Tel - Our Lady and St Philip Neri RC Church, Sydenham, London

Tel: 020 8778 9460
email: [email protected]
208 Sydenham Road London. SE26 5SE
www.rcchurch.org.uk/sydenham
Parish Priest: Fr. Peter Mansfield
Assistant Priest (Sydenham & Catford): Fr. Regis Rubaya
Deanery website: lewishamdeanery.com
6th Sunday ~ Ordinary Time
Year B; EP 3
15 February 2015
Parish Mass Book … Readings: P137 Mass Prayers P8.
THIS WEEK 2nd Collection - Poor Parishes in our Diocese
NEXT WEEK 2nd Collection - Parish Development Fund
Mass Intentions for the coming week
Vigil Mass
Sunday 15th
6.30pm
9.30am
11.00am
Monday 16th
Tuesday 17th
9.30am
9.30am
People of the Parish
Philip Kiernan RIP
Maureen Thornton RIP
Coffee in the Hall
after 11am Mass
Eileen & John Purcell RIP
1)Requiem Mass - Michael Ouzman RIP (Fr. Peter)
2) Intentions of Vera Curran (Fr. Regis)
9.30am God’s blessing on the Parish for Lent.
8.00pm Private Intention
Mass at Church of The Resurrection 165 Kirkdale 9.30am
9.30am
Intentions of Marie & Pat McWeeney
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction until 10.30am
ASH WEDNESDAY 18th
Thursday 19th
Friday 20th
First Sunday of Lent
Vigil Mass
6.30pm
Katie Rudden RIP
Sacrament of Reconciliation - Confession
Every Saturday - 7.20pm (after evening Mass);
First Saturday of the month at 12.30pm.
The sacrament can also be arranged at other times by making an appointment with the Priest.
The Legion of Mary meets Sundays in the Hall
after 11am Mass
New members are always welcome.
WOMENS WORLD DAY of PRAYER
Hosted by our Parish.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
• Readers
• Singers
• Keyboard Player/Musicians
• Help with Teas and Coffee
Meeting 12 noon Sunday
Collections last weekend:
Offertory: £619 Standing Orders £272;
Thank you.
SYDENHAM CATHOLIC CLUB
(Watlington Grove) …
Sky sports, darts, pool table and BIG screen
showing Premiership and GAA games.
Families and new members always welcome.
Club available for all private functions and funeral
receptions.
Thursday night Quiz in aid of St. Christopher’s
Parent/ Carer and Toddler Group.
All are welcome to come along to the Church Hall
on Tuesday and Friday mornings,
9.30 ‘til 11.30 am (term time only).
Call Paula: 07761 530739 to find out more.
2nd Collection: £382 Parish Development
There are two Requiem Masses in the near future for Parishioners who have died
recently.
In both cases funerals have already taken place.
Michael Ouzman RIP: Tuesday 17 Feb at 9.30am.
Shirley Young RIP: Tuesday 24 Feb. at 9.30pm
We remember those who are sick: Sr. Agnes, James McKenna, Sr. Agnes, Canon John Naughton,
Jimmy Hartigan, Jeanne & Joe Williams, Howard Byers, Maeve Laverty, Myra Donnellan, David Camp,
Mercy Aerifa, Baby Edward Kowal, Anne Mackie, Trudi Foster, Steven Murray, Victor Walker,
Hugh Garvey, Declan Daly, Sonny Caldinez, Bernard Loughran, Antoni Kowal,
Dusty Miller, Patricia Edwards, Yvonne Knight, Patrick Freeney, Elaine Felix, Edward Garas,
Christine Flannagan, Shirley Young, Ellen & Alexander Sweeney.
Also those housebound or in our Residential Homes: Muriel Felix, Kathleen Keeffe, Antoinette Remice,
Jan Wilson, Adrienne Hyde, Violet Miller, Elizabeth Turner, Ann Sheehan, Ellen Sweeney,
Vera Curren, Margie George, Noleen Armstrong, Giovanna Ghezzi, Margo Stafford, Margaret Rivers,
Joseph & Charlotte Hadji, Genevieve Stanislaus, Madeline Edwards & Winifred Powell.
Please pray for those recently deceased: Zeta Ghelfi RIP, Joe Hughes RIP,
and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Mavis Waters, Vincena French, Stella Alexis,
Derick Alexis, Anthony Greene, Michael Beirne, Tony (Beamish) Simkin, Baby Bernadette Whelan,
Sean Murray, John O’Sullivan, Ainslie Brown, Mary Brown, Patrick Donovan, Rhoda Fulgar,
Anniversaries
Please pray for…………………………………
my…………………………
who died on ………………….. My Name: …………………. …..
Telephone:………………….
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
The season of Lent begins this week on
Ash Wednesday. Masses and distribution
of ashes at Our Lady & St. Philip Neri,
are at 9.30am & 8.00pm.
The season of Lent is a time to renew our
Christian faith, - the faith in which we are
baptised. In Lent we are called to unite
ourselves more closely to Christ in his
passion and death through acts of penance,
in order to share more fully in the joy of his
Resurrection at Easter. In Christian
spirituality ‘penance’ comprises of
PRAYER, FASTING
and ALMS-GIVING.


The Bishops of England and Wales issued
guidelines concerning penance. They offer
helpful guideliness in discerning what we
might do as a Lenten penance:“The obligation of Penance may be fulfilled
in one or more of the following ways:

By abstaining from meat or some other
food:

By abstaining from alcoholic drink,
smoking or some form of
entertainment:

By making the special effort involved
in family prayer, taking part in the
Mass, visiting the Blessed Sacrament
or praying the Stations of the Cross.

By fasting from all food for a longer
period than usual and perhaps by
giving what is saved in this way to the
needy at home and abroad:

By making a special effort to help
somebody who is poor, sick, old or
lonely.”
PRAYER - Possibly you could try to
go to a Mass on a weekday during Lent.
There will be Stations of the Cross on
Sundays of Lent at 4.00pm.

giving of some of our time to others;
time to listen to members of our family
or a lonely neighbour.
FASTING & ABSTINENCE - This
can mean eating less at certain times or
on particular days. (Care should be
taken not to damage your health,
especially if sick or elderly.) It can
mean refraining from a particular thing
that you like such as sweets, biscuits,
tea or coffee. It need not be restricted to
food, it can be less TV, cigarettes or
alcohol. There are days throughout the
year when Catholics are still required
to abstain from meat, these are: every
Friday and Ash Wednesday.
ALMS-GIVING - The ‘Poor Box’ (on
wall at the back of the Church) could
provide a way of giving to the needy
during Lent. You may have a favourite
charity to which you would like to
make a special Lenten donation. Our
CAFOD Fast Day will be on the second
Friday of Lent. ‘Giving’ can also be
interpreted in a wider sense: e.g. the
The purpose of ‘penance’ is to enable us to
grow in our love of God and one another
“WALK WITH ME” Booklets for Lent.
Containing spiritual reading and reflections for every day of Lent. Available at the
back of Church on Rack and on table.
Donation £1 in box marked ‘booklets’.
Meeting for parents of those who enrolled for CONFIRMATION .
Thursday 26 March in Hall Meeting Rooms at 8.00pm.
This meeting is for Parents or Guardians only .
Sacrament of Confirmation 2015.
Enrolment forms available from Fr. Peter.
It is the young person themselves who must request the enrolment form.
The must also complete it and bring it back to Fr. Peter as soon as possible.
Bishop Pat Lynch will be visiting our Parish on Friday 19th June 2015 to administer
the Sacrament of Confirmation at 7.30pm Mass.
Candidates must be at least in year 8 of Secondary school. There is no upper age limit.
Those who apply must attend Church regularly. It is important that the young people concerned take
responsibility for putting their name forward themselves and not their parents.
The Newsletter and Church notices will give information about the programme in the coming weeks.
The start date is Sunday 1st March at 5.30pm. Prospective candidates take on a commitment to
come to the preparation programme every week during term time. On the application form they are
asked to write a short letter in their own words saying why they wish to be confirmed.
The preparation is aimed at helping those who enrol to come to a better understanding of this
Sacrament so that they can make an informed decision as to whether they want to go ahead this year
or not. To ask to be confirmed is to say 'yes' to playing a part in the mission and work of the Church.
Regarding Confirmation of Adults:
We have a separate programme for Adult Confirmation 18 years and over. This is part of
our 'Journey in Faith' process which begins in the Autumn. If any adult has not been
confirmed, please contact Fr Peter.
The display of HANDS in front of the Altar represents the children who are preparing for
First Holy Communion in our Parish. They traced their own hand and decorated it with
their name. It represents their individuality and also their membership of Christ’s family
which is his body the Church.
The display is on the sanctuary to remind us to pray for the children and their families as
they prepare for their First Holy Communion. After this week it will be in the Lady Chapel.
● Sunday 15th February 2015: SIXTH SUNDAY in ORDINARY TIME
Today’s Mass
By Fr David Gibbons, Centre for Catholic Formation
First Reading: we misunderstand this section of Leviticus if we assert that these are rules about
hygiene and health. It is about ritual purity (which is why Mark in the Gospel emphasises that
Jesus touched the leper). The word translated ‘leprosy’ here means skin diseases generally.
Psalm: in Christian tradition this is one of the seven penitential psalms, but today’s extract is
more about thanksgiving for sin forgiven.
Second Reading: our freedom should not be exercised if it does harm to another. Everyone is
called to obey St Paul’s exhortation “never do anything offensive to anyone”
Gospel: Jesus heals the leper. He tells him to make the required sacrifice as prescribed in
Leviticus and tell no one, but the man can’t help telling everyone. Would that we were so eager
to tell everyone about Jesus!
● LENT
The season of Lent begins on Wednesday (Ash Wednesday). It has two purposes.
For those to be Baptized at the Easter Vigil, it is the time for their final, spiritual preparations.
These include the Rite of Election at the Cathedral on Saturday and the ritual Scrutinies on
the 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays of Lent.
For the rest of us, Lent is a period of penance and self-denial as we prepare to celebrate the
Resurrection of the Lord at Easter. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting
(that is, eating only one full meal) as well as abstinence (not eating meat or taking alcohol,
etc).
The Gloria is not recited except on the Feasts of S Patrick, S Joseph and the Annunciation. The
word Alleluia is never uttered during Lent. The clergy wear violet vestments, and music and floral
Car Parking in Church Grounds.
Please be aware that we only have enough space for 3 cars on the tarmac trip in front of the
Tower near the grass area. This area is therefore designated for ‘disabled’, or elderly
people who have difficulty walking short distances. The first car needs to be parked
close to the Tower in order to leave space for two more. Recently the area in question has
been getting congested on some occasions. It would be nice to have a bigger parking area
but unfortunately it is not possible.
Generally people who come to do voluntary jobs outside of Mass times are welcome to use
Arrangements for visiting Sr. Bridie.
The best time to visit is between 3.30pm and 5.00pm.
The address is: St. Josephs Convent, Layhams Road, West Wickham. BR4 9QJ.
The Convent is in the same grounds as the Emmaus Retreat Centre and the
Coloma Court Nursing Home but it is separate from these two places. The back of the building faces the
driveway and the front door is around the other side.
People wishing to visit Sr. Bridie should telephone Sr. Mary Goretti on the previous day to make arrange-