Offertory £932.83
Cafod £5
Newsletter: Sunday 24th July 2011
The schools are now all on holiday and things are a little quieter. I hope that you are all having an enjoyable break.
Thanks for those who were able to come on Saturday to help with the gardening day. I look forward to the final results.
I am conscious that there are many Spanish people in our parish and I am always pleased to be able to speak with them. Monday of next week, 25th July, is the feast of St. James, Mass at 7pm in the Church in Spanish and afterwards we can have a celebration in the Angelus room and if it is fine, in the garden – I will try to provide a few bottles of tinto and maybe some pinchos but if you are coming, you might bring something to share. Con mucho gusto.
The other saints this week are St. Joachim and the St. Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose feast is on Tuesday, and St. Martha on Friday.
The choirs and the organists will be taking a break for the next few weeks and the music will resume again at the beginning of September.
I have put out some inscription forms for the First Holy Communion classes. There will be an initial meeting for parents in mid-September and the classes will start at the beginning of October.
Also there have been some requests about Confirmation. Normally the Bishop comes for Confirmation every two years. There were Confirmations in May of this year so that the next visit will be in 2013, probably in May. Classes will start in October next year. Candidates should be about 1-4-15 years old.
Thanks to all who help with Gift Aid, which means that we can recover the tax on your regular contributions to the parish. This year the tax claim amounted to just under £6393.. If you would like to Gift Aid your donations, please let me know. I can provide you either with a box of envelopes or a form for a standing order.
Once again the leaves on the horse chestnut are beginning to turn brown early. It is not quite as bad as in previous years, but obviously the tree is still unwell. I understand that this was caused by moths coming from North Africa, moving northward due to the climate change.
A rice recipe for this week: cook drain and wash the rice. Add a few slivers of garlic, some parsley, some black pepper, some skinned, de-seeded and quartered fleshy tomatoes and some quartered hard boiled eggs.
(The Rice is a good preparation for heaven as you will be expected to eat Ambrosia all day).
A prayer from psalm 99:
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him singing for joy.
Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise,
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
(If you have long memories, you may remember singing this to the Gelineau music.)
And now a summer song:
In the Philippines there are lovely screens
To protect you from the glare.
In the Malay States there are hats like plates
Which the Britishers wont wear.
At twelve noon
The natives swoon
And no further work is done,
But ………..
(you know the rest)
The Overground from New Cross has been open for about a year now. I understand that it has been a great success and the number of passengers has exceeded expectations. The next stage will be to add the spur to the South London line so that trains can run through to Denmark Hill and Clapham Junction. If you look carefully, the bridges and part of the track bed is already in place. I must take a trip through from Gospel Oak to Barking during the summer.
Best wishes to you all.
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon