2 The Grove, Kettering NN15 7QQ. Telephone 01536 512497 Website: www.stedwardskettering.org.uk Email: parish@stedwardskettering.org.uk Parish Priest: Fr. Gregory Marchwiński

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Twelfth Sunday of the Year 7th June, 2020

No Public Masses will take place in any of our Churches from Saturday 21st March until further notice

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

Keep an eye on the Vatican News channel for live streaming of events. https://www.vaticannews.va/en.html

Please join us in saying a Spiritual Communion at: http://www.stedwardskettering.org.uk/when-mcannot-be-celebrated-publicly-making-a-spiritual-communion/

Or visit live streaming broadcasts of Mass from Northampton Cathedral at https://northamptondiocese.org/live/

Alternative Masses, adoration, prayer, etc. can be found at: https://www.churchservices.tv/timetable/

Sunday or Daily Readings: http://www.stedwardskettering.org.uk/spirituality/sunday-and-daily-readings/

THIS WEEK’S MASS INTENTIONS

Saturday – for the Parish Sunday – Fr. Joe Williams RIP Monday – Betty McClure RIP Tuesday – Edward Doherty RIP Wednesday – Grace Doherty RIP Thursday – Michael Doherty RIP Friday – Hugh O’Brian RIP Saturday – Eunice Moran RIP Sunday – Florence Saunders RIP, Thomas Moran RIP

To request a Mass Intention please send an email to: parish@stedwardskettering.org.uk

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY DIED

In our prayers, let us remember our deceased parishioners, family members and friends.

Let us especially remember those who have recently passed away:

Elizabeth (Betty) McClure - Her funeral will take place at Edgar Newman Chapel, Kettering Crematorium on Monday, June 22 at 12.00 noon

Louise Wallace Cunnington - Her funeral will take place at Edgar Newman Chapel, Kettering Crematorium on Wednesday, June 24 at 1.00 pm May they rest in peace.

SICK CALLS AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME

In accordance with official advice and to minimise the chance of Fr. Gregory passing on infection he cannot undertake to visit the sick or housebound except in case of serious need.

However please do not hesitate to call on him to visit those in in imminent danger of death.

Please telephone 01536 512497 with any such requests. Fr. Gregory will of course be happy to pray for anybody who is sick but not close to death, if requested.

MESSAGE FROM FR. GREGORY

We are currently working on improving the heating system in our church.

Please pray for those who work very hard and for the positive effects of their efforts.

I hope that very soon we will appreciate all the work that is taking place in the church of St Edward.

INTERVIEW WITH JITHU BY FR. GREGORY

As you know well, one of our seminarians has been living with me in our parish for over two months. His name is Jithu and he is currently finishing his fourth year of study. I think that many of our parishioners would like to know many things about a vocation to the priesthood and about formation in the seminary. Therefore, taking this opportunity, I have prepared some questions for our special guest who will stay with us until the reopening of Oscott College. Fr Gregory: Jithu, could you say something about your family, siblings, how old you are and when did you decide to enter the seminary? Was this a decision difficult for you, and what or who helped you make it? Jithu: I am Jithu James, a seminarian for the diocese of Northampton. I have just finished my fourth year at Oscott. My family is a nuclear family with my parents and two younger brothers. My parents and grandparents taught me the faith from a young age. I am 24 years old; my brothers are 20 and 10 years of age. Fr Gregory: Do you remember the reaction of your parents when they found out their son wanted to become a priest? Jithu: I remember telling them that I am going to take my discernment for priesthood further and apply to enter the seminary. They were not surprised because I have frequently mentioned to my parents something attracts me to the priesthood. Therefore, this was not a big surprise for them. However, they imagined I was going to join a religious order and not the diocese, this was a shock to them.

Fr Gregory: What does a typical seminarian's day look like at Oscott College? Is there any particular programme for the day? What is your favourite prayer? Can a seminary student have any hobbies and interests besides theology and spiritual life? Do you have time for this? Do you miss your seminary, and do you have contact with your friends and lecturers? Jithu: A typical day will involve waking up around 6:30 am for meditation in the morning. We start our day with prayer and this is the central part of our formation at Oscott. Then we pray morning prayer around 7:45 am communally, then breakfast around 8:00 am. We have around 45 minutes to have breakfast and to prepare for our lectures which begins at 8:45 am till 12:10 pm. Between lectures, we have two smaller breaks and a longer break for coffee. At 12:30 pm is our community mass and leading to our lunch. In the afternoon we have plenty of time for private study, socialising with friends, we can have our various meetings like spiritual direction, meeting formation tutor and human director. This time can be also be used for extra curriculum activities like playing different sports. At Oscott we have access to different games and socialise in the common room upstairs where can meet in the evenings. One of my hobbies is to go to the gym to work out, I usually do this in the afternoons at least four to five times a week. I and my friends like to go to the cinema occasionally to catch up on the latest releases. I do miss a lot about the seminary in this unusual time, however, we still maintain contact with friends and formation staff. Fr Gregory: What does formation at Oscott College look like and who are your lecturers? Do you have any favourite Catholic writer or favourite book? Who is your favourite saint and why is that? Do you remember your reaction when you found out that your rector had been appointed by Pope Francis as bishop of your diocese? Jithu: The formation of a seminarian is to make him a holy priest and this time of formation is one of discernment whether God is calling him to be a priest simultaneously forming the man to the priesthood of Jesus. This is why people leave seminary after realising that God is calling them to a different vocation. The formation at Oscott is encompassed by prayer and study, similar to a monastic community, however, we can be a noisy bunch, therefore, we are nothing like a monastic community. The formation to the priesthood is usually for six years during which we have to obtain two degrees as part of our intellectual formation. The formation to the priesthood is divided into four fundamental dimensions which are human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions. The priest is called to be a living image of Jesus Christ as John Vianney says “the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. When you see a priest think of our Lord Jesus.” Human formation is to nurture one’s lifelong personal growth, this involves the integral growth for me allowing to integrate the four dimensions of formation. The spiritual formation is a central part of the formation to the priesthood as this will reflect in a priest’s identity and mission. As a seminarian, I am called to be a disciple of Christ and then to be configured to Him to be a man of God. And to help people to encounter the Lord and for them to build a deep relationship with Him. The intellectual dimension is to cultivate a habit of studying the faith which will help in the priestly ministry. Similarly, the studies help us, seminarians, to grow in our Christian vocation and with my relationship with the Lord Jesus. The pastoral dimension is to help me to become a good pastor in service of God and serving His people. Therefore, over the year I have experienced many pastoral situations to reflect them in my theological understanding and personal growth.

My favourite Catholic writer is St. John of the cross and my favourite book is the Dark Night of the soul. My favourite saint is St. Anthony because one of the things like about him is his zeal for serving the Lord. Importantly he has been a help for me in my discernment. One of my favourite prayers is the rosary. Fr Gregory: How do you remember Father David Oakley as a rector? What kind of priest and rector was he for students at Oscott? Jithu: One of the first thing that comes to my mind about rector David Oakley is the importance of prayer in his life. The way he is always first in the chapel for meditation, he always told us prayer is important in the life of a priest. The way he lived what he preached shows his integrity. He has always been inspiring in that way for me. And I am very happy that he is our Bishop. Bishop David has been a leader for us at Oscott, the way he helped us during formation is something I appreciate and treasure. Leading can be lonely especially for a rector, now that he is our Bishop, I would encourage you all to pray for Bishop David because it is not easy to lead or be a leader. Fr Gregory: Last year you had the opportunity to visit and get to know the Holy Land. How do you remember this time and what was the most beautiful experience for you? Would you like to go back there again? How would you encourage us to visit Jesus' homeland? Jithu: I enjoyed my time in the Holy Land, for me the Gospels that we hear were brought alive when I visited the very place where Gospels unfolded. It is a natural setting of the Gospel; it is like a fifth Gospel in the language of Saint Paul VI. I was overwhelmed with the peace I enjoyed in the region of Tiberias, the time I spent in prayer on Mount Beatitude is something I will treasure for the rest of my lifetime. Now that I have been to the Holy Land, this has impacted my prayer life and the Mass is a bit more different because I can see it and picture it walking in His footsteps bringing prayer experience into a new dimension. Fr Gregory: What would you like to do when you become a priest? Do you have any plans or dreams about pastoral work in our diocese? Jithu: I would like to serve the people in this diocese and to propagate the faith which is necessary in this present world. Especially what the church is and who Jesus is misconstrued in people’s understanding. I would want to work with the vision of the Bishop for evangelising and the mission of the Church which is to carry on with the work of Jesus bringing about the kingdom of God. Fr Gregory: What do you think will be the biggest challenge for you in your pastoral work? Is there anything you are afraid of? What excites you the most when you think about the future and the priesthood? Jithu: One of the challenges in the present time is to present the faith in a world where we are faced with moral relativism. Therefore, promoting a moral life corresponding to the teachings of Church and our faith is increasingly becoming difficult. This is caused by the loose foundation on absolute subjective truth substituting and denying objective truth in our wider society. This is an issue we will find challenges as Christians. The most exciting prospect is the thought of having my life ahead to serve God as a labourer in His vineyard to teach and hand on the faith to generations to come in love.

Fr Gregory: Do you have any ideas on how to encourage young people to practise the Catholic faith, the sacraments and to build relationships with God? How could you encourage young men to follow you and join the Seminary? How can you promote Oscott College? Jithu: From my own experience it was in my family who made it possible for me to learn about the faith. We always had reserved time in the evening for praying as a family daily. This is because my grandparents and parents took faith seriously and taught me a lot about faith. I think family is very important for giving a foundation for the school and parish to carry on this good work. It is invaluable to have friends who help you grow in your faith and relationship with Christ. I encourage young people to give time to listen to the Lord so that you can discern what is His will for you. When you are having doubts and struggles openly discuss this with your friends, family and parish priest if you can. Oscott seminary has been provided me with a sacred space in discerning and forming me what God is calling me to do. Fr Gregory: What would you like to ask our parishioners for? Is there anything you need during your formation and preparation for the priesthood? Jithu: I would like you all to keep me in your prayers, I will greatly appreciate this. It is important to teach the faith, cultivating an environment at home to do this for your children and grandchildren enabling them to respond to God’s love generously.

Thank you, Jithu, for our conversation. We all keep our fingers crossed for you and promise you our prayers for you and other seminarians. May God bless you

and enjoy your time in our parish!

THE MONTH OF JUNE – MONTH OF THE SACRED HEART

Sacred Heart window, St. Edward’s Church

History of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Sacred Hearth statue in the South aisle of St. Edward’s Church

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is evident in so many Catholic churches (including those in our own parish) where we see a statue of the Sacred Heart and a candle stand, in many cases with red coloured tea lights. We are used to seeing a side altar dedicated to the Sacred Heart (complemented by a side altar dedicated to Our Lady with its blue tea lights). Our main focus is always, of course, the tabernacle containing the Real Presence of Our Lord, but it is also a great comfort to Catholics to observe these familiar side altars when away from home and visiting a Catholic church.

At one time so many Catholic homes treasured in a prominent place a picture of the Sacred Heart (often with a small red light – much admired by the children!) and most of us associate devotion to the Sacred Heart with the French nun, St Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-1690). It was her visions which inspired devotion in the form we are familiar with today but the web page https://www.aquinasandmore.com/blog/june-is-the-month-of-the-sacred-heart/ details the longer history.

In the first ten centuries of the church devotion to God’s love was rendered. Jesus’ wounded side and the blood and water which gushed forth in love were meditated upon. From the eleventh century the focus was the wounded heart of Jesus as the wound of Divine Love and St Gertrude’s (d. 1302) vision emphasised the need for the world, having grown cold, to rekindle its love for God. Until the sixteenth century the devotion was a private, individual practice. The Jesuits in the seventeenth

century developed it further until St Margaret Mary’s vision similar to that of St Gertrude followed by her other visions of the Sacred Heart.

Some main aspects of this devotion which draw us to the wonders of Christ’s love are the novena leading to the Feast of the Sacred Heart (recently celebrated) but which can be said at any time, observance of the first Friday of each month (in normal times available at St Edward’s church) and frequent reception of Holy Communion. The web page also gives links for the Act of Enthronement (which families might particularly benefit from), the Consecration to the Sacred Heart and others. To faithful devotees Jesus promised:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life. 2. I will give peace in their families. 3. I will console them in all their troubles. 4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death. 5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings. 6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Tepid souls shall become fervent. 8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection. 9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated. 10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts. 11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart. 12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour. Online Resources During these times spent largely in our own homes you may enjoy seeing beautiful images and hearing some of the prayers on video on You Tube. Just search “Catholic morning offering to the Sacred Heart”, “Litany of the Sacred Heart” etc. It’s truly strengthening to realise so many people are tuning in and we are not alone.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you

ARRANGEMENTS FOR RE-OPENING ST. EDWARD’S CHURCH

FOR PRIVATE PRAYER ONLY

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Update 10th June, 2020

Stewards Needed As you may know, we had been preparing for an opening on July 4th for private prayer, by which time the Covid health and safety measures we need may have been delivered and installed. Then the date was eased to June 15th. if feasible.

However, not all churches are able to re-open due to national shortages of these measures and, unfortunately, we now have a period of maintenance & repair work being carried out in church (previously delayed by lockdown). Under current regulations, and for everyone’s safety, we cannot permit a mixing of workmen and visitors. It will also be dusty with equipment lying around. This will sadly delay our opening for prayer.

I am so sorry about this as, like me, I know parishioners were looking forward to the opportunity of praying before the tabernacle in church. I will keep you updated here as safety measures arrive, work becomes completed and we progress to an eventual re-opening.

A reminder that in addition to Mass there is adoration, rosary and priest-led prayer available daily from a selection of churches across the British Isles which can be live streamed on https://www.churchservices.tv/timetable/ at various times of day.

STEWARDS STILL REQUIRED! We will not be able to open without a team of stewards, therefore if you are interested, healthy and not in a vulnerable group, please email your name to the parish office. The vulnerable group includes those eligible by age or illness to be able to access free annual flu vaccinations, the elderly, those with underlying conditions and shielded. Please read the information posted below before applying to the parish office by email at parish@stedwardskettering.org.uk

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We have now received detailed instructions from the Diocese on how we must prepare for the eventual re-opening of our church for private prayer only. The instructions originate from the Ministry of Communities & Local Government working with the Bishop’s Conference. We have also sought advice from front-line medical staff in our parish. There will be a risk assessment by Diocese appointed Health & Safety Consultants, then our implementation of the rules will come under the authority of (and auditing by) Kettering Borough Council. The danger of any virus spread or resurgence is being taken very seriously and our Bishop has to be satisfied that all procedures have been implemented (and that they will be followed by all entering the building) before he can give us permission to re-open our church. As the layout of churches across the diocese varies greatly, each parish has to submit their plans for re-opening to Bishop’s House for consideration that it is safe to do so. If a church cannot meet the criteria for social distancing, sanitation, routing of visitors to avoid contact, etc. then it cannot open. Similarly, if it opens but then fails to comply, permission could be rescinded. Therefore, we respectfully ask that all visitors for prayer adhere strictly to the rules for the benefit of everyone’s health and to keep our church open. To qualify, our church must:

• Have an area for private prayer with two points of access so that an ‘in’ and ‘out’ system can be established. Parishioners will be asked to enter via the side porch door and take a seat only where signs permit. Exit will be via the side door (by the Sacristy) and out onto The Grove. The balcony will be closed because there can be no separate ‘in’ and ‘out’ provision with only one staircase present. Under the rules of distancing, the balcony would only provide for six additional persons anyway.

• Have seats marked out with social distancing of 2m (6 Ft.) in all directions. This will be achieved by placing notices on seats indicating where we can and cannot sit.

• Have antibacterial gel dispensers at both entrance and exit and stewards to remind people to use them. Visitors will be asked to avoid unnecessary touching of statues, pews, handles, etc. and are strongly advised to wear

masks and gloves. Masks can help stop one route of infection via droplets expelled in our breath.

• Display notices reminding people of social distancing. Use of votive candles will not be possible as this could encourage unsafe distancing in confined areas and cause an extra zone to be sanitised. The confessional rooms will be closed to both minimise cleaning and because their very small unventilated areas could harbour infected airborne droplets from the immediately previous penitent. The Lady Chapel will not be accessible internally as it is too confined a space to enable good 2 metre distancing.

• Keep Holy Water stoups emptied and covered over. • Clean down seats and all touched areas after each use (see arrangements

below). • Remove all hymn books, prayer books, cards or any other paper materials as

the virus is able to survive on such surfaces for a while.

The Diocese advises that only the main parish church will be considered for re-opening. In creating a safe environment for prayer which works under the above rules, we will need a sufficient number of volunteers to act as stewards. Priests will not be able to manage the re-opening of churches on their own!

Stewarding

The Steward’s role will be:

• To responsibly control access within the church’s measured safe capacity limit, • To maintain social distancing between parishioners at all times and remind if

needed, • To wipe down seats and all touched areas with antiseptic after each use,

including the outside toilet if used (the diocese recommends that the toilet is not made available unless absolutely necessary, to minimise cleaning).

• To keep a record of those attending, to assist contact tracers should a visitor later develop symptoms.

These stewards will need to be healthy individuals and, regardless of age, not part of the group of people who are being ‘shielded’ or people with underlying medical conditions. They should also definitely be under 70 years old, although the World Health Organisation emphasises that even a healthy person’s vulnerability to the disease increases more rapidly beyond the age of 60, thus requiring additional preventative measures. Please therefore consider very carefully your own circumstances before volunteering. We would rather you keep safe and well than be a volunteer!

Advice is to start off with a small number of access ‘slots’ to assess demand and increase as necessary. Further information and training for stewards will be provided in due course. In the meantime, any interested healthy volunteers in the appropriate age group are asked to contact the Presbytery and leave their contact details. Stewards will be provided with masks and gloves which are required to be worn.

This information concerns only the opening of churches for private prayer which is not likely to happen until at the earliest July 4th., always providing the number of Covid cases has further decreased. This information cannot be followed for other activities that may take place on parish premises, such as groups that would meet in church halls. In fact at present the hall must remain closed by law.

These measures may seem burdensome, or even a little daunting, but this virus is different to many others in that people can be infectious without being aware or displaying symptoms at the time. Also the measures are necessary because if any churches are seen to be operating in a way that may increase the spread of the virus, there is a risk that stricter measures such as prohibition or enforced closure notices could be served by local authorities or government. This is a very frustrating time for us all but we are trying our best within the confines of the rules to find ways of allowing safe access for limited numbers who wish to pray in church. Please bear with us and thank you in anticipation of your understanding and help. I will continue to post updates here and try to alert some of those in the parish who might not access our website, but it would help if readers of this could also spread the information. Thank you, God Bless and stay safe.

GIFT AID ENVELOPES

New Gift Aid envelopes are already available in the parish office. Please book a day and time with Father Gregory by phone or email for you to pick them up.

ST EDWARD’S PARISH - THE PARISH COMMUNITY IN LOCKDOWN

FACEBOOK GROUP

Our new parish Facebook group - The Parish of St. Edward's, RC Church,

Kettering, Northamptonshire continues to grow. Find the facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2762598427183322/about/

PARISH CALL AND CARE

The Parish is continuing with its “Parish Call and Care scheme” to support isolated and elderly parishioners, many of whom are facing months without significant social

contact. If you are someone who would like to receive calls, from a fellow parishioner, or know of someone who you feel would appreciate such a call, please contact Fr Gregory in the first instance on 01536 512497 or email parish@stedwardskettering.org.uk with your name and phone number (and if you are recommending anybody else to receive such calls, their name and phone number).

WEEKLY DONATIONS Some parishioners have asked how they can maintain their donations which would normally be given via the collection plate. It is true that church income will significantly reduce as a result of the current ban on public liturgies while we are all being asked to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. While I will endeavour to keep parish outgoings as low as possible, please could I ask those parishioners who can afford it at this time, and do not currently give by Standing Order, to consider donating online.

There are several ways of donating during this crisis so that you do not need to leave home:

• Online This can be done via the Diocesan website which can be found at https://northamptondiocese.org/ . Scroll down to find the ‘Donate’ button and follow the instructions on the Catholic Diocese of Northampton Virgin money giving page. By indicating in the notes section of the donate page that the donation is for "St. Edward's Kettering" your donation will go into our parish account with the diocese, and will at the same time help our diocese as a whole. Please note that there is the facility to Gift Aid any donation to your parish if you are a taxpayer. Thank you for any help you can give.

• Standing Order via your own bank. Alternatively, you can set up a standing order for donations to your parish using your online bank account. The information required to make the donation is as follows. Bank; NatWest Sort Code; 60-06-11 Account Name; 46898093 Account Name; Northampton Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust Payment Ref; St. Edward's, Kettering

• Make a donation to your own parish over the phone - The Diocesan Finance office has now introduced ‘Giving Tuesday’. Each ‘Tuesday’ between 10.00am and 4.00pm, a member of the finance team will be available at Bishop’s House to take your calls to donate to your parish community over the telephone. To donate simply call 01604 712065 with your debit or credit card details. (If you get the answering machine just leave your name and number NOT bank details and you will be called back). When you get through you will be asked for your name & address, your parish, envelope number (if you have one) and gift aid status. You can make one-off catch-up donations or regular weekly or monthly payments, on any Tuesday until further notice.

• You can also support the Parish by making a donation through the letterbox of the presbytery at any time.