OCTOBER IS THE MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY.
Twenty-eighth Week of Ordinary Time
Dear parishioners,
THE MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: Message of Our Lady of Akita, Japan to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa.
On October 13, 1973, following a series of visions* and some extraordinary signs, Sr Agnes Sasagawa experienced one more and final vision of Our Lady. This is some of the message Sr Agnes heard:
"My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior."
After a short silence:
"As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as no-one will ever have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests."
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars will be sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.
"The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them"
"Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."
Many are seeing the fulfilment of these warnings in what is – incredibly - happening in the church in our times: the infiltration of secular and revolutionary ideologies and the embracing of faithlessness in compromises with the morals of the world advocated by some participants chosen by the pope to attend his ‘synod on synodality’. We have also seen in recent times convents and monasteries forcibly closed by Church authorities. In France, Canada, USA, India and other countries churches have been vandalised or burned down by church-haters while cardinals are speaking up loudly against other cardinals. In the world, there have been man - made disasters of every kind, including the ominous evils taking place in the Land of Our Lord’s birth. For many, these events can now be recognised in the words spoken to Sr Agnes Sasagawa, as I write today, exactly fifty years ago, on Friday 13th October, feast of St Edward the Confessor of England.
We can though unite in prayer in accord with Our Lady of Akita’s wishes as expressed to many visionaries in recent times by coming to our PARISH ROSARY, LITANY OF LORETO and BENEDICTION. Bring your family! Let us pray together as a parish and unite to ask Blessed Mary, Queen of Peace, for Peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our families, in the Church, and in the world. The service takes place this Sunday 15th October, 3.00 p.m.
This holy hour of devotion will also include the enrolment of some of our altar boys into the Guild of St Stephen and we will thank God for their graceful service at God’s altar. Afterwards, there will be a party for the Servers in the Church Hall with tea & coffee for parents.
Let us, in this Month of the Holy Rosary, act on the words of Our Lady of Akita to Sr Agnes and say our Daily Rosary and pray for the pope, the bishops and priests attending this novel ‘synod’ that they will fulfil their calling as authentic proclaimers of the faith and genuine guardians of Sacred Tradition. Very few men now are inspired by the current church to offer themselves for priesthood and too many are abandoning their calling. Let us hope that the bishops in this ‘synod’ inspire vocation by staying true to the faith of our fathers and mothers as they resist this ‘hostile takeover of our church’** foretold by Our Lady of Akita. We ask Mary, Our Mother, Queen of the Holy Rosary and Queen of Peace to pray for the Church and the world as we place our confidence in her Immaculate Heart.
* Ecclesiastical Approval for the visions at Akita, Japan:
February 27, 1978 — Pope Paul VI approves the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's Norms of the Congregation for Proceeding in Judging Alleged Apparitions and Revelations. These norms provide the criteria for evaluating such phenomenon and establish the local Bishop as the competent authority to do so.
April 22, 1984 — After eight years of investigations, Rev. John Shojiro Ito, Bishop of Niigata, Japan, recognised in his Letter "the supernatural character of a series of mysterious events concerning the statue of the Holy Mother Mary" and authorized "throughout the entire diocese, the veneration of the Holy Mother of Akita, while awaiting that the Holy See publishes definitive judgment on this matter."
For the full account of the Apparitions to Sr Agnes Sasagawa see: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/message-from-our-lady--akita-japan-5167
** The words of Cardinal Gerhard Muller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who again this week asked for ‘clarity’ in the many ambiguous statements from Rome, quite reasonably asking that they be grounded in scripture, canon law and the teaching of popes through the ages.
God bless,
Fr Jonathon
UPCOMING EVENTS
THREE EVENING SESSIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH AT ST JOHN VIANNEY CHURCH HALL, HEATHFIELD ROAD, BEXLEYHEATH. All are welcome to attend on:
Thursday 2nd November 7.00 – 9.00 p.m. Staff from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust will be talking about Mental Health Services and Support available within Bexley area.
Thursday 9th November 7.00 – 9.00 p.m. This session will be about looking after ourselves and each other and then focus on the work of Re-instate Ltd and the services offered by them in this area.
Thursday 16h November 7.00 – 9.00 p.m. This will focus on upon Children’s mental health and be led by Bexley Counselling Matters and conclude with three themes for discussion.
Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available.
If you are interested in taking part, yellow programmes are available on the table in the porch.
DIVINE MERCY APOSTOLATE PILGRIMAGE TO KNOCK The Divine Mercy Apostolate, London is hosting a Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Co Mayo from November 9 to 14 to pray for the Holy Souls. It will be led by the Marian Fathers. Package includes: Return flights by Aer Lingus from Heathrow Airport, half board, 5 nights, accommodation in en suite twin rooms, hand-luggage (10 kgs), all transfers and Airport Development fee. The Retreat will include daily Mass and Hour of Mercy and retreats at Glendalough and Kylemore Abbey. Cost £800. All Welcome. Please call Millie Fernandez on 07957594646 for more information.
The Macmillan Coffee Morning: next Sunday. I hope our parish will greatly support these wonderful nurses who are with us in our time of need by coming to our fundraising coffee morning next Sunday.
ST JUDE’S DAY (the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude) is celebrated on 28th October. The feast day is the high point of the calendar in Faversham, and hundreds of pilgrims come here in devotion to the Apostle. Although most come from London and the southeast, many others come from across Britain and even from abroad to celebrate this special time with God and with one another, in the company of the Carmelites.
The programme of activities during the feast includes regular celebrations of the Mass, blessings with the oil of St. Jude, and other devotions. During the celebrations there is a piety stall, a display of Carmelite books, and light refreshments available.
This year, St Jude’s Day falls on a Saturday and there will be celebrations on the Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday 28th October 2023 FEAST DAY
Saint Jude Mass at 12.30 p.m. – 2.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m.
Sunday 29th October 2023
Saint Jude Mass at 12.30 p.m. – 3.00 p.m.
Please call 01795 539 214 or email shrineoffice@stjudeshrine.org.uk or visit www.stjudeshrine.org.uk for more information.
SHRINE OF ST.JUDE, WHITEFRIARS, TANNERS STREET, FAVERSHAM, KENT
PARISH NOTICES
EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST
SPUC NOTICES
DEATHS
MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE TWENTY- EIGHTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER PRAYER