Newsletter 21st April 2013
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Eastertide is a day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood and to the Religious life. There is a second collection today to help meet the costs of training the future priests of the Diocese.
Tuesday is the feast of St. George, the patron of our country and the patron of the Cathedral Church.
Thursday is the feast of the Evangelist, St. Mark.
Only another week to the Confirmations. Bishop Lynch will be administering the Sacrament at the 11am Mass on Sunday 28th April. There is a rehearsal on the Saturday morning after the morning Mass at 10.30. It should not take too long – no more than about half an hour. I hope that members of the group will be able to attend.
This Mass will be very full with families and friends, so if you normally attend the 11am Mass, you may possibly consider coming to an alternative Mass on this day.
A busy week ahead with a meeting at the School on Monday. On Tuesday the Chapter Canons meet and attend the Mass of St. George in the Cathedral. On Wednesday a meeting at the House of Lords and on Thursday to Greenwich Town Hall for the Education Committee.
There is a funeral Mass in the Church on Friday at 11am for Mrs Joyce Neighbours.
The works to the garden are continuing. You will have noticed the new hedge to replace the holly. The idea was to produce a barrier to keep cars off the grass, but somehow the holly never really made it. Two tons of earth arrived the other day and with a lot of references to “mate” the driver wanted to unload it outside the Church. I was able to persuade him to take it round to the garden.
The painting of the sacristy has now been completed. Work on the floor is due to start on 29th April. At the same time work will start on cleaning the benches. I know that the kneelers need replacing but this will have to wait for a little while.
Thanks to the children for their proposals on items for the garden. Please let me know if you have any further suggestions.
Paschal candles are quite large when they are new but by the end of the year, about half is left over. I had a bright idea of trying to use them as altar candles and found some stands at Jean Louis. On the first week, a guest at a baptism knocked one over, sending wax everywhere, so perhaps it was not quite such a good idea after all.
Here is a Grace by Robert Herrick:
Here a little child I stand
Heaving up my either hand;
Cold as puddocks though they be,
Here I life them up to thee
For a benison to fall
On our meat, and on us all.
Here is a strange dish from Catalonia:
Cook and drain some spinach and cut it up. In some oil, fry some pieces of garlic and a couple of chopped anchovy fillets and then add the spinach together with some pine nuts and some chopped raisins. Season with slat and pepper and cook very slowly. (I have tried this and I am not sure that I would recommend it – but at least it is interesting.)
A prayer from the psalms:
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him singing for joy.
Go within his gates giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise,
Give thanks and bless his name.
Most of the old roof has disappeared on the Brighton at London Bridge Station and the brown tin clad buildings, constructed in 1970, are coming down. The new Brighton concourse is light and pleasant and contrasts with the crowded tunnels on the South Eastern side. It will be splendid when it is completed but the disturbing factors are that for a time the Thameslink trains will no longer serve London Bridge and also the Charing Cross services will be fast to Waterloo East. This will make life difficult for many people.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon