St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 13th March 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: Saturday12 to 1
Today is the Second Sunday of Lent.
The gospel today gives an account of the event that we describe as the Transfiguration of the Lord.
As a Lenten devotion, there will be Stations of the Cross at 6pm today.
Boxes will be available for your donations to Cafod from Lent fast day on Friday. In sending in your donations, I will ask Cafod to allocate a portion to relief in Ukraine.
Also, thank for your continuing kind donations to the Foodbank.
Two feast days this week – Thursday is the feast of St. Patrick and Saturday is the feast of St. Joseph. Otherwise, the weekday Masses are for the Lenten season.
We are pleased to welcome the children in the First Communion class for their special Mass at 9.30 today.
You will have noticed the new roof on the little house in garden – thanks to Jim, Emily, and their twins for their help with this. The original roof had been damaged by the storm.
A new notice board outside the Church is due to be fitted this week. Also, we are continuing with the works to the trees in the garden and around the house.
Not quite a recipe this week. Nowadays white meat such as pork and even chicken can be tasteless. If possible before cooking, I try to marinate it over night with a mixture of olive oil and wine, some herbs, pepper and salt and maybe a slice of onion and some garlic.
To your protection, O Lord, we commend ourselves and those whom we love. Bless, guide and defend us so that our journey through life may lead to everlasting happiness in your presence. Amen.
We have received some instructions about the Easter Services, and we hope to be able to celebrate them as far as possible. There will be no washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday – and for the veneration of the cross on Good Friday, simply touch the foot of the cross with a finger. I hope that the Vigil will take place as normal, starting with the fire in the garden and the procession with the Paschal Candle into the darkened Church.
God save thee, ancient Mariner!
From the fiends, that plague thee thus!
Why look’st thou so? With my cross-bow
I shot the Albatross.
Oh well, one way of getting rid of it!
The boy and his sister are already looking forward to the Easter holidays. Time to take out his cricket bat once again and to begin to oil it for the summer term.
Looking ahead, I am thinking we might have a party in the garden on Saturday 4th June as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations – nothing too formal, but plenty of games and everyone brings a dish to share. What do you think?
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon