Newsletter Sunday 4th May 2014.
Today is the First Sunday of May and at the 9.30 Mass I will ask the children to help to crown the statue of Our Blessed Lady.
May is the month of Mary and to honour her, there will be Rosary, litany and Benediction at 6.30 this evening.
4th May is traditionally the feast of the English Martyrs and we always have a special celebration at the College on this day. Normally I would celebrate a Mass for the Martyrs on this day but the Easter Sunday Mass takes precedence.
The days for the First Holy Communions are fast approaching – there will be two days, 11th and 18th May, both at the 11am Mass. The benches in the centre of the Church will be reserved for the families with names for the families marked on the benches. Always these Masses are very crowded. If you normally come to the 11, you might possibly consider an alternative time for these two weeks. The children will have a rehearsal at 10.30 on the Saturday for each of the two groups – that is on the 10th for Sunday 11th and the 17th for Sunday 18th. Afterwards there will be a celebration in the garden – please say a prayer for fine weather.
On Sunday 11th there is a second Collection for the fund which helps meet the cost of training the future priests of the Diocese.
Monday is the May Bank holiday – if the Bishop is about there will be a Mass at 10am in the Church. I will be undertaking my other duties as a railwayman on this day.
The new set of Eucharistic Ministers have their final instruction next Tuesday evening at 8pm. This will be very practical and will take place in the Church.
The Liturgy Group meets on Wednesday evening at 8pm. We hope to be able to cover everything until the summer break.
I have arranged a rota for the children in the Primary Classes at St Matthew Academy to come to the Church for the Mass on Thursday during the summer term. They will come in year groups of two classes. We always enjoy welcoming them.
News from the great nephew – of late Lego has become quite competitive and images have to be posted on Facebook. Recently there have been representations of sporting events but ideas for new designs are welcome. Some of you know that a new brother or sister is due at the end of July. Pray for his mother – and for all who are expecting babies at present.
A sauce from Spain that you can use with some meat or fish. Grind some spring onions and some garlic in a mortar with some cayenne pepper. When smooth, add some olive oil, drop by drop and then add a little vinegar to make a smooth cream. Season with a little salt. This is sometimes used with hard boiled eggs. Shell the eggs and divide in half. Remove the yolk. Mix with the sauce and fill the white egg halves. Usually to be found in a bar and served with a glass of dry sherry.
During a recent visit to the railway, the steam engine Britannia was noted outside the workshops. The leading pair of driving wheels had been removed – I understand for attention to the quartering of the wheels. It arrived by road on a large trailer and without a tender – so not possibility of a test run on our railway. (I seem to remember travelling behind this engine in 1955 whilst travelling on the Hook Continental from Liverpool Street.)
Time for a prayer Lord our God by the resurrection of your Son you have forever illumined the world. Through the power of your Spirit, grant that those who still sit in darkness may be born anew, and that your light may shine on them for ever and ever. Amen.
No Gilbert and Sullivan for some time, so here is the Major General:
I am the very model of a Modern Major-General, I’ve information vegetable, animal and mineral, I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical, From Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical;
And so on …..
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon