Soup Run A big thank you to everyone who has so generously donated produce for the soup
run over the last months. A few local schools, including St Monica's, have given us generous
donations so we are OK for the moment. As winter comes, however, we can never have
enough socks! Black, warm ones are best. As the need arises again, we will keep you posted.
North London Shamrocks Youth Gaelic Football club weekly coaching sessions for boys &
girls aged 4 - 14. Saturdays 12.30pm-2pm. Gaelic Football Pitch, 198 Tottenhall Road,
London N13 6DL.. No experience necessary everyone welcome. Contact Nigel for more info.
07961 105580 0208 882 6377. www.theshamrocks.co.uk
Justice and Peace Annual Study Day (free) At St John Vianney Parish Centre, West Green
Road London N15 3QH Saturday November 8th 2014 10am-4pm The Welfare Myth of ‘Them
and Us’ - 'How we ALL use welfare as our lives change! See poster for full details.
Mass intentions for December may be booked from 10am on Monday 3rd November.
FROM THE DIARY
Sun 26th Oct
Mon 27th Oct
Tues 28th Oct
CLOCKS GO BACK ONE HOUR (end of BST)
11.30am 200 Club Draw, Newman Room
3.00pm Spiritual Direction, Newman Room
10.00 Bible Study, Newman Room
10.15am Church Cleaning, Eleanor’s Team
2pm Mass at Queen Anne’s Care Home, 36 Old Park Road, N13 4RE
7.30pm Come and See, RCIA, Newman Room
10.00am Team Meeting
Weds 29th Oct
Thurs 30th Oct
10.15am Dementia Friends Meeting, Newman Room
5.30pm Legion of Mary, Newman Room
8pm Finance Committee, Parish Office
Fri 31st Oct
9.35am Funeral Mass of Kathleen O’Dea RIP
10.15am Christian Meditation, Small Hall
11.15am Baptism of Rafael Cortes & Isabella Simes
11.30am Special Needs Catechesis, Newman Room
Sat 1st Nov
Sun 2nd Nov
3pm Blessing of Graves, Lavender Hill/Strayfields Cemetery
3pm Baptism Preparation, Newman Room
MASS TIMES
Sunday (Sat 6pm), 7.45am, 9am, 10.30am, 12noon, 3.30pm (Polish) & 5.30pm
Daily 9.35am, Morning Prayer 9.10am
Confessions: Saturday 10.00-11.00am, 5.15-5.45pm (Signed for Deaf by appointment)
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Mon 4-5pm, Fri 4-5pm, Sat 10 - 11am
Weekday 7pm Service: Weds, Holy Hour, Thurs, Rosary Hour, Friday, Stations of the Cross
Church open for private prayer: Sunday 7am - 6.30pm, Mon - Sat 8am - dusk
St Monica’s Church, Palmers Green
A parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster
Newsletter
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
26th October 2014
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
In the Book of Leviticus we read ‘Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy’ (Lv 19:2) That
sounds a very tall order - who could possibly be as holy as God? Maybe the difficulty
comes in what we understand by the word holy?
Jesus echoed the command in Leviticus when the disciples were confused about the way
to God’s Kingdom - it was Thomas who said ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going
so how can we know the way?’ Jesus replied ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.’ (Jn 14:6)
The common essence of these commandments seems to be that we must take God as our
model. The way to the Father, the way to be holy, is not some secret set of rules. It is a
way of life based on an appreciation of God’s love and, flowing from that, an appreciation
of each person’s individual dignity.
God is loving, compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy. In his fidelity, he cares for
those who cannot help themselves; the widow, the alien, the orphan are under his special
protection.
The people bound to him by covenant must also show their fidelity by caring for the
powerless. All the detailed laws of the covenant lead back to this basic principle: the sole
demand of God is love.
Jesus says that the second commandment is like the first. In fact it is a manifestation of
the first. If you love the Lord your God with your whole being, that love will show itself in
the feeding of the hungry, the sheltering of the homeless, the release of the oppressed.
Jesus, the supreme revelation of the Father’s love, showed the depth of that love by
giving his life for us when we were still powerless. The sign that we are his disciples is our
love for one another.
1, Stonard Road, London N13 4DJ  (020) 8886 9568 Fax: (020) 8886 5143
Email: [email protected] Website: www.stmonica.co.uk
Parish Priest: Canon Shaun Lennard Assistant Priest: Fr. Paulo Bagini
Parish Sister: Sr Joyce Dionne 07940 500908 Youth Work Co-ordinator: Anna McMullan 07532 374291
Parish Secretary: Marion McDonough Office hours - Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri , 9am—2pm
Polish Chaplain (resident in Enfield) Fr. Krzysztof Chaim 07902 432343
PARISH NOTICES
Please pray for those who have died
Kathleen O’Dea and for those whose anniversaries occur about now, Patrick Harrington, Mario
Paganuzzi, John Shalvey, Rosaleen Griffiths, John Jenkins, Michael Joyce, Peter Williams, Marie
Luk-Tuna, Brendan McCabe John Storan, Martin Ball. May they rest in peace.
Please Pray for Sick and Housebound Parishioners
Ellen Campbell, Caroline Frith, Julia Barrett, Carmela Coppodalla, Virginia Chandler, Rosanna Bellini, Peter
Mendes, Margaret Bradley., Michelle Kenny, Therese Edirimanasinghe, Michael Kernan, Pat Whelan and Molly
Ryan.
FINANCE thank you for your generosity
19th Oct Envelopes £1774 Loose £1505
CAFOD total to date £2654
THE WEEK AHEAD
R.C.I.A. ‘Come and See’ this group, for
anybody who is interested in finding out
more about the Catholic Church meets on
Monday from 7.30 - 9pm in the Newman
Room. Tea and coffee are available from
7pm. We will continue to look at the Mass;
its origins and why we do what we do. Who
could you invite? Catholics welcome if
accompanied by a non-Catholic.
Dementia Friends Thank you to all who
attended this training. There will be a
meeting in the Newman Room this
Thursday 30th October at 10.15am to set up
a small working group to take this initiative
forward. If interested and you cannot make
the meeting please ring Lis on 020 8882
8657
Blessing of Graves There will be a short
service and blessing of graves at Lavender
Hill/Strayfields Cemetery next Sunday, 2nd
November. Priests from parishes in the
deanery will be present. Meet in front of
chapel at 3pm
Commemorations of All Saints and All
Souls As 2nd November falls on a Sunday
this year the Solemnity of All Saints is
celebrated on that day. All Souls Day will be
on Monday 3rd November. At 7.30pm on
that Monday there will be a Sung Mass for
those who have died in the past 12 months
followed by refreshments. All are welcome.
YOUTH NEWS
Redcaps There are 20 young people
interested in being Redcaps for the
Westminster Pilgrimage to Lourdes. If
you’re in Year 11+ and would like to know
more,
please
contact
Anna
on
[email protected]
There are no Youth Clubs during half term.
OTHER NEWS
November Book of Remembrance sheets
and envelopes are available for you to
record names of deceased relatives and
friends to be included in the November
Book. Mass will be celebrated twice a week
for those named in the book and any spare
stipends will be sent to the Missions.
Saturday 22 Nov 11am Mass for those who
have experienced the loss of a child.
Broadcast Mass to the Housebound the
man who is setting this up for us is
recovering from surgery and so there will
be a slight delay. We need welcomers from
11.40am on a Sunday to be in the sacristy
to welcome the housebound as they are
‘patched’ into the church sound system.
Contact the office if you can help.
St Monica’s RC Primary School Reception
Class 2015: Application forms are now
available. Parents with children whose date
of birth falls between 1/9/2010 & 31/8/2011
are able to apply. Forms can be obtained
from the school office or school website.
Open afternoons on : Tues 11th Nov, Fri 21st
Nov & Weds 7th January 2015. An
opportunity to view the school and ask any
questions about the admissions process. All
open afternoons will start promptly at
1.30pm. It is essential that you call the
school office on 020 8886 4647 to book an
appointment to attend one of the open
afternoons.
Fr Shaun will deal with Priest’s Reference
Forms in late November. Watch this space.
Christmas cards, diaries and calendars are
now on sale in the repository.
Occasional Help Needed we receive some
income from letting the Large Hall out to
amateur theatre groups. In order to do this
we occasionally need people to help set out
the chairs in the theatre position. It only
takes half an hour. If you could volunteer to
be on a mailing list of helpers who we can
approach, please email the Parish Office
a.s.a.p. as the Panto Season is approaching!
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
CAFOD World Gift catalogues now
available. these are alternative Christmas
gifts that make a difference to someone
living in poverty. You can help a child learn
to read, give the gift of a cow, or camel, or
even help a community build a water supply,
and in return CAFOD send you a certificate
to give in which illustrates the gift that has
been given. Catalogues are available at the
back of the church, and you can also buy
these online at worldgifts.cafod.org.uk
Bethlehem Olive Wood on Sunday 30th
November a group from Bethlehem will be
selling a wide range of olive wood carvings.
The situation in Gaza has resulted in a drop
in pilgrims and tourists, the main source of
income for those people. Please wait and
see what they have for sale before buying
your Christmas presents.
New Year's Eve Party: There will again be
a New Year's Eve party (with bring your
own drinks and a bring and share buffet) at
the Parish Centre. This ‘family’ event for all
ages has proved very popular in previous
years and in planning this year's party we
need to involve a small number of those
who plan to attend. This will involve
attending at least one meeting with much
of the follow up being done via email. Can
you help? If so, please contact Laura or
Graziella on 07955 037251
or at
[email protected]
Scout & Guide Coffee Morning, thanks to
all those who supported the scout and
guide coffee morning last Sunday. £230
was raised to be given to Noah’s Ark Trust
and Richard House – children’s charities.
St. Monica's Beaver Scouts (6-8 year olds)
At present we have a short waiting list. If
you have a son or daughter who is
interested please ring Christine 020 8292
5726. There may be places after half-term.
Parish Centre News
OPEN MIKE NIGHT: Tuesday 11 November at 8pm.Contact Vic Newman at
[email protected] if you would like a 15 minute slot at this or future Open Mike
Nights. ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR: Sunday 16 November between 10am and 6pm. Design
makers and artists will be selling their work. If you are looking for Christmas presents or
something for yourself this is the event for you.
BOOKINGS: If you wish to hold a party or other event at the Parish Centre please contact
Laura or Natasha on 07955 037251 or at [email protected] The Parish
Centre is located at Cannon House, 6 Cannon Hill and is open to all parishioners. We have a bar
Thursday –Saturday from 8pm to 11pm and on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm and 8pm to 11pm.
See our noticeboard next to the Repository or follow us on facebook at Saint Monica’s Parish
Centre.
Rosary Vigil for World Peace in St. Francis De sales Church Tottenham. Vigil starts at
7pm on Friday 31st October with Mass followed by Rosary. Concluding prayers will start with
Exposition of Blessed Sacrament, Rosary and Benediction at 4.30pm on Saturday 1 st
November followed by Music, Action songs, Skit and Testimony of God’s love and
experience led by young adults. And ends with Holy Mass at 7pm. All are welcome.
Mount Street Jesuit Centre, 114 Mount Street, W1K 3AH www.mountstreet.info 0207495-1673 - The Power of Memory Saturday 29th November, 11 am - 4 pm Margaret
Philpot. An integral part of our identity, memories can be either trivial or important,
conscious or unconscious, and are selective and unreliable but they are an essential
component of our daily lives.
Sixth Form Open Evening Our Lady’s Convent High School will be holding a 6th Form
Open Evening on Wednesday 12th November. from 5pm-7pm. For further details, please
visit the website www.ourladys.hackney.sch.uk.
Host is looking for kind, friendly, hospitable people who are inspired by the idea of
welcoming an international student at university here, far from his or her own family, to
their home. This could be for a day, a weekend or Christmas, and you don’t need to live near
a university, as students will travel for the privilege of meeting you, learning about real life in
this country, and sharing their own culture. HOST is a voluntary activity which makes
ambassadors for international goodwill of us all. Please see www.hostuk.org or call HOST
Office on 0207 739 6292
St. Monica's Baby and Toddler Group - If you have a child below school age why don't you
try out our group? We run during term time every Mon and Weds morning 9.30am to
11.30am at the parish centre on Cannon Hill. £1.50 a session. Indoor and outdoor toys
available plus singing and arts and crafts. Call Katie on 07960 281068 for more information
Church Cleaning The commitment is once a month for about an hour. Teams clean at different
times. We urgently need more volunteers (especially on the Tuesday Evening). Contact Siobhan
on 020 8807 5583
Parish Library: Were you aware that the church had a crying room and the crying room
doubled as a parish library? The parish library has been revamped and will be open again
during Mass times. There are books on history, theology, spirituality and scripture, and
travel, and there will be instructions on how to go about borrowing some. Parishioners are
also invited to donate some book
Apply now to take part in a Samuel Group: Samuel Groups are discernment groups
for young adults (18-38) who are open to listening to the Word of God and putting it into
practice in their lives. This year groups will meet in Central, North, East, Central West and
South West London. After a launch afternoon in Kensington on the afternoon of Sunday
2nd November, participants will meet in local groups from November to Pentecost. For
more information or to request an application form visit www.ukvocation.org/Samuel, email [email protected] or phone 07503241127.
Health & Safety we take the safety of everybody very seriously and the diocese provides a
company who assist us with regular checks of all our buildings. Last week a check revealed
a dangerous crack in the back wall of the Parish Centre and this has been dismantled to a
safe level. And cordoned off. Please observe any safety notices including in the car park
and let a member of the team know if you spot anything dangerous.
Palmers Green Child Contact Centre would you be interested in becoming a volunteer
at the centre? The centre enables separated parents to see and have regular contact
with their children. The centre is open every Saturday morning at the United Reformed
Church, Fox Lane. As a volunteer your commitment would be once every 6 to 8 Weeks.
We are very grateful of your continuing support. We are however look for volunteers
and we would particularly welcome men. If you are interested and would like more
information please contact Philomena on 07958 221 853.