03/01/2021

Newsletter: Second Sunday of Christmas

The Sunday Mass can be accessed here.

Click the links below to download the Mass sheet, Mass readings and the Look colour in sheet for the children.

Christmas Thanks
May I thank all those who assisted in different ways with regard to the Christmas Masses. The recent crop of Track and Trace notifications in addition to London been placed in Tier 4, and with NHS requests for vulnerable parishioners to isolate, resulted in Mass attendance being sparser than originally predicted as parishioners stayed at home fulfilling their civic duty.

I am pleased to say that the Parish was able to provide 6 Masses for the Christmas and those who were able to come and celebrate with all due precautions. The two children’s Masses managed to deliver a socially-distanced drama of the Gospel with Mary, Joseph and angels and shepherds. Thank you to our families who provided the two casts. Christmas was celebrated in the best way possible under the circumstances.

Thank you must be said to Kathryn James and Anne Edes for the Nativity Play; Alison Drew for the flowers; the musicians for providing music at all six Masses, Gavin Evenhuis, Liz Benedetto Emma Higham, Leslie and Eleanor Hill; the many stewards and cleaners who made the Church a safe environment for everyone, and to Caroline Estorninho for live streaming the night Mass on Christmas Eve. Caroline’s expertise has allowed for Mass to be streamed on a regular basis each Sunday for those parishioners unable to attend due to shielding. The combined numbers of those who participate in person and those on line is the great majority of those who attended before the pandemic which is very encouraging.

Desmond McGinley RIP
May I pass on the very sad news that Des McGinley died after a short illness a week last Sunday, 20th December at West Mid Hospital. Please pray for the repose of his soul and for Jean and her son Duncan at this time. Des was a long-standing member of this Parish and always very supportive of the mission of St Margarets, clergy and laypeople alike. I will miss his kindness, quiet demeanour, erudition and incisive comments about the Church and my own work here.

The date for his funeral has not yet been established but numbers are restricted owing to government regulations. The funeral will be live streamed and details will be on the Parish website.

May I wish you all a very Happy New Year and eventual release for every permutation of lockdown and shielding.