St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 11th September 2022
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 Fourth Sunday in the Church’s year.
After the 11am Mass today, the Justice and Peace group have arranged a presentation in the big hall on the work of the Foodbank.
On Tuesday evening Sister Marie-Christine will be giving the first of her conferences on Ignatian Spirituality -the theme will be Ignatius’s life as a pilgrim. It will take place in the Angelus Room from 6.30 to 8pm. All
Are welcome.
Wednesday is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Thursday is the commemoration of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The meeting for parents in preparation for the Holy Communion classes takes place in the big hall on Wednesday at 8pm. This is not a meeting for the Children – packs will be given out with the books and papers for the course in preparation for the first class, which is on Saturday 24th September. If at all possible, parents should try to attend this meeting.
Autumn days have come and many tasks in the garden. I have started to drain the pool and we can put it away for another year. The grass has started to grow again, but there are leaves everywhere and a lot of work to clear them up.
This week there will be a day’s meeting to prepare some policy documents for the College in Spain. Also there is a Governors’ meeting for the Sixth Form College.
I am very much aware that there are many people who are sick in different ways at present. An assurance of our prayers, particularly at Mass each day.
Thoughts soon about heating in the Church. Costs are very high, and I am thinking of setting the thermostat at 17 degrees. I hope that the winter will not be too cold, and we will see how things develop. You will need to come to Mass in overcoats and mufflers.
A basic Spanish recipe: fry some pieces of bread in olive oil some garlic and then stew until soft. Before serving you can add some poached eggs. This is a common recipe in Castille, known as sopa de los pobres.
An opening prayer: O Lord take away all coldness, all wanderings of the thoughts, and fix our souls upon thee and thy love, O merciful Lord and Saviour, in this our time of prayer. Amen.
Recent railway travels show that the 701 units have still not entered service on the South Western lines, though many of the units are gathering dust in the yard at Clapham. It is said that there is a problem with the software, as well problems with the Unions. As a consequence of this, we are still waiting for further 707 units to come across to the South Eastern lines.
Time for some Keats:
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon