NEWSLETTER

Solemnity of All Saints

Sunday 1 November 2020

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

Message from Canon Kristian

Dear Parishioners

Happy All Hallows Eve!

I hope this email finds you safe and well.  As you will be aware, there has been a marked increase in COVID-19 infections over the last week, including here in the South West, and the latest indications appear to be that the Government is intending to announce another “lockdown” on Monday for a month which, although it will not affect schools, will almost certainly affect churches.  If that does happen (and we cannot be sure of anything at the moment), I will make sure that you are informed about the position regarding Masses in church.  Whatever the outcome, please do keep safe and abide by the social-distancing and use of face covering rules as best you can. As well as keeping us safer, the observance of these rules by those who can is, for us, a concrete act of love of neighbour.

As usual, along with the Newsletter, there are a number of attachments for you. Amongst these, I would highlight the following:

  • Holy Souls List:  As last year, there will be a pot in from of the altars in both our churches for the names of those who have died.  They will be remembered at the Holy Souls Masses said throughout November.  Whether we go into another “lockdown” or not, less people are able to get to Mass physically for the moment, so I have uploaded a sheet for you to download and fill in, if you wish, and to return to the Parish Office either by email or by posting it through the presbytery letterbox.  Alternatively, you can fill in this form on the parish website which will be emailed to the parish office. They will then be placed in the pots alongside those which are placed into them by those who can/might be able to get to church.  Unfortunately, due to social-distancing restrictions, it will not be advisable to hold a particular Mass this year at which these names are commemorated, but they will be remembered in prayer at at least one Mass each week throughout the month.
  • Setting Up a Standing Order:  The situation with regards to the regular giving of cash in Gift Aid Envelopes in the collection is clearly set out in the Newsletter.  We are therefore appealing to all Gift Aid Envelope users to transfer their regular giving to a Standing Order if at all possible.  Not only will this reduce significantly the risk of spreading infection in our community, but it will also save the considerable amount of money the parish pays for the envelopes themselves (with the added bonus of reducing our carbon footprint!).  On behalf of the whole parish, I want to express my sincerest thanks to those who are continuing to support the parish financially throughout these challenging times.  Your generous giving is both appreciated and necessary.  I am sure that if you have any questions about setting up a Standing Order, either Margaret Found, the Parish Treasurer, or Siobhan Gilroy, the Parish Gift Aid Organiser, will be more than willing to help.  Just send your question via an email to the Parish Office and Rosie will pass it on.
  • Plymouth Caritas – Reaching Out Digitally:  The latest newsletter for Caritas Plymouth is focussed on “reaching out digitally” to others.  This is something that we are becoming more and more used to due to COVID, so it is a timely reminder of how important it is in terms of our Christian outreach to others.
  • Prayer and Spiritual Life:  Along with the weekly leaflet from Monika Manser on Imaginative Contemplation, a booklet for personal reflection on the Responsorial Psalms for the Sundays of November is also available to download here.
  • CHAT Christmas Foodbank Appeal:  A picture of the poster from CHAT with details regarding the donation items for its Christmas Foodbank Appeal, which I know the parish will want to support, is below:

Finally, could urge all those parents whose children or young people are due to make First Communion or receive the Sacrament of Confirmation to complete an on-line application form (or collect one from the church) as soon as possible as we need to start to make concrete plans for the preparation and it is important that we know the numbers of children/young people that we have.

I hope that the young of our parish community (and the not so young!) enjoy whatever they have planned for today.  However, along with the pumpkin lanterns and costumes, it is important to remember that, rather than being about witches and wizards, “ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night”, All Hallows (ie Saints) Eve for us is a celebration light and holiness, of the belief in the Communion of Saints – that these holy spiritual women and men, our friends, remain closely related to us and involved with our everyday lives, that we celebrate on All Hallows Day.

With my prayer and every blessing

Fr Kristian

Places at Mass

Due to limited spaces at the weekend Masses, it is really important that you contact the Parish Office as early in the week as possible – either by phone during parish office hours or by email at any time – to ensure that there are places available. Unfortunately, once we have reached the maximum number permitted due to COVID distancing regulations, we are not allowed by law to admit others into the building.

“Track and Trace” and the NHS Test and Trace App

Both St James and St Boniface have been issued with their specific QR code by the Government and these are posted at the entrance and exit of each church.  We have been asked to continue to take people’s details manually as well.

Second Collection for Catholic Communications

This weekend we will hold the Second Collection to support the Catholic Communications Network, which promotes the increasingly important use of the various communications media – radio, television, internet – in the mission of the Church. Please use the baskets at the entrance/exit of the church or you can give using our contactless card machine.

November – Month of the Holy Souls

November is the month when we pray in a particular way for the Holy Souls, those who have gone before us on the path of faith into eternal life, especially our loved ones and those who have no one to remember them.  It is Catholic belief that most of us when we died still need to undergo a final period of purification (traditionally called “purgatory”) before we are able to enter into the fullness of God’s eternal light and love. It is to assist those Holy Souls, our brothers and sisters, experiencing this state of purification that we pray for them. NB There will be Mass on Holy Souls Day, 2 November, at 6.30pm.

We pray, too, for all who have died, regardless of their faith, so this month provides a real chance to reach out to our neighbours and friends to ask whether there is someone for whom they would like us to pray. This often gives us an opportunity to share with them our Christian faith in the resurrection and eternal life, and of our enduring relationship with those who have died.

Due to Covid, it will not be possible for everyone to get to church during this month. To help we have created a short form on the website where you can send us your Holy Soul List or you can download the usual form to complete to send to us by email, post or by hand to the parish office or left in the pots placed in front of the altars in both churches.

First Holy Communion Preparation

Parents who would like their children, aged 7 and over, to make their First Holy Communion in 2021, are asked to fill out the Application Form  and to return it to the Parish Office as soon as possible.

Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation

If you are 12 or older – or have a young person of this age – and would like to be confirmed, please complete the Application Form and return it to the Parish Office as soon as possible. The Bishop has been scheduled to come to the parish to celebrate the Sacrament on Saturday 10 July 2021, so we need to start the preparation very soon.

The Human Person Workshop (click to download poster)

Who am I? What is my nature? What has God created me for? Who has God created me for? An Online Group Workshop to contemplate the unique answers that the Christian faith gives to those questions, highlighting the incredible dignity of every person, is offered by Franciscan at Home on starting on Monday 16 November, from 7.30-8.30pm (six sessions). For more information or for a link to the meeting contact deborah.vankroonenburg@prcdtr.org.uk.

200 Club

Congratulations to Teresa Cummings who won the £30 prize and to Alan Parr who won the £20 prize in the October draw.  New members are always welcome to join the 200 Club which raises funds for the parish.  Please speak to Simon Coombs or Shelagh Bourdon at St James or Teresa Cummings at St Boniface.

Canon Kristian’s Christmas Cake Raffle

Canon Kristian’s Christmas Cake is already being regularly feed with Christmas spirit!  For a chance to win it, raffled tickets are on sale at all Masses, £1 each, by cash or contactless card. You’ve got to be in it to win it, as they say!

Parish Giving – Move from Gift Aid Envelopes to Standing Orders

Thank you to all our parishioners who have continued to support the parish financially even when unable to attend Mass in person. As we move back to more people being able to attend Mass, we would like to appeal to anyone who uses a gift aid envelope.  Many people consistently give the same amount each time in their envelope and, if you are one of these, we would like to ask you to consider moving to a standing order instead.  Because of Coronavirus, handling and counting cash has become much more onerous for our volunteers due to social distancing and having to quarantine cash.  It would make our task much quicker, easier and safer if we could reduce the amount of cash we have to handle.  The best way to set up a standing order is via online banking using the bank details on the Bankers Order form or by completing the form and handing it in to your bank. The form is available by contacting the parish who can either email you the form or send a paper copy through the post. A standing order is entirely under your control as regards amount and interval and, as a parish, we do not hold or have access to your bank details. An additional saving to the parish is that we could spend less money on buying envelopes and we need to make savings wherever we can so that your money can be spent in more meaningful ways other than stationery.

If you are able to help us by making this change, please email the office and let us know that you will no longer need a gift aid envelope, as we have to order next year’s envelopes very soon. Thank you again!

Masses and Events this week

Saturday 31 October – Weekday

  • Vigil Mass of Sunday at 6.00pm

Sunday 1 November – Solemnity of All Saints

  • Holy Mass at 10.00 am Anthony Cooper RIP (anniv)
  • Holy Mass at 11.30 am (St Boniface) Pro Populo

31st Week in Ordinary Time (A)

Monday 2 November – Commemoration of All Souls

  • Holy Mass at 6.30pm

Tuesday 3 November – St Winifride, Virgin

  • Holy Mass at 10.00am

Wednesday 4 November – St Charles Borromeo, Bishop

  • Holy Mass at 12noon (St Boniface)

Thursday 5 November – Weekday

  • Holy Mass at 6.30pm

Friday 6 November – Weekday

  • Holy Mass at 12noon

Saturday 7 November – St Willibrord, Bishop

  • Vigil Mass of Sunday at 6.00pm