Fr. Steve Wymer - Parish Priest 020 8650 3390 - stephenwymer@rcaos.org.uk Fr. Ashley Beck - 020 8650 4117 or 020 7998 5949 - ashleybeck@rcaos.org.uk Fr. Simplicio D’Souza - 020 8650 7533 - simpliciodsouza@rcaos.org.uk Deacon Sean Murphy - 020 3490 5693 - seanmurphy@rcaos.org.uk

CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. EDMUND OF CANTERBURY 3 March 2019

20 Village Way, Beckenham BR3 3NP 8th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Email beckenham@rcaos.org.uk

Website: www.saintedmunds.net Parish Office 020 8650 0970 Monday to Friday 9 - 1pm

Salesian Sisters 25 Village Way, BR3 3NA

020 8650 6313 patdevine13@gmail.com

Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver

89 Shortlands Road BR2 0JL 020 8313 3915

sspc.echo.uk@googlemail.com

THIS PICTURE is of St Cajetan, an

early sixteenth century Italian priest

and religious reformer who is

venerated as the patron saint of

those who are unemployed -

because of what he did to help poor

people who were being exploited by

greedy banks. The Sunday before

Lent has been kept by all the

churches as a special Day of Prayer

for the Unemployed in this country

for over twenty years, so today is a

good day to ask for St Cajetan’s

prayers for men and women without work, especially the long-

term unemployed. In Catholic moral teaching there is a special

place for what we put forward about human work. In his

important letter about work, Laborem Exercens (1981), St John

Paul II described work as the ‘key to the social question’; the

modern tradition of papal teaching about social issues began with

reflection about employment and the sufferings of the industrial

working classes in the 1890s. Since then the Church has insisted

on the importance of workers’ rights, the right to join Trade

Unions, the right to decent working conditions and hours, the

right to strike and so on; a person’s physical labour is not some-

thing to be sold or exploited by his or her employer.

John Paul in 1981 developed Christian teaching further. The

work we do reflects how we are created in God’s image - if we

have a dignity because of being so made, then it is God’s will for

us that what we do in life should reflect that dignity and have

dignity itself. Dehumanising or degrading work is an abuse. The

material world in which we live also reflects God’s goodness and

love - and our work engages with that world. Work has a

spiritual and religious meaning; for God, everything about our

life is special, so the work we do has a meaning; each one of us

has a vocation. This is why traditionally sloth or idleness has

always been considered sinful - this doesn’t mean of course, that

we shouldn’t rest. Many people overwork in our often frenetic

society, and people have a right to a decent retirement. It follows

that all this enforced idleness as a result of unemployment is not

in accord with God’s will. Unemployment is a social evil,

particularly when it is widespread or when people are un-

employed for long periods of their lives. You may remember

that about twenty years ago we put on a study evening in the hall

about a special report for the churches called Unemployment and

the Future of Work, addressed by the then Bishop in Kent, the

Franciscan John Jukes, God rest his soul (he was very active in

helping people understand the Church’s theology of work and

used to say Mass every year at the annual Trades Union

Congress). Christian teaching cannot tolerate indifference about

unemployment, or ever condone the use of unemployment as an

economic tool.

There are numerous ethical issues surrounding both the nature of

work and contemporary unemployment. Many people are

worried, for obvious reasons, about their jobs or job prospects

after the end of March (or later), here and in Ireland and the rest

of Europe; indeed it is important, in terms of Catholic teaching,

to see employment and unemployment as European issues. At

the end of last year the umbrella group for Catholic Bishops’

Conferences in Europe (COMECE) organised a special

conference in Brussels entitled Shaping the Future of Work -

Towards a decent, sustainable and participative world of work

(for more details go to http://www.comece.eu/towards-a-decent-

sustainable-and-participative-world-of-work). Movement of

peoples, more frequent changes in jobs in people’s lifetimes,

attacks on the rights of workers through unfair contracts and so

on are issues which affect people all over the world, and it’s

important for Christians to look at these issues with the eyes of

faith.

Another work-related issue is human trafficking and slavery.

Last month, on the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the Church kept

a special day of prayer for the victims of trafficking and slavery,

and the Church in this country has taken a lead in supporting

them through the work of the Santa Marta Group (see http://

santamartagroup.com/; also of interest is the Centre for the Study

of Modern Slavery at St Mary’s University, https://

www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/centres/modern-slavery). A vast

number of people are subjected to the most inhuman working

conditions through this social evil, here and all over the world.

Our Bishops’ Conference has produced this special prayer for

today:

O God, the source of human dignity, in your image

every person is fashioned and by your Son all people

are redeemed. Make us honour the work of your hands,

that we may reverence you in those whom the world

considers least and serve you in all whom society

neglects.

Today’s second collection is for Poor Parishes

THE DAY FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

A WORD FROM FR STEVE

WE NEED YOUR HELP We have had no response to our request for helpers to organise the refreshments after the Easter vigil. If no one comes forward this celebration to mark the major feast of our Christian year will have to be cancelled. We need a team to plan and organise this event. With a few people the task should not be onerous so if you could help please email beckenham@rcaos.org.uk or call the Office on 020 8650 0970 as soon as possible.

One of our older parishioners who feels the pilgrimage to Walsingham is too challenging has suggested that others who feel the same might like to give a donation to help towards the cost of the transport. If you would like to do this please hand your gift to one of the clergy or post it through the office door, making clear that it is for

A Landings programme for Returning Catholics is being run during Lent. The programme offers a non-judgemental forum where your voice will be heard and where we hope that you will reconnect with your Catholic faith as an adult. If you wish to find out more then you are welcome to attend the first session at 7:30pm at no 11 Village Way on Tuesday 5 March

BAPTISMS DURING FEBRUARY Sarai Adelaide Chipo Ama Barnes

Rosie May Dowling Genevieve Mary Gwendoline Price

Leonardo Luke Kadambari Savarne Max-Jones Xavier McCarthy

Kal-El Calvin Angel Francis-Simmonds Grace Arlette Davey

We welcome all these children into our parish community and will remember them and their families in our prayers.

We have two baptisms next Sunday but baptisms cease as we enter Lent and there will be none until Easter Day.

A local church had problems with its heating system, and after various attempts to get it functioning properly, the vicar called in the plumber. Hours later, having made little progress, the plumber scratched his head and knelt down in front of a radiator to scrutinize it yet again. “Don’t bother,” said the vicar, smiling, “we’ve already had the whole congregation attempting that method of repair!” (B. Ryder in Barnet Roundabout)

Please would you bring your Missio boxes in for emptying. Either hand them in at the Sacristy after Mass or at the Parish Office during the week. Please DO NOT leave them at the back of the church. When they

have been emptied they will be placed in the Missio box on the reading slope to the left of the newspapers.

LENTEN LUNCH ASH WEDNESDAY

6 March 12 noon - 2.00 pm

Catholic Women’s League

Homemade soup, bread and cheese

Price £3.00 per person

Raffle All proceeds will be donated to the

Living Well Food Bank

CLAVER SISTERS GARDEN PARTY Saturday 18 May

This year it is to raise funds to help a project in Beirut, Lebanon, to assist exploited immigrant female workers

from Ethiopia. The Sisters would be grateful for contributions such as

unwanted gifts, plants, cakes, jams, items for the hamper, raffle and bottle stall. We would also be

delighted to welcome new volunteers to help prepare and on the day itself.

My son sent me a WhatsApp message last weekend from Chicago. It could only have come from a Catholic.

I’ve googled it since then. It is the most famous and the best pizza joint in the town. I don’t know if he ever found it. Barbara, Parish Office

Our local food bank at Holy Trinity Church in Penge has had huge demands placed on them over the last few weeks and are very short of supplies. Parishioners responded to their last call for help with such generosity that we are asking once again if you could bring supplies in to restock their shelves. They need long life milk, tinned vegetables (not pulses), instant mash, rice, shower gel,

shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes and washing up liquid, but any items similar to those you would normally donate to the refugees would be of use. Please leave your donations in the church porch and we will collect them from there.

300 Club The winners of the February draw are:

£100 - no 40 - Mrs Bridget Judson £75 - no 133 - Von Westgarth

£50 - no 223 - Mrs Myra Jeffries £25 - no 291 - Irene McConway

125 numbers are due for renewal on April 1. Those who

still subscribe by cash or cheque will soon receive a renewal notice. Please assist the organiser by

responding as soon as possible.

Been trying all day to find a pizza place called Illuminati. 18.26

It’s actually called Lou Malnati 18.27

My name is Kerry Leahy and I am a parishioner at St

Edmunds as well as an A-level student at Coloma. This

year, I have been fortunate enough to be given the

opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes to help and

assist disabled and disadvantaged children and young

people alongside HCPT. To help fundraise, my nan has

hand-made knitted matinee coats and cardigans for babies

up to 6 months old. I will be selling these after the 9:30,

family mass this Sunday (3 March) across the road, in the

church hall. Your support would be greatly appreciated.

It is not too late to apply for a place on one of the courses being run by CTiB during Lent. There are flyers in the porch.

ST EDMUND’S WALKING GROUP Monday 11 March at 10.30 am

Meet at Crystal Palace Park (Thicket Road entrance) for a 4 mile flat walk to Ravensbourne station via

Beckenham Place Park. Sturdy walking shoes essential. Drop out points available.

SUPPORT KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL CRITICAL CARE CENTRE APPEAL

KCH is launching an appeal to provide additional resources to support the recovery of critically ill patients.

You can read about it in the porch but amongst many fund-raising initiatives they are holding a Gala Dinner & Dance on 5 April at the Bromley Court Hotel. Details of

this are on the noticeboard but for further information call the event co-ordinator on 0797 321 7206

RECEPTIVE ECUMENISM Saturday 6 April

11 am - 3 pm Crossway Christian Centre

18 Hampton St, London SE1 6SL Led by Bishop Paul Hendricks it explores ways in which

Christian churches can learn from each other.

We pray for those who have died recently: Canon John Bailey, Margaret Hanley, Doris Connor. Deborah Groves, Kevin Kerr, Shal-hameed Azeez and Mary O’Keefe. We pray for those whose anniversaries are this week: Hilda Hall, Krystyna Stefanska, Dan Lodi Ferrari, Edward Shipsey, Francis Johnson, Delia Walsh, Olga Brookes, Elizabeth Conrath, Freda Bentley, Garry Bowyer, Dr Bill Radley, Canon John Devane, Anthony Galloway, Kitty Conroy, Valerie Parker, Peter Deane, and Ruby Armfield and Yemi Olaonipekun. We pray for the sick: Andrew, Bernice, Edith Campos, Emma-Jane, Paul James Claridge, Arthur Cromwell, Joan Davies, Daniel Dennehy, Giacomo Dillon, John Dillon, Joshua Dunford, Nicholas Dunford, Rosanna Domenissini, Ann Elmer, Elizabeth, Olive Essien, Margaret Fennessy, Hans Halpin, Anisah Hassan, Eileen Hayes, Kathleen Heneghan, Jim Henry, Catherine Hulland, Jerry Jacob, John, Sarah Marie Kench, Ken Kench, Keith Kench, Ann Kingston, Richard Kirin, Grace Knight, Paul McQuinny and family, Maria McWay, Eddie Mitchell, Orla O’Regan, Jonathan Parker, Catherine Phelan, Hilary Pitt, John Quaife, David Rogers, Rosa, Colleen Schroeder, Siobhan, Paula Shaw, Paul Stevenson, Charlie Wynn, Barry Thorp, Patricia Weal, Joan & Alfred.

Readings for Sunday 10 March (C) Ps Wk 1 Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Psalm 90 Romans 10:8-13

Luke 4:1-13

DIARY DATES Meditation every Monday in no11 from 5.30 - 6.15 pm There is an open door for the bereaved on the first

Wednesday of every month from 10.30am in no11

Law Surgery is every second Monday of the month at 7pm

in no11

Drop In for those living with memory loss and their carers

is every Thursday at 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm in the Hall.

MARCH

Wed 6 Ash Wednesday - Lenten Lunch in Hall 12-2

Mon 11 Law Surgery - 7pm in no11

Sat 16 Contemplative Saturday in no 11 - 11-12 noon

Mon 18 Requiem for Doris Connor - 11.45am

APRIL

Tues 23 Alpha Course starts - 7.45pm in Hall

MAY

Sat 11 Day with Mary

Sat 18 Claver Convent Garden Party

JULY

Sat 6 Parish International Day

Masses this week

Sunday 3 March Eighth Sunday 8.00 am Church Carlota & Pedro Fernandes RIP 9.30 am Church Grace Okezie - good health 11.00 am Church Giovanni Campanaro RIP 5.30 pm Church Edith Cook RIP 7.00 pm Church For the people

Monday 4 March Feria (Saint Casimir)

8.15 am Church Edward Shipsey RIP

10.00 am Church Ints of Kevin Larmer 7.30 pm 27 VW Adoration

Tuesday 5 March Feria

8.15 am Claver Benefactors & promoters of the Claver Sisters 10.00 am Church Giovanni Campanaro RIP 2.30 pm Church CWL

THE SEASON OF LENT Wednesday 6 March ASH WEDNESDAY

DAY OF FASTING & ABSTINENCE

8.15 am Claver The Monroe family RIP 9.00 am Challoner Private Intention 9.10 am St Mary’s Ashes service 10.00 am Church Ike & Ok Okezie, Mary & Stephen Anyim & Jenni Ibe RIP 12 noon Church Jean & Pierre Champetier & Nancy & Stephen Dennis RIP 7.00 pm Church Stations of the Cross 7.30 pm Church Ita Hoare - thanksgiving

Thursday 7 March Feria 8.15 am Claver Int.of Sr Micheline 10.00 am Church Gary Bowyer RIP 8.00 pm Claver Adoration

Friday 8 March Feria 8.15 am Claver Valerie Parker RIP 9.00 am Challoner Canon John Bailey RIP 9.10 am St Mary’s Paul Clarke RIP 10.00 am Church Dorothy Curtis RIP 3.00 pm Claver Stations of the Cross 7.00 pm Church Stations of the Cross

Saturday 9 March Feria 8.15 am Claver The Eshokai family Int 10.00 am Church Mary O’Keefe

3.00 pm Church Reconciliation for Catechism Class

Confessions are heard from

10.30 - 11.00am and from 5.30pm - 5.55pm

6.00 pm Church Bessie Boudville RIP

Sunday 10 March First Sunday of Lent 8.00 am Church Dorothy Curtis RIP 9.30 am Church Gwen Howell RIP 11.00 am Church Richard Graves RIP 5.30 pm Church Joe Brownlee RIP 7.00 pm Church Rose Payne RIP

The Rosary is prayed from 9.40 every Monday - Saturday and following these Masses there is exposition of the

Blessed Sacrament.

COLLECTION

The collection last weekend came to £2183.44 with a further £1951.23 through ChurchSuite and standing orders.

Each Friday during Lent (except for Good Friday) there will be the Way of the Cross at the Claver Convent at 3.00 pm

In St Edmund’s the Way of the Cross will be followed on Ash Wednesday at 7.00 pm and every Friday at 7.00 pm. Each time it will be led by a different parish group. There will be leaflets at the back of the church so you can follow the way by yourself.