St Simon Stock Catholic Church

Brookfield Road, South Ashford, Kent TN23 4EU

15th FEBRUARY 2009
Tel: 01233 622399
Parish Priest: Fr John Boyle SIXTH SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
Saint Simon of England RC Primary School,
Noakes Meadow, Ashford, TN23 2RB. Tel: 01233 623199 YEAR B
Head teacher: Mrs Elizabeth Willis

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS TODAY’S MASS TEXTS

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Sunday 15 Entrance Antiphon: Ps 30:3-4
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Lord, be my rock of safety, the stronghold that saves me.
10.00am Mass (Fr. John’s intentions) For the honour of your name, lead me and guide me.
6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) First Reading: Leviticus 13:1-2. 44-46
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Monday 16 to Thursday 19 The leper must live apart: he must live outside the camp.
No Mass
Friday 20
th Responsorial Psalm: Ps 31
R: You are my refuge, O Lord;
6.45pm Mass (Karl Waldner’s intentions)
Saturday 21
st you fill me with the joy of salvation.
St Peter Damian, bishop and doctor of the Church Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,
9.00am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament whose sin is remitted.
10.00am Mass (Private intention) O happy the man to whom the Lord
nd imputes no guilt,
Sunday 22
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) in whose spirit is no guile. (R)
Day for the unemployed But now I have acknowledged my sins;
10.00am Mass (Walter Borucki RIP) followed by baptism of my guilt I did not hide.
Sinead O’Neill I said: “I will confess my offence to the Lord.”
12.00 noon Mass (Latin, 1962 Missal, Quinquagesima Sunday) And you, Lord have forgiven
(Tony Simmons RIP) the guilt of my sin. (R)
4.00pm Mass in Polish Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,
6.00pm Mass (For the people of the parish) exult, you just!
CONFESSIONS/CONSULTATIONS O come, ring our your joy,
all you upright of heart. (R)
Saturday: 10.30am, Sunday 9.30am, 5.30pm.
Weekdays: before or after Mass upon request. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Take me for your model, as I take Christ.
CHURCH CLEANING
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20 Sue; 27 Sue; March 6 Tara; 13 Bridie; 13 Sheila Gospel Acclamation: Ephesians 1:17-18
Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
COLLECTIONS LAST SUNDAY enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what
Offertory: £418.94, (Gift Aid: £134.50, loose plate: £284.44) + hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!
£99 approx by standing order. To contribute by regular standing
order please ask for a form. If you are a tax payer and are not Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
already using the Gift Aid scheme, please ask for a Gift Aid form. The Leprosy left him at once and he was cured.
Second collection: Catholic Education: £138.21. Thank you. Preface of Sunday 4 , Eucharistic Prayer I
Second collection today and next Sunday: Parish Maintenance Communion Antiphon: Ps 77:29-30
& Development Fund. They ate and were filled; the Lord gave them what they
PARISH FINANCES wanted: they were not deprived of their desire.
I intend to give a review of the parish’s financial situation at all
Masses next Sunday. Fr John. HELPERS OF GOD’S PRECIOUS INFANTS VIGIL
The next vigil at the Marie Stopes abortion facility in Maidstone
PARISH ADVISORY COUNCIL will be on Tuesday led by Father Raphael CFR (Franciscan Friar
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Next meeting: Monday 23 February. Please let Thereza Baker of the Renewal) from 10.30 to 12 noon. See notice board for
know if there is anything you think needs to be put on the details.
agenda.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS IN LENT
MONTHLY PRAYER REQUESTS FOR PRIESTS In previous years we have had the Stations on Sunday evening,
Please pick up the revised list for February and the list for March before the 6pm Mass. It has been remarked that most of those
from the table in the foyer. It is most important that priests be who attend the Stations are not people who attend the 6pm
encouraged by the knowledge that they are being supported by Mass. Very few 6pm Mass attendees arrive early for the
the prayers of the faithful. Stations. So it has been suggested that the Stations be done at
SPUC FOLKESTONE & HYTHE BRANCH another time, e.g. around the 10am Mass. Or even on another
PANCAKE MORNING day. Friday, being the day of the Lord’s death, used to always be
11 Tanners Hill Gardens, Hythe on Tuesday 24th February from the traditional day. If you have a view, could you please let us
10-12.30. All welcome. Further details: Philippa Forsdike Tel: have your suggestions? Many thanks.
01303 264129 CONGRATULATIONS
PRAYERS FOR THE SICK To Francis and Aude Alecks whose marriage was solemnized
here at St Simon’s yesterday.
Please pray for Kathleen Sorrell, Jean Borucki, Sarah Shinn,
Barry Crook and all our sick parishioners. If you know of anyone
who needs our prayers at the present time, please place their
names in the box in the Church foyer.

Email: parish@stsimon.org.uk; Web: www.stsimon.org.uk;

Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/; diocesan website: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
 FROM FATHER JOHN’S DESKTOP
St Valentine: who was he? How did he become associated with love?
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Until the reform of the Liturgy following the Second Vatican Council, 14 February was
St Valentine’s feast day. So where Mass was celebrated according to the 1962 Missal, it would
have been St Valentine whose memory was kept yesterday. There is some debate as to who St
Valentine was and how many Valentines there were. What is certain is that he did exist.
Archaeologists have unearthed a catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to him and, in 496,
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Pope Gelasius established 14 February as the day for honouring his martyrdom.
It would appear that he was a priest of Rome martyred under the Emperor Claudius.
He was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians who were suffering persecution.
Claudius had Valentine arrested and imprisoned and grew to like him, until Valentine made the
fatal mistake of trying to convert the Emperor, whereupon the priest was condemned to be clubbed
and stoned to death. These attempts failed to kill Valentine, who was eventually beheaded outside
the Flaminian Gate around the year 269. During his arrest and after his death, many miracles were
worked by or through the intercession of St Valentine. Valentine is a patron saint of affianced
couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers,
young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.
The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had their origin in a conventional belief
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generally received in England and France during the Middle Ages, that on 14 February, i.e. half way through the second
month of the year, the birds began to pair. Thus in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules we read:
For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.
For this reason the day was looked upon as specially consecrated to lovers and as a proper
occasion for writing love letters and sending lovers' tokens. (Acknowledgements to www.catholic.org/
and www.newadvent.org)
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In the revised Roman Calendar, however, 14 February is the feast of Ss Cyril and
Methodius, two brothers who were proclaimed co-patrons of Europe by Pope John Paul II in 1980.
Cyril was a priest at Constantinople and taught philosophy there, and Methodius – following a stint as
a governor of a Slav province – became a monk. In 862 they were selected for the task of
evangelising the people of Moravia (part of today’s Czech Republic). They are credited with inventing
the Slav alphabet, the characters being named “Cyrillic” after St Cyril, and they translated the Bible
and the Liturgy into the Slave language. One could cite this as an early example of the inculturation of the Christian faith,
whereby the faith, on the one hand, is expressed in a manner that is accessible to the people of a given culture and, on
the other, influences and raises culture to its proper level in Christ. All the cultures of the Slavic nations owe their
beginnings and development to Ss Cyril and Methodius, as so many cultures today owe their development to the labour
of Christian missionaries. Fr John
REGULAR EVENTS – COME ALONG! on the other hand, is poorly attended. If you have any views
DIVINE MERCY PRAYER GROUP about the following possibilities for Friday, please let me know:
after the 9.00am Mass on Tuesdays. Prayers of move Mass to 9/9.30am; retain Mass at 6.45pm but in Latin in
intercession for various needs and silent the Extraordinary Form; retain Mass at 6.45pm in the Ordinary
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 10am. Form as at present. On First Fridays, Mass could remain at
(Not this week.) 6.45pm for the present. Let me have your views. Fr John.
MUSIC PRACTICE TUESDAYS 7.30PM MASS IN CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF
Newcomers always welcome. MATRIMONY WITH ARCHBISHOP KEVIN MCDONALD AT
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AYLESFORD PRIORY 3PM SATURDAY 30 MAY
BIBLE STUDY THURSDAYS 7.30PM
th Archbishop Kevin will celebrate this Mass and wants to specially
No meeting this week; resumes 26 February.
invite all couples and their families in the Diocese who are
Studying St Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and Pope Benedict’s st th th th th th
celebrating a 1 , 10 , 25 , 40 , 50 or 60 + anniversary this
Wednesday audiences on St Paul.
year. Couples celebrating 1, 25 and 40 years of marriage have
EVANGELIUM – CATHOLIC FAITH ENQUIRY already requested invitations. Why not join them? Please let Fr.
For all, Catholic or not, who would like to deepen their John know if you qualify for a special anniversary invitation.
knowledge of the Catholic faith. Next meeting: 7.15pm Friday
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20 February. Topic: The Trinity. DIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 2009
THE PATH OF BERNADETTE
HELPING YOUR CHILDREN MAKE GOOD CHOICES
Bishop Patrick Lynch invites you to join him on the Annual
All parents want the best for their children. Society today st th
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 21 to 28 August 2009. Travel
presents many challenges which make it difficult to hand on the
by rail from £615, by air from £665. Young helpers fare £445 (by
faith to our young people. Large percentages of our children give
coach). Further information and booking forms from Deacon
up the practice of the Faith in their teens. Come and hear Greg
Michael Kennedy, 4 Orbel Street, Battersea, London, SW11
and Aghi Clovis share the experiences they have gained from
raising a family of their own after 10.00am Mass on Sunday 1
st 3NZ; tel: 020 7223 2747; email: rcaspilgrim@btinternet.com.
March in the Church hall. The session will end at 12.15pm. YOUNG HELPERS
Adults and teenage children are welcome to attend. See notice Young people (17-25) interested in joining the pilgrimage as
board. helpers to work alongside the medical team providing practical
EVENING MASSES DURING THE WEEK help and care to the sick and infirm pilgrims, whilst also having
an opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of other young
Mass on Monday is in the evening because I am teaching at the
people from the various dioceses that join the pilgrimage, should
seminary in the morning. On Thursday Mass is in the evening
contact John Toryusen, director of Southwark Catholic Youth
since I take time off Wednesday evening to Thursday. This
Service on 01227 2372900
Mass, in Latin in the Extraordinary Form, is well attended by
those who attend Bible Study and others. Friday evening Mass,
To catch up on previous newsletters visit http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/. Parish blog: http://st-simon-parish.blogspot.com/