| Letter from Fr Mark McManus 26th March |
| Dear Parishioners of St Joseph's & St Charles, |
| It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the church ceiling repairs have been completed and, after our cleaning and Covid-19 precautions have been completed today, we will be able to return inside our beautiful church this weekend. Thank you to all those who came along and participated at our outdoor Masses; they were acts of witness and an encouragement to us all. Particular thanks today must go to our cleaners who will complete the final preparations so that we can reopen.
This weekend our Masses will be: Saturday, 27 March, at 5:00pm &
Sunday, 21 March, at 9:00am & 10:00am The full schedule of public Masses and services for Holy Week and Easter at St Joseph's church can be found in the newsletter and on the front page of the website. Please remember, to book a place for the Holy Week Triduum and Easter Masses as soon as possible. The Maundy Thursday Mass and Good Friday 3.00pm service are fully booked and very few places remain at the 5.00pm Vigil on Saturday. Items you can bring with you: 'Palms' & Water!
In all my years in seminary we never had what people in the UK or Ireland might regard as 'traditional' palms on Palm Sunday. Greenery from the garden was used instead (laurel, rosemary or yew for example) and so, as no palms are available to you in the church, I encourage you to bring your own greenery which will be blessed at the beginning of this weekend's Masses in the usual way.Likewise, if you are attending one of the Easter Masses and would like to have some Easter Water for use at home, just bring a bottle or container of water (but keep it with you) and I shall bless that water as part of the Vigil or at the renewal of baptismal promises. Flowers
As at Christmas, the decoration of the church for Easter will have to be somewhat restrained but we will still be able to have flowers for the great feast. If you would like to make a donation towards the flowers then please leave an offering in a marked envelope or see Fr M or Marie O'Hara. Thank you for your support.
St Joseph's Ceiling Repairs
Further photographs of the final phase of the work are below. A further £610 has been received this week towards the cost of the works. Again, such typical generosity is very much appreciated and just one of the signs of people's affection for our church. |
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Lenten Stations of the Cross
Our Deacon, Simon Hegarty, is offering a Stations of the Cross via Zoom this Friday evening, 26 March. You will need to email Simon for the link so that he can invite you into the event: simonhegarty67@gmail.comThis week Louise George offers Mary's way of the Cross which can found here or Facebook page or at: https://www.loom.com/share/3dd726bc95d64a31a6d83fc66aa43d88 Attending church
FACE COVERINGS ARE REQUIRED IN CHURCH
UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EXEMPTION THIS IS NOW LAW You MUST NOT come to church if: You are unwell or somebody in your household has coronavirus symptoms, for example a cough or high temperature. Please follow the directions of the stewards. Some Intentions for Prayer
Here are some intercessions that you may wish to use in your personal or family prayer.
First Holy Communion 2020 & 2021
Given that we don't yet know at what capacity the church might be operating after 21 June, I have judged it prudent not to schedule the St Joseph's First Communion Masses for a regular Sunday Mass time. This will allow us to maximise the number of families and guests who may wish to attend. Accordingly, I propose that we celebrate First Holy Communion with the:
Class of 2020 on Saturday, 10 July, at 10.00am &
Louise George will be in touch with regard to preparation - much of it on-line - and I encourage you to engage with the process as much as is possible. Many thanks.
Class of 2021 on Saturday, 18 September, at 10.00am Church Cleaning & Stewarding
The continuing work of our voluntary church cleaners and stewards remains the bedrock of our ability to open and use our church. Without them the church would be closed and we are immensely thankful for all that they do. If you have returned to church, have seen how things are done, and now feel ready and able to volunteer then please contact me. More hands help spread the load. Thank you.
Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
Our annual novena in honour of our Diocesan patron will, in this year of St Joseph, consider her 'spouse most chaste.' We will commence at 7.00pm on:Tuesday, 27 April with St Joseph as Foster Father of Jesus and then: Tuesday, 2 May, Virginal Husband of Mary Tuesday, 9 May, Chosen by God Tuesday, 16 May, Faithful Servant Tuesday, 23 May, Patron of the Church Tuesday, 30 May, Patron of Families Tuesday, 6 June, Patron of Workers Tuesday, 13 June, Friend In Suffering Tuesday, 20 June, Patron of a Happy Death Safeguarding
In order to inform the Church's leadership on what is in place already and how best to support volunteers in parishes, the Catholic Safeguarding Project, which is implementing the recommendations of the recent Independent Review, is gathering information on:1. What support, training and information is currently available to parish volunteers; 2. How best parish volunteers might be supported in the future. If, in your voluntary work for the parish, your role includes working directly with vulnerable adults, children or young people, then I would ask you to take part in this important survey which can be accessed online here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/hallam-res Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your responses will be used to inform the Catholic Safeguarding Project about how volunteers within parishes can be best supported and the project will ensure that this information is fed back to church leaders. We hope your contribution to this survey will in the long run benefit your parish. If you have any questions, please contact Marie O'Donnelly modonnelly@hallam-diocese.com or Jo Pearson jpearson@hallam-diocese.com Finally, this week's newsletter is here. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. St Joseph, pray for us. St Charles Borromeo, pray for us. With my prayers, Rev. Mark McManus Parish Priest |