FR TOM WRITES
On Saturday 16th November the Church commemorates St Edmund Abingdon, the 12th Century Archbishop of Canterbury. Whenever the feasts of British saints arise, it is a fantastic opportunity to pray for all the people who live on this island, especially those who have abandoned their faith in Jesus Christ.

FR DAVID WRITES
Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate the Feast of All Saints and then All Souls Day so well. May God bless you all. We hope everyone had a good half-term break, and wish you all well for the coming half-term which will lead us through November and Advent. Have a wonderful week ahead.

ALL SAINTS
This Friday, 1st November, is the solemnity of All Saints, a holy day of obligation. Masses here will be at 8 am, 10 am and 7 pm. The car park will be open early on that day. There is no Friday Abstinence that day.

ALL SOULS
This coming Saturday, 2nd November, is All Souls Day: the commemoration of all the faithful departed. The Requiem Mass will be celebrated here at 11 am. During Mass, we will enthrone the Book of Remembrance and light candles for our loved ones who have gone to God. Please note that the afternoon Masses on Saturday will be the Vigil Masses for Sunday; the morning Mass is the one for All Souls.

 

FR TOM WRITES
As we approach the end of October, we begin to think about All Saints, All Souls and the month of praying for all souls. Throughout the year we pray for those who have died, that their sins may be forgiven and they may pass through purgatory and be admitted into the glory of God’s love in heaven.
Please remember that the Feast of All Saints (1st November) is a Holy Day of Obligation, with Masses in the Parish at 8am, 10am, and 7pm.
Mass for the Commemoration of all Souls is at 11am on Saturday 2nd November.

THANK YOU FROM CAFOD
Thank you for giving to CAFOD’s Family Fast Day last weekend. We are most grateful. We are standing in solidarity with those facing incredible hardships, as part of one global family. Learn more at cafod.org.uk/harvest

FR TOM WRITES
Monday 7th October  is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary; which of all Catholic devotions is surely the closest to the heart of the Catholic community. However, we can very easily lost the habit of praying to Our Blessed Mother. We know as the mother of Christ the King, she is the Queen of Heaven and has a tremendous power of intercession. On Monday, and throughout October, we encourage all our parishioners to pray the rosary for their needs, the needs of the Church, and the needs of the whole World. May Our Lady, Queen of the Rosary, intercede for us.

FR DAVID WRITES
Thank you to all involved in our lovely ‘Welcome Mass’ celebrated on Friday to begin the new school year and term. This week we will welcome Father Anthony Fernandopulle who is visiting the parish from the Archdiocese of Columbo. Many of you may remember Fr Anthony as he previously spent some time in the parish for his studies in London. This coming Friday is CAFOD Family Fast Day (Harvest Fast Day) - please see the note opposite. May God bless us all in the coming week.

FR TOM WRITES
Thank you for such a warm welcome into the Parish over the last two weeks. As you are mostly aware this is my first placement being ordained in June so I ask for your continued prayers that I may be given the grace to serve the Lord, and the Parish. This Sunday we hear the Lord telling us that “if anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.” Many times we want to be in places of exaltation, however my experience is that in following the Lord in this mission of service is to truly participate in the love that He has manifest for the world.

FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today we hear Jesus speaking about the cost of discipleship and his own fate. However, we know that our faith in Jesus, and our baptism, allows us to follow him on his journey from death to life. The children of the Church are born again by and in his Paschal Mystery that leads to the ultimate victory over sin and death.

FR DAVID WRITES
Welcome back once again if you have just returned from summer holidays. We hope that the new school year has got off to a great start for everyone involved, and we keep you all in our prayers. I was sorry not to be able to join in the special Mass on Wednesday morning at Finchley Catholic for the new Year 7s and parents but trust it all went well. Today we give a special welcome to Fr Tom Blackburn who joins our parish as the new assistant priest. He was ordained at the end of June in the cathedral. Over the coming weeks and months, Fr Tom will get to know us, as we get to know him, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will bestow many graces on us all through his priestly ministry which he now begins.

NEW TERM & NEW ACADEMIC YEAR
We wish all children, young people, families, teachers and staff every blessing as they return to school and college this week. We hope you enjoyed the break. May God bless you all in your new beginnings.

FR DAVID WRITES
Today is Fr Andrew’s last day with us as assistant priest. Can I take this chance on your behalf to thank him for all his work, and especially his devoted visiting to those who are housebound. We wish him well as he departs. This is only au revoir as I’m sure he will be back from time to time. Fr Tom Blackburn will arrive on  Thursday. Please pray for Fr Tom as he takes up his new ministry in our parish. Also, I apologise that there are no 8 am Masses this week as I thought there would be. Please bear with us. May God bless you all.