6th Sunday of Easter 05.05.2024

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS

Sun 5th May​​

​8.30am​​​ Roger Johnson RIP

10am​​​ Joseph Jose Caldeira, RIP

​12 noon​​​ Bernard Corrigan, RIP

​Mon 6th May         ​Easter Feria

10am           ​ Marjorie Reid, RIP

Tues 7th May           ​Easter Feria

10am            Mark Kiley, RIP

Weds 8th May​ NO MASS

Thurs 9th May        ​The Ascension of the Lord

10am​ Jean Murphy and family, intentions

7.30pm​ A private intention

​Fri 10th May​           ​Easter Feria

10 am​ Holy Souls​

Sat 11th May​ Seventh Sunday of Easter

5 pm           Departed family members of Araceli Dent

Saturday 10 am – 11am; 4.30pm – 5pm: Confessions and Exposition

Your Prayers:

Let us keep in our prayers: Agnes Day, Margaret Ryan, King Charles III, the Princess of Wales and all those suffering from cancer,  Michael O’Boy, Christina Cahill, Eric Nicholas Darwent,  Therese Kemp, Bina, Noel, Jose Luis Pérez,  Karina McKiernan, Jonathan Heller and Izabela Lissowska – all unwell at this time.

We also pray for: Alice Bree, Noel O’Hora,  Kwok Chui Tsui, Yuen Kuen Tsui, Bill McCleary, Fr Michael Daly, Rodolfo Icban, Marjorie Reid, Luis Goncalves, Sean Duffy, Iride Villa, John O Shea, Raffaella Di Trolio, Mercedes Bahillo, Amber Wood, Eileen Sweeney, Arcangela Moretto, Gino Tomei, Lucia Josephine Rayappuand Rose McGrory whose anniversaries occur at this time or have died recently. May they Rest in Peace.

Offertory Collections

The offertory collection for the week ending 21st April was £603.49. Contactless for week ending 21st April was £110.14. Offertory collection for the week ending 28th April was £810.16 and Contactless for the week ending 28th April was £95.38.  Standing Orders, Stripe and Online Donations will be communicated one month in arrears.

Ascension Thursday

This is a Holy Day of Obligation and there will be two Masses at 10am and 7:30pm on Thursday 9th May.

CAFOD – A Year of Encounter

CAFOD writes: “With a UK general election due sometime this year, politicians will be looking for our votes.  We have a responsibility as Catholics to make sure that parties commit to tackling issues such as poverty and injustice. Raising our voices and contacting parliamentary candidates as a parish community will send a strong signal to those standing for election in our local constituencies.  A Year of Encounter is a joint initiative between CAFOD and St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), equipping Catholics to ask key questions of local candidates at the key moments.  Please see cafod.org.uk/encounter for more information.

Confirmation Parents Meeting:

There will be a meeting for parents of Confirmation Candidates at 7pm on Monday 20th May in the small hall.

St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School – Open Evening for Secondary Transfer – Tuesday 25th June 2024

Parents and girls who are interested in taking the entrance tests for St Michael's Catholic Grammar School are invited to visit the school for a guided tour on Tuesday 25 June between 5pm and 7pm. The deadline for applications to be completed and Certificate of Catholic Practice provided to the School is 4pm on Tuesday 2nd July 2024.

Assisi:

Fr Peter writes: “ Thank you to everyone who made the recent trip to Assisi a success. Particular thanks to Debbie for being the administrative backbone of the pilgrimage. I have booked the small hall for 7:30pm on Monday 27th May to show “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” – the 1972 film about St Francis and St Clare. It is rated PG (although there is some nudity when Francis rebels against his father and stands naked in the town square). All are welcome”.

Deacon Dom:

Fr Peter writes: “Good News! Deacon Dom will be ordained a priest by Cardinal Vincent at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 29th June. I will confirm the time in due course. Even better news – Dom will celebrate his very first Mass as a priest, at St Mary’s on Sunday 30th June at 11am. So, a bit of a party will have to happen afterwards!”

“Pentecost Bingo!”:

To begin our Pentecost Celebrations, we will gather for a game of Bingo in the large hall on Saturday 18thMay at 7pm.There will be an Entrance fee of £2 and then £5 per bingo sheet. Not only will you be playing for prizes but also cash prizes for the Foodbank, Bakhita House, the SVP, Mary’s Meals and the Good Counsel Network. There will be very light refreshments on offer. This is a parish event to help us get to know each other and to raise money for charity. It should be fun! To help with catering needs, please sign the  Bingo sheet at the back of the church if you wish to attend.

Parish Council:

The next Parish Council will take place at 4pm on Sunday 12th May in the presbytery.

“The Ascension was the triumph of redeemed humanity. It is the completion of our redemption. It was the last act, making the whole sure, for now one of us is actually in heaven.” ~ St. John Henry Newman

St Mary’s Allotment News

Spring is here and things are just about to start happening in the church allotment garden and in our new community plot across the road in the Fuel Land allotments.

Last year a small band of Parishioners successfully managed to grow a selection of vegetables - potatoes, beans, kale, courgettes, broad beans, peas, radishes, salad leaves and tomatoes in the section of land behind the church in front of the church hall. All the produce was donated to the Finchley Foodbank. We didn’t really know what we were doing. It was experimental to say the least. Some things were more successful than others but given that a year ago this piece of land was an overgrown pile of rubble it wasn’t a bad first attempt!

This year we are expanding operations making use of a section of the Finchley Charity plot over the road. We had a very successful day on Tuesday 30th April. We were truly blessed. The sun shone as we were joined by a very enthusiastic group of young finance professionals doing community service who made short work of digging over and weeding the new community plot and we successfully managed to plant the first of our lettuce seedings.

We have lots of seedlings on the go which we are about to start planting and plan to try and deliver more salad vegetables to the Foodbank, items identified as not currently available to the Foodbank but very much desired by the clientele.

In an ideal world we would like more volunteers who would be happy to form a rota. Initially to help plant seedlings and seeds, weekly weeding, and watering potentially on a Saturday afternoon. Going forward we need help harvesting and delivery of produce to the Foodbank. Harvesting would be Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning and Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning so that items could be delivered to the Foodbank before 11am in advance of the client sessions.

No previous gardening knowledge required but we won’t turn you away if you know what you are doing! We just need a few more people with a bit of time and enthusiasm. If you think you would like to get involved, please contact Julie Boyd on 07777679034 or email Boydjulie4@virginmedia.com.

Julie, David and Kristina

Church allotment garden team