St Thomas More, Bexleyheath

Please pray for all the deceased members of our parish, especially: Jerry Dipre, Victor D’Mello, Stephen Fernandes, Bob Dunning & Barbara Kirsch.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Some Guidelines for a Good Lent

• There are special prayers and readings proper to each day of Lent.

• Except on feasts and solemnities, we do not say or sing the Gloria again until Easter.

• We do not decorate the altar or church with flowers and music is kept to a minimum. Except on Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent).

• We do not say or sing Alleluia, even on feast days. We need to take care that hymns do not contain Alleluias.

• Alms are collected throughout Lent e.g. for CAFOD

• Do not forget to go to confession in preparation fo

• Do not forget to go to confession in preparation for Easter.

• Observe Friday penance by abstaining from meat and eating simply.

Confirmation and First Holy Communion Classes

The next Confirmation class will be on Wednesday20th March 2019.

The next First Holy Communion class will be on Saturday 23rd March 2019.

First Confessions (for those that missed them), will be Saturday 23rd March, 2019, at 11:30am

Social Club

• Club Membership of £5 for 2019 is now due. This can be paid in the club on a Friday night.
• If you have any unwanted gifts suitable as raffle prizes, please donate them as the club raises money for the church and charities.
• Friday Night Entertainment will be on 5th April with Music by Nearly Diamond and Friends. Admission is Free.

Contact Bob Penny 0208 304 7909

Walk with me

Make your spiritual journey through Lent with ‘WALK WITH ME’ available in the repository.

Many Thanks

Jenny Dunning would like to thank her many friends for their well wishes and mass intentions following the funeral of her husband Bobby Dunning, especially Eileen Budd and Kathy Ingles who helped with teas and coffees for the parishioners after the funeral service.

Notice for Collectors

There will be a second collection at Mass on Saturday 23rd March 6.30 p.m. and Sunday 24th March at 9 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. for Poor Parishes.

St Thomas More Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes October 2019; led by Fr Jonathon.

• The price is £560 on a full board basis with breakfast, lunch and dinner included in 3* Hotel Beau, situated just 8 minutes from St Joseph’s gate. Return flights from Gatwick are included as are all excursion and transfer costs.

• Deposits of £100 are due and the rest may be paid in instalments over the coming months. Tangney Tours have many ways to facilitate payments, either in full or by weekly/monthly instalments. Payments can be made by cheque, transfer or over the phone.

Katie, our parish secretary is available to help with filling in booking forms if needed. Please contact her for further information 020 8303 2189

Vacancy for Class teacher and Teaching assistant at Our Lady of Grace Primary School, Charlton

The teacher is required for September, closing date for applications is 20/3/2019. The teaching assistant is required for April, closing date for applications is 22/3/2019. Please contact asully@ourladyofgraceschool.co.uk for further details.

Our Lady Film Night at St John Fisher Bexley

2-part movie on St Philip Neri, the “Third Apostle of Rome” and leader of youth in the 16th century and also the founder of the religious congregation, the Oratory. Second part (including a recap) on Wed 20th March. Watch either or both parts. Includes sub-titles.

Catholic History Walks *Cities of London and Westminster*

The King’s Good Servant, the story of our heroic St Thomas More. Saturday 23rd March, 2.30 p.m. Meet at the church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Cheyne Row SW3 5HS – Nearest tube; South Kensington. Contact; asully@ourladyofgraceschool.co.uk or see catholichistorywalks.com

Dear Parishioners,

Last Wednesday our 2019 confirmation group walked THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS in the Church. We used our new St Thomas More Stations of the Cross booklet which follows the basic sequence and wording of St Alphonsus Liguori. Some of the more distracting archaic language has been modernised from older translations, but the meaning and structure remain the same. The original devotion began in Jerusalem very early, when pilgrims would follow in the footsteps of Jesus, usually beginning at the palace of Herod, where Jesus was condemned, and finishing at the traditional site of Jesus’ tomb. This walk through Jerusalem in memory of the last walk of Jesus as he carried his cross, is still done by many thousands of Christians every year when they visit Jerusalem. This walk is called the ‘VIA DOLOROSA’: or way of sorrows.

William Wey, an English priest and pilgrim, visited the Holy Land in 1462 and is credited with the first use of the term ‘stations’ referring to stopping places in Jerusalem in memory of Jesus’ passion. William Wey’s vivid narrative describes the manner in which a pilgrim followed the steps of Jesus through 14 stations which were finally fixed by POPE CLEMENT XII.

We have some beautiful stations at St Thomas More. We do not just ‘say’ or listen to them. We enter into this devotion with mind, body and heart, in words, in listening, in response, in silence, in song and in our physical actions such as walking, genuflecting and kneeling. The way of sorrows was not only an ancient road located in Jerusalem two thousand years ago; it is a crowded highway, populated by millions of people who endure violence and suffering today. These 14 stations of the cross serve not only to celebrate the memory of Jesus’ passion but also as a way to become more alert to the passion of so many around us who struggle under the burden of their own cross.

We will walk the Stations of the Cross at St Thomas More every Friday in Lent at 7.00 p.m., finishing on Good Friday. Please join us at least once this Lent and bring your family. If you cannot get to church, you can also perform this devotion at home with our new book of the Stations and you can also say it alone in Church or with your own group at any time the church is open.

With thanks to Fr Denis McBride for his introduction to ‘The Stations of the Cross, then and now’, Redemptorist Publications.

In Unity

Fr Jonathon

Parish Prayer

Heavenly Father, awaken in our hearts the desire to hear your word, revealed to us in Jesus.
Your word of love, healing and forgiveness.
Through the power of your spirit, enable us lovingly, to carry your word in our hearts. Inspired by the love and gentleness of Jesus, may we draw others to you.
Give us the courage always to bear witness to your presence in our world,
as we act justly, love tenderly, and humbly serve you, our God.

Amen.

Mass Attendance on 10th March: 334

Counters for 24th March: Claude L Olive and Dorothy Nikoi

09:00 Sunday Morning Mass - Readers Rota

Large print copies of the Newsletter can be obtained from the Sacristy


The Catholic Church of St Thomas More. 420A Long Lane, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 5JW Tel: 020 8303 2189 Email: bostallpark@rcaos.org.uk Website: www.st-thomasmorebostallpark.co.uk Parish Priest Fr. Jonathon Routh Email: jonathonrouth@rcaos.org.uk

Saturday 16th March (C) Second Sunday of Lent		Wednesday 20th March
6.30pm	People of the Parish		No Mass on Wednesdays
8.00pm	St. Patrick's Dance in the Hall		08:15am & 10:30am St. Stephens Welling 09:00am St. John Vianney Bexleyheath

		7.30pm	Confirmation class with Mass.
		7.30pm	Ladies Wednesday club in the hall.
Sunday 17th March (St. Patrick, Bishop, patron of Ireland)		Thursday 21st March
09:00am	SUNG Boylan, Duggan and Robinson Family W.B.	10:00am	Dowal Dilworth R.I.P.
10:30am	Duggan and Robinson Family R.I.P.	12:00	Lunch Club in the Hall
12:00pm	Baptism
Monday 18th March St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Memorial		Friday 22nd March Lent Fast Day
10:00am	Audrey Fernandes R.I.P.	10:00a.m.	Bob Dunning R.I.P.
		7:00p.m.	Stations of the Cross in the Church.
Tuesday 19th St. Joseph. Solemnity		Saturday 23rd March St Turibius of Mongrovejo, bishop. Memorial.
10:00am	Lloyd D’Souza T.G.	10.00am	Frank Gorman W.B.
		10:30am	First Holy Communion Class in the Hall
		11.30	First confessions in the Church.