St Gertrude’s Church, South Croydon
46 Purley Road
South Croydon CR2 6EY
Tel; 020 8688 5002
Parish Priest : Fr Martin McCarthy
Saturday
6.30pm:Parish . PMB page 140
Sunday
8.30am: Dec’d Parishioners (Ellis)
10am: Frank Wilkinson Rec Dec
11.30am: Val and Danny McCrea ad Family
Monday
NO MASS
Tuesday
10am: Francis Soares RIP
Wednesday
10am: Christopher John Hewlett RIP
Thursday Our Lady of the Rosary
10am: George and Amy Mcnamara RIP
Friday
10am: Pat O’Connor RIP
Saturday
6.30pm: Denis o’Brian RIP
Sunday Day of Prayer for Prisoners
8.30am: Charles Brooker RIP
10am: Parish
11.30am: Frances McEvoy RIP
The Readings God is the Creator of the world, indeed of the whole universe, everything that is. This is very much the essence of Jewish-Christian belief. Everything came into being through the Divine Word. He spoke … and it came into being. He created the sky, the land, birds, reptiles … and us! He created man and woman to be together, to be a unity, a community of life and love. Although sin entered into the world, God did not abandon his people. The sacrament of marriage has survived, in which husband and wife promise to each other the same kind of fidelity that God showed to Israel and Jesus to his Church. The Church has seen many ups and downs and through them all the Lord has been faithful to his Church. Christ loves his Church no matter what. He is present in the sacraments. No matter what the priest is like or the fervour of the congregation, Christ is there. A marriage vow shows its power precisely when the couple are faithful, despite failures, sin and imperfections. That is how the Lord is faithful to us. Marriage is a lighthouse. In a world of so many broken promises, so many broken contracts, loneliness, sadness, despair, it should stand as a lighthouse showing what is possible by the grace of Almighty God, the Creator.
First Sacraments I look forward to welcoming those parents whose children are due for First Holy Communion. To be eligible your child must presently be in year 4 or over and must reside in this parish and attend Mass regularly. There will be a series of Parents’ Meetings. These will be held in the Church, on Saturdays at 5pm. The first session is 16th October. Parents with children in year 3 are also invited to attend.
Confirmation. I am looking forward to seeing our young people at Mass so that we can proceed with the administration of the Sacrament. It will be necessary for a short refresher course and I am happy to undertake this myself. See you all soon!
CAFOD Harvest Family Fast Day 1. The collection is 9/10 October, envelopes distributed the week before. CAFOD local experts are helping people all over the world to adapt to climate change and protect our common home. The pandemic has pushed more people into poverty and increased inequality. Your donation will help communities worst affected by climate change. As harvests fail, forests burn, and flooding continues, millions of vulnerable people are struggling to survive. Donate online or by using CAFOD envelope. You can also easily give by texting Text 70580, donating your chosen amount. Please HELP those most in need. Thanks in advance for your generosity. Justice and Peace Group.
Creation Sunday Pope Francis has called Catholics to a new way of thinking about the world and take an active part in renewing troubled societies and in doing so address the causes of poverty, inequality and the climate change emergency. It is a call to participate both individually and collectively in building a more dignified and sustainable world after the pandemic and to make every effort to safeguard our creation. This can be done initially in three ways. Firstly, reclaim nature so that everyone can breath clean air and protected from the threat of climate disasters. Secondly, land needs to be more evenly distributed so that all can live in dignity. Finally, that everyone can be involved in decision making and have control over their own lives. Let us pray that the world continues to create and to look after everyone. Justice and Peace Group
Thursday is Our Lady of the Rosary. I believe the regular recitation of the rosary is a shortcut to Eternal Life. My grandparents on my mother’s side said the rosary every night, They managed 60 years together and had 8 kids. Well done! They obviously read today’s first reading from Genesis