Dear Friends,
Today’s readings all speak about faith. Faith that helps us to trust in God’s timescale (1st reading), faith that needs to be kept alive and active (2nd reading) and faith that can move mountains and trees! As Catholics our faith shapes our lives, the way we perceive the world and our relationships with others. It draws us into a community of faith – the parish – so that together we celebrate our faith in the sacraments and especially in the Eucharist.
Every year people come to faith in our parish and we provide an opportunity for them to explore the teachings of the Catholic Church. We call it the Journey in Faith. It consists of regular sessions between now and Easter of next year. If you would like to know more or know of anyone who is interested please let me know so that we can arrange a convenient time and date.
Next Friday, 7th October is CAFOD Harvest Fast Day and on the Sunday we will donate in a retiring collection what we have saved by our fast.
We will also celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving that weekend. Parishioners at Aylsham and North Walsham are invited to bring items of fruit and vegetables etc both to donate in the Offertory Procession and decorate the sanctuary. No plastic bags, please! – so we adorn the church with God’s bounty. Items will be sold after Mass and the proceeds will go to CAFOD.
Please Note: the Requiem Mass for John Barton is at 2.30pm at Hoveton on Friday 7th October there will therefore be no 9.30am Mass at Aylsham.
The Rosary will be said during October. Those who would like to lead in saying the Rosary, please sign the list in the porch (at North Walsham). There are similar arrangements for Aylsham at 8.30am, N Walsham at 10.30am and Hoveton at 5.00pm. Volunteers are needed to lead at N Walsham. Leaflets on how to pray the Rosary are available in the porch.
Senior Citizens’ Group (NW) meets on Monday 3rd October. In the morning there will be Computer Workshop for some and crafts, coffee and chat for others. Lunch will be prepared by the Cockerel. In the afternoon Fr James will give a talk on “Growing Old Gracefully”. Newcomers are always welcome to meet our friendly group and join in with some of their activities. Contact Teresa on 01692 405007.
Support Cambodia Race Night is on Saturday 15th October at 7pm in the Sacred Heart Parish Hall. Tickets (£1), horses and jockeys will be on sale after Mass. Details at www.supportcambodia.org.uk
“Instructions for my Funeral Mass” is the title of a leaflet that was available to parishioners a few years ago and it was produced again last Spring. A letter from Cardinal Vincent Nichols very much supports the idea of Catholics having such a document in which they may leave their express wishes and instructions as to how they would want arrangements for their funeral to be carried out, thereby making it easier also for family and friends at such a time. Do feel free to take a leaflet; and perhaps having completed it, return it to Fr James at the presbytery where it will be kept in a file for future information. It would be as well also to make copies of the contents for family and friends.
Can you help? A family visiting from abroad need rented accommodation in or around North Walsham for a month. Please contact Hilary on 079093 19646 if you can help in any way.
The Requiem Mass for Ann Bailey is on Monday 10th October at 2.00pm at the Sacred Heart Church.
We pray for John Barton, Erwin Loska and Ann Bailey who died recently and those whose anniversaries occur during this week including: John (Jack) Barrett, Gwendoline Faupel, Thomas Rawlinson, Eileen Winson, Sylvia Butcher, Joyce Bailey, Emanuel (Manny) Galea and Deanna Gawlina.
May they rest in peace.
