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Please pray for sick in our hospitals & nursing homes around the parish.

ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH: Joseph Alkins, Jessie Popple

General
First Holy Communion preparation 2020. Any children aged 7 or over for this course, please see Fr Ikeokwu or Julia Tucker.
The Food Bank have requested assistance with their Christmas Hampers which they will distribute again this year among the local community. Christmas cakes, puddings, mince pies, etc will be most welcome. (Please can we ensure items are in date otherwise they cannot be utilised). The Hampers will be made up on Monday 9th December at 2pm at Rockwell Green Christian Fellowship Church. Help with this would be much appreciated.
Liturgical diaries and directories for 2020 now available.
Prices £6.50 and £5 respectively

Last Week
November 100 Club winners: 1st Margaret Riley; 2nd Louise Rowley;
3rd Jill Bryce

Today
Second collection for Poor Missions of the Diocese. This fund enables the Bishop to offer small grants to some of the less financially fortunate parishes of the diocese.

Year of Communion – 1st Sunday of Advent
“Stay Awake” – For those who suffer from any form of sleeping disorder these words are cold comfort. Being awake all night or indeed the fear of not being able to sleep can torment and cause great anxiety. Of course, Jesus is not expecting us to literally refrain from sleeping. What he is referring to is the lack of alertness we can have to what might be happening around us, the way we drift from one thing to another, and worse the way we can drift into negative behaviour, or simply into apathy and disregard for the things which matter. It is easy to drift, it can happen almost unconsciously without us being aware of what is happening. Jesus does not want this for us. Instead he wants us to live life to the full, to experience everything in all its glory, for we never know when the opportunity to do so will come to an end. When it does we need to be ready fully conscious that we have lived our lives in readiness for meeting our God, the God of life, of hope and of love.

Gospel commentary for 1st Sunday of Advent Year A

Earlier in the chapter of Matthew from which today’s Gospel reading is taken, the warning of Christ is this:’ “false prophets….will deceive many and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most men will grow cold”. So accountancy of life is measured in love. Jesus does not say that there will be no love; but love will have grown cold, which means that it no longer reaches out to others. It is a fire that warms only a few, and is not shared with the stranger. “Lawlessness” cools love. Love and law are not opposites, but good law is the fuel of love.

Every moment of our life we are making decisions about how to live: the most important of all is the decision to look for God’s purpose in every moment of our lives, or the decision to ignore God. When we get bored, we start looking for some dramatic change in our lives; we want to get away from where we are. We can be so concerned with being somewhere else that we end up not being anywhere.

Meanwhile life goes on. We are warned against looking for signs of the Lord’s return, but it would be foolish to think that anything on this earth lasts for ever. So Jesus is telling us to concentrate on the ordinary things of life, and to be at peace with our neighbour. He will come again; but he will come in his own good time.

 

 

Holy Father’s December prayer intention
May every country take the necessary measures to make the future of the very young, especially those who suffer, a priority

 

 

 

A Bible –is available on the table in St. John Fisher church, for your use.  

For our immigrant parishioners: 
Mass books in both churches with 8 European languages.   Aby pomoc znozumiec Msze Swieta emigrantom w naszej parafii, udostepuiamy modlitewniki ( w twardej oprawie ), po polsku, angielsku oraz w inuycu jszykach wschodnio europejslcich.    Prosimy zostawic modlitewuike w kosciele, po zakouczeuiu mszy.

Clifton  Diocese Polish Directory:

Lists Polish chaplains, societies, Masses etc. throughout the diocese

Yellow Parish Introduction Cards in Polish:  Available at the doors..

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

Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Usually Saturdays 10.30-11.00am; 4.15-4.45pm at Wellington,
& by arrangement anywhere, anytime.

CTS faith booklets-
Sold at the rack near the doors of both churches.

Parking for 11.15 Mass:
-is permitted at Wellington Youth Centre, opposite the Total garage.    Just drive in and park.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.