PAINTING THE INTERIOR OF THE OLD FORGE CAFÉ

Tuesday 15th April at 6.0 0pm If you haven’t yet, during Lent, experienced the gentle forgiveness of God in this wonderful Sacrament, please come and allow the loving Lord to fill you  with his peace so that you will be ready to enter into Easter Joy.

NEW DATES FOR THE MEETINGS OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN PREPARING FOR FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST HOLY COMMUNION Sat 26th April: 10.00 – 10.30am Sat 10th May: 10.00 – 10.30am FIRST RECONCILIATION: Sat 17th May: 10.00 – 10.30am Fri 30th May: 5.00 – 5.30pm Fri 6th June: 5.00 – 5.30pm Fri 13h June: 5.00 – 5.30pm Fri 20th June: 5.00 – 5.30pm  Sun 22nd June FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI 11.00AM HOLY MASS – FIRST COMMUNION

During the course of the Last Supper, the first holy Mass, Jesus dramatically showed his friends how to love, by washing their feet. During our holy Mass of the Lord's Supper, on Thursday evening, I would like to bathe the feet of 12 members of our congregation, as a sign of how much Jesus loves them and loves every one of us. Please allow me to bathe your feet. We need 12 people, women and men, young and not so young. Please put your name on the sheet which you will find in the porch of the church, if you will help me with this ceremony.

This week is the most important week in the year for all who follow the Lord Jesus as Christians. The secular world thinks only of Bunnies, Easter Eggs, more Food and Entertainment. While those things are fine and we can rightly enjoy them at the right time, they must never take the place or be more important than what our Blessed Lord offers us in Holy Week and Easter. This is the week above all others, each year, to put what the Lord Jesus asks of us before everything else. This week, by the grace of Almighty God, we have the opportunity, over 2000 years later, to join the Lord Jesus in the final days of his life in this world, as he suffers, dies and rises from the dead to give us forgiveness for our sins and eternal life beyond the grave. Please come to holy Mass on Maundy Thursday and be with him as he shows us how to love and gives us the strength to do so. Give him some time after holy Mass and before Midnight to “watch and pray” Please come to the solemn, sacred liturgy of Good Friday at 3.00pm, the exact hour he is reputed to have died, after hours of torture and suffering to show the depth of his love for you. Please come to the beautiful, inspiring Easter Vigil and First holy Mass of Easter Sunday at 8.30pm on Saturday evening, to renew your Baptismal promises, to allow the light and joy and peace of the risen Lord fill your soul. In addition to the above ‘Triduum’ (3) sacred Services which are celebrated by everyone who has a real and deep love for the Lord, there are 2 other times in Holy Week to be close to him: A short, brief ‘Walk of Witness’ on Good Friday morning when we will be joined by people of other Christian Churches in Sanderstead. We will begin at 11.45am and walk along Sanderstead High Street. One of our parishioners will carry a cross, as the Lord himself did, to remind all those who see us of the meaning of Good Friday. The whole Walk and final prayers on the ‘Gruffy’ will only last 30 minutes.  A simple, short, outdoor Service by the side of our church, as dawn breaks, to celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. We will light a fire and pray in thanksgiving to the Lord as the light of day comes upon the sleeping world. Afterwards, a cup of hot tea or coffee in the Cafe. We will be joined by members of other Christian communities in Sanderstead.

Please could you help with 30 minutes of your time to clean our church for Easter. Please come on the morning of Saturday the 19th April at 9.30am. Thank you for this humble service which in itself is a beautiful prayer to the Lord.

PALM SUNDAY Sat 12 April: 5.00pm Readings/Bidding Prayers Phil Passion Paul(Narrator), Patricia(People) Sun 13 April: 9.00am Readings/Bidding Prayers Chinwe. Passion Gerry(Narrator), Lorenza(People) 11.00am Readings/Bidding Prayers Claire Passion Jim(Narrator), Mutsa(People) MAUNDY THURSDAY Thu 17 April: 8.00pm First Reading Lisa. Second Reading/Bidding Prayers Marian GOOD FRIDAY Fri 18 April 3.00pm Readings Gerry. Passion Paul(Narrator). Jim(People) EASTER Sat 19 April 8.30pm Reading 1 Lorenza; Reading 3 Lisa; Reading 5 Lizzie; Reading 7 Paul New Testament Reading/Bidding Prayers Jim Sun 20 April 9.00am 1st Reading Gerry; 2nd Reading/Bidding Prayers Collette 11.00am 1st Reading Chinwe; 2nd Reading/Bidding Prayers Patricia

HOLY MASSES AND SERVICES AND EVENTS We are drawing near to the most important week in the year for all Christians. Please plan your time around the invitation of our Saviour to put him first before everything else, especially during Holy Week. Here are the times you will need to know: PALM SUNDAY (12/13 April) The normal times of our weekly 3 Sunday holy Masses - 5pm, 9.00am, 11.00am Tuesday of Holy Week (15 April): Penance Service and individual Reconciliation 6.00pm Mass of the Chrism in the Cathedral (16 April): 11.30am Please join me. We can travel together MAUNDY THURSDAY (17 April): 8.00pm Holy Mass of the Lord’s Supper and ‘Watching’ at the Altar of Repose until midnight. GOOD FRIDAY (18 April): Ecumenical Walk of Witness 11.45am Liturgy of the Passion 3.00pm Stations of the Cross: 6.00pm HOLY SATURDAY/ EASTER (19 April): Easter Vigil and first holy Mass of Easter 8.30pm EASTER SUNDAY (20 April): Ecumenical outside Dawn Service - around 5.30am 2nd holy Mass of Easter 9.00am  3rd holy Mass of Easter 11.00am

May I ask all our Eucharistic Ministers to please join me on Saturday 12th April from 10.00am until 11.45am for a short period of prayer and reflection on this very sacred ministry. Please may I invite these women and men, chosen by the Lord, to renew their acceptance of this priceless, awesome role, on the evening of Maundy Thursday, during the holy Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Please join me in our church for half an hour of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at 10.00am and then from 10.30 in our Cafe for a time of reflection together.

To everyone who increased their Sunday Offertory Collection contributions and no longer uses coins, either by use of the Card Reader in the church, through a Bank Order or through the Collection during Sunday holy Mass. Thank you for supporting your parish in this practical way. Thank you to the person who gave a very generous contribution.