PARISH OF ST. BONIFACE, SOUTHAMPTON
JANUARY 29th., 2017
FOURTH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME [A]
“Blessed are the pure in heart; they shall see God”
Presbytery: St. Boniface House, 413 Shirley Road Southampton SO15 3JD Tel: 023 80771231
Parish Priest: Father David Sillince
Safeguarding Officer: Diana Agacy 023 80907128 Chair of Parish Pastoral Council: pending
Parish Secretary: Eileen B. Aylett Parish Office opening hours Monday Thursday and Friday 9.00am to 12.30pm
Newsletter deadline 9.00pm on Tuesday for inclusion on following Sunday, space permitting.
Parish Website: www.st-boniface.org.uk Parish Office e mail:
This Parish is within the Pastoral Area of Southampton Central & West. RC Diocese of Portsmouth Regd. Charity 246871
The Church is normally open on weekdays 8am-5pm, Saturdays 8am-7.45pm, Sundays 7.30am-5pm
CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK / We pray especially for:-(Divine Office week 4)
Saturday / January 28 / ] / 6.30pm / Mass / Anton Mihelić, RIP
Sunday / January 29 / ] FOURTH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME [A] / 8.30am
10.30am / Mass
Mass / Anton Mihelić, RIP
Kitty Gibbs
Monday / January 30 / Feria, week 4 / 10.00am / Mass / Michael McCarthy, RIP
Tuesday / January 31 / St. John Bosco, Founder of the Salesians (†Turin 1888) / 10.00am / Mass / Josephine Barber, RIP
Wednesday / February 1 / Feria, week 4
[St. Henry Morse, Priest, Martyr †London 1645] / 10.00am / Mass / Ethel Jacobson, RIP
Thursday / February 2 / Feast of the PRESENTATION of the LORD in the TEMPLE
(Candlemas). Mass and Blessing of Candles / 10.00am / Mass / Mary & Leonard Smith, RIP
Friday / February 3 / [St. Blaise, Bishop, Martyr †Sebaste, Armenia c. 320;
St. Ansgar, Bishop †Bremen 865]
Blessing of St. Blaise after Mass / 10.00am / Mass / Scariya family
Saturday / February 4 / [St. Stephen Harding, Abbot †Cîteaux, France 1134;
St. Gilbert, Founder, Abbot †Sempringham, Lincs. 1189;
St. Simon Stock, Carmelite †Bordeaux 1265]
6.30pm Mass is of 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time / 10.00am / Mass / Private intention [MC]
Confessions Saturdays after 10am Mass and from 5.45pm to 6.15pm PARISH PRAYER GROUP: Fridays 11am-12noon in the Hall, all welcome.
REFRESHMENTS in the Hall every Sunday after 10.30am Mass, also Fridays after 10am Mass (for our Parish charity)
Please pray for those who are sick especially: Colette Morfett, Sheila White, Rosemary FitzGerald, Aileen Lynn, Mary Hoskins, Geoffrey Milford, Edward Standley, Katie Smith, Mary King, Jenny O’Farrell, Joan & Peter Turner, Veronica White, Gordon Lyons, Anne le Flohic, Joe Gleeson, Adele Vella, Kenneth Angel.
Please pray for the repose of the souls of those with anniversaries at this time: Steven Caraher, Carmel Gatt, Felice Ardani, Denzil Northover.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
COLLECTION: Jan 22: Loose £516.36, Envelopes £407.20. Apportionment: Bankers’ Orders £320.00, Gift Aid £180.00. Total £1423.56. Sebeya Ethiopia, CAFOD project £135.41 (£51481.98).
Many thanks for these kind contributions.
This weekend: Building & Maintenance (Feb.)
Diocesan PRAYER INTENTIONS:
Su: Sufferers from leprosy; Salesian Cooperators of Don Bosco; M: St. John Bosco, Woodley, Reading; T: Salesians in the Diocese; W: St. Brigid, West End; Th: Our Lady Queen of Apostles, Bishop’s Waltham; F: Brigidine Sisters in the Diocese; S: Holy Rood, Oxford.
ALLELUIA 2: Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven.
COMMUNION 2: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.
A MESSAGE FROM ‘CANON MAC’: “Father MacDermot-Roe thanks everyone who so kindly sent him much appreciated Christmas greeting cards and gifts. He is now happily cared for in the home owned by the Sisters in Romsey. He sends affectionate wishes to you all, and asks for your continued prayers”.
REJOICE, O VIRGIN MOTHER
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God,
Mary full of grace, the Lord is with
you;
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
for you have borne the Saviour of our
souls.
More honourable than the cherubim,
and infinitely more glorious than the
seraphim,
without corruption you gave birth
to God the Word; truly Mother of
God, we magnify you.
[This is the Orthodox version of the “Hail, Mary”, combined with the antiphon used with every verse of Mary’s “Magnificat”]
PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE meets this Monday January 30 at 7.30pm. to review the 2015-6 accounts. A synopsis will then be prepared for the parish.
PARISH DIARIES 2017 still available in the porch. No set charge, but donation to the poor box or CAFOD Ethiopia appreciated.
YOUTH CLUBS: Junior [‘Frogz’] for ages 8-12, SECOND & FOURTH Fridays of the month during termtime, 6-7.15pm. In the Hall, all welcome February 10: “Who was saint Boniface?”.
Senior [‘Fanning the Flame’] for ages 12-18 Fridays 7.15-9pm.
CAFOD Portsmouth Supporters’ meeting, Saturday February 4, 10am-1.30pm, St. Bede’s, Popley Way, Basingstoke RG24 9DX, to hear about latest CAFOD projects, including Zambia, this year’s Lenten focus. 01252-329385,
YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE DIOCESE:
“Called and Gifted” Presentation for 18-35 years old, Saturday February 4, 10.30am-7pm at Southampton University; free, includes supper. “Helping you discover your calling and use your spiritual gifts”. www/portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/calledandgifted and check out Facebook event “Called and Gifted Young Adults”.
“The Flame” at SSE Arena, Wembley March 11, with music from Matt Redman. Book through the Portsmouth diocese at , 07780 221686.
ADVANCE NOTICE: Father David will be away Thursday February 16 – Thursday February 23 inclusive. Father Des Connolly will kindly come for Masses weekend February 18/19. So no weekday morning Mass between these dates; however Holy Family parish now hopes to have Mass every morning, though please check. Sorry about this but you do say I don’t go away enough ...
PORTSMOUTH DIOCESE Formation for Mission: A Wednesday Gospel “Webinar§”; unlock next Sunday’s Gospel, every Wednesday 7-8pm. Prayerfully discover the meaning and context of the Sunday Gospel; find out more about God, yourself and the Church; ask your own questions about the Gospel. From Jan. 11.
§ webinar: “ a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web using video conferencing software, incorporating interactive elements
To register and participate, go to:
www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/formation/webinar or e-mail:
THE CRIB COLLECTION throughout the Diocese is for the support of deprived Christian communities in the Holy Land. Until February 2 (this Thursday).
CONFIRMATION 2017: Next session Sunday February 12, 2-4pm: “Jesus; more than a mere man”.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
My name David has fallen out of favour and according to a survey of names chosen in 2016 is no longer in the top 50. This is the age of Jack and Joshua, of Emily and Chloe.
Biblical names all have meaning (e.g. Jeremiah = ‘God has established’) and a limited number of names would circulate in each family. Hence the surprise at the (divine) choice of name for the Baptist, Zechariah’s son – John. Nobody in Zechariah’s family had that name. Name changes in the Bible represent changes of role: Abram = ‘Mighty Father’ becomes Abraham = ‘Father of many’. The name Jesus (Yeshua) means ‘God saves’, and is also enjoyed by the Old Testament successor of Moses, Joshua. How many of today’s Joshua’s realise that their name is Jesus? (Incidentally in several nominally Christian countries it used to be illegal to take the name ‘Jesus’, which was regarded as being blasphemous, while until recently in France – a country obsessed with centralised structures – it was compulsory to take a name from an approved list ).
Christians began to take ‘Christian names’ because they wished to be associated with heroes of the faith like the Apostles and first martyrs; the qualities of the original bearer of the name were believed to permeate into whoever took that name subsequently. The growth in declared saints of the church, celebrated on specific days, led to the development of a properly codified listing known as the ‘martyrology’. I have a copy of the latest edition of the Roman Martyrology, a whopping volume of 773 pages. There used to be occasions when, if parents were dithering over a name or choosing something regarded as ‘inappropriate’, the priest would simply look in the list on the date of the child’s birth, and assign to them a name from that day, which might mean they were called Simplicius or Theopemptus.
When parents name their child they are still wishing some of the quality of the name to pass into their child (whether David is after David Beckham or, like me, after a 6th century teetotal Welsh abbot and bishop). Often almost subconsciously they wish to make their child ‘immortal’ by giving them a name which sounds ‘new’. Now there are the most amazing combinations as parents desperately try to make their child ‘unique’ while almost guaranteeing that the child suffers future traumas by being unable to keep up with the demands of ‘uniqueness’. Hence fashion changes; cruelly what was new becomes dated – witness the Sharons and Traceys of today all giving away their age by their name. Alan Bennett has written an affectionate sketch about an old folks’ home where the door opens one day to admit the newest arrival on his zimmer-frame. “Welcome,” says the nurse, “you are our first Kevin”.
There is no accounting for taste, of course, and it’s impossible to say why Etheldreda and Frideswide just aren’t trendy, while Emily, which sounds Victorian, is. We smile at people being named Elvis, etc., but that’s only an extension of the old Christian ‘hero-idea’ – and actually ‘Saint Elvis’ is a form of the Celtic ‘Ailbe’. If people say: “But there’s no St. Clint or St. Jade”, one can reply: “No, but one day there will be”.
Names deserve care in choosing and using. Behind our name are God’s words: “I have called you by your name; you are mine”.
AT ST. JOSEPH’S CENTRE, ASHURST:
[8 Lyndhurst Road, Ashurst SO40 7DU]
Lenten Retreat Day: “Into the Desert”, reflecting on the temptations of Jesus, to mark the beginning of the season of Lent; led by Fr. Des Connolly; Saturday March 4, 9.30 for 10am to 3pm, including lunch and Mass. Donation £20 requested.
Gregorian Chant for Beginners: with Brother Marianus from the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, and Fr. Des Connolly; all welcome, but especially for those who lead/sing in church choirs. Saturday March 18, 9.30 for 10am to 4pm, including lunch and Mass. Donation £20 requested.
Silent weekend at the start of Holy Week: “Be still and know that I am God”; from 7pm supper on Friday April 7 to after lunch on Sunday April 9 including Palm Sunday Mass. Donation £100 requested, with single room supplement £20
For any of the above, tel. (023) 8029 2337 and leave message, or else by e-mail to
Also Mass with Anointing of the Sick Monday March 6 from 7pm. No booking necessary.
THE WISDOM OF THE AGES:
The 17th. century priest and poet Robert Herrick (“Gather ye rosebuds while ye me”) used to throw his sermons at parishioners who were not listening.
“Persian carpet makers always leave a deliberate fault; no human creation can be perfect. Even God, in the story of Creation, left one day – the second – which he did not call ‘good’”.