St Michael and All Angels Belmont AbbeyChristmas, HR2 Octave 9RZ

Parish Priest Parish Deacon Abbot Paul Stonham Rev Deacon Eddie Wyman Tel: 01432 - 374718 Tel: 01432 – 263575 Email: [email protected] www.belmontparish.org.uk

Dear Friends in Christ, Week 6 in Ordinary Time/ Lent th First of all, a special prayer and blessing for 14 February 2021 all married couples, and for those planning to marry this year or next, Covid permitting, on this Sunday Parish Vigil Mass 4.00pm feast of St Valentine. Our saint was the first Bishop Parish Mass 8.30 am & 11.00am of Terni in Umbria, Italy, and was martyred for his 11.00am Mass live streamed Christian faith in the year 269 at the age of 43. You can venerate his relics, that are kept under Monday Feria the high altar in the cathedral at Terni. His only Requiem Mass for Joan Sheeran 11am association with love, lovers and marriage stems (Restricted entrance) from the fact that he died on this day, when, at least in that part of Italy, birds begin to seek a Tuesday Feria mate in order to build their nests and rear a family. Both Chaucer and Shakespeare alluded to Wednesday Ash Wednesday St Valentine’s day and it’s an ancient European Open for Prayer 10am to 11am tradition, still much loved by people all over the Parish Mass 10.15am world today, 12noon live streamed monks’ Mass

This week we keep Shrove Tuesday, when Christians traditionally went to confession so as to Thursday Feria carry out their penance during Lent in order to receive Holy Communion at Easter. Sadly, today Friday Feria it’s more associated with pancakes than with Open for Prayer 10am to 11am confession. Why pancakes? Because, in Lent all Parish Mass 10.15am animal products were forbidden including eggs and dairy produce, not only meat. What will you Saturday Feria be giving up for Lent this year? Grumbling or Parish Mass 4pm feeling sorry for oneself might be a good idea! Sunday 1st Sunday in Lent Ash Wednesday sees the beginning of Parish Mass 8.30am & 11.00am Lent and is a day of fasting and abstinence. We 11.00am Mass live-streamed have transferred the usual Tuesday hour of prayer and Mass to Wednesday. The monks’ Mass will Mass Intentions for this week also be live streamed at 12 noon. However, due to current circumstances, we will bless ashes at Saturday 4.00pm Donald Parry RIP each Mass this weekend and distribute them to Sunday 8.30am Anna Maria Stonham individuals and family groups as you leave church 11.00am Jonathan Smedley RIP after Mass in a small bag together with an order Monday 8.00am Pro Populo of service for use at home. This is the desire of the Wednesday 10.15am Siobhan D. T, Hayes RIP Bishops’ Conference. It is our hope that everyone Friday 10.15am Joseph Higgins RIP will have a short service in their homes on Ash Sunday. 8.30am Pro Populo Wednesday or thereabouts this week. 11.00am David Ellis RIP

God bless and keep safe, VESPERS this week will be live streamed on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 5.55pm on Fr Paul the monastery website.

HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN: Fr Patrick Lobo is the Catholic Hospital Chaplain. He alone is allowed to visit the sick in hospital. His mobile number is 07922323603.

CONFESSIONS: If you wish to go to Confession at any time, please contact Fr Paul.

SICK: Pray for Dame Catherine Wybourne, Shirley Brymer, Denise Ellis, Kathleen Hanna, Edmund Hayes, Seamus Hayes, Robin Hayward, Marion Luscombe, Peter McGovern, Edward Probert, Margaret Campbell, Stephen Fisher, Colin Marchant. Colin Cook, Maggie Craig, Sheila O’Kelly, Jackie Hickey & Sally Johns.

ANNIVERSARIES: Pray for the repose of the souls of Dom Hilary Brightling, Leslie Blackmon, Claude Meredith, Isabel Wheatley, Elaine White, William Padden, Gordon Taylor, Maurice Cummings, Charles Hill, Olive Morgan, Davis Ellis, Robert Hamm, John Harrison, Molly Hawkins, Sr Aloysius Walsh, Terrence Falkiner, Rose Magness, Phylis Mailes, William O’Toole, Helena Rhodes, Nadia Hodsman, Mary McGowan & Maurice Blackmon.

PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE: From 1st February, Jacqui Ramage-Smith took over as Chair and is accompanied on the Committee by Julia Davey, Fr Augustine and Patrick Walesby. Our parish finances are in their capable hands and I’m grateful to them for accepting to serve the parish in this way.

SECOND COLLECTION: There will be no Second Collection this year until Church life returns to some form of normality. Please continue to support your favourite charities privately from home.

SAFEGUARDING

 Belmont Abbey General Trust – Designated Safeguarding Leads Paul Nickholds & Lucy Zammit TEL: 01568 616150 E-MAIL: [email protected]

 Parish of St Michael And All Angels, Belmont – Safeguarding Representative Gabrielle Stanley TEL: 07939 472059 E-MAIL: [email protected]

CAFOD Lenten Fast Day Friday 26th February Because of the pandemic, CAFOD have had to divert funding from Development projects to help countries to fight Covid-19. So this Lent we are concentrating on a renewed push to provide clean water supplies to all peoples. Please check out the website for the story of Abdellah in Ethiopia, one of the hottest, driest countries on earth. He makes 2 journeys every day to gather water for his extended family; each journey involves 5 hours of walking and climbing. He is 23 years old and feels that life is passing him by; one day he would like to set up a business. CAFOD’s partner in Ethiopia plans to install a solar pump to Abdella’s village once they have enough resources to do so. My husband and I will be joining forces in walking 10,000 steps a day, for 40 days in Lent, in solidarity with Abdellah, and we shall be praying for all those affected by water poverty. In these lockdown times we cannot take a collection, so these are the ways to donate: 1 Online at: cafod.org.uk/give 2 by taking an envelope which you must post to CAFOD yourselves 3 by sponsoring Peter and I: 4 by text or QR code – details on poster or website I know I am saving money by not being able to drive to visit my family as I would like, so I shall donate the money I am saving to CAFOD. Jane Davies 01432 267089 https://walk.cafod.org.uk/fundraising/walking-for-water-with-cafod

LENT There is a Reflection from the Archbishop for the beginning of Lent, which you can find on the Parish website as well as on the Parish Facebook page. Fr Paul will continue writing his daily message for parishioners, which is also available every day on the website and on Facebook.