 BONUS BALL WINNERS
 Wed 30/12/2015 – No 23 – C. Lynch
 Sat I 2/1/2016 – No 52 – Vacant
 Sat II 2/1/2016 – No 52 – Vacant
Lotto numbers now go up to 59 – this means we have more numbers to sell.
Please see Laura or Sheila after Mass to buy more numbers.
Holy Family RC Church
Holy Family
 COLLECTION – Holy Family - £688.74; Headcorn - £382.51 (both are for 2 weeks)
 MAIDSTONE CHURCHES WINTER SHELTER – Churches across Maidstone are
offering 12 weeks of nightly hospitality and overnight shelter to some of the
most vulnerable people in our area during the coldest months of the year. From
14th Dec 2015 until 6th March 2016, a host venue will provide a hot evening meal,
a bed and support for up to 15 homeless people. We are looking for donations of
spare pillows, pillowcases, hand towels and flannels that are in good condition.
To find out more and/or volunteer, please visit www.maidstoneshelter.org.uk or
contact Ophelia on 07968121714.
 MASS INTENTIONS – If you would like a Mass said, PLEASE use the brown Mass
envelopes at the back of the church for your Mass offering and write clearly the
intention. It is very difficult for Fr. Roy to have pieces of paper shoved in his hand
after Mass with a scribbled note. This is how mistakes happen!
 1st HOLY COMMUNION CHILDREN – There will be prayer cards with the names
of the children at the back of the church for you to take and pray for the child for
the duration of the 1st Holy Communion course. This is a very important
Sacrament in the life of a child and they need your support through prayer.
 PRAYER AND PRAISE – This group meets on the first Thursday of each month at
Aylesford Priory, starting at 7.30pm and lasting around 2 hours. There is often
Mass as well, if a Priest is available.
There are several members of Holy Family who attend and the music is lead by
our very own resident guitarist at Holy Family, Margarita Clarke! Everyone is very
welcome to come along and if you need a lift let Margarita or Hilary know.
(If you would like something published in the newsletter or if you have any
comments about it, please contact me, Dave Arnold at: davidarnold@me.com or
telephone 01622 734340)
Bicknor Road, Park Wood
Maidstone, Kent ME15 9PS
Tel: 01622 752 637
Website: www.msrcparish.org.uk
Email: r.tablizo@hotmail.co.uk
Parish Priest: Fr Roy Tablizo MA
St Thomas of
Canterbury
BAPTISM of the LORD – (Year - C)
DATE
Sat 9
MASS INTENTIONS
Jan 16
HOLY FAMILY
6:00pm MASS
Sun 10 Jan 16
10:30am MASS
BAPTISM of the LORD
Thanksgiving for recovery of Jack Ryan
Mon 11 Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Private intention
Tue 12 Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Wed 13 Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Thu 14 Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Fri 15 Jan 16
Laura Harstedt
Private intention
9:30am MASS
10amExposition
Sat 16 Jan16
6:00pm MASS
John Chapman RIP
Sun 17 Jan 16
10:30am MASS
John Chapman RIP
Confessions – 5:00pm to 5:45pm every Saturday
ST THOMAS OF CANTERBURY
Sat
9 Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Thu 14 Jan 16
NO MASS
Sun
10
Jan 16
9:00am MASS
Fri
15
Jan 16
9:30am MASS Latin
Mon
11
Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Sat
16
Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Tue
12
Jan 16
9:30am MASS
Sun
17
Jan 16
9:00am MASS
Wed
13
Jan 16
NO MASS
Confessions after 9.30am Mass Saturday
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON – After the Lord was baptised, the heavens were
opened, and the Spirit descended on him like a dove, and the voice of
the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased.
 JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY – It is the fervent wish of Pope Francis that all
people should experience the great mercy of God. The Year of Mercy is an
invitation to start again. It is an open door we are invited to enter and
discover the wonder of the love and mercy of God that calls out to the
deepest recesses of our hearts.
We will be hearing more about the Jubilee year and the special events
being planned in the weeks and months to come.
The Divine Mercy Conversion Prayer – “O Blood and Water, which gushed
forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in you.”
 THE FUNERAL of Jim Miller will take place at St Thomas, Headcorn on
Tuesday 19th January at 11.30am. Please pray for the repose of his soul.
 HEADCORN – Copies of St. Thomas’s 25th Anniversary booklet can be
collected after any Mass at St Thomas’s. They are also available at Holy
Family.
 THE BAPTISM of the LORD –If Jesus was born without the stain of original
sin, why did he insist on baptism by John the Baptist? The Catechism of the
Catholic Church states “the baptism of Jesus is, on his part, the acceptance
and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already ‘the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world.’ Already he is anticipating the ‘baptism’ of
his bloody death. Already he is coming to ‘fulfil all righteousness’, that is,
he is submitting himself entirely to his father’s will: out of love he consents
to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father’s voice
responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son.
Jesus was baptised to take on Himself the sins of the world. The baptism of
Jesus washed all our sins in the Jordan river (1 Peter 3:21). You can find this
truth in the book written by Pope Benedict XVI titled - Jesus of Nazareth
(pages 17-18).
Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon his shoulders : he bore
it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public ministry by
stepping into the place of sinners. Jesus’ Baptism anticipated his death on
the Cross and God’s voice that cries out “this is my beloved Son” is an
anticipation of the Resurrection!
 SCHOOL and PARISH CHRISTMAS FAYRE – This was a great success. There
are too many helpers to thank individually so, thank you to everyone! Our
share of the proceeds was £950!
 COFFEE MORNINGS – Our next coffee morning is on 4th February after
9.30am Mass. Future dates are 3rd March, 7th April, 5th May and 2nd June.
You are all very welcome to join us for a chat and taste the delicious home
made cakes!
 BOOK CLUB - Our next book will be ‘Small Island’, by Andrea Levy. We
will meet at 2.30pm on Wednesday 20th January 2016, at Veronica’s
house in Grafty Green – tel: 01580 852478
 PARISH COUNCIL MEETING – The next council meeting is this Monday,
11th January starting at 7:30pm. Please note this is NOT a private meeting
and you are all warmly welcome to attend and have your say. We try to
finish the meeting by 9:30pm latest!
 MASS FOR THE SICK – This will take place at Aylesford Priory on Sunday
7th Feb at 3:00pm. If you know of any person who would like to receive
this Sacrament it would be an act of mercy to offer to take them there.
 Please remember in your thoughts and prayers, all those known to us
who are ill, especially: Richard Martin, Brian Mason, May Terry, Ray
Sweeney, Ann O’Reilly, John Duffy, Oliver Jessel, Fr. Peter Madden, Peter
& Aisling Hawkins, Mary Drumm, Pat Tirant, Angela Collins, Laura
Harstedt, Kath Harvey, Ernie Carter, Elizabeth Stonnell, Albert Skinner,
Jimmy Donlon, Nora McLellan, Patrick Fealy, Alex Sarte, Fr Peter
Growney, Pam Wiles, Richard Cheeseman, Brigitte & Michael Aris, Mair
Barnes, Ann Loye, and Sheila MacCabe.
 ANNIVERSARIES – Please pray for the repose of the souls of Stan
Kontowtt, Mary Walsh, Lily Cahill, Martha Freeman, Catherine Meade,
Florrie Oldfield, Michael Keating, Michael Vickers, Michael Ashdowne,
Rose Mears, Neville Stephens and Jim Thompson.