St Anthony of Padua Anerley

Twenty-ninth Sunday (A)
Mass Readings: Pages: 143 – 146
Order of Mass: Pages 7 – 60
+++++++++++
World Mission Sunday

Mission is Urgent: The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. (Evangelii Gaudium, 1)
Today vast numbers of people still do not know Jesus Christ and for this reason mission continues to be most urgent. The Church is missionary by nature and was born ‘to go forth’.
World Missions Sunday is a celebration of grace and joy. Grace, because the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, offers wisdom and strength. Joy, because Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, supports and accompanies our missionary efforts. The joy experienced by Jesus leads me to offer you bright a jewel from Scripture which we find in the Gospel of Luke (LK10:20-23).
The seventy two disciples returned from proclaiming the kingdom of God filled with joy. Joy is dominant theme of this unforgettable first missionary experience. However, Jesus cautioned them to rejoice not so much for the power they received to set people free from demons, but for the love they had received, ‘because your names are written in heaven’.
The possibility of sharing God’s love, a love different from and greater than anything they had previously experienced, makes the heart of Jesus rejoice. The joy springs from Jesus’ immense love, as beloved Son, for his Father, who hid these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to the ‘little ones’. The childlike (cf Lk 10:21) the Father is source of joy. The Son is its manifestation, and the Holy Spirit is giver.
On this World Mission Sunday I urge each of you to recall that ‘first love’ with which the Lord Jesus Christ touched your heart for the first time, not for the sake of nostalgia but in order to persevere in joy.
Let us pray through the intercession of Mary, the model of joyful evangelisation, that the Church may become a welcoming home for all peoples and source of rebirth for our world.
Pope Francis

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sunday Teas:

This Sunday’s teas will be served by the French Speaking Prayer Group.

Next Sunday’s teas will be served by the volunteers.

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

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Last Week’s collections: The 1st collection was £1062.66p including Gift Aid £587.60p. The 2nd collection for the Needs of the Diocese was £97.63p. Thank you for your generosity. The 2nd collection today is for Missio/World Missions.

UCM: The UCM will meet on Monday 20th October at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre. Our guest speaker will be from the local food bank. All are welcome. Please bring your £5 deposit for the Christmas meal.

Christmas Fair: The Parish Christmas Fair will be on Saturday 6th December from 11am until 2pm. Please put this date in your diary. We are now collecting items for the Christmas Fair. If you can bring drinks for the Bottle Stall and good quality items for the Tombola and Lucky Dip that would be appreciated. For a successful fair, we need appealing items which will attract buyers and help raise funds for the Church. Please leave items in the box in the narthex.

Courses for New Catechists: The Diocesan Centre for Catholic Formation is putting on a series of sessions at Hartley Hall, Catford which is aimed at new and potential catechists. The last of these sessions will be held on Thursday evening (7 for 7.30pm until 9pm) on 23rd October (Children’s Liturgy). The costs will be paid for by the parish.   Please speak to Father Sunith if you are interested.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Readers: The annual day of recollection for the South East Area will take place at Bishop Thomas Grant School, Belltrees Grove, SW16 2HY on Saturday November 15th. The day itself will be given by Fr. Ignaus Edet.
Secular Franciscan Order: Our fraternity is part of the South East Region of Great Britain and meets every 4th Sunday from 2.30 – 5pm at St Marys Church, Wellesley Road, West Croydon. Our next fraternity will therefore be on Sunday 26th October in the Prayer Room. We would be happy to welcome you if you want to come along and learn a little of what our Order is about.

If you want to see a priest then please phone and make an appointment.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Concert: Father Francis Maple OFM Cap. Is visiting our parish the weekend of 25th October to celebrate the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of his cousin Richard and Joan Maple. While he is here he has offered to give us a concert on Sunday 26th October to raise money for our parish.
Father Francis is a Capuchin Franciscan friar who has celebrated 51 years as a priest. For the last twelve years he has written the Sunday homily in The Universe. He has recorded 42 albums and has made many TV appearances (including Stars on Sunday). He even has a gold disc for his album ‘The Old Rugged Cross’. For his services to charity he has been decorated by Her Majesty the Queen with an MBE. He has given concerts in Drury Lane Theatre, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool Empire, Derby Assembly Rooms to mention a few. The songs he sings are varied and sprinkled with humorous stories and jokes. I can assure you if you come to the concert you will not be disappointed. Tickets will cost £4 on the door. The concert will begin at 7pm on Sunday 26th October in the church. There will also be a raffle. If anyone can kindly donate prizes for the raffle I would be very grateful. Thank you.

HCPT— Group 30: Group 30 has been going to Lourdes every Easter since 1968. Today, the group has reached a crossroads. Several of our established helpers now have families and are unable to travel with us anymore. Without helpers we cannot take children to Lourdes. The group is now in real danger of folding. Helpers pay their own fares (currently about £700) but we may be able to financially assist students. We travel by plane to Lourdes on the Saturday before Easter returning a week later. I need about 8 new helpers to form a group. If you are interested in becoming a helper with Group 30 please contact Patrick Cowlard on: 020 8659 5829 or by email: jpcowlard@btinternet.com
To find out more about HCPT then please visit the website: www.hcpt.org.uk

The Christian New Media Conference 2014: Transforming Church, Transforming Society – 10am to 5.20pm on 1st November 2014 at the Brewery in London. Tickets cost £39. This one day conference is aimed at any Christian who wants to use digital media to bring transformation to their church or community. With 30 practical and inspiring sessions and 35 expert speakers there is something for all levels of experience and interest. Find out more at www.nmce.org.uk/conference

Diocesan Youth Ministry Day: This is a great opportunity for anyone in the parish already working with young people or considering starting. The Youth Ministry Day is on Saturday 15th November from 10.30am until 4.30pm at Amigo Hall, Next to St George’s RC Cathedral, Southwark. Free admission. Booking required – info@scys.org.uk or call 01277 272900. Bring your own packed lunch. Tea and coffee is provided throughout the day.

Repository: Christmas items are now available in the repository. Please do take a look.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS (19—26 Oct 2014) (Year A)