NEWSLETTER

Thirty-Second Sunday of Easter (Year B)

World Communications Day

Sunday 7 November 2021

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

Message from Canon Kristian

Dear brothers and sisters

As we continue to pray for the Holy Souls in the month of November, I ask you to pray in a special way for those of our parish family who have died in the last few weeks: Septimus Waugh, Jo Pennie and Waldemar Smigocki.  Let us confidently entrust them to the unconditional love and abundant mercy of God, and pray that they may share fully in the life of the Risen Christ.  We remember their loved ones too, their family and friends, for whom the following weeks and months will not be easy.  May we offer them both the spiritual and practical help they need. Remember that if you have a list of deceased relatives and friends for whom you would like us to pray during November, there is a receptacle in front of the altar for their names.  Forms are available in church and on the parish website, but you can use any paper that you wish.

We are rapidly reaching the end of our Church Liturgical Year, the last Sunday being the Solemnity of Christ the King on 21 November.  That Sunday is also Youth Sunday, the day on which the whole Church throughout the world prays in gratitude for its own children and young people and for all young people whoever and wherever they may be.  In our own parish we are so blessed to have a good number of children, teenagers and young adults, and we will be celebrating them on that Sunday at the 10.00am Mass at St James, when they will be taking a prominent part in the liturgy by reading and serving, playing instruments and singing. What a joyful and hope-filled way to end our Church Year.

Once we have celebrated Christ the King, we, together with all the parishes of our diocese, will be entering onto the deep listening process that Pope Francis has asked us to do in preparation for the Synod of Bishops in 2022, which has the theme: “For a Synodal Church:  Communion, Participation, Mission”.  It has been decided to focus the listening and reflection within our parish communities during the Season of Advent as a good way of preparing ourselves for the celebration of the Incarnation of “God-with-us” at Christmastide.  So, our careful and respectful listening to each other will flow from our listening to God speak to us personally through his Word and in prayer; it will be part of our spiritual preparation as well as an important contribution to the “Walking Together” process that the Church throughout the world has embarked on.  Do keep an eye out for the details of the times and places when our listening and reflection will take place.  In the first few months of the New Year, the focus will change to looking outwards and listening to those who feel marginalised by the Church, those who have been hurt by the Church and those who feel completely disengaged from the Church or from religion, as well as those who are poor and in need.

Even after this phase of the Synodal Journey has been concluded, our listening and reflection will continue to take place focused on the Bishop’s document, A Precious Place of God’s Grace, which is asking us to consider how we as a Diocese and as a parish are being called to carry out today the mission entrusted to each and every one of us by Christ and what the future shape of our parish communities might look like as we face the challenges of the next five years.  Again, it will be important for as many of us as possible to take part in this process of reflection, since it will affect the future of each of us.

Along with the Newsletter, I attach this week’s Inspire by Deacon Peter, which I hope is providing you with some added inspiration throughout the week, the October CAFOD Update, giving you information about what is happening in its Campaigns, and the Imaginative Prayer Leaflet from Monika Manser on this Sunday’s Gospel.  I also attach the most recent Newsletter from St John’s, our parish school, together with an introductory letter from the school GIFT Team, our school pupil chaplains, who are doing great work in leading our school liturgies and encouraging everyone in our school to live the Gospel values.

As ever, please remember all those of our parish family who are sick, housebound or vulnerable at this time. Through our prayer for them and our practical support may they feel close to us, even in their isolation.

May God bless you all.

Canon Kristian

November – Month of Prayer for the Dead

November is, by tradition, the month during which we remember in our prayers in a special way those who have died, commending them to the abundant love and mercy of God.  In both of our churches in front of the altar there is a receptacle for the names of the dead for whom you are praying and for whom you would like the parish to pray.  A form is available for these names, but any paper will do, alternatively you can use the online form on the parish website here.  Please write the names clearly as they will all be remembered by name at Mass on 30 November.

Requiescant in Pace

Please pray for those members of our parish who have died recently, especially for Septimus Waugh, whose Requiem Mass will take place this Thursday at 2.00pm, for Jo Pennie, whose Requiem Mass will take place on Friday 19 November at 11.00am and for Waldemar Smigocki whose Requiem Mass will take place in Cullompton towards the end of November.  May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace and rise in glory.  Let us also have a special prayer for their loved ones at this difficult time.

COP26 UN Climate Change Conference

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which started in Glasgow last Sunday, ends this week on 12 November, so let us keep before God in prayer the work of the politicians and representatives of nations at the Conference, that they will have the courage to make the urgent decisions that must be made to protect our world and to halt the damage to our environment before it becomes irreversible.  If you did not take with you a copy of the prayer card with a beautiful picture of Mary, Mother of Mercy, enfolding creation under her cloak, painted by Helen Elwes, a friend of Sally Chapman, which has a prayer for our earth on the back written by Pope Francis, there are some still available at the entrance to church.

“Walking Together” in our Parish – Our Synodal Journey

In the week leading up to the First Sunday of Advent and during the Advent Season, we will join with all the parishes of our Diocese in the deep listening exercise asked of us by Pope Francis, around the four themes of “Listening”, “Mission”, “Celebrate” and “Let Us Dream”.  We are really blessed to have four facilitators in our parish to help us to listen and reflect prayerfully on these themes: Vivienne Brewster, Monika Manser, Eduarda Santos and Jane Wardle.  Thanks for their generosity in taking on this important role for us.

It is important that we all make this a priority and a central part of our Advent preparation for Christmas.  More details about times and places for our parish “Walking Together” will be available very soon.

CAFOD Prayer for COP26

Loving God,
We praise your name with all you have created.

You are present in the whole universe,
and in the smallest of creatures.

We acknowledge the responsibilities you have placed upon us
as stewards of your creation.

May the Holy Spirit inspire all political leaders at COP26 as they
seek to embrace the changes needed to foster

a more sustainable society.

Instil in them the courage and gentleness to implement fairer solutions
for the poorest and most vulnerable,
and commit their nations to the care of Our Common Home.

We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ your Son.

Walking Together – Diocese of Plymouth Synodal Journey

All are invited to an online event on Tuesday 16 November at 7.00pm where Austen Ivereigh will explore the topic “Behind the global synod; why Pope Francis wants you to speak boldly and listen carefully.” Austen Ivereigh is a UK-based writer, journalist and commentator best known for his books on and with Pope Francis, and for his role in the media explaining the convictions of the Catholic Church. He is a Fellow in Contemporary Church History at Campion Hall, Oxford and a regular contributor to The Tablet, America magazine and Commonweal, among others. The link to register for this free online talk is https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/behind-the-global-synod-a-talk-by-austen-ivereigh-tickets-196421952347.

Poor Box

There is now a permanent wall box in the entrance to St James for donations to support those who are in great need and the work of the St Vincent de Paul Society in our parish. Anything you can give at any time will be greatly appreciated.

200 Club

Congratulations to Lydia Perry who won the £30 prize and to Dorothy Yates who won the £20 prize in the November draw. Parishioners can join the 200 Club for as little as £1 a month. Please consider doing so if you are not a member.  Speak to either Simon Coombs or Sheelagh Bourdon at St James or to Teresa Cummings at St Boniface.

Preparations for the Christmas Fayre

There will be a workshop at 6.30pm in the church hall this Thursday, 11 November, to get items ready for the Christmas Fayre planned for Saturday 20 November. Anyone is welcome to come and help.

Christmas Draw and Canon Kristian’s Christmas Cake Draw

Tickets for Canon Kristian’s Christmas Cake are now on sale and the draw will take place on 12 December.  There will be a Christmas draw too and so donated items for the prizes are needed.  Your donation can be left at church. The draw will take place Sunday 19 December.

Parish Services and Events This Week 

Saturday 6 November – Weekday

  • Baptism of Joshua Gorman at 10.30am (at St Boniface)
  • Holy Mass at 6.00pm (Vigil Mass) Pro Populo

Sunday 7 November – Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

  • Holy Mass at 10.00am Jessica Bolton (birthday intentions)
  • Holy Mass at 11.30am (at St Boniface) Gabriela Zychlinska RIP

Monday 8 November – Weekday

  • Singing to Remember at 2.00pm in the Hall

Tuesday 9 November – Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

  • Holy Mass at 9.00am James Oliver Stack RIP

Wednesday 10 November – St Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor

  • Holy Mass at 12 Noon (at St Boniface)
  • Reception of the Body at 5.30pm

Thursday 11 November – St Martin of Tours, Bishop

  • Requiem Mass for Septimus Waugh RIP at 2.00pm
  • Holy Mass at 6.00pm

Friday 12 November – St Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

  • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions at 11.30am
  • Holy Mass at 12noon Jo Pennie RIP

Saturday 13 November – Weekday

  • Fundraising Committee at 9.30am in the Hall
  • Baptism of Clara and Violet Flavelle at 12noon
  • Holy Mass at 6.00pm (Vigil Mass)

Sunday 14 November – Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Remembrance Day and World Day of the Poor

  • Holy Mass at 10.00am Pro Populo
  • Holy Mass at 11.30am (at St Boniface) Waldemar Smigocki RIP