St Simon Stock Catholic Church

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

18th OCTOBER 2009
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
Saint Simon of England RC Primary School,
Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199 YEAR B
Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS TODAY’S MASS TEXTS

th
Sunday 18 Entrance Antiphon Ps 16:6.8
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) I call upon you, God, for you will answer me; bend your ear
World Mission Day and hear my prayer. Guard me as the pupil of your eye; hide
10.00am Mass (Daniel Kelly RIP) me in the shade of your wings.
6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) First Reading Isaiah 53:10-11
th
Monday 19 If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall
St. Paul of the Cross, priest have a long life.
6.45pm Mass (For baby Padge’s health)
Tuesday 20
th Responsorial Psalm Ps 32
R: Make your love be upon us, O lord, as we place all our
9.30am Mass (Donor’s intentions) followed by Divine Mercy
hope in you.
Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
until 10.30am The word of the Lord is faithful
st and all his works to be trusted.
Wednesday 21
6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Donor’s intentions) The Lord loves justice and right
nd and fills the earth with his love. (R)
Thursday 22
9.30am Mass (Peter Boyle RIP) The Lord looks on those who revere him,
rd
Friday 23 on those who hope in his love,
St John of Capistrano, priest to rescue their souls from death,
9.30am Mass (Donor’s intentions) to keep them alive in famine. (R)
th
Saturday 24
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
Our Lady
The Lord is our help and our shield.
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
10.00am Mass (Mrs. H. Katola & Mrs. H. Matlobe RIP)
as we place all our hope in you. (R)
5.30pm Holy Qurbana – Mass in the Syro-Malabar rite
th
Sunday 25 Second Reading Hebrews 4:14-16
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace.
10.00am Mass (Kath & Michael McHugh RIP) Gospel Acclamation: John 14:5
12.00 noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Our Lord Jesus Christ Alleluia, alleluia! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says
the King) the Lord; no one can come to the Father except through me.
4.00pm Mass in Polish Alleluia!
6.00pm Mass (People of the parish)
Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
CONFESSION TIMES The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many.
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. Preface of Sunday 2 Eucharistic Prayer 3
Saturday: 10.30am; Sundays: ½ hour before Mass Communion Antiphon Ps 32:18-19
CHURCH CLEANING See how the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on
rd th th th th
23 Sue; 30 Sheila; November 6 Tara; 13 Bridie; 20 Sheila those who hope in his love; that he may rescue them from
death and feed them in time of famine.
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY
Offertory: £423.42, (Gift Aid: £181.02, loose plate: £242.40) + PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
£94 approx by standing order. Second collection Needs of the Please pray for all our sick parishioners. Names of parishioners
Diocese: £155.50. Thank you. Second collection today: who need our prayers can be placed in the box in the church
Association for the Propagation of the Faith (Missio). Next foyer.
Sunday: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund.
FIRE MARSHALL TRAINING
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY TODAY PARISH EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
Today Catholics everywhere unite in celebrating World Mission Would you know what to do if a fire broke out in the church
Sunday. This year’s theme is Reach Out with Love. Through during Mass: which fire extinguisher to use, how to operate
Missio, the Holy Father invites every Catholic in the world to them, how to ensure the safety of the disabled…? There will be a
contribute to a special collection today; your help will bring hope training day for anyone who would be interested in being
and new life to people thirsting to hear of God’s love for them. An responsible (in part or in full) for either or both of the above
abridged version of his Papal message for Mission Sunday 2009 matters (fire training, employment). It would be good to have
is on the notice board. Gift Aid envelopes are available. some parishioners taking on these roles in the parish. The
FIRST CONFESSION AND FIRST COMMUNION, training session is on Wednesday from 11am to 3.45pm at Our
CONFIRMATION Lady Immaculate Church, Whitstable. If you would like to attend,
Parents of children in Year 3 and above who would like their please let the parish office know. Thank you.
children to be prepared for First Confession and First APF BOXES
Communion should see Father John for an invitation form. URGENT – Please return your red APF boxes for emptying
Young people of secondary school age who have not been before next Sunday. Many thanks, Eileen Conn.
confirmed please also see Father John for an invitation to join a
preparation group. Meetings will be announced soon.

Parish email: parish@stsimon.org.uk; Parish website: www.stsimon.org.uk; Diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk

Fr John’s blog: http://caritasveritas.blogspot.com/ Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/
 FR. JOHN’S DESKTOP
Last Saturday a good number of parishioners enjoyed a lovely day at
Aylesford as we joined between seven and eight thousand faithful in honouring St
Thérèse of Lisieux and in venerating her relics. St Thérèse is a ‘Doctor of Love’ in the Church, and the peace and
harmony of everyone gathered in Aylesford was a testimony of the love of God that binds us as faithful Christians from so
many parts of the world to one another.
Many non-Catholics attended too: one of our own group, spouses married to Catholics, and the driver of our bus
Tony. Tony joined the queue of those venerating the relics and said at the end of the day how he couldn’t help but enter
into the spirit of such a joyful pilgrimage. He told me that, although not a regular church goer, whenever he finds himself
tired after a stressful day, he puts some Gregorian chant on to listen to and soon finds himself relaxed and at peace.
Gregorian chant CD’s have become chart-toppers in recent years. Seeing the commercial potential of this beautiful
music, record companies engage communities of monks and other choirs in recording contracts to enable people with or
without faith to experience this music in the comfort of their homes. But where is the proper ‘home’ of Gregorian chant? It
is the Sacred Liturgy which is celebrated in our churches day in and day out. Is it not ironic that as Gregorian chant
increases in popularity in the charts, there are those who resist or even resent its use in its proper setting: the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass? As children fed on a diet of burgers and chips would find more healthy food unpalatable, it is
understandable that those who have been fed on a liturgical diet of ‘Kum ba yah, my Lord’, ‘Bind us together, Lord’ and
the ‘clapping Gloria’ might find the rather richer diet of Gregorian chant difficult to digest. However, according to the
Second Vatican Council, the chant ‘should be given pride of place in liturgical services’ and, as a recent teaching
document of the Church states, ‘Such chant has a great power to lift the human spirit to heavenly realities.’
Since the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict have all asked that the
faithful in ordinary parishes not be denied access to this rich liturgical heritage but, on the contrary, be helped to
participate in it. I would ask those parishioners who choose not to attend the 10am Mass on those Sundays when we sing
some Gregorian chant to reconsider. I wish to congratulate our choir on the Communion antiphon they chanted last
Sunday and to encourage all our parishioners to either actively join in the singing of the chant as best they can, being
patient if at first they find it unfamiliar, or passively allow themselves to be raised up by it.
After Mass last Sunday morning a couple from Norwich introduced themselves to me as visitors. She was born and
raised a Catholic and said how nice it was to hear the Latin chant. Her husband had only been received into the Church
last Easter. He too appreciated the opportunity to experience it. In the words of Psalm 51(50), we can pray: ‘O Lord, open
thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.’ (Translation of the Latin above: ‘Adorn thy bridal chamber, O
nd
Sion’, antiphon for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 Feb.) Fr. John
REGULAR EVENTS – COME ALONG!
PARISH AUTUMN FAYRE
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP ST
31 OCTOBER 12.00 – 2.30PM
after the 9.30am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of Just a couple of weeks to go to the
intercession for various needs and silent Parish Autumn Fayre. Make sure
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10.30am. you take a flyer giving details of
CHOIR PRACTICE THURSDAYS 7.30PM the help that is still required.
Newcomers always welcome Please return any jam jars that you
took filled with goodies to sell.
BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAYS 7.30PM
Please leave any items that you
Studying the Acts of the Apostles. Newcomers
may have suitable for any of the
always welcome.
stalls but particularly for the bottle or tombola stalls in the church
YEAR OF PRAYER FOR PRIESTS entrance. If you have any items that you would like collected
Come and pray the Rosary for our priests 20 minutes before the please let Eileen Conn or Thereza Baker know. Please take a
morning Masses, Monday to Friday. All are welcome to join. A poster from the table in the church entrance to display. Many
special prayer calendar has been produced by the Southwark thanks.
diocesan Vocations Office to help us pray for all the priests of
AUTUMN FAYRE DRAW
our diocese. Please take one and say the prayer daily. This
th Raffle ticket books are available in the church entrance. Please
week you are asked to pray for: Sun 18 Fr. Patrick Cannon;
th th take some to buy yourself and to sell to your family or friends
Mon 19 Fr. Francis Capener; Tues 20 Fr. John Castelli; Weds
nd and don’t forget to return your ticket stubs, money and any
21st Fr. Michael Chapman; Thurs 22 Fr. Anthony Charlton; Fri
th th unsold books. Cash prizes to be won.
23rd Fr. Fr. James Clark; Sat 24 Canon John Clark; Sun 25
Canon William Clements. Thank you.
MEETINGS FOR ENQUIRERS ABOUT THE CATHOLIC FAITH
NOVEMBER- HOLY SOULS Are you an adult who is not a Catholic but who would like to
Envelopes are now available for you to put names of deceased know more, a Catholic who has not been confirmed or who
relatives and friends whom you would like to be remembered would like to review your knowledge of the Catholic Faith? If you
during November. Offerings may be placed in the envelope so are interested in finding out more, please give your name and
that a Mass may be offered either for those whose names you telephone number to Fr John. Any parishioner who would like to
have submitted or for the Holy Souls in general. be involved in this group is warmly invited to let Fr John know.
COMMERATION OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED “DIVINE DIMENSIONS” - ICON EXHIBITION
If you would like the name of a parishioner, relative or friend who ST. PETER’S CHURCH, OARE, NR. FAVERSHAM
has died during the past year to be written in our Book of An exciting exhibition of contemporary icons from all over the
Remembrance please write it down and hand it in a.s.a.p. world with contributions from some of the world’s leading
iconographers. Open 11am to 5pm Wednesday to Sunday from
VOCATIONAL RETREAT st
th th yesterday to 1 November. See notice board or
27 – 29 November for young men 16-32 years old with the www.iconsatoare.org for details of this and the other events,
Missionary Servants of the Poor of the Third World in Brentwood, including Gregorian Vespers sung by the Canterbury Gregorian
Essex. Cost: voluntary offering. See notice board for details. Music Society, being held as part of the Canterbury Festival.

To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/