NEWSLETTER

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Sunday 21 November 2021

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

Message from Canon Kristian

Dear brothers and sisters

The Newsletter is a little later getting to you today because of the Christmas Fair which was held in the parish hall from 10am-1pm – and what a great success it was too!  It was lovely to see young and old coming to enjoy themselves and raise money at the same time.  We were also treated to some music and singing performances by our own parish “orchestra” and the fantastic choir from St John’s, our parish school.  What a privilege, joy and boon it is to the parish to be blessed with some many young people and children.  Our thanks go to them and their families who brought them, to their teachers, Catherine Fitton, Helen Hewson and Catherine Yeandle , to Tracey Harte, the Pastoral Support Teaching Assistant,  and of course, to our organist and music director Bridget Tosh. Above all, our thanks must go to Siobhan Warne (and her band of Christmas elves) who puts so much thought, time, effort and preparation into making the Christmas Fair such a great parish event.

This Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King, which is also Youth Sunday.  As a result, our young people will be taking a major part at the 10.00am Mass in St James and at the 11.30am Mass in St Boniface.

Along with the Newsletter, you will find attached the full text of the Message from the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales concerning the importance of Sunday Mass, the latest newsletter from our parish school, the weekly guidance to prayerful reflection on the Sunday Gospel by Monika Manser and Inspire No.4 from Deacon Peter, all providing much to read and contemplate upon.  You will also find a special newsletter from our GIFT Team at St John’s about CHAT. This is a group of pupils who take on the responsibility of being “Pupil Chaplains” in the school and lead their fellow pupils and the wider community in acts of worship and practical actions motivated by our faith and love of neighbour.  You will see that you are being invited to support Calvin, one of the GIFT Team, who will be playing the piano at the Tiverton Farmers Market on Saturday 4 December, 11.45am-12.15pm.

We are still in the month of November, so do please continue to pray for the Holy Souls and for those who have died recently in the parish.  There are also a number of parishioners who are very seriously ill at this time and so your prayers are asked for them too.

I am aware that the Newsletter is not arriving to some of those on our email list as it is being returned to the Parish Office as “spam”!  If you are receiving the newsletter and have friends or acquaintances that should be receiving it too, please ask them to make sure tiverton@prcdtr.org.uk is a contact on their email list, so that our emails will arrive.  We need to spread the word.

Be assured of my prayer for you all.

God bless

Canon Kristian

November – Month of Prayer for the Dead

November is 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 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, or you can use the form on the parish website.  Please write the names clearly as they will all be remembered by name at Mass on 30 November.

Honouring Sunday

Following on from their Plenary Meeting last week, the Bishops of England and Wales have issued an invitation to re-examine our appreciation of the gift of the Sunday Mass, following the impact of the Covid pandemic. Whilst recognising that the virus is still active in our communities meaning that the more vulnerable members of our communities will not be in a position to fulfil their Christian duty to attend Sunday Mass, the Bishops

“now encourage all Catholics to look again at the patterns which they have formed over the recent months with regards to Mass on Sundays…This review, and the decisions which arise from it, fall to every Catholic and we trust this will be done with honesty, motivated by a real love for the Lord whom we encounter at Mass.”

The Bishops’ message is attached to the Newsletter here.

Requiescant in Pace

Please pray for those members of our parish who have died recently.  The Requiem Mass for Waldemar Smigocki will take place on Monday 29 November at 11.00am in St Boniface. The Requiem Mass for Beryl Webb will be celebrated on Wednesday 1 December at 11.00am in St James.  Her body will be received into church the evening before at 4.30pm.  Majola Rapley and Richard Biber have also both died in the parish very recently.  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

CAFOD World Gifts

Please take a copy of this year’s CAFOD World Gifts Catalogue.  World Gifts are a wonderful way for our parish community to share the peace and joy of Christmas with our brothers and sisters around the world who are in great need. From something as small as a honey queen bee to something as large as a community water supply, every gift offers the possibility of a better life to those who are living in very challenging circumstances.  The person on behalf of whom the gift is given receives a card letting them know that it has been donated in their name, emphasising the real meaning of Christmas gift giving!

“The Night Journey”

 Bishop Mark writes:

“Fr Robbie Low (a priest of our diocese) has written a lovely new Christmas children’s book, ‘The Night Journey’. I highly recommend it as a beautiful reflection on the Mass which leads us to the manger and the child in the arms of Mary.  It is beautifully illustrated by Jan Burrell and begins and ends in the parish church and family home.  I think it would make a great Christmas gift for children, grandchildren and godchildren – a little work of evangelisation and, as you will find in the book, a key link across the generations.”

The book costs £7.50 and all proceeds go to charities working with disadvantaged children.  Copies are available at the entrance to church.

“Walking Together” in our Parish – Our Synodal Journey

During the Advent Season, together with all the parishes of our Diocese, we will be taking part in the Synodal Process, that deep listening exercise asked of us by Pope Francis, focused around the four themes of “Listening”, “Mission”, “Celebrate” and “Let Us Dream”.  In our parish, our four facilitators, Vivienne Brewster, Monika Manser, Eduarda Santos and Jane Wardle, will be helping us to listen and reflect prayerfully on these themes.

To enable as many people as possible to take part, there will be gatherings after the Sunday Masses at St James and St Boniface, a gathering after the Tuesday morning Mass at St James, a weekly gathering on Zoom on a Wednesday and an event for our young people in the week leading up to Christmas. You are invited to respond to these questions freely and from the heart, freely and without fear of being judged or criticised.  The contribution of everyone is equally valid and important.  Please make this a priority and a key part of your Advent preparation for Christmas.

YMCA Christmas in Cullompton and Halberton

Hazel Britton, the chaplain of Cullompton and Halberton YMCA, is appealing for donations of a Christmas gift of around £5 in value for either a male or a female, but no alcohol.  Please do not wrap the present but attach a card saying that you are from the parish of St James and St Boniface.  Christmas tea items, such as Christmas cake, Yule log, stollen, panetone, chocolate treats and mince pies (including gluten free items) would also be very welcome, along with single packets of biscuits which the chaplain can use at the weekly drop-ins.  Donations can be left in church or dropped off at St Andrew’s Church Office in Cullompton before 20 December.

Monthly Lunch

The next Monthly Lunch in the church hall will take place on Tuesday 30 November, 12noon-2.00pm.  Everyone is welcome to come along for some tasty homemade food and pleasant company.  If you can help with donations of soups and puddings, this would be greatly appreciated and please put your name on the list on the noticeboard in the hall.

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 20 November – Weekday

  • Christmas Fair at 10.00am in the Hall
  • Holy Mass at 6.00pm (Vigil Mass) Stephen Riley RIP

Sunday 21 November – Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

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

Monday 22 November – St Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

  • Singing to Remember at 2.00pm in the Hall

Tuesday 23 November – Weekday

  • Holy Mass at 10.00am

Wednesday 24 November – St Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions

  • Holy Mass at 12 Noon (at St Boniface)

Thursday 25 November – Weekday

  • Holy Mass in Polish at 6.00pm

Friday 26 November – Weekday

  • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 11.30am
  • Holy Mass with Prayers of Healing at 12noon
  • Tiverton Rangers at 6.30pm in the Hall

Saturday 27 November – Weekday

  • Holy Mass at 6.00pm (Vigil Mass) Stephen Riley RIP

Sunday 28 November – First Sunday of Advent (C)

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