Fr. Steve Wymer - Parish Priest 020 8650 3390 - stephenwymer@rcaos.org.uk Fr. Ashley Beck - 020 8650 4117 or 020 7998 5949 - ashleybeck@rcaos.org.uk Fr Vianney Alphonse - 020 8650 7533 - a.vianneyraj@gmail.com Deacon Sean Murphy - 020 3490 5693 - seanmurphy@rcaos.org.uk Deacon Duncan Aitkins - 07957 861404 - duncanaitkins@rcaos.org.uk

CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. EDMUND OF CANTERBURY 16 February 2020 20 Village Way, Beckenham BR3 3NP Sixth Sunday Email beckenham@rcaos.org.uk Website: www.saintedmunds.net Parish Office 020 8650 0970 Monday to Friday 9 - 1pm

Salesian Sisters 25 Village Way, BR3 3NA

020 8650 6313 patdevine13@gmail.com

Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver

89 Shortlands Road BR2 0JL 020 8313 3915

sspc.echo.uk@googlemail.com

THE MESSAGE OF CYRIL AND METHODIUS

IN MY RECENT TALK ABOUT CATHOLIC SOCIAL

TEACHING I mentioned that in a recent newspaper article the

journalist Andrew Rawnsley had referred to some of the achieve-

ments of the United Kingdom within Europe between joining the

EEC in 1973 and the end of last month. One of these was the

determination to welcome into common European institutions the

countries of eastern Europe which had been part of the Warsaw

Pact and COMECON – Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,

Hungary, Bulgaria and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and

Lithuania, together with Romania and Slovenia. This ensured

very quickly (together with other states joining such as Malta)

that the European Union rapidly became an entity for the whole

continent, not simply western Europe.

St John Paul II had a similar aim at the end of 1980, early on in

his pontificate and some years before the fall of the Berlin wall,

when he decided that St Benedict, founder of western monasti-

cism in the sixth century, should not be the only patron saint of

Europe. He added two more, to ensure that Europe should

breathe with two lungs, east and west: the brothers Cyril and

Methodius, whose feast day we celebrated on Friday. These ninth

century saints, known as the Apostles of the Slavs, were respons-

ible for evangelising particularly the Czech lands and Bulgaria

further south east. Both were monks and Methodius became a

bishop. Cyril was responsible for inventing an alphabet to help

translate the gospels and the liturgy into local languages, still

called the Cyrillic script and used in Russia and much of eastern

Europe. Both brothers are buried in the beautiful basilica of San

Clemente in Rome. When Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU

in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said this to the Bulgarian ambassador

to the Holy See in a speech: ‘Still today the example of the two

brothers, Cyril and Methodius, the first evangelisers of your

country, is a model of dialogue between cultures. It was

thanks to their apostolic zeal that the good news of Christ

reached the inhabitants of central and eastern Europe in their

own language…..they have shown us the paths of dialogue

and unity to be built ceaselessly, and they therefore also

became the patron saints of Europe..’

This was why the Catholic Church at all levels celebrated and

welcomed the expansion of the EU in 2004 and 2007. The

importance of Cyril and Methodius, and the message of Pope

Benedict, remain as valid and important in 2020. The countries of

eastern Europe, the lands transformed by the patron saints who we

honoured on Friday, have contributed an enormous amount to the

whole of the European Union; in particular in this country we

have benefitted from migration here from those countries. Many

Catholic parishes have been transformed and given new life by

new people coming to this country especially from Poland and

Hungary, and whatever happens this is something we should cele-

brate. But the words of the pope about ‘paths of dialogue and

unity’ have if anything a greater urgency now than when he said

them amidst much optimism. For the countries of eastern Europe

have not had an easy time; nor have their leaders been true to the

Holy Father’s vision. Nationalist politicians who are very power-

ful in Poland and Hungary, like their counterparts in western

Europe and this country, have pursued a narrow xenophobic

political agenda at odds with Catholic teaching (while professing

a paraded loyalty to allegedly Christian values), particularly in

relation to the Christian obligation to support and welcome refu-

gees and migrants. Some of them like to put up statues of St

John Paul II, while ignoring a lot of what he taught about care for

migrants and European unity; and many of them are hostile to

Pope Francis (like their counterparts elsewhere in Europe, for

example in Italy).

This is what Friday’s feast is all about – deeply political, deeply

rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, and deeply threatening for

many, even of our own people. No wonder the often sentimental

cult of St Valentine is more popular and congenial! But our

responsibility is to be faithful to the mind of the Church at this

time, when Europe, with or without the United Kingdom, faces

challenges because a lot of people didn’t heed the pope’s words

thirteen years ago.

It’s symbolic that the two brothers are buried in one of the love

liest churches in Rome, associated with the Irish Dominicans in

Rome – their memory and importance really can bring the peoples

of Europe together. We should ask for their prayers this weekend.

The second collection is for the Missionary Society of St Paul of Nigeria.

mailto:ashleybeck88@hotmail.commailto:stedmundsparish@btconnect.com

HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY If you are admitted to hospital, whether it be the PRUH, Kings or Lewisham and would like a visit by a priest whilst you are there please let the hospital staff know that you are Catholic and ask them to tell the Chaplaincy Team. If you are a friend or relative please ask the patient if they have done this.

MESSAGE FROM FR STEVE

FOLK CHOIR ANNIVERSARY The Folk Choir will be 50 years old in September. We would like to invite all present and former members to join us at the 5.30 Mass on Sunday 27th September. Afterwards we are planning some food and drinks in the Hall with an open mic night. If you are a former member, please contact us for more details. If you are in contact with any other former members, please pass this on to them. robinhoyles@msn.com

GUILD OF ST STEPHEN Course for Altar Servers

We will be running a course for Altar Servers starting on

Sunday 1 March. The course is both for those who are

already serving but are not yet members of the Guild,

and for those who would like to start serving. For further

information and to receive a registration form, please

email Ruth McConkey: rmcconkey05@gmail.com or

come to the Sacristy before Mass.

CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY CYM Musical ‘The Crusader’

Last auditions on Saturday 22 February from 12-2pm at St Joseph’s Church Hall, Plaistow Lane, Bromley.

We will be holding auditions for actors/singers and

musicians to be part of the orchestra of The Crusader. For more information, please contact:

gullifordjoseph@gmail.com or susan.longhurst@bromleydeanery.org

CONVENT OF ST ELISABETH, BELARUS Thank you for the great generosity and interest that you showed in the work of the Sisters of St Elisabeth last weekend.

WITNESS AND WORSHIP 13 March at 7.30 pm

We welcome you to join us for this evening of praise and worship starting at 7:30 pm in our Church, where we will have guests sharing with us testimonies of their inspiring journeys of faith. Please keep this evening free so you can gather with us in prayer, before an uplifting time of fellowship and refreshments in the Hall across the road. We look forward to having you with us! More details to follow. In the meantime if you have any questions please

speak to Joseph or Fr. Steve.

READERS Before the Readers’ meeting that Deacon Duncan is organising he suggests that those readers who have access to Netflix try to watch the film ‘A Man of His Word’ with Pope Francis. For those that don’t have Netflix we hope to show the film at our Sunday afternoon Watch & Pray Film Club sometime in the future.

WATCH & PRAY FILM CLUB This Sunday, 16 February, the film that we will be showing will be The Song of Bernadette. Please

join us in no 11 at 2.30 pm.

EASTER SATURDAY - BLESSING OF FOODS

For the last two years we have welcomed families, mostly

from central and eastern Europe, to our service of

Blessing of Foods. We have been helped

and encouraged in this by Agata Bogunia

and her family, who sadly for us have

returned to Poland.

We need help if we are to continue with

this service, so if there is anyone from

these parts of the world who could come

forward to organise this important

celebration would they please contact Deacon Sean as

soon as possible.

LOST PROPERTY Items that have been left in the church are in a box in the porch. Please take a look. Anything not claimed

this weekend will be donated to charity,

There are a number of events I would encourage you to support either by attending or praying for. On Thursday 20/02/2020 at 8.00 pm there is the 20:20 Prayer Session at Penge Congregational Church which is 20 minutes of prayer asking God for the opportunity to speak to someone about Christ. Witness and Worship here at St Edmund’s on Friday 13

th at 7.30 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to

gather together to praise God and listen to people whose lives He has profoundly changed. This should draw to a close at approximately 8.30/8.45 and is followed by refreshments and fellowship in the hall. Looking forward to seeing you.

mailto:robinhoyles@msn.commailto:rmcconkey05@gmail.commailto:gullifordjoseph@gmail.commailto:susan.longhurst@bromleydeanery.org

Friday 28 February The Dilworth family’s annual quiz in aid of

Marie Curie Cancer Care Tickets £15 to include a light supper

Please see details on how to book on the poster in the porch

THE ANGELUS

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with Thee; Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary. . . V. And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary. . . V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

BOOK AN MOT FOR YOUR SOUL Saturday 29 February

10.00 - 3.00 pm Salesian House, 47 Surrey Lane SW11 3PN

The Salesians invite you to a change of heart this Lent and to experience an MOT for your soul. There are

leaflets about this in the porch. Please take one and consider joining them for the day.

NEWSLETTER BY EMAIL Close to a thousand parishioners now receive this weekly

newsletter online. This has enabled us to reduce the print run by half. If you would like the news-letter sent to you in this way please send an email to the

Parish Office.

Music at the Saturday Evening Mass This is just a reminder to anyone who would like to help or get involved with offering some music ministry for the 6pm evening Mass on a Saturday. Please get in touch with Joseph - gullifordjoseph@gmail.com. The idea would be to start sporadically, once a month or every fortnight, and to introduce contemporary hymns. You would be most welcome to be part of it.

It’s time to bring in your Missio boxes for emptying. Please take them to the Sacristy and leave them with one of the clergy. Do not leave them at the back of the church.

Churches throughout the country are joining in prayer at

20.20 hrs on Thursday 20 February for 20 minutes, asking

that God will give us many opportunities to speak about

Christ. Penge Congregational Chuch at 172 High Street,

Penge SE20 7QS welcomes anyone who would like to join

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN BECKENHAM (CTiB) Our next programme is St Paul’s, Brackley Road, Lent

Course which runs for 8 Weeks from 18 February, either at 10.30 am or 8.00 pm each Tuesday. It shows how the books and events in the Bible form one big story. Please

apply directly to St Paul’s Church Office for info or to register - 0208 650 0501 or

admin@stpaulsbeckenham.org.uk

VOCATIONS WEEKEND FOR YOUNG WOMEN Theme: Discernment and Vocation

Date: 28 Feb - 1 March 2020 Location: Liverpool

The weekend is organised by the Sisters of the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ). There is nothing quite like religious life – it’s an extraordinary adventure into a deep relationship with God. If you are wondering if God is calling you to religious life and would like to find out more why not come along? You are welcome to stay for the weekend or just come along on Saturday for the day. There will be opportunity for prayer, reflection and input, a chance to ask questions and to meet others who are also wondering where God is calling them.

For more information contact Sr Lynne fcj

at lynnefcj@hotmail.com or visit their website www.fcjsisters.org

Fr Steve is encouraging the Angelus to be said at the end of every Mass: the words are printed above but there are copies in the porch to take away.

mailto:gullifordjoseph@gmail.commailto:admin@stpaulsbeckenham.org.ukmailto:lynnefcj@hotmail.comhttps://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fcjsisters.org%2f&c=E,1,JxFLiHK5p_7gr8mFxFuYtOr1riWi9RniGjCAXoNGtYgM1m6LBueqDbd8lqoWl5cOX4I7XM4NoPTXj12Jhzy-ZJuULoxzBaxDAub2g89TMF3F&typo=1

Masses this week

Monday 17 Feb Feria

7.30 am Church In honour of the Sacred Heart

10.00 am Church Ints of Rae Fleming

Tuesday 18 Feb Feria

7.30 am Church Bustard & Baker families RIP 10.00 am Church Ints of Kate Kelleher Wednesday 19 Feb Feria 8.15 am Claver Fr Michael Purbrick RIP 10.00 am Church Dec’d relatives of the Abel & Higgins family 7.30 pm Church Lorna Watermayer RIP Thursday 20 Feb Feria 7.30 am Church Peter Otai RIP 10.00 am Church Thomas Keane Jr 8.00 pm Claver Adoration Friday 21 Feb Feria (St Peter Damian) 7.30 am Church Christy Murray RIP 9.00 am Challoner No Mass 9.10 am St Mary’s No Mass 10.00 am Church Deborah Groves RIP (1st anniv) 12.00 noon Church Requiem of Eddie Griffin Saturday 22 Feb The Chair of St Peter the Apostle 8.15 am Claver Dec’d benefactors & promoters of the Claver Sisters 10.00 am Church Ints of the Coppola family

Confessions

10.30 - 11.00am and 5.00pm - 5.55pm

6.00 pm Church Bessie Boudville RIP

Sunday 23 Feb Seventh Sunday 8.00 am Church Carlota Fernandes RIP 9.30 am Church For the people FAMILY MASS 11.00 am Church For the repose of the soul of Archbishop Michael Bowen 5.30 pm Church Raymond Briskham RIP 7.00 pm Church Emma Byrne RIP The Rosary is prayed from 9.40 every Monday - Saturday, before

the 10.00 am Mass and following these Masses there is Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Readings for the 23rd February 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Cycle 2, Psalter wk 3 Leviticus 19:1-20, 17-18

Psalm 102 Paul to the Corinthians 3:16-23

Matthew 5:38-48

We pray for those who have died recently: Anne Lymbery, Margaret Milan and Eddie Griffin. We pray for those whose anniversaries are at this time: Joseph Brady, Eileen Blackeby, Michael Dilworth, Kathleen O’Sullivan, Paul Bones, Terence Keeley, Margaret Wilkes, Mary Dunne, Dorothy Amandini, Daniel McGrory, Patrick Kavanagh, James Greenan, Brenda & Anthony Boyle. We pray for the sick: Angela, Bernice, Rob Burns, Emma-Jane, Carmel Cardiff, Chant, Christine, Leah Clent, John Crouch, Niamh Dawson, Giacomo Dillon, Joshua Dunford, Nicholas Dunford, Cecil Dutton, Ann Elmer, Felicity, Erika Geddes, Chris Grant, Tony Hallett, Hans Halpin, Eileen Hayes, Kathleen Hayes, Jerry Jacob, John, Ellie Jones, Mary McGrath, Eddie Mitchell, Barbara Moyce, John Quaife, Brian Russell, Brigitte Savreux-O’Driscoll, Claire Shelton-Jones, Mary Shipsey, Coleen Shroeder, Siobhan, Helen Solley, Angela Stolle, Patricia Weal and Charlie Wynn.

DIARY DATES Meditation every Monday in no11 from 5.30 - 6.15 pm -except on Bank Holidays. Open door for the bereaved on the first Thursday of every month from 10.30 am to 12 noon in no11

Law Surgery every second Monday of the month in no11

at 7pm

Prayer Meeting last Friday of the month in no11 at 7.30pm

FEBRUARY

Fri Requiem of Eddie Griffin

Sat 29 Contemplative Saturday - no 11, 11 am-noon

MARCH

Fri 6 World Day of Prayer - 11 am St John’s Church, Eden Park

The collection last Sunday came to £1460.98 with a further

£3185.39 through ChurchSuite and standing orders. The collection for Racial Justice raised £731.78

Thank you for your generosity.

Next weekend a pupil from Coloma Convent Girls School will be speaking at all Masses to raise some money to fund her place as a helper on an HCPT pilgrimage to

Lourdes.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiFw6r5h9PPAhVBbBoKHWqUBDIQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clipartkid.com%2Fchristening-cartoon-cliparts%2F&bvm=bv.135475266,d.d2s&psig=AFQjCNG-zC6MS0KWibavacoqevnHkd