Congratulations to Paul and Katie

Congratulations to Paul Fox and Katie Stone who were married today at Our Lady of the Rosary.

(See also the post at the my personal blog.)

Altar Servers’ Mass

On Tuesday 29 December there will be a special Mass at 10.30am for the altar servers. I encourage all the children who serve at Mass to come along on that day. Those servers who have been serving regularly and have not yet received their St Stephen’s medal are invited to participate in the enrolment ceremony which will be held at the Mass.

Mass Intentions for 2010

I have now booked in all the Masses that were requested for particular dates in 2010. Please see the noticeboard in the Lady aisle. Personalised printouts are available in the Small Hall.

Recently requested Masses will now be booked into the diary.

Crib Service today

Our Crib Service today was a heartwarming occasion with little shepherds, angels and kings taking part in a tableau to celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Some of the older ones read passages from the Holy Scriptures:

and some of the younger ones just took part in their own way:

One young shepherd was particularly enthused by some of the carols:

The Kings made their procession with gifts as described in Holy Writ. It was great that so many dads came along like St Joseph, the "upright and just man", supporting the family occasion:

And finally, all the children gathered to sing, to receive a blessing, to be photographed by loving parents and to help us all to enter into the spirit of the feast day:

Christmas Services

There is a special page with times of services for Christmas and the New Year.

Please note that there is no early evening Mass on Christmas Eve. Our first Mass for Christmas is the Midnight Mass. The Church will be open from 11pm. Carols before Midnight Mass begin at 11.20pm.

May Jesus Christ,
the Son of God
who became man
for our salvation,
bless you
and your families
during this Holy Season.

Christmas lunch at Aylesford

The temperature has dropped in this part of the world over the past couple of days and the pond at Aylesford had chunks of ice floating on the surface.

Aylesford, the Carmelite Priory confiscated by King Henry VIII and re-acquired by the Carmelites in 1949, was the home of St Simon Stock who received the vision of Our Lady, granting him the brown scapular which is worn, in miniature form, by Catholics all over the world. I always love to visit the Priory which is a mixture of ancient and modern buildings, the home of a community living and working in the service of the gospel.

A forty minute drive in the coach took us there from Blackfen today for a "Christmas Lunch" organised by the Union of Catholic Mothers. I know it is still Advent but these occasions are a good way for people to get together, spend a day out safely, and enjoy a good lunch in good company. I'll admit that I did doze a little on the coach on the way back but I think I was not the only one.

Catechism for children after 9am Mass

Catechism for children is held between the 9am and 10.30am Masses on Sunday morning between about 9.50am and 10.20am. Pre-schoolers to Yr 6 are catered for in separate groups. There is also an informal Q&A session for young people of secondary school age.

Tea and coffee is provided as well so adults are welcome to come in to meet other parishioners after Mass.

Thank you

Cathy writes to thank you for your help in raising £431 for Breast Cancer Care last week. The first prize in the raffle, a flight over Kent, has not yet been claimed. The winning ticket is pink 125 (serial number: AN2T TE4R)

Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes

From 31 May to 4 June 2010

The parish pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place during the summer half-term. The cost is £450 and in line with our family-friendly policy, we offer half-price for children under 16. By managing all the arrangements ourselves, we keep the cost much lower than commercial pilgrimages.

The cost includes flights, transfers, and half-board accommodation in the 3* Grand Hotel D’Angleterre (for single rooms we pass on the supplement charged by the hotel).
The Pilgrimage includes Mass each day in the traditional form, including a special Mass for children, the torchlight procession, a tour of Lourdes, and plenty of time for sightseeing, socialising and relaxation.

This year, the Pilgrimage is offered also to the parish of St Mary’s, Chislehurst, and Fr Briggs will be joining us as an additional chaplain.

Booking forms are available at the back of the Church or by email from mac.mclernon@ntlworld.com. Please return your form and deposit as soon as possible to secure a place.