MEETING ON THE OUTCOME OF THE FIRST PART OF THE SYNOD

Webmaster • December 11, 2023


TUESDAY 12th DECEMBER, AT 6.00pm, IN THE OLDE FORGE CAFÉ


You probably remember that, over a year ago now, we held two extremely well-attended meetings in preparation for a Synod of the whole Catholic Church throughout the world which was called by Pope Francis. The aim of the Synod is to review the way our Church lives and proclaims the Good News of God’s saving love, in the world today. Thanks to the very good work of Marian and Lorenza, who were our Parish representatives for the Synod in our Archdiocese, we made a number of suggestions and comments, in the light of the discussions at our two meetings. These were forwarded to the Archdiocese and in turn formed part of the Archdiocesan report in preparation for the Synod. Our own Archbishop John was one of the three Bishops from England and Wales who represented the United Kingdom in the one-month meeting of the world-wide Synod itself in Rome which recently ended. Archbishop John has written a report and given his reflections on this first part of the Synod. The second part will be next year, after the whole Church throughout the world has had a chance to pray and ponder the outcome of the first part. I had the pleasure, last week, of being with the Archbishop when he spoke about the Synod and what it has produced so far. I’d very much like to share with you what he spoke of and of what the Synod has so far achieved and listen to your views. I’ll then be able to feed back to Archbishop John exactly what we think and what we hope for. Please come to this hour-long meeting so that we can all play a prayerful, reflective part in shaping our future church, built on truth and love. The Holy Spirit who guides the Church has often spoken through people like you and I, in the last two thousand years. What you feel and what you say must be spoken and must be heard.

PLANTS AND FLOWERS FOR EASTER

By Webmaster • March 30, 2026
Please could you bring flowers and plants to our church that we could then place them on the sanctuary for Easter, as signs of the joy we feel at the Lord’s Resurrection from the Dead. Please bring them any time next Saturday before about 5.00pm and leave them in the porch of the church. Thank you.

EASTER OFFERTORY COLLECTIONS

By Webmaster • March 30, 2026
The Collections on Easter Sunday (basket in church, on-line and the Card Reader) are your personal gift to your priest. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

By Webmaster • March 30, 2026
The Olde Forge Cafe, our parish way of fulfilling the Lord’s command to be a Missionary Community, will only work if each one of us brings someone new to the Cafe on Sundays, Tuesdays or Saturdays. Each one of us, regardless of age or circumstance, is asked by the Lord to be a missionary in Sanderstead. As we enter into Holy Week and understand more the significance of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection, may we allow him to fill each one of us with his spirit so that we become a missionary parish.

WALK OF WITNESS ON GOOD FRIDAY

By Webmaster • March 29, 2026
May I invite you to join me for a short ‘Walk of Witness’ along our High Street on the morning of Good Friday. We will walk from our church, at 11.00am, to the ‘Gruffy’, stopping occasionally to meditate and pray. One of our parishioners, dressed in similar clothes to Jesus, will carry a large cross. We will be finished by 11.45am. Please bring the children too. I’m hoping that some of our friends from other Christian Churches will join us.

CHURCH CLEANING FOR EASTER

By Webmaster • March 29, 2026
Please could you join us next Saturday morning at 9.30, to tidy and clean the church for Easter. Parents, please bring the children too. Whatever age we are, whether man or woman, young or not so young, there is always some little thing we can all do. Humbly cleaning, tidying the church is a real prayer in itself.

LENTEN PENANCE SERVICE/OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL RECONCILIATION -31st MARCH

By Webmaster • March 29, 2026
We will have a short Penance Service, followed by an opportunity for individual reconciliation with the Lord, on Tuesday 31st March at 6.00pm

WEEK DAY LECTORS

By WEBMASTER • March 29, 2026
Mon: Giannina Tue: Marian

CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD DURING 11.00am SUNDAY HOLY MASS

By Webmaster • March 29, 2026
Dear Parents, please note that the Children’s own reflection of the Liturgy of God’s Word, takes place during School Term times. Please, of course, continue to bring the children to holy Mass, come early and sit near the front of the church so that children can see and better understand the holy Mass. The children’s own Liturgy of the Word begins again on Sunday 26th April. Dear Parents, please bring the children to the Holy Week Services especially on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil/First holy Mass of Easter on Saturday evening. During this week, the Lord speaks powerfully of his saving love, through the Liturgy, to all our hearts.

HOLY MASS INTENTION/STIPEND

By Webmaster • March 29, 2026
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.

HOLY COMMUNION UNDER BOTH KINDS/THE MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD/EUCHARISTIC MINISTRY/SIGN OF PEACE

By Webmaster • March 29, 2026
During the holy Mass of Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the priceless gifts of the holy Mass and the Priesthood which the Lord has given to his Church. Also, members of our Community of Faith who have been blessed and privileged to be Eucharistic Ministers, will renew their commitment to this sacred ministry. This is the best moment to begin again our normal practice of receiving Our Blessed Lord in the way he gave himself to us at the Last Supper, the very first holy Mass. Now that the Winter has officially ended and there is less risk of colds and flu’, we will be able to receive Our Blessed Lord not just in the consecrated bread which has become the Body of Christ but also in the consecrated wine which has become the Blood of Christ. Every holy Mass is a moment when the Lord’s great saving love for us, is made manifest. This is his love which he gives to us and wishes us to share with everyone, without exception. We will begin again, during this beautiful holy Mass, to offer a real physical gesture of peace and love for each other. Please do not receive the Precious Blood of the Lord from the chalice if you have a cough or cold or simply do not feel well.  Last Saturday, during a Eucharistic Ministers time of Prayer and Reflection, it was suggested by some Eucharistic Ministers that Hand Sanitiser be available for use following the Sign of Peace during holy Mass. Following the meeting, other Eucharistic Ministers suggested to me that the availability of Hand Sanitiser wasn’t really a great need and its use during the Liturgy would detract from the sacredness of the moment. Let’s leave the use of a Sanitiser then to personal choice, just as the way in which we offer each other a Sign of Peace is also a matter of personal choice.