Volunteer Stewards & Cleaners Needed
To facilitate the safe opening of the church building for private prayer and for Masses we need as many volunteers as we can find…. The volunteers need to be those who have no underlying serious health conditions and who are generally fit, and those not living with anyone who is extremely clinically vulnerable. Could this be you? Please contact Fr Terry via email, ‘phone or text, in order to offer your services if you are able.
These volunteers will be absolutely necessary to enable us to move forward with the opening of the church. Many thanks in advance.
Can you offer a meal?
From Friday 26th June, a seminarian (trainee-priest) will be spending a month on placement in the parish.
GARY CARTER will be living with Fr Terry while he is here. Given the strange circumstances in which we find ourselves, pastoral work for him to do is inevitably somewhat limited. Fr Terry would, therefore, like him to visit parishioners at home (where it is safe to do so) and, if they are able, for that family/couple/individual to provide him with a meal.
If you are happy to help in this way, kindly let Fr Terry know (preferably by email to father@stmaryofthesngels.org.uk, if possible). Please pray for Gary as he prepares to join us from St John’s seminary.
Public Holy Mass 5th July – Important
HOLY MASSES I am pleased to say that we are now permitted to open the church again for Sunday and weekday Masses. This is good news! Masses will resume from Sunday 5th July at the ‘usual’ times (8:30am, 10:30am and 5:30pm).
Please bear in mind the following if you intend to come to Mass:
- Follow the guidance of the stewards for one-way entrance/exit through the church
- Be sure to use the hand sanitiser provided on entering and leaving
- DO NOT come to Mass if you have flu-like symptoms
- Please be sure to sit 2 metres apart, except where you are with people from one household
- Holy Communion will be distributed in one kind only, on the hand. The priest will explain the procedure to you at the appropriate time.
The Sunday Obligation remains suspended, so there is no sin in not attending Sunday Mass. Please, therefore, think about spreading out your Mass attendance to allow the largest number of people to be accommodated within the social distancing arrangements.
You are, of course, free to bring Gloves and Masks to Mass and use them if you feel it is safer. Each person will be respected for the decisions that they make in this matter. However, it would not be appropriate to receive Holy Communion while wearing gloves.
We expect to be open from today (Sunday), 28th June, from 11.30 am until 2.30pm and, thereafter, on Sundays (11.30am – 2.30pm) and Wednesdays (4.00pm – 7.00pm).Witnessing to the Gospel
Having met Jesus and experienced his forgiveness, St Peter & St Paul bore witness to him by living a new life: they no longer held back but gave themselves over completely. They were no longer content with half-measures but embraced the only measure possible for those who follow Jesus: that of boundless love. Let us ask for the grace not to be lukewarm Christians living by half measures, allowing our love to grow cold. Let us rediscover who we truly are through a daily relationship with Jesus and through the power of his forgiveness. Just as he asked Peter, Jesus is now asking us: “Who do you say that I am?”, “Do you love me?” Let us allow these words to penetrate our hearts and inspire us not to remain content with a minimum, but to aim for the heights so that we too can become living witnesses to Jesus.
Pope Francis, St Peter & St Paul 2019, Rome
Volunteers Needed to Steward and Clean the Church
To facilitate the safe opening of the church building for private prayer we need as many volunteers as we can find …. The volunteers need to be those who have no underlying serious health conditions and who are generally fit, and those not living with anyone who is extremely clinically vulnerable. Could this be you? Please contact Fr Terry via email, ‘phone or text, in order to offer your services if you are able.
These volunteers will be absolutely necessary to enable us to move forward with the opening of the church. Many thanks in advance.
Church Open for Private Prayer
It is expected that the church will be open for private prayer on Sunday 28th June from 11.30am to 2.30pm. Please note there will be some restrictions upon access, such as a one-way system and the need to wash and sanitise hands. These will be communicated closer to the time.
Change to Mass times (22-26 June)
Before opening the church for private prayer, it will be thoroughly cleaned. The cleaning will take place all day, each day, from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th (next week). To give the cleaners maximum time in the church, the Masses next week on Monday to Friday will be celebrated (and streamed) at the later time of 6pm each day (returning to 10am on Saturday).
Please join us online for the Masses.