St Anthony of Padua Anerley

Eighth Sunday

Mass Readings: Pages 142-144

Order of Mass: Pages 6-60

First Reading: These words of consolation and hope, first spoken to the exiles in Babylon, are now spoken to us.

Second Reading: God is the only one who can judge rightly, because he alone knows the secrets of the heart.

Gospel: Jesus urges us to place our lives in the hands of our heavenly Father, to whom we are important and precious

God’s love for his people is like the steadfast love of a mother for her child—only greater. In the Gospel Jesus reminds us that we are God’s precious children. The knowledge of this should free us from fretting and worrying. Worry is essentially a  distrust in God. Such distrust may be understandable in a heathen who believes in a jealous, capricious, unpredictable god; but not in one who has learned to call God by the name of Father. The Christian must put his future in the hands of God and pray only for the modest needs of today.

Sunday Teas:

This Sunday’s teas will be served by the St Vincent de Paul Group.

Next Sunday’s teas will be served by the Knights of St Columba.

Thank you to all those who help out with the Sunday Teas.

Last Week’s Collections: The 1st collection was £536.01p + £385.50p in Gift Aid Envelopes giving us a parish total of £921.51p. The 2nd collection for Parish Funds was £104.76p. Thank you for your generosity. Today’s 2nd collection will be for the Poor Parishes of the diocese.

Recently Deceased:  Please pray for the soul and family of Bridget D’Souza. The funeral will be on 6th March at 12noon followed by the burial at 1.30pm at Beckenham Cemetery.

Baptism Preparation Classes: The next classes will be held on the following three Mondays, the 27th February, 6th and 13th March at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre.  It is important to attend ALL three baptism classes.

Ash Wednesday:  Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence.  Mass times are on Tuesday at 7pm and on Wednesday at 9.30am, 1.30pm (school mass) and 7.30pm.

Lent Study Course: This year’s programme will begin at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre on Wednesday 8th March with Grace and Miracles (part one).
The next sessions will be on the following Wednesdays – 15th March (The Miracles of Lourdes), 22nd March (To be a Pilgrim, part one), 29th March (To be a Pilgrim, part two) and 5th April (The Life and Message of John Henry Newman).  All are welcome to attend.

Mass Bookings: Please book your masses at least two months in advance.

Stations of the Cross on Wednesdays after 9.30am Mass,  Fridays at 7pm and Sundays at 4.pm

Pastoral Letter: A copy of the pastoral letter is available in the narthex (church entrance).  Please do take one home to read.

Minibus: From the 1st April the minibus will only run on the third Sunday of the month.

London Evenings of Faith – February and March 2017:  All are welcome to a series of talks on ‘Reasons for believing’ which will take place at 7:30pm on Tuesdays 7^th & 21^st March. Talks are held in the basement of 24 Golden Square, London W1F 9JR (Tube: Piccadilly Circus). Full dates and details are available at www.faith.org.uk/events/evenings-of-faith.

Lenten Masses in the Hospital: There will be Mass in Croydon University Hospital Chapel on Ash Wednesday (1st March) and every Monday during Lent at 12 noon.

The Womens World Day of Prayer Service for Penge and Anerley: The service will be held at Penge Baptist Church in Maple Road on Friday 3rd March at 7.30pm.  The service has been prepared by the Christian Women of the Philippines and is entitled “Am I being unfair to you?”  Please see the poster on the notice board.

St Patrick’s Day Dinner/Dance: Saturday 18th March at 7pm at Melvin Hall Community Centre.  Tickets are £20 which includes music, Irish dancing, food and a couple of drinks.  All proceeds will be going towards the Penge Festival 2017.  Please see the noticeboard for more details.  Please contact Maureen Kennedy on 07983 796089 or email maureenkendy75@hotmail.com for tickets.

Top of the Pew Quiz 2017: St Anthony’s have been drawn away to Christ Church in Chislehurst in the first round of this knockout competition. The contest will held on the 19^th March starting at 8pm. If any parishioner wishes to come along to support and need directions or transport please contact a member of the Parish Council.

Head Teacher Vacancy: St Aidan’s Catholic Primary School in Coulsdon are seeking a head teacher for September 2017.  For further information and an application pack please email Mrs Jennifer Blackburne at clerk@st-aidans.croydon.sch.uk.  The closing date for applications is 17th March 2017.

Please pray for the sick of the Parish: Bridget McLaughlin, Ellen Garvey, John Barry, Margaret Southwell,  Mercie Ihekweme-Hill, Kieran Quinn,            Marie Harris, Michael Creech and Fr. David Hutton.

Recycling:  Please do keep donating your old mobile phones and printer ink cartridges (except Epson) but please no printer toner cartridges.  Thank you.

Please remember to switch off your mobile phone when you enter the Church. Please don’t distract others at Mass.

Notices for the newsletter need to be emailed/posted to the presbytery by 6pm on Thursdays.

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS (26th Feb— 5th Mar 2017) (Year: A)