Two- week edition.
OCTOBER IS THE MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY/ NOVEMBER IS THE MONTH OF HOLY SOULS
Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Weeks of Ordinary Time
Dear parishioners,
MASS OF OUR LADY, QUEEN OF PALESTINE
AND ALL THE HOLY LAND
Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and all the Holy Land
On Wednesday 25th October, parishes in Southwark archdiocese have been invited to join with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the Mass of the Solemnity of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine and all the Holy Land. I’m in Lourdes next week, so I will say this mass with a small group of parishioners there. We will ask Our Lady, Queen of Palestine for peace in the Holy Land with an end and resolution to the spiralling injustice, which for decades has provoked more injustice and cruelty and more injustice and worse cruelty in return. To quote ‘Embrace the Middle East’,’ Please pray that the killing will stop, that a ceasefire across the whole of the Gaza strip will be brokered, and that humanitarian aid will reach the hundreds of thousands of innocent women, children and men whose lives are in great danger’.
We call upon The Immaculate Heart of Mary for her prayers for all the people of the Holy Land in their unimaginable suffering, that the suffering of sin nailed to the cross will be met with the forgiveness that the Lord Jesus returned to those who crucified him, and which his Sorrowful Mother witnessed on this same land.
The pope has also announced a day of prayer and fasting for an end to the Israel-Hamas war, to be observed on Friday 27th October.
The pope says it is “a day of penance to which I invite sisters and brothers of the various Christian denominations, those belonging to other religions, and all those who have at heart the cause of peace in the world, to join in as they see fit,”.
On that Friday, the pope will preside over a vigil in St Peter’s Square at 6.00 pm (5.00 pm UK) and would like faithful around the world join with him in prayer at that hour “in a spirit of penance to implore peace in our time, peace in this world”.
At Our Lady’s Shrine in Lourdes, I will also be offering mass for several parishioners and lighting candles for those who have requested it. If you attend mass mid-week, please go to one of the other local churches and check their mass times online. I’ll be with you all again at St Thomas More for the Traditional Latin Mass, as always, next Saturday and I will be praying for you all at Lourdes.
God bless and peace be with you,
Fr Jonathon
MISSIO second collection on ‘World Mission Day’, this Sunday, 22nd October 2023
Missio is the Church’s official organ for the support of foreign missions. The collection taken on World Mission Sunday goes in its entirety to support churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young or poor. Missio works through local bishops, churches and missionary congregations to ensure that resources are distributed equitably and justly on the basis of need. The money goes directly from England and Wales to the bishops in the mission territories: local church directly helping local church.
Make your donation to support the good works of Missio online at: https://missio.org.uk/donate/
Or pick up an envelope after mass to make your donation by cash or cheque
Or donate using your card and our contactless payment devices.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PARISH NOTICES
EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST
SPUC NOTICES
MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE TWENTY- NINTH & THIRTIETH WEEKS OF ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER PRAYER