NEWS & VIEWS

IN SUNDAY'S GOSPEL we hear that when Jesus healed a group of lepers, only one gave praise to God and returned to thank Jesus, and that he was a ‘foreigner’. Here Jesus continues to break down the walls of prejudice we build in society and in the Church; and reminds us that being right with God is not a about our status in life or who we are, but rather an inward disposition of humility and praise.

HARVEST THANKSGIVING Our 10am Parish Mass next Sunday will be our harvest thanksgiving. As is our custom, your gifts of non-perishable food, toiletries and money will be ‘safely gathered in’ here and then passed on to The Welcome Centre, who work with those who are homeless and destitute. You can also make a financial donation using the card machine and selecting ‘Harvest Donations’. Please give generously.

MULTI-FAITH WALK OF PEACE there will be a walk of peace next Sunday, starting at 12.50 at the Holocaust Memorial Garden in Valentines Park, with a welcome from the Mayor of Redbridge, and proceeding via four other venues to the Gurdwara at 400 High Rd: Everyone is welcome to come there for a vegetarian meal at 4pm. The focus is on caring for our elderly and vulnerable, with particular emphasis on the work of St Francis Hospice. People may join or leave the walk at any point. Further details are on the poster at the back of church.

VOLUNTEERS We need volunteers who can take on some jobs and roles within our parish family. We have reached a critical point whereby the burden of responsibility for our life together is resting on too few shoulders, and those shoulders are very weary! On the blue notice board at the back of church are some further details about our shared responsibility as members of St Mary’s and some ideas about how you can become more involved in serving your church. Fr Gareth will be talking more about this during this month.

FINANCIAL GIVING The Parish Giving Scheme is our online and phone-based system for financial giving to the church. If you use it, it will save us hours of work (for example, by automatically handling donations and Gift Aid) - a really big help to us. You will have full control of your giving - and there’s no need to deal with your bank. There are flyers at the back of church giving simple instructions - or go online to tinyurl.com/parish-giving for further information. Please do consider seriously helping your church in this way.

INTERCESSION

OF YOUR CHARITY, PLEASE PRAY FOR

the sick, distressed and bereaved

John & Joan Cassidy, Richard Holland, Lucy Ball, Amberly Crediton, Christine Taylor, Nik, Kathy Valentine, Margaret Harding, Bernard Street, Mel Taylor, Muriel Masters, Samuel Messih, Fr Oliver Coss, Keith Holland, Helen Johnson, Fazie, Joe & Sally Cox, Kay Higgins, Ruth Fegan; Barbara Hope

the recently departed

Maureen Cox

those whose anniversaries of death fall this week

Sunday

George Decker

Monday

Theophilus Dash, Leonard Jones

Friday

Janet Gorman, Ruby Wren

please pray especially for

the peoples of Somalia

ORDER OF SERVICE