Dear friends,
On Sunday last, we inaugurated the ministry of our new pastoral assistant, Ryan Davey – with customary St Mary’s aplomb! Thank you so much to all who supported Ryan’s first Sunday with us, particularly to those who prepared and contributed food to the parish lunch after Mass – as well as to those who did so much last week on Thursday, when we welcomed the Willan Singers for another beautiful Sung Mass. Your ready generosity and tireless hard work are a credit to our parish, and a witness to our Faith. Ryan himself writes, ‘I’d like to say a huge thank you to the congregation of St Mary’s, [not least] for all the items donated towards the house – not only from me, but from [my housemates] Rowland and Calum as well. The Sunday I joined was wonderful, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more!‘ Although Ryan has already got stuck into parish life in this his first week with us, yet there remains plenty of space in his diary to accept your invitations to visit you at home, to learn more about our parish family in Kenton.
This coming Sunday, 8 September we are invited to St John’s Church, Kensal Green for Evensong and a barbecue at 5pm. If you would like to travel together, please sign the list in church: we will be leaving from Kenton Station at 3.50pm.
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, the Lord heals a man who is both deaf and dumb: this figure in one sense symbolises the spiritual truth that, before we can speak, we must learn to listen. This is one of the virtues in which we are schooled by our participation in the sacred liturgy – to learn to listen for the Lord in prayer. Jesus offers to heal us of our spiritual inattentiveness, and also of our frequent timidity in speaking of our faith. May the Lord grant us ears of the heart which are open to him, and may he open our mouths to sing God’s praises.
Barely has the cutlery returned to the store cupboard than we shall be enjoying another bring-and-share parish lunch together, after Mass on Sunday, 22 September – when we shall mark our Patronal Festival in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham (including with the rite of Sprinkling with water from Walsingham’s holy well), as well as my own second anniversary as your parish priest. Please see Pat Edwards to confirm your contribution to this meal – and thank you once again, in advance.
Our next Youth Group outing will be a trampolining party at Harrow Leisure Centre, on Saturday, 26 October – and there is now a list in church to sign up. Places are limited, and we invite a contribution of £10/child – to include an hour’s trampolining (under the supervision of two qualified coaches), and refreshments afterwards.
Next week, I shall be on annual leave until Tuesday, 16 September – but Fr Mike has very kindly agreed to cover all usual services save for Morning Prayer on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and next Saturday morning’s Mass: please consult the pew sheet for confirmation of timings.
Our organist, Peter Crawford, is happy to provide a weekly e-mail containing the words to, and a recording of, each forthcoming Sunday’s hymns – which you may find useful in advance of the Mass. Contact him by e-mail (petercrawford01[at]aol.com, or by clicking on his name above), to be added to his distribution list. This Sunday we shall look forward to singing Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven; Thine Arm, O Lord, in Days of Old; Just as I am, and O, for a thousand tongues to sing.
Please find herewith attached a flier for the forthcoming Patronal Festival at St Matthew, Willesden on Sunday, 22 September at 6pm – as also an invitation from Bishop Jonathan to his Walsingham Festival at St Andrew, Holborn on Wednesday, 25 September at 7pm (to which we will be travelling together, leaving from Harrow-on-the-Hill station at 5.45pm: please sign up in church). Also included with this mailing is a 2024-25 concert season flier from the Stanmore Choral Society, whose next concert will be at St Mary’s on Saturday, 26 October.
Please note that the ashes of the late Peter Coe will be laid to rest in our memorial garden immediately after Mass on Sunday, 6 October: all are welcome to this short ceremony, and may he rest in peace. Please also sign up in church to come to Evensong at Westminster Abbey on Sunday, 29 September at 3pm: we will gather on the platform at Harrow-on-the-Hill station at 1.45pm, to travel together.
This Sunday’s incense will be scented with jasmine: register your favourite scent here, between now and 4 November!
O Lord, open thou our lips / and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise,
Fr Richard