MAY IS THE MONTH OF MARY
FOURTH & FIFTH WEEK OF EASTERTIDE
Dear parishioners,
FIRST SATURDAY DEVOTIONS
When we look at the events that are happening in Ukraine a challenging question to ask ourselves is ‘what can I do?’ Indeed, what –on- earth- is there I can do?
The answer was given to us approximately 100 years ago- and if we believe that we have a loving Father in God and a loving Mother in Mary we should not be surprised by this. A loving Father and Mother will surely help their children along the way and give us solutions when needed!
In 1917 Mother Mary visited three Children in Fatima, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia. The apparitions were approved by the Catholic Church in 1930 and therefore as Catholics we should pay heed to them. That is what our Lord wants and expects of us.
Below is part of the message from Fatima. This is Mother Mary speaking in 1917:
‘To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, AND the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated’. (Source: Vatican Website)
The question of whether Russia has been converted, hardly needs to be asked. Russia is still causing wars and spreading a devastating trauma in Europe. So have we heeded Mother Mary’s requests? Presumably not. The two things Mary requested, was the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart and the communion of reparation of the first Saturdays.
In 1984, St John Paul II consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, although there is some debate about whether his particular words and actions at that timed fulfilled Our Lady’s request. We have also very recently seen the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Rome in union with all the bishops. But it is certainly evident the second request- the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays -seems to have been far from fulfilled! How many of us have ever done or heard of the first Saturday Devotion? When we look at the situation in Europe at the moment and the revived talk of nuclear war, responding to Our Lady’s request is the very least we can actually do. We can feel powerless. But responding to Our Lady involves something each person does have power over and that is ourselves. In every first Saturday, we each consecrate ourselves to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. World peace begins within each one of us because God’s kingdom always starts with small gestures from individual conversion to Him. The five thousand were fed with a mere five loaves and two fish and the Kingdom of God grows from the tiny seed which is the faith and good works of each one of us. Likewise, we must believe that world peace will always begin from our own hearts if we direct them to God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In 1925, Our Lady visited Sister Lucia and explained the conditions of the reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is now known as the first Saturday Devotions. The conditions are here:
-On the first Saturday of every Month, for five consecutive months we:
-go to confession
-receive Holy Communion
-Recite 5 decades of the Rosary
-meditate for 15 minutes on the fifteen mysteries of the rosary
All this is done with the intention of making reparation to Mother Mary. I stress this point and it should be clear to those who decide to make this devotion.
Remember the children that are turning up in Poland with nothing but a piece of paper in their pockets identifying them or the convoy of Mothers and Children that were shot at when simply trying to evacuate their bombed towns and cities, their family homes gone forever? Can I not make this small devotion for them come what may? The first Saturday devotion would take less than 2 hours a month for five months. That is less than 10 hours a year Mother Mary is asking for over five consecutive months. Quick maths will tell you there are 8760 hours per year. After watching the horrifying images and hearing those tragic stories coming from Ukraine surely none of us can deny Our Heavenly Mother these 10 hours out of 8760?
Apart from saving the Ukrainians and Russians and many others from these tragedies perhaps even ourselves and our own loved ones in the future, there is one more benefit we shall receive from fulfilling this devotion just once in our lives. Mother Mary said to Sister Lucia:
I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months go to confession and receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for a quarter of an hour while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”
We should remember that what has been asked of us by our Blessed Lady is very specific. We cannot substitute any other devotion, sacrament or offering for what Our Lady asks of us, and that means, if we do not make our confession or have not had the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart, we have not fulfilled her requests.
The First Saturday Devotion will run from the first Saturday in May when confessions will be available from 9.00 a.m. Rosary at 9.30 a.m. with Mass at 10.00 followed by the 15 minutes meditation finishing with the act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
(With thanks to Mr Stephen Carnell for his words, advice and support of the First Saturday devotion here at St Thomas More)
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 (Latin)
10.30 a.m. meditation
MAY DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
This Sunday at 3.30 p.m. there will be a Parish Rosary and Benediction with the Litany of Loreto and Hymns to the Blessed Virgin Mary followed by afternoon tea provided by our confirmation group.
A Day with Mary
The next Day with May is at St. Joseph’s Roehampton on Saturday 21st May from 9.30 a.m. Bring your own packed lunch.
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 needs to recruit new bar staff, paid at an hourly rate. Please contact Mr Tom Breen, Mr Tony Brooke or email me if you are interested.
Sunday coffee morning
This Sunday after 9.00 o’clock mass there will be coffee and refreshments provided by the Guides.
First Holy Communion 2022
Next class: Saturday 14th May 2022, 10.30 a.m. and then 21st May 2022 at 10.30.
CONFIRMATION 2022
This Sunday 8th May 2.30 p.m. at the Church for preparation for Rosary & Benediction at 3.30 p.m. followed by afternoon tea in the porch.
Saturday 21st May 9.00 a.m. at St Thomas More for trip to St. Augustine’s Abbey, Ramsgate and the harbour. Lunch provided.
‘CHILDREN’S LITURGY’
’Children’s Liturgy’ takes place this Sunday at 9.00 a.m.
Priest Training Fund: Second Collection on Good Shepherd ‘Vocations’ Sunday, 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 FOURTH & FIFTH WEEKS OF EASTERTIDE
Saturday 7th May
9.00 a.m. confessions
9.30 a.m. The Holy Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Holy Mass (Latin 1962). Michael Akhidenor R.I.P. followed by 15 minutes of meditation on a mystery of the rosary and the prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Heart.
11.00 a.m. First Communion class in porch.
11.00 a.m. Church cleaning
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTERTIDE. ‘Good shepherd Sunday’ World Day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood & religious life. Second collection for the Priest Training Fund.
6.00 p.m. confessions.
+6.30 p.m. Derek & Tracey D’Souza T.G.
Sunday 8th May
No morning rosary. Parish Rosary at 3.30 p.m.
+ 9.00 a.m. SUNG. With ‘children’s liturgy’. Alan Turner R.I.P.
10.00 a.m. Coffee morning by the Guides.
+ 11.00 a.m. SOLEMN LATIN MASS (with English Readings/ missa de angelis) Joe Bowman R.I.P. (first anniversary)
3.30 p.m. May Parish Rosary & Benediction, with the Litany of Loreto and Hymns to Our Lady, followed by afternoon tea.
7.00 p.m. Parish Social Evening in the Hall. All welcome.
Monday 9th May feria
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO MASS TODAY.
Tuesday 10th May feria.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. The Simson Family
Wednesday 11th May feria.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO MASS TODAY
Thursday 12th May St Nereus & Archilleus, martyrs.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Fr Denis Paul R.I.P.
1.00 p.m. Thursday Lunch Club.
Friday 13th May. Our Lady of Fatima.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO MASS TODAY.
Saturday 14th May St Matthias, apostle, feast [1962: celebration of the BVM with comm. of St Boniface]
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary & Confessions
+ 10.00 a.m. [Latin 1962] Eileen Jurado R.I.P.
10.30 a.m. First Communion Class in Hall.
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTERTIDE
6.00 p.m. confessions.
+ 6.30 p.m. Gerry Mulholland R.I.P. (month’s mind)
Sunday 15th May
8.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+ 9.00 a.m. SUNG. With ‘children’s liturgy’. The Stankard and Garvey families R.I.P.
+ 11.00 a.m. SOLEMN LATIN MASS (with English Readings/ missa de angelis) The people of the parish.
7.00 p.m. Parish Social Evening in the Hall. All welcome.
Monday 16th May St. Simon Stock, priest, memorial.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO MASS TODAY.
Tuesday 17th May feria.
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Des Leahy R.I.P.
Wednesday 18th May St.John I, pope & martyr.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO MASS TODAY
Thursday 19th May feria
9.30 a.m. The Daily Rosary
+10.00 a.m. Darren Blazey R.I.P. (month’s mind)
1.00 p.m. Thursday Lunch Club.
Friday 20th May. St. Dunstan, bishop.
The Daily Rosary at home.
NO MASS TODAY.
Saturday 21st May St Bernardine of Sienna, priest
The Daily Rosary at Home.
SORRY FOR SHORT NOTICE, BUT NO 10.00 A.M. MASS TODAY.
[+ 6.30 p.m. Sixth Sunday of Easter. Monica Affonso R.I.P.]
MAY PRAYER OF DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for use on First Saturdays. O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, and tender Mother of your people, in accordance with your ardent wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate to your Immaculate Heart myself, my brothers and sisters, my country and the whole human race. Reign over us, Most Holy Mother of God, and teach us how to make the Heart of your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ reign and triumph in us even as it has reigned and triumphed in you. Reign over us, dearest Mother, that we may be yours in prosperity and in adversity; in joy and in sorrow; in health and in sickness; in life and in death. O most compassionate Heart of Mary, Queen of Virgins, watch over our minds and our hearts and preserve them from the deluge of impurity which you have lamented so sorrowfully at Fatima. We want to be pure like you. We want to atone for the many sins committed against Jesus and you. We want to call down upon our country and the whole world the peace of God in justice and charity.
Therefore, we now promise to imitate your virtues by the practice of a Christian life without regard to human respect. We resolve to receive Holy Communion on the First Saturday of every month and to offer you five decades of the rosary each day together with our sacrifices in a spirit of reparation and penance. Amen.
With my Blessings,
Fr Jonathon