Education Sunday
Education Sunday is marked this year on 8 September – just after the new academic year starts. The theme for 2024 is, “He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak”, taken from St Mark’s Gospel (7:31-37). Education Sunday is one of the oldest Days of Special Prayer in England and Wales, established 175 years ago in 1848. It provides an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks to all involved in making Catholic schools places of enlightenment, as well as to look forward in anticipation of the year ahead. Education Sunday reminds all members of the Catholic community of the importance of education to the Catholic mission. For us it is a day to celebrate and give thanks for everyone involved in our schools, St Peter’s and St Gildas’ just marked as ‘Good’ by Ofsted!
Secondary School Transfer Forms
Please see Fr David after mass for an appointment, bring along your school transfer forms, and any other forms you wish signed by the parish priest.
2024-2025 Parish Sacramental Programmes
First Communion: Parents of children in Year 3 or above wishing to make their first Holy Communion next year please collect a First Communion Form and return it to Fr David by October 1st.
Confirmation: Young people who are in Year 9 could they give Fr David their names and contact details after mass, so that he can make an initial assessment of the numbers who want to be confirmed this year.
Adult Faith Formation: Coming to Mass but not a Catholic? Thinking of becoming a Catholic? Catholic but not made your confirmation? Looking to know more about your faith? Please see Fr David after mass, or email him at the parish e mail, to learn about the upcoming program of faith formation for this year.
Services
Sunday Masses are at 6:30pm (Saturday), 9:45am, 11:15am and 7pm. (Note: 7pm Mass on Sundays resumes 8 September)
Sunday Scripture readings
Notes on the Scripture readings
Normal Weekday Mass times (unless there is a funeral) are 9am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday after Morning Prayer at 8:45am.
Funeral Masses: Changes to Mass times e.g. for a funeral will be announced in church.
Eucharistic Adoration: Wednesday and Friday after 9am Mass until 10:30am.
Rosary: Tuesday and Friday after 9am Mass.
Confession: The Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession is available on Saturday evening from 6-6:20pm.
Family Room: This week’s activity reflects on Praying for teachers and learners on Education Sunday.
Coming up
Memorial Mass for blessed Jacques-Desire Laval CssP: on Monday 9 September at 9:15 am at St John Vianney Church – West Green. Blessed Laval is known as ‘The Apostle of Mauritius’. All are invited and refreshments will be provided after the Mass.
Life Ascending Group: resumes Tuesday 10th September at 10am in the Parish Rooms.
Thursdays Together: resumes on 12th September in the Groves Room, Holy Trinity Church Granville Road N4 4EL. Please note changed venue. Meet your neighbours and chat over light refreshments.
Eucharistic Festival at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday, 14 September. Commencing at the 12:30pm Mass of the Day, with Adoration, Relic of Bl Carlo Acutis and concluding around 4pm with a Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Pontifical Benediction.
Pilgrimage to Walsingham: The annual diocesan pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham will take place on Saturday, 21st September. The chosen theme for this year’s pilgrimage is “Be it done unto me according to thy word” – Mary’s reply to Gabriel and our daily Angelus prayer. We will, as always, be bringing the needs of our diocesan family to Our Lady’s Shrine, with a particular prayer that we may be open and attentive to God’s call on our lives, the unique vocation God has for each one of us, and respond with faith and trust, just like Mary.
The Priest’s Tale
On the 11th of September at 7:30pm The London Catholic Worker will host a free performance of The Priest’s Tale by Michael Mears, a dramatisation of Fr Wilhelm Kleinsorge’s account of the bombing of Hiroshima, at 49 Mattison Road in Harringay. The Priest’s Tale by actor/playwright Michael Mears is his solo adaptation of one of the atomic-bomb survivors’ accounts from John Hersey’s ‘Hiroshima’. Father Wilhelm was a German Jesuit priest living in Hiroshima, who survived the blast but witnessed much of the destruction. The Priest’s Tale is a clear-eyed depiction of the terror wrought at the start of our nuclear age, told with compassion, warmth and flashes of humour. At the event, you can donate for London Catholic Worker’s house of hospitality which provides accommodation for destitute refugees.
Season of Creation
1 September – 4 October: The first fruits of Hope (Rom 8 19-25) In the letter of Paul the apostle to the Romans, the biblical image pictures the Earth as a Mother, groaning as in childbirth (Rom 8:22). Francis of Assisi understood this when he referred to the Earth as our sister and our mother in his Canticle of Creatures. The times we live in show that we are not relating to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but rather as a resource to be used. And yet, there is hope and the expectation for a better future. To hope in a biblical context does not mean to stand still and quiet, but rather groaning, crying, and actively striving for new life amidst the struggles. Just as in childbirth, we go through a period of intense pain, but new life springs forth.
Soup Run
Grateful thanks to those who have come forward as drivers/distributors after our last appeal. It has helped to ease the pressure off our current volunteers. We would still always welcome help and also for our sandwich teams. Donations of instant coffee, tuna (no catering sizes please), sweetcorn and mayo always appreciated. Contact Kit Greveson on 07507 138582 or email kit.greveson@gmail.com.
Pope Francis’ September prayer intention
We pray that each one of us will hear and take to heart the cry of the Earth and of victims of natural disasters and climactic change, and that all will undertake to personally care for the world in which we live.
Other News:
Bringing Faith to Life – The London Jesuit Centre at 114 Mount Street, London, W1K 3AH, offers short courses for parishioners including courses for non-specialists on Social & Environmental Justice, Spirituality, Philosophy, Theology and Catholic Social Teaching. For a copy of the 2024/2025 programme visit https://www.londonjesuitcentre.org/
School Open Days: Finchley Catholic High School open evening is Tuesday 10th September from 5–7.30pm with Headteacher talks at 5pm and 7pm. Parking available on site. La Sante Union: Open Evening, Tuesday 17th September, 4pm-7pm (last entry 6.30pm). Open Mornings Tuesday 8th & Thursday 17th October, 9am-11am.
Food Bank donations: As more and more people need to access food banks, we would ask anyone who is able to donate, when they can, to one of our local food banks. Contributions can be made to Holy Trinity Foodbank on Sundays between 1pm and 3:30pm. Please come to the Church Hall on Stapleton Hall Road, next to St Aidan’s School, N4 4RR, near the Albany Road junction.
Marriage Encounter (England & Wales) will be holding a non-residential retreat from 21-22 September 2024 at Church of the Annunciation, Burnt Oak, London, HA8 0HQ. Focused on couples who want to enrich their relationship and gain a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage, it’s a chance to explore your relationship at a deeper, more intimate level, regardless of how long you have been together. Find out more at wwme.org.uk
The Universe Catholic Weekly The Universe Catholic Weekly gives Catholics the chance to read about this country and the world through the lens of their religion. Digital and printed editions are available to subscribers. Visit their website for more information.
Please pray for:
Those who are ill: Christian Overal, Antonio Neto, Zintra Sansom, Brenda Buzec, Amy Gordon, Annette Donivar, Caroline Hilton, Karin Summers, Graham Summers, Joan Summers, Helen Kozlowski, Don Brewis, Roman Cholij, Adeline Oyekoya, Mary Wallace, Margaret Whelan, Kitty Madden, Brendan Whelan, Claire Marchand, Mike Coombes, Gemma Francis, Richard Simon, Noah Purcell–Chandler, Nathalie Renford, Jackie Loivette, Michael Reid, Wendy Fairhurst, Ann Elizabeth Bennett, Joseph Lunn, Michael Hurley, Enid Samaru, Emilie Alcaraz, Ann Kozlowski-Hunt, Gabriel Brimacombe-Rand, Marie-Christine Polak, Frank Farrell, Peter Leung, Elizabeth Herbert, Mr Anthony Mark Selvarajah, Elaine Benjamin, Emma Gordon, Mariia Karp.
Those who have recently died: Teresa Buckley, Mira Lidstone, Sister Pia, Stuart Reed RIP.