MAY IS THE MONTH OF MARY
THIRD WEEK OF EASTERTIDE
Dear parishioners,
The Month of Mary: The Story of the Miraculous Medal.
The Miraculous Medal also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces, is a devotional medal, the design of which was originated by Saint Catherine Laboure following the apparitions she received in Rue du Bac, Paris.
St. Catherine Laboure stated that on 18 July 1830, the eve of the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, she woke up after hearing the voice of a child calling her to the chapel, where she heard the Virgin Mary say to her, "God wishes to charge you with a mission. You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary. Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you. Times are evil in France and in the world."
In November that year, Catherine said that the Blessed Mother returned during evening meditations. She displayed herself inside an oval frame, standing upon a globe. She wore many rings set with gems that shone rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the frame appeared the words Ô Marie, conçue sans péché, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous ("O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee"). As Catherine watched, the frame seemed to rotate, showing a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M surmounted by a cross, and the stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. Asked why some of the gems did not shed light, Mary reportedly replied, "Those are the graces for which people forget to ask." Sister Catherine then heard the Virgin Mary ask her to take these images to her father confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions, and saying "All who wear them will receive great graces."
Sister Catherine received such graces, and after two years of investigation and observation of Catherine's ordinary daily behaviour, her took the information to his archbishop without revealing Catherine's identity.
With the consequent approval of the Church, the first medals were made in 1832 and distributed in Paris. Only ten of the original medals are known to exist, and one of them is housed at the Miraculous Medal Shrine.
Almost immediately, the blessings that Mary promised showered down on those who wore her medal, and soon all of France was clamouring for what the people referred to as the “Miraculous Medal.” Use of the Medal spread from country to country, and, at the time of St. Catherine’s death in 1876, more than a billion medals had been made. Today, the Medal is still drawing down blessings from God for body and soul for millions of the faithful.
(Drawn from the website of the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal and Wikipedia)
PRAY FOR THE CONVERSION OF RUSSIA!
PRAY FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD!
&
MAKE REPARATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
with
FIRST SATURDAY FATIMA DEVOTIONS
from
Saturday 7th May
9.00 a.m. confessions
9.30 a.m. Rosary
10.00 a.m. Holy Mass
10.30 a.m. meditation
THE UNION OF CATHOLIC MOTHERS:
Next meeting this Sunday 1st May, 12.00 noon in the house.
Bar Staff needed.
Due to increasing demand for use and availability of the bar, the Parish Social Club is needing to recruit new bar staff, paid at an hourly rate. Please contact Mr Tom Breen, Mr Tony Brook or email me if you are interested.
First Holy Communion 2022
Next class: Saturday 7th May 2022, 10.30 a.m.
CONFIRMATION 2022
Next meeting at Bexleyheath Station: This Sunday, 1st May 2.30 p.m. for Vespers & Benediction at Westminster Cathedral at 4.00 p.m.
Then next Sunday 8th May, Rosary (led by the confirmation group) and Benediction at St Thomas More followed by tea and cakes provided by the confirmation group.
Please note that the trip to St. Augustine’s Abbey, Ramsgate may now be on Saturday 21st May, depending on transportation.
‘CHILDREN’S LITURGY’
’Children’s Liturgy’ resumes this Sunday at 9.00 a.m. after the Easter break.
Day with Mary
Very conveniently, the next Day with Mary is on Saturday 7th May in Crayford at St Mary of the Crays, Old Road, starting at 10.00 a.m. with the Crowning of Our Lady and procession followed by mass and Rosary. Bring your own packed lunch. In the afternoon, there is exposition and procession of the Blessed Sacrament, the act of consecration, Benediction and enrolments in the brown scapular and miraculous medal. A wonderful day of devotion, on a first Saturday, on your doorstep: a great way to start the month of Mary and honour the first Saturday of the month with Fatima devotions.
Priest Training Fund: Second Collection 7th/8th May.
The priesthood has always been essential to the life of the Church, from the time of Jesus until today. ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’ is the day we pray for vocations, for our priests, and take up the Priest Training Fund second collection. This fund pays for the formation of men to become priests in our Archdiocese.
After their ordination, our priests dedicate their lives to serving Christ and his people in our parishes, hospitals, schools, chaplaincies, prisons and in service to the needy, throughout South London, Kent and Surrey. We have six men in formation to the priesthood for our Archdiocese. However, it costs £30,000 a year to sponsor each seminarian. They study for 6 years before being ordained. We therefore rely on your generous support and prayers. Please support our priests of the future with a gift today.
Donate online: www.rcaos.org.uk/donate/PTF
Or telephone 9- 5.00 p.m. on weekdays 020 79602504
Or cash/ cheque can be placed in the collection next week using the ‘priest training fund’ envelopes in the porch.
Jubilee Mass and Reception.
Fr. John O’Donoghue, former parish priest of St Thomas More from 1998 to 2018, will be celebrating his diamond jubilee of priesthood on Saturday 4th June. There will be a mass at 12.00 noon followed by reception in the Church Hall. If you would like to contribute to the cost of this, please pick up an envelope from Mr. Tony Brook or Mr. Tom Breen and return it to them with cash or cheque. If donating by cheque, only make this out to Fr John O’Donoghue as a personal gift and not to the church.
Deaths
For all our brothers and sisters who ate the Body of Christ, the bread of Life, that they may be raised up on the Last Day. (Drawn from the intercession of the Funeral Mass)
Please pray for the souls of:
Alan Gerard Turner. Funeral on Tuesday 10th May 2022 at Thamesview.
Deacon Michael Baldry. Funeral Requiem was on Wednesday 20th April.
May the divine assistance remain with them always, and may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
MASSES AND INTENTIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
Saturday 30th April THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
+ 6.30 p.m. SAID The people of the parish.
Sunday 1st May
8.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+ 9.00 a.m. SUNG. With ‘children’s liturgy’. Alexis Gnoukouri R.I.P.( first anniversary)
+ 11.00 a.m. SOLEMN LATIN MASS (with English Readings/ missa de angelis) Jenny Dunning W.B.
2.30 p.m. Confirmation trip departure ( see above)
7.00 p.m. Parish Social Evening in the Hall. All welcome.
Monday 2nd May St. Athanasius, bishop & doctor of the church, memorial.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Paul & Val’s daughters.
Tuesday 3rd May St. Philip & St James, apostles, feast.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Monica Affonso R.I.P.
Wednesday 4th May The English Martyrs, feast.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO PUBLIC MASS TODAY
Thursday 5th May feria
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Muriel D’Souza W.B.
1.00 p.m. Thursday Lunch Club.
Friday 6th May. St. John Paine, priest & martyr.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+ 10.00 p.m. Jerry McCarthy R.I.P.
6.00 p.m. Choir Practice.
Saturday 7th May feria [St. Stanislaus, bishop & martyr]
9.00 a.m. Confessions.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary & Confessions
+ 10.00 a.m. [Latin 1962] Michael Akhidenor R.I.P. with First Saturday Devotions.
10.30 a.m. First Communion Class in Hall.
[+ 6.30 p.m. Fourth Sunday of Easter] Derek & Tracey D’Souza T.G. Second collection for Priest Training Fund.
MAY PRAYER OF DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
An Act of Consecration to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
O Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, we dedicate and consecrate ourselves to you under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. May this medal be for each one of us a sure sign of your affection for us and a constant reminder of our duties toward you. Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed by your loving protection and preserved in the grace of your Son. O most powerful Virgin, Mother of our Saviour, keep us close to you every moment of our lives. Obtain for us, your children, the grace of a happy death; so that, in union with you, we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us who have recourse to you.
(Miraculous medals are available from any Catholic Shop or can be ordered on line from many different websites. Also many jewellers will sell them in silver or gold. Also, you can make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Rue du Bac, Paris and get one there.)
With my Blessings,
Fr Jonathon