PILGRIMAGE TO THE SHRINE OF KNOCK

The next meeting for our parishioners preparing for Adult Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation will be next Saturday 26th April, at 11.00am in the Parish Room

To everyone who helped in so many different ways during Holy Week and on Easter Day. May the good Lord reward you for all your great efforts.

The death of Pope Francis is head-line news around the world. His warmth, his care for the poor and marginalised, his attachment to Truth, his enormous love for the Lord and his longing to share the hope and forgiveness of God, touches our hearts. Please join us for holy Mass as we thank God for Pope Francis and pray that he now fully receives the mercy and forgiveness of the Lord in the joys of Heaven for all eternity. MAY POPE FRANCIS REST IN PEACE AND RISE IN GLORY (nb no holy Mass on the morning of Tuesday 22nd April)

Tue 22: Maggie Wed 23: Collette Thu 24: John Fri 25: David

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.