Laetare Sunday.

Today we celebrate Laetare Sunday which falls 21 days before Easter Sunday. It is considered a day of relaxation from the rigours of Lent knowing that the Great Day of celebration is close at hand. The name derives from the opening words of the Entrance Antiphon, ‘Rejoice, O Jerusalem’. Traditionally, servants were allowed to return to the church of their baptism and give praise to God and they would bring flowers for the altars which were allowed in church for that day. They would then continue and visit mother at the family home bearing gifts from the larders of the houses where they worked. This might take the form of the simnel cake associated with Lent/Easter which contained fruits not used during the fasting season of Lent.

Next Saturday 

Mass for the Bereaved.

5th April at 10.30 am.

All are welcome to attend our Mass, where we give ourselves some space and time to remember our loved ones who are now with God.

It may be a parent whom we've been thinking about, who is a long-time departed,

or a child lost in miscarriage, or some other form of accident or illness.

It may be a spouse or a close friend whom we are still coming to terms with the loss.

With votive lights and music, we create a safe atmosphere where we can engage with our emotions and our pain.

Refreshments and a chat to follow at the back of the church.

Parish Activities during Lent.

Thursdays: Morning Prayer of the Church at 9.40 am

Thursdays: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass.

Fridays: Exposition and Benediction after Mass.

Fridays: Stations of the Cross at 7.30pm

Saturdays in Lent.

Saturday, 5th April: Mass for the Bereaved at 10.30 am.

Please click the link to register the young person attending the retreat:

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=9JKa3g4HSkOYwRaMdLJsHhfpOE51Om9HlyINRP3WkBpUOE5VT01NSUg5M0pTMkdNMDNPT1JXTlhGWS4u

Inauguration of Holy Year Jubilee 2025

Seee link for latest.

Jubilee Celebration at Aylesford Priory.

on Saturday 7th June 2025

From 10 am to 5 pm.

See link for further details.

Mass in Celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, July 12th, at St George’s Cathedral.

If you are celebrating your 1st/10th/25th/40th/50th/60th + wedding anniversary this year,

please let us know as soon as possible, and no later than the middle of May,

providing the following details: your names in the format John and Mary Smith, your home address, your parish,

and the anniversary you are celebrating,

so you can receive an invitation from the Archbishop for the renewal of vows during Mass.

Spaces are limited.

Contact us at mflse@rcaos.org.uk As the title of your email, please write your parish location e.g. Clapham, Beckenham.

Marriage and Family Life South East

RC Archdiocese of Southwark

I am writing to you to ask you to urgently contact your MP regarding an important new development.

At half past midnight yesterday, the Committee of MPs responsible for scrutinising Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill completed its final session.

The Bill’s sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, promised meaningful scrutiny at Committee Stage and claimed her Bill would have the “strictest safeguards anywhere in the world”.

Unfortunately, proceedings at Committee Stage have shown these promises to be hollow.

Well over 300 amendments that sought to strengthen safeguards in the Bill and that would have protected vulnerable groups were rejected by Kim Leadbeater and other Bill supporters.

This included rejecting amendments that would have:

• Explicitly protected people with Down’s syndrome, autism and learning difficulties under the Bill.
• Prevented doctors from raising the topic of assisted suicide with patients unprompted, including children under the age of 18.
• Prohibited assisted suicide in cases where a person has been encouraged or manipulated into a request or where a request has been made under “undue influence”, putting the victims of domestic abuse at risk.

These are just some examples of the over 300 amendments that Leadbeater and other Bill supporters rejected.

This decision to reject these amendments, which would have strengthened safeguards in the Bill and protected vulnerable groups, was an intentional choice.

This reveals a deliberate preference for a loose Bill, allowing for future expansion - something I am sure you are aware has happened with similar laws overseas.

As you may have seen,The Times has gone to print this morning with a very strong editorial that highlights the serious problems with the Bill. It calls on MPs to “kill this bill”.

TAKE ACTION

MPS must be aware of these serious problems with how Kim Leadbeater and her allies have conducted the Committee Stage of the Bill and the rejection of over 300 amendments.

It’s also really important that they know that you, as a constituent, are very concerned about this and that they must vote against the Bill at Third Reading.

We have launched an easy-to-use tool that makes it simple to email your local MP on this new important development.

Even if you have already emailed your MP asking them to oppose this Bill, it’s really important that you email them again with this new information, which we need to get in front of MPs now.

Please take action and click the button below to contact your MP now. It only takes 30 seconds.

Act now - Click here to contact your MP

After you’ve contacted your MP, if you have a moment, please take one more important step: encourage like-minded friends and family to do the same. Simply forward this email to them so they can take action too. Every email counts!

Best wishes,

Catherine Robinson
Right To Life UK

A Year of Hope: Introduction to the Jubilee Year

How can we respond to Pope Francis’ call to be “tangible signs of hope” in this Jubilee Year?

Find out by watching this inspirational event

find it and other Jubilee resources at cafod.org.uk/jubilee).

Featuring Fr Jan Nowotnik, Director of Mission at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales,

CAFOD Director Christine Allen and more.

Discover how we can act in faith and in love as pilgrims of hope this Holy Year.

You Can Help Your Marriage –Do you feel alone?

Are you frustrated or angry with each other? Do you argue … or have you just stopped talking to each other?

Does talking about it only make it worse? Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long'i') helps couples through difficult times in their marriages.

There is no group therapy or group work.

This programme has helped 10s of 1000s of couples experiencing difficulties in their marriage. For confidential information about Retrouvaille’, or to register for the next programme commencing via Zoom on …27 February to 2 March 2025

Call or text 0788 7296983 Emailinfo@retrouvaille.org.uk www.retrouvaille.org.uk

A Jubilee Year

is a special time dedicated by the Catholic Church

to reconciliation, conversion, and spiritual renewal.

During this year, the faithful can receive

plenary indulgences, participate in events and spiritual activities, and deeply reconnect with their faith.

As so many will not be able to travel to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee Year,

the Pope asks local Bishops to designate appropriate churches in each diocese

to be centres of pilgrimage where the many Jubilee Indulgences may be obtained.

See link for further details.

Appeal for School Governors.

Governors have an important role to play in ensuring sure schools are run effectively.

They work as part of a team with the Headteacher and other staff

to provide a happy, safe, and thriving learning environment as well as an excellent education for all the children.

See link for details.

For families and young adults:

The latest CELEBRATE resource which is ourLent Online Family Activity pack designed to support family faith life.

It is packed full of engaging activities, ways to pray, books to savour and films that both entertain and promote conversation in faith.

Parishes, schools and families can download their free Lent family activity pack here.

CELEBRATE also has a couple of events coming up:

See link for details.

See link for details.

Cafod Family Fast Day (Spring).

Total sent £500.

See link for details.

Organisations supporting

Respect for Life and all of God's Creation.

December update on Assisted Suicide Bill and undecided MP's.

See link for details.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Child

See link.

Pax Christi

Annual Report.

&

Latest Report.

See link.

Lenten  Edition

With the ESV translation of the scripture.

Price £1.

now available from the back of the church.