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SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Isaiah |
42:1-4,
6-7 |
| Psalm |
28 |
| Acts |
10:34-38 |
| Mark |
1:7-11 |
Our
parish priest has very kindly, though very unwisely,
invited me to write a few valedictory words as I
prepare to leave Farm Street to take up a new post
in the Jesuit parish in Wimbledon. Where to begin?
It seems to me no time ago that I turned up on the
doorstep of my Mayfair town house on that last day
of September 2003. The previous superior had fled
the scene of the crime the day before and it was
with some wonderment that I walked into the house
where I was fairly sure I would be living for the
next six years.
What
have those six years of helping in the parish of
Farm Street been like? From the first Sunday I was
here, standing at the back of the church meeting
people as they arrived for Mass and being told by
undercover policeman that the then Prime Minister,
whose name escapes me, was about to arrive, I was
aware that this parish had some unusual qualities.
The people that I have met here, that is to say,
yourselves, have been a source of constant interest
to me and it has been a real pleasure to come to
know you better and gradually share something of
your lives. The desire of Saint Ignatius was that
a Jesuit should live his life in the service of
others, that he should "help souls" as
he would have put it. This we try our best to do,
but it always seems to me that we get much more
help from you than vice-versa. Your kindness, your
interest, your openness and your humour, to say
nothing of your tolerance of our inadequacies is
truly heartwarming. I thank you all for the ways
in which you have helped me to grow as a priest,
a Jesuit and a human being and I will miss you all
very much.
A
special word of thanks too to Father William. He
and I have spent many years toiling together in
the same vineyard, both here and at Stamford Hill,
with him doing the toiling and me preferring the
fruits of the vineyard, a division of labour that
has always struck me as eminently fair and sensible.
He will have no excuse for not visiting me in Wimbledon
, for on Saturday the 17 th of January he gets his
bus pass, a wonderful sixty years completed! Parish
priests are getting younger looking every day!
So
salute my bravery as I head off south of the river,
where no self respecting taxi would ever venture.
Let us all continue to pray for each other, come
and visit me and I'll see you on Centre Court !
Hugh
Duffy SJ
The
Church Team
Fr William Pearsall SJ
(Parish Priest)
Fr
James Campbell SJ
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ
Fr
Tony Nye SJ
Fr
Hugh Duffy SJ (Superior
of the Jesuit Community)
Anne
Paolino (Parish Secretary)
Patsy
Cummings (Catechetical Co-ordinator)
Philip
O’ Brien (Parish
Council Chairman)
David
Graham (Director of
Music)
Patrick Mallon (Sacristan)
MUSIC
AT 11.00 MASS
| Mass:
Motets: |
Missa Brevis in G (K140)
Beatus
vir (K339)
Benedictus
(Missa Brevis K259) |
Mozart
Mozart
Mozart |
| Organ: |
Prelude
and fugue in G |
Mendelssohn |
SPUC
Today
we have our annual White Flower
appeal on behalf of the Society
for the Protection of Unborn
Children. This is one of the
great moral issues of our time
and a matter of deep concern
for the Church. SPUC campaigns
vigorously in the defence of
life. We hope that you will
support this appeal generously.
Volunteers will be at the doors
for a retiring collection and
to answer any queries.
PULPIT
SWAP
January
18 th – 25 th is the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity.
Next Sunday we welcome as preacher
at the 11am
Mass
Canon Mark Oakley, recently
installed vicar of Grosvenor
Chapel, our neighbouring Anglican
church. Fr William will be preaching
at the Chapel at the same time.
RELIGION
AND
POLITICS
The
guest
speaker
at the
Churches
Together
in Westminster
AGM
will
be Stephen
Bates,
Guardian
religious
affairs
correspondent
and
author
of God's
Own
Country
.
He will
be speaking
on the
role
of religion
in US
politics.
A supper
follows.
All
are
invited:
Monday
January
26 th
at 6pm
at Westminster
Central
Hall
(facing
Westminster
Abbey).
FR
HUGH
AND
FR WILLIAM
On
17 January,
Fr William
celebrates
his
60 th
birthday,
and
Fr Duffy
leaves
us,
after
nearly
6 years.
If
you
would
like
to contribute
towards
a gift
for
them,
envelopes
are
at the
back
of the
church
after
the
9:30
and
11am
Masses
today.
To be
handed
in at
the
reception.
NEW
SUPERIOR
The
Jesuit
Community
at 114
Mount
Street
welcomes
its
new
Superior
Fr James
Hanvey
SJ.
Fr Hanvey
teaches
Systematic
Theology
at Heythrop
College
and
is Director
of the
Heythrop
Institute
for
Religion,
Ethics
and
Public
Life.
We wish
him
all
happiness
in his
new
job.
WELCOME
We
are
happy
to welcome
Fr James
Campbell
SJ to
the
church
staff.
Fr James
will
be assisting
in every
way
in the
Parish
and
looks
forward
to renewing
his
many
acquaintances.
GREETERS
AND
COLLECTORS
We
are
looking
for
volunteers
to help
as greeters
and
collectors
at Sunday
Mass.
These
are
relatively
easy
ways
of serving
the
Church
but
they
make
a big
difference.
If you
would
like
to learn
more
about
being
a greeter
please
see
Fr Tony
Nye.
Potential
collectors
should
contact
Fr James
Campbell.
FARM
STREET
FILMS
Our
next
Film
is
Cinema
Paradiso
(1988,
dir.
Giuseppe
Tornatore
)
A
celebration
of youth,
friendship,
and
the
everlasting
magic
of the
movies.
Thursday
15 January,
Introductory
talk
6:45pm
,
Film
7pm
.
Future
films
in this
series
will
be announced
next
week.
OREMUS
Oremus
Magazine
is a
beautifully
produced
publication
which
provides
news
and
features
from
Westminster
Cathedral.
This
is a
good
way
to stay
in touch
with
the
Diocese
and
its
many
activities.
Copies
are
available
at the
back
of the
church
for
£2.
DIOCESAN
DIRECTORY
The
2009
Westminster
Yearbook
is available
in the
bookshop
(and
in the
Hall
during
coffee).
This
is a
treasury
of useful
information.
Only
£4
a copy.
CHILDREN'S
CHOIR
We
are
happy
to ammounce
that
the
Children's
Choir
resumes
rehearsals
today.
Please
meet
after
the
9:30am
Mass.
MOUNT
STREET
JESUIT
CENTER
114
Mount Street
To
book or make enquiries please
e-mail lynne@mountstreet.info
or ring 020 7495 1673.
Upcoming
courses:
The
Good News of Jesus Christ: Reading
and Praying the New Testament,
eight Wednesday
evenings 7-9pm presented by
Brian Purfield beginning on
January 7 th .
Really
Useful Psychology ,
a two-part course: Saturday
January 10 th and Saturday April
4 th , 11am to 4pm. presented
by Fr Roger Dawson SJ, clinical
psychologist and chaplain to
the University of Oxford .
PLEASE
REMEMBER
Mass
Intentions are always
welcome!
PARKING
REMINDER
Resident
Parking applies 24/7. Parking is "Pay
by phone" only and is free only
on Sundays and from Monday to Saturday
after 6:30pm. Congestion Charges apply
from Monday to Friday, from 7am to 6pm.
Please bear in mind that the Traffic
Wardens are very “pro-active” in this
area.
GIFT
AID
Please
use the Gift Aid envelopes at the church exits
if you are a UK taxpayer for all your donations.
If you are not sure of the code you have been
allocated, please complete name and address
or contact the parish office. Thank
you
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