rd th Mass & Office Times 33 Sunday in Ordinary Time (C), 13 November 2016 Everyone is welcome The Closing of the Holy Door, Saturday 19th November Bishop Declan has sent us a special message to mark the ending of this Jubilee Year. St Benedict’s Church Saturday Vigil Mass 5pm Sunday Masses 9am, 11am & 6pm ‘Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy’. When the Holy Doors in our diocese close at the end of

the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, we must allow the wellspring of joy, serenity and peace that is God’s Confessions Sundays at St Benedict’s 10.15-10.45 mercy to keep flowing through us, in our home and school and parish, in our religious communities and

diocese, and always more abundantly. I am delighted that so many people have been to Downside to The Abbey Church Weekdays Vigils at 6am cross the threshold of the Door of Mercy, asking for our Father’s merciful indulgence. Pope Francis said Lauds at 7.10am in his Bull announcing the Jubilee, ‘In this Jubilee Year, let us allow God to surprise us’. Mass at 8.35am

Midday Office at 12.30pm Vespers at 6pm I know that he has indeed surprised us in countless wonderful ways, and I pray the doors of Downside Abbey and of all our churches will remain ever open to everyone who seeks God’s mercy. th Sundays Lauds at 7.30am I hope that the closing of the Holy Door of the Abbey Church on Saturday 19 November will be Mass at 10am strongly supported by our parishioners. Remember that the 3.30 p.m. Mass in the Abbey Church will Midday Office at 12.30pm fulfil your Sunday obligation. Vespers and Benediction at 5pm After the 2012 London Olympics great effort was put into the Olympic legacy. Any cynicism about that must have been dispelled by the United Kingdom’s astounding performance in Rio de Janeiro. We need Latin Mass in Abbey Crypt on the 1st Sunday of the Month at 11.15am to think now of the legacy of the Jubilee Year for ourselves as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. Will we go back to what we were before or will we allow ourselves to be transformed by the mercy of God Holy Ghost Masses Tuesday, Friday & Saturday at 9.45am revealed to us in Christ Jesus our Lord? Confessions Saturdays at Holy Ghost – 10.15-11.00am Dom Leo Maidlow Davis Holy Ghost Mondays every Monday at 8pm Prior Prayer Group Lectio Divina Group Mondays 10am in the Abbey Visitor Centre CONTACTS NOVEMBER NEEDS EVENTS Instant Mash Dom Michael Clothier Tel: 01761 235111 Powdered Milk Dom Boniface Hill Tel: 01761 235115 Parish Annual General Meeting, Tea bags (40’s & 80’s) Sunday 20th November after 6pm Mass. Once again, the Somer Valley Foodbank will Remembrance Services There will be services in Stratton-on-the-Fosse at provide Christmas food parcels for local individuals th Tenebrae Concert and families in crisis. the War Memorial at 10.45 am on Sunday 13 27th November 7pm-8.30pm. See school website for more information. We would be very grateful for any of the November, which will continue in St Vigor’s. In Christmas items listed here during November and Chilcompton the Memorial Service will take place St Cecilia Concert the first two weeks of December: at the War Memorial on Bowden Hill at 3 pm 17th November 2016, 7pm. Downside Abbey Church. £5 for over 18s. Tinned ham, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, box of biscuits, children’s selection box, large bar CONFESSIONS & ROSARY chocolate (150/200g), snacks and nibbles (e.g. Rosary every Thursday at 7pm St Benedict’s peanuts), Christmas crackers. Confessions every Sunday 10.15-10.45am Many thanks for your continued support St Benedict’s

www.downside.co.uk monks@downside.co.uk 01761 235100

Registered Charity Number 1158507 Martyrology THE CLOSING OF THE HOLY DOOR, SATURDAY 19TH NOVEMBER Tuesday 15th November is the feast of Blessed Richard Whiting, Hugh Faringdon, As the Jubilee Year finishes we are devoting a special day to mark this important event in our Abbey John Beche and Companions, Martyrs. Blessed Richard Whiting was the last Abbot Church. Please come to as much or as little as you can manage. The Abbey Church will be of Glastonbury. Although he was a good abbot and the community increased from constantly open for prayer. The Bishop has agreed that the Mass at 15.30 will fulfil your Sunday forty-six to fifty-four under his care, the monks being known for their strict and obligation: holy living, he was arrested in 1539 and convicted of treason after a show trial in 08.00 Communal Rosary in the Lady Chapel of the Abbey Church Wells. He was seventy-nine years old when he was hanged, drawn and quartered 08.35 Formal Procession through the Holy Door of Mercy in the Abbey Church, led by the on Glastonbury Tor, together with two fellow monks of Glastonbury, John Thorne Abbot President of the English Benedictine Congregation, the Right Reverend Richard Yeo and Roger James. Eyewitnesses recorded that the abbot and his monks ‘took their 09.00 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Reconciliation Service followed by Benedic- death very patiently, begging forgiveness of all they might have offended.’ tion in the Abbey Church 10.00 The Divine Mercy Chaplet in the Abbey Church Olive Wood Christmas Gifts from the School of Joy, Bethlehem 10.30 Refreshments (hot/cold drinks) in the Weld Refectory A large delivery of olive wood products has arrived from the School of Joy in 11.00 Talk: ‘The Corporal Works of Mercy: What have we learnt and where do we go from Bethlehem. Many are very suitable as Christmas gifts, stocking fillers, and tree here?’ by Dom Anselm Brumwell, the Subprior. This will be followed by discussion in groups and an opportunity for sharing ideas. decorations. A selection, to purchase by donation, can be found at the back of the 12.30 Midday Office with the monastic community in the Abbey Church Abbey, and just inside the Holy Door. All donations are very gratefully received, 12.40 Packed lunch in the Weld Refectory or in the Abbey Grounds (weather permitting). and will be sent directly to Fr Mamdouh at the School. Please bring your own packed lunch. Refreshments will be available in the Weld Refectory. 13.30 Tour of Abbey Church led by members of the monastic community Training Afternoon for Extraordinary Ministers of the 14.00 Talk: ‘The Spiritual Works of Mercy: What have we learnt and where do we go from Eucharist, here?’ by Dom Leo Maidlow Davis, the Prior. As with the earlier talk, this will be followed by Saturday 26th November 2pm discussion in groups and an opportunity for sharing ideas. Following the successful training afternoon for our Ministers of the Word, there 15.30 Mass in the Abbey Church celebrated by Abbot Richard Yeo will be a similar afternoon for our Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers as Advent 17.00 Departures begins on Saturday 26th November. Please let Fr Michael or Fr Boniface know if Because of these arrangements there will be no Mass or Confessions in the Holy Ghost Church, you would like to offer your services as a Eucharistic Minister. Further details will Midsomer Norton, on Saturday 19th November. follow.

Parish Pastoral Council Elections The Parish Pastoral Council will consist of 6 elected members and 6 members appointed by the parish priests. The first meeting of the new Parish Pastoral Council will be on Thursday, 24th November at 7.30 pm. Downside Abbey Podcast Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 21st to 30th July You can now download the Gospel reading and homily 2017, for those aged 18 to 30 Offertory Collections Why? every week to your mobile, tablet or computer. It’s free Fr Anselm will be leading this special pilgrimage for Parish Collection last week raised : Why is a frequently asked question. On 30th and available to everyone. iTunes or Apple users should young people. This is a one-off opportunity to £516.63 November, 7th December and 14th December at go to bit.ly/AbbeyPodcast and Android users should go travel at a very competitive price (£900 for 10 days, to bit.ly/AbbeyPodcastStitcher 7.30pm we will consider ‘Why God?’, ‘Why Jesus?’, fully inclusive). Further details can be found on the ‘Why Church?’. Further details to follow. Confirmation, Friday 19th May 2017 Parish Safeguarding Representative Abbey website. Bishop Declan will be confirming candidates in the Items for the Newsletter Our Parish Safeguarding Representative is David Abbey Church next year at 6.30 pm on Friday 19th If you would like to contribute items for consideration Stone. His contact details are: ONLINE NEWSLETTER A reminder that the parish newsletter is also available May. If you would like to be confirmed, please see for inclusion in the Parish Newsletter, please send them Tel: 01761 415 952; Mob: 07506 263 202 on the Downside website should you wish to view it Fr Michael or Fr Boniface, so that your preparation to: [email protected] and we will do our best e-mail: [email protected] online www.downside.co.uk, parishes then newsletter. can begin. to get them in the next week’s newsletter.