Sick and Retired Priest’s Fund for the Diocese of Westminster – Next week, our parish will take up a second collection to support the Sick and Retired Priests of the Diocese of Westminster. Your generous donations will help ensure that priests, who have followed their vocation and given their lives to the Church, are cared for and supported when they are sick and when they retire. The fund helps cover medical, housing, convalescence and personal needs of these priests, as well as helping them in an emergency. Donations leaflets are at the back of the Church this weekend. Please take one home, read about this important work, and bring it back next weekend with your donation. Many thanks for your generosity and support.
Annual November Mass at North Sheen Cemetery - will be celebrated next Sunday 12th November at 2.15pm. For Masses celebrated at other cemeteries, please contact the local parish.
Remembrance Sunday – Next Sunday, 12th November, is also the National Day of Remembrance in the UK, when we pray for all those men and women in the armed forces, and many civilians, who have lost their lives because of war, conflict and terrorism. The 11.30am is a Requiem Mass and will commence with a two-minute silence.
First Holy Communion 2018 – The next sessions of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion Catechesis will take place over the weekend of 18th/19thNovember. The Rite of Enrolment Mass will take place at 9.30am next Sunday 12thNovember. Parents and candidates are requested to stay behind for a brief period after the Mass is over, so that Fr Michael and the catechists can discuss the logistics of the First Reconciliation services that will take place in January, and also deal with any questions raised by the course of preparation so far. Thank you for your cooperation.
Talk on Saint (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina - by Father Domenico Vitulli,who is one of the Spiritual sons of Saint (Padre) Pio, who follows and lives his spirituality with the mission of living the Gospel and serving the poor in spirit and body will take place on Wednesday 8thNovember. The talk will follow Mass at 7.15pm. Confessions will be available from 6.45pm.
Solo Violin Recital at Holy Cross – given by Megumi Rolfe, will take place on Saturday evening 18th November 2017 from 7:30pm – 8pm after the 6:30pmMass(please refer to poster on Church Notice board) Programme to include Bach and Elgar. Free admission.Retiring collection will partially go to the Westminster Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes Fund.
Fulham Camerata Choir presents Handel’s Messiah by candlelight – (Musical Director: James Day) – Saturday 18th November at 7.30pm, St Paul’s Church, Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 9PJ. General admission £15 (student concessions £10) on the door. Full range of tickets, including reserved seating, available on line at
Red Boxes for Missio - Would those parishioners who kindly save money for the overseas missions in the Missio red boxes, please return them to the Church Sacristy for emptying and counting as soon as possible. Thank you. Missio calendars for 2018 are now available for you to take free of charge from the table in the Church porch.
First Mass of Christmas – In accordance with the instruction from the Congregation of Divine Worship, the First Mass of Christmas can be celebrated before midnight, in fact after 4pm on Christmas Eve. To facilitate the attendance of families and the elderly, and others who would find it easier, I propose that the First Mass of Christmas will take place at 8pm on Christmas Eve, the 24th December (not at Midnight) with Masses on Christmas Day at 9.30am and 11.30am as usual. Should any parishioner wish to make comment on what I propose, then please feel free to speak to me after Mass over the next couple of weeks or send me an e-mail . Fr Michael
Financially Supporting Your Parish by Standing Order - A Standing Order is a payment directly taken from your own bank account to the Church bank account. This is the easiest and most secure method to give (because nobody has to handle money and pay it into the bank) Paying by Standing Order is most suitable if you have a regular income, which is paid into your own bank each month. It is also very easy to set up. All you have to do is fill in a Standing Order form, with your bank account details, the day of the month you want your gift to be made and the amount you have decided to give each month. You then simply return the completed form to the Parish Office. You can also easily change the amount of your standing order (should your circumstances change, or when you review your giving) by contacting your bank. If you would like to give by this method, please pick up a standing order form, which is available at the back of the Church. When completed this should be returned to Fr Michael or to the Parish Office. Many thanks for supporting your parish.
School References – Certificate of Catholic Practice – For those parents hoping to get a place for their child in a Catholic school, priority is given to children of Catholic parents who participate at Mass every Sunday as part of this parish community. As Fr Michael has only been Parish Priest of Holy Cross since 1st September 2017, and does not yet know everyone, he will be unable to sign any statement unless he gets verification of three years weekly Sunday Mass and Holy Days attendance from the former Parish Priest, Fr Mehall Lowry. Fr Mehall writes: “Dear Parents. Since moving from Holy Cross I have been contacted by parents seeking admission to Catholic Schools in 2018 for ‘Catholic Practice’ certificates. Catholic Practice is observed by Catholics who attend Mass on Sunday and Holy Days. This observation is over three or more years. Catholic Practice does not mean attending occasionally, or once a month. If you attended another parish before this period or attend Mass in the month elsewhere you should contact that parish, or the priest you previously knew for the reference. Please send your email to with the following information. 1. Please provide a photograph of your family who practice. 2. State that you understand the term ‘Catholic Practice’ 3. State how many years you have attended Holy Cross. I will then forward an email to Fr Michael with my recommendation. Kind regards. Fr Mehall Lowry”
We pray for those who are sick:Sarah Muir, Nana Akowuah,John Connors, Catherine Menchise and for all the sick and housebound in our parish.
We pray for the faithful departed:Recently deceased: Yvonne Burney, Tom Dunleavey, Elizabeth Vanderpant, Robert Boyle, Sandra Chambers and all who have died because of war, terrorism or natural disaster. Anniversaries: William Daley, Fr William Rose.