UNIVERSAL PRAYER – 21st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
With deep gratitude for His faithfulness and His love for all His children, let us ask the Father to increase his gifts of faith and hope, that we might all draw closer to Him.
For Pope Francis, successor of Peter, that God will continue to give him the strength and the wisdom to be our rock of faith in the Church: we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
For world leaders, that they will act as peacemakers, not aggressors, and will strive to achieve harmony and trust within and between nations: we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
For our young people facing an uncertain future because of the examination fiasco, that the injustices revealed will be rectified and schools and colleges be given the help they need to restore the confidence and the prospects of their students: we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
For the migrants risking their lives in their efforts to find a safe haven, that they will be treated with respect and that governments will work together to promote peace and prosperity in their homelands, thus enabling them to return home with hope in their hearts: we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
For those still self-isolating because of the coronavirus, that the Lord Himself will be their companion and their hope in times of loneliness and anxiety: we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
For every member of our parish community, that, blessed by God with the gift of faith, we may do all we can to nurture it through prayer and practice and be moved to thank God for it with endless praise: we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy . . . Hear our prayer
Let us turn to Mary, our model of faith, and ask her to intercede for us with the Father: Hail Mary . . .
Let us make our own petitions for those who have asked for our prayers and for those who have no-one to pray for them.
Father of all, listen to our prayers for all your children and help us to be true servants of You by the service we give to our brothers and sisters. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
It’s wonderful to see so many parishioners coming back to Mass in our safe and beautiful Church! (if you haven’t already done so why not give it a try) The Saturday evening Mass is a typical drive in Mass and does not required much work stewarding but, the Sunday and Wednesday Masses at 9.30 am require stewarding. The stewards are always on hand to guide us in Church to ensure the best of hygiene practice and safety of everyone. They also clean the church after every Mass and the cleaners do an excellent job fortnightly.
We are appealing to anyone who can assist and become one of our excellent team of volunteer Stewards to come forward. As you can imagine, those that are currently helping need to have a break sometime, so a few more willing hands would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you can help. Contact: patriddell31@aol.com or phone 01244 675688
FACE COVERING /MASKS The wearing of face masks is now obligatory and we will be asking for everyone to wear a face covering/mask in Church to comply with the Government guidelines. Please bring your own with you – we do have a small supply of single use masks but, as you can appreciate, they are very expensive, so we would prefer everyone to come prepared.
WEEKLY MASS
Saturday 22nd Aug 6.00 pm
Sunday 23rd Aug 9.30 am
Wednesday 26th Aug 9.30 am
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Sunday: Private Intention
Monday: Sue Casey
Tuesday: Paul and Joanne Pelington
Wednesday: Michael O’Donnel
Thursday: Arnold Timmins
Friday: Stephen Chukwudi
Saturday: Peter Charles Byrne
If you wish for a Mass to be offered contact Fr. Emeka or the parish office
SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION
THE CHURCH’S KEYS ARE IN PETER’S HANDS ( Matt 16:13-20)
I get so used to your Church. I take so many of your gifts for granted. Help me to live less superficially. Enlighten my mind. I want to appreciate the teaching and guidance you offer me through the pope and the bishops, through your saints, and through the rich doctrine of the Church. Lord, I want to be able to defend the truths of your doctrine, to be able to explain them.
You are the one Lord, the one Saviour. And so many people just don’t know you! So many lies, so much misinformation and misunderstanding deceive them. Instruct me, teach me – help me do my homework, so that I can bear the torch of your transforming truth with elegance, respect, and gusto…Fr. John Bartunek, LC
CONFESSION
Saturdays 11.00 am – 11.40 am, or call the parish to book at any time.
BAPTISM
If you want to have your child baptised please contact Fr. Emeka or call the parish office to book. Those booked before the lockdown kindly get in touch with the parish office. Note that there will not be more than 30 in attendance.
ST CLARE’S SVP CONFERENCE
The Union of opposites was the spiritual reading at this week’s conference “Zoom” meeting. Our present life is one of lots of opposites. We have the need to be close to those we love and those we wish to help but need to keep our distance (Social Distance indeed!) and so we may seem reserved and stand offish. If we do get close then we risk breaching the guidelines placed for our and others safety.
I have visited a couple of beneficiaries because it would have been distressing to stay distant but probably crossed the line (that advised by SVP NO). The final prayer was “Lord may I understand how to bring all the opposites of my life into harmony”. Keep safe and well this week. God bless. Steve
ROSARY CORNER
“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal.” ~Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the
EUTHANASIA AGAINST PATIENTS EXPLICIT
Doctors in the Netherlands will now be permitted to euthanise vulnerable dementia patients, even if the patient explicitly expresses a wish not to die, a Dutch Supreme Court has ruled. Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications said: “Vulnerable patients who deserve care and compassion are now to be put down like animals. This is a system open to abuse and exploitation.”
The parish of St. Clare’s sometimes collects personal information about parishioners. All personal information is collected, processed and stored in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations. This is retained only as necessary and used by the parish/Diocese for the benefit of the parish and for legitimate reasons such as administrative and religious purposes. You can read our full privacy notice at www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/about-us/privacy-notice.
We welcomed parishioners back to Mass last Sunday and Wednesday, and it was joyful. We had 22 attending on Sunday and 12 on Wednesday. The Masses will continue every Sunday and Wednesday at 9.30 am, currently with a maximum of 28 people in Church and still available via livestream for those who cannot attend at this time. The stewards as usual were at their best and everywhere much organised with a comprehensive hygiene standard in place.
We are also going to start a Saturday evening (vigil) Mass on the 25th July at 6.00pm in the car park. It will be a typical drive in Mass. Drive into the car park and stay in your car or stand out beside your car. A small chair may be of help if you cannot stand for 35 minutes. This is an outside Mass only and there will be no access to the Church itself. We pray for clement weather to have it going and welcome more people back to Mass.
Have your name and contact number ready
As you arrive, we will be asking for names and a contact number (please have this ready). This is to comply with regulations for “test, track and trace” – your information will not be shared other than in the event of someone testing positive for the virus. The information taken will be shredded after 28 days.
Sanitise your hands on entry
Hand sanitising is provided and is essential for entry to the Church even if you are using disposable gloves. Face masks are also available and are advisable. There will be no Offertory collection during Mass – a box will be on the hygiene station table as you leave for any donations.
Follow the one-way system, and keep 2 meters apart
Holy communion will be at the end of Mass, please wait in your seat until the Steward signals for you to come forward, follow the one-way system keeping 2 metre distance, receive Communion with arms stretched and in silence and then please leave Church without returning to your seat.
Protect others
Please do not come to Mass if you are unwell, have a temperature or have been exposed to Covid19
