Newsletter 1st January 2017.
Welcome to the first newsletter for the New year and to wish you every blessing for the year to come.
I hope that all has gone well with your Christmas celebrations.
Thanks to all who helped with the celebrations in the Church.
Thank you also for your generous Christmas offerings and your many cards and gifts.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God. It as if, at the beginning of the year, we gather together all the titles that we will use to honour Mary during the coming months.
Next Sunday, 8th January, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. I know that it is two days late but the feast moves to the nearest Sunday. The children will present the final part of the cycle of mystery plays at the 9.30 Mass. Then the costumes and props will be put away for another year.
Generally, the Masses this week are for the Christmastide period though on Monday we keep the feast of the saints Basil and Gregory.
Looking back, in so many ways, 2016 was a curious year and we hope and pray that this coming year will be much better for all of us. We look forward to the First Holy Communions on 14th May and the Confirmations on 24th June.
Many things already organised – the rotas for the Eucharistic Ministers and the Readers. Thanks to Hazel and Nadia for attending to this. Please make sure that keep a record of your duties. We hope to arrange a special meeting for the readers in the coming weeks.
Already plans for the weeks ahead – to Sanlucar de Barrameda in the South of Spain at the end of this month for the 500th anniversary of the Foundation of the English Church of St. George. Also plans for two visits to the College at Valladolid -in March to check the accounts and prepare all the papers and in May for the formal meeting of the Trustees.
There are different works to be put in hand – I hope to complete the works to the house adjoining the Church in the next month or so. We need a new pump for the heating boiler to the Church and this is on order. There is a lot of work to do in the garden to clear up after the winter, and to prepare for a new crop of herbs. My olive trees have survived well and are shooting upwards.
You will have noted that the Mercedes Citaro buses are taking over on route 108. These are the former Red Arrow buses from routes 507 and 512, refurbished and with extra seats. The Red Arrow routes are now operated with new Vehicles, SSe class with electric motors but small diesel engines to generate power for lights etc. The Citaros have very popular: over 40,000 have been built for service in many countries.
A prayer for today: O Lord, whose way is perfect, help us always to trust in your goodness: that following you with faith and simplicity, we may possess quiet and contented minds and cast all our care on you: through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
A simple salad for the new year; crush a clove of garlic with some olive oil, salt and black pepper. Break up a cos lettuce and pour over the oil, leaving the garlic behind. Add some lemon juice together with the beaten yolk of an egg. Add some anchovy fillets with a little of their own oil. Add some grated Parmesan cheese and mix well.
Do you like Jenny Jones?
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon