St Mary’s Blackheath
Newsletter 5th November 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 Thirty First Sunday of the Church’s year.
Tuesday is the feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral Church.
Next Sunday is Remembrance Sunday and the 11am Mass will be Requiem Mass for the dead of the World Wars. We will begin with the two minutes silence so please remember to arrive in good time.
After the 11am Mass today, a speaker from the Jesuit Refugee Service will give a presentation in the Angelus Room.
Next Sunday the Archbishop has asked if we can have a collection to help with a number of projects throughout the Diocese including education and social care. I will leave out some envelopes and a box if you would like to make a donation.
More readers are needed to read at Mass on Saturday evening and the three masses on Sundays. Please consider if you could assist with this and contact Clodagh Woodall (clodagh.woodall@gmail.com) who will be preparing a new rota for 2024.
The last week or so has not been easy with problems with the heating boilers in both the Church and the House. Waiting for appointments and then finding the boilers have failed once again – que faena!
The visit to the College in Spain was most enjoyable – including the special feast day for the martyrs. I always try to bring back a recipe – this one is quite difficult – patatas de importancia – cook some large potatoes so that they are still firm – slice them in big chunks and cook them in thick batter made with flour and a little stock – fry in some oil and serve with a poached egg.
A prayer for today:
Lord Jesus Christ, you have made me and redeemed me and brought me to where I am upon my way; you know what you would do with me; do with me according to your will.
On railway matters, I understand that the final 6 Citybeam units have come across from the South Western railway. They were worked from Clapham Junction to Grove Park where they will be repainted and prepared for service. The South Eastern now has a fleet of 30 units.
Keats in a mood of celebration:
Souls of poets dead and gone,
What Elysium have ye known,
Happy field or mossy cavern,
Choicer than the Mermaid Tavern?
Plenty of work in the garden in the coming days clearing the fallen leaves and branches. I hope that the weather will be dry. My patch of re-sown grass is doing very well but is subject to attack from the animals who want to dig it up.
An interesting piece of history – Thomas Byrd, the son of William Byrd came to the College in Spain in 1599 but did not continue to ordination. We were able to find an entry with his name in the College register.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon