St Simon Stock Catholic Church 8th NOVEMBER 2009

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle IN ORDINARY TIME
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Saint Simon of England RC Primary School,
Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199 YEAR B
Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS TODAY’S MASS TEXTS

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Sunday 8 Entrance Antiphon: Ps 87:3
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Let my prayer come before you, Lord, listen and answer me.
Remembrance Day First Reading 1 Kings 17:10-16
10.00am Mass (Deceased relatives of Lanzino & Panza The widow made a little scone from her meal and brought it to
families RIP) Elijah.
12.00 noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal)
6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:7-10.R.v.2
Monday 9
th R: My soul, give praise to the Lord.
No Mass (7.30pm Mass for deceased clergy at St Teresa’s) It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
th who is just to those who are oppressed.
Tuesday 10
St Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
9.30am Mass (Deceased parents, relatives & friends of the the Lord, who sets prisoners free. (R)
O’Neill and McQuillan families) followed by Divine It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed who raise up those who are bowed down.
Sacrament until 10.30am It is the Lord who loves the just,
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Wednesday 11 the Lord, who protects the stranger. (R)
St Martin of Tours, bishop
He upholds the widow and orphan
6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (James Beach RIP)
Thursday 12
th but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
St Josaphat, bishop and martyr
Zion’s God, from age to age. (R)
9.30am Mass (Joan Mary O’Boyle RIP)
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Friday 13 Second Reading Hebrews 9:24-28
9.30am Mass for the Dead (All Souls in Purgatory) Christ offers himself only once to take the faults of many on
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Saturday 14 himself.
Our Lady Gospel Acclamation: Revelation 2:10
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Alleluia, alleluia! Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
10.00am Mass (Holy Souls – Saturday morning coffee group) keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life. Alleluia!
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Sunday 15
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
This poor widow has put in more than most.
10.00am Mass (Jean & Walter Borucki RIP)
6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) Preface of Sunday IV, Eucharistic Prayer 2
Communion Antiphon Ps 22:1-2
CONFESSION TIMES The Lord is my shepherd there is nothing I shall want. In
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. green pastures he gives me rest, he leads me beside the
Saturday: 10.30am; Sundays: ½ hour before Mass waters of peace.
CHURCH CLEANING
th th th th th PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
13 Bridie; 20 Sheila; 27 Sue; December 4 Sue; 11 Tara
Please pray for all our sick parishioners. Names of those who
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY need our prayers can be placed in the box in the church foyer.
Offertory: £335.20, (Gift Aid: £147.53, loose plate: £187.67) +
£94 approx by standing order. Second collection: Parish MASS FOR DECEASED CLERGY OF THE
Maintenance & Development Fund: £127.86. Thank you. CANTERBURY DEANERY
Second collection today: Archbishop’s Diocesan Tomorrow at 7.30pm at St Teresa’s. All clergy and laity of the
Administration Fund - this collection helps to meet the cost of deanery are invited to join in this Mass for the repose of the
the central administration of the Diocese. Next Sunday: Parish souls of all the deceased clergy who served in our deanery
Maintenance and Development Fund. parishes.

TODAY - REMEMBRANCE DAY DIVINE MERCY HOUSE PRAYER GROUP

At the end of the 10.00 Mass children The group extends an invitation to join them on tomorrow for
will be invited to place a poppy by the prayer and social at 23 Cleves Way, Ashford. Arrivals from
altar in memory of all who have given 10.00am finish approx. 11.30am. Contact Kath Racine 339858.
their lives for the freedom we enjoy
today. Our joint annual NOVEMBER- HOLY SOULS
remembrance service with St. Envelopes are available for you to put names of deceased
Teresa’s parish will take place at relatives and friends whom you would like to be remembered
Bybrook Cemetery, Kennington. Please assemble in the during November. Offerings may be placed in the envelope so
cemetery at 2.50pm for 3pm. that a Mass may be offered either for those whose names you
have submitted or for the Holy Souls in general.
PARISH AUTUMN FAYRE
The grand total raised was £1561.81 which will go to the Parish ALTAR SERVERS DAY – NEXT SATURDAY
Maintenance and Development Fund. Well done everyone! Would all parents of altar servers who wish to attend this day
please return consent forms to Fr John as soon as possible.
Parish email: parish@stsimon.org.uk; Parish website: www.stsimon.org.uk; Diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Fr John’s blog: http://caritasveritas.blogspot.com/ Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/
 FR. JOHN’S DESKTOP
As we continue to pray for the souls of the faithful departed in November it is useful to remind ourselves of the
Church’s traditions concerning those who have died quoting from the “Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy”
published in 2002 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The Funeral Liturgy consists of three parts:
i. The prayer vigil during which family, friends and members of the Christian community gather to pray to God in
suffrage, to hear the “words of eternal life” and, in their light, to see beyond this world by contemplating the risen
Christ in faith; to comfort those who mourn the deceased; and to express Christian solidarity in accordance with the
words of the Apostle “be sad with those in sorrow.” (Rm 12:15) Hence the laudable tradition of receiving the coffin
into the church the night before the funeral.
ii. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist in which we listen to “the word of God which proclaims the paschal myste ry,
assures us of the hope of meeting again in the Kingdom of God, enlivens our devotion to the dead and exhorts us to
witness through a truly Christian life.” The priest is to avoid any form of funeral eulogy in his homily. In the Mass “the
Church expresses her efficacious communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice
of the death and Resurrection of Christ; she asks Him to purify His child of his sins and their consequences, and to
admit him to the Paschal fullness of the table of the kingdom.”
iii. In the Rite of committal the deceased is commended to God. In the funeral cortege mother Church who has
sacramentally borne all Christians in her womb during their earthly pilgrimage now accompanies the body of the
deceased to his place of rest while he awaits the resurrection. The burial recalls the earth from which man comes
and to which he returns and the burial of Christ. Fr. John
REGULAR EVENTS – COME ALONG! ASSISTED SUICIDE CONSULTATION
The Crown Prosecution Service is carrying out a public
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP
consultation on factors which should determine whether or not a
after the 9.30am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of
person is prosecuted for assisting someone else in the act of
intercession for various needs and silent th
suicide. You have until 16 December to submit your
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10.30am.
observations. Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Cardiff and
CHOIR PRACTICE THURSDAYS 7.30PM Chair of the Department for Christian Responsibility and
Newcomers always welcome Citizenship of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and
BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAYS 7.30PM Wales has said: "It’s a criminal offence to assist someone’s
Studying the letters of St. John. Newcomers suicide and there are serious penalties for anyone who is
always welcome. convicted of that crime. The result is that we don’t see many
cases in this country: the law as it stands deters most people
YEAR OF PRAYER FOR PRIESTS from doing it... The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued
Come and pray the Rosary for our priests 20 minutes before the draft guidelines setting out what circumstances will incline him to
morning Masses, Monday to Friday. All are welcome to join. A prosecute or not to prosecute in cases of assisted suicide.
special prayer calendar has been produced by the Southwark Though it’s clearly unintended, the overall effect of these
diocesan Vocations Office to help us pray for all the priests of guidelines is to provide those who are tempted to assist
our diocese. Please take one and say the prayer daily. This someone to commit suicide with pointers as to how they can
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week you are asked to pray for: Sun 8 Nov Canon John avoid being prosecuted. And some of the circumstances
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Devane; Mon 9 Fr. Matthew Dickens; Tues 10 Fr. John Dillon; themselves are just plain objectionable. The Director of Public
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Weds 11 Fr. John Diver; Thurs 12 Fr. Josef Doetsch; Fri 13 Prosecutions is having a public consultation and we have until 16
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Fr. Desmond Doherty; Sat 14 Fr. Wilfred D’Silva; Sun 15 Fr. December to make our views known. The Catholic Bishops’
Gary Dyer. Thank you. Conference will, of course, be responding but it's also extremely
MEETINGS FOR ENQUIRERS ABOUT THE CATHOLIC FAITH important that as many people as possible give their own
Are you an adult who is not a Catholic but who would like to individual response." The consultation document is available for
know more, a Catholic who has not been confirmed or who download at the Bishops’ Conference website
would like to review your knowledge of the Catholic Faith? If you http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ccb/catholic_church/legislation_
are interested in finding out more, please give your name and and_public_policy/consultation_assisting_suicide. You can also
telephone number to Fr John. Any parishioner who would like to contact the Assisted Suicide Policy Team, Crown Prosecution
be involved in this group is warmly invited to let Fr John know. Service Headquarters - 6th floor, 50 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M
7EX for a copy. Please take the trouble to send your
ALL SOULS DAY observations in so that assisted suicide will not become part of
Thanks to all who attended Mass last Monday for the Holy Souls. our culture.
It has to be said that attendance was disappointing. I know that
parishioners live in a busy and complicated world so it is not the WINTERSHALL NATIVITY PLAY 2009
role of the parish priest to judge the decisions they make. But if There are a number of performances of this play. See notice
so few make it to Mass on such important days (even if they are board for details. People can book and go individually but if
not Holydays of Obligation), either people’s lives are too busy, or anyone would be interested in going as a group, please let
they are not allowing God to break into the rhythm of their daily Thereza Baker or Fr John know personally or by signing up on
lives. At this time of the year, and in the coming season of the notice board, indicating which performances you could make.
Advent, we are encouraged to think about death, judgement, Early booking is advised. Further information from
hell, purgatory, heaven. Whilst we live in joyful expectation of www.winterhshall-estate.com.
Christ’s coming again, we are also aware of our need to love TOWARDS ADVENT – FESTIVAL OF CATHOLIC CULTURE
God more and prepare to meet Him face to face. The greatest The annual TOWARDS ADVENT Festival of Catholic Culture
act of charity we can show to the faithful departed is to pray for takes place next Saturday at Westminster Cathedral Hall.
them, whether or not they are relatives of ours. Do try to make Displays by a wide range of Catholic groups and organisations,
attendance at Masses and other liturgical ceremonies on talks, music, a chance to buy Catholic books, DVDs and
important days of the Church’s year a family event, adjusting devotional items. Refreshments available all day; play corner for
your family timetable (even foregoing attendance at clubs etc.) to children. Official opening 10.30am with Archbishop Vincent
fit God’s timetable. Thanks to all who are arranging for Masses Nichols and the Chamber Choir of the London Oratory School.
to be offered for the faithful departed. Admission FREE, everyone welcome. See notice board for fuller
details.
To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/