THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT - 17th March 2024
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Word made flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ, deigned to enter our world so that in dying for us, taking our sins upon himself, he might also gift us with eternal life. WE must die to sin. WE must die to our sinful ways, if we are to be alive to Christ’s transformative grace working within us and conforming us to Himself. Only in this way can we truly seek to build the Kingdom.
SERVICES FOR THIS WEEK
17th March 2024
THIS SUNDAY - THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Parish Mass at 10.00 am.
19th March
TUESDAY
Mass at 6.30 pm (At the Vicarage)
This Week - Lent group at 7.00 pm following.
20th March
WEDNESDAY
NO MASS TODAY.
21st March
THURSDAY
Mass at 10.00 am.
22nd March
FRIDAY
Mass at 10.00 am.
23rd March
SATURDAY
Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9.00 am.
Mass at 10.00 am.
NEXT SUNDAY - PASSION / PALM SUNDAY
Parish Mass at 10.00 am. Beginning in the Vestry Hall.
TEA AND COFFEE IS AVAILABLE AFTER MASS ON SUNDAYS - DO JOIN US FOR FELLOWSHIP.
PARISH NEWS
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
SPECIAL LENTEN SERVICES
TUESDAY EVENING THIS WEEK after a 6.30 pm Mass at the Vicarage - The Lenten Study Group
THREE PATHS TO HOLINESS
How to become not better Christian’s, but Saints
CONFESSIONS will be heard 20 minutes before any of the Weekday Masses and immediately afterwards. Please speak to Father Victor or Father Ian
SPRING CLEAN PART TWO. Thank you to those who came on Saturday morning to assist with the second part of our spring cleaning. Our task as a parish family is to make our Church a worthy temple for our forthcoming Holy Week and Easter Services.
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES LEAFLETS. We would still welcome volunteers to leaflet a few streets around the Parish this coming week. The leaflets are at the back of Church.
THE HEALTHY CHURCH INITIATIVE. Thank you all for taking part in this process through which we will be able to reflect on our ongoing Parish Mission. Canon Gary Ecclestone has informed us that the data results of our survey are being processed now and he will be with our PCC on the 11th April to share the results so that we may begin to target our Parish Mission response accordingly.
THE ADULT BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION CLASS continues. The classes take place after the Parish Mass on Sundays at the Vicarage at 12.30 pm. THERE ARE A FEW OF YOU WHO ARE YET TO BE CONFIRMED- PLEASE SPEAK TO FATHER VICTOR AS IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO ATTEND CLASSES. The Bishop is with us
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES
Please see accompanying Facebook post on this Saint Martin’s Page.
REPOSITORY - CHURCH GIFT SHOP
This is open before and after Mass on Sundays and weekdays selling a wide range of items from religious cards, rosaries, books, crucifixes and icons to mugs, fridge magnets, church diaries, pens and note books.
Items can be seen in the glass case by the font at the back of church and in the glass case in the Vestry Hall. Please take a look.
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL takes place each and every Sunday. If you have children between the ages of 5 - 12 they will be most welcome from 10 am in the Vestry Hall. Hope to see you there.
IF YOU HAVE ANY PRAYERS or Mass intentions you would like me to offer at Mass or if would like someone added to ou parish prayer list of the Sick or Departed.
My contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 07714190663
Email: Vicarstmartin@outlook.com
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 keeping of the Season of Lent in preparation for the joy of Easter.
For our Parish that we may emulate him in our faithfulness to the Gospel and its proclamation and to the care of our brothers and sisters in their need.
For our Bishop Paul and all the Parishes that look to him in the Oswestry Episcopal District.
For our Sunday School and for the children attending.
That the gifts of the Holy Spirit may be ours so that we may grow our Parish and serve the people of Fenny and Bletchley more effectively.
For the success of our ‘Growing Healthy Churches’ initiative.
For the Children who attend our Sunday School.
For a deepening of our faith and a greater commitment to Christ.
For the strength to remain firm in our Christian faith and to give witness to it through our own example.
For the people of Israel and Palestine and for an ending of the conflict there.
For an end of war in the Ukraine and in Somalia and the re-establishment of Peace.
That we may continue to remember, the needs of those so less fortunate than ourselves.
For those at school, college or University, that they may be kept safe and well.
For those who work, particularly those who have families or other dependents.
For the Government, that in this time of rising costs we may see increased integrity within the world of politics.
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 and Father Ian 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 and for its Motherhouse in its new home in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
For it’s Abbot, Michael-John Austin, for all of the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Abigail Bullock, Soraya Khajehpour, Diane Hare, Annette Thomas, Derek Albert, Cecile Raven, Doris Weatherley, Yvonne and Denis Simpson, Gary Ashby, Richard Lyons, Heather Burke, June Reid, Nicola Monaghan, Rosalio Eluna and Jean Holden.
For the Departed:
For Annette Thomas, Bishop Alan Wilson, Paul Pangrace and all the recently departed and for Robert Wright, Derek Toye, Ellen Plumb and all whose Year’s Mind occurs at this time.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
Blessings on you and your families as we prepare for the advent of Holy Week,
Father Victor (Brother Cuthbert)
