Legion of Mary: Meet every Thursday at 6.45pm in the Hall

Tea and Coffee: will be available after 11am Mass in the church hall, offered by the parish. All parishioners and visitors are welcome. We would be grateful for more volunteers to help with making tea and coffee after this Mass. Many thanks.

Cleaning: The next cleaning of the Church will take place next Saturday 13th May at 3pm. Please come and join in just for one hour.

Light of Jesus: The Light of Jesus Catholic Community cordially invites everyone to praise; worship and lunch every Sunday from 2pm – 3.30pm in the Upper Hall.

Candles: Just to remind you that candles at our statues are not free. The cost per candle is 25p. This is very reasonable as some of our neighbouring parishes’ charge between 40p and £1 per candle. I would therefore ask that everybody pays for lighting a candle.

Baptisms: The number of parents requesting baptism has steadily increased I am delighted to say! If you have a child for baptism you must firstly see Fr. Michael for a date. Do not book your party first to avoid disappointment. Sr. Vivien will then arrange to meet you for Baptism Preparation. Baptisms take place on Saturdays at 11am. In 2016 we had 18 Baptisms.

New Parishioners: If you have moved here to our parish recently, I would be grateful if you could tell me at the end of Mass so that I can give you a Parish Registration Form to complete. Look forward to meeting you.

APF Boxes: Please can those who have boxes to collect. Could they call, email or let the office know which is convenient to pick up their empty boxes. It could be in the Repository, office or under the desk in the porch at the back of the church.

Money Counters: We need one or two new money counters. Please see Fr. Michael if you can help. Many thanks.

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. 211 Old Marylebone Road, London NW1 5QT.Tel: 020 7723 5101. Email: Parish Priest: Fr Michael Johnston. Email: Parish Administrator: Mrs Marion Egan – Parish Office open 10.30am –3.30pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - Our Parish Web address is:parishrcdow.org.uk/Marylebone

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

Marylebone

4th Sunday of Easter 7th May 2017

SUNDAY MASSES

Saturday: 6.00pm (First Mass of Sunday)

Sunday: 8.30am, 11.00 (Family Mass), and 6.00pm (Folk Mass)

Sunday: 1.00pm – Czech Community Mass - 1st Sunday

WEEKDAY MASS TIMES

Monday – Friday 12.30pm

Saturday 12.30pm

CONFESSIONS

Saturday: 11.00am to 11.30am and 5.00pm to 5.30pm.

Every Saturday afternoon, there is Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 5.00pm to Benediction at 5.30pm.

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Saturday at 7.00pm.

Fr Michael Writes: In today’s Mass, we have one of the loveliest Gospels of the year – that in which Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. Hence, by tradition throughout the Church, this Sunday is also called Good Shepherd Sunday or Vocations Sunday when the Church prays for vocations particularly to the priesthood and religious life. Jesus needs ministers in this twenty first century just as much as he did in the first, people who will dedicate themselves single mindedly to him in the priesthood or religious life. Do consider whether Jesus is calling you to the priesthood – to be his fingertips in this modern world. He needs more people to proclaim his message; administer his sacraments; make present his sacrifice; to make present in this world and our society his compassion and forgiveness and love. All of us have the responsibility for vocations and for the task of praying.

Priest Training Fund: Help is needed. The number of men training for the priesthood has steadily increased in recent years. Last year we had three ordinations and a further 39 men are currently in formation. This is wonderful news but the uncomfortable truth is that the Priest Training Fund is now spending much more on the preparation of priests than it is bringing in and now urgently needs our support. Please give as much as you can afford to today’s collection so that the Priest Training Fund can continue to seek out, support and train those men who God is calling to the Priesthood.

R.C.I.A.: The members of our RCIA received into the Church at Easter will meet for a final session on Thursday 11th May at 7pm in the Presbytery.

R.C.I.A: The RCIA for 2016/17 has now come to an end and will recommence with a new group in September. If you know of someone who maybe thinking about becoming a Catholic – a husband; wife; boyfriend; girlfriend or if you are a Catholic through baptism and have missed out on either First Holy Communion or Confirmation, then this is also the group for you. Please give me theirs or your name, address, telephone number and email and we can meet so that I can give you further details.

Feasts: Next Saturday 13th May is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. It is also the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady – 1917-2017. Next Saturday Pope Francis will be in Fatima for the celebrations during which he will canonize two of the Shepherd children St. Francesco Marto and his sister St. Jacinta Marto. They will be the youngest canonized saints in the history of the Church.

C.T.S: We have a Catholic Truth Society stand with booklets out in the porch. These booklets are not free and must be paid for in the box marked C.T.S. Each booklet is separately priced in the back cover.

Dad’s Group: The next Dad’s Group will be held on Monday 15th May at 7.30pm in the Lower Hall. All Dads are welcome. If you are new to the group please tell me if you are attending as there is a supper provided.

Fr. Michael’s Pilgrimage 2017 to Milan and Lake Maggiore: I have organised a pilgrimage to Milan and Lake Maggiore from Monday 25th September 2017 to Monday 2nd October 2017. We will travel by scheduled flights return Heathrow to Milan. We will spend two nights in Milan and five nights in Stresa on Lake Maggiore. There will be guided tours in both Milan and Stresa taking in much to do with St. Charles Borromeo and St. Ambrose. We hope to visit Leonardo Da Vincis “Last Supper”. Excursions and Mass each day and we will be accompanied by a Tour Manager using local guides in various places. Both hotels are four star includes Bed, Breakfast and Dinners. Also includes a boat trip on Lake Maggiore visiting Isola Bella and a boat trip on Lake Orta. This promises to be an excellent pilgrimage. Cost £978. To reserve a place see Fr. Michael for a form and brochure.

Children’s Religious Books: The basket of books for children is again almost empty. Someone has stolen most of our books. The object is that these books are returned at the end of Mass to the basket. I would be grateful if parents would look at home for any religious books or children’s Bible story books that you could donate so that we have a basket of books for all our children to borrow.

Cardinal’s Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sacrament of Matrimony, Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 3rd June 2017 at 3pm.

The Cardinal will be inviting to this Mass all couples in the Diocese who are celebrating their 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th (and every year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage in 2017. If you ae celebrating an anniversary, please give Marion, in the Parish Office the following details:- Husband and wife’s names, wedding date, full postal address and email (or telephone number, if no email).

Rosary Hall Offices: The two top floors of office space vacant since last July have now been leased to a firm of Architects. They will refurbish the space before moving in. They hope to complete the work in eight weeks, before they move in. Meanwhile you may notice workmen. Hopefully, soon the top hall will also be leased. The income will go towards badly needed works on our own buildings so that our property will be in good shape for the next fifty years.

Diary of Events:

Sunday 14th May – 11am Parish First Communion

Sunday 21st May – 11am Procession and Crowning of Our Lady

Sunday 11th June – 11am – Parish Confirmations

Sunday 18th June – Corpus Christi: All Eucharistic Ministers to be recommissioned.

Saturday 24th June – 12.30pm Mass and Anointing of the Sick

Sacrament of the Sick: In this Year when our Cardinal has asked us to pray particularly for the sick of our Parish, there will be an opportunity for anyone who wishes to receive the Sacrament of the Sick at 12.30pm Mass on Saturday 24th June 2017. If you know of anyone sick in any way please tell them about this opportunity.

May: The month of May begins this Monday and May by tradition in the church is the month of Mary. We have a beautiful chapel to Our Lady of the Rosary and it would be lovely if those who are able could bring some flowers in during the month of May. Later in the month at 11am Mass we will have the crowning of the statue when we will need lots of flowers.

First Holy Communion: Next Sunday 14th May we have our children for First Holy Communion. Please pray for them and their families. Grateful thanks as always to our catechists.

Collections: Collections last weekend amounted to 362.59 Envelopes. £777.05 Loose Plate. Total - £1139.64 Many thanks.

Have a good week