Dear Brothers and Sisters,
IT IS GOOD THAT THINGS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE NATIONALLY AND THE VACCINATION ROLLOUT CONTINUES APACE. I LOOK FORWARD THIS THURSDAY TO MY OWN FIRST VACCINATION. AND ALL SO WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO RESTORE NORMALITY.
I LOOK FORWARD IN ANTICIPATION TO SEEING OUR PARISH FAMILY GATHERED TOGETHER ONCE MORE.
THE PARISH MASS WILL BE BROADCAST THIS SUNDAY AND AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY. 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 “
PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER, THAT NO SERVICES WILL BE BROADCAST FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THAT. THIS MEANS THAT PALM SUNDAY AND THE OTHER HOLY WEEK SERVICES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH. THIS IS DUE IN PART TO THE FACT THAT THE SERVICE SCHEDULE IS INTENSE DURING THAT WEEK AND I WILL NOT HAVE THE TIME TO PERSONALLY SEE TO THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BROADCASTING UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE WISHES TO STEP FORWARD.
I WOULD ALSO HOPE THAT NOW THE INFECTION RATE HAS FALLEN SIGNIFICANTLY LOCALLY AND THAT NEARLY ALL THOSE CLASSED AS VULNERABLE HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST, AND IN MANY CASES, SECOND VACCINATION, THAT YOU WOULD JOIN ME IN PERSON TO CELEBRATE THE GREAT MOMENTS OF SALVATION THAT OUR KEEPING OF HOLY WEEK ENACTS.
HOLY WEEK AT SAINT MARTIN’S
PALM SUNDAY - 28th March
10.00 am THE BLESSING OF PALMS AND PARISH - MASS
MONDAY-WEDNESDAY - 29th-31st March
7.00 pm Low Mass and Meditation
MAUNDY THURSDAY - 1st April
7.00 pm MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
GOOD FRIDAY - 2nd April
1.00 pm Children’s Service
3.00 pm LITURGY OF THE LORD’S PASSION
HOLY SATURDAY - 3rd April
10.00 am Office of Readings and Morning Prayer
8.00 pm BLESSINGOF THE EASTER CANDLE, VIGIL - AND FIRST MASS OF EASTER
EASTER SUNDAY- 4th April
8.00 am Low Mass
11.00 am SOLEMN PONTIFICAL MASS
- with the Rt. Reverend Jonathan Goodall - - our Bishop
PLEASE NOTE-ON THIS SUNDAY 11am START
SERVICES THIS SUNDAY:
8 am Mass.
10 am PARISH MASS for the Fifth Sunday in Lent.
6 pm VESPERS AND BENEDICTION
This will be broadcast via our Church Facebook page.
Our Lord was destined to die in order to win for us eternal life. This Sunday we are therefore reminded that we too, must die to sin, die to our own selfish ways, if we are to be open and alive to Christ and to citizenship in His Kingdom.
THE NOTICES
Giving at Saint Martins - All through this last year we have had to continue to meet all the usual expenses of running our Church and it’s building. This has included the usual - gas, electricity, water, building insurance (£3,000) telephone, sacristy and stationary supplies and spending on those things necessary to offer online services as well as the usual parochial expenses, such at travel costs for the clergy. And on top of all this the Wider Church has expected us to pay the usual contribution towards maintaining the ministry here in the Parish and across the Diocese which amounted to £27,400 last year of which we were able to pay £25,000.
While we have some money coming in from our parochial charity investments, this income has been, understandably much reduced, and has never, at the best of times, given us anywhere, near enough to meet our parochial outgoings.
PLEASE GIVE AS GENEROUSLY AS YOU CAN.
IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST THIS WEEK; CHEQUES CAN BE MADE PAYABLE TO:
Saint Martin’s P. C. C. No. 1 A/c
MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.
MASSES DURING THE WEEK WILL BE OFFERED AT THESE TIMES:
Tuesday at 7 pm
Wednesday at 12.15 pm (with Adoration from 11.45 am) and at 7.00 pm
Thursday at 10 am
Friday at 10 am
Saturday at 10 am
SERVICES NEXT SUNDAY
8.00 am - Low Mass
10.00 am - BLESSING OF PALMS AND PARISH MASS (Passion / Palm Sunday)
PLEASE don’t forget to contact me if you have any prayer requests 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 - 12 noon.
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION AND RECONCILIATION is also available at this time.
Please continue to remember the following in your prayers:
Firstly:
For a worthy offering and good keeping of Holy Week that we may be drawn deeper into the mysteries of our faith and grow in our love of Christ Jesus our Lord.
For a drop in the rate of Covid infections and in the number of hospitalised victims.
For the continued rapid dissemination of the Vaccines for Covid 19 and for all working for this end.
Those who have found themselves out of work, particularly those who have families or other dependents to support.
Those who are despairing at the future of their businesses and those that work for them.
Those who continue to live in fear of this global pandemic and are living with anxiety and depression.
For the Government in their seeking solutions for the common good at this time.
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 Bishop Jonathan and all our parish clergy as they seek to continue to make present in our midst the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, the Sacraments of Christ and offer continuing Pastoral care.
For Genesis Abbey, the Mother House of the Monastic Community of the House of Initia Nova of the Order of Saint Benedict. For it’s Abbot Michael-John Austin, the community and for those new to its life.
For the Sick:
For Amie Reed, Rhodie Howard, Abbot Michael John Austin, Rachel Thurston, Paul Ward, Jean Holden, Peter White, Roger D’Elia, Norman Kent, Denis & Yvonne Simpson, David Lingham, Sandra Walduck, and Doris Weatherley.
For the Departed:
For Shirley Milburn, John McDonald Moore, Grace Moore and all who have died recently, and for all those who have died of Covid 19.
We pray too for all whose years mind falls at this time, among them Ellen Plumb, Rita Zazzi and Beatrice Keep. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord.
And let Light Perpetual shine upon them.
We live in the hope of the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
May God bless you and keep you.
Father Victor