St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 24th December 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 Fourth Sunday of Advent – and also Christmas Eve.
As you read this, I am sure that you are very busy with your Christmas preparations. I wish you every blessing at this time and hope that you will have an enjoyable day with your families and friends.
A Christmas edition of the parish magazine has been prepared by the editorial team. Thanks for all their work during the year.
You have probably worked this out already but the Christmas Day Masses are at 12 midnight, 9.30 and 11am.
There will be a service of readings, carols and music starting at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve. The Church will be open from 11pm.
The children will perform the second part of the cycle of Mystery plays at the 9.30 Mass. There is still time to add names for parts on 7th January.
The 11am Mass is the solemn Mass of the day.
There is no evening Mass.
During Christmas week the Masses will be at 8am each day. There are several feasts this coming week:
- Tuesday 26th St. Stephen
- Wednesday 27th St. John the evangelist
- Thursday 28th The Holy Innocents
- Friday 29th St. Thomas of Canterbury.
Next Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family.
You may have some meats left over from Christmas Day so here is a recipe for a simple salad; a chopped cos lettuce, some cucumber slices, some baby tomatoes, some pieces of avocado; make a dressing with some good olive and wine vinegar in a three to one ratio and mix in some sugar and a pinch of mustard powder. Save to the last minute but dress the salad just before you serve it.
Off to the Railway again on Thursday for an afternoon of duty. I hope that it will not be too cold. We stoke up the fire in the porters’ room with some coal off the engine, brew up some tea, and then see if we can manager to cope with some further tasks. You have to go back many years to remember when the real railway was like this.
What shall we tell you? Tales, marvellous tales
Of ships and states and isles where good men rest,
Where nevermore the rose of sunset pales,
And winds and shadows fall towards the West.
Outside lights have been causing problems in recent weeks due to the very damp weather during the last month or so. I have done my best to keep them in order but the problem is that they trip the fuses when the damp weather returns.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon