28th Sunday Of Year C
Today’s Gospel is a lesson to us in giving thanks to God for all he has given us. Jesus cures ten lepers but only one of them comes back to thank him. Jesus sees this as evidence of his faith. There are countless things that we should thank God for. At the end of the day, we should go over the events of the day in our mind to thank God for all the blessings we have received. The Mass is the greatest act of thanksgiving, because in thanking God for his great act of sacrifice for us, he becomes truly present in our midst.
CAFOD Harvest Fast Day
Today there will be a second collection as you leave Mass for CAFOD Harvest Fast Day, in which you can return the special envelopes. This Harvest Fast Day we have been invited to join 32 year old Nicanoria, from Bolivia, on her journey from poverty to abundance. We can stand alongside Nicanoria as she learns new skills and receives materials and seeds that will enable her to grow enough food to feed her family.
Mercy Mass & Presentation to Fr David
The next Mercy Mass will be on Friday 28th October at 7.30pm. This is the Feast of St Simon and St Jude and during the Mass the new statue of St Jude will be blessed. The Mass will be celebrated by Fr David Burke, after which there will be a reception and presentation to Fr David. Envelopes will be available at the back of the church. We invite you to bring a dish of food to the reception, but being a Friday, no meat items please. We will provide the drink.
R.C.I.A Sessions
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults sessions start on Tuesday at 8pm, upstairs in the Parish Centre. These sessions are for adults who wish to be baptised, those baptised in other Christian churches who wish to become Roman Catholics and baptised Catholics who have not received the other Sacraments. The sessions last for one hour, and are open to anyone who wants to discover more about their faith. We are looking for more people to help those adults in their journey of faith. Everybody is welcome to come along to the introductory session on Tuesday.
A new large notice board has been erected on the grass bank on the corner of Gervase Road. This is a way of signposting passers by towards the church. We are all human signposts and we have a duty by word and action to point people towards the Church.
Leaving a Legacy to your Parish
If at some time in the future, you are making or reviewing a will, parishes have been invited to encourage leaving a gift to your own Parish. Please pick up a leaflet from the back of the church to explain how this can be done. Many thanks.
Four:12
The Autumn edition of Four:12's Family Quiz Night will be on Friday 21st of October 2016 in the Parish Hall. Doors open at 7pm. £6/adult & £3/child (under 16). Book your places after weekend masses or by calling 07543 705135 or email Four12.oak@gmail.com. Fish and chips will be served for refreshments.
Baptism Preparation
There will be a session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised on Sunday 20th November at 4pm in the Dominic Room.
Mary’s Meals
Mary’s Meals is a charity that sets up school feeding programmes in communities where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education. Mary’s Meals wants your unwanted clothing and bedding (no duvets or pillows please) and will be at our church until 12 noon on Sunday 30th October to collect them all. Put your clothing/bedding into tied sacks and bring them to Mass where the charity Mary’s Meals will be here to pick them up. Amazingly 3 full black sacks of good quality clothing will feed a child one good nutritious meal every school day for a whole year!
Secondary School Transfer
The next signing session for secondary school transfer will be on Wednesday 19th October between 4 and 5pm in the Parish Centre.
New Altar Servers
Children who have already received their First Holy Communion are invited to become altar servers. There will be an introductory session in the church on Saturday at 11am.
First Communion Programme
Today (Sunday) the First Communion children will have their first session in the Parish Centre between 9.15 and 10.15, before attending the 10.30 Mass in the Church. Next Sunday there will be a celebration Mass at 10.30 for all the First Communion children and their families, at which the children will be enrolled into the programme.
Annunciation Schools
Admission Meetings
The Infants School will be having their annual admissions meeting in the Parish Centre on Wednesday 9th November at 7.30pm. Parents are invited to attend this meeting if they wish their child to be considered for a Nursery or School place at the Infants School in September 2017. This would include those who wish to move from the Nursery to Reception Class.
The Junior School will be having their Admissions Meeting on Monday 28th November at 7pm. This will take place in the school itself in The Meads, NOT in the church Parish Centre. This is for parents who wish their child to be considered for a place in September 2017, including those currently in Year 2 of the Infants School.
At these meetings, application forms will be available. This will include a Certificate of Catholic Practice which needs to be signed by the Parish Priest. The Parish Priest can sign this form only if the family is observing the Church’s precept of attending Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation. Dates of signing will be announced in due course.
Prisoners’ Sunday
Today is Prisoners’ Sunday and the focus this year is on the theme of Mercy. This is a focus shared by all Christian denominations in England and Wales. Together as the people of God we remember those on the fringes of society—especially the prisoners.
Gift Aid
We have recently received a sum of £10,215.87 from the Diocese as a result of the contributions that parishioners have Gift Aided over the last year. Very many thanks. We hope that many more will use this simple way of enabling the Parish to receive an extra 25% on what you give, without any extra cost to yourself. If you pay tax, you can complete a gift aid form from the back of the Church and return it to us. If you already gift aid your contributions, there is no need to complete another form. If you have gift aided in the past but no longer pay tax, please let us know. Many thanks.
Mass Count
The number at Mass last weekend was 636. We continue our counting of heads again this weekend.
Youth Mass
On 9 December at St Aloysius Parish, Euston the WestminsterYouth Service host their annual Youth Mass – Bishop Nicholas leading. The Mass begins at 6.30pm and the music will be led by Edwin Fawcett and the young music scholars; the evening is a celebration of youth throughout our Diocese. Light refreshments will follow Mass – all young people and teenagers are encouraged to take this opportunity to meet their peers from across Westminster.
WATCH THIS SPACE—J.D.S
There was this guy at a bar, just looking at his drink. He stays like that for half an hour. Then this big trouble-making lorry driver steps next to him, take the drink from the guy, and just drinks it all down. The poor man starts crying. The lorry driver says “come on man, I was only joking. Here, I’ll buy you another drink. I just can’t stand to see a man cry.” “No, its not that. This day is the worst of my life. First I overslept and I am late for the office. My boss, outrageous, fires me. I leave the building and my car has been stolen. I get a cab and return home, and leave my wallet and credit cards in the cab, and when I get home and tell my wife I have lost my job she throws me out, so I come to this bar. I was just standing there thinking about putting an end to my life, you show up and drink my poison.”