4th Sunday of Lent
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is an indication to us of how much God welcomes the repentant sinner. Whatever we have done wrong, the Lord is always there to celebrate with us a change of heart. The reaction of the elder son is a reminder that we often find it difficult to forgive and that we can resent others less deserving than ourselves receiving special treatment. Our goal is to become more and more Christlike, being forgiving, loving and welcoming. On Mothering Sunday, we remember all mothers who fulfil their role in a loving way.
Welcome to Bishop John
We welcome for the first time to our parish Bishop John Sherrington who will be celebrating the morning Masses today. He will be back on Friday 20th May to celebrate the Confirmations.
Holy Week Arrangements
Please take a card giving all the services for Holy Week. Our Reconciliation Service will be on Monday 21st March at 7.30pm, when several priests will be available for confession. There will be an additional service on Good Friday this year. It will be a Mercy Service, centred on the Cross and starts at 7.30pm.
Children are invited to take part in the Children’s Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at 11.30am, either acting or reading. There will be a rehearsal on Maundy Thursday (23rd March) from 2.30 to 4pm and again on Good Friday itself at 10am. This will all take place in the Parish Centre.
At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, there will be the commissioning of Eucharistic Ministers.
Lenten Alms Appeal –Caritas Westminster
Lent is a time for prayer, fasting and almsgiving. What better way to tie in the meaning of Lent than to put oneself in the shoes of the poor and to give alms to help them? Our 2016 Lenten Alms appeal will be in support of Caritas Westminster, the official social outreach arm of the Diocese of Westminster.
Caritas Westminster works across our Diocese, throughout London and Hertfordshire, enabling and co-ordinating parish communities to find practical solutions that address a variety of local social needs, including rough sleeping, food poverty, human trafficking, youth employability and loneliness.
This weekend there will be a second collection for Caritas Westminster. If you wish to Gift Aid your donation please use the Caritas Donation Leaflet, which also contains a donation envelope. You can also get more information about Caritas Westminster (and make a donation online) at www.rcdow.org.uk/caritas.
Baptism Preparation
Next Sunday, 13th March, there will be a preparation session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised at 4pm in the Dominic Room in the Parish Centre.
First Communion Programme
The First Communion candidates have a session this morning at 9.15, and next week will be taking part in a Celebration Mass at 10.30.
Lift Up Your Hearts
Copies of this Lenten meditation are available in the porch. They can be used individually or in groups. The groups which will be meeting are:
Wednesdays 11am Dominic Room, Parish Centre
Sheelagh Benson’s Group, Cntact 0208 952 0016
Vince Randall’s Group, Contact 0208 952 6994
Permanent Deacon
Permanent Deacon Come & See. Men wanting to know more about the permanent diaconate are invited to come to a two hour meeting at St Edward the Confessor, 700 Finchley Rd, Golders Green, NW11 on Saturday 12th March from 10am to 12 noon. No booking needed. Wives welcome. Contact details Deacon Adrian Cullen 07961 594725 or Deacon Anthony Clark 07545 373548.
A Great Way to Donate
Or to ‘Top Up’
Your Current Giving!
Make a Supplemental
or
Special Offering
Text: Parish ANNUN to 70800
To Donate £5 through your
Mobile Phone!
Easy...Safe...Convenient..Helpful
New Planned Giving Envelopes
The new weekly offertory envelopes will be available next weekend. We will be speaking about various ways we can help the parish financially, including Gift Aid. The new envelopes will come into use from 10th April.
No Holy Hour
There will be no Holy Hour this Wednesday.
Stations of the Cross
On Friday, Stations of the Cross takes place at St Alphage in Montrose Ave at 7pm.
Altar Servers Rehearsals
Saturday 19th March 11am
(For Holy Week)
Wednesday 23rd March 4.30pm
(For Maundy Thursday)
Friday 25th March 12.15pm
(For Good Friday)
Saturday 26th March 11am
(For Easter Vigil)
Lately Dead
Please pray for the repose of soul of Maureen Burch who died on 28th Feb, whose funeral will be this Thursday at 12.30pm.
Also pray for Margaret Guilfoyle previously of Watling Ave who also died last weekend, and will be cremated in Hendon next Friday 11th March at 12 noon.
In addition Nell Herr of Norwich Walk who died on the 1st March, her body will be received into the Church on Thursday 17th March at 6pm and the Requiem Mass will be the next day (Fri 18th) at 10am. There will be NO 9am Mass that morning.
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy:
Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope;
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us;
And after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary
Walsingham Pilgrimage
As part of the Year of Mercy, the Diocese is arranging a Pilgrimage to Walsingham on Saturday 9th July. At this early stage, we would like to know numbers of people interested. We will then decide whether to book a coach for the parish or share with another parish. We don’t know the cost yet, but could be in the region of £20-£25. If you are interested, please put your name and phone number on the sheet at the back of the church.
WATCH THIS SPACE-J.D.S
Last week Joe, stumbled his way to bed, drunk.
In the morning Joe woke up with searing pain in both his head and butt and Betty staring at him from across the room. She said “You were drunk again last night weren’t you?” Joe said “Why would you say such a mean thing?” “Well,” Betty said “it could be the open front door, it could be the broken glass at the bottom of the stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing through the house, but mostly…. It’s all those sticking plasters stuck on the hall mirror.