The Catholic Parish Church
96 Ness Road Shoeburyness SS3 9DHSt Gregory's 'Chapel of Ease'
The Broadway Thorpe Bay SS1 3HHParish Office & Fr Brett Adams 01702 292726
Parish Office Fr Brett Adams
Dear brothers and sisters,
This weekend we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and the gift of Himself to all humanity. This is the essence of our Catholic faith and the means through which we truly become children of God.
It is wonderful that this year we can be together, sharing, in person, the love and friendship which binds us together as ‘the Body of Christ’ (although without the hugs and handshakes). This reminds us of course, that faith is principally not a private thing, but something which comes into its own when we are together.
The whole Easter story is the reason for the Church’s existence; it was this event that would not only inspire and motivate those early disciples to enthusiastically proclaim their belief in Jesus as the living Son of God, but also change many lives in the centuries that followed and shape many different cultures.
This Easter event is very much about Jesus’ ongoing presence with us in and through the Church, the sacraments, through our community and through our endeavours to love and live his words of life. The resurrection is the fulfilment of God’s promise that he would be with us always. We are so blessed that the greatest love, through which all things came to be, seeks to embrace us and lead us into the unfolding of God’s kingdom, which can happen, here and now – if we allow it. The ‘allowing’ can only happen if we take the pathway of de-scent, pushing aside our own agendas and letting God do His work of transformation within us.
Thus, it is our hope that as we journey through life we will be touched by moments of resur-rection, moments of new life that will transform us and deepen our faith, hope and love. God our Father, creator of all, today is the day of Easter joy, This is the morning on which the Lord appeared to His followers who had begun to lose their hope, and opened their eyes to what the scriptures foretold. May the light of the risen Lord dispel the darkness of our minds and hearts so that we may recognise His presence among us and faithfully fol-low Him, who is our life and joy. Grant this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. From darkness comes light, from death comes life. I pray that this will be a living reality for all of us.
Wishing you and your loved ones Easter joy and peace!
Fr Brett
Dear friends,
Dear friends,Sorry for this long email, but there is a lot to cover. The information provided here is supplementary to my previous email, so it is important that you are aware of its content.
I would like to take you through some significant points about our opening for Mass – please read carefully.
Booking
As I mentioned before, because of the reduced capacity, you will need to book your seat(s) for Mass beforehand and well in advance. Turning up on the ‘off chance’ would most likely result in you not being able to attend Mass because the church could be full.
As we have to provide a ’Track & Trace’ audit trail, the easiest and most helpful way to book is online (please see our Parish website - www.saintgeorgeschurch.co.uk.)
If you are unable to do this, try to find someone else who can. But remember, for ‘Track & Trace’ purposes, they must use your details and not their own. When you book online an email will automatically be sent to Sharon who will allocate your seats and email you back with the details. If it is out of her office hours, she will not be able to get back to you immediately. Please be patient and please be content with the seats allocated for you; we are not able to chop and change. It is an administrative challenge as it is.
If you are unable to do any of the above two options, then please telephone Sharon during her office hours to book it for you.
If you do come along on the ‘off chance’ and there happens to be space, then one of the stewards will need to take a few details from you for ‘Track & Trace’ purposes.
The online booking system will be going live on a Monday and will close at 12 noon on Friday's. This will give you the opportunity to book for Masses on the following week.
Face-coverings in church are currently mandatory. Please arrive in good time before Mass starts.
On reopening our churches for Mass, Cardinal Vincent Nichols offers these cautionary words: - ‘Please be aware that there will be a limit on the number of people who can attend Mass in our churches. We therefore need to reflect carefully on how and when we might be able to attend Mass. We cannot return immediately to our customary practices. This next step is not, in any sense, a moment when we are going ‘back to normal’.
We ask every Catholic to think carefully about how and when they will return to Mass. Given there is no Sunday obligation, we ask you to consider the possibility of attending Mass on a weekday. This will ease the pressure of numbers for Sunday celebrations and allow a gradual return to the Eucharist for more people.'
Arriving at the church
On entering the church, please sanitise your hands and then wait to be assisted by a steward. You should already know your place in the church from when you booked it online or by telephone. However, there will be a ‘seat map’ displayed in the outer porch with your name on it. Pews are identified by letters and numbers, i.e. L1 = Left hand side of church, pew 1.
Mass
Please note that the UK Government has stated that Services should be conducted in, ‘the shortest possible time’.
Mass will unfold in the usual way except there will be no singing. We cannot provide Mass cards because of the risk of transmission of the virus. If you have a Missal, please bring it with you. To start off with, the readings will be done by the duty Altar Server.
Procedure for Holy Communion
The Communion Rite has been ‘reworked’ and is quite different! I will explain at each Mass the procedure that needs to be followed, however, here are the highlights: -
• At the place where communion is to be given to the congregation, a physical barrier (prie-dieu) will be there to socially distance the priest from the communicant.
• You must remain seated until you are invited to come forward by the steward.
• When you approach the priest, you should put out your arms at “full stretch” so that there is a good distance between you and him. Your hands, palms upwards, one on top of the other, should be extended as flatly as possible. Communion will then be given silently and in the hand.
• Having consumed the host, you may return to your seat to say a brief prayer of thanksgiving, after which you must leave the church (the Blessing and dismissal has already taken place).
• As you leave the church, please sanitise your hands.
• There will be baskets for you to place your offering in. If there is a 2nd Collection, there will be a basket marked as such.
• Please be aware of others and the social distancing regulations as you leave.
• Please do not congregate in the porch or outside the church.
• After you have left church it will be cleaned.
A note about Holy Communion
If you feel uncomfortable and would rather not receive Holy Communion, that is perfectly ok. Instead, you can simply make a spiritual communion. Here is a prayer to help you: -
Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as being already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
It will take some time for us to adapt to these changes and we may have to make little adjustments along the way, so please be patient and understanding.
I am extremely grateful to Sharon, David and Frank, who have worked very hard – and continue to do so – to make all this happen.
With every blessing,
Fr Brett