St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 17th April 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
Greeting to you all on this Easter day as we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.
Thank you all for sharing in our Easter services and a special word of thanks to all who helped in many ways – preparing the Church and helping with the music and the readings.
At Mass today, instead of the Creed, we renew our Baptismal promises, and you are sprinkled with water blessed during the Vigil on Easter Saturday.
The Masses during the week are for the Easter Octave. This year the feast of St. George is transferred to Tuesday 26th April
After the 9.30 Mass there will be a chance to look for some Easter Eggs in the garden. There is one egg which is wrapped in silver foil. The person who finds this will be able to claim a special prize.
This week the morning Mass will be at the normal time of 8am every day. I will not be going to the railway on Monday: as yet,
the normal full timetable has not been restored so that there are no duties.
Apologies to all who received a spam email last week – asking for funds – this was totally false, and it seems that my emails were hacked. For the time being if you need to contact me please use a revised email address – blackheathvillage@rcaos.org.uk – this is the formal Diocesan account and should be safer than my formal account. This all caused a great deal of worry with work to renew my computer accounts.
At long last the warm weather is beginning, and I hope to have the pool in use before long. Another task to clean everything and to order some chemicals. The stack of towels and swim suites will require a wash.
The work to the trees should be taking place this coming week, so please take care if you come to the garden. It has taken some time to organise it all as we have to obtain a consent from the Local Authority.
Apologies also for problems with the lavatories in the Angelus Room last week: I was able to unblock the drain and flush it through, so I hope everything is now in order.
A special treat that we enjoyed during the recent visit to Spain: you will need some white fish, such as fresh haddock. Steam it together with some large prawns and a couple of mussels. Serve with a sauce made with some melted butter and some parsley. In Spain it is made with fresh hake, but it is difficult to find this here. I hope you will not mind a special dish for the Easter season.
A prayer: We adore you, Christ, Son of the living God. We rejoice in your power and glory. Raise us up with you: inspire us with thoughts of joy, hope and love.
And some George Herbert:
The Sunne arising in the East,
Though he give light, & th’East perfume
If they should offer to contest
With thy arising, they presume.
I hope that you are all keeping well and have an enjoyable Easter break. I have had my fourth jab, so I am in good form.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon