Newsletter
LAST WEEK’S COLLECTION
Thanks for your generous support which amounted to £753-12 (In addition each week we receive about £200 in direct debits from parishioners).
GROUPS & ORGANISATIONS
The Bible Study group meets on Monday at 1.30pm in the Parish Hall. All welcome. Mothers Prayers meet at 8 Priory Close on Tuesday at 1 - 2pm. (ring Sharon on 248354) The SVP meet on Tuesday at 7.30pm.
COFFEE MORNING
Next weekend the CWL will be serving refreshments after the morning Masses in the Parish Hall. There will be a Bric-a-brac Stall, and the Repository Stall (for Rosaries, Prayer Books, Mass Cards etc) will be open as usual.
APF RED MISSION BOX HOLDERS
It’s that time of year again when the Red Boxes need to be emptied. You’ll find an APF envelope with your name on it at the back of the church. Please take it home, empty your box into it, and bring it back next Sunday! SPUC There is a Pro-Life meeting on Wed 23rd Sept at St. Joseph’s Church Hall, Bedwell Crescent, Stevenage SG1 1NJ at 7.30pm. John Smeaton, SPUC’s national director, will be speaking. For further information contact Colleen on 01438-746546.
PRO-LIFE PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM
Our Annual Pilgrimage of Reparation and Prayer for the Sanctity of Life to Walsingham takes place on Sunday 27th Sept led by Bishop Arthur Roche (Leeds) and Fr. Jeremy Davies. A coach will depart from our chuch at 8.40am. For booking, ring Margaret on 01582-411155 or Janet on 01582-614791.
PRAYER & FASTING FOR LIFE
Tuesday 29th September is the next national monthly day. To take part simply fast from a particular food or luxury for the day (eg. chocolate or TV), and make the effort to attend Mass or say an extra Rosary that day. For more information ring 020 7723 1740 JOHN HENRY NEWMAN SCHOOL There are some pink information sheets at the back of the Church about our recent public examination results. ST. EDMUND’S COLLEGE, OLD HALL GREEN England’s oldest Catholic school. We are holding our annual Open Morning on Sat. 26th Sept, 9.30am - 12.30pm. Everyone welcome! For more info ring 01920-824247 or visit www.stedmundscollege.org IRISH DANCING CLASSES Classes have re-commenced in our Parish Hall on Fridays at 7.30pm.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Items for next week’s issue must be at the Presbytery by 6pm on Tuesday. Thank you. STOP PRESS Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Westminster Record newly arrived! HOME MISSION SUNDAY (Sep 20th) “Our first duty as Christians is to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ with all among whom we live and work. We can only do this effectively if we not only know about Jesus Christ with our heads but truly believe in him and love him in our hearts. Once we have grown to know and love Jesus Christ as our friend, we shall be able to live a full Christian life with increasing joy. It is this witness which is crucial in drawing others to know and love Jesus.” (Ambrose Griffiths OSB)
FAITH-SHARING GROUPS
The autumn faith-sharing programme which will start mid-October this year is called YOUR KINGDOM COME, and is an introduction to the Church’s social and economic teaching through an analysis of the Our Father. The nearest training session for small group leaders and anyone else interested in our area is taking place on Saturday 3 October (10.30am - midday) at the Church of SS Alban and Stephen, St Albans. All are welcome! The signing-up sheets to join a group are at the back of the Church as you leave Mass today. Just leave your contact details and preferred day & time and we will try to accommodate you.
FIRST COMMUNION PROGRAMME
Here in Royston we respect parents as the first and principal educators of their children in the faith, so our parish preparation programme is aimed at helping parents to fulfill their duty.. It consists of about ten evening sessions for parents, six Saturday mornings for the children and monthly link Masses. (Children must be in at least Year 3 of primary school.) Parents are now invited to contact Fr. Seamus to make an appointment to enroll their child, during this month of September (i.e. closing date 27th Sept.)
ADULTS BECOMING CATHOLIC
Fr. Seamus is looking to get together a small group of adults seeking to become Catholics, together with possible sponsors. We will hold a meeting on Wed. 23rd Sept at 2.30pm in the Martyrs Chapel. If you can’t make this meeting do catch Fr. Seamus after Mass, or ring him!
MATTHEW(September 21st)
“Matthew” means gift of God. Jesus called the tax-collector Matthew to be one of the apostles and he left his job to follow Jesus who promised gifts that tax money could not buy. St Bede put it very well when he preached a homily about St Matthew: “There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.”