The Beauty of the Christmas Crib - Holy Ghost Balham
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HOLY 4th Sunday of
Advent (A)
GHOST NEWS
22 December 2019
Mass Book p. 90
The Beauty of the Christmas Crib
Pope Francis has written an Apostolic Letter, called ‘Admirabile Signum’, on the
meaning and importance of the Nativity scene (or ‘crib’). As he says: ‘With this
letter I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity
scene in the days before Christmas, but also the tradition of setting it up in the
workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares’.
He goes on: ‘The enchanting image of the Christmas Crib, so dear to the
Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The
depiction of Jesus’s birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the
Incarnation of the Son of God. The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up
from the pages of Sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story we
are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God
who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to
realise that so great is His love for us that He became one of us, so that we in
turn might become one with Him’.
As we ourselves kneel before the Crib this Christmas, may our hearts too be
filled with amazement, wonder – and love.
Holy Ghost News Vol 24, No 51
WHAT’S ON ... CHRISTMAS GREETINGS Sat 11 January 9am - 10am - both
As this will be the last newsletter taking place in the Parish Centre.
MONDAY 23 before Christmas, Father Richard and
Father Tom would like to take this CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
TUESDAY 24 opportunity to wish you all a very The next session will take place on
happy and holy Christmas. If you will Thursday 16th January at the usual
Emmanuel Prayer Group
7.30pm (1st Tues)
be travelling over the Christmas time of 7pm in the Church Crypt.
Church period, we hope you have a safe
journey, and for those who remain in CHRISTMAS POSTER
St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Balham, we look forward to seeing There are some free Christmas
8pm (2nd & 4th Tues) you for our Christmas services. posters in the church porch, provided
Plunkett Room The weekly Masses will be published by the Knights of St Columba. Please
on the church noticeboard. take one to display in the front
WEDNESDAY 25 window of your home.
LEPRA APPEAL & TRINITY HOSPICE
THURSDAY 26
Thank you for your generosity in THE CHRISTMAS OFFERING
FRIDAY 27 raising £1311.44 in last week’s A reminder that the collection at the
collection for Lepra and £438.85 for Christmas Masses is your personal
Galilee Groups Vocational Trinity Hospice collected at the Carol offering to Father Richard and Father
6pm Discernment (1st Fri) Service. Tom. Envelopes for your offering are
Church now available in the church porch.
SUNDAY HOLY HOURS
SATURDAY 28
& FRIDAY ADORATION CRIB OFFERING 2019
Holy Hour will be celebrated today, This Christmas our Crib Offering will
Sunday, 22nd December. There will be be donated to Friends of the Holy
no Holy Hour on the 29th December, Land.
CHRISTMAS 2019 and then it resumes on Sunday 5th
January. CHRISTMAS READERS & EXTRAORDINARY
Confessions for Christmas The last Friday Adoration before MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION
Saturday 14 Dec Christmas will be on Friday 20th Our existing parish readers and
10.30-11am December – Friday Adoration will ministers are asked to sign up if they
resume after Christmas on Friday 3rd can help with the Christmas Masses
Saturday 21 Dec January. – sign up sheets are on the table in
10.30am-11.30am & 4pm-5pm the church porch. Thank you for your
(both priests available) 6.45am & 8.30am WEEKDAY MASSES help!
From this week there will be no
MASSES FOR CHRISTMAS 6.45am Mass (Mon-Thurs) and no SERVING AT CHRISTMAS
8.30am (Fri) Mass. The 6.45am Mass Altar servers – if you are here for
Christmas Eve will resume on Mon, Jan 13th and the Christmas, please sign up for one of
6pm (with Carols) 8.30am Mass will resume on Fri, Jan the Christmas Masses – 6.00pm
10th. Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass, 8am,
Midnight
(with Carols from 11.30pm) 9.30am and 11.00am (no 6.00pm
PARISH OFFICE Mass Christmas Day). The sign-up
The Parish Office is now closed for sheets are in the Sacristy. There are
Christmas Day
the Christmas & New Year holiday no special practices for Christmas
8am period. The Office will re-open on
Masses, but for Midnight Mass,
Thursday 2nd January at 9am.
9.30am (with Carols) servers must arrive by 11.00pm
11am (Sung Mass) NO OPEN HOUSE UNTIL JANUARY 13th
The next Open House will be on PARISH FINANCES - LAST WEEK
(No Evening Mass)
Monday, January 13th. Open House
Thank you for your support. Last
is an opportunity for parishioners to week’s collection was as follows:
meet a priest without an
Gift Aid £1221.65
appointment, to discuss routine
Loose £ 706.46
matters such as registering for
Total £1928.11
Baptism or Marriage – simply turn up
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
between the times stated and wait
your turn downstairs until called.
Isaiah 7:10-14 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Psalm: 23:1-6 FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PREPARATION Quiz Night at Balham Bowls Club -
Romans 1:1-7 The First Holy Communion 12th March 2020
Preparation Programme begins on
Matthew 1:18-24
Wed 8 January 4.30pm - 5.30pm & More details to follow soon!
[2]
CHRISTMAS FAIR - MANY THANKS! make an appointment to see MEDJUGORJE IRISH CENTRE
Once again, a big thanks to all him, please just give him the PILGRIMAGES APRIL - OCT 2020
who helped organise a very relevant paperwork, or drop it 7 Night Stay and Airport
successful Christmas Fair - the off at the Parish Office. Fr Shuttle service from
fair made £6472 for parish Richard will use the well- Dubrovnik or Split for €266
funds. established system of the per person sharing. Book any
school reference forms which flight - any time and we
8.30 MASS ON FRIDAYS are filled in on Sundays to provide guaranteed airport
The 8.30 Mass on Friday enable him to complete your shuttle service. Call us for
mornings is specially timed so paperwork. If there are any further info and book the
that pupils at Holy Ghost exceptional circumstances you dates that suit you. Tel. 020
School can attend Mass feel Fr Richard needs to be 3239 8662 or email
before school begins. We aware of, please put these in reservations@med-
invite all the pupils and their writing and include them with irishcentre.com
families to come and share in the other documentation. If Fr
this Mass, which is the perfect Richard then feels he needs to LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR
way to say THANK YOU to speak to your personally, he will St John Fisher Kidbrooke RC
God at the end of the week. If be in touch to make an Parish will be running a Life in
your child would be interested appointment. the Spirit Seminar starting
in reading at this Mass, please Most schools ask for evidence 10 January 2020 every Friday
speak to Fr Richard or Fr Tom. of three years regular Mass to 21 Feb 2020 7:30-9:30pm
Children who have been attendance - if a particular supported by Soul Food
trained as altar servers are school is asking for evidence of Prayer group and Cor
also warmly invited to serve – attendance over a longer et Lumen Christi members.
again, just let one of the period, you must make this The Life in the Spirit Seminar
priests know you would like to clear when asking Fr Richard to is a back to basics
help. provide a reference. exploration of the Good News
that leads to a real and deep
‘SYCAMORE’ EVENINGS EMMANUEL PRAYER GROUP knowledge and experience of
BEGINNING IN JANUARY The prayer group meet every God’s love for us. It renews
In January, we hope to begin first Tuesday of most months: and transforms lives through
running a short course based Jan 7th; Feb 4th; Mar 3rd; May the power of the Holy Spirit.
on the new ‘Sycamore’ 5th, June 2nd & July 7th. The For full details and to register
programme – an informal meetings are from 8pm - for the Life in the Spirit
course about the Christian 9.30pm in the church, and Seminar, email
faith and its relevance today. include praise, formation, gems.for.growth@gmail.com
Each session involves a short, Adoration of the Blessed
high quality film and time for Sacrament and the opportunity LODGINGS REQUIRED
discussion, exploring the for Confession. All are very Long term Balham resident is
richness of our Christian welcome. More information can
tradition from a Catholic looking for lodgings/room from
be found at
perspective (the name mid Jan. He is a genial, single
www.emmanuelcommunity.co.uk
‘Sycamore’ comes from the 72 year old, actively self
story of Zacchaeus who GALILEE GROUPS
employed. Budget: £800 a
climbed a Sycamore tree to VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT
month. Reference available
see Jesus better…). The T h e G a l i l e e G ro u p i s a n from parishioner, Oliver Pawle
course will run on Monday open group for men discerning at:
evenings and the dates for their vocation. The group meets Oliver.Pawle@kornferry.com
your diary are – 28th January, here at Holy Ghost on the First 07836337179
4th February, 11th February and Friday of most months for
2 3 rd F e b r u a r y. M o r e prayer, faith formation and as
information to follow soon. an opportunity to get to know
others searching for the will of Additional evening
SCHOOL REFERENCES God in their lives. For more Confessions every first
Many people have begun information please contact Fr Sunday of the month, 5.00 -
asking about school Richard at 5.30pm. NEXT AVAILABLE
references. If you need a richardwhinder@rcaos.org.uk ON SUN 5 JANUARY.
reference to be signed by Fr
Richard, there is no need to
[3]MASSES etc ...
SAT 21 5.30pm Holy Mass Mary O’Shaughnessy RIP
4th Sunday of
SUN 22 8am Holy Mass Mr & Mrs Duggan RIP
Advent
9.30am Family Mass Marica Maric RIP
11am Sung Mass Fr Patrick Cope & Arthur Cope RIP
EXPOSITION
5pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament O n F r i d a y s t h e re i s
generally Adoration of
6pm Holy Mass Pro Populo the Blessed Sacrament
from after the 9.30am
St John
MON 23 9.30am Holy Mass Edward & Marion (Wellbeing) Mass, concluding with
of Kanty Benediction at 6pm.
Kathleen, Jim & CONFESSIONS
TUE 24 Christmas Eve 6pm Vigil Mass Confessions are
James Kennedy RIP
generally available every
Carols John & Florence Mundondo day after the 9.30am
Midnight Midnight Mass
11.30pm & Family RIP Mass (Mon - Fri),
Thursdays 2.45 -
WED 25 Christmas Day 8am Holy Mass John, Mary & Patrick Kenny RIP 4.30pm, and Saturdays
10.30 - 11am.
9.30am Family Mass Doris Adams RIP REQUESTING A MASS
To r e q u e s t a M a s s ,
11am Sung Mass Pro Populo
please use one of the
NO EVENING envelopes available in
MASS t h e C h u rc h P o rc h -
printing all details. You
THU 26 St Stephen 10am Holy Mass Fr Agnellus Murphy (Intentions) can place it in the
Collecting bag or through
St John the Parish Centre
FRI 27 9.30am Holy Mass Lina Mantolovador RIP
the Apostle letterbox. When
requesting a specific
Holy date, please leave your
SAT 28 10am Holy Mass Fr Patrick Cope & Arthur Cope RIP
Innocents contact number. Masses
cannot be booked by
5.30pm Holy Mass Kevin Dillon RIP email or telephone.
MASS CARDS
Mass Cards are available
SUN 29 Holy Family 8am Holy Mass Jirina Slezak RIP from the Parish Office on
weekday mornings (9.30
- 11.30am).
9.30am Family Mass Pegorini Family RIP
11am Sung Mass Jean-Paul Ribrioux RIP
6pm Holy Mass Pro Populo
PRIESTS PARISH OFFICE PRIESTS’ HOUSE
Fr Richard Whinder BA STL (Mon - Fri 9am - 12 noon) 36 Nightingale Square
(Parish Priest) Mrs Valerie Slezak London SW12 8QN
Father Richard’s email: (Parish Secretary) Tel: 020 8355 0211
richardwhinder@rcaos.org.uk Holy Ghost Parish Office
27 Nightingale Square
Fr Thomas Bakulumpagi BTh London SW12 8QJ ARE YOU RECEIVING THE
(Assistant Parish Priest)
T: 020 8355 0211 NEWSLETTER BY EMAIL?
Father Tom’s email:
F: 020 8355 0212 Just visit the website and go to
.
thomasbakulumpagi@rcaos.org.uk E: balham@rcaos.org.uk Newsletter and then Subscribe
W: http://www.hgbalham.com
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