Parish Priest: Fr. Graham Stokes, 020 8429 5684, grahamstokes@rcdow.org.uk

Parish Catechist: Kay O’Connor, 020 8429 5682, kayoconnor@rcdow.org.uk

Parish Administrator: Claudia McHugh, 020 8429 5681, claudiamchugh@rcdow.org.uk (Mon-Wed-Fri 9.30am-1.30pm)

16th December 2018 ~ 3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year C)

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS

week beginning Sat 15th December 2018

15th Sat Advent feria

9.30am Horst Nekut RIP

(Vigil of Sunday)

6.00pm Kåre Bjørnerud RIP Anniv

16th Sun 3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Year C)

8.30am Al Matsumura RIP & Maria Keiko

Matsumura RIP

10.00am Alan Forbes RIP, Herbert & Celeste

Robinson RIP

11.30am People of the Parish

17th Mon Advent feria

9.30am Desmond Harris RIP

7.30pm Advent Penitential Service

18th Tue Advent feria

9.30am Maria Fennessy RIP

19th Wed Advent feria - no mass

20th Thu Advent feria

12.30pm Requiem Mass for John Renner RIP

21st Fri St Peter Canisius, Priest & Doctor

9.30am Martin Mahon RIP

10.30am St John Fisher School - End of Term

Mass

22nd Sat Advent feria

9.30am Pascal James RIP

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday 10.00am – 11.00am

5.15pm - 5.45pm

and by appointment

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Monday 8.15am - 9.15am

First Friday 10am - 11am (concluding with Benediction)

Baptisms

First Saturday at Noon

Next Sunday’s Readings:

Micah 5:1-4, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45

LITURGICAL CALENDAR

‘Gaudete in Domino semper, iterum dico gaudete.’

REJOICE…….

We celebrate today Gaudete Sunday when we are urged to

rejoice, the translation of the Latin ‘Gaudete.’ Rose-coloured

vestments are worn and we light the rose-coloured candle on

our Advent wreath. The opening prayer of the Mass asks God

to enable us to make real in our lives the joy of the Lord’s

Nativity and to celebrate with glad rejoicing as well as solemn,

not sombre or serious, liturgy.

We need to remind ourselves of the importance of rejoicing

in these times of political uncertainty. Related to the current

political situation and exiting the EU the bishops have asked

us to make you aware of the Settlement Scheme for EU

citizens which be launched next year; it will offer EU citizens

living here a legal route to remain but does not apply to Irish

citizens. Although the bishops have serious misgivings about

this scheme, not least its charges, it remains a fact that EU

citizens must apply if they are to protect their existing rights.

We have been asked to bring the scheme to the attention of

all who need to avail of it. Further information can be found

at: www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

Finally let us to take up Pope Francis’ call to welcome,

protect, promote and help to integrate everyone who has

made their home here.

Every blessing for the week ahead,

Fr Graham

St John Fisher Roman Catholic Church 80 Imperial Close, North Harrow, HA2 7LW, 020 8868 7531

www.stjohnfisheronline.org.uk

Christmas Mass Times

Christmas Eve 24th December 5.00pm Family Vigil Mass 10.30pm Lessons & Carols then Mass During the Night

Christmas Day 25th December 08.30am Mass at Dawn 10.00am Family Mass 11.30am Mass During the Day

St Stephen’s Day 26th December 12.30pm Mass

Thursday, 27th December 12.30pm Mass

For the rest of Christmastime the usual Mass schedule will take place except for

Tuesday, 1st January 2019, Mary Mother of God 12.30pm Mass

Please keep the sick in your prayers. A list of sick parishioners is displayed on the noticeboard at the back of the Church.

SVP If you or your sick relative could benefit from a visit from the St Vincent de Paul Society, please ring Katherine on 020 8868 8512 or Tony on 020 8868 3205. If you would like to be visited by a priest and/or regularly with Holy Communion, please contact the parish office.

Pray also for Kåre Bjørnerud, Virginia Cabral Francisco, Waclaw Kowalewicz, Frank Beesley, Virginia Dellamura, James “Jimmy” Campbell, Bridie Haynes, Nora Egan, Ying-Eng Kit, Manuel Rodrigues, Brendan Connolly, Christopher Hilton, Peter Flanagan, Geoffrey Cheeseman, James McKenna whose anniversaries occur at this time.

Please Remember John Arthur Renner who has died. Requiem Mass at St John Fisher on Thursday, 20

th December 2018 at

12.30pm followed by committal at Breakspear Crematorium. We offer our deepest sympathy and prayers to his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

NOTE THURSDAY MASS IS AT 12.30PM

Advent Penitential Service On Monday, 17th

December 2018 at 7.30pm. There will also be confessions every Saturday in Advent from 10am – 11am. Confessions will be heard by visiting priests at St Luke’s in Pinner from 3pm this Sunday, 16

th December.

CAFOD Christmas cards and Fairtrade nuts, sweets & chocolate will be on sale in the porch after all masses this weekend.

Greetings cards to prisoners There is another opportunity after mass this weekend to send a greetings card to a prisoner of conscience. Addressed cards & information about each person will be on the Christmas card stall in the porch. Please add your greeting to the card and it will be posted for you then include the person in your prayers during Advent. Postage is up to £1.25 per card so donations of about this amount would be welcome. A prisoner in Egypt who received a card wrote recently saying: I can assure you that your card filled the purpose for which it was sent. I was overjoyed, comforted, encouraged and felt loved.

Westminster Year Book 2019 If you would like a copy at £4.50 each please collect one from the foyer of the sacristy before or after Mass.

Parish 100 Club Draw Winners – October 2018 - 1st

prize £100 Peter Snell, 2

nd prize £50 George Standon, 3

rd prize £25 Mary

Else; November 2018 – 1st

prize £100 Noreen Halvey, 2nd

prize £50 Maura Dillon, 3

rd prize £25 Jocelyne Phiniefs; December

2018 – 1st

prize £100 Margaret Townsend, 2nd

prize £50 Riely & Toor, 3

rd prize £25 Jean Annis. Please contact

fionamoreira@rcdow.org.uk or 8429 5683 to arrange payment.

Parish 100 Club We are in a four-year plan to pay back the loan that the diocese gave our parish to make the work on the church possible. One fund raising initiative is for parishioners to join the Parish 100 Club. We would ask parishioners to either buy a monthly ticket which costs £5 or to pay £60 for the full year in advance. Unfortunately numbers appear to have decreased over the years so we would ask if you would consider joining! Monthly prizes are £100 for first prize, £50 for second prize and £25 for third. So, if you have been a member in the past and would like to re-join or are a new member, please collect the forms from the porch or our website and return to the presbytery.

‘Lights of Life’ Christmas Tree Please fill in a card if you so wish and put it in the box (near the baptismal font). Your card will be put on the tree from this weekend. A memory book is also

available to write the names of those you wish to remember.

Churches Together in North Harrow Carol Singing on Saturday, 22

nd December 2018 at 11am-12pm at North Harrow Library in

support of St Luke’s Hospice.

Knitting Group will meet on Friday, 11th

and 25th

January 2019 at 2pm in the Fisher Room. This is a very social event, everyone welcome.

Stamps! Stamps! Stamps! Please save your used stamps for St Luke’s Hospice. You can give them to Barbara Towell or place them in pigeonhole ‘T’ in the Church porch. Thank you.

Application to St John Fisher School, Reception September 2019 For children born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015. Application should be made before the closing date of 15 January 2019. Supplementary Information Forms are available from http://www.stjohnfisherschool.co.uk/admissions/.

Deputy Head Vacancy at St John Fisher Primary School - Closing date: 12.00 noon Wednesday, 9

th January 2019. Further

information and Application Form on school website http://www.stjohnfisher.harrow.sch.uk.

St John Fisher Primary School. After much deliberation the Governing Body voted this week to convert the school to an academy and join the Holy Family Catholic Academy Trust consisting of The Sacred Heart Language College, St. George’s Catholic Primary School, St. John Fisher Catholic Primary School and St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary. The Governors were assured that the academy model being proposed by the Diocese would preserve the uniqueness of the school, the autonomy of its Headteacher in her responsibility in leading the day to day management of the school and the ability of its Governors to make decisions for the good of the school, its pupils and its staff.

Harrow Deanery Young Adult Trip To Taizé 2019 Our Deanery is planning a trip to Taizé (France) for those aged 18 to 29 from 10

th

to 19th

August 2019. The estimated cost is £250. To register your interest please contact Mr. Peter Kingsley at peterkingsley@rcdow.org.uk or call 020 8904 2552 (option 5).

Fr Kevin Jordan, former Parish Priest at St John Fisher, is leaving Willesden Green and going on sabbatical leave from January until the Autumn. Our prayers go with him.

Johnpromise Umeozuru Please remember to pray for Johnpromise who was ordained to the Diaconate by Bishop Alan Hopes on Saturday, 15

th December, at St John’s Seminary,

Wonersh.

Christmas Flower Collection £420.98 was raised. Thank you for your generosity.

Senior Parishioners Christmas Lunch Please sign up if you would like to come. It is a great chance to get together over a good meal and to meet some of our young people who will be delighted to help out on that day. On Sunday, 27

th January 2019

at 12.30pm in the Parish Hall. RSVP to the presbytery by Sunday, 13

th January.

NAME.................................................. TEL NO................................ ADDRESS.......................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... Please state clearly if you require transport or have special dietary requirements. TRANSPORT REQUIRED YES/NO