My Dear Friends,
As we participate in this Palm Sunday we mark the last lap of our Lenten journey with Christ through His suffering to His moment of glory. We hail him as our king, who through His death and resurrection will establish His kingdom as the hope of our salvation. And so begins our keeping of Holy Week.
SERVICES FOR THIS HOLY WEEK
Monday – Mass and Address at 7.00 pm
Confessions between 6.30 – 7.00 pm
Tuesday – Mass and Address at 7.00 pm
Confessions between 6.30 – 7.00 pm
Wednesday – Mass and Address at 12.15 pm
Maundy Thursday
Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Eucharistic Procession & Watch at 7.00 pm
Good Friday
Children’s Worship and Party at 1.00 pm
The Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at 3.00 pm
Holy Saturday
Office of Readings and Morning Prayer at 10.00 am
Easter Vigil (with Blessing of the New Fire and Paschal Candle) and First Mass of Easter at 8.00 pm
Easter Sunday
Solemn Festal Mass, Blessing of the Easter Garden & Easter Eggs at 10.00 am
followed by Easter Egg Hunt for the Children
THIS WEEK’S SUNDAY MASS WILL BE BROADCAST. Tune in via our Parish Facebook page.
TO TUNE IN VIA FACEBOOK TO JOIN IN OUR WORSHIP PLEASE OPEN THE FACEBOOK APP ON YOUR PHONE OR DEVICE AND SEARCH FOR:
“St Martin’s Parish Church, Fenny Stratford"
TEA AND COFFEE IS SERVED AFTER MASS ON SUNDAYS - DO JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP.
LENTEN GIVING
This year is for the Additional Curates Society and in support of future Ordinands. Please take a collecting box home.
PARISH NOTICES
Our Annual General Meeting takes place this year after the Parish Mass on the 24th April 2022. This is to receive the reports of our officers, elect our Churchwardens for the year ahead and elect 2 new members of the PCC that serve for three years.
The A.G.M. Reports will be available to the Parish family on Easter Sunday 17th, April.
Renewal of Electoral Roll - Every year, in preparation for the Annual General Meeting of Parishioners, there is the requirement to bring the Electoral Roll of Parish Members up to date. To this end, if you worship habitually with us at Saint Martin’s, you are entitled to be on our membership roll and take part in the Parish A.G.M. Forms for this purpose can be found at the back of church and we ask that you fill one in and give it to Leonie Seymour, David Cooper-Smith or to Father Victor.
A PLEA FOR HELP
Getting everything in place for each of our Holy Week services is no mean feat. It takes a lot of effort and Father Victor cannot do it all on his own.
On Maundy Thursday there is, in particular, the Altar of Repose to beautify with greenery, flowers and candles. Please can you help with flowers and greenery? Volunteers and Fr. Victor will meet at 11.30 am to prepare the Altar of Repose.
On Good Friday Father Victor needs help with the Children’s Service and Party and volunteers to help and supervise the children in the making of the Easter Garden.
On Holy Saturday Morning we need to make the Church look wonderful for the celebration of Easter. We need flower arrangers to prepare pedestals and to decorate the window sills. We also need help to dress all the altars and set up the Church for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.
IF YOU HAVE ANY PRAYERS or Mass intentions you would like me to offer at Mass or if would like someone added to our parish prayer list of the Sick or Departed.
My contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 01908 372825
Email: victorbullock@talktalk.net
I am also available in person during Surgery Hour on Saturday’s in Church between 10.30am - 11.30am.
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION is also available at this time.
Please continue to remember the following in your prayers: For a good and devout keeping of Holy Week, that it may be a time of spiritual growth as we walk with Christ through His Passion, Death and Glorious Resurrection.
The strength to witness more diligently to our Christian faith.
For an end of war in the Ukraine and the Reestablishment of Peace.
That we may always remember, the needs of those so less fortunate than ourselves.
For a Holy and Pastoral man to be appointed soon as our new Bishop in succession to Bishop Jonathan Goodall.
For those at school, college or University, that they may be kept safe and well.
That society may now heal from the Covid pandemic and return to normal.
For those who work, particularly those who have families or other dependents.
For the Government, that integrity may return to politics, that Covid mandates may come to an end and that they may continue to rebuild after these very difficult two years.
For peace to reign within our homes and amongst one another.
For the elderly, housebound and those living in residential and nursing homes.
For our Ambulance Service and for our other Emergency Service Staff and for Milton Keynes Hospital and all who work there.
For Father Victor, Father Ian and Father John and for all parish clergy as they seek to continue to make present in our midst the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, the other Sacraments of Christ and offer continuing Pastoral care.
For the Monastic Community of the House of Initia Nova of the Order of Saint Benedict as it seeks a new home. For it’s Abbot, Michael-John Austin, for the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Steven Pretorius, Frances Guess, Nicola Monaghan, Father Gary Ecclestone, Rosalio Eluna, Susan Carter, Pam Wilderspin, Paul Ward, Jean Holden, Peter White, Roger D’Elia, Norman Kent, Denis & Yvonne Simpson, David Lingham, Sandra Walduck, Eugenius Yung and Doris Weatherley.
For the Departed:
For all the recently departed among them Auriol McDonald-Moore, Father John Wren, Margaret
and also for Bernard Payne, Frederick Clarke, Ivy Brown, Bessie Brown, James Hickman, Agnes Pummery, Margaret Power, Dorothy Russell and all whose whose Year’s Mind occurs at this time.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
With every blessing on you and your families in this Holy Week,
Father Victor (Dom Cuthbert OSB)