St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More
Pope St John Paul II was deeply grieved by the paedophilia crisis. Shortly before he died he summoned all the bishops from the US to Rome and spoke to them of the gravity of the situation. In order to underline the seriousness with which he viewed this crime, he quoted from today’s Gospel reading: ‘Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him is a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown in the sea’. Sobering and really quite frightening words.
Sin & evil are a mystery. God is infinitely good, and the world we live in is wonderful and beautiful in so many ways, but we cannot escape the dark side, the shadows so prevalent both in our own nature and in the world at large. St Augustine famously reflected, ‘I sought whence evil comes from and there was no solution.’ His quest for answer to this dark problem led him ultimately to conversions to Christ and the living God. Years later he would say that ‘the mystery of lawlessness is clarified only in the light of the mystery of faith. ‘There is no escaping the reality of sin in human history and in our own lives. We, for our part, must resist the tendency so prevalent today to ignore it or to give it a name other than sin. This kind of approach is futile, because giving it another name does not change its awful reality.
Sin is really an abuse of our freedom as creatures, leading us into darkness and all kind of confusion. We are sinners, we live in a sinful work, and in this life at least we cannot be free from sin and its influence. However, we can resist it, we can overcome it, and we can learn to recognise and identify those movements in our own hearts and minds which lead us away from God and Christ.
OCTOBER THE MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: As we are about to enter the month of October, I would advocate that all our families pray a decade of the Rosary together every day. ‘The family that prays together stays together.’ There are plenty of rosaries for purchase in our parish repository; every Catholic should possess a rosary. It is a truly beautiful prayer, using the great mysteries of Jesus & Mary to help with our prayer. Use Google for guidelines on the rosary
IMPORTANT INFORMATION – CATHOLIC SCHOOLS APPLICATIONS.
If your child is due to start Primary or Secondary School in September 2022, You need to read the below very carefully; please note that:
a) Fr John will know those families who have been practising their faith by coming to Weekly Sunday Mass. These families will receive a Certificate of Catholic Practice.
b) If you have not been practising your faith, please do not approach Fr John for a Certificate of Catholic Practice as he will be unable to provide you with this document. Instead, apply directly to the Catholic School of your choice.
c) If you plan to send your daughter or son to the Trinity Catholic High School, please note that you will require a Certificate of Catholic Practice.
d) If you are applying for a Non-Catholic School that requires evidence of religious practice and you have been practising your faith, Please submit a copy of your SIF form for reference purposes to Fr. John at the interview. (Fr John has copies at the Presbytery). If you state that you have been practicing weekly and you only practice fortnightly or monthly, this form will not be signed.
e) If you are applying for a Non-Catholic School that requires evidence of religious practice and you have not been practising your faith, please do not approach Fr John. Instead, apply directly to the non-Catholic school of your choice.
f) There will only be a virtual talk and tour of Trinity Catholic High School again this year for Prospective Year 7 pupils & parents, which will take place on 29th September, you can tune in at any time from that date until the closing date of the 31st October.
Davenant Foundation School Open Evening 7th October; 4.30pm, 6.00pm, 7.30pm. Please consult Davenant Website (Admissiions) for more details
g) Complete and totally honesty in the signing of application forms is required. Fr John will not be able to put his signature to anything that is untrue.
h) Fr John will be signing Certificates of Catholic Practice and SIF forms from the week of Monday 18th – Friday 22nd October. Please book your appointment. Thank you!
WEEKLY OFFERTORY: My sincere thanks to those who are making their weekly contribution of Gift Aid envelopes and through the banking system that has been set up through the Diocese whereby your Offertory can be paid directly into the Parish Account, details below:
Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22 PLEASE BE GENEROUS IN YOUR
Account Number: 11019651 GIFT TO GOD & HIS CHURCH
PARISH FINANACES: As you can appreciate, during this pandemic the parish income took a severe hit, and we are still not back at the same levels as we were prior to 2020. My sincere and grateful thanks to those who have signed up for online giving and Gift Aid, this is helping. Many parishioners have not returned to the regular practice of faith, and many Gift Aid boxes were not collected this year. Please consider your weekly offertory to God.
IN JOY & THANKSGIVING: We congratulate two newly married couples this weekend. Gemma Munro & Marc Tuffs married on Friday; Sanusha Balachandran & Adrian Chiu married on Saturday. As they begin their married lives, may the Lord protect them and give them many graces and blessings.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE: In your mercy please pray for the repose of the soul of Josephine Colebrook (Jo), who passed away recently. Her Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday 29th September at 1.00pm at St Edmund’s, and Cremation at Forest Park Crematorium at 2.15pm
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If anyone else is interested in joining the RCIA Journey of Faith programme, please come along to the Presbytery at 7.30pm next Thursday; it’s still not too late to join the programme. Theme: Restoration of friendship with God If you want to know more about the programme please contact Fr John, Tel No: 0208 508 3492 or Email: loughton@dioceseofbrentwood.org
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME: The Children’s Programme will continue on Sunday 26th September at 10.00am. Please put these class dates in your diary. Thank you! Please pray for all our children preparing for the sacraments. This is truly a wonderful moment of time in their lives.
EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank. They are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: tinned soup, tinned spaghetti, tinned tomatoes, savoury crackers, sponge puddings, chocolate bars, small and medium bags of rice, snack bars and razors. Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/
PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGES FOR 2022/23: If anyone is planning on getting married wihin the next 18 months, could you kindly make contact with the Church. As the Pandemic has delayed many marriages over the past 16 months, there is now a catch-up taking place, and many people have had to rescedule their weddings and receptions accordingly. For marriages abroad, we need at least nine months notice, as all the documentation has to be completed at least two months in advance of the wedding and sent abroad. There is also an Engaged Couple’s Marriage Prepraration Programme to complete; which is a requirement for Catholic Marriage. For those couples getting married in your own parish church, a six month notification is needed. There is now a new format for the Civil Registration of Marriage. There is no more signing of registers, this is now abrogated for a simpler form of signatures; but all of these procedures take time. So please notify the church in plenty of time for weddings. Thank you!
IRREGULAR MARRIAGES: An irregualr marriage is one tht has taken place outside of the Catholic Church without dispensation. For example: Marriages in hotels, and secualr venues, on beaches or Las Vegas; marriage in a non Catholic Church without dispensation from the Bishop. These marriages are not recognised by the Catholic Church, and therefore are non sacramental & irregular. But there is a facility in the Church to recetify these situations called a Convalidation (this is a strictly private facility that is offered by the church). As marriage and family life is what I specialised in while studying Canon Law, if anyone wishes to speak to me confidentially please don’t hesitate to contact me: Tel No: 0208 508 3492
WHY SUNDAY IS IMPORTANT TO CATHOLICS: Sunday is a day of life and glory. On that day, Christ, the life of the faithful, rose from the dead. We remember and celebrate this saving event in a special way on a Sunday. But more than that, the Crucified and Risen Christ comes to us in the celebration of the Mass. He speaks to us through the living word of the Sacred Scriptures. He feeds us, body and soul, with his own divine life in Holy Communion. He calls us out of our individual activities and isolation and gathers us together as His Church, a people set apart to give thanks and praise to Him. Sunday is the Day of the Lord, when we meet the Risen Christ and formed into a community of faith, hope and love by Holy Spirit.
TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL – SIXTH FORM:
We have limited places available in the following A Level subjects. If you would like to apply, please email sixthformadmissions@tchs.uk.net with a copy of your GCSE results.
Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Digital Media, Economics, English Language & Literature, English Literature, Film Studies, Food Tech, French, Geography, History, Maths & Further Maths, PE, Physics, Politics, Product Design (DT), Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, & Theatre Studies.
FROM THE VICARIATE FOR ADULT FORMATION:
1. One of the new projects to help adult lay men and women deepen their understanding of the Catholic Faith is a series of online talks given by priests of our diocese. This is not a systematic course that one needs to commit to in order to benefit from but rather online talks that people can dip in and out of as they wish. I wonder if you would be kind enough to include this brief notice in your newsletter or bring these talks to the attention of your parish as you see fit:
THE THRESHOLDS OF HOPE QUESTIONS are a series of talks for adults who want to grow in understanding and confidence when questioned or speaking about their Catholic Faith. The talks and discussion will take place on Zoom from 4.00 – 5.00 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. The talk is on the 26th September and will consider the question: “What is the relationship between faith and reason?” It will be given by Fr Mark Swires, the chaplain at the University of Essex. If you would like to join this discussion please email your name and a contact email address:
to adultformationvicariate@dioceseofbrentwood.org
For more information about The Thresholds of Hope Questions go to www.thresholdsofhope.co.uk
2. I would also like to draw your attention to another online project developed by Mauro Iannicelli that provides an accessible guide to the Bible for adults. Mauro is a committed Catholic layman in our diocese and has provided input for the Newham Deanery in the past. He is also willing to send to your parish 200+ course invitation A6 flyers, completely free of charge. Just drop him an email request for the flyers at mauro@comeandsee.org, or to ask him any questions about the course. I recommend this initiative to you and if you feel able to do so, to promote his course in your newsletter or elsewhere:
The YouTube Bible Timeline Course Do you feel the Bible is too big and too difficult to understand? Do you get lost with all the characters and stories? If so, this course aims to help you better understand the riches of the Bible in a simple and straightforward way. The course begins on Wednesday 29 Sept, 2021 at 7pm. For more information and to register go to www.comeandsee.org
THE CRY OF THE POOR – STUDY DAY FOR THE SEASON OF CREATION: A study day on Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti on ‘fraternity and social friendship’ will be live-streamed from 11.00 to 12.30 BST on Saturday 2nd October. The study day, entitled ‘The Cry of the Poor’, is organised from Gidea Park parish, and the speaker is Fr Ashley Beck, expert on Catholic Social Teaching. The event is free of charge and no registration is necessary. The encyclical is a challenge to see the implications of faith in Christ in the face of the widespread xenophobia and discrimination prevalent in our society and in so many parts of the world. To access the livestream go to www.whatgoodnews.org where the previous study day ‘The Cry of Creation’ (exploring Laudato si’) is also available.
A REAL MOMENT OF SADNESS: It’s heart-breaking and makes me really sad, that many of our Confirmandi who received the Sacrament of Confirmation in June have not returned to Holy Mass since that day of celebration. It’s not only an insult to Almighty God, but makes a farce of attending the programme in the first place, and all the hard work that was put in by our Confirmation Catechists. If it meant so little, why on earth did you do it? Of all the things that I have to contend with in Pastoral Ministry, this is the thing that makes me really sad! I know many people are walking away from the practice of the faith, and many have not returned after Covid. But to be a Roman Catholic is not just about fulfilling our Sunday Obligation, but about the whole of our lives lived in the light of Christ Jesus. What has happened to personal integrity & honesty? SAD! SAD! SAD!
DIARY SEPTEMBER 2021
PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH
Carmen Antaki, Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Brian Beveridge, Karl Britz, Carlos Camacho, Jane Downs, Steve Dalgliesh, Pat Fenn, Veronica Godsave, Bernadette Hall, Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Noel Johnson, Shaun Keel, Angela Long, Lilian Mothersole, John McKernan, Rosemary O’Rourke, Kathleen Pomeroy, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, Mary Witten, James Wright. And all our loved ones.
ANNIVERSARIES: Giovanni Venturoli RIP And for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.
MASS INTENTIONS: It has always been a custom within the Roman Catholic Faith to have an Intention offered when celebrating Holy Mass. Intentions can be for all occasions: e.g. For a deceased member of a family; deceased anniversary mass; Birthday intention; Special Occasions; Get Well Mass; Success in exams; Special milestone anniversaries, Wedding, Ordination, Confirmation. In fact, you can offer a Mass for almost every occasion! There are Mass Intention envelopes and Special Mass Cards for all occasions in the Repository at the back of the Church. (Please complete Mass envelope and enclose your Mass Offering and drop off at the Presbytery); I will always try to accommodate the date you have requested, or the nearest date to it. It’s always beautiful to receive a Mass card from someone!
BAPTISMS: It is now permissible once again to have Baptisms with larger groups of family & guests. Manifestly, there are many people who haven’t been able to have baptisms over the past 18 months. Kindly contact Fr. John to arrange your child’s baptism as soon as possible please. There is a Baptism Programme for first time parents.
ALTAR SOCIETY: If anyone else would like to join the Altar Society please contact Sharon Fitzmaurice on 07854919207 or shazzafitzm@aol.com It probably works out to about an hour a month, and you can do as much or as little as you wish; the more help we have the easier it is to keep the church really clean. Thanking you in anticipation!
MASS INTENTIONS – SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021
| Sat 25th | 10.00am | Conor Ferguson |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 25th | 6.00pm | Mary Gilligan RIP (John Connolly) |
| Sun 26th | 9.00am | Ann Willsdon (sick) (McGeady Family) |
| Sun 26th | 11:00am | Ludwina Yazon Alfonso RIP (Bacaui Family) |
| Mon 27th | 10.00am 10.30am | Mary Gilligan RIP (John Connolly) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament |
| Tues 28st | 10.00am | Sue McGuiggan (sick) (Kendal Family) |
| Wed 29th | 10.00am | Rose & Margaret Faloon RIP |
| Thurs 30th | 10.00am 10.30am | Dominic Donnelly RIP (M Ryan) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament |
| Fri 1stOctober | 9.00am 10.30am | Kieran Halliwell RIP (G O’Donoghue) NO HOLY HOUR TODAY |
| Sat 2nd | 10.00am | NO MORNING MASS |
| Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm | ||
| Sat 2nd | 6.00pm | Thanksgiving (Teresa Fabri) |
| Sun 3rd | 9.00am | Luvina Yazon Alfonso RIP (Bacuetes Family) |
| Sun 3rd | 11:00am | People of the Parish |
Please kindly be patient with your mass requests. I will try to accommodate your requested dates, but there have been a large number of requests recently and we celebrate masses in the order in which we receive them.
Parish Phone No: 0208 508 3492 Email: Loughton@dioceseofbrentwood.org
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading : Numbers 11:25-29
The Lord came down in the Cloud. He spoke with Moses, but took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the spirit came on them they prophesied, but not again.
Two men had stayed back in the camp; one was called Eldad and the other Medad. The spirit came down on them; though they had not gone to the Tent, their names were enrolled among the rest. These began to prophesy in the camp. The young man ran to tell this to Moses, ‘Look,’ he said ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ Then said Joshua the son of Nun, who had served Moses from his youth, ‘My Lord Moses, stop them!’ Moses answered him, ‘Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of the Lord were prophets, and the Lord gave his Spirit to them all!’
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 18(19):8,10,12-14
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.
The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
Second Reading : James 5:1-6
An answer for the rich. Start crying, weep for the miseries that are coming to you. Your wealth is all rotting, your clothes are all eaten up by moths. All your gold and your silver are corroding away, and the same corrosion will be your own sentence, and eat into your body. It was a burning fire that you stored up as your treasure for the last days. Labourers mowed your fields, and you cheated them – listen to the wages that you kept back, calling out; realise that the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. On earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content. It was you who condemned the innocent and killed them; they offered you no resistance.
Gospel : Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.
‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out.’
St Edmund of Canterbury 