The Roman Catholic Parish

9th &16th April 2017 - Palm Sunday & Easter Sunday - Issue 1168

EASTER: THE HEIGHT AND DEPTH OF GOD'S

SELF-EMPTYING

It is fitting to say that all the mysteries of our salvation are condensed into one week: Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. On PALM SUNDAY, we journey with Christ and millions of believers towards the temple in the Holy City, a place that symbolizes God's closeness to his people. Jesus invites us to such an intimacy with his Father. Our procession, in a way, our journey into a deeper union with God. During the CHRISM MASS in the Cathedral, two important things happen. We gather around the Bishop with all the clergy of the diocese and renew our promises to live as faithful Christians in the footsteps of the One who died for us and founded the Church as a living, visible sign of his eternal presence and power. Secondly, the Bishop blesses the Oils (of Catechumen, of the Sick, and of Chrism) which we would use to celebrate the Sacraments throughout the Year. On MAUNDY THURSDAY, we celebrate two important mysteries, namely, the institution of the Eucharist and the ordination of the first priests to proclaim the Gospel and to celebrate the Sacraments. In that celebration, too, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. In Pope Benedict XVI's words, "The cleansing that Jesus offers ... his first and foremost simply his action - the gift of purity, of the 'capacity for God' that is offered to them. But the gift becomes a model, the duty to do the same for one another... Christianity is not a type of moralism, simply a system of ethics. It is first and foremost a gift: God gives himself to us." On GOOD FRIDAY, Jesus dies on the cross for us. His cross opens wide the gates of death. This is the only day when there is NO Mass in the whole world, because Jesus offered the bloody Mass by dying on the cross. His love is stronger than death. On EASTER SUNDAY, is the mystery of the resurrection. It is by far wider and deeper than selling or eating Easter eggs! Joy conquers sadness. Goodness conquers evil. Light conquers darkness. Life conquers death. Through Him, with Him, and in Him, we, too, rise from our brokenness, our deaths, to life. Easter is not an idea; it is a mystery that permeates all creation, renewing all things and all humanity from within.

ST JOHN BOSCO BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE Please keep in your prayers all those with Anniversaries in April

John Jerome Devlin + Kevin Jordan + Susan Joy +

Becky Janssens + Robert Booth + Terence Manzi + Alan Booth + Ina Dias + John Knox + Harry Foster +

NEXT MEETING DATES: 3rd Woodley St John Bosco Scout Group: Term Time Only Beavers: Mon 6.00 - 7.00 pm Cubs: Thu 6.30 - 8.30pm Scouts Mon 7.30 - 9.30pm

EASTER TRIDUUM

The Easter Triduum Services

8pm Maundy Thursday

3pm Good Friday 8pm Holy Saturday

Are the most important

Services during the Catholic year.

Everyone is most welcome.

WEEKLY COLLECTION Envelopes £287.55 Loose £279.17 Standing orders: £510 Easter Flowers: 171.22 Thank you for your kind and generous donations which go towards the running of the parish This weekend’s Special Collection: CAFOD East Africa Appeal Next Special Collection: 14th May—Clergy Training

THE SANCTUARY LAMPS FOR WEEK: 9thApril April to is 15th April is dedicated to: Main Church: Deceased Members of the Wang Family Lady Chapel: 16thApril April to is 23rd April is dedicated to: Main Church: Deceased Members of the Wang Family Lady Chapel:

RBH CATHOLIC CHAPLAINCY we wish to let you know that Fr Richard Maniak will not be acting as hospital chaplain for the time being. All emergency calls for the RBH hospital should now go directly to Fr Bon on tel: 9693423

St. John Bosco Church 56 Western Avenue, Woodley, Reading

RG5 3BH Tel: 0118 969 3423

Priest:

Fr Bonaventure Ndong

Email: stjohnbosco

@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk Website:

stjohnbosco.co.uk Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/

groups/1455918784702101

Part of the PORTSMOUTH DIOCESAN TRUST Registered Charity

Number 246871

PARISH OFFICE CLOSED:

12th—18th April Administrator: Karen Tarviin

Safeguarding Representative: Julie Hamblin: 0118 9618918

The groups leading the Stations of the Cross—Friday, 14h April, are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. All welcome, please do join us

THANK YOU

Grateful thanks to the 5 people who collected 10 bags of rubbish and a garden chair in the paths around the church and school last weekend. I under-stand that our church was the only church to pro-vide a team this year. Bravo

The Funeral Mass for John Cahill will take place on 21st April at

9.45am at St John Bosco church. Please

keep in your prayers his wife and family.

BAPTISM LEAVES

For all those children baptised in 2016 available for collection from the church porch.

REPOSITORY

First Holy Communion

& Confirmation

Cards and gifts now available in the Repository. Easter cards together with other cards and gifts are also available. Please come in and have a look. Thank you for your support. The Repository Team

COMMISSIONING OF NEW EXTRAORDINARY

MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION

Will take place Maundy Thursday during Mass

LENTEN ALMSGIVING This year our Lenten Almsgiving will be supporting the Royal Berks Hospital; please see the green bottle at all weekend Masses through Lent. Please give gener-ously.

GENTLE REMINDER Could Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who have a church pyx in their possession, including those who no longer take communion to the sick and house-bound, please re-turn the pyx to the Sacristy. THANK YOU

St John Bosco Parish is a vibrant and worshipping community in the heart of Woodley. We are committed to serve, to grow, to

connect and to give.

MINISTERS FOR MAUNDY THURSDAY Readers Nick Lamb Brenda D’Mello Chris Carter Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion James Lewis M Moreira Don Cramp Nadaya Dworzak Marina Eames GOOD FRIDAY Readers Mary Keenan Andy Johnston Neil Oxley Angela King Martha Babalola Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion James Lewis Jo-Ann Tan Gurney Christen Hall Jenny Moreira

A VERY WARM WELCOME to Seminarian, James Lewis, who arrives on Monday, 10th April for Holy Week. Please note the correction to the name of the Seminarian.

ST ANTHONY’S GAA UNDERAGE FOOTBALL

Now at Kings Meadow Fields,

Napier Rd, Reading every Saturday from 3pm to 4pm

MY DAY BY DAY

April edition available in the church porch. £1 per copy.

MINISTERS FOR

HOLY SATURDAY Readers Becky Aguiar Emma Lobo Chris Carter Julie Hamblin Nicole Wilford Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion A Dworzak A Richard Newman B Ford M Abaratyna J Moreira EASTER SUNDAY Readers Celia Loan Angelina G-Reed Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion M Saunders A J Jeyakumar B + Altar B Ford C N Lamb D + Altar James Lewis Altar only B Buckley Altar only M Babalola Altar only

PRAYER INTENTIONS

Fr. Bon will be in the Holy Land from April 19th - 26,

praying for all of parishioners. If there are special intentions you would like him to pray for, or Masses you would like him to offer while there, please,

put these in writing and drop them at the parish office no

later than Monday, 17th April.

THANK YOU

A big thank you to all who have taken part in the Lenten activities of our parish, including those who have joined in cleaning, decorating, and assisting in other ways, making our parish a happy and loving family. God bless you and grant you special Easter joy!

HUNGER LUNCH GOOD FRIDAY

Homemade soup and a roll

will be served in the Newman Centre between 12.30—

2.30pm. Donations will be sent to Apostleship of the Sea, Portsmouth branch.

MASS INTENTIONS If you wish to arrange for a Mass to be offered please fill out one of the brown Mass intentions envelopes available from the church porch. Either place the envelope in the general collection baskets or post it through the parish centre letter box. It is neces-sary to make the arrangements well in advance if you require a specific date. When a date is not available the next date is allocated . As a guide in the Diocese of Portsmouth the suggested donation is normally £10 per intention .

DIVINE MERCY Sunday 23rd of April—2.30pm at St Josephs, Tilehurst All are welcome to join us. Refreshments afterwards) ALL WELCOME

WATCH THIS SPACE

Announcement of social events, including

Pan Asian led Pentecost celebration

—details to follow.

St. Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School - Western Avenue, Woodley RG5 3BH Tel. 0118 969 3893 Head Teacher: Mr. James Broadbridge Website: www.stdominicsavio.co.uk Emergency numbers for the Sacramental Ministry of a priest: Fr Bon 969 3423 Fr. Pat 931 4469 Fr. Stan 966 3711 Fr. Peter 9428632 Canon Michael 957 2149 Canon John O’Shea 957 4171 Please call your own priest first. READING CHURCHES WEEKEND MASS TIMES: CHRIST THE KING Sat 6.30pm & Sun 10am ENGLISH MARTYRS Sat 6.30pm, Sun 9.30am, 11.30am & 5pm OUR LADY OF PEACE Sun 9am, 11am & 5pm ST JAMES Sat 6pm, Sun 11am ST JOHN BOSCO Sat 6.30pm & Sun 10am ST WILLIAM OF YORK Sun 9am, 11am & 6pm St JOSEPH’S Sun 8.30am & 10.30am

.

.

Please collect the leaflet giving details of our Holy Week and Easter Services from the church porch.

MY FLAME 2017: A KIND OF EASTER

Flame 2017 was one of the best experiences I've had in my whole life and it was also eye opening. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, I thought it would be a day out of sitting in a dark arena with just a person on stage, but I was wrong. Not a little bit wrong but completely wrong! We were shown dances, listened to speeches, music from classic to rap and important messages from around the world. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many young people, around 9,000 and that I had seen before. Flame also strengthened my faith as sometimes in school you feel isolated as religion is a

touchy topic and no one wants to know or hear about it. But Flame showed me that if the

people in your school don't listen, then 9,000 people are here, willing to.

Overall, Flame was brilliant and I would strongly advise if you are in that age boundary go to

it. You can use your phones throughout the day, actually they encourage it! And even if you

aren't in the age boundary go as a volunteer or watch it.

Flame 2017 was something I will never forget.

(By Chloe D'Mello, 14, St. John Bosco Parish,

Woodley).

MEETING RE SOCIAL MEDIA:

At the recent meeting of the Reading PA EST it was agreed

that there would be an evening on the use of Twitter, Facebook,

WhatsApp etc and invite “experts” from our parishes to see

how we could develop these in our parishes in the future. The

aim is to explore different ways of using the new social media

for evangelisation and the service of the

Gospel. If anyone from St John Bosco is interested in social

media please can you let the parish office know so that you can

me invited to the meeting to be planned sometime after Easter.

DATES FOR THE DIARY

CONFIRMATION IN PORTSMOUTH CATHEDRAL, Sunday, 7th May, 3pm

PILGRIMAGE TO OSCOTT SEMINARY, (BIRMINGHAM),

Saturday, 3rd June.

THANKSGIVING MASS FOR ALL PARISH VOLUNTEERS, Wednesday, 31st May, 7pm

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CELEBRATION,

Saturday, 17th June.

THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY AND POPE FRANCIS, 7.00pm, 28th June & 5th July

MASS FOR ALL DECEASED AND BEREAVED PARISHIONERS,

Thursday, 6th July, 7pm

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