St Simon Stock Catholic Church

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

18th JANUARY 2009
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle SECOND SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
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 HYMN INTROIT FOR 10.00AM MASS
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Sunday 18 TEXTS Let all the earth praise you, O Lord,
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Entrance Antiphon: And worship you with one accord;
Day of prayer for peace on earth Ps 65:4 May we, with song and melody,
Commencement of week of prayer for Christian Unity May all the earth Praise your great name, O Majesty!
10.00am Mass (Les Oakley RIP) give you worship
6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) and praise, and All people of the earth, rejoice,
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Monday 19 break into song to Praise God, and raise a joyful voice,
St Wulstan, bishop your name, O God, Sing psalms and glorify his name,
4.45pm Reception of the body of Janet Dorey Most High. Give joyful praises all the same.
6.45pm Mass (Deceased relatives & friends of Irene Crook) First Reading:
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Tuesday 20 1 Samuel 3:3-10.19 Proclaim to God, “Your deeds are great,
2.00pm Requiem Mass for Janet Dorey RIP Speak, Lord, your Your enemies are soon dismayed.”
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Wednesday 21 servant is listening. All earth reveres and worships you,
St Agnes, virgin and martyr Adores, and sings your praises, too.
9.15am Mass (Katy Waldner‟s intentions) St. Simon‟s School Responsorial Psalm:
Yr. 6 attending Ps 39:2.4.7-10
nd R: Here I am Lord! I Come, witness all the Lord has done,
Thursday 22
come to do your will. He is the awesome Holy One;
Ss Vincent and Anastasius, martyrs He turned the sea into dry land,
6.45pm Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal) (Marie, Patrick, Annie & I waited, I waited for
They passed through it at his command.
Hugh Treacy, Phylis Wood and Sarah Mills RIP) the Lord
rd and he stooped down
Friday 23 To God, the Triune One, we raise
6.45pm Votive Mass for Christian Unity (Ted Russell RIP) to me;
th Eternal songs of joyful praise.
Saturday 24 he heard my cry.
O Father, Son, and Paraclete,
St Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church He put a new song
We praise your name in word and deed.
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament into my mouth,
10.00am Mass (Paul Waldner) praise of our God. (R)
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Sunday 25 You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
10.00am Mass of the Conversion of St Paul (George Gatt Instead, here am I (R)
RIP) In the scroll of the book it stands written
rd
12.00 noon (Latin, 1962 Missal, Mass of 3 Sunday after that I should do your will.
Epiphany) (Elizabeth Honywood RIP) My God, I delight in your law
4.00pm Mass in Polish in the depth of my heart. (R)
6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish)
Your justice I have proclaimed
CONFESSIONS/CONSULTATIONS in the great assembly.
Saturday: 10.30am, Sunday 9.30am, 5.30pm. My lips I have not sealed;
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. you know it, O Lord. (R)
CHURCH CLEANING Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:13-15.17-20
rd th th th th Your bodies are members making up the body of Christ.
23 Sue; 30 Tara; February 6 Bridie; 13 Sheila; 20 Sue
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY Gospel Acclamation: 1 Samuel 3:9; John 6:68
Offertory: £515.88, (Gift Aid: £218.42, loose plate: £297.46) + Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you
£99 approx by standing order. To contribute by a regular have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
standing order please ask for a form. If you are a tax payer and Gospel: John 1:35-42
are not already using the Gift Aid scheme, please ask for a Gift They saw where he lived, and stayed with him.
Aid form. Second collection: SPUC White Flower Appeal: Eucharistic Prayer 4 with its proper Preface
£339.84. Thank you. Second collection today and next Sunday:
Parish Maintenance & Development Fund. Communion Antiphon: Ps 22:5
The Lord has prepared a feast for me: given wine in plenty
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK for me to drink.
Please pray for all our sick parishioners. If you know of anyone
who needs our prayers at the present time, please place their SPUC WHITE FLOWER APPEAL
names in the box in the Church foyer. Thanks to parishioners for your great generosity in response to
last Sunday‟s appeal by Professor Tom Healy. Professor Healy
CRIB OFFERINGS dealt with issues which touch all of us in one way or another yet
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The Crib will remain on display up to 2 February, the feast of his talk received many favourable comments. If you have been
the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas). Your offerings will go affected by the issues raised in his talk and need
to the Good Counsel Network who help women to keep their help/counselling, please see the notice board behind the crib or
children rather than opting for abortion. See the notice board for see Fr John. Perhaps you have some ideas for further action in
the Good Counsel News and their appeal for funds. Total the parish? If you have any helpful comments, positive or
collected so far since Christmas Day: £124.93 negative, following last week‟s talk they would be appreciated.

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

Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/; diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
 FROM FATHER JOHN’S DESKTOP
World Day of Prayer for Peace is kept by the Church on New Year‟s Day, but Episcopal conferences can decide on
an alternative day for local Churches. In this country we observe this Day of Prayer today. Pope Benedict‟s Message for
this year‟s Day of Prayer is entitled Fighting Poverty to Build Peace and deals with a wide range of issues that affect the
fight against poverty, particularly „the complex phenomenon of globalization.‟ He says that „in our dealings with the poor
(we should) set out from the clear recognition that we all share in a single divine plan: we are called to form one family in
which all – individuals, peoples, nations – model their behaviour according to the principles of fraternity and responsibility.‟
„Every form of externally imposed poverty has at its root a lack of respect for the transcendent dignity of the human
person. When man is not considered within the total context of his vocation, and when the demands of a true “human
ecology” are not respected, the cruel forces of poverty are unleashed.‟ And the Holy Father goes on to deal with specific
areas where this is evident: population control, pandemic diseases, child poverty, the arms race, the current food crisis.
Globalization can be a force for good only if there exists „a strong sense of global solidarity between rich and poor
countries‟ governed by norms which are „rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the conscience of every
human being.‟ Pope Benedict exclaims: „Effective means to redress the marginalization of the world‟s poor through
globalization will only be found if people everywhere feel personally outraged by the injustices in the world and by the
concomitant violations of human rights.‟
Referring to the current financial crisis affecting all countries of the world, he says that it „demonstrates how
financial activity can at times be completely turned in on itself, lacking any long-term consideration of the common good.
This lowering of the objectives of global finance to the very short term reduces its capacity to function as a bridge
between the present and the future, and as a stimulus to the creation of new opportunities for production and for work in
the long term. Finance limited in this way to the short and very short term becomes dangerous for everyone.‟
Pope Benedict concludes with an appeal: „At the start of the New Year, then, I extend to every disciple of Christ
and to every person of good will a warm invitation to expand their hearts to meet the needs of the poor and to take
whatever practical steps are possible in order to help them. The truth of the axiom cannot be refuted: “to fight poverty is to
build peace.”‟ The Holy Father‟s message is available in full via the parish blog or from the Vatican website. Fr John
REGULAR EVENTS CHILD-LOSS BEREAVEMENT
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP The loss of a loved one can be very hard for many people, in
after the 9.00am Mass on Tuesdays. (Not this spite of their firm hope in the Resurrection. It is particularly
week due to the funeral.) Prayers of intercession difficult for those who have lost a child, whether the child has
for various needs and silent adoration of the died before birth through miscarriage or abortion or stillbirth, or
Blessed Sacrament till 10am. days/weeks/months/years after birth. Other forms of
MUSIC PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30PM bereavement can occur through giving a child up for adoption, or
Newcomers always welcome. the disappearance or murder of a child. This can affect the
BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM mother, father, and other siblings. If anyone thinks it would be a
Studying St Paul‟s letters to the Corinthians and good idea to have a meeting of people so affected (parents or
Pope Benedict‟s Wednesday audiences on St siblings) to talk through their experiences and to help themselves
Paul. and others come to terms with their grief, or if they would like to
EVANGELIUM – CATHOLIC FAITH ENQUIRY organise such a group, please let Fr John know.
For all, Catholic or not, who would like to deepen their
knowledge of the Catholic faith. Next meeting: 7.15pm this ALTAR SERVERS DAY
Friday; Topic: The Lord’s Prayer There will be an afternoon for altar servers from different
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parishes here at St Simon‟s on Sunday 15 February
PRO-LIFE PRAYER VIGIL MAIDSTONE THIS WEDNESDAY commencing 2.00pm and ending with Mass at 6.00pm.
With last Sunday‟s appeal in mind, can you come to this vigil Information and consent forms are available for all servers in the
which Fr John will lead on behalf of The Helpers of God‟s sacristy. We will need help with welcoming, refreshments,
Precious Infants? Commences 10.30am after the morning Mass supervision, etc. If any parishioners would like to volunteer,
at St. Francis‟ Church, Maidstone, with a prayerful and peaceful please could they let Fr John know. Thank you.
procession to the Marie Stopes abortion facility in Brewer Street. th th
Ends 12 noon. For fuller details see poster on notice board. See ALTAR SERVERS ROME TRIP 27 – 29 OCTOBER
Fr John if you need a lift. This annual trip to Rome is immensely popular and successful
with servers aged 11-16 from different parishes attending. Cost:
YEAR OF ST PAUL – SPECIAL MASS NEXT SUNDAY th
£209. Early flight out from Gatwick on 27 , late flight back on
On 28th June 2007, Pope Benedict announced a special Year of th
29 . Places are limited to 20 servers so book soon. Bookings are
St Paul: As in early times, today too Christ needs apostles ready already coming in, including from two servers from this parish.
to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St Further details available from the sacristy. Not a server but aged
Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell 11-16 and would like to come? An adult/parent and would like to
to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to come as a helper? See Fr John.
Damascus, did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One
and followed him without second thoughts. He lived and worked POSSIBLE PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO KRAKOW, POLAND
for Christ, for him he suffered and died. How timely his example TH RD
19 – 23 OCTOBER
is today! And for this very reason I am pleased to announce I am making initial investigations concerning this possibility.
officially that we shall be dedicating a special Jubilee Year to the Krakow is where Pope John Paul II was Archbishop and there
Apostle Paul from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, on the are many places to see connected with his life. There are also
occasion of the bimillennium of his birth, which historians have the famous sights of Krakow (Wawel Castle, the Market Square),
placed between the years 7 and 10 A.D.' the shrine to the Divine Mercy where Sister Faustina was a nun
The 10.00am Mass next Sunday will be the Mass of the and received her revelations, the salt mines, the national shrine
Conversion of St Paul. All are encouraged to attend and to gain to Our Lady at Jasna Gora, Auschwitz... Four nights is really not
the Plenary Indulgence for the year of St Paul that may be enough! It would be helpful to have some idea of numbers of
gained by all who attend this Mass. (To find out more about people who might be interested. Please sign up on the notice
indulgences, look up the Catechism of the Catholic Church or board to express interest without obligation at this stage. I will
see last week‟s newsletter on the parish website – link at bottom then be able to get a price together. At present this is only a
of this page – or the parish blog.) possibility, not a definite event.
To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/. Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/