WELCOME TO OUR PARISH WEBSITE: Our Parish serves the whole of Bletchley as well as its outlying villages, Newton Leys, parts of Emerson Valley and Furzton. As we learning to steer a course through the necessary restrictions brought about by the pandemic we are finding news ways to reach out, stay connected and share our faith.
TIMES OF PARISH LITURGIES
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER 11th April 6:00pm (STA) (Saturday) Vigil Mass of Divine Mercy Sunday
9:00am (AS) Mass
11:00am (AS) Mass
3:00pm (STA) Divine Mercy Devotions
Monday 12th April Eastertide Feria. 10:00am (STA) Mass
Tuesday 13th April Eastertide Feria 10:00am (AS) Mass
Wednesday 14th April Eastertide Feria 10:00am (STA) Mass
Thursday 15th April Eastertide Feria 10:00pm (AS) Mass
Friday 16th April Eastertide Feria 10:00am (STA) Mass 7:00pm (Online) Word of Life Ministry
Saturday 17th April Eastertide Feria NO MORNING MASS
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER 18th April 6:00pm (STA) (Saturday)Vigil Mass of Sunday 9:00am Mass 11:00am (AS) Mass
STA: St Thomas Aquinas Church, Sycamore Avenue, MK2 2JE
AS: All Saints Church, Shenley Road, MK3 6HG
WORD OF LIFE MINISTRY Livestream, 7pm Friday 16th April. Link will appear below once the livestream begins.
LIVESTREAM MASS via Facebook: Friday in the second week of Eastertide, 10am from St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
PRAYING WITH THE POPE: Each year, the Holy Father asks for our prayers for a specific intention each month. You are invited to answer the Holy Father’s request and to join with many people worldwide in praying for this intention each month.
THE HOLY FATHER’s INTENTION FOR APRIL AD 2021:
April: The Month of The Holy Eucharist
Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for the month: Fundamental Rights
We pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.
AS A PARISH WE JOIN CARDINAL NICHOLS IN PRAYING FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH: “At this moment of sadness and loss I pray for the repose of the soul of Prince Philip, Her Majesty the Queen’s faithful and loyal husband. I pray for the Queen and all of the Royal Family. “How much we will miss Prince Philip’s presence and character, so full of life and vigour. He has been an example of steadfast loyalty and duty cheerfully given. May he rest in peace.”
+ Vincent Nichols
Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster
Diocesan Summer Webinars – Monday evenings from 19th April
After a roller-coaster year, what’s next for our churches? How do we meet Pope Francis’ challenge to become the church for all people? Join with Avril Baigent and special guests as we read Fr James Mallon’s Divine Renovation together. Week 1: Remembering our Identity and Purpose with Bishop David Oakley. To receive the zoom link, register here: https://readalong_divine_renovation.eventbrite.co.uk
Live-streamed Mass for the Sick
Bishop David invites the sick and housebound of our diocese to a special live-streamed Mass on Saturday 24th April, 3pm.
For more information see here: https://pastoralministryoffice.org/event/live-streamed-mass-for-the-sick/.
The Catenian Association
An international brotherhood of Catholic men, the Catenian Association provides practising Catholic laymen and their families with friendship, social activities and support through an international network of local branches or ‘circles’.
To find out more information visit our website: https://www.thecatenians.com/find-a-circle/, email: membership@thecatenians.com or contact Richard Golden: (01908) 503331.
CAFOD Appeal UPDATE
Carol and Maggie have completed their CAFOD Walk for Water Challenge which raised £477.The Family Fast Day collection amounted to £419 making a grand total of £896. Thank you for your support.
THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL – FUNDRAISING – UPDATE
John Gerard Scott and Oonagh Standen have competed their 40 mile walk to raise funds for SVP Bletchley. They started at All Saints Church Leighton Buzzard, at 18:34 on Sunday 28th March and arrived in Gamlingay, some 17hrs and 18mins later. Well done for a great effort. So far they have raised £3,224 via the SVP Just Giving Page!
Just Giving – SVP Bletchley
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/johngerrardscott-oonaghstanden?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=johngerrardscott-oonaghstanden&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=ea2be80225d04b2b8cddfdc05d7c5075.
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies Would you like to learn more about your faith? Consider joining online to follow the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies or Diocesan Certificate in Religious Studies. Both courses offer the same eight modules in Scripture and Catholic Theology with the CCRS leading to a nationally recognised qualification. Those who follow the CCRS/DCRS say they gain a great deal from the course, deepening their knowledge and understanding of their faith. To find out more about the course, contact Steve O’Brien. Email obrien@nores.org.uk or for an application form contact Ann Collon. Email: admin@nores.org.uk or visit our website www.nores.org.uk/AdultEducationCCRS
PARISH OFFERTORY GIVING
The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has had a huge effect on our Parish income and we still have bills to pay. As a means of mitigating against this loss we would like to encourage those parishioners who do not currently give by Standing Order to donate online. This can be done at:
https://northamptondiocese.org/donate/
Please ensure that you type the parish name and area i.e. “St Thomas Aquinas and All Saints, Bletchley” in the NOTES SECTION of the donate page.
Or.., by Standing Order via your own bank:
You can also set up a standing order for donations to the parish using either your on line bank account or in branch. The information required to make the donation is as follows.
Bank: NatWest
Sort Code: 60-06-11
Account Name; 46898093
Account Name: Northampton Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust
Payment Ref: St Thomas Aquinas, Bletchley
Alternatively CHEQUES made payable to “St Thomas Aquinas Church” can be posted to:
The Presbytery, 1 Sycamore Avenue, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK2 2JE.
GIVE US A CALL TO DONATE OVER THE PHONE: Every Tuesday between 10am – 4pm, a member of the Diocesan Finance Team will be available by phone for you to donate to our Parish community over the telephone. To donate simply call 01604 712065 with your debit or credit card details.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE BISHOPS OF ENGLAND AND WALES
CATHOLIC RADIO IN THE UK
Heaven’s Road Catholic Online Radio www.heavensroadfm.com is an online radio broadcasting features like prayers, interviews and music to appeal to a Catholic audience – they also have many podcasts and broadcast over 40 daily live Masses from 15 churches in England and Ireland from their website www.heavensroadfm.com.
KEEPING UPDATED ON COVID IN MILTON KEYNES: As we have a Parishioner who is a volunteer Covid Champion, we will be receiving regular updates and information about the Covid 19 situation in Milton Keynes, which we hope you will find useful.
If you are attending Mass at St Thomas Aquinas Church please scan the QR Code below on the same day you attend using the NHS COVID-19 App.
Or if you are attending Mass at All Saints Church please scan the QR Code below on the same day you attend using the NHS COVID-19 App.
The YEAR OF ST JOSEPH AD 2020-2021
“In a new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris corde (“with a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows. The Letter marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St Joseph,” beginning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (8th December) 2020 and extending to the same celebration in 2021.
At the conclusion of his Letter, the Pope adds another prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace,
mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen”
MARRIAGE SUPPORT AND ENRICHMENT
Retrouvaille is the name of a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages. The word “Retrouvaille” simply means “rediscovery”.
The programme offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your partner, and a loving relationship in your marriage.
For more details, please click on the image above or the link below.
https://www.retrouvaille.org.uk/
PRAYING THE HOLY ROSARY TOGETHER
PRAYING THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY TOGETHER
LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Every blessing to you all.
Fr Christopher & Fr Emmanuel
