Sunday 15th May 2022 : Fifth Sunday of Easter
HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH
208 Sangley Road, Catford, London SE6 2JS
Fr Antony Megalan Sellam [Parish Priest] – 02086983672
Website: www.holycross-catford.org.uk
Parish Contacts
Parish Office is Open
(Tuesday and Thursday)
10am - 3pm
020 8698 3672
Josepha Flahive
Lisa O’Hara
Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate
Holy Cross Bookshop, 020 3441 8240
Holy Cross School
[020 8698 2675]
Miss Mary Collins
www.holycross.lewisham.sch.uk
Repository:
CLOSED
St Vincent De Paul [SVP] 07835 188411
Safeguarding Line 07598 524024
Pat Barber and Kate Cleevely - [email protected]
Third Thursday Time TTT
Email: [email protected]
Hartley Hall [Tony Early]
Culverley Road, SE6 2LD
Email:[email protected]
Sunday 15th May 2022 : Fifth Sunday of Easter
You can find the Readings from here
In todays Gospel we are returning to the scene of the Last Supper. After Judas had left Jesus tried to have a last conversation with his disciples. These are an effort to get his message of peace across. They are the next to last words of a man about to die.
Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.
” Why did Jesus call what he said “a new” commandment? The message of love had been proclaimed long before. What Jesus was adding that was new was that our God first loved us; he showed his love in the person of Jesus, who was love incarnate. Being a model of humanity included his model of loving.
He tells us that being loved will enable us to love everyone. Then, he tells us that people we do not know, who are not his disciples will see us, will be drawn to us and through us, will be led to Jesus, to our God. This loving kingdom of God begins now – our future will not be some notion of “pie in the sky when you die.
” Jesus left the upper room for the garden of Gethsemane where Judas would betray him with a kiss, so ironically a symbol of love. Jesus will play out the unfair hand he was dealt. He will pray on the cross for those who failed, pleading their ignorance. And us. We do the best we can with what we’ve got. We “do” lovingly, forgivingly.
Fr Antony
Please take a copy of the Newsletter home with you - please do not leave it in the church. Thank you.
- Money Matters (Loose Collections)
Priest Training Fund: £465;
Thank you all for your kindness and generosity.
- Canonization of Blessed Devasahayam Pillai: This weekend Fr Antony and a small number of parishioners will be travelling to Rome to witness the Canonization of Blessed Devasahayam Pillai who came from the region of India where Fr Antony is from. Please keep them in your prayers. We return on Wednesday 18th May. Additionally we welcome Fr Dominic, and thank him for offering the Holy Masses in Fr Antony’s absence.
- School Signing In: If you have children of school age who require a parish priest reference for their school application, please note that from Saturday 21st May you will need to complete the signing in sheets that will be available at the school side entrance only, every week after
- Mass. Repository (church shop): We are planning to open the church shop after all weekend Masses, and are looking for a responsible person from each Mass to run it. If you are interested and are able to help please contact Fr Antony.
- Children and Baby Liturgy: We would really like to reinstate the Children’s and Baby Liturgies during the 9am Mass. If you would like to join the catechist team, please contact Fr Antony.
- Application Forms – 2022/23: The application forms for First Holy Communion, Confirmation and RCIA for next year, will be available from Monday 23rd May. Please collect the forms you require from Fr Antony after any of the weekday Masses. The deadline to submit your application form will be 23rd July. All programmes are due to start in September 2022.
OUR PARISH RESPONSE TO COVID 19 PANDEMIC - Updates
COVID SECURITY GUIDELINES : Following the recent changes(Friday 10 dec) in the regulations from the Government, the parish has issued updated guidelines for continued safe and covid-secure worship in the church.The latest document is Guidances for Churches December 2021
- Please note that the Mass times have been reviewed : See below (Mass Times and Intentions)
All the Masses will be live-streamed: https://holy-cross-stream.click2stream.com
- With respect to the current situation with the omicron variant it is important to ensure the following points are followed in our churches:
That people displaying any symptoms of covid-19 should stay at home and not travel to church or participate in person.
- That hand sanitiser is used by everyone attending the Church.
- That there is good ventilation and air throughput in the building; in this case, because of climatic conditions, please do wrap up warmly when coming to the church as we may need to leave doors open.
- That people who are engaged in a form of pastoral ministry which involves ministry to the housebound, sick, and vulnerable, should take regular lateral flow tests to ensure they are safe to do so. These are free from the NHS.
- The Holy Mass is offered everyday via Livestream
- Diamond Club Magazine is available here
