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Newsletter 6th November 2011
We are now in the month dedicated to the Holy Souls. There is a basket under the altar for envelopes containing the names of those who you would like to be remembered at Mass during this month.
Next Sunday is a Remembrance Sunday: the Mass at 11am will be a Requiem Mass for those who died in the World Wars and also in conflicts that have taken place since then. We will observe the two minutes silence at the beginning of Mass.
Congratulations to the new Eucharistic Ministers who were formally commissioned by Bishop Lynch on All Saint’s Day: Sarah, Catherine, Mae,
Matthew, Kamara and Anna. Joe, who used to serve regularly at the 11am Mass is now in Africa but I am pleased to welcome a number of new servers – I won’t tell you how long it took me to disentangle one of the zips on a server‘s robe the other day.
Monday is the feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral Church of St. George. The Chapter Canons will meet and we will share in the celebration of a Mass with the Archbishop.
The Liturgy Committee meets on Wednesday evening at 8pm. We try to meet on different days to meet the needs of the members.
The Film Club meets again on Sunday evening at 5pm in the Angelus Room. This time the film is Invictus. I must remember to put some pizzas on the shopping list.
A little late, but an opportunity to tell you that the visit to the College at Valladolid was most enjoyable. This time eight people came with me. We were able to cope with the Ryanair flight without too many problems and as always, the staff and students at the College were most hospitable. There was a lot of work to be done, but I was able to give a guided tour of the buildings including the spectacular libraries, one of which is full of books bound in pigskin. There was a day out to Segovia, to see the Cathedral and the Alcazar as well a lunch at Josemaria’s. Already there are some hints about next year – I must speak kindly to the Rector.
The work to the Big Hall is now finished. I hope that you are pleased with the result. The floor was cleaned and re-sealed last week.. I will buy some more chairs and renew the tables so that it will be well equipped. We are working to dry out the floor in the Angelus Room and to replace the covering. It is taking longer than I anticipated but everything should be back in place well before Christmas.
Not many recipes from Spain this time: an interesting first course was some chard leaves, mixed with a béchamel sauce and served with a sprinkling of nutmeg. At least it was original.
A prayer for you:
O God, you make all things work together for the good of those who love you. Kindle the abiding fire of your charity on our hearts, that the longings you inspire in us may not be stifled.
Lewis Carroll on Father William:
Your are old, said the youth, and your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet;
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak –
Pray you did you manage to do it?
The new extension of the Docklands Light Railway from Canning Town up to Stratford opened at the beginning of September. Work is going ahead to link the Overground from Surrey Quays to the South London Line. The work is due to be finished by December 2012. Some of the new track follows the alignment of an old railway closed at the beginning of the last century. The line crosses the site of the old New Cross Dog Stadium and there have been some problems in breaking up the sub-soil. The trains will terminate at Clapham Junction.
It is good to see that we are becoming accustomed to the new responses at Mass – though I make a slip from time to time. New Mass books are due to be delivered for the First Sunday of Advent. I look forward to the arrival of the new missal. It is not easy to use the temporary booklet. The new altar card is most helpful and I am very pleased with the frame.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon