SAINT HELEN’S PARISH

31st SUNDAY OF THE YEAR 5th November 2017

The Greatest Among You Must Be Your Servant

THE WORD THIS WEEK Priests should squirm. But we are all addressed. Everyone must be wary of preferring one’s own glory to God’s:

We don’t follow the Gospel to be esteemed. Today’s readings push us to examine our own attitudes and failures,

but they also offer us models of humility. Pope Francis told his ministers – and all evangelisers – to take on ‘the

smell of the sheep’. The prophet concludes by reminding us that we were all created equal, children of the one

Father. Saint Paul congratulates the Thessalonians on their conversion and commitment to the Gospel. Jesus

also calls us to conversion, service, and humility. Today we are all, individually and as a Church, challenged to

practice what we preach.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: (Psalter: Week 3)

Malachi 1: 14 – 2: 2, 8 – 10. You have strayed from the way, you have caused many to stumble by your teaching.

Response: Psalm 130. O Lord my heart is not proud

nor haughty my eyes.

I have not gone after things too great

nor marvels beyond me.

Truly I have set my soul //

in silence and peace.

A weaned child on its mother’s breast, //

even so is my soul.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

both now and for ever.

1 Thessalonians 2: 7 – 9, 13. We were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News, but our lives as well.

Acclamation for the Gospel:

Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia! You have only one Father, and he is in heaven; You have only one Teacher, the Christ! Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia!

Matthew 23: 1 – 12. They do not practise what they preach.

Prayer of the Faithful: R/. Lord, hear your people’s prayer.

An enormous ‘THANK YOU’ to all those who contributed to the Tea for the Elderly last Sunday

in any way – by making cakes and /or sandwiches and turning up on the day to make teas and coffees and

wait at tables. It has been a real joy to work with such a dedicated band of volunteers. Mary Conant .

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MASS AND SERVICES DURING THE WEEK: Sat 4th November

6.30pm 31st SUNDAY of the Year

Betty Shaughnessy (MS)

Sun 5th November

10.30am

3st SUNDAY of the Year

For the People of the Parish

Mon 6th November

9.45am

10.00am

7.00pm

Saint Illtud, Bishop

Evening Prayer of the Church

Chakku Mathew (VT)

Service of Memories

Tues 7th November 9.30am 10.00am

Paul Carpentier (JMcC)

Morning Prayer of the Church

Wed 8th November

9.45am

10.00am

All Saints of Wales Morning Prayer of the Church Fowler Family

Adoration 2 to 4 pm & 6 to 8 pm

Thurs 9th November

9.45am

10.00am

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Morning Prayer of the Church

Holy Souls

Fri 10th November

9.45am

10.00am

Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

Morning Prayer of the Church

Holy Souls

Sat 11th November

am

5.45 – 6.15pm

6.30pm

Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

32nd SUNDAY of the Year

For the People of the Parish

Sun 12th November

10.30am 32nd SUNDAY of the Year

Holy Souls .

THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION:

Saturday 5.45pm to 6.15pm, or at any time by arrangement with the priest.

CELEBRATING STEPS ALONG THE JOURNEY OF FAITH

A CHILD FOR BAPTISM? To join the Parish preparation, please take the (green)

form ‘Your Child and Baptism’ available in the porch, fill it in and return it to book in to

the next Preparation.

Preparing for RECONCILIATION: Parents and Children gather in the Hall on Tuesday,

6.30pm, to remember how God gives us Peace, and celebrate how God gives us Forgiveness.

JOINING THE CHURCH AS AN ADULT: To know more about the Catholic Faith,

please come along to the Hall this Thursday at 7.30pm for ‘Catholicism, an introduction’, and come

along to the church and ask anyone there to help you come and see.

MARRIAGE At least 6 months notice (preferably 12 months) must be given, by Church law. Before making any arrangements please see the priest to avoid any disappointments.

Bereaved? BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT provides a safe place to enable you to come to terms

with your grief. One-to-one and group support available. For details contact 02920 863450.

PARISH PRAYER LIST: In our prayers we are asked to pray for all who are sick or

housebound, and those who care for them, including: Pamela Griffiths Teresa Meade Sheila Harris Gerry Phenis Graham Jenkins Sandra Bray Jean Kerrigan Lloyd Jones John Maguire Cecelia Mawby Pat Emanuelli Dorothy Warmsley Isobel Cummins Pauline Richards David Mabey Valerie Donovan Paul Costigan Margaret Jones Carol Morrissey Claris Howell Tess Thomas Grace Donovan Mary Camwell Wilson Brown Alice Jones David Warmsley Mary + Bill Morrissey

CATHOLICISM, in or out? A time for adults who want to explore joining the Church, or learn

more about the faith, starting this Thursday 9th November, 7.30pm in the hall.

STRENGTH for TEANAGERS: On April 28th the Archbishop will come to Confirm

our young people in faith. If you are 12 or over and wish to be strengthened with the

Sacrament, please take, fill in, and return a (red) registration form from the porch,

and come to find out more on Wednesday 15th November.

Those who wish to continue in the Ministry, and

anyone who would like to join it, are asked to

come to a Readers’ Prayer and Training evening

on Tuesday 21st November. The Ministers of

the Word will be commissioned for the coming

year on the weekend of 2nd/3rd December .

A SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE for all the members of the Parish family who have died will be held on the evening of Monday 6th November. The names of those who died in the past year will be called out, and their families will be invited to light a candle for them. If you have a family member or friend whom you would like remembered, please contact the Bereavement Group on 02920 863450 to register their name.

The ANNUAL MASS for DECEASED CLERGY will be celebrated in Saint David’s Cathedral this Tuesday at 12.45pm. Please come to pray for the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons who have served you.

You are invited to a CAFOD retreat at the Ty Croeso Centre, Llantarnam Abbey, Cwmbran, NP44 3YJ this Saturday, 18 November to explore how Romero’s life and

faith can inspire and challenge us and transform our world. All welcome; please invite friends and parishioners to come

along too. The retreat is free but please book in advance via cafod.org.uk/retreat or call 0303 303 3030.

We also have an opportunity to learn more about ROMERO closer to home this Friday, when the

film of his life and ministry will be shown in our hall, 7.00pm: All are invited and welcome.

THE DAY OF PRAYER OF THE POOR called by the Pope for the penultimate Sunday of the

year this year falls on 19th November. There will be

prayers at Mass, and a celebration in the Cathedral.

But the main call is for all of us to walk humbly with

all around us, neighbours, friends, acquaintances, and

strangers, who like us all have needs and cares,

material or spiritual poverty of one sort or another,

and like us need support, concern, a listening ear and

shared time. On the Sunday we are asked to bring all

of these people, either physically or in our hearts, to

God our Father, gathered up in the love of the Holy

Spirit into Christ’s offering of the Mass.

SAINT HELEN’S SCHOOL NURSERY: If your child is 3 years old on or before 31st

August 2018 and you would like to apply for a place at Saint Helen’s School Nursery, please contact the school on 029 2085 2532. The closing date for applications is 22nd December 2017.

MINISTERS OF THE WORD Please pick up an ‘availability to read’ form from

the porch, ready for the new rota, and return it by

the weekend of 18th/19th November. If you would

like to be added to this list, or an existing reader

who would like to be removed, please let us know.

Thanks, Berenice Williams, and Chris Jones.

THE CAERPHILLY CHURCHES

NIGHT SHELTER will run here

from Sunday 3rd December to Sunday

25th February. We are looking for

volunteers: If you can help at all please

fill in a form that you will find on the

stand at the back of Church. The Sunday

NIGHT SHIFT is understandably the

most difficult to cover – if you can cover

just one, it would help ensure the

running through to February – a few

would be magic! For any queries, please

contact Cliff Bray. Thank you.

SAINT HELEN’S COMMUNITY CENTRE – THIS WEEK:

Date Time Event

Mon 6th November 9.30am Parents & Toddlers

Tues 7th November 10.30am

6.30pm

Music Appreciation

Reconciliation Preparation

Wed 8th November 9.30am

7.00pm

Parents & Toddlers

W.I.

Thurs 9th November 9.30am

2.00pm – 4.00pm

6.30pm

7.30pm

Parents & Toddlers

Sunshine Club

Youth Club

“Catholicism, an Introduction” (s.m.r.)

Fri 10th November 1.00pm

7.00pm

History Group

Romero, the Film

Sat 11th November 9.30am – 12.30pm Dance

Sun 12th November 11.30am Tea, Coffee, & Biscuits

OFFERTORY COLLECTION 29th October 2017

Gift Aid Weekly £ 185.90

Non Gift Aid Weekly £ 92.02

Gift Aid Standing Orders £ 502.04

Non Gift Aid Standing Orders £ 65.00

Loose £ 330.35

TOTAL £1175.31 Many thanks

LOTTERY BONUS BALL CONGRATULATIONS to Margaret Bishop and Rhys Cronin, the

winners of the Bonus Ball no.53. A total of £89.00 was made for parish funds. No winner on the third

sheet. TRY YOUR LUCK AGAIN THIS WEEK.

PARISH 200 CLUB DRAW, OCTOBER The winners are: 1st prize £25.00 (No. 10) Lexi

Dacey; 2nd prize £20.00 (No. 99) Mrs K.M. Jones; 3rd prize £15.00 (No. 148) Mrs Celia Llewellyn.

Congratulations to all.

OCTOBER CAFOD DRAW WINNERS: 1st prize £75.00 (No. 76) Mrs McInerney; 2nd

prize £50.00 (No. 95) Isobel Williams: 3rd prize £25.00 (No. 66) D. Walmsley. Congratulations to all.

CHRISTIAN PRAYER. Section Two: The Lord’s Prayer: ‘Our Father’

Article 3: The Seven Petitions. III. ‘Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread’

(2834) ‘Pray and work.’ (Cf. Saint Benedict, Regula 20; 48.) ‘Pray as if everything depended on God

and work as if everything depended on you.’ (Attributed to Saint Ignatius of Loyola; cf. Joseph de Guibert

SJ, The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 19674), 148, n.44) Even

when we have done our work, the food we receive is still a gift from our Father; it is good

to ask him for it with thanksgiving, as Christian families do when saying grace at meals.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1992

Parish Directory Priest: Revd. John Kelly 20883192; Chair of Parish Council: Graham Taylor 20860919

Church Student: Elliot Hanson: 20883192; Safeguarding Officer: 20864112 SVP: 20866838

Bereavement support: 07895092009 Cafod: 20861930 Marriage Care: appointments@marriagecare.co.uk

Music: Brett Pugh 07971848734. Hall: 20883192 Piety shop: Norma Bromily 20862998

Saint Helen’s School: 20852532 Cardinal Newman School: 01443 494110

Newsletter items: 20883192 Calendar Additions: calendar@sthelenscaerphilly.com

Parish@sthelenscaerphilly.com www.sthelenscaerphilly.com Website Additions: Website@sthelenscaerphilly.com

Saint Helen is a Parish of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, a Registered Charity.

Tickets on sale this weekend

for CAFOD'S Winter

Warmer. Monies made will

go to the parish in Sebeya,

Ethiopia, which we support.

Don’t forget the Bonfire this Sunday night, 6pm,

at the bottom of

the Garden: Bring your

own roasties, Marsh-

mallows, drinks, etc.