NEWSLETTER

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

World Day of the Poor

Sunday 13th November, 2022

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Message from Canon Kristian

Dear brothers and sisters

The Sunday is the penultimate Sunday of our Church Year, which concludes with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, next weekend. Along with our focus on the “End Times” and the fulfilment of God’s plan to “bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth” (Ephesians 1:10), two important commemorations also fall on this Sunday.

In our own country, it is Remembrance Sunday, the day when we remember in gratitude especially those who lost their lives during the two World Wars of the last century, but also remember and pray for all those who have been killed in all other wars and conflicts, combatants and non-combatants, which have scarred humanity and which continue to rage in our world.

Throughout the Church around the world, this Sunday is also the World Day of the Poor. As Pope Francis has warned on more the one occasion, war and conflict themselves cause great poverty. Thus, the two commemorations are linked and they give us much food for thought and action:

“What great poverty is produced by the senselessness of war! Wherever we look, we can see how violence strikes those who are defenseless and vulnerable. We think of the deportation of thousands of persons, above all young boys and girls, in order to sever their roots and impose on them another identity.” (Message for the World Day of the Poor 2022)

“Truly, war is the ‘mother of all poverty’…war impoverishes the family…is a great predator of lives, of souls, and of the most sacred and precious loved ones.” (Wednesday Audience, 3 June 2022).

I want to thank all those who so generously put themselves forward – or allowed someone else to nominate them – for selection as members of the Parish Pastoral Council 2022-2025. Unfortunately, in order to keep the Council a manageable size, it was not possible to appoint everyone who put their names forward as members, so I would like to stress my gratitude in particular for those who weren’t selected this time. I am sure that there will be other future opportunities to share in our parish life where your gifts and talents can be put into action. The names of those who have been appointed for the PPC for the next three years are:

Liji Binish
Vivienne Brewster
Tony Doble
Shelagh Eastwood (Safeguarding St James ex officio)
Margaret Found (Parish Treasurer ex officio)
Siobhan Gilroy (Safeguarding St Boniface ex officio)
Marcin Gorlo
Margaret Haxton
Oliver Lash-Williams
Pauline Pym
Eduarda Santos
Anna Zielinska
Ewelina Zychlinska.

We are also fortunate to have the participation (at least until they move into further education) of two of our young people to represent the voice of the young in our parish:

Mel Santos
Tilly Shepheard

Please continue to remember in your prayers those in our parish community who are seriously ill and those who are struggling to make ends meet in this time of economic chaos.

Praying that God will bless you all

November – Month of Prayer for the Dead

hroughout the month of November it is customary for us to pray in a more focussed way for those who have died. From 2 November there will be a pot in from of the altar for the names of family, loved ones and friends who have died. Mass on Friday 25 November will be celebrated for all these people and each will be prayed for by name at the Mass.

Many people we know – our neighbours, friends and work colleagues who are not Catholics or even people of any explicit faith at all – have also lost someone precious to them. This month is an opportunity for us to ask them sensitively whether they would like us to pray for that person. This is a gentle way of opening up a conversation about questions of death and life after death, and provides a context in which to share our Christian faith in the reality of the resurrection. These names can be added to the pot. A form is attached to the Newsletter for names, but any suitable piece of paper can be used.

World Day of the Poor Novena and Caritas Plymouth Newsletter

The sixth World Day of the Poor is celebrated by the Catholic Church this Sunday, 13 November, with the theme of “For your sakes Christ became poor” (2 Cor 8:9). Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN), the Bishops’ Conference agency promoting domestic social action, in collaboration with Redemptorist Publications, has produced a booklet including a novena and daily reflections. The November edition of the Caritas Plymouth Newsletter can be found by following this link: https://tinyurl.com/2hrtkx7t.

Film Night: “The Letter: A Message for our Earth”

The recently released and deeply moving 80-minute documentary on the impact of climate change on different parts of our world and on the lives of real people entitled “The Letter: A Message for our Earth”, sponsored by Pope Francis, will be shown in the parish hall this Tuesday 15 November at 7.00pm.

Parish Singing Afternoon – “Remembering and Waiting”

We will be holding another Parish Singing Afternoon followed by Tea and Cake next Sunday 20 November at St James, centred on the November theme of “remembering” and the Advent theme of “waiting”. Please do give your suggestions of hymns and songs to Bridget Tosh.

Indian Celebration

Next Sunday at 6.00pm in the hall at St Boniface, Cullompton, there is an invite from some of our Indian parishioners to join them in celebrating their culture and food. This is a great way to get to know the growing number of our parishioners originating from the Subcontinent. Parking at St Boniface is very limited and the surrounding streets are usually lined with cars so, if you are able, please use one of the carparks in the town.

Mary’s Meals

A volunteer speaker from Mary’s Meals will talk briefly at the end of all Masses next weekend to raise awareness of this remarkable Charity which gives hope of a life free from poverty and hunger for thousands of hungry children in our world.

Inter Faith Week 2022

Inter Faith Week 2022 (www.interfaithweek.org) takes place from 13- 20 November. Established in 2009, its aim is to help to strengthen good inter faith relations, to increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK and to increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs. The Week is timed to begin each year on Remembrance Sunday to encourage people to remember together the service of people of all faiths and none. See the special website section created with the help of the Royal British Legion.

Advent Retreat Day

An Advent Retreat Day, led by Canon Mark O’Keeffe and entitled: “Our Deepest Gifts: The Four Themes of Advent” will be held on Saturday 3 December at St Rita’s Centre in Honiton. The charge for the day, including lunch, is £25.00. Booking can be made by phone 01404 42635, email admin@stritascentre.org or online www.stritascentre.org/events. Payment can be made on the day. If you have any questions, please contact Krista Radzina on 01404 42635.

Diocesan Youth E-Newsletter

The latest edition of the Diocesan Youth E-Newsletter can be found here. This newsletter is circulated weekly, usually on a Wednesday. Please email Saskia if you would like to be added to the mailing list: saskia.hogbin@prcdtr.org.uk.

CAFOD World Gifts

This year’s World Gifts catalogue from CAFOD is available today. World Gifts are a wonderful way for our parish community to share the hope and joy of Christmas with our global family.

Canon Kristian’s Christmas Cake Draw

Draw tickets are on sale for this year’s draw for Canon Kristian’s Christmas Cake. You have to be in it to win it!

Big Christmas Draw – Donations and Tickets

Donations of bottles of wine, spirits and other drinks, chocolates and Christmas themed items are wanted for this year’s Big Christmas Draw. Please leave items at the entrance to church. Tickets for the Draw go on sale this weekend.

St Rita’s Christmas Catalogue

Copies of the Christmas Catalogue of religious items on sale at St Rita’s Shop in Honiton are available in church or visit www.stritascentre.shop.

Masses and Events this week

Sunday 13th November – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C

  • Saturday 12 November – St Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

    • Vigil Mass at 6.00pm

    Sunday 13 November – Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) – Remembrance Sunday and World Day of the Poor

    • Holy Mass at 10.00am with Baptism of Aadhya Rushsayanthan
    • Holy Mass at 12noon (at St Boniface) Pro Populo

    Monday 14 November – Weekday

    • Singing to Remember at 2.00pm in the Hall

    Tuesday 15 November – Weekday

    • Holy Mass at 9.00am Eugene McCarty RIP
    • Film Night: The Letter at 7.00pm in the Hall

    Wednesday 16 November – St Edmund of Abingdon, Bishop

    • Holy Mass at 12noon (at St Boniface) Christopher Sharp RIP (FM)

    Thursday 17 November – St Hilda of Whitby, Religious, and St Hugh of Lincoln, Bishop

    • Holy Mass at 6.00pm Sydney Duggan RIP (FM)

    Friday 18 November – Weekday

    • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Confessions at 11.30am
    • Holy Mass at 12noon

    Saturday 19 November – Weekday

    • First Holy Communion Session at 10.00am in the Hall
    • Vigil Mass at 6.00pm

    Sunday 20 November – Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

    • Holy Mass at 10.00am Pro Populo
    • Holy Mass at 11.30am (at St Boniface)
    • Parish Music Afternoon “Remembering and Waiting” at 2.30pm in St James Church followed by Tea and Cake
    • Indian Celebration at 6.00pm in the Hall (at St Boniface)