Mass Times & Intentions St Mary’s Catholic Church, & St. Frances of Rome, Ross-on-Wye Vigil Mass Parish Priest: Fr. Nicholas James email: [email protected] FOURTH Monmouth Tel: (01600) 712029 http://monmouthandrosscatholicchurches.uk 6.00 pm Private intention SUNDAY OF LENT Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday) – 31stMarch 2019 9.15 am People of the Parish Monmouth (LAETARE sunday) The joy at the dramatic return of the younger son in no way means 11.00 am Rob Harris Ross-on-Wye that the elder son was less loved, less appreciated, less favored. The 31st March father does not compare the two sons. He loves them both with st Monday 1 9.15 am Machin Family Monmouth complete love and expresses that love according to their individual journeys. He knows them both intimately. He understands their Tuesday 2nd 7.00 pm Mary Sellar Ross-on-Wye highly unique gifts and shortcomings. He sees with love the passion

Wednesday 3rd 9.15 am Private intention Monmouth of his younger son, even when it is not regulated by obedience. With the same love, he sees the obedience of the elder son, even when it Thursday 4th 10.00 am Fitzpatrick & Phelan family Ross-on-Wye is not vitalized by passion. With the younger son there are no thoughts of better or worse, more or less, just as there are no th Friday 5 9.15 am Jean Rowan Monmouth measuring sticks with the elder son. The father responds to both according to their uniqueness. The return of the younger son makes Saturday morning Mass at Usk Prison Sacrament of Reconciliation: Monmouth: Saturday from 5.15-5.45 pm him call for a joyful celebration. The return of the elder son makes and Ross-on-Wye: Tuesday from 6.15-6.45 pm him extend an invitation to full participation in that joy. Vigil Mass Saturday Neil Cawthorne Monmouth “In the houses of my father there are many places to live,” Jesus Fifth 6.00 pm says. Each child of God has there his or her unique place, all of SUNDAY OF them places of God. I have to let go of all comparison, all rivalry LENT 9.15 am People of the Parish Monmouth and competition, and surrender to the Father’s love. This requires 7th April 11.00 am John Fennessy Ross-on-Wye a leap of faith because I have little experience of non-comparing love and do not know the healing power of such a love. As long as Contributions to the newsletter to: [email protected] by 12 noon Thursday please I stay outside in the darkness, I can only remain in the resentful [email protected] (St Frances of Rome, Ross-on-Wye) complaint that results from comparisons. Outside of the light, my 12/2019 Parish of the Archdiocese of Cardiff - Registered No: 242380 younger brother seems to be more loved by the Father than I; in fact, outside of the light, I cannot even see him as my own brother. Henri J.M. Nouwen

Monmouth Collections PASSOVER (SEDER) SUPPER – 16 April at 7pm at Bridges Community Centre.

Cost £6.00. Please sign the form at the back of Church for catering. Gift Aid Loose Plate Lenten Alms CAFOD CAMEO (Come And Meet Each Other) meeting is on WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL at £139.10 £271.29 £77.50 £5.00 7.30 pm in St Mary’s Parish Room. Parishioners, Neil and Karin Powell are our

guest speakers on the trials and tribulations of rearing and training a hawk. Please remember in your prayers: Joan Humphreys, James Boyle, Simon McGrath, Billy Mann, Sheila RED BOXES: are due for collection. Please leave them at the back of the church MacEwan, Jill Lloyd, Harry Bradbear, Esther Gallagher, Bernadette Price, where they will be returned the following week together with a receipt. Further details from Martin Flach on 01989 763495 or Liam O’Keefe, Bill Rowan, Margaret Kelly, Mary Iles, Arthur & Angela Barge, [email protected] Duncan Wills, Nigel Poole, Olivia Sherrington, Honor Houghton and Pauline

Collier and all members of our parish who are sick. A BIG THANK YOU to all parishioners and friends of St Mary’s and of St Frances Please remember also all those whose anniversaries occur about this time. of Rome who supported Monmouth Wyedean Catenians at the St Patrick’s Race Night. With your support we have raised £2,482 for charity during 2018/2019: including £1,787 (British Heart Foundation), £160 (DEC Cyclone Monday 1 April - North Deanery Idai Appeal) and £535 (Catenian Bursary Fund). To know more, please see Service of Reconciliation at 7 pm in Robert Derricott/Dave Andrews (Monmouth) or Pat Burbidge/Mike Bushell . (Ross).

Wednesday 3 April: PRAYER BEFORE THE Rotary Club Draw 2019: We are fortunate to be invited, again, by the BLESSED SACRAMENT in Monmouth from Monmouth Rotary Club to participate in its annual draw. Arrangements this 9.45 am-noon. year are a little different. Rather than giving out books of tickets to sell, we will be selling tickets at the back of Church after Mass. This is to comply with Wednesday 3 April: Hereford Deanery the Rotary Club ‘rules’ on traceability of (unsold) tickets. Whilst this may be a Station Mass at 7 pm at Belmont Abbey little inconvenient, there is much to be gained by selling as many tickets as possible. We get to keep the money from the sold tickets! Thursday 4 April: SCRIPTURE REFLECTION in Monmouth from 7-8 pm. DEC CYCLONE IDAI APPEAL: Follow the link to donate online.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Friday 5 April: at 6 pm at St Mary’s RC. Date Eucharistic Reader Welcomer LENTEN LUNCHES are held in Ross from 12.00 -1.00 pm every Friday through Minister Lent. Simple bread & soup lunch in aid of CAFOD. 30 March Peter Field Martin Milling Mrs Elizabeth Allcock

31 March Frances Cloud Glyn Jones Diane du Bois LENTEN RETREAT at St David’s Catholic College, Cardiff CF23 on Saturday 6 Don & Ann Harvey April (10:30 am-15:00 pm). Contact Christian Mahoney on 07764 515864. 6 April Hilary Gooch Patricia Milling 7 April Lynne Derricott Children’s Mass Martina Davies