THE HOLY FAMILY

An Intention for holy Mass is a specific prayer, often for a particular person or purpose, that a priest offers during the celebration of a holy Mass. It is the best way that we have to unite our lives, our hopes, our fears, our joys and our sorrows with the Lord Jesus. It is the best way possible, because every time holy Mass takes place, the Lord’s Death and Resurrection also takes place. A holy Mass Intention is a prayer asking that the Lord’s victory over sin and death be applied to the Intention. The Intention can be for those who are still living in this world or for those who have left this world. Anyone, of course, may request a holy Mass - In Thanksgiving, for a Birthday, for someone who has died, on the occasion of a special Anniversary, for someone who is unwell or for any other intention that we believe the good Lord wishes to hear and possibly to give us. Every holy Mass is the making present of the Lord offering his saving love to everyone, so every holy Mass is for everyone! However, sometimes we have specific Intentions that we may wish to mention to the Lord. A ‘Stipend’ or Offering for the holy Mass is not a fee! It is not ‘the cost of a holy Mass’! The holy Mass is so sacred, so full of the Lord’s presence and saving power that it is priceless! In fact, the Stipend is only a gesture of gratitude and care for the priest who celebrates the holy Mass for you. It is a way for supporting our priests who, although they do not receive salaries, still need personal funds to meet their own ‘costs of living.’ The Stipend suggested by the Archdiocese of Southwark Finance Committee is a minimum of £10 for each holy Mass. Of course, anyone who can’t afford a Stipend should still request a holy Mass Intention and I’m sure every priest would always be more than happy to celebrate holy Mass for someone in that situation.  Here in our parish, please use the holy Mass Intention envelopes which you will find in the porch of the church. Please write the details of the Intention, a preferred date if required, enclose the Stipend, and let me have it directly or post it through the presbytery letterbox.

The overwhelming consensus of opinion among our parishioners is that having a choice of three Sunday holy Masses in our small parish is not necessary and that in fact having three Sunday holy Masses is only there for convenience sake! Everyone is agreed that two Sunday holy Masses are more than enough for our needs and not just in the Summer! Everybody also agreed that if we are told to lose a Sunday holy Mass, then it must be the 9.00am Sunday holy Mass that we lose, since it is the least well-attended of our present three Masses. It was agreed by almost everyone that given the loss of the 9.00am holy Mass, then the time of the present 11.00am holy Mass will need to be a little earlier in the day. Almost everyone was in agreement that the best time for a Sunday morning holy Mass would be 10.30am. I have sent your recommendations of two Sunday holy Masses in Holy Family parish, at least during the Summer each year, to the Diocese, i.e: Sunday Vigil holy Mass at 5.00pm on Saturdays Sunday holy Mass at 10.30am on Sundays  The frequency and times of holy Mass in all parishes in the Archdiocese is decided by Archbishop John and his Advisors. So, we await the decision.

Please remember in your prayers many of the priests working in this Archdiocese. We are meeting with Archbishop John, this week, at a Conference Centre near Nottingham, to pray and to share our visions of the future missionary nature of the Archdiocese of Southwark