:
an inter-church project which could have a vital impact for any of us! Thursdays
28th March and 4th April 7 – 9.30pm at St Andrew’s. Wiveliscombe.
See poster in porch for full details.
First Holy Communion preparation class: Saturday 30th
March, 11am – 12 noon.
The Bishop is presently touring Taunton Deanery and he will
be with us here in St John Fisher, Wellington, celebrating Mass at 11.15am on
Sunday 31st March, 2019. Please, we would be grateful if everyone is
in attendance to warmly welcome Bishop Declan to our parish.
To be “tender of heart”, to be humble is one of the more
attractive personality traits we see in people. Humility can best be described
as a “generosity of spirit” – a willingness to see our own interests in
others – to evaluate our attitudes and see the face of God in each and every
one of our neighbours, friends and family members. We know that this is not
always easy. When we feel insecure, anxious or envious, it is easier for us to
see the negative and to engage in putting others down to make quick and unkind
judgements. But Jesus warns against this way of being. Instead he invites us to
embrace an abundance of spirit, a generosity towards other people, that shows
the fruit of being a true follower. By living like this we will flourish, we
will bear fruit. We will not wither and die but live! In the little parable of
the fig tree there is good news. There is time to learn and to grow in humility.
The gardener says to the owner – be patient – I will keep tending the tree,
feeding it and nurturing it, until it bears fruit. If it doesn’t bear fruit in
the next season then you can cut it down. It seems we have a little time to
learn to be tender-hearted.
Gospel commentary for the 3rd Sunday of Lent
In the Old Testament the early encounters with God are based
on the promise that the Lord who has revealed himself to his people will always
be faithful to them. When God says to Moses “I Am who I Am”, he is declaring
that he is the one who will always be beside this people, leading and guiding
them. This is the same God who guided Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is this
fidelity that sustains the people of Israel in their journey to the promised
land. There is an ongoing dialogue between God and his people, usually mediated
through the prophets, about what he should do as a response to their infidelity.
St Paul, in the first letter to the Corinthians, wants us to
take the events of the history of Israel as a warning as to what may happen to
us Christians if we are not faithful to God and do not keep to his ways. In Luke’s
Gospel Jesus offers us a more nuanced interpretation. Disasters, whether caused
by nature or people, are not signs of God’s punishment. But when things go
wrong, they are signs to us to reflect on our lives and ask ourselves whether we
are producing the fruit that is asked of us.
Jesus asks us to be sensitive to the needs of our world and of each other. He
asks us to be imaginative in the ways we seek to help to secure the world as a
better place to live, whether it be in the way we take care of our environment
or how we support those who struggle in any way. It ties in with his frequent
admonition to his disciples: “Stay awake, for you do not know either the day
or the hour”. We are the presence of Christ in our world.
Clifton Diocese
Polish Directory:
Lists Polish chaplains, societies,
Masses etc. throughout the diocese
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Next
Holydays of Obligation:
Epiphany,
Ascension & Corpus Christi
are now celebrated on Sundays, at Sunday times above.)
Answers the question "What date is Easter Sunday" through to
2040)
Holy
day Masses are usually celebrated at the following times:-
9.15am.
Wellington
, 7.30pm. Wiveliscombe
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CTS
faith booklets-
Sold
at the rack near the doors of both churches.
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Parking for 11.15 Mass:
-is
permitted at Wellington Youth Centre, opposite the Total
garage. Just drive in and
park.
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Parish
structure:
Parish
Pastoral Council
(Chair:
Julia Tucker)
-follows
Canon Law and Diocesan guidelines, working collaboratively with the parish
priest to make pastoral decisions, and co-ordinate parish ministries.
Meets on 4th Tuesday of most months.
Parish
Outreach Committee (Chair: Pending new appointment.)
-Meets bi-monthly to promote the mission of the parish.
Finance
& General Purposes Committee
(Chair: Charles Moorland)
-
also works under Church Canon Law with the Diocese Finance Office to
maintain the parish’s legal, financial and property matters.
Parish
Forum (Facilitator: Julia Tucker )
All are invited quarterly to discuss parish
development. Meets on
announced Saturdays,
9.15am-12.00. incl. Mass, coffee & discussion.
Parish
open Annual General Meeting:
The
next one will be announced close to March 2016.
Who
does what: Our main
parish functionaries
are now listed on the church notice-board,
or accessible clicking HERE.
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Parish
Projects:
Each
year the AGM agrees which charities the parish funds from 10% of the
offertory collections and from other events.
For 2010 we agreed to support:
Always CaFOD's work for the 3rd world;
plus: “Welcome
home
ministries,
Tanzania
from
2015
See Parish Room board at St. John Fisher for
details.
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Welfare:
Crisis
pregnancy? Nearest
LIFE centre for impartial support:
48 Queen St.
Exeter
. 07837
005562 www.lifeuk.org/exeter
Also “Alternatives” in
Taunton
, 0800 0086 857 www.alternativstaunton.org.uk
“Message in a Bottle:” With
an easy form, so 999 services find your needs.
FREE by church doors. Details:
Poster, Fr. Vincent
.
Parish
Visitors –support any in need: lonely,
sick, bereaved.. Tel. Fr Vincent
Hospitalisations:
With
no priest based at
Musgrove
Park; ask Fr. Vincent for anointing or confession before going in.
Sacrament
of the Sick: Available
after the homily at Sunday Mass once each quarter.
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Deadlines: For
the Parish Diary:
Do
you have any dates that may interest other Parishioners?
Pass a note about them to Fr. Vincent .
For inserts into the parish weekly bulletin:
Now 12.00pm. on Wednesdays in at the presbytery.
Posters
to display:
Friday evenings in at St. John Fisher Presbytery.
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Every
effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this diary, but you should check
details in the "This Week" section, or get in touch.
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A Bible –is available on the
table in St. John Fisher church, for your use.