SAINT PATRICK’S CHURCH 30 Park Lane, Corsham, SN13 9LG Parish Priest: Fr Michael Fountaine Tel 01249 712136 [email protected] www.stpatricks-corsham.org.uk

St Patrick’s School Lacock Road, Corsham, SN13 9HS Tel 01249 713125 www.stpatricks-wilts.co.uk

LATEST NEWS 25TH OCT – TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A) THE SUNDAY MASS READINGS are made available at the end of 10.30AM THE PARISH MASS th Please see ticketing details to attend this bulletin for the 30 Sunday Year A. You are invited to pray with them before coming to Sunday Mass to prepare to meet Our Lord th Mon 26 Oct - Saints Chad and present when these scriptures are proclaimed. You might also wish to Cedd, Bishops use them when preparing to make a Spiritual Communion at home. Tue 27th Oct - Weekday in OT CLOCKS Please remember to change your clocks this weekend (25 th Wed 28 Oct - Feast of Saints Simon Oct) They go back an hour, so an extra hour in bed! & Jude, Apostles 11.30am The Holy Rosary 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANONISATION OF THE 12 NOON MASS ENGLISH MARTYRS Sunday 25th October marks the 50th Thur 29th Oct - Weekday in OT anniversary of the canonisation of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales which honours the Fri 30th Oct - Weekday in OT hundreds of British Catholics who suffered persecution and died for Sat 31st Oct - Our Lady on Saturday their faith between 1535 and 1679 following the dispute between the Pope and King Henry VIII. Although some have been canonised or 1ST NOV – THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS beatified, the true number of those who died on the scaffold or in prison, or were tortured or persecuted for their faith, is not known. The cause 10.30AM THE PARISH MASS of about three hundred martyrs was introduced in Rome in 1850. By Please see ticketing details to attend 1935, nearly two hundred Reformation martyrs had been beatified but only two of these had been canonised: in 1936, Cardinal John Fisher and Sir Thomas More, Henry VIII’s chancellor, became the first Englishmen to be made saints since 1401. In 1970, the Vatican selected

forty martyrs to represent the full group; on 25th October 1970 they were canonised by Pope Paul VI. The martyrs celebrated today came from every walk of life: rich and poor; married and single; men and women; priests, religious and lay people. They are remembered for their constancy of faith and courage in the face of persecution, which lasted almost a hundred and fifty years and left a permanent mark on English culture. Please see the parish website for more detailed information about the history of the

Forty Martyrs. The Saints we commemorate: 1535 St John Houghton; St Robert Lawrence; St Augustine Webster; St Richard Reynolds. 1539: St John Stone. 1577 St Cuthbert Mayne. 1585 St Edmund Campion; St Ralph2pm Sherwin; - 4pm Adoration St Alexander of the Blessed Briant. 1582 St John Payne; St Luke Kirby. 1584 St Richard Gwyn. 1586 St Margaret Sacrament in Church

Clitherow. 1588 St Margaret Ward. 1591 St Edmund Gennings; St Swithun Wells; St Eustace White; St Polydore Plasden. 1594 St John Boste. 1595: St Robert Southwell; St Henry Walpole; St Philip Howard. 1598 St John Jones.1600 St John Rigby.1601 St Anne Line; 1606 St Nicolas Owen. 1608 St Thomas Garnet. 1610 St John Roberts. 1612 St John Almond. 1628 St John Almond. 1628 St Edmund Arrowsmith. 1641 St Ambrose Barlow. 1642 St Alban Roe. 1645 St Henry Morse, 1654 St John Southworth. 1679 St John Plessington; St Philip Evans; St John Lloyd; St John Wall, St John Kemble; St David Lewis. Holy English Martyrs, pray for us.

SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS Next Sunday we celebrate the glorious feast of All Saints, the multitude of those who are now in heaven. During the year, the Church celebrates one by one the feasts of the saints. Today she joins them all in one festival. In addition to those whose names she knows, she recalls in a magnificent vision all the others "of all nations and tribes standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, proclaiming Him who redeemed them in His Blood." The Solemnity of All Saints should inspire us with tremendous hope. Among the saints in heaven are some we have known, perhaps a mother, a father, a grandparent or friend. We ask them to pray for us and with us.

COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED – ‘All Souls Day’ is celebrated next Monday 2nd November. We pray for all the faithful departed (the Holy Souls) in Purgatory on this day as they journey towards the glory of heaven. Purgatory is the state of being cleansed and perfected before we enter heavenly glory. There is scriptural basis for this belief. The primary reference is in 2 Maccabees, 12:26 and 12:32. "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out... thus made atonement for the dead that they might be free from sin." It seems we rarely discuss Purgatory. Yet, the Church tells us it is the place where departed souls go to prepare to fully enter the presence of God. The purification of Purgatory is important because Scripture teaches us that nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in Heaven. Most of us die with venial sins or other transgressions lingering on our souls. Therefore, Purgatory is a place of beauty as it is a place of healing. There is only one way from Purgatory and that is to heaven! A Requiem Mass will be offered at 12noon. Do come and pray for your departed loved ones on this special day.

HOLY SOULS BOOK Please feel free to write the names of deceased family and friends in the Holy Souls Book. This will then be placed next to the Paschal Candle next weekend for the duration of November, the month of the Holy Souls. Holy Souls envelopes are also available in Church if you would like a Mass celebrated for a departed loved one during the month of November. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. NHS TEST & TRACE CODE We encourage parishioners to scan the NHS Test and Trace QR code via the NHS COVID-19 App (See the Notice Board in Church) Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.

GOOD COUNSEL NETWORK Tuesday 27th October is the 53rd anniversary of the Abortion Act being passed in England and Wales. Since 1967 over nine million babies have lost their lives to abortion. Millions of women and men have also had to deal with the suffering which so often follows an abortion. Please join us in praying and fasting for the end of abortion in this country on Tuesday 27th October. For Post Abortion help and to support Pro-Life counselling go to: www.GoodCounselNetwork.com. Please invite your friends and Family to join us via this Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/27399240729369 69.

CHURCH CLEANERS AND STEWARDS We are grateful to those who have volunteered as stewards. We still need more stewards to be able to celebrate more Masses and continue to keep those Masses we already have. We next need cleaners after the Requiem Mass on November 2nd. Aprons, gloves, spray and all necessary PPE is provided. Thank you.

HALF TERM We wish the teachers, staff and children at St Patrick’s School a safe and restful half term.

FAIRTRADE Next week we plan to disperse the remaining Fairtrade stock items while they are still in date. Please take what you want and if you are able please make a donation. Everyday produce will be donated to the foodbank. Over the lockdown period we have made a significant loss in this area and indeed well before lockdown sadly we were not breaking even. As so many supermarkets now sell Fairtrade items we will no longer offer these sales. A big thank you to Ann and her band of helpers for their help with Fairtrade over the years.

OCTOBER - MONTH OF OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY During this month we pray the Rosary in Church together at 11.30am on Wednesdays before the 12noon Mass. We pray especially for our world in this present Covid19 crisis. If you are new to the Rosary or haven’t prayed it for some time, there are Rosary sheets available in Church for you to take away (or see the end of this newsletter)

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (Confession) Please contact Fr Michael if you need to make your confession and a time can be arranged in Church in a Covid19 safe space. Please remember to wear your face mask. Do celebrate this wonderful sacrament of God’s love and mercy. If you have forgotten the prayers for the celebration of the Sacrament, they are available on the Parish Website.

PRIESTS’ RETIREMENT FUND - ANNUAL APPEAL The annual appeal, in support of the Priest’s Retirement Fund, will take place on 1st November 2020. During their years of service to parish congregations, many priests did not have the opportunity to prepare adequately for retirement. The support received for this appeal each year is a great reassurance to them that they are not forgotten. There are currently twenty retired priests in receipt of financial support, which includes funding for retirement properties, retirement grants and care home fees, amounting to over £250,000 per annum. Your support for this important collection is much appreciated by our retired priests, who continue to give great help in many parishes by offering services as supply priests. PLANNING FOR CHRISTMAS MASSES In view of the uncertainty regarding the Covid19 crisis and low numbers attending Mass, we are looking ahead to scheduling masses for Christmas. We are planning to celebrate Mass at 6pm on Christmas Eve and at 10.30am on Christmas Day. If you are planning to come to Mass at Christmas, we ask you to book a place now, so that we can ascertain numbers early and plan accordingly. Please book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/st-patricks- catholic-church-corsham-30646123644 Thank you.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION We hope to resume preparation for first Holy Communion when it is safe to do so. We will conclude the 2020 program before starting a program for 2021 first communions. As we have only seen one first candidate at Mass since lockdown, the best way forward will be to see a return to regular Mass before we resume teaching sessions. The weekly celebration of Mass is perhaps the most important preparation for a child’s first communion. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Eucharist.

SUMMARY OF POPE FRANCIS GENERAL AUDIENCE last Wednesday, October 21st. Dear Brothers and Sisters, in our continuing catechesis on prayer, today we turn once more to the Psalms. In the Psalter, prayer appears as essential to a good and truly human life, guiding our steps according to God’s will and teaching us to avoid the snares of evil. Genuine prayer enables us, even at times of great distress, to see reality with God’s eyes and to look upon our brothers and sisters with compassion and respect. In the Psalms, personal and communal prayer merge, and praise of God is joined to concern for others, especially the poor and those in need. Even the Psalms that seem most personal and private were prayed in the liturgy of the Temple and in the synagogues, and then in the assemblies of the earliest Christian community. They remind us that prayer must embrace every aspect of our lives in this world. Sometimes, prayer begins in our churches but then leads us to serve others in the streets of our cities. At other times prayer originates in the midst of our daily work, and then finds its completion in the Church’s liturgy. May we learn to pray the Psalms more consciously, letting their voice become our own, as we seek to grow in love for God, trust in the fulfilment of his saving plan, and charity towards all our brothers and sisters. Full text can be found on the Vatican website www.vatican.va

THE SUNDAY PARISH MASS 10.30AM Please remember to book a ticket using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/st-patricks-catholic-church-corsham-30646123644 Please do not come to Mass without a ticket as once we have reached distancing capacity people will be unable to enter. If you book and then find you are unable to come, do let us know as we can then make the tickets available to others. Tickets are also available online for the Wednesday celebration at 12 noon. If you do not have access to the web, please call Fr Michael or Lorraine Miller to reserve a place.

YEAR OF COMMUNION Today’s Gospel centres around love, a potentially difficult concept because it is a word which is so over-used. The love which Jesus is speaking of is what is known in Greek as agapeic love – that unconditional, self-giving love of the highest order; the kind of love which knows no boundaries. We hear how the Sadducees and Pharisees are trying to catch Jesus out. In their desire to score points they fail to see who is standing right in front of them. It would be easy for us to be critical of them. It might be better for us if we could look at them with some compassion and catch sight of the way we, too, might be with them, failing to love as we are called to love. The love which Jesus speaks of is all embracing. It is not the love between two people but the love we express to everyone we know and even those we don’t, especially those who are in most need.

STREET PARKING NEAR ST PATRICK’S Would members of the congregation please take care not to park on the dropped pavement area at the Park Lane entrance please. PARISH GIVING Thank you to all who are continuing to support the parish financially at this difficult time. We still need to pay our levy every week to the Diocese and winter will bring higher heating and lighting costs. We need to continue to purchase the necessary requisites for Mass, office materials, sanitizers and Covid19 protection equipment, whilst also maintaining the Church, grounds, house and hall. So, thank you for your generosity. A particularly big thank you to those who have signed up for new standing orders and gift aid. If you have not so far committed to giving to the parish by standing order, could you please urgently consider this? It is by far the safest way of giving regularly. Thank you in advance for your continued support of the parish.

RUH If you or a loved one is going into the Royal United Hospital please let the RUH Chaplaincy know on 01225 428331 or email [email protected]

Saint Patrick’s Community at Prayer

‘The earnest prayer of a righteous person

has great power and produces wonderful results.’ James 5:16.

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS

The Sick: Maeve Heffernan, James Gallagher, Terri Yates, Karen Lucas, Rob Jones, Sheila Taylor, Christopher Browl, Julia Wright, Pauline Feeney, John Hunt, Margaret Brown, Lindsay Price and Christopher. Pray for all suffering with Coronavirus, all in our hospitals, nursing homes and those who care for them.

Pope Francis November Prayer Intention: Artificial Intelligence. That the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind.

Diocesan Prayer Link: Corpus Christi, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Joseph, Weston-super-Mare

Christians in Corsham Prayer Link: Corsham Baptist Community

Coronavirus Prayer

A prayer for NHS staff and carers who have died as a result of COVID 19

Heavenly Father, whose loving care extends over all things and over all time, hear our prayer for those who have dedicated their lives to the service and care of others especially those of the NHS, caring professions and emergency services who, by tending those infected with the COVID virus have themselves fallen prone to the disease and died. Receive our sorrow, penitence and gratitude; comfort those who mourn; strengthen, guide and protect those who continue to care for those who are sick and in need, as we commend the departed to your loving and eternal care; we make our prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Rosary is one of the most cherished private devotions in the Church. For over seven centuries millions of Christians have found the rosary to be a powerful way of meditating on the most important Christian mysteries of Christ’s life, death and Resurrection. Through the gentle repetition of the prayers of the rosary, many have come to a deeper appreciation and love for the gospel. The rosary has a way of calling to mind the central mysteries of the faith and penetrating deeply into the meaning, truths, and implications contained in those mysteries.

A Prayer of Spiritual Communion

“My Jesus, I believe that You are really present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul. As I cannot receive you sacramentally now, come at least spiritually into my heart. And, as You have already come, I embrace You and unite myself wholly to You. Let me never be separated from You.”

An Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you: and I detest my sins most sincerely because they displease You, my God, Who are so deserving of all my love for Your infinite goodness and most amiable perfections: and I firmly purpose by Your holy grace never more to offend You, to avoid all occasions of sin and amend my life. Amen. I further resolve and promise to go to sacramental confession as soon as practicably possible.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First reading Exodus 22:20-26 A reading from the book of Exodus

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the sons of Israel this: “You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans.

“If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him.

“If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.”’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51 I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my saviour. My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold. The Lord is worthy of all praise, when I call I am saved from my foes.

Long life to the Lord, my rock! Praised be the God who saves me, He has given great victories to his king and shown his love for his anointed.

Second reading 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians

You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 22:34-40 A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

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