NEWSLETTER

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday 23 August 2020

Please contact the parish to receive the newsletter by email each week.

Message from Canon Kristian

Dear Parishioners

Thank you so much for all those who came to meet the Sisters from Belarus last week and to support their important work by buying articles made in the convent workshops.  I know that those who heard them speak at Mass were moved by the inspirational work done by the Sisters with orphaned children, those living with mental illness, those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and with former prisoners.  The Sisters were extremely grateful for your support.

This Sunday we are having our Parish Tea Party in the afternoon in the presbytery garden.  I do hope to see you there.  It has been a long time since we have been able to gather as a parish community, so it should be an enjoyable “socially-distanced” occasion.

Rosie, the parish secretary, has been working hard as always this week, ensuring that those who want to come to Mass are able to have a place.  You will see that it is now possible to make a “rolling booking” if you attend the same Mass(es) each week.  However, do remember that if you do make this type of booking, it is really important to let Rosie know if you can’t come on a particular date, so that she can offer the place to someone else.  I am expecting the places at the weekend Masses to be the most popular so please be understanding if it not possible to accommodate everyone’s wishes for these Masses.

Next weekend is the Annual Appeal for the Catholic Children’s Society “Stretch Out Your Hand”.  The stewards will be handing out leaflets this weekend to those who would like one, which include a donation envelope to be returned next week.  However, due to COVID regulations, if you take one, you must take it with you and not leave it behind in the church.  There are details in the Newsletter about other ways you can make your donation instead of using the envelope.

For the first time this weekend, we are able to offer the possibility of giving your donations “contactlessly”, by means of our new Payaz machine.  This is a really new way for the Church to be taking donations, but it is the way that we are now familiar with in other areas of our life.  Margaret Found will be on hand to help anyone who wants to us the method of giving.  Once we get used to how the machine works, we will be able to take donations for special collections also, as well as for specific parish functions and events.

Along with the Newsletter, there is a handout from Monika Manser, available to read online or to download from the parish website (under the Resources> Reflections section). Rather than imaginative prayer, this week Monika is offering us an experience of Lectio Divina, a prayerful, meditative reading of the Scriptures traditionally practiced by those in monastic and religious life, but a way of reading the Scriptures that is open to all.

There is a Zoom “Parish Coffee Morning” this coming Thursday at 11.00am.  Everyone is welcome to join in. Please contact the parish office for joining instructions.

I hope you are all safe and well. As ever, you are all in my prayers.

With every blessing

Fr Kristian

Parish Office Hours

The Parish Office is open on:

  • Monday to Thursday from 10.00am-1.00pm
  • Friday from 10.00am-2.00pm

for all routine parish administrative matters, as well as to help with any other pastoral enquiries. During these hours it is possible to visit the Office, next door to the Presbytery, or by telephone or email. Emails will normally only be answered during office hours.  Contact details on the front of the Contact Us section of the parish website.

Masses at St James

Mass is celebrated at St James on:

  • Tuesday at 10.00am
  • Wednesday at 12noon
  • Thursday at 6.30pm
  • Friday at 12noon
  • Saturday at 6.00pm
  • Sunday at 10.00am and 11.30am.

It is important that you let the Parish Office know that you would like to come to a particular Mass.  At the moment there are sometimes spare seats at some of the Masses so you can chance turning up without booking, but there is no guarantee that there will be a seat available as some Masses are busier than others.  If you are wish to come to a particular Mass on a regular basis, you can make a “rolling booking” but, if you do this, please let the office know if you are not able to come to a Mass so that the place may be released for someone else. The wearing of face coverings is now obligatory in places of worship unless you fall into one of the exemption categories.

Parish Tea Party

A Parish Tea Party will be held this Sunday afternoon, 3.00-5.00pm, in the Presbytery garden – an opportunity to meet and enjoy each other’s company again in a safe environment after the months of separation due to the lockdown.  A cream tea will be provided, but do feel free to bring your own cakes and scones with you if you would feel safer doing that. If you can, please bring your own chairs, plates and cups, although some chairs will be available for those who cannot bring their own.  We are hoping for sunny weather, but there will be gazebos for shelter if it rains!

Material for Face Coverings

Christine Pickford has now made in excess of 200 face coverings!  If you have spare pieces of cotton material that you no longer have a use for, please bring them to the Parish Office so that Christine can make still more lovely face coverings for us!  Thank you to those who have already donated material.

Parish Website

Graham Parton has been doing a sterling job with the website, keeping it updated etc, but would now very much appreciate someone to share the workload and help with the website content. Graham has set things up to make things as easy as possible and is more than willing to show anyone the ropes.  Please get in touch with the Parish Office if you would be willing to serve the parish community in this way.

Lectio Divina on the Sunday Gospel

As this Sunday’s Gospel has already been used as a basis for imaginative prayer recently, there is a handout by Monika Manser to help with the prayerful reading of the Gospel, called Lectio Divina. It cab be read online or downloaded as a PDF in the Resources>Reflections part of the parish website, here.

Monika also hosts a weekly online prayer meeting. Please contact monika.manser@btinternet.com for Zoom access details. All welcome.

Catholic Children’s Society (Plymouth) Annual Appeal

The Society does wonderful work to help struggling children and their families in normal times but, with COVID, there is an even greater need and pressure to provide assistance and resources to help so many. Next weekend we have the annual appeal for the Catholic Children’s Society (Plymouth) to support the very great work the Society does for so many children and families.

Please take a leaflet with you today and return the envelope next week with whatever you can afford, however small. Donations can be made through the crowdfunding page www.crowdfunder.co.uk/2020-cssp-annual-appeal-stretch-out-your-hands. 100% of every donation made in this way is received and all donations are acknowledged. Alternatively, donations can be posted to CSSP, St Boniface House, Ashburton, TQ13 7JL or via BACS sort code 52-41-60 account number 06024335.  Please visit www.cssplymouth.org.uk for the full list of ways to support the Annual Appeal this year.

Parish Giving

We are truly grateful for those who have continued to give their parish offerings over these last difficult months. Your offerings are important to sustain the life of the parish. For those who do not give by Standing Order, there are baskets at the entry and exit to the church.

From this weekend, you can also make your donation by debit or credit card using our new “contactless” machine at the entrance to the church.  If you wish, you can also gift-aid your donation at the same time.  Margaret Found will be there to help you to familiarise yourself with the new machine this weekend.  The stewards will be there to help you at other times

200 Club

Congratulations to Janice Cuddy who won the £30 prize and to Tony Reynolds who won the £20 prize in the August draw.  The next draw will be in the middle of September.

Free Online Diocesan Marriage Workshop

There will be an online Diocesan Marriage Workshop on 12 September 2020, presented by Francine and Byron Pirola, the co-authors of SmartLoving, a resource used by engaged and married couples the world over.  They were due to be in the UK this autumn but, due to the on-going impact of COVID-19, it has been necessary for them to present their workshop online instead.

The workshop will be organised in two blocks: the first session, entitled “Prepare and Repair: Two vital strategies for a flourishing marriage”, will be for married or engaged couples themselves from 9.30am-10.30am, and the second session, entitled “Relationships under Stress”: Tips, tricks and tools from SmartLoving to support leaders in their ministry to couples and families”, is for those who prepare/mentor couples or who would like to do so, and indeed for all those who want to support marriage in any way at all, from 11.00am-1.00pm.  You can register now by going to www.smartloving.org/uk-online-event/. A flyer giving more information on each session can be downloaded here.

Masses and Events this week

Saturday 22 August – The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

  • Vigil Mass of Sunday at 6.00pm

Sunday 23 August – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

  • Holy Mass at 10.00am (Rita Briggs RIP)
  • Holy Mass at 11.30am (Pro Populo)
  • Parish Tea Party in the Presbytery Garden, 3.00-5.00pm

Tuesday 25 August – Weekday

  • Holy Mass at 10.00am

Wednesday 26 August – Bl Dominic of the Mother of God, Priest

  • Holy Mass at 12noon

Thursday 27 August – St Monica, Patron of mothers

  • 1100 a.m. Coffee Morning on Zoom
  • Holy Mass at 6.30pm

Friday 28 August – St Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

  • Holy Mass at 12noon

Saturday 29 August – The Passion of St John the Baptist

  • Vigil Mass of Sunday at 6.00pm