St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 12th November 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 Thirty Second Sunday of the Church’s year.
We keep today as Remembrance Sunday. The 11 am Mass with be a Requiem for those who died in the World Wars, and we will also remember all those who have died in more recent conflicts.
The Archbishop has asked if today we can make donations to his special appeal. This helps meet the cost of educational and social projects in some of the parishes in the Diocese. Some envelopes are available for your donations and you can put them in the special box. Thank you for your help with this.
I hope that by now the heating in the Church has been fixed. It has been a difficult few weeks with the need for repairs in both the house and the Church. In days gone-by I could fix a gas boiler but the new machines are more difficult.
The Parish Council: for many reasons this has been delayed for some time, but it is time to put it on the agenda. I am arranging a meeting in the big hall at 7.30 on Tuesday 21st November. I need some nominations for new members and so I have put out some forms for this. I hope that there will be some new members.
I am appealing for men’s clothing for the homeless / rough sleepers at The Passage Westminster.
The centre provides high quality support in many ways to people who have recently begun sleeping on the streets .
Many of these who attend are suffering from break downs, hardships , mental and physical illnesses .
We are desperately short of men’s clothing such as socks , underwear , trousers , jumpers , outdoor jackets and woolly hats .
If you have any unwanted such clothing please leave at the back of the church .There is a container labelled clothing for The Passage. Much appreciated, Una.
I love these lines:
So they took it away and were married next day (the ring from the pig’s nose)
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon.
A recipe for sea bass. Cut the fish into slices and add a chopped onion. Season well with pepper, salt and paprika and cover with some white wine. Cook in a moderate over for about 30 minutes. Before serving you can add some parsley and maybe a can of mussels.
A prayer for today:
Lord, we pray that thy grace may always precede and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
A first trip on an electric bus on route 108 the other day: looking at things in the driver’s cab that boys should not examine, the remaining charge looked very low on a wet and dark evening: it would need a recharge at the terminus. This helps explain why the Citaros are still in service.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon