Dear friends,
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to Mass this weekend, when our final guest preacher this month, both at Saturday’s 6pm Vigil Mass and on Sunday at 10.30am, will be the Rev’d Preb. Graeme Rowlands. Fr Rowlands was for thirty-four years the parish priest of St Silas & Holy Trinity, Kentish Town; having served as its Chaplain-General, he is now also the Superior-General of the Society of Mary: for the past six months, in retirement, he has overseen the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, as interim Priest Administrator. Sunday morning’s Mass will be followed by sparkling refreshments, in honour of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Monday next week.
In his letter to the Philippians, from which we shall hear at Mass this weekend, St Paul prays that God, ‘who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.’ It is the teaching of the Church that, in order that the humanity conferred on Christ through the child-bearing of blessed Mary should have been wholly free from original sin, so – for no merit of her own, but entirely on account of His grace – God preserved the Virgin Mary also, from the moment of her Conception, from the taint of death and sin. ‘What great deeds the Lord worked for us! Indeed, we were glad.’ Let us likewise pray, as this great feast approaches, for the cathedral church of Notre Dame de Paris, under the patronage of Our Lady, as it reopens following its restoration following a catastrophic fire five years ago.
Although there will be no Mass at St Mary’s on Monday for the Immaculate Conception, please find attached an invitation to St Silas, Kentish Town. Please likewise find attached a flier for the forthcoming Divine Mercy Retreat at All Saints, Kenton the afternoon of Saturday, 14 December. Likewise included with this mailing are details of December’s “drop in” sessions with our local Safer Neighbourhoods Team. Please also note that the deadline for applications for the two vacancies advertised at Kenton Methodist Church has been extended to 10 January 2025.
We extend our condolences to the family of the late Clive Thomas, who died on 30 November: may he now rest in peace. Clive’s funeral Mass will be at All Saints, Kenton on Monday, 16 December at 11.30am – followed by a committal at Breakspear Crematorium at 1.30pm: all welcome.
We likewise continue to pray for the repose of the soul of the late Dr Saroja Rajan: a thanksgiving meal has been organised on Wednesday, 11 December at 6.30pm, at Royal Nawab, Perivale (7, Hoover Building, Western Avenue, Greenford UB6 8DB): please see Robbie to RSVP.
Please note that the cleaning and decorating for Christmas will take place after Mass on Sunday, 22 December; please make any final contributions to the cost of our Christmas flowers by Sunday, 15 December.
Please speak to Pat to confirm your contributions to the bring-and-share lunch on New Year’s Day, after Mass at 12pm: raffle tickets will also be on sale. On Tuesday next week we will welcome choirs from four local primary schools to sing at our inaugural Community Christmas Carols Service, in the presence of Bishop Jonathan: if you would like to reserve a seat at this service, please sign the list in church. Please also sign up/pay up (£20/£10) for the outing to the pantomime on Sunday, 15 December at 3pm: there are now just four spaces remaining. Please continue to help deliver the Christmas invitations around the parish – and mark on the list in church to which roads you are able to deliver.
Advance notice that we are all invited to a Service of Prayer for Christian Unity, with other churches and congregations in Kenton and Belmont, on Friday, 24 January 2025 at 7pm, at St Anselm, Belmont: we would welcome in particular volunteers to read (preferably young people!), and contributions of food for the reception afterwards (for approximately 50 people).
And, finally, many congratulations to all who supported and enabled our recent “Countdown to Christmas” Table-Top Market, which raised an amazing £1,216 for parish funds! Thank you likewise to all who have now completed their statutory Safeguarding training: your conscientiousness helps to maintain St Mary’s as an environment in which all are valued and cherished, especially the most vulnerable.
May God himself, the God of peace, make you perfect and holy, and keep you safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Fr Richard