JANUARY 17TH, 2021
SECOND SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
Second Collection (Peace Sunday): Pax Christi
Peace and Reconciliation throughout the world
MASS (OLHoC): 6.00pm (Saturday) (Norman Sharp RIP)
MASS (St Joseph’s): 9.00am (Myra Pound RIP)
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am (James Parker RIP)
MASS (OLHoC): 11.00am (People of the Parish)
Zoom Meeting of Churches Together Folkestone: 6.00pm - Prayers Together on Zoom
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• MONDAY, January
18th - Feria
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am (Fr John O’Callaghan RIP)
• TUESDAY,
January 19th - Feria
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am (Margaret Tunney RIP)
• WEDNESDAY,
January 20th – Feria
MASS
(OLHoC): 10.00am (Winifred Coling RIP)
• THURSDAY,
January 21st – St Agnes
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am (Deacon Gehad Homsey’s intention)
• FRIDAY, January 22nd - Feria
MASS (OLHoC): 9.00am (Fr Michael Boland RIP)
• SATURDAY, January 23rd – Votive of The Blessed Virgin Mary
MASS (St Joseph’s): 10.00am (Canon Francis O’Sullivan RIP)
Confessions (St Joseph’s): 10.30am – 11.00am
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THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
MASS (OLHoC): 6.00pm (Saturday) (Francis and Anne Singa Rajah RIP)
MASS
(OLHoC): 9.00am (John Wrigley RIP)
MASS
(OLHoC): 11.00am (People of the Parish)
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ATTENDANCE AT MASS – We continue to have Mass every day in our Parish and you are all
very welcome to attend. All Masses held at Our Lady, Help of Christians are
broadcast live at https://www.churchservices.tv/folkestone
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OFFETORY AND OTHER COLLECTIONS – last week’s collection (excluding standing orders) was £671.66. The second collection for the SPUC White Flower Appeal was £183.77. The Crib collection raised £66.95 and this will be donated to Embrace the Middle East who partner with Middle East Christians as they bring healing and hope to all who face poverty and injustice.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
GENEROSITY.
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Pope Francis—World
Peace Message 2021
‘A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace’
by Fr Rob Esdaile
Can you remember ‘BC’? No, not the ancient world, but ‘Before Covid’! It’s been ten months, but it can seem like ten years at times. ‘New normal’ is certainly not yet normal. Who ever thought that we’d all be putting on masks to go shopping, sanitising (rather than dipping our fingers in the holy water stoop) as we enter church, or viewing shaking hands (never mind a peck-on-the-cheek) as a high-risk activity? Was ‘working from home’ even a remote possibility last January? Being ‘Zoomed out’ was not yet an occupational hazard in the ‘office’ (as we liked to call the dressing table in the spare room).
A difficult journey – but a journey nonetheless
It’s been a difficult journey – particularly painful or poignant for some of us. Perhaps we can name names of departed friends, family or colleagues. Perhaps we have had other losses, too – of employment, income, travel plans or assumptions. Difficult, yes. But it has been a journey. We know now that we can do this lockdown thing if we have to. We have learnt other things, too – about the virus, about hygiene, about our extraordinary human capacity to adapt, about our next-door neighbours (Who was vulnerable? Who was on their own? Who needed a helping hand?). ‘Community spirit’ became the thing. We clapped the carers and put rainbows in our windows. We discovered the strength of our connections with people that we could no longer visit. We realised afresh that love does not count the miles …
The
learning wasn’t mere self-improvement and wasn’t an unalloyed good. (What a
price some have paid!) Yet there is plenty to point to which might be
classified as the emergence of a new dimension of ‘social friendship’ – the
term Pope Francis used in his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (‘Brothers and Sisters
All’), published just last autumn. Of course, glib statements that we were ‘all
in the same boat’ ignored the fact that, as on the ocean liners of old, some
were dining in the state rooms and had access to the lifeboats, while others
were Pope Francis—World Peace Message 2021 ‘A Culture of Care as a Path to
Peace’ Article for a Parish Magazine by Fr Rob Esdaile travelling ‘steerage’
with neither warmth nor safety equipment (PPE). Yet it swiftly became apparent
that no one could deal with this crisis on their own (whether as individual
citizens or as individual nations). Only herculean efforts at cooperation could
save us.
Again, ‘clapping for carers’ may have been good for our morale, but it forced us to ask: who really keeps the nation going? We applauded a string of unsung professions: nurses, cleaners, care assistants, delivery drivers, supermarket staff, janitors, transport workers – people who are typically neither paid well nor recipients of public awards for their service.
What does Building Back Better mean?
‘Build back better’ says the slogan (with its wonky grammar). But ‘better’ means attending to all, beginning with the most vulnerable. ‘Better’ means realising that we are indeed all brothers and sisters and acting accordingly. ‘Better’ means valuing the ones we used to overlook and rewarding their contribution. ‘Better’ means realising that our future flourishing depends on the 'social capital’ we have – individuals’ gifts and stories and a shared desire to contribute to the Common Good. ‘Better’ means refusing to accept injustice as ‘just the way it is’ and refusing to accept conflict between the nations as ‘just the way it is’, too.
Pope Francis offers a beautiful reflection on the story of the Good Samaritan in Fratelli Tutti. What we learn there is, firstly, that our neighbour is the one whom we had thought of as our inferior and as our enemy, the despised ‘Samaritan’; and, secondly, that ‘neighbour’ is something you become by your actions, not your words.
Pax Christi – seeking together a world at peace
We’ve made a start towards ‘building back better’ with our response to the pandemic during these last ten months. In 2021, let’s continue that journey, working together to fashion a world in which all can belong and, while living in peace, can contribute their gifts, their care, their kindness. Nowhere is the call to join hands in friendship more needed than in building peaceful relations between nation states and overcoming the distrust that so damages relations between different countries.
If you want to be involved in that work of building ‘social friendship’ between the nations, especially in places that have known conflict, join Pax Christi, the international Catholic peace movement. It does such good work, fostering dialogue in places of conflict; empowering its members to act for peace and reconciliation; and providing resources, contacts, ideas and inspiration to help us all together to create a culture of peace. Contact them at St. Joseph’s, Watford Way, London, NW4 4TY or www.paxchristi.org.uk
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CHURCHES TOGETHER FOLKESTONE – Joint Time of
Prayer – Sunday 17th January at 6.00pm.
Let's join together to lift our communities and nation to the living God of the universe in prayer. The event will be held on Zoom and details are as follows:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82067680002?pwd=UkdzclhDcjM1emp0Zk4wcXgzdmxwZz09
Meeting ID: 820 6768 0002
Passcode: 478162
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MESSAGE FROM THE SVP: Kitty Hart passed away last week after a fall, just after Christmas. For people who didn’t know Kitty, she had been a member of the SVP for many years. She may have been one of the group that set it up in Folkestone. Up to about 5 years ago was an active member and only because a difficult illness she was then visited by members. Kitty always had such energy and enthusiasm for life, and for getting involved in anything to do with the community. For anyone who didn’t know her by name, she was the lollipop lady on the crossing at Radnor Park for many years. Whenever l visited her l still noticed her sign by her front door.
Kitty was one of
life’s lovely people, and will be greatly missed. Her family have been so good
to her during her illness, and will find it difficult without her. Please keep
them all in your prayers. Please keep in contact with anyone on their own.
We have had some lovely feedback on the hampers we gave out at Christmas,
everyone seemed to enjoy the treats that were inside. I haven’t had any
information from the school about the vouchers but schools have enough to
contend with over the last few weeks. Please stay safe everyone, God Bless,
Paul Cross.
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CONFIRMATION – is now open to all children aged 13 and over who have not been confirmed. You are invited to apply in writing to Fr Alex Saba and the deadline for applications is Friday 12th February, 2021.
Application forms are
available at the back of the two Parish churches or you can email folkestone@rcaos.org.uk for further
information.
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NEXT SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A 10.00AM MASS AT
ST JOSEPH’S
– This will happen when the Sunday Mass is not being held at St Joseph’s on the
second, fourth and fifth Sundays of the month.
THE ANGELUS
V. The Angel
of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she
conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary,
etc...
V. Behold
the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it
done unto me according to Your Word.
Hail Mary,
etc...
V. And the
Word was made flesh,
R. And
dwelt among us.
Hail Mary,
etc...
V. Pray for
us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we
may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us
pray:
Pour forth,
we beseech You, O Lord,
Your Grace
into our hearts;
that as we
have known the incarnation of Christ,
your Son by
the message of an angel,
so by His
passion and cross
we may be
brought to the glory of His Resurrection.
Through the
same Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
WE FLY TO THY PROTECTION
We fly to Thy protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Hail, holy
Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do
we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the
blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Amen.
PRAYER TO ST MICHAEL
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the
devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for
the ruin of souls. Amen.
PARISH INFORMATION
Presbytery
and Parish Office:
41 Guildhall Street, Folkestone, Kent CT20
1EF
Tel: 01303 252823
e-mail: folkestone@rcaos.org.uk
Parish
Secretary: Mr Dylan Jeffrey BA, PGCE, MSc
Clergy
Parish
Priest: Fr Alex Saba MA, MSLR, MCL, JCL
Hon
Asst Priest: Fr Francis Capener MA
Deacon Rev. Dr Gehad
Homsey MB, BCh
(01303-253601 / 07917 134250
