|
SCRIPTURE
READINGS
|
Isaiah |
35:4-7 |
| Psalm |
145 |
| James |
2:1-5 |
| Mark |
7:31-37 |
AUTUMN
START-UP
The
end of summer is sad enough (especially if the season
has been merely intermittent) but the return to
work and school after the holidays can be a real
“downer”. We hope that the autumn start-up at Farm
Street will enliven your enthusiasm for the things
of God and for a re-commitment to Catholic life.
We are blessed to have so many activities and programmes
on offer to help us to be more than just passive
spectators of Church life. One of our coming projects
is to provide a handbook – The Farm Street Directory
– to help you identify groups and team leaders involved
in our parish life so that you can see at a glance
whether there might be something to interest you
and how to make contact. Re-commitment to Church
life could also involve a bit of “autumn cleaning”
in our daily lives. Can we resolve to waste none
of our time on activities that do not serve
God or help us to grow in spirit? The time we save
could be spent on truly worthwhile things and could
change our lives.
We
have one piece of very sad news at the start of
our new year. Philip O'Brien died of a stroke in
August. Philip had just retired from being Chairman
of the Parish Council and his years of generous
service and devotion on behalf of the Church are
a glowing testimony to his love of the Lord. May
the Lord reward him! Please keep his wife Margaret
and his (grown) children Ruth, Philip and Malcolm
in your prayers. If you wish to send a note of condolence,
please see me. Every blessing to you!
Fr
William Pearsall SJ
Farm
Street Team
Fr
William Pearsall SJ (Parish
Priest)
Fr
James Campbell SJ
Fr
Tony Nye SJ
Fr
Anthony Meredith SJ (on
health leave)
Anne
Paolino (Parish Secretary)
Patsy
Cummings
(Catechetical
Co-ordinator
and
Pastoral Assistant)
David
Graham (Director of Music)
Patrick
Mallon (Sacristan)
Regularly
Assisting Clergy
Fr
Dominic Robinson SJ
Fr
John Edwards SJ
Fr
Paul O'Reilly SJ
Fr
Bernard Walker SJ
SACRISTAN
After
11 years of faithful and friendly service, our sacristan
Pat Mallon is retiring. He (and his dog Molly) will
be heading for Dublin
in a little over two weeks. We want to express our
tremendous thanks for his help over the years. He
has been an “invisible hand” in all the major and
minor liturgical events that take place in this
busy church. We say a sad Good-Bye on the 20 th
– his last Sunday with us. Meanwhile we will be
looking for a replacement and initially we will
need someone to cover all the Masses on Sundays
and to help with weddings on Saturdays in addition
to taking on responsibilities for sacristy property
and supplies and the numerous little tasks associated
with this sacred service. If this paid job interests
you please see Fr William. A big thank you to Maria
Fernandes who has volunteered to fill in until a
permanent replacement can be found.
OUR
CATECHISTS
As
you can see from the back page, the children's programmes
are growing all the time. This year we will be especially
attending to the spiritual, personal and social
needs of our teenagers. There are plans underway
for involvement in music and drama as well as volunteering
experience. Meanwhile, we want to honour our growing
band of Catechists who look after the young people
at Farm Street
and there will be a rite of Commissioning next Sunday
September 13 th at the 9.30 Mass.
This is also Racial Justice
Sunday and we shall be praying for continued progress
in this area as well as helping the Diocese in its
commitment.
WELCOME!
Fr
Bernard Walker SJ joins the Mount Street Jesuit
Community from Sacred Heart parish in Edinburgh
and will be Assistant to
the Superior
(Fr James Hanvey SJ) as well as working in the Curia
(the Jesuit central office). He will also – we are
happy to say - be helping in the church. Fr Bernard
has already had a chance to meet some of our Farm
Street regulars and we welcome
his warm and friendly presence among us very much.
YOUTH
MINISTRY OF
THE WORD
Children
and young people who wish to read at the Sunday
Family Mass ( 9.30am)
and have not yet registered should contact Patsy
Cummings. (pcummings@rcdow.org.uk).Training
will be provided and this is an excellent opportunity
to develop confidence, to acquire skills and to
serve the Church.
MEET
YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Churches
Together in Westminster
invites you to visit two of London
's greatest churches (sharing
opposite ends of the same street): Westminster Catholic
Cathedral on September 17 th at 6.30pm
and Westminster Abbey on
October 27th at 6pm
(evensong at 5pm ).
There will be refreshments following the tour and
a chance to “meet your neighbours” from other Christian
churches. See Fr William for more information.
FLOWERS
IN THE CHURCH
Our
wonderful volunteer Alessandra Brauzzi is leaving
London
and we need someone to freshen up the flowers around
the church (but not the sanctuary) once a week.
See Fr William.
A
big grazie! to Alessandra!
CHILDREN'S
LITURGY
Children's
Liturgy of the Word will resume on Sunday 20th
September for all children of school age (5 years
and above). This autumn a handbook for the
liturgy of the word for children will be available
and parents are invited to register in order that
the children and families can take part in all the
associated activities. For further information
contact Patsy (email address above).
CHILDREN'S
CHOIR
The
rehearsals for the children's choir commences on
Sunday 20th September in the meeting room after
the Family Mass from 10.30
to 11.00am
. There is no lower
age limit. Parents of children who are interested
who have not yet registered should see Patsy after
Mass or contact her via e-mail (above).
ALTAR SERVERS
Children
who would like to become an altar server (need to
have made their First Holy Communion) should contact
Stuart Marshall-Banks on stuart.marshallbanks@feltham.hounslow.sch.uk
. There will be a rota soon.
MOUNT
STREET
JESUIT
CENTRE
114
Mount Street , London W1
For
bookings and information:
Lynne
Galloway 020 7495 1673
lynne@mountstreet.info
“THE
CHANGING FACE OF
PARISH LIFE”
A
one-day workshop presented by Sr Helen Costigane
SHCJ, 11am – 4pm, Saturday 19 September.
Amid
changing parish structures, this is a chance for
lay people to find their full vocation at the heart
of the Church. The workshop is open to those involved
in parish life and also to those on the “margins”
who may feel a bit alienated. It will look at pastoral
opportunities, parish structures, lay leadership,
rights and obligations. For details see the leaflet.
OTHER
ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS
The
12 Steps – A Path to Freedom for Everyone
Presented
by Sandra Macdonald
11am-4pm
on Saturday 26 September
Dreams
and the Soul's Journey
Presented
by Madeleine O'Callaghan
11am–
4pm on Tuesday 29 September
Exploring
your Personality
Presented
by Margaret Philpot
11am-4pm
on Saturday 3 October
A
Spiritual and Practical Approach to Confident Communication
Presented
by Sandra Macdonald
11am
– 4pm on Saturday 17 October
“WHAT
DID VATICAN
II SAY?”
A
four-week course presented by Fr Dominic Robinson
SJ, 7pm-8.30pm on alternate Thursdays, 15 October
– 26 November. A unique opportunity to examine in
some depth the decrees of the Council and to try
to understand their meaning for the Church today.
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