the end of her earthly life, the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed, body and soul into heaven – a dogma we celebrate each year on the Solemnity of the Assumption, 15 August.
Friday’s 9.30am Mass in honour of the Assumption will be followed by a complimentary breakfast of Buck’s Fizz, fresh fruit and pastries: all are welcome!
Our summer barbecue will take place on Saturday (16 August), 2-6pm: please contact us ASAP if you have yet to reserve your tickets (£12.50/£5). We are very grateful to the High Commissioners of Jamaica; St Kitts and Nevis, and the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Mrs Rhoni Pierre, for their generous donations towards our rum punch!
Volunteers are required to help set up the Hall on Friday from 4pm, and on Saturday from 12 noon. Thank you in advance for your help!
There are now no spare seats on the coach to Walsingham, for the Pilgrimage for Healing and Renewal, on Bank Holiday Monday, 25 August: please gather at St Mary’s at 7.30am, and bring a packed lunch, or money to purchase something to eat in the village.
At the back of church is a sign-up sheet for a parish lunch and conversation after Mass on Sunday, 14 September (the Feast of the Holy Cross), when our guest preacher – Fr Stephen Gallagher, Missioner to the See of Fulham – will lead us in a discussion about our parish’s future direction and priorities. A buffet lunch will be provided free of charge, and with no need for personal contributions of food – but please sign up before 7 September, to help with judging numbers for catering, and also to inform us of any dietary requirements. (The lunch and conversation will likely not last longer than two hours.)
A week later, Sunday, 21 September, there will be another(!) parish lunch after Mass, in celebration of our Patronal Festival, in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham: please speak to Pat to confirm your contribution of (sweet or savoury) finger food to a bring-and-share meal.
Thank you very much to all who contributed to last month’s collection in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, which raised the impressive sum of £635 (+Gift Aid!)
Attached to this mailing is a flier for St Matthew’s Day at St Matthew, Willesden: on Sunday, 21 September at 6pm a Solemn High Mass will be offered, at which the guest preacher will be yours truly! The Mass will be accompanied by voices from the BBC Symphony Chorus, and the parish school – and will be followed by a party.
Harrow’s Christian schools work charity, re:generation, is looking to recruit a second, full-time Schools Worker, from September: further information is available here. And Christ Church, Roxeth has a vacancy for a (part-time) Facilities and Bookings Manager, as per the attached advertisement.
Please note also that the live-stream camera in the Blessed Sacrament chapel remains offline: we hope to rectify this in the autumn.
May those who meditate upon the glorious example Mary offers be more and more convinced of the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly Father’s willl, and to bringing good to others,
Fr Richard