Second Sunday of Lent

Week of 19th February - 27th February 2005

Click Here for This Weeks Masses

• Confessions - Saturday 10.30 - 11.15am and 4.15 - 4.45pm and of course on request.
• Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament - Monday - Friday 11.00 am - 12.15 pm; Saturday: 9-10.00 am, and 10.30 - 11.15 am.

My dear People,

"In the Transfiguration, Jesus took His disciples to a mountain to show them a glimpse of His glory. He was preparing them to endure the apparent defeat of the Cross. They needed to see that Christ must suffer and die so that we could be transformed and reconciled to God. Like Jesus we are destined for the glory of resurrection. Mary teaches us to hope for the glory of transformation and resurrection. At Cana in Galilee she told the servant to trust in her Son and "to do whatever He tells you". The very first sign of the glory of Jesus was when He transformed water into wine."

So says the reading for the day from our Lenten "Walk with Me" booklet which I hope you all have a copy of and are using. If not, then there are still many copies available which you may take home together with the calendars.

This week sees two big events in the Parish, the first being on Tuesday, the Feast of the Chair of St Peter, which is our patronal feast. There will be a festive concelebrated Mass at which our choir will be augmented by the choir of the Immaculate Conception, Bicester. After Mass there will be a bring and share supper in the Parish Centre. A list is in the church porch on which to place a description of what you will bring. Please fill it in this weekend. Drink will be provided by the Presbytery to complement the lovely food I'm sure you will provide!

The second event is the Day of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament which will take place on Friday. It is a day when we represent the Diocese in praying for vocations and in particular for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed from after the 8.00 am Mass until 6.00 pm when it concludes with Vespers and Benediction. Obviously we need to ensure that the Blessed Sacrament is attended at all times and a list for watching is placed in the porch on which I hope you place your names.

I would like to inform you of a venture that the parish is about to embark upon in the very near future involving large capital expenditure. In previous general parish meetings it has been discussed but only now are things beginning to move since we cannot delay it any further.

When the organ was tuned for Christmas, the tuners informed us of the dangerous state of the electrics of the instrument and what a fire hazard it is now posing. The church has already been severely damaged by a fire caused by an organ - we do not want history to repeat itself! To correct this in the present instrument and to give it a necessary re-build will cost in the region of £100,000. During the course of the last six months, different organ builders have been consulted, all of whom have said this would be a waste of money as our present instrument is not worth such expenditure. The numerous quotes for a replacement with a new pipe organ range from £350,000 - £500,000. Obviously, as desirable as a new pipe organ may be, the price is out of the question. This being so, I have looked at the possibilities of a new digital organ and have been quoted for an instrument suitable for a church such as ours a price which is much more acceptable and within our means: £48,495. This is no small sum, but far more reasonable than anything else. Having placed this before the Diocesan Treasurer, he has given us permission to place an order. Obviously, with the Church being a Grade II* listed building, other permissions have to be obtained from the Historic Churches Commission and the Victorian Society, but since the present organ case will only be modified then there should be little problem in obtaining the mandate to go ahead. Hopefully all will be in a position in time for the ordination to the priesthood of Paul Moss which will take place on Saturday 23rd July. Should there be any generous parishioners who would care to make donations, then these would be welcomed and very much appreciated.

May God bless you all.

• RCIA - The RCIA Meeting will be at 7.30 pm on Wednesday this week because of the Patronal Feast Day Mass. Theme: Reconciliation.
• CAFOD - THANK YOU from CAFOD for the donation of £4,247.88 received from St Peter's parishioners. "Thanks to generous donations like yours, CAFOD is helping some of the most vulnerable people, whose lives have been torn apart by the disaster. Our Caritas colleagues in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India are doing their utmost to provide food, water, clothing, shelter and health care for those in desperate need. Over the next months and years we will also support them in their work to rebuild communities and livelihoods long after news of the devastation has slipped out of the limelight. Our long-term commitment to the communities affected is a key component of our response. Please continue to pray for all who are touched by this crisis."
• C.T.S. - Don't forget to make sure that you place all money for the purchase of C.T.S. booklets in the Wall box by St. Anthony's statue. Thank you.
• SPAN: Thank you very much for your donations last week. You gave £104.44 (General), £15.00 (Gift Aid) and £77.14 (Crisis in Africa). The Quiz Night raised £800.00 for the tsunami appeal and we are very grateful to everyone who made it such a success.
• St Peter's Parish Centre: CHRISTMAS BAZAAR November 28th , 10 - 2 pm. Bring plants and cakes, bottles, and smellies then come on the day and buy your Christmas pressies - Doris. Tel. 770287. Also needed: jewellery, plates, vases etc from developing countries for CLC worldwide jewellery & ceramics stall.
• Radio Warneford - Warwick Hospital: A reminder that requests for the hospital radio, run by volunteers in the evenings and at weekends, for all patients in the hospital, can be made via answerphone between 5-6 pm every evening on 428714 (Ann Reilly). Please make calls brief giving: a name, home area, a ward number and the request. It is very uplifting for patients to hear their personalised request and to know that someone is thinking of them.
• St Peter's Helping Hands - A new support group to provide practical help where needed, will meet in the Parish Centre on Monday 21 February 2005 at 7.30 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to share ideas and to agree guidelines for good practice. All are welcome. Further information from Pat Fitzpatrick Tel: 740639.

• MASS OF ST CHAD and procession of the Relics. Saturday March 5th, 12 noon. Principal celebrant Rt Rev Dom David Charlesworth, OSB, Titular Abbot of Malmesbury.
• FREE FAIR TRADE FOOD TASTING EVENT AT LEAMINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH, organised by the Oxfam Shop in Warwick Street - Saturday March 5th from 11 am to 1 pm.
• MAKE POVERTY HISTORY Fairtrade Fortnight will take place from 1-13 March, and there are plans to have a stall in the Leamington supermarkets to promote the Fair Trade ethos. Stalls are planned for Asda and Tesco Metro on Saturday 5th March and in Sainsbury's and Somerfield on Saturday 12th March. Volunteers are needed for two hour slots from 10am to 6pm. If you can help please contact Liz & Jason Garrett (424251) or Brian Austin (428635)
• Eucharist, the Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church Praise and Worship with Fr Sebastian Ariket, on Saturday March 5th, 9 am until Mass at 4.45 pm. Newman College, Genners Lane, Bartley Green, Birmingham.
• Weekly Diary Dates:
  Sunday 20th February: Teas and Coffees after 9 am Mass
  TRAIDCRAFT: between 9am and 11am Masses
  Monday 21: 7.30 pm: Sowing the Seeds meeting in the Parish Centre 7.30 pm: Helping Hands meeting in Parish Centre. All welcome. Tuesday 22: 7.30 pm: PATRONAL FEAST DAY MASS, followed by Bring & Share Meal in Parish Centre Wednesday 23: 7.30 pm: RCIA Thursday 24: 7.30: Choir Practice Friday 25: Warwick Uni String Orchestra at Town Hall, 7.45 pm. Tickets on door. Sunday 27 - Teas after 9 am Mass.. - 5 pm Mass: Covenanting Churches Joint Service at St Peter's. Teas afterwards.

• MASS ATTENDANCE for last week:
  Saturday 5:00 pm: - 187
  Sunday 9:00 am: - 213
  Sunday 11:00 am: - 215
  Sunday 5:30 pm: - 163
  TOTAL - 778
• Debt £56,392.93.
• Finance Offertory Collection Gift Aid: £693.08, Loose Plate: £674.45
  Second Collection (Home Farm Trust): Gift Aid: £179.81; Loose Plate: £389.26
  Many thanks for all donations.
• TUESDAY IS THE FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF ST PETER - PATRONAL FEAST OF THE PARISH - there will be concelebrated Mass at 7.30 pm. Our shared worship will be followed by a shared meal in the Parish Centre; there is a notice in the porch on which parishioners can note the dishes they are hoping to bring - don't forget to sign!
• We welcome into the family of the church Isabella Grace Holland, William Stephen James Parry, and Aimee Leah Mezzone, who will be baptised this weekend.
• URGENT: THE MENTAL CAPACITY BILL - HOUSE OF LORDS REPORT STAGE - DEBATES 1ST & 8TH March. Due to support from Christians around the country, great advances have been achieved in gaining amendments to the Mental Capacity Bill (MCB). However, there is still a gap to be closed if the euthanasia lobby are not to be allowed to promote euthanasia by omission, albeit in a small number of cases. "For the sake of the elderly and the incapacitated we cannot afford to give those calling for legalised euthanasia even the smallest "chink" - Right to Life. See photocopies of suggested format for letters to Mr James Plaskitt, MP, in the porch."
• ST PETER'S SCHOOL - SITUATIONS VACANT: see noticeboard in porch.
• Baptism Course: 9 and 23 March, 7.30 pm, Parish Centre. Parents, Godparents & family welcome. Contact Presbytery mornings.
• Holy Father's Mission Intention for February: That missionaries may grow in fervent love, proclaiming the Gospel with conviction
• LENTEN ALMS The SECOND collection today is for Macmillan Cancer Relief. The RETIRING collection today is for CAFOD: if you are a taxpayer, please consider using the gift aid envelopes or forms handed out with last week's bulletin (extra copies of the form at the back of church) for your CAFOD donation - your donation will be increased at no extra cost to yourself. Next week's Lenten Alms will be for the Sacred Heart Home for AIDS sufferers in Johannesburg
• Reminder for those going into hospital & their relatives: it is necessary to inform the ward sister that the patient is Catholic and requires a visit from the Chaplain, as this no longer happens automatically.
• BEQUESTS: please remember St Peter's when you are making your will. Benefactors will be remembered in special Masses.
• Toilets Please ensure that children are accompanied when they use the sacristy toilets & that the toilets are always left as you would wish to find them. Thank you.

For further information or comments please contact info@stpeterapostle.org