St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 10th September 2023
Sunday Masses: Saturday 6.30pm first Mass of Sunday
– Sunday 9.30 and 11am and 5pm.
Monday to Friday: Mass at 8am.
Saturday 10am and 6.30pm
Confessions: Saturday 12 to 1
Today is the Twenty Third Sunday of the Church’s year.
Thursday is the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Friday is the commemoration of the Sorrows of Our Blessed Lady.
The funeral Mass for Peter Worden is at 11.15am on Friday. May he rest in peace.
A reminder for the parents of the Children for the next set of First Communion classes that there is a meeting in the hall at 8pm on Tuesday evening to plan the classes and to give out the course books.
Time to start to drain the pool once again in the next few days and to put it away for another year. It has been slightly delayed this year due to the recent warm days.
The new season of Local Authority meetings is starting again, and I will be at Greenwich on Wednesday evening.
It was good to light the candles for the consecration crosses in the Church last Sunday to celebrate the anniversary. They have all burnt down and it will be a major task to fit a new set of candles.
We are pleased to welcome a new Vicar at St. Michael’s Church in Blackheath Park, The Reverend Trevor Kemp, and I will be attending his installation this evening.
A simple recipe for you this time: potatoes can be boring so try this: boil some long grain rice and drain and rinse it well: add some black pepper, some mixed herbs, some olive oil and a drop of tomato ketchup to give it some colour. This goes very well with fish.
For those with obscure interests, I understand that the new Irizar Tram buses have arrived at the depot at Orpington but as yet they are not in service.
And a prayer: Gracious God, in whom we live and move and have our being, be with us throughout this day so that we may serve your faithfully and be kept safe under your protecting hand. Amen.
The Rubaiyat is always good fun:
Come fill the cup, and in the fire of spring
Your winter garment or repentance fling;
The bird of time has but a little way
To flutter – and the bird is on the wing.
Various works are taking place on the Church and the other buildings: I expect you will be able to spot them.
I am busy this week sending out the Fee accounts for the College in Spain – to various places including Norway and Canada as well as the Diocese in England and in Ireland. I look forward to meeting the new set of students when we visit the College in October.
We have not had any Pepys for some time: this is 14th July 1665: Up, and all the morning at the Exchequer. Thence to the Old Exchange by water, and there bespoke two fine shirts of my pretty seamstress.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon