St Peter and the Guardian Angels

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Our Parish Mission Statement

We are a Catholic Community where Christ’s love and forgiveness is at the centre of all that we say and do.

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Easter Sunday 2024

Easter, the Pascha, is the Principal Festival of the Christian Church, which celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion, fulfilling the Messiah prophecy foretold in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53)

The Paschal Candle used during the Easter Vigil is a central symbol of this divine light, which is Christ. It is kept near the ambo throughout Easter Time and lit for all liturgical celebrations.

Your can read Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi blessing 2022 HERE

 You can read Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil 2022 Homily HERE 

You can read Archbishops John Smiths’ Easter Vigil 2022 Homily HERE

  

Mass Times


Saturday         6.00 PM

Sunday            9.00 AM

Sunday          11.00 AM

Monday           9.15 AM

Tuesday           7.30 PM

Wednesday     9.15 AM

Thursday         9.15 AM

Friday              9.15 AM

 

Confession Times

Saturday

5.15 PM to 5.45 PM

 

 

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

The Feast of Mary, Mother of God is celebrated on Sunday, 1 December 2023.
It is a holy day of obligation for Catholics, meaning that Mass attendance is required. The Feast is a celebration of Mary’s motherhood of Jesus. It is a reminder of the role she played in the salvation of humankind.

Mary was chosen by God, the Father, to bring Jesus Christ into this world. Through the Holy Spirit, God the Father prepared Mary to be the dwelling place where His Son and His Spirit could dwell among men.  Christ’s birth was made possible by Mary’s fiat, or sanctioning of God’s plan with her words, “Be it done to me according to thy word”.  Calling Mary “Mother of God” is the highest honour we can give to her.  Without her role, Jesus would not have been able to die for our sins thus giving us a second chance at redemption.

Archbishop Wilson’s Pastoral Letter for the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

Read  HERE  OR   HERE

 

Have a Blessed New Year!

 

Feast of The Holy Family

Feast of the Holy Family, is dedicated to all members of the Holy Family— Jesus, Mary and Joseph and commemorates their life together as a Holy family as  and therefore a model to all families as they placed God at the centre of their family life, and from which our families can draw inspiration and know where to find help and comfort. The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is normally celebrated after Christmas. This year it is celebrated on Friday, 30 December 2022

Prayer

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendour of true love; to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer. Amen.     (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, 325)

From www.prayerist.comvaticannews.va

Feast of The Holy Innocents

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, also called Childermas or Innocents’ Day, is a Christian feast in remembrance of the killing of young male children in Bethlehem by King Herod  in his attempt to kill the Baby Jesus. (Matthew 2:16–18).

According to the Bible, Herod was afraid of the prophesied King of Jews and was angry that he had not heard from the Magi who had come to him initially seeking a newborn king. Furious that Jesus had escaped, Herod ordered the killing of all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas, hoping to kill Jesus.

These children are considered martyrs, Saints of God, by the Church.

The Feast of the Holy Innocents is on 28 December 

                             Prayer

We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of Your mercy all innocent victims; and by Your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish Your rule of justice, love and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

St John The Evangelist

                             Prayer

My beloved Lord, the love You bestowed upon the disciple John was perfect in every way. After Your ascension into Heaven, You continued to deepen Your relationship with him, drawing him ever closer to Your Sacred Heart. Please pour forth upon me that same love and draw me into Your Heart so that I, too, will become Your beloved disciple. Saint John, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You. Amen

 

St. John the Apostle, also called Saint John the Evangelist or Saint John the Divine.
St. John is the son of Zebedee a Galilean fisherman, and Salome, and was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. John was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public ministry.
In the Gospel According to Mark, he is always mentioned after James and was no doubt the younger brother. His mother was among those women who ministered to the circle of disciples. James and John were called Boanerges, or “sons of thunder,” by Jesus.
John is believed to be the longest living apostle and the only not to die a martyr’s death.

John, along with Peter and James, were the only witnesses of the raising of Daughter of Jabirus, the closest witnesses to the Agony in Gethsemane and witness to the Transfiguration. John was the one who reported to Jesus they had “‘forbidden’ a non-disciple from casting out demons in Jesus’ name.” This prompted Jesus to state, “he who is not against us is on our side.”

John and Peter were the only two apostles sent by Jesus to make preparations for the final Passover meal, the Last Supper. During the meal, St. John sat next to Jesus, leaning on him rather than lying along the couches.

St. John is the Patron saint of love, loyalty, friendships, and authors. He is often depicted in art as the author of the Gospel with an eagle, symbolising “the height he rose to in his gospel.” In other icons, he is shown looking up into heaven and dictating his Gospel to his disciple.

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist’s feast day is celebrated on 27 December.

Christmas 2022

Pope Francis’ Christmas Message  2022  HERE.

 

Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. It is the culmination of the mystery of the incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh.

Christmas is important to many Christians because it reminds them that:

  • Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth for all people (symbolised through the visits of the wise men and the shepherds).
  • Mary and Joseph both had a strong faith in God, despite the difficulties they faced.

This year Christmas is on Sunday, 25 December 2022.

      Christmas Mass Times are as follows

 

  • Saturday, 24 December – (Vigil Mass of Nativity)
    Christmas Carol Service7.15pm
    Mass – 8.00pm
  • Sunday, 25 December (Christmas Day) – 9.00am and 11.00 am
  • Monday, 26 December (St Stephen) – 10.00am (mass for Altar Servers)
  • Tuesday, 27 December (St John, Apostle) – 10.00 am
  • Wednesday, 28 December (The Holy Innocents) – 9.15am
  • Thursday, 29 December, Thomas Becket, Bishop – 9.15am
  • Friday, 30 December, The Holy Family – 9.15am

Advent

Pope Message on Ist Sunday of Advent 2022 Click HERE

The season of Advent and Christmastide is a special time. and we are invited to a fresh encounter with Jesus, the Word made flesh, God made man. During Advent, we are invited to enter more frequently into silence, into prayer and reflection, into Scripture, and into the sacramental life of the Church, all to prepare for celebrating Christmas.

This year Advent begins on Sunday, 27 November 2022

Our goal is to grow in faith and deepen our understanding that in the fullness of time, God, in a plan of sheer goodness, sent Jesus, the Son of God, to become man, that we could become children of the Father and share in his divine life. God draws us close. God calls us to seek him, to know him, to encounter him and to love him with all our heart, soul and strength.
As Christmas Day draws near our focus will be on God’s coming as a small child, the baby in a manger. The astonishing humility of God evokes in us a wholehearted response. We bow low in adoration and lift up of our hearts in praise and worship.

December is the Month of The Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception is the belief that The Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it this way:

490 To become the mother of the Saviour, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”.  In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace.

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is on Thursday, 8 December 2022.

 

                                                    PRAYER

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through her intercession, to come unto You. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

                                   PRAYER
As we venerate the glorious memory of the most holy Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, O Lord, through her intercession, that we, too, may merit to receive from the fullness of your grace. through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen

 

The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary dates back to the 6th century in the East and the 15th century in the West.
This Feast is celebrated annually on 21 November.
The Feast commemorates the presentation of the Blessed Virgin as a child by her parents in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Before Mary’s birth, her parents received a heavenly message that they would bear a child. In thanksgiving for  God’s gift of Mary’s birth, they brought her to the Temple to consecrate their only daughter to The Lord.

What we celebrate on this day is the fact that God chose to dwell in Mary in a very special way. In response, Mary placed her whole self at the service of God. Every moment since your Baptism, God invites you to be open to his grace and dedicate yourself to him, as Mary did.

Feast of Christ The King

Most solemn Lord, You are the sovereign King of the Universe.  You are the Lord of all.  Come reign in my life and make my soul Your holy dwelling place.  Lord, come transform our world and make it a place of true peace and justice.  May Your Kingdom come!  Jesus, I trust in You.

 

This Sunday, 20 November 2022 is The Feast of Christ the King, also called Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
The Church celebrates this Feast of Christ the King, on the last Sunday of the Liturgical year.
While the concept of Jesus Christ being King is as old as the Gospels, the feast is fairly recent in the Roman Catholic calendar.
The feast was introduced in the Western liturgical calendar in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, via the encyclical “Quas Primas
Pope Pius hoped that the establishment of this feast would bring about the following:

  • That this annual celebration would assist the faithful to gain strength in their true King, Jesus Christ;
  • That leaders and nations would recognise that they are bound to submit and give respect to Christ the King;
  • That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state. In these times when we are challenged in our faith and our ability to worship together, let us remember that Jesus Christ is Our King who reigns forever.
  • That individuals should honour and recognise Jesus as their ‘Sovereign King’ and emulate his total gift of self, perfectly embodied on the Cross. In imitation of their thorn-crowned King, individuals can help bring love and relief to those who suffer and help to proclaim the Good News of the Reign of Christ in the world today.

Click HERE for Pope Francis’ Homilies on the Feast of Christ The King from 2013 to 2021

November is the Month of Holy Souls

In the Catholic Church the month of November begins with the Solemnity of All Saints’ (1st November), followed by the ‘Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed – All Souls’ Day’ on the 2nd November. Together these days mark the start of a ‘Month of the Holy Souls’, (commonly known as the ‘month of the dead’) which ends either at the end of November, or the start of the season of Advent, depending on which comes first each year.

Praying for the dead is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy. Saint Pope John Paul II stressed the need to pray for the souls in Purgatory at several points throughout his papacy.

Purgatory
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.” (1030 & 1031)

You can read about Indulgences for The Souls in Purgatory HERE.

You can find Some Prayers for The Souls in Purgatory HERE.

All Souls Day

“‘Hope does not disappoint,’ St. Paul tells us. Hope attracts us and gives meaning to life …  hope is a gift from God that draws us towards life, towards eternal joy. Hope is an anchor that we have on the other side,”

Pope Francis – All Souls’ Day 2021

 

 

All Souls’ Day is marked on 2nd November directly following All Saints’ Day, and is an opportunity for Catholics churches to commemorate the faithful departed. They remember and pray for the souls of people who have died.

According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to one of three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by their choice. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, must go.

Purgatory is necessary so that souls can be cleansed and perfected before they enter into heaven. There is scriptural basis for this belief. The primary reference is in 2 Maccabees, 12:26 and 12:32. “Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out… Thus made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin.”

 

Solemnity of All Saints - 1st November

“We celebrate today the solemnity of All Saints. This invites us to turn our gaze to the immense multitude of those who have already reached the blessed land, and points us on the path that will lead us to that destination”

Pope John Paul II, All Saints’ Day 2003

 

All Saints’ Day (also known as All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas) . It is a feast day celebrated on 1st November.

It is an opportunity for believers to remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, throughout Christian history who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God.
This is a day of Obligation.

Remembering Saints and Martyrs and dedicating a specific day to them each year has been a Christian tradition since the 4th century AD, but it wasn’t until 609AD that Pope Boniface IV decided to remember all martyrs. Originally 13th May was designated as the Feast of All Holy Martyrs. Later, in 837AD, Pope Gregory IV extended the festival to remember all the saints, changed its name to Feast of All Saints and changed the date to 1st November

We all have this “universal call to holiness.” What must we to do in order to join the company of the saints in heaven? We “must follow in His footsteps and conform [our]selves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. [We] must devote [our]selves with all [our] being to the glory of God and the service of [our] neighbour. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many saints in Church history” (Lumen Gentium, 40).

Feast of Saints Jude and Simon

                         THE COLLECT

Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that we may be sustained by the intercession of the blessed Apostles Jude and Simon, that, as through them you gave your Church the foundations of her heavenly office, so through them you may help her to eternal salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

Saint Jude
St Jude also called Judas, Thaddaeus is one of the twelve apostles, the primary disciples of Jesus who worked as missionaries to spread the gospel around the world. He was born in Galilee, Judaea under the Roman Empire. In some Catholic traditions, he is the brother of Jesus. He is the reputed author of the canonical Letter of Jude that warns against the licentious and blasphemous heretics.

In the Roman Catholic Church, St Jude is the Patron Saint of desperate cases and lost causes. Saint Jude’s attribute is a club. He is also often shown in icons with a flame around his head.

The St. Jude Thaddeus prayer can be used to ask for assistance when you are in desperate need of help. Many people turn to Saint Jude for help when they have tried to solve a problem on their own but have failed.

St Simon
Saint Simon the Apostle, also called Simon the Zealot,

Nothing further is known about him from the New Testament. He supposedly preached the Gospel in Egypt and then joined the apostle St. Judas (Thaddaeus) in Persia, where, according to the apocryphal Acts of Simon and Judas, he was martyred by being cut in half with a saw, one of his chief iconographic symbols (another being a book). According to St. Basil the Great, the 4th-century Cappadocian Father, Simon died peacefully at Edessa.

Simon is the Patron Saint of couriers, tanners and sawyers.

One World Week

The aim of One World Week is to bring people and organisations together to raise awareness about global issues of justice, poverty and inequality.
Events take place locally all over Britain and in many countries around the world.

One World Week is an annual event usually in October to focus on working together for a just, peaceful and sustainable world. The event gives us opportunity to reflect on our identity as global citizens. It celebrates our unity and diversity as a congregation.

This year St Peter’s and the Guardian Angels Church is celebrating One World Week on Sunday 30th of October at 11 am Mass.
There will be “Food of Nations” lunch prepared by our parishioners for all to share in the St Peter’s Hall after Mass.

There is an Art Competition for the younger generation to mark this Day

Primary school children are to create an artwork painting or drawing on the topic of God’s Creation.
The secondary school children are to write a poem or a short essay in the theme of Unity and Diversity.

Every participant
will receive a certificate and winners will be awarded cash and vouchers.

Please Submit Entries by Saturday, 29th October 2022 at 6pm to the Church Email or email your Poem/Essay to ehlamurphy@yahoo.co.uk

October is the Month of the Rosary

The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. It was instituted to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary in gratitude for the protection that she gives the Church in answer to the praying of the Rosary by the faithful.

The liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on 7th October.

You can read more about the Month of the Rosary, HERE, HERE and HERE.

 

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to our Blessed Mother focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord.

This suffering was not limited to the passion and death event; rather, it comprised the seven dolors or seven sorrows of Mary, which were foretold by the Priest Simeon who proclaimed to Mary, This child [Jesus] is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2:34-35).

Altogether, there are seven traditional sorrows of Mary:

  1. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
  2. The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
  3. Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)
  4. Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)
  5. Crucifixion and death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)
  6. The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37)
  7. The burial of Jesus (Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)

This year the Feast is celebrated on Thursday, 15 September 2022.

 

 

Feast of The Exaltation of the Cross

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

The universal symbol of the Christian faith, the cross represents Christ’s victory over death. The feast celebrates the redemptive transformation of a barbaric instrument of torture into a divine “tree of life” that brings hope to humankind. In some traditions, a cross is oriented to the cardinal directions to represent the universal nature of Christ’s sacrifice and prayers are said for the salvation of all.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross also commemorates the discovery of the True Cross. Legend holds that the relic was found by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land about 326. The Chapel of St. Helena inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built by the Crusaders in her honour, and below it lies the Chapel of the Finding of the True Cross, in which the cross of Christ’s crucifixion was reportedly discovered.

The Feast of The Exaltation of the Cross is on Wednesday, 14 September 2022.

Excerpt from – https://www.britannica.com/topic/Exaltation-of-the-Holy-Cross

 

 

August, The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

You can find the  Pray to the Consecration of the Immaculate Heart of  Mary HERE.

More Prayers to the Consecration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary HERE.

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart. Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person and is the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honour of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

Excerpted from The Prayer Book by Reverend John P. O’Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A.

 

July, Month of the Most Precious Blood

The month of July traditionally honours the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.

It is a recognition of Jesus’ sacrifice and how he spilled his blood for the salvation of humanity (Matthew 26:28)

The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood, this Blood is made present through the gift of the Eucharist and is something we can consume at Mass, along with the body of Christ, under the appearance of bread and win.

Many saints had a devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus, especially St. Catherine of Siena

You can read Extracts from the Homily preached on the Most Precious Blood by Pope Benedict XVI at Westminster Cathedral on 18 September 2010 HERE

You can find the Novena to the Most Precious Blood  HERE and another novena HERE 

The Litany of the Most Precious Blood HERE

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

                         THE COLLECT

Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that we may be sustained by the intercession of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, that, as through them you gave your Church the foundations of her heavenly office, so through them you may help her to eternal salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

The two leading saints of the early Church are celebrated together in the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.   This celebration is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul and is observed on 29  June.

St. Peter was one of the 12 apostles, as well as the first pope and founder of the Roman Church.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16: 18)

St. Paul was born Saul, but converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus.  Paul was also an apostle, responsible for much of the New Testament. Although he never met Jesus, he is widely acclaimed as one of the most important apostles who spread the word of Jesus and the nascent Christianity. 13 out of the 27 books of the bible are attributed to St. Paul.

Even though they were killed on the same day, their method of execution would have differed.

Saint Peter was martyred sometime around AD 64 in the circus of Nero. Since he was not a Roman citizen his death was crucifixion. It is said of Peter that he was crucified head downward as he didn’t feel worthy of being crucified in the same way as Jesus.

When the emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he decided to build a church in the saint’s honour above his grave. We all know this church today as St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.

During Nero’s persecution of the Christians, Paul was martyred as well. Since he was a Roman citizen his death was the more lenient beheading. According to tradition, his head bounced three times, creating a spring of water with each bounce. Today you can still visit a monastery and drink the water from these springs!

 

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

This Sunday, 12 June 2022 is the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity.

On the first Sunday after Pentecost, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

This feast reminds us that every Sunday is devoted to the honour of the Most Holy Trinity, that every Sunday is sanctified and consecrated to the triune God.

Every Sunday we remember in a spirit of gratitude the gifts which the Blessed Trinity is bestowing upon us. The Father created and predestined us; on the first day of the week He began the work of creation. The Son redeemed us by his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Holy Spirit sanctified us, made us His temple; when he descended upon the disciples. Sunday, therefore, is the day of the Most Holy Trinity.

The whole of the Church’s life flows from the central belief that the one true God exists as three divine Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since the very beginning of time, God has gradually revealed and communicated the truth of who he is as Trinitarian through what he has done in salvation history (see CCC 53-67).

Corpus Christi

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, historically known by its Latin name, Corpus Christi. This feast honours Jesus Christ, Really, Truly and Substantially Present under the appearances of bread and wine. This Presence happens through the change which the Church calls transubstantiation (“change of substance”), when at the Consecration of the Mass, the priest says the words which Christ Himself pronounced over bread and wine, “This is My Body,” “This is the chalice of My Blood,” “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

This year Corpus Christi is on Sunday, 19 June 2022.

GACs Meeting - Thursday, 9th June 2022

The Guardian Angels for Climate Sunday Group” (GACS) meeting is this Thursday, 9 June 2022 6pm.     Read more HERE

Congratulations to our Children

Who made their First Holy Communion on Saturday, 21st May 2022 and Saturday 28th May 2022

Pentecost Sunday 2022

This Sunday, 5 June 2022 we celebrate Pentecost.

Pentecost is a celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, Mary and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ. It also marks a birthday — the birth of the Church.

Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the year that concludes the Easter season and celebrates the beginning of the Church.  Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and ten days after his ascension into heaven.

When the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles, they preached the Good News of Jesus Christ. Miraculously, people of many different languages and nations could understand the Apostles in their own languages. This miracle reflected God’s desire for the Gospel to be preached to all, and for all the peoples of the earth to be united in faith.

Read more

Pray for Our First Holy Communion Children

Pray for our First Holy Communion Children.

This year we have 49 Children making their First Holy Communion on Saturday, 21st May 2022 and on Saturday, 28th May 2022

Ascension Day

For 40 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday, the Bible says that Jesus travelled and preached with his apostles, preparing them for his departure from Earth.

The Feast of the Ascension, celebrates when Jesus ascended to heaven before his disciples, at the village of Bethany, near Jerusalem.

The ascension is an important Christian feast attesting and celebrating the reality of the God-Man Jesus Christ’s returning to the Father, to return again in the future Parousia. The Ascension is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection.

This feast day is one of the ecumenical feasts of Christian churches, along with the celebrations of the Passion, Easter, and Pentecost.

This year Ascension Day is Thursday, 26 May 2022.  There is Mass at 9.15am and Mass at 7.30pm.

Divine Mercy Sunday

In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.  Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on 30th April 2000.

The Lord expressed His will with regard to this feast in His very first revelation to St. Faustina. The most comprehensive revelation can be found in her Diary entry 699:

My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners.

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Easter Sunday 2022

Easter, the Pascha, is the Principal Festival of the Christian Church, which celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion, fulfilling the Messiah prophecy foretold in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53)

The Paschal Candle used during the Easter Vigil is a central symbol of this divine light, which is Christ. It is kept near the ambo throughout Easter Time and lit for all liturgical celebrations.

Your can read Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi blessing 2022 HERE

 You can read Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil 2022 Homily HERE 

You can read Archbishops John Smiths’ Easter Vigil 2022 Homily HERE

  

Palm Sunday 2022

Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week.

A week later, Christ will rise from the dead on the first day of Easter.

The first name comes from the fact that it commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd had palm branches (John 12:13).

The second name comes from the fact that the narrative of the Passion is read on this Sunday (it otherwise wouldn’t be read on a Sunday, since the next Sunday is about th

The Liturgical colours of the Palm Sunday Mass are red and white, symbolising the redemption in blood that Christ paid for the world.

Palm Sunday is on 10th April 2022

Lent

Lent 2022

The season of Lent is a Catholic liturgical season consisting of 40 days of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving beginning at Ash Wednesday and concluding at sundown on Holy Thursday.

It is a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms and we practice self-control through fasting. We are also called to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ’s will more faithfully.

This year Ash Wednesday is on 2 March 2022.
There will be mass at 9.15am and 7.30pm on the day.

There will be Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent at 7.00pm.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales - January 2022

Guidance for Churches 

Following the announcement by HM Government on 19th January 2022 that the measures put in place to mitigate against covid virus transmission as “Plan B” will be lifted in full on 27th January, the following guidance is offered to the dioceses of England and Wales. The material in this briefing has been agreed with Public Health officials and follows the regulations for England and concur with the regulations in place for Wales which take effect on 28th January 2022

Clergy Support Fund 2022

On Sunday 27th February 2022, all Parishes in the Archdiocese of Southwark will hold a Second Collection for the welfare of our sick and retired clergy, and would like to ask for your generous support.

The Clergy Support Fund of the Archdiocese of Southwark provides care for priests in their old age and retirement, and in their time of ill health. A gift to this worthy fund will ensure a dignified retirement for our priests, after they have dedicated a lifetime of service to Christ, His Church and His People.

In 2021, the Clergy Support Fund provided care to 71 retired priests, at a cost of £1.25 million. With the number of priests over the age of 65 steadily increasing, so too will the financial obligation to the Archdiocese.
Next weekend there will be a second collection for this. There are special envelopes to be used. Please take one today and return next weekend.

Journeying Together

Pope Francis has asked the whole Catholic Church worldwide to engage in a process of discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This process is called a synod. It involves everyone in the Church – clergy, religious, and lay Catholics, each participating according to the gifts and charisms of their vocation.

Please click the button below  for more information and to complete the ‘Journeying Together questionnaire.

72 Paradise Street, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4QD

rotherhithe@rcaos.org.uk

(020) 7237 2969

Charity number: 235468