PARISH OF ST. BONIFACE, SOUTHAMPTON
MARCH 12th., 2017
SECOND SUNDAY of LENT [A]
“It is wonderful for us to be here”
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 (Divine Office week 2) / We pray especially for:-Saturday / March 11 / ] / 6.30pm / Mass / Anton Mihelić, RIP
Sunday / March 12 / ] SECOND SUNDAY of LENT [A] / 8.30am
10.30am / Mass
Mass / Mary Hoskins, RIP
Julita Agno, RIP
Monday / March 13 / of Lent 2 Tenth Station of the Cross / 10.00am / Mass / Col. Cayetano Ordinaria RIP
& Encarnación Lira, RIP
Tuesday / March 14 / of Lent 2 Eleventh Station / 10.00am / Mass / Mary Andrews, RIP
Wednesday / March 15 / of Lent 2 Twelfth Station / 10.00am / Mass / Anton Mihelić, RIP
Thursday / March 16 / of Lent 2 Thirteenth Station / 10.00am / Mass / Alex & Kay Sadowski, RIP
Friday / March 17 / Feast of St. PATRICK, Bishop (†Downpatrick 461)
No Station today; Litany of the Saints of Ireland
Lenten Reconciliation Hour 6.30-7.30pm / 10.00am
6.30pm / Mass
Recon / Aleksander Sadowski, RIP
......
Saturday / March 18 / of Lent 2 Fourteenth Station
[St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
†386] 6.30pm Mass is of 3rd Sunday of Lent
[St. Joseph is celebrated this year on March 20] / 10.00am / Mass / Loretta Mary Hulley, RIP
Confessions Saturdays after 10am Mass and from 5.45pm to 6.15pm, also Lenten Reconciliation Hour each Friday 6.30-7.30pm
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, 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, Ellen Ince.
Please pray for the repose of the souls
of those with anniversaries at this time: John Baxendale, Anna Argenti, Stefan Rydzysnki, Breda Ellis, May Marsh-Collis. Eileen Usher, Walenty Wiatrak, Elena Ciardello, Alan White.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
DIOCESAN PRAYER INTENTIONS: Su: The “Beginning Experience” for the widowed & divorced; M: The Holy Father, elected 13.3.13; Cold Ash Centre, Thatcham; T: St. Patrick, East Ilsley; W: St. Patrick, Samarès, Jersey; Th: St. Joseph, Gosport; F: St. Joseph, Bracknell; Sa: St. Joseph, Romsey.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION: The children come together to the 10.30am Mass this Sunday to be presented to the parish. Please keep them in your prayers:
Jasmine Aburrow, Jesseree Barrion, Rebeka & Victoria Bujak, Oscar Denisiewicz, Monika Iliniec, Russell Koronkiewicz, Kacper Kulka, Sophia Lane, Lorene-Yelelo Mueba, Mauro & Pablo Oruezábal, Aldren Pagkaliwangan, Lilly Payne, Kacper Rabinski-Sidorowicz, Alexander Salek, Tyrone Saldi, Lily Rose Salter, Joseaphine Wheeler.
Children’s next session Wednesday March 15, 6pm: “We prepare for Reconciliation”.
COLLECTION: Mar 5: Loose £625.29, Envelopes £511.30. Apportionment: Bankers’ Orders £320.00, Gift Aid £180.00. Total £1636.59. Sebeya Ethiopia, CAFOD project £159.64 (£52146.02). Many thanks. This weekend: CAFOD (Fast Day)
CONFIRMATION 2017: Session this Sunday March 12, 2-4pm in our Hall. “Why did Jesus have to die?”
MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone ever fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thine intercession,
and was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins,
my mother; to thee do I come,
before thee I stand, a sorrowful sinner.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear
and answer my prayer. Amen.
LENTEN PRAYER of St. EPHREM:
O Lord and Master of my life, give me not a spirit of sloth, despondency, lust for power or idle talk; but give to me, your servant, a spirit of sobriety, humility, patience and love. O Lord and King, allow me to see my own sins, and not to judge my brother, for blessed are you for ever and ever, Amen.
10.30 MASS in LENT: The Entry Antiphon is sung as per text on readings sheet, with accompanying Psalm verses.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 2: I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON 2: none today
CONGRATULATIONS to Father Roy Bennett who celebrates the 60th. anniversary of his priestly ordination next Thursday.
COLLECTION ENVELOPES for the financial year 2017-2018 are now available for collection in the porch. If you wish to begin using envelopes and/or Gift Aid, please give your name to Fr. David or the parish office.
‘RECONCILIATION HOUR’, each Friday in Lent from 6.30 to 7.30pm.
As last year, as a substitute for a Parish Penitential Service, Fr. David will be in the church each Lenten Friday from 6.30 to 7.30pm. Each person arriving will be invited to pray through, privately, a short preparatory service of the word which they will be given; they then come forward to the sanctuary rails to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and conclude with a short service of thanksgiving, which will also be offered to them. The Confessional is not used.
Confessions in the more ‘traditional’ mode are still offered each Saturday am & pm.
YOUTH CLUBS: Junior [‘Frogz’] for ages 8-12, SECOND & FOURTH Fridays of the month during termtime, 6-7.15pm. In the Hall, all welcome
Next meeting, March 24: “Treasure trail”.
Senior [‘Fanning the Flame’] for ages 12-18 Fridays 7.15-9pm.
HERMITAGE ENSEMBLE Russian Orthodox choir from St. Petersburg, at Holy Trinity, Millbrook Road West SO15 0JZ (free parking) this Monday March 13, 8pm; £10 (£5. concs.) available at door. Russian church music and folk songs.
APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA: Day of Reflection with Fr. Colum Kelly, Port chaplain at Immingham, Saturday March 18 at St. Margaret Mary, Park Gate SO31 7GH, 10am-4pm, also giving information about the work of the Apostleship for seafarers. Bring lunch to share, advise attendance to:
LOOKING AHEAD:
Marriage Encounter Weekend: an opportunity to enrich your marriage, focussing on various aspects of relationship including the Church’s vision for marriage. Apart from mealtime and the concluding Mass, the weekend is spent as a couple; there are no group discussions. The next weekend is at Park Place, Wickham, May 19-21. Details see: www.wwme.org.uk
SIGNIFICANT WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS with Bishop Philip at St. Bede’s, Basingstoke, Saturday June 24 at 11am. If you are celebrating a 25th., 30th., 40th., 50th., 60th. or 60th.+ wedding anniversary and would like to attend, please notify the Parish Office or e-mail:
HOMELESS AND ‘HOMELESS’: The churches of Shirley, including our own, are much concerned with issues of urban poverty, homelessness and ‘professional begging’, while trying to discern cases of need can be a minefield. Each church has tended to adopt a different approach; our previous voucher system collapsed under the weight of its own ‘success’ and has had to be replaced. There are also the issues of individuals attempting to enter and sleep on church property, which can invalidate insurance, of anti-social behaviour and the pestering of people for money outside church premises. In an attempt to develop some coherent and uniform approach which will be best meet real needs, Mark Moore, a parishioner from Christ Church, Freemantle, has agreed to set up a group representing the churches and other interested parties. If this is an issue on which you feel strongly, and where you would like to contribute, please contact him at:
SOUTHAMPTON CHORAL SOCIETY: Mozart Requiem and works by Haydn and Leonarda, Saturday March 25, 7.30pm at St. James’ church, West End SO30 3LT. £12, concs. £10, family £24, students £5 from (023) 8073 3653, www.southamptonchoralsociety,org,uk or choir members.
Concert to be repeated at St. Peter & St. Paul’s church, Ringwood BH24 1TY Saturday April 1, 7.30pm.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“A group of cardinals is cultivating the idea of a moral suasion to convince Pope Francis to retire.”
A what?! I must be totally inadequate, but I have managed to get through my more than threescore-years-and-ten without ever coming across, let alone using, such a word.
Its origin is clear: the Latin verb suadere, meaning to ‘seek to persuade’. Thus we have the word ‘persuade’, which we all understand, and so theoretically the word ‘suade’, which dictionaries record as ‘obsolete’.
“He persuaded me to have another whisky”.
“He suaded me to have another whisky but I refused as it is Lent”
The ‘Church Official’ loves to use Latinate words to wrap up something really quite simple, so has recourse to ‘suasion’. It is English wearing a biretta.
At first reading I had an image of the Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch of the Spanish Inquisition with their torture by the soft cushions and the comfy chair:
Cardinals: “Holy Father, we are here to submit you to the moral suasion”
Pope: “Aaaagh! Please, not the suasion!!”
Seriously though, this all concerns, as you may guess, the Papal document Amoris laetitia, ‘The joy of love’, which says very many beautiful and unambiguous things, but is thought to be ambiguous on the thorny subject of Holy Communion and the divorced and re-married. And much of this revolves around language – rather like ‘suasion’, in fact.
There appears to be no definitive Latin text of this document to use as a yardstick for translations, which doesn’t help. Of course the document was not originally written in Latin, but the worrying accusation has been made that some quotations from Fathers of the Church do not accurately correspond to the meaning of their actual words.
Then another language problem of a different kind. This is the deplorable language used by those on the ‘religious right’ about the divorced and remarried (a position which few people get themselves into lightly), some of it emanating from clerics who must have had their sensitivity nerve anaesthetised. Are we still so slow to understand the effects of such blanket condemnations – in a week where yet more horror revelations from Ireland show what happened when unmarried mothers were simply written off as ‘fallen women’?
Language. What did Jesus say? He spoke in Aramaic which was relayed through Hebrew, presented in the Gospels in Greek, conveyed in the Church in Latin and translated into every language of the world.
The present debate is not going to go away, but given the problems of language maybe we should all just stop talking about it for at least a year. Meanwhile clergy can continue to deal with sensitivity (or insensitivity) with individual pastoral cases, as before.
Enough said. But now I must re-read Jane Austen’s novel “Suasion”.