St Simon Stock Catholic Church 12th JULY 2009

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle IN ORDINARY TIME
SEA SUNDAY
Saint Simon of England RC Primary School,
Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199 YEAR B
Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS TODAY’S MASS TEXTS

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Sunday 12 Entrance Antiphon Ps 16:15
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) In my justice I shall see your face, O Lord; when your glory
Sea Sunday appears, my joy will be full.
10.00am Mass (People of the parish) First Reading Amos 7:12-15
12.00noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal – sixth Sunday after Go, prophesy to my people.
Pentecost)
6.00pm Mass (Fr. Augustine Measures OSB) Responsorial Psalm: Ps 84
Monday 13
th R: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving
help.
St Mildred, abbess
9.30am Mass (Holy Souls) I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
th a voice that speaks of peace,
Tuesday 14
St Camillus de Lellis, priest peace for his people.
9.30am Mass (Peggy Fairess RIP) followed by Divine Mercy His help is near for those who fear him
Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and his glory will dwell in our land. (R)
until 10.30am Mercy and faithfulness have met;
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Wednesday 15 justice and peace have embraced.
St Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
9.30am Mass (Donor’s intentions) and justice look down from heaven. (R)
th
Thursday 16
The Lord will make us prosper
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
9.30am Mass (Holy Souls)
Friday 17
th Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps. (R)
9.30am Mass (Lawrence Selling RIP)
St. Simon’s School leavers Mass Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
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Saturday 19 Before the world was made, God chose us.
Our Lady Gospel Acclamation: John 6:63.68
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are
10.00am Mass (Kathleen Rogers) life: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
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Sunday 19
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
He began to send them out.
10.00am Mass (Betty Gogarty RIP)
6.00pm Mass (People of the parish) Preface of Sunday 3, Eucharistic Prayer 3
Communion Antiphon: Ps 83:4-5
CONFESSION TIMES The sparrow even finds a home, the swallow finds a nest
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. wherein to place her young, near to your altars, Lord of
Saturday: 10.30am; Sundays: ½ hour before Mass hosts, my King, my God! How happy they who dwell in your
CHURCH CLEANING house! For ever they are praising you.
th th st th th
17 Sue; 24 Tara; 31 Bridie; August 7 Sheila; 14 Sue
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Please pray for all our sick parishioners, particularly Rita
Offertory: £308.33, (Gift Aid: £177.02, loose plate: £131.31) + Redman, Ann Pullen and Mr. O.V. Baby. Names of parishioners
£94 approx by standing order. Second collection: Parish who need our prayers can be placed in the box in the church
Maintenance & Development Fund: £112.35. Thank you. foyer. All our sick parishioners, named and un-named, are
Second collection today: The Apostleship of the Sea. Next remembered in our prayers.
Sunday: Parish Maintenance & Development Fund.
MESSAGE OF THANKS FROM ARCHBISHOP KEVIN
TODAY IS SEA SUNDAY
I wish to express my sincere thanks to all those who took part in
Today’s collection goes to help support the work of chaplains to
the Diocesan Day to Celebrate the Year of St. Paul at Aylesford
seafarers provided by the Apostleship of the Sea. Many go th
on Saturday 27 June. It was a vibrant and memorable
through terrible hardship and the port chaplains are often the
celebration. Over 3000 people from parishes and deaneries
only ones they can turn to. Please give generously in today’s
across the diocese came together as one family in a great spirit
second collection and remember seafarers in your prayers. See
of joy and thankfulness to listen to the Word of God both in the
the notice board for a Pastoral Message for Sea Sunday from
morning Mass and the afternoon liturgy. I wish to thank in
Bishop Tom Burns, Bishop Promoter of the AOS in England and
particular the Carmelite Friars at Aylesford for their warm
Wales.
welcome and all those who worked so hard to make the Day
PARISH BARBECUE such a success. I encourage you, as I did on the day, to
Thank you to all who supported last Sunday’s barbecue after the continue to listen attentively to the readings of St. Paul,
10am Mass. It was a lovely sunny day. particularly at the Sunday Mass and to read his Letters.  Kevin
ACTUAL CHURCH BULLETIN BLOOPERS
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.
They need all the help they can get.

Email: parish@stsimon.org.uk; Web: www.stsimon.org.uk;

Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/; diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
 FR. JOHN’S DESKTOP
Things I’m asked
In a shop the other day, after I had made my enquiry of the shop assistant, seeing that I was a churchman the
assistant asked me: ‘Can I ask you something?’ He then asked if someone who is not baptised could be a godparent at a
‘christening’. He explained that two people had asked him to be a godparent to their children but that he himself was not
baptised. These baptisms are presumably taking place in the Church of England and I’m not sure what, if any, is the C of
E’s position on this. I advised the young man that his friends had paid him a great compliment in considering him a
suitable godparent, but that his instinct was correct that it does not seem right that someone who is not himself a Christian
can be a godparent at a Christian baptism. The Catholic Church’s law is that only Catholics (or members of the Eastern
Orthodox Churches) can be godparents at a Catholic baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1255) says that
the godparents ‘must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptised – child or adult – on the road of
Christian life’ and that their help is important for the grace of Baptism to unfold. The Catechism says that ‘their task is a
truly ecclesial function’, i.e. it is a function that they receive from the Church and carry out within the Church, and this
function cannot be entrusted to one who is not a member of the Church.
Very often, Catholics ask to have good friends of theirs or family members who are not Catholics as godparents of
their children. As long as they are baptised, these non-Catholics can stand alongside the Catholic godparent(s) as
Christian witnesses, but they do not receive from the Church the role of godparent, even if they themselves wish of their
own initiative ‘to help the newly baptised on the road of Christian life.’
Can a Catholic be a godparent at a non-Catholic baptism? Whilst a Catholic can be a godparent to someone who is
to be baptised into an Eastern Orthodox Church, for the same reasons as given above a Catholic cannot be a godparent
at a Church of England, Methodist, Baptist etc. baptism for he/she would somehow receive a function from a church or
ecclesial community to which he/she does not belong. He/she can, however, be a Christian witness to the baptism.
We do treat the Eastern Orthodox Churches differently from communities such as the Church of England. The
Orthodox have retained the apostolic succession, valid priesthood, Eucharist and other sacraments. The ordination of
Anglican ministers, however, is considered absolutely null and void. Why is this? That is perhaps a matter for another
‘Desktop’. Fr. John
REGULAR EVENTS – COME ALONG! FATHER JOHN’S WISH LIST
People sometimes suggest that I should let the
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP
parish know if there is anything I would
after the 9.30am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of
particularly like to buy for the parish in case
intercession for various needs and silent adoration
someone or some people would like to offer
of the Blessed Sacrament till 10.30am.
contributions, or to buy in memory of a deceased
CHOIR PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30PM loved one or parishioner, etc. I would very much
No practice this week like to get a nice set of torches, candles that
BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM servers carry in procession and which they bear
Studying the Acts of the Apostles. This week’s particularly during the Eucharistic Prayer and
meeting takes place at Teresa Davies’ house. Tel: 625799. Consecration. The set of four torches and base in
Newcomers always welcome. the illustration would cost £537. They are made of
lacquered brass on a wood pole. They will be sent
NATURAL FERTILITY AWARENESS to us in a few weeks for me to have a look at and if they prove to
Greg Clovis from Family Life International is coming at 11am on be what we need I should like to buy them.
th
Saturday 18 July to speak about Natural Fertility Awareness,
WELCOME BACK TO
also commonly known as Natural Family Planning. All are
FATHER SEBASTIAN VANIYAPURACKAL
welcome to hear about the natural and moral way of regulating th
Fr Sebastian will be staying in the presbytery from Friday 17 to
fertility. Suitable for married couples, those preparing for th
th Sunday 19 July.
marriage, parents, young people 16+. If you can’t come on 18 ,
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he will be here again on 25 . WALSINGHAM VIDEO
YEAR FOR PRIESTS All, but particularly those going on the Walsingham pilgrimage on
rd
23 July, are invited to a showing of ‘Virgin by the Sea’, a 40
Some parishioners have decided to gather to pray the Rosary for
minute video about the National Shrine of Our Lady at
our priests 20 minutes before the morning Masses Monday to th
Walsingham, at 7.30pm on Monday 20 July in the presbytery.
Friday. All are welcome to join.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS IMPORTANT – MOBILE PHONE DATABASE
God our Father, Early next week all UK mobiles will be on a directory which will
you sent your son, Jesus, into the world, mean that anyone will be able to access the numbers. It is easy
and He in turn, to unsubscribe but it must be done before the beginning of next
through the Holy Spirit, week to make sure that you are ex-directory. You could be
sent the apostles and their successors swamped by unsolicited messages and calls.
to continue your work as teacher, priest and shepherd. Removal is recommended by the BBC:.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/
We ask you to choose from among us in our diocese hi/programmes/working_lunch/8091621.stm.The Directory of
priests, brothers and sisters Mobile Phone numbers goes live next week. All numbers
who will willingly give their lives in your service including those belonging to children will be open to cold calling
and seek to make you better known and loved. and the general abuse that less scrupulous telesales people
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen subject us too. To remove your number go to their website and
click on Ex-directory (you need your mobile phone with you to do
CHURCH MAINTENANCE UPDATE this, they text you a code): http://www.118800.co.uk.
As you may have noticed, the timbers surrounding the church
roof are being restored and repainted. This is essential upkeep HAVE WE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT IS TO BE CATHOLIC? (4)
that has to be done from time to time. Thank you for your (From Fit for Mission? Church by Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue)
generous contributions to the maintenance fund to enable the Those who deny they are sinners and avoid confession
church to be properly maintained. forget they are Catholic.
To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/. Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/