Newsletter 12th June 2016
Today is the Eleventh Sunday in ordinary time.
There is a second Collection today for the Catholic Trust of England and Wales. This is the fund which meets the costs of the central administration of Church and the work of the Bishops’ Conference.
Congratulations to Bishop Paul Mason who was ordained as an auxiliary Bishop for this Diocese on 31st May. He will be responsible for the parishes in Kent.
The work to the organ in the Church should be completed this week, but on weekdays we will be in the Angelus Room for Mass.
There will be an extra Mass at 10am on Thursday as the children from year 6 from St. Matthew Academy are coming to visit the Church. Two classes will be coming so I must provide a good supply of orange squash and biscuits.
A meeting for the priests of the Deanery on Tuesday and the audit Committee at Christ the King College on Wednesday.
I hope that by now you have found your new boxes of gift aid envelopes. If anybody else would like a set could you please let me know.
A reminder of the Mexican night in the hall on 9th July. You will have seem the posters in the porch.
Thanks to all who helped with the recent Coffee morning. We were able to send £315 to the Jesuit Refugee Service.
I am hoping for some warm summer days, but as I write this the rain is pouring down and it is freezing cold. My pot of dill is doing well but the basil does not seem to have succeeded. I found a snail in the pot the other day and sent him on his way. Plenty of fruit on the cherry tree and there are some tiny buds on the new olive trees.
Thursday is the commemoration of St. Richard of Chichester so here is his familiar prayer: O most merciful Friend, Brother and Redeemer; may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow the more nearly.
An interesting day on the railway on the last Bank Holiday. The engine dropped some burning coal when we stopped at Ropley and set light to the track under my Buffet coach. Some urgent attention was required with our fire extinguisher, and complaints to the station staff who had failed to fill their water buckets. The engine crew wondered what all the fuss was about.
I made this the other day and can recommend this to you as a supper dish. Cook a baby cauliflower in some salted water so it remains firm. Make a sauce with margarine, flour, some mustard powder, milk and some good strong cheese, stirring well to ensure that the sauce is creamy. Pour over the cauliflower and bake until the sauce bubbles and begins to brown. Serve hot.
On other important matters, have your noted the latest new Routemaster buses no longer have a folding door on the rear platform and this has been replaced with sliding door. The original door caused a number of problems and required several notices and an audible warning.
Several people have been to Corunna recently and they will have seen these words engraved by the tomb of Sir John Moore:
Few and short were the prayers we said
And we spoke not a word of sorrow;
But we steadfastly gazed on the face that was dead,
And we bitterly thought of the morrow.
I hope that the weather will warm up in the coming weeks so that we can enjoy the garden. It seems to have been cold and wet for many days.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon