Statue of St. Francis of Assisi (photo copyright David Hudson)

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - July and August 2008

Sunday 6 July Fourteenth Sunday of the Year
This will also be our PARISH GIFT DAY. You are invited to make your donations by way of the special envelopes that will be available. Please make sure to Gift-Aid your donation if you are a tax-payer. The 10 am Parish Mass will be a "parade" mass attended by our children and uniformed organizations. Later there will be a parish barbeque, open to everyone. Further details available on the news-sheet.

Wednesday 9 July
7.30 pm Meeting of PCC Standing Committee.

Thursday 10 July
In addition to the usual 11.00 am mass at S. Francis there will be a mass at S. Alban’s Church at 7.00 pm, especially for CBS members. All are welcome, and there will be refreshments afterwards.

Monday 14 July
Today churches throughout the country will be marking the 175th anniversary of the Oxford Movement with an HOUR OF SILENT PRAYER in thanksgiving for all the blessings that have flowed from a renewal of catholic faith and practice within the Church of England. At S. Francis, as in many churches, our prayer will be focussed on Jesus Christ present and exposed in the Blessed Sacrament. The hour of exposition and prayer will follow Low Mass at 7.00 pm, and will therefore end at about 8.30 pm.

Wednesday 16 July
7.00 pm Walsingham mass followed by social meeting. All welcome.

Thursday 17 July
7.30 pm Prayer and Praise Group, in church.

Saturday 19 July
Last summer a party from S. Francis went on a very enjoyable visit to Devizes, where we attended mass at S. Peter’s Church and received excellent hospitality. This July our friends from S. Peter’s are returning the visit. They will come to mass at
11.00 am, we shall give them refreshments, and later they will go off to explore the beach and shops. It would be good if a fair number of S. Francis people were there to give them a warm welcome. Please do turn up for the mass!

Monday 21 July
7.00 pm PCC meeting, beginning with mass. (Would PCC members please note that this meeting replaces the one previously arranged for 9 July.)

Thursday 24 July
11.00 am Mass for healing, with the laying on of hands and sacrament of anointing.

Monday 28 July to Friday 1 August LIFT OFF WEEK. The time for our children’s holiday club has come round again. As usual the children will meet from 10 am to 12 noon each day, and we look forward very much to welcoming them. Please pray for God’s blessing on this important event, and help to distribute posters and application forms.

Sunday 3 August Eighteenth Sunday of the Year. The 10 am parish mass will include a Lift Off presentation, with stories and music from the previous week.

Wednesday 13 August
7.00 pm Mass for healing, with the laying on of hands and sacrament of anointing.

Friday 15 August THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY. We rejoice that Mary who is both mother of Jesus and the mother of all Christians has been exalted body and soul to the glory of heaven. We rejoice that we, too, are on our way to heaven, and we ask for Our Lady’s prayers as we celebrate her feast.
7.30 pm Solemn Mass.

Saturday 30 August
6.00 pm Visit to S. Francis by a group from S. Mary’s, Littlehampton.

Saturday 6 September Parish Quiet Day at S. Dominic’s Priory, Sway. Further details later. Please put the date in your diary now.

CALENDAR FOR THE MONTH of July 2008
1 Tu Ferial10.00 amAdditional Curates’ Society
2 W Ferial7.00 pmThose recently ordained
3 Th S. THOMAS11.00 amThose who doubt
4 F S. Elizabeth of Portugal7.30 amReconciliation
5 Sa Of Our Lady7.30 amThanksgiving for the priesthood
6 Su FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 am PARISH & CONGREGATION
7 M Of Requiem7.30 amThe departed
8 Tu Ferial10.00 amOur uniformed organizations
9 W Ferial7.00 pmPreparations for Lift Off
10 Th Ferial11.00 amNursing and rest homes
11 F S. BENEDICT7.30 amBenedictines
12 Sa Of Our Lady7.30 amSeafarers
13 Su FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
14 M S. Camillus of Lellis7.00 pm (NB)Thanksgiving for the Oxford Movement
15 Tu S. Swithun10.00 amOur diocese
16 W Our Lady of Mount Carmel7.00 pmThe Shrine of OLW
17 Th Ferial11.00 amA desire to share our faith
18 F Ferial7.30 amThe peace of the world
19 Sa Of Our lady11.00 am (NB)Thanksgiving for friendship
20 Su SIXTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
21 M Ferial7.00 pm (NB)Our PCC
22 Tu S. Mary Magdalene10.00 amWitness to the resurrection
23 W S. Bridget7.00 pm The nations of Europe
24 Th Ferial11.00 amThe ministry of healing
25 F S. JAMES7.30 amHumble service
26 Sa SS Joachim and Anne7.30 amParents
27 Su SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
28 M Ferial7.30 amLift Off
29 Tu S. Martha8.00 am (NB)The Sisters of Bethany
30 W S. Peter Chrysologus7.00 pmBishop Keith
31 Th S. Ignatius of Loyola11.00 amSpiritual renewal
CALENDAR FOR THE MONTH of August 2008
1 F S. Alphonsus Liguori 7.30 amConfessors
2 Sa Of Our Lady7.30 amThe bereaved
3 Su EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
4 M S. John Vianney7.30 amThe parish clergy
5 Tu Ferial10.00 amGood stewardship
6 W THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD7.00 pmOur spiritual transformation
7 Th Of Requiem11.00 amThe departed
8 F S. Dominic7.30 amDominicans
9 Sa S. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein)7.30 amWillingness to bear the Cross
10 Su NINETEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
11 M S. Clare 7.30 amPoor Clares
12 Tu S. Jane Frances de Chantal10.00 amThe pursuit of holiness
13 W Ferial7.00 pmThe ministry of healing
14 Th S. Maximilian Kolbe11.00 amPrisoners
15 F THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY7.30 pm (NB)PARISH & CONGREGATION
16 Sa Ferial7.30 amThe mentally ill
17 Su TWENTIETH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
18 M Ferial7.30 amRefugees
19 Tu Ferial10.00 amThe emergency services
20 W S. Bernard7.00 pmCistercians
21 Th S. Pius the Tenth11.00 amPope Benedict
22 F Our Lady, Queen of Heaven7.30 amThe Shrine of OLW
23 Sa S. Rose of Lima7.30 amThe Church in S. America
24 Su TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION
25 M S. Louis of France7.30 amThose in authority
26 Tu Blessed Dominic Barberi10.00 amThe conversion of England
27 W S. Monica7.00 pmMothers
28 Th S. Augustine of Hippo11.00 amChristian writers
29 F The Beheading of S. John Baptist7.30 amThe gift of courage
30 Sa SS Margaret Clitherow, Anne Line and Margaret Ward 7.30 amReligious tolerance
31 Su TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR8 & 10 amPARISH & CONGREGATION

Please check the current news-sheet or porch notice for any changes to the mass arrangements.

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