Weekend Message June 26

Dear friends,

 

**Important notice concerning car parking**

 

Please park in the Church car parks whenever possible. If that is not possible, for whatever reason, please ensure that you are not causing an obstruction of the roadway or driveways to properties, and please remember that homeowners may wish to park outside their own homes. Please exercise Christian Charity when parking your car.

 

**Important notice concerning stewards and cleaners at Church**

 

As the summer progresses, and the regulations may enable us to open the Church more often for Mass or other public worship, we may still need to continue with our current regime of advanced booking, stewarding at Mass, and cleaning and sanitizing afterwards. If we are to open more often, we will most probably need more volunteers – we cannot expect the same small band of very cheerful helpers to do it all every day.

If you are willing to join the band of stewards/cleaners, please let me know. If we are to restart Saturday evening Mass in Lutterworth, or another weekday Mass at Narborough, we would certainly need more volunteers.

This is my commandment, that you love one another! This is Our Lord’s teaching to his disciples, as recorded by the Gospel of St. John. St. Gregory the Great comments that we fulfil this commandment when we bear the burdens of our fellow men and women. Love, he tells us, expands into all acts of virtue. If any activity is truly virtuous, it must be an act of love; and if any activity is truly loving, it will be virtuous.

Love in practice is difficult, but, St. Gregory reminds us, it is at the same time highly rewarding. It is certainly difficult to bear wrongs patiently, and to do good to those who offend or hurt us. It is undoubtedly very hard to be so filled with the love of God that we never do anything which is wrong or hurtful to others. It is not easy to put aside ambition in this life, or the desire for worldly pleasures, whereas love is never jealous or arrogant. How many of us could honestly say that we never insist on our own way, are never convinced that we are right and that others are wrong? We would certainly wish that we never rejoice at misfortunes that happen to other people (particularly people who are competing with us in some way, or people we don’t like).

St. Paul, writing about love, keeps using words like ‘always’ and ‘never’. Love is always kind, he tells us, never arrogant or boastful; always ready to forgive and to endure. (1 Corinthians chapter 13) I’m sure that St. Paul was well aware of how frequently he failed to keep up to that standard!

What is important is that we never lose sight of that high standard. Of course we fail to reach it in all sorts of ways – but so long as that is our goal, we will be responding to Our Lord’s call and can be sure of his abundant grace.

Booking Arrangements for next weekend:

At St. Pius X, Narborough:

You may book by email: johnhadley1971@gmail.com  or by phone: (0116) – 2863676

at the following times on the following days:

 

• between 7pm and 8pm on Monday 28^th June;
• between 7pm and 8pm on Tuesday 29^th;
• between 7pm and 8pm on Friday 2^nd July.

 

Times of Mass next weekend:

• 10am Saturday 3^rd July;
• 10am Sunday 4^th;
• 10am Monday 5^th.

 

At Our Lady of Victories & St. Alphonsus, Lutterworth:

Please ring 079 0113 4564 on the following days, and at these times. It is not possible to leave a message outside these times:

 

• Monday 28^th June between 9.30am and 10.30am or between 6pm and 7pm
• Wednesday 30^th between 9.30am and 10.30am or between 6pm and 7pm

 

Times of Mass next Sunday and Tuesday:

• 11am on Sunday 4^th July;
• 10.30am Tuesday 6^th.

 

Arrangements for attending Church for Mass and other services: Masks or face coverings will be required for those attending Mass (except for those exempted from wearing them); it is necessary for those attending Church to sanitize their hands on entering; and all need to keep social distance from each other (unless they are members of the same household or family). Young persons under the age of sixteen years, and all persons who suffer from physical or mental disability, must be accompanied at all times by a responsible adult. We are not allowed to kneel down while in Church: please stand or sit as appropriate, but please do not kneel. All who attend (except for the cleaners who remain behind to sanitize the building) should leave immediately after Mass has finished, not stopping in Church to talk to other people; and please also maintain a social distance as you follow others out of Church, avoiding any ‘congregating’ in the porch, or the lobby, or at the back of Church. I am very grateful to the stewards & cleaners who support the public celebration of Mass.

 

Please remember that it will be essential to book a place at Mass on every occasion that you wish to attend. It is not permitted to book for every Sunday, or even for a number of weeks. Please also remember to bring a mask to wear when coming to Mass. 

 

At Narborough the intentions for Mass this week will be: Saturday (26^th June) Mary Smith RIP; Sunday (27^th June) Monica Okoye RIP; Monday (28^th June) Letty Brewitt RIP. Wednesday Jane Toon RIP; Thursday People of the Parishes; Friday Ronke Femiige RIP. Next weekend Saturday (3^rd July) Doreen Sullivan RIP; Sunday (4^th) John Scattergood RIP; Monday (5^th) Welfare of Monica Teeling.

 

At Lutterworth the intentions for Mass will be: Sunday (27^th June) People of the Parish; Tuesday (29^th June) Holy Souls. Next Sunday (3^rd July) People of the Parish; Next Tuesday (5^th July) Holy Souls.

 

Doreen Sullivan RIP: Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St. Pius X Narboough this Tuesday 29^th June at 11.30am. Numbers who can attend are still restricted according to the capacity of the Church.

 

Prayers for the living and the dead:

 

Please pray for Doreen Sullivan, Sister Mary O’Riordan, Father Anthony Colebrook, Canon Owen O’Neill, and all who have died recently.

 

Please also pray for Peggy Merrell, Jane Bolsover, Suzanne Foxon, Jim Oxley, Beulah Blomfield, Tom McDermott, Freda Williams, Joseph Armeni, Dave Knapper, Teresa Maugham, Elizabeth Fullerton, Mary Dunne, and Juanita Zaman and for all who are ill.

 

Please let me know of any others who have died, or anyone who is ill and asks for prayers.

 

Banns of Marriage: please pray for Cathy Mears and Ben Hebborn who intend to marry at St. Pius X on 10^th July. We pray that they will be blessed with a long and happy marriage. If anyone knows of any reason why they should not marry, please tell Father John without delay.

 

First Holy Communion: We hope to begin preparation for First Confession and First Holy Communion in September. I am very grateful to those who have already indicated that they wish to be included. Candidates should be in Year 3 at school from September (or older). Please let me have any names and contact details so that a group can be organized.

 

Confirmation: Bishop Patrick is willing to start administering the sacrament of Confirmation. I am grateful to those who have already said they wish to be confirmed. Are there any others who would like to join the group? Please let me have any names and contact details. Candidates for Confirmation should be in secondary education (or older) in September this year.

 

Financial matters:

 

This weekend there will be a second collection for Peter’s pence.

 

Reminders from previous weeks:

 

Planned Giving Envelopes (Our Lady of Victories & St. Alphonsus, Lutterworth): The new boxes of envelopes started in April If you require your box, please ring June (01455 – 553730) or Ashley (01455 – 553493) or email Father John.

 

Planned Giving Envelopes (St. Pius X, Narborough): The new boxes of envelopes started in April. They are available from the sacristy in Church, or email Father John.

 

Standing Orders: I will provide the parish Bank details to anyone who would like to donate by Standing Order or similar electronic means – many of you already do so (and I am very grateful indeed). I can provide standing order mandates for anyone who wishes – please just ask.

 

Gift Aid: I have copies of the form to complete, so if you are a taxpayer and would like the tax paid on your contributions to be given to the parish, please ask me for a form.

 

Recycling Textiles: At the moment the firm are no longer collecting in the Leicester area and has no plans to restart collections here. If anyone knows of any other organization willing to collect clothes and other textiles in our area, please let me know.

 

With my prayers for your wellbeing and salvation, Father John