"A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian." This statement by Pope Francis during his Pastoral Visit to Mexico this week, a visit that drew crowds across the country; a visit during which the Holy Father prayed, walked with and encouraged the Mexican people, sparked swift and varying reactions. Wherever such walls have existed, they have emerged from political, social, economic, ideological or even religious motives. A wall-builder to divide peoples is likely to be a bridge-breaker, for the same reason. Christians are called to be bridge-builders and bridge-menders. Christ used his cross as a bridge to cross sinful and straying humanity back to their loving and merciful Father. The meeting on the mountain this Sunday is both a reassurance that he is resolute on that mission and a preparation for the passion. As Christians, we are called to use our crosses to build bridges, to break down walls of division and unite peoples. Yes, "any person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian." 21st February 2016 ~ 2nd Sunday of Lent Issue:1117 READING PASTORAL AREA St. John Bosco Church 56 Western Avenue, Woodley, Reading RG5 3BH Tel: 0118 969 3423 Priest: Fr Bonaventure Ndong Email: stjohnbosco @portsmouthdiocese.org.uk Website: stjohnbosco.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1455918784702101/ Part of the PORTSMOUTH DIOCESAN TRUST Registered Charity Number 246871 Administrator: Karen Tarvin Church Office is open next week: Tues - Fri 8.30am to 1.30pm WEEKLY COLLECTION Envelopes: £356.50 Loose: £300.41 Standing orders: £510 Total : £ 1071.91 Thank you for your generous contributions. Your donations make the life and work of the parish possible. Next Special Collection: 5th/6th March - Clergy Assistance THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK MASS INTENTIONS & FEAST DAYS Date Time Dedication Intention Diary Sat 20th Feb 6.30pm 2nd Sunday of Lent Colin Dempster + (Marie & Jane) 10.30am - RCIA, CTK Sun 21st Feb 10.00am 2nd Sunday of Lent Archie D’Mello + (Alzira D’Mello & Family) Mon 22nd Feb 6.00am Mass 8pm - Prayer Group Tues 23rd Feb 5-7.00pm 7.00pm Adoration Mass Patricia & Stan Whalley (Fran Thompson) Weds 24th Feb 9.15am Of the 2nd Week of Lent Thurs 25th Feb 9.15am Of the 2nd Week of Lent Fri 26th Feb 9.00am 7.00pm Adoration & Mass Stations of the Cross Sat 27th Feb 6.30pm 3rd Sunday of Lent Margaret Howard + (Jo & Bob Blagborough) FHC Parish Pilgrimage Sun 28th Feb 10.00am 3rd Sunday of Lent Richard Tate + (The Mulligan Family) FHC 4pm - Altar Server Training Responsorial Psalm: Year C 2nd Sunday of Lent 21st Feb “The Lord is my light and my help” Confessions Are on a Saturday 5.30—6.00pm YEAR OF MERCY 2015 –2016 7 YEARS BUILDING A STRONG WORSHIPING COMMUNITY 1946- 2016 ST JOHN BOSCO PARISH CELEBRATING 0
Transcript
"A person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian." This statement by Pope Francis during his Pastoral Visit to Mexico this week, a visit that drew crowds across the country; a visit during which the Holy Father prayed, walked with and encouraged the Mexican people, sparked swift and varying reactions. Wherever such walls have existed, they have emerged from political, social, economic, ideological or even religious motives. A wall-builder to divide peoples is likely to be a bridge-breaker, for the same reason. Christians are called to be bridge-builders and bridge-menders. Christ used his cross as a bridge to cross sinful and straying humanity back to their loving and merciful Father. The meeting on the mountain this Sunday is both a reassurance that he is resolute on that mission and a preparation for the passion. As Christians, we are called to use our crosses to build bridges, to break down walls of division and unite peoples. Yes, "any person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian."
21st February 2016 ~ 2nd Sunday of Lent Issue:1117
Thank you for your generous contributions. Your donations make the life and work of the parish possible. Next Special Collection: 5th/6th March - Clergy Assistance
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
MASS INTENTIONS & FEAST DAYS
Date Time Dedication Intention Diary
Sat 20th Feb 6.30pm 2nd Sunday of Lent Colin Dempster + (Marie & Jane)
10.30am - RCIA, CTK
Sun 21st Feb 10.00am 2nd Sunday of Lent Archie D’Mello + (Alzira D’Mello & Family)
Mon 22nd Feb 6.00am Mass 8pm - Prayer Group
Tues 23rd Feb 5-7.00pm 7.00pm
Adoration Mass
Patricia & Stan Whalley (Fran Thompson)
Weds 24th Feb 9.15am
Of the 2nd Week of Lent
Thurs 25th Feb 9.15am Of the 2nd Week of Lent
Fri 26th Feb 9.00am 7.00pm
Adoration & Mass Stations of the Cross
Sat 27th Feb 6.30pm 3rd Sunday of Lent Margaret Howard + (Jo & Bob Blagborough)
FHC Parish Pilgrimage
Sun 28th Feb 10.00am 3rd Sunday of Lent Richard Tate + (The Mulligan Family)
YOUTH (11—18 yrs) ALPHA COURSE We are looking for adult support for this
enterprise of 8 short sessions starting after Easter. Pray about it and ask Benet (or
email him [email protected]) if you want to know more and might be able to
offer support.
Emergency numbers for the Sacramental Ministry of a priest: Fr Bon 969 3423 Fr. Pat 931 4469 Fr. Stan 966 3711 Canon Michael 957 2149 Canon John O’Shea 957 4171 Please call your own priest first.
READING CHURCHES WEEKEND MASS TIMES:
CHRIST THE KING Sat 6.30pm & Sun 10am
ENGLISH MARTYRS Sat 6.30pm, Sun 9.30am, 11.30am & 5pm
OUR LADY OF PEACE Sun 9am, 11am & 5pm
ST JAMES Sat 6pm, Sun 11am
ST JOHN BOSCO Sat 6.30pm & Sun 10am
ST WILLIAM OF YORK
NEXT MEETING DATES: 22nd, 8pm Prayer Group 28th, 4pm Altar Server Training 3rd Woodley St John Bosco Scout Group: Term Time Only Beavers: Mon 6.00 - 7.00 pm Cubs: Thu 6.30 - 8.30pm Scouts Mon 7.30 - 9.30pm
MINISTERS FOR NEXT WEEKEND
27th/28th February Readers Saturday Ben Carter Matthew Oxley Sunday Francesco Abbagnale Chloe D’Mello Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Saturday B Ford K D’Souza Sunday B Buckley A + Altar M Moreira B + Altar J Moreira C + Altar M Tilney D + Altar P Gibbs Altar only
THE SANCTUARY LAMPS FOR WEEK:
21st February to 28th February dedicated to: Main Church: Lady Chapel: Our Sick and Housebound Parishioners
ST JOHN BOSCO BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
Please keep in your prayers all those with Anniversaries in February Ken Hay + Basil Gomez + Raymond Williamson + Paul Gualtieri + Edmund Sellens +
Christina Sellens + David Pritchard + Gladys Jacobs + Donald Pocock + Rosmary Sim Cardoso + Kenneth Tarvin + Florence Grenneau +
Genowefa Klonowicz + Elsie Elizabeth Ivers + Daphne O’Dowd-Booth + Colin Dempster + Jane (Jean) Bartington +
NEW READING EVANGELISATION STRATEGY TEAM consists of 3 Priests, 1
lay representative from each parish, 1 Religious Sister. Members have agreed to
establish a small group per parish, to explore Evangelisation and begin reading the book “Divine Renovation – bringing
your parish from Maintenance to Mission” by Fr James Mallon. The aim is to initiate projects on Evangelisation in the Reading
Area. Our parish representative is: Lada Carter
LENTEN ALMSGIVING This year our Lenten
Almsgiving will be supporting WOODLEY VOLUNTEERS; please see the green bottle at all weekend Masses
through Lent
Stations of the Cross will be held on all Fridays during Lent beginning at 7.00pm. All are encouraged to attend.
ST JOHN BOSCO PARISH PILGRIMAGE St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth, Saturday 27 February 2016
The coach will leave promptly from outside the church at 8.45a.m. For 10.30am Confessions, before the 12.15 Holy Mass. There will be refreshments in the
Cathedral Discovery Centre where the Bookshop is also located. Feel free to bring a packed lunch.
Return coach from St John’s Cathedral time 15.00pm. All those who have booked for the pilgrimage, please try to make sure the, £6.00 per person, contribution towards the coach fare is made on or before Tues
23rd February to facilitate completion of arrangements with the -coach company.
AFRO CARIBBEAN LED EVENT Following the Italian led Feast of St John Bosco in January, the Afro Caribbean
community of our parish will lead the Pentecost celebrations on 14th & 15th May. If you would like to be involved, please contact: Christopher Esuk 0787 7094565,
LENT PENITENTIAL SERVICE Please note that the date of the
Lent Penitential Service at St John Bosco church has been
changed from 17th March to Monday, 14th March.
There will be a 6.00 am Mass every Monday in Lent. Please make an extra effort and start the week with that early rise, for the sake of our Lord's wounds, passion, suffering and death. Please Note: Breakfast will be served afterwards in the Parish Centre for a small donation
St Patrick’s Day Sing-a-long & Bingo
Saturday, 12th March, 7.30 pm, Parish Centre
Bring your own food & drink
The LENT edition of My Day By Day
are now available for collection from the porch after Mass, or from the parish office -
£1.00 per copy
LENTEN SESSIONS ON PRAYER Sessions 7pm—8.30pm
21st Feb, Petition at St John Bosco 28th Feb, Intercession at St James’
6th Mar, Perseverance at Woodley Baptist 13th Mar, Listening at St John’s 20th Mar, Warfare at Emmanuel
The Women’s World Day of Prayer service 4th March at 10 30am at Christ
Church in Crockhamwell Rd. Everyone is welcome at this ecumenical service lasting 1hour which this year has been prepared
by the women of Cuba. Those who attended last year for the first time found it
very enjoyable.
PASTORAL AREA LENT TALKS Will be held as follows at
7.30pm to 9.15pm: Our Lady & St Anne’s , 24 Feb
Ways of Going Green in all our churches in Reading at English Martyrs on 2 March
DIVINE MERCY HOLY HOUR 6th March, Our Lady Of Peace
2.30—3.30pm Hymns, readings and the chaplet will be sung refreshments
afterwards. All most Welcome
24HOURS FOR THE LORD: 4th/5th March
Please see the sign up sheet in the porch for the CONTINUOUS ADORATION in honour of our
Blessed Lord, the conversion of sinners and peace in the world.
TUESDAY, EUCHARTISTIC ADORATION
Many thanks to all those who attended the Eucharistic Adora-tion last Tuesday. Many people came and spent precious time with the Lord. In future we will end the Adoration with the Offi-
cial Prayer of the Church (Psalms) at 6.40pm before Holy Mass at 7.00pm. Please join us
