| Letter from Fr Mark McManus 9th and 10th September |
| Dear Parishioners of St Joseph's & St Charles, |
| Bishop Heskett has written:
'The Catholic Community of the Diocese of Hallam mourns the loss of our great Queen, Elizabeth II. We give thanks for her seventy years' service as our Queen. Her Christian Faith was the compass of her life. May Christ who chose her to lead our nation, now receive his loyal servant into the glory of Heaven. We offer our deepest prayers and condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time for them. Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in Peace. God save the King.' Please note, I can now confirm the Mass for the repose of the soul of Queen Elizabeth II RIP on Sunday, 18 September, at 10.00am. Queen Elizabeth II Requiescat in Pace
Buckingham Palace has announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died.Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, paid tribute to The Queen: "On 21 April 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, 'I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.' "Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration. "Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II. "At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence, because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity. "In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, 'To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.' "This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith. "Our prayer is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation. "Queen Elizabeth II will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace. We pray for His Majesty the King, as he assumes his new office even as he mourns his mother. God save the King." The De Profundis (Psalm 130) Out of the dépths I crý to you, O Lórd, * & Lórd, hear my vóice! O lét your éars be atténtive * to the vóice of my pléading. If you, O Lórd, should márk our gúilt, * Lórd, who would survíve? But with yóu is fóund forgíveness: * for thís we revére you. My sóul is wáiting for the Lórd. * I cóunt on his wórd. My sóul is lónging for the Lórd * more than wátchman for dáybreak. Let the wátchman cóunt on dáybreak * and Ísrael on the Lórd. Becáuse with the Lórd there is mércy * and fúllness of redémption, Ísrael indéed he will redéem * from áll its iníquity. V. Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord R. And let perpetual help shine upon her V. May she rest in peace. Amen Let us pray Almighty ever-living God, life of all that is mortal and joy of the saints, and who rules both the living and the dead we humbly pray to you for your servant Elizabeth our Queen, that, freed from the bonds of mortality, she may possess your Kingdom in everlasting glory. Through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for the New King V. O Lord, save Charles, our King. R. And hear us on the day we call upon you. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come before you. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit. Let us pray Almighty God, we pray, that your servant Charles, our King, who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm, may continue to grow in every virtue, that, filled with your heavenly grace, he may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil and, being blessed with your favour may, with his queen and the royal family, come at last into your presence, through Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen St Joseph's School
This week saw St Joseph's School welcoming our children at the conclusion of the summer holiday. We wish all the members of our school community many blessings in the year ahead.
Finally, here are this week's newsletter. This week's intercessions and the national prayers from the Bishops' Conference. 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 |