PILGRIMAGE 2025, THE HOLY YEAR: ROME, ASSISI AND SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO

During this month of November, we traditionally, pray for all those who have left our world and who, while on earth, opened their hearts and lives to the Lord. We believe there is a strong connection between God’s People on earth, those in Heaven and those who, having left this world, are on their way to Heaven. The holy Mass is the very best and most powerful way that links those who have died with the risen Lord Jesus. I will be most happy to celebrate holy Mass for your loved ones who have died, especially during this month of November, if you would like me to do so. Please use the special holy Masses envelopes for the Holy Souls, which you will find in the church porch if you would like me to celebrate holy Mass for your intention.  You will find our ‘Book of the Dead’ in front of the side altar in our church. At every holy Mass during the month of November, we place that book on the altar and we pray for everyone mentioned in it. If anyone you know has died in the last twelve months, please enter their name in the Book, on the date of their death so that we can pray for them too.

“WHO HAVE YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU?”  These are the words of the Lord Jesus to each one of us, every time we come to holy Mass. Please don't be content to come alone or just to come with someone who already comes every week, to holy Mass. Invite and encourage others in your family, those living next door to you, those living down your street, your friends. Do that and the Lord will work through you, probably slowly and bit by bit. Do that, and one day you will hear him say to you, “Well done, good and faithful child of mine. Enter into the joys prepared for you, for all eternity.”

Pope Francis has declared 2025 to be a ‘Holy Year’. This means that everyone who visits Rome next year, who prays for the intentions of the Holy Father, celebrates holy Mass and Reconciliation, is promised many special blessings from the Lord. The tradition is that this happens only once every 25 years! With the great help of Adrian and his ‘Northern Star’ Travel Agency, I have negotiated a superb deal to enable us to stay in the Eternal City of Rome next year. Not only that, but also to visit and stay in two other amazing locations, Assisi and its connection with St Francis and St.Clare, as well as visiting and staying in St Giovanni Rotondo where the holy priest who was given the wounds of Jesus (Stigmata)St Padre Pio, lived and ministered. We will spend 3 nights in Rome, 3 nights in Assisi and 3 nights in San Giovanni Rotondo. A taste of what we will do: Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, holy Mass in St John Lateran Basilica, visit the Catacombs, Papal Audience, Tour of Rome - churches of St Mary Major, St Paul outside the Walls, Vatican Museums, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Colosseum, Navona Square etc, etc; holy Mass in Basilica of St Francis, holy Mass in the Basilica of St Clare, visit Porziuncola, San Damiano, Loreto; guided tour of San Giovanni, visit chapel of the Stigmata,Pietrelcina. Lots of free time for relaxing, looking around, shopping Excellent quality hotels for Dinner, Bed, Breakfast; all excursions, English-speaking guide; Outward flight: Gatwick-Rome(9.30am), Return flight: Bari-Gatwick(4.55pm); all airport duties and passenger taxes 28th April to 7th May 2025. A week after Easter. A perfect time to visit Rome and Italy when the climate is ideal, not too hot and not cold. Cost: £1400pp all inclusive.  Rome and Italy will be very busy for the Holy Year and prices will soar! We are really blessed to have arranged such a great itinerary at such a relatively modest and very economic cost. I suspect that there will be lots of interest in this pilgrimage and it’s quite possible that we will have to limit numbers. I hope to offer this pilgrimage to various people and groups. If you are seriously interested, I suggest you contact me as soon as possible. I have Booking Forms available now.

May I invite you to join me every Saturday at 12.00midday, in our Parish Room for a short meeting designed especially for Adults who wish for their Faith to be stronger and deeper. Faith is nothing less than being in a growing relationship with the Lord Jesus. These meetings are designed to help us to grow closer to the Lord as we follow his plans for us. The meetings will last no more than an hour. We talk about all and anything that is even remotely connected to our Faith. May I invite you to join me next Saturday and subsequent Saturdays. I’m sure there are many questions and queries you may have. Do come and we will speak together about anything you wish.

Our church building, although simple and humble and rather beautiful in its own way, contains an immense treasure - the very presence of the Lord Jesus. Our church is not empty - it is a ‘House of God’. The bread consecrated in holy Mass becomes a real presence of Jesus although still under the appearance of bread and reserved in the tabernacle. So too with the wine - it becomes the precious Blood of Jesus although still under the appearance of wine. We call this sacramental presence of Jesus, under the forms of bread and wine, the ‘Blessed Sacrament’ or the ‘Eucharist’ or ‘Holy Communion’. A red light is kept constantly alight in the church, to remind us of this.  Also, when God’s Word from the holy Bible, is proclaimed in the church and when the priest explains its meaning to us in his homily, that too is a real presence of the Lord Jesus, actually trying to speak to our hearts. The red light you will see in front of the lectern also serves as a reminder to us of the Lord, present to us when his Word is proclaimed and when we reflect upon his Word. He comes to us in Sacrament and Word.

Anger is a normal human emotion but it must be understood as a part of our lives that needs to be lived in a healthy, wise way. When this happens, Anger is a great force for good but when it is misunderstood and allowed to express itself in destructive ways then it can cause fear and chaos. This short one-day course, which I have been invited to deliver at the LJC on Saturday 7th December , from 10.00am until 2.00pm, will be helpful for anyone who wishes to better understand Anger in themselves or in someone else and will give suggestions about how to live this powerful human emotion in a good, life-giving way. Please check the LJC website for more details and to book a place on the course.

On Sunday afternoon, 17th November , at 2.30 in the afternoon, we will have a short Service of Healing and the Sacrament of the Sick. If you are 65 years or over, or if you are suffering from an illness of any kind, please come to this Service. I will pray a Prayer of Healing over you and offer you the great Sacrament of the Sick. This wonderful, powerful Sacrament brings healing of body, mind and Soul. After the Service we can enjoy refreshments in our Cafe. Please invite your family, friends and neighbours to join you at the Service of Healing.

It is wonderful to see so many people, children, young adults, women and men, young and not so young, having the great honour of serving holy Mass. Please continue to do so. If you haven’t done so already, do come up onto the sanctuary and take this precious opportunity. Please may I also ask everyone in the church, to help to prepare the altar and sanctuary before holy Mass begins, to light the candles etc and then, after holy Mass, to help to return the sacred vessels to the sacristy, extinguish the candles, return the cruets etc. The full, conscious and active participation of everyone, will mean that holy Mass will become even more important to us all.

The practical way in which you kindly and generously support your parish is changing. It is very helpful if we can please no longer put small coins in the Basket Offertory Collection! Notes are fine but far better still is to use our Card Reader. However, we have had problems with our electronic Card Reader - sometimes it works well but sometimes it doesn’t work at all! I’m sorry about this and the confusion it causes. We are working hard to resolve the problem with the help of the Archdiocese! There is a simple solution! Whenever the Card Reader isn’t working or as an alternative to the Card Reader, please use the CR Code! You will find a laminated copy of the QR Code attached to the glass partition behind the Card Reader machine. Simply scan the Code using your mobile phone and you will be automatically able to make your contribution to the upkeep of the parish, on your phone, if you have previously registered your details on the Card Reader. At the same time if you haven’t yet registered your details, you can very easily do so using your phone and the QR Code. Please remember to register for Gift Aid as well  Thank you for all your generosity. Our bills have to be paid, as I’m sure you know only too well!!