Newsletter 8th July 2012.
A word of thanks to those who were able to come to the Parish meeting last Wednesday and a special word of thanks to the members of the Parish Council – to the outgoing Chair, Barbara, and to those who have agreed to serve for the coming year.
Today there is a second Collection for Apostleship of the Sea, which supports the work of the Port Chaplaincies.
Next Sunday, from 5.30 to 6.30 there will be a Peace Vigil in the Church organised by the Justice and Peace Group. This is part of the cycle of prayers taking place at the same time as the Olympics
Wednesday is the feast of St. Benedict, who is the patron of Europe.
Mansel, who is now a deacon, will be coming to stay on Friday. He will preach at the 7.30 Mass on Sunday evening next week.
End of term events everywhere at present. On Friday there is a Mass at St. Matthew Academy for the pupils in year 6 who are moving on to Secondary schools in the autumn. The Principal of the Academy, Mrs Cross, is retiring at the end of the term and there is a special Mass on Thursday.
Children are invited to have a look in the room at the back of the hall after Mass on Sundays. There are some toys there and you are welcome to borrow some if you wish. Also if you have some smallish toys that are now longer required, you might be able to add them to the toy box.
Inscription forms are now available for First Holy Communion classes and for Confirmation classes.
Generally for Holy Communion, children should be 7 years old. Classes will start in late September and I have fixed 12th May next year as the day for the celebration. We had a wonderful time with our classes this year, so I hope there will be plenty of candidates for the 2013 class. For Confirmation, as yet I do not have a date but I am hoping that it can be in late May. Generally candidates should be about 14. Classes will start in the autumn; normally one a month on a Wednesday evening from 6.30 to 7.30, so I hope that it will not be too stressful. I need to purchase the books and the other items that we need please complete the forms and return them to me as soon as possible. Email addresses are most important so that we can share information.
Another Spanish recipe this week. You will need to make a tomato puree, ideally with some fresh tomatoes, some sliced onion, a sliver of garlic and maybe some basil. Cook gently, to make sure that it does not catch, adding a little olive oil. Place in a shallow fireproof dish and add some thin slices of chorizo. Break in some eggs and bake in a hot oven until the eggs are set. You will need to drink some Rioja with this.
The children from the school came to Mass the other day and were amazed to find the raspberry canes at the bottom of the garden. The teachers wondered where they had all disappeared to – but they came back cupping the fruit in their hands. I think that they were delighted to be able to pick some fresh fruit. The rhubarb continues to grow and there will be enough for another pie soon.
At the end of September, there is to be a recreation of the Golden Arrow service from London Victoria to Paris Gare du Nord, using appropriate steam locomotives in England and France and Pullman cars. I would love to go – but there are other duties. I remember coming back to England on the Arrow in 1964. After a long period in Spain, afternoon tea in the Pullman from Dover to London was idyllic.
And now a prayer:
Help us this day, O God, to serve thee devoutly, and the world busily. May we do our work wisely, go to our meat appetitely, sit thereat discreetly, arise temperately, please our friends duly, to our bed merrily and sleep surely, for the joy of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
(This is a Medieval Prayer)
And a poem from Henry Vaughan.
There is in God, some say,
A deep, but dazzling darkness, as men here
Say it is late and dusky, because they
See not clear.
O for that night! Where I in him
Might live invisible and dim.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon