| Letter from Fr Mark McManus 6th May |
| Dear Parishioners of St Joseph's & St Charles, |
Sacramental preparation tomorrow
The final preparation for First Holy Communion will take place tomorrow at 9.30am to 12.00 noon and includes a rehearsal.
N.B. Next weekend will see the celebration of First Holy Communion. Due in part to the circumstances of the last two years we have a larger number of children than usual. The presence of welcome guests will mean that space is at a premium as the congregation will almost certainly be larger than usual. Other parishioners therefore, may want to consider attending one of the other Masses next weekend rather than at Sunday, 10.00am. Either way, we look forward to the event and remember the children, their catechists and their families in our prayers. A wee celebration and some thanks!
The last two years have seen us miss out on a number of things - most notably being able to come together for celebrations other than public acts of worship (think of the restrictions surrounding Simon's diaconate ordination for example). Thankfully, things have changed for the better in this regard and the forthcoming Confirmation Mass with our chief shepherd, Bishop Heskett, on Saturday, 11 June, offers us a suitable occasion to celebrate. After the Mass of Confirmation there will be drinks and nibbles offered in the school hall (or playground if the weather is good!). This will give us an opportunity to make a presentation to Marie following her recent retirement from the parish office and to offer our thanks to all those who have helped over the past two difficult years to help keep things running and open - especially our church cleaners and stewards. The presence of the Confirmandi and their guests helps give meaning to the occasion as they represent our future. However, understandably, for some this presence may be brief as, they may well have smaller, family affairs planned. All welcome!
Finally, here are this week's newsletter and intentions. 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 |