Our-Lady-of-Loreto-and-St-Winefride                  Our Lady of Loreto & St Winefride                                     

Fr Francis Lynch

1 Leyborne Park
Kew
TW9 3HB
(020) 8940 3101

Email: kewgardens@rcaos.org.uk

 

 

There will be a different spiritual reading each week from one of the Christian Classics.

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Dear Parishioners,

This is the letter sent by email to all parishioners.

If it didn’t arrive, can you send us a request by email, and then we can add your email to the list. Two or three emails were undeliverable. Probably the letterbox wasn’t big enough.

It has been just over two months since the suspension of public Masses was put in place. I pray that you and your families are keeping well and are not finding the current circumstances too challenging. I want to thank you all for your ongoing support to the parish in these difficult times. I am keeping you all in my prayers. Please also pray for me.

I am emailing to give you an update on current activities / plans in the parish. There have been some updates to the parish website in recent weeks and I would encourage you to continue to check there for the weekly newsletter and other parish news and updates.

  1. I plan to offer a live streamed Sunday Mass from our church each week, beginning this Sunday 24 May at 11am. Details for joining via Zoom will be in the newsletter on our parish website.

https://www.stwinefrides.org.uk/

Go to zoom, and go to join meeting.(see meeting ID and password in newsletter)

Mass starts at 11am on Sunday.

I do hope that you will be able to join me for Mass.

  1. I have started a Tuesday evening discussion group at 7pm, again via Zoom. Joining details are in the newsletter. If there is increased demand, I will be happy to consider running a second group. Topics covered in the last 2 sessions were “Doubting Thomas” and “The Ascension”. Future topics will include “Mary” and “Pentecost”.

 

  1. Following the announcement of the suspension, we have had a group of volunteers from the parish keeping in touch by phone with some of our senior parishioners and others who have asked to have phone contact / support. I intend to ask these volunteers to extend the offer of phone contact / support to our families with children in the parish. I know that these have been challenging times for parents in our community, especially those trying to juggle responsibilities for home schooling and work commitments.
  2. I have been keeping in touch with our families with children preparing for First Holy Communion this year. We are in discussion regarding a new date for the First Holy Communion Mass, once the restrictions have been lifted.
  3. Our Archbishops have already made it clear that planning is underway for the re-opening of Catholic churches when restrictions are eased and that discussions with the statutory public health agencies and Government representatives are ongoing. See the link below.

https://www.cbcew.org.uk/bishops-recognise-pain-of-catholics-who-cannot-pray-in-church-or-receive-the-sacraments/

It may well be the case that we will be permitted to open our churches for private payer, but still not be able to conduct public Masses for some time. It is likely that we will need to consider practical arrangements in either case, once we have an update on the position.

  1. 6. I have also been looking ahead to when we are able to celebrate public Masses again. With this in mind, I have already invited suggestions from parishioners via the newsletter on how we might mark this in our parish. For example, I was thinking of having a big welcoming parish Mass, on the first week that it will be allowed. I also thought we should have a special Mass for those who have died, for whom a standard funeral has not been possible. I would welcome any ideas or suggestions from parishioners.

With every blessing

Father Francis Lynch