SEPTEMBER IS THE MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS.
Twenty- Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Dear parishioners,
HAPPY ST. EDITH’S DAY!
Monday 18th September is the feast day of one of our great local Saints of Kent, SAINT EDITH OF KEMSING.
St. Edith was a Kentish princess, daughter of King Edgar and Wulfrida, and while still a girl, she entered the convent at Kemsing, near Sevenoaks in Kent, later moving to the convent of Wilton which she never left. She chose to be professed at the age of fifteen and refused the role of Abbess offered to her by three abbeys, remaining a simple nun at Wilton.
St Edith died at the age of twenty-two in 984 AD. A number of miracles were attributed to her great holiness, but austerity and devotion to God was always at the forefront of her time as a nun. She was also known for her charity to the poor and for her love of wild animals. After her death, there were miracles at her tomb and a shrine was set up in Kemsing which became a great destination of pilgrimage
with its well a focus of healing. St Edith was a greatly loved and venerated saint:
‘the Little Flower’ of medieval England.
If you are visiting Kemsing, St Edith’s Well is close to the High Street. Built into a wall at the side of the street, there is a plaque with an inscription which reads: “St Edith of Kemsing AD 961-984. This well lay within the precincts of the convent where St Edith, daughter of King Edgar passed her childhood, and hallowed by her presence its waters became a source of healing’ In the garden behind is the famous holy well. Some steps descend down into it, from which pilgrims took the waters. Pilgrims have believed that these waters contain miraculous healing powers; it is claimed ‘soreness and irritation of the eyes’ has been cured here and the well has been a place of pilgrimage since medieval times.* Two years ago I went with a parishioner to visit the Holy Well of Kemsing and who should we bump into there but our own dear parishioner Eddie Etheridge, who died earlier this year. As ever, he had some sweets in his pocket which he gave to us. May Eddie rest in peace with Mary who died only a couple of months before him, and we ask St Edith of Kemsing to pray for them both and our little parish as we live through this terrible crisis in The Catholic Church. Like St Edith of Kemsing, who rejected power to live in humility or our own St Thomas More who responded to tyranny by the sacrifice of all his power, wealth and ultimately his life, let us respond to such powers which seem to be overwhelming The Catholic Church, with humility, reverence and continued pure worship of Almighty God. To quote Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas in his recent pastoral letter, ‘I encourage all to make a commitment to learn from faithful saints such as these in order to deepen our love and appreciation of our Eucharistic Lord who gave His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in a perfect sacrifice for the salvation of the world’**
*See Ray Brown: ‘The Journal of Antiquities: Ancient Sites in Great Britain and Southern Ireland’
**See Pastoral Letter from Bishop Strickland, Sept. 12, 2023:
St.Edith's Well, Kemsing
THANK YOU to those of you who made an immense effort over several days to produce our St Thomas More Family (very very very hot) Fun Day! And thanks to all who supported them in various ways, including the Thursday Lunch Club, the Social Club, the Knights of St Columba and the Union of Catholic Mothers, our Pastoral Council and Finance Committee and some of our altar servers too. Such hard work is rewarded when parishioners support these events by turning up for an hour or so, spending a little money for their parish and meeting one another and celebrating who we are, as many of you did. If you could be bothered to do this, then it was all worth it. What is more, after covering costs we raised £908.85 and enjoyed our afternoon together. Deo Gratias!
By some amazing good luck, Kathleen Penny, widow of Mr Bob Penny who we remembered with our family fun day, very appropriately won the top prize in the raffle: a meal voucher for Miller & Carter (Hall Place.. make mine a 16oz 30day ribeye medium Kath). Other top prizes included a voucher for PICKETT’S BUTCHERS in Pickford Lane, a Marks & Spencer voucher donated by P.L. MULLIGAN FAMILY FUNERAL DIRECTORS, Fish & Chips from FISH STOP, Welling, a generously donated Amazon voucher, a lovely orchid won by a lovely lady and lots of booze, with plenty of fine malts. Thanks to all parishioners who made donations, including the beautiful cake which wasn’t two and half tonnes but a sponge-like 5Ib 6oz ,re- donated by the winner to the lunch club for them to all enjoy after lunch with tea on Thursday. Also congratulations to little Emilio for guessing the name of the very large cuddly duck and giving him a happy home. The duck’s name? Bob.
God bless,
Fr Jonathon
UPCOMING EVENTS
War On The Catholic Family Conference.
Saturday 14th October 2023 9am-5pm
at
Our Lady and St Peter Church
15 Victoria Drive, Wimbledon, SW19 6AD
This pivotal conference gathers seven distinguished Catholic voices to address challenges arising from poor catechesis and media misinformation. They bring rich insights, rooted in research and experience, to support today’s Catholic families. Tickets available for in-person and online Zoom attendance at: www.familyandlife.co.uk/conference.
Tel: 020 88579950.
Tickets: Single £10.00/ Family £20.00.
Areas of exploration will include:
Methods to strengthen children’s faith amidst growing secularism.
Fostering the enrichment of children’s spiritual lives by guiding them in prayer, engaging with sacraments, and nurturing emotional well-being.
Strategies to counter ‘culture of death’ and ‘woke’ ideologies.
For further information and tickets go to www.familyandlife.co.uk/conference
ST THOMAS MORE GOLF DAY to be held Thursday 21st September 2023 at Birchwood Park Golf course, Swanley. Anyone interested in taking part please contact Tony Brooke. 07833707016. There will be the usual charity raffle attached to the day in aid of taking sick /disabled to Lourdes. You will be offered a chance to be involved in the raffle in early September.
A DAY WITH MARY
1. Our Lady of Sorrows, Friary Road, Peckham. Saturday 23rd September 2023 from 9.45 to 5.15. Please bring a packed lunch.
2. Sacred Heart, Essendene Rd, Caterham. Saturday 30th September 2023 from 8.45 to 5.30. Please bring a packed lunch.
DIVINE MERCY APOSTOLATE PILGRIMAGE TO KNOCK
The Divine Mercy Apostolate, London is hosting a Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, Co Mayo from November 9 to 14 to pray for the Holy Souls. It will be led by the Marian Fathers. Package includes: Return flights by Aer Lingus from Heathrow Airport, half board, 5 nights, accommodation in en suite twin rooms, hand-luggage (10 kgs), all transfers and Airport Development fee. The Retreat will include daily Mass and Hour of Mercy and retreats at Glendalough and Kylemore Abbey. Cost £800. All Welcome. Please call Millie Fernandez on 07957594646 for more information.
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION AND LECTORS - Formation Day 2023
Saturday 14th October 2023, 10.00 a.m.-4.00 p.m.
For Parishes in the Deaneries of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich
Venue: St Stephen’s Church, 26 Deepdene Road, Welling, Kent DA16 3QL
If you are a lector or extraordinary minister you are encouraged to put this in your diary and attend it. Please let me know if you are going so I can let them know numbers.
PARISH NOTICES
PARISH YOUTH NOTICES
SPUC NOTICES
DEATHS
MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE TWENTY- FOURTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
SEPTEMBER PRAYER