St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 24th September 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 Twenty Fifth Sunday of the Church’s year.
After the summer break, the magazine is published today.
Wednesday is the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul and Friday is the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Saturday is the Feast of St, Jerome, one of the four great “doctors” or teachers of the Church. He appears on the side altar in the Church and if you look carefully, you may be able find his pet lion.
We are pleased to welcome the children in the First Communion class to the 9.30 Mass this Sunday. They will have a special role, including reading the lessons and the bidding prayers, and they will receive their crosses – a special sign that they will be able to wear proudly during the coming year.
To tell you that I have visit to the eye hospital on Thursday – all has gone well, and I hope that they will be able to sign me off after the recent operation.
The end of another year for the accounts for the College in Spain: in the coming days I will be completing the records and preparing everything for the audit.
You might have spotted that the Princess of Wales hurt her hand on a trampoline recently playing with her children: so, remember to take care.
It is inevitable but you will need some Keats this week:
Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they/
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue –
You will remember this:
One fine day Pooh had stumped up to the top of the Forest to see if his friend Christopher Rone was interested in Bears at all. At breakfast that morning (a simple meal of marmalade spread lightly over a honeycomb or two) he had suddenly thought of a new song: It began like this:
“Sing Ho! For life of a Bear.”
A prayer for old people: Dear God, you made the whole of life to be lived and enjoyed, so please bless all old people. Give them all that they need for friendship, comfort and occupation. Above all give them zest for life and peace in their hearts; through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Some Railway information: the new trains are due to enter service on the South Western lines in the coming weeks; this means that it will be possible to transfer the remaining 707 units – the City Beam trains – to our local lines.
No news of the boy and his sister for some time – I think that they must be very busy at school – year 7 and year 5. It is their mother’s birthday this week – hard to think how old she must be.
No recipe this week as I am having a week of fasting after the summer.
Best wishes to you all.
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon