The Roman Catholic Parish of

St James and St William of York Reading

23rd AUGUST 2020

21st Sunday Ordinary Time

HOW WILL WE FARE? Until this month, the word “algorithm” was not part of my vocabulary. As I did mathematics back in the Stone Age, I didn’t know what the word meant. Well, I certainly do now. A result devised by a machine based on previous results. Sometimes with unfortunate consequences: a student predicted an ‘A’ gets a ‘D’ because someone the previous year got a ‘D’; end of university dreams. These are difficult times for everybody, but I think it could have been foreseen that this would not work well, and explains why the Education Secretary now looks as if he wishes to hide under a stone. Ancient understandings of God’s justice were rather similar, as if God was using an algorithm. The books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy all contain texts where God is said to punish sins “to the third and fourth generation”. The great-grandchildren suffer because the great-grandparents failed. A later understanding removed this idea of a divine blunt instrument. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel both quote an old proverb: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge” and both say this understanding has now been superseded. By our own good and bad actions, and ours alone, we stand before the justice of God. Peter is given the keys of the Kingdom, to “bind” and “loose”. Let us hope he doesn’t use an algorithm, too. Otherwise when the time comes for me to meet my Maker I may be judged not as myself but according to the general level of justice in Central Reading, whatever that may be. Father David

BAPTISM, FIRST HOLY COMMUNION & RCIA

All of our Sacramental programmes have been on ‘hold’ due to the pandemic. In September when Fr Chris has had a chance to settle in, this will be reviewed and an update given. For parents wanting Baptism or if their child is in School Year 3 in September wanting to enrol for First Holy Communion, or for adults wanting Confirmation or to be received into the church - this too will be reviewed.

Keep an eye on the newsletter in September for updates.

Update from Senior Leadership Team As social distancing restrictions ease, and with Fr Chris’s imminent arrival, this seems a good time to review arrangements for Mass in our churches. We would like to provide opportunities for as many people as possible to celebrate mass in person; we also need to create more space at the 11am mass at St James.

From Saturday 5th September Parish mass times will be as follows:

• Saturday 6pm St James

• Sunday 9am St Williams

(9.15 Ordinariate Mass at St James, led by Fr Elliott)

• Sunday 11am St James

• Monday to Friday 12.30pm at St James.

(NB new time, mass also celebrated on Tuesday.)

A pre-recorded mass for Sunday will continue to be provided via YouTube. Weekday masses will also continue to be live-streamed and available afterwards on YouTube.

From 5th September Holy Communion will be distributed to the congregation by Fr Chris at the normal point during mass.

The slight adjustment to weekday mass timing will allow other services in the morning or mid-afternoon. Please continue to book places for mass online or through the Parish Office.

Social distancing regulations restrict capacity and will apply for some time to come.

Keep in touch, stay safe and pray for our Parish community, especially Fr Chris! Helen, Gerard, Ann and Fr Chris

STANDING ORDERS FOR WEEKLY DONATIONS

You will have seen that our weekly collection has been drastically affected by the pandemic causing restrictions to the numbers who can attend Mass. We would like to appeal to parishioners to please consider switching your weekly donations to a monthly standing order. Thank you.

“PRCDTR READING STJAMES&WILLIAM OF YORK” Sort Code 30-93-04, Account No. 00885887 Ref: Your Name

If you are a tax-payer please Gift Aid your donation. There’s a Gift Aid form on the website.

RE-OPENING OUR CHURCHES FOR MASS AND CONFESSION

We urgently need volunteers to act as stewards to welcome, meet and greet, and help people keep safe during Mass. Without these volunteers we cannot go ahead. I appeal today to all of you to consider helping us. If you can please call or send an email to the Parish Office or contact Mary

and Alan. 2 or 3 volunteers needed for all Masses.

TO ATTEND MASS YOU MUST PREBOOK A PLACE VIA THE WEBSITE

August Mass Schedule for the next week

Private prayer in church—open half an hour before Mass

We will continue to stream online our Masses at 10am weekdays and the Sunday pre-recorded Mass from 6pm on Saturdays.

Details will be published on Facebook and our website.

FR CHRIS HEAPS—OUR NEW PARISH PRIEST

Fr Chris takes over as our new parish priest in early September. We look forward to welcoming him to our parish community at Mass on Sunday 6th September. Please do give him a ‘socially distanced’ hello and make him feel welcome.

Saturday

22nd August

AM Pre record Sunday Mass available from Saturday 6pm 5pm Confessions 6pm Ordinariate Mass

Fr David Sillince Fr David Elliott Fr David Elliott

St James St James St James

Sunday

23rd August

9am Mass 11am Mass 11am Mass in Latin Ex. Form FSSP 6pm Mass in Latin Ex. Form FSSP

Fr David Sillince Fr David Sillince FSSP Priest FSSP Priest

St Williams St James St Williams St Williams

Monday 24th 10am Mass (streamed) Fr David Sillince St James

Tuesday 25th 10am Mass (streamed) Fr David Sillince St James

Wednesday 26th 10am Mass (streamed) Fr David Sillince St James

Thursday 27th 10am Mass (streamed) Fr David Sillince St James

Friday 28th 10am Mass (streamed) Fr David Sillince St James

THANK YOU TO OUR STEWARDS AT MASS

A big thank you to our volunteers at all of our Masses—you are doing a great job and without you we could not open our beautiful churches. Due to COVID restricts and ‘track

and trace’ we must have stewards at each Mass.

Chat at online Masses - You are welcome to log in to the ‘Chat’ feature and share a comment, a question, or a greeting, which will help us to feel connected as a community!

APPEAL FROM THE FOOD BANK - Most needed items at present are:

Tinned Vegetable; Tinned Ready/meat meals; minced beef, hotdogs, chicken in sauce etc. Tinned corned beef, tuna and sardines. Lentils. Rice 500g/1kg bags. Tinned fruit. Tea bags boxes. Instant coffee and toilet rolls. Donations can be dropped off at St James Presbytery. Thank you!

THE ZOOM COFFEE CONNECT SESSIONS Every Sunday 10 to 10:30am and 12.30 to 1:15pm

Zoom link—https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89114571947 By phone use One tap mobile ++442034815240,,8911457194

Or dial from a landline: 203 481 5240 When prompted please enter the

Meeting ID: 891 1457 1947 Password: coffee

BEIRUT EXPLOSIONS LEAVE OVER 100 DEAD AND THOUSANDS INJURED

CAFOD have launched an emergency appeal to help the thousands affected by the explosions in Beirut last week.

Thousands of families were affected by the explosion. Many of them have slept in shattered homes or temporary accommodation, while also facing the deadly threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Over 300,000 people have lost their homes in one of the already poorest areas of Beirut and the UN estimates damages between 3-5 billion USD.

Please click on this link if you can help: https://cafod.org.uk/News/Emergencies-news/Explosions-in-Beirut

Please join us on zoom After Sunday Mass 12.30-1.15pm BST All welcome for a chat!

RECENTLY DIED: Mrs Alys Gillian Harrison, well known at St James, and until recently lived in Henley. Requiem Mass on Thursday 27th August at 1pm at St James. Due to COVID restrictions it is for immediate family only. If you wish to pay your respects the funeral will be streamed live on YouTube - at this link:

https://youtu.be/h5AqDgbac8E Our sympathy to her family at this sad time, may she rest in peace.

EXAM RESULTS:

Please keep in mind our young people receiving exam results around this time. It is particularly stressful for them this year with not being able to sit actual exams and having to rely on exam board algorithms. We really hope they have/ will receive the grades they deserve.

ENVIRONMENT GROUP — Reflection for the Week

This week’s reflection from the Parish Environment Group follows a theme from a game show:

Who wants to be an eco-millionaire? You can:

• Ask a friend: Can you reduce travel by doing their shopping at the same time as yours?

• Go 50-50: car share for journeys to work, or to take children to leisure activities.

• Ask the audience: find out more about recycling by joining one of the local social media groups: Reading Plastic Reduction Group or Greater Reading Environment Network.

And the correct answer is a) you can recycle plastic bags at many supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s Broad Street and Tesco’s King’s Meadow, or donate them to Readifood.

REGISTER ON THE PARISH DATABASE During these difficult times we have all turned to the internet for ways of keeping connected with our families, friends and communities. Are you registered on our parish database ? Do you receive our weekly newsletter by email ?

If not, we are asking everyone who has not registered on our parish data base to do so as soon as possible.

Please go to our parish website and press the register now button

www.jameswilliam-reading.org.uk

This will mean you will then receive the newsletter each week, all parish wide communications and updates.

GOOD SHEPHERD PRAYER GROUP—Wednesday 8pm. We are a small

friendly group who meet on Zoom to support each other on our faith journey.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85711828658?pwd=bTJteXBQQXJjVlBzZGVrL0VsV0Z2dz09 Meeting ID: 857 1182 8658 Password: 468059 One tap mobile +442034815237,,85711828658#,,,,0#,,468059# United Kingdom +442034815240,,85711828658#,,,,0#,,468059# United Kingdom Dial by your location +44 203 481 5237 United Kingdom

+44 203 481 5240 United Kingdom +44 131 460 1196 United Kingdom +44 203 051 2874 United Kingdom Meeting ID: 857 1182 8658 Password: 468059

PARISH PRIEST: Canon John O’Shea Parish Secretary: Catherine Ledgard Parish Safeguarding Ginika Okoye (StJ) Ministers: Françoise Le Saux (StW)

stjames@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk

St James Presbytery, Abbey Ruins, Forbury Road, Reading, RG1 3FD

Tel: (0118) 957 4171

St James & St William of York Reading

Website: www.jameswilliam-reading.org.uk Royal Berks Hospital RC Chaplain

0118 322 7105

Mass intentions week 23rd August

Saturday 20th Week in Ordinary Time

St James Pre-Recorded Mass:

6pm Ordinariate Intention

Sunday 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

St Williams

St James

9am

11am

Deceased priest & people of the parish

Mr Michael Mendoza RIP

Monday ST BARTHOLOMEW

St James 10am Agnel Martins RIP

Tuesday 21st Ordinary Time

St James 10am The hungry man

Wednesday BLESSED DOMINIC BARBERI

St James 10am Patrick Matege RIP

Thursday ST MONICA

St James

St James

10am

1pm

Patrick Mattete RIP

Requiem Mass: Gill Harrison (family only)

Friday ST AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

St James 10am Thanksgiving Carmel & Julian Lopez

Saturday 21st Week in Ordinary Time

St James Pre-Recorded Mass:Peter Walsh RIP

6pm Ordinariate Mass

Sunday 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

St Williams

St James

9am

11am

Henry (Harry) & Michael (Mick) McSoley RIP

Stanley Fernandes RIP

STAY CONNECTED:

Please consider joining our parish Facebook group. Simply click below and ask to join: CLICK HERE

Andrew writes

Last weekend I completed a 'solo' half mara-thon to raise money for the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Proceeds will help buy bottled wa-ter and drinks for staff who are in need of quick and convenient refreshment after wearing Protective Equipment all day.

WEEKLY COLLECTION FIGURES: Standing Orders: £ 1380.94 Envelopes: £ 70.00 Loose: £ 294.09 Donations via website: £ 102.00

Thank you for your generous contributions. Your donations make the life and work of the parish possible.

WEEKLY COLLECTION PLATE: Thank you to all those who make their weekly

donations by monthly standing order. The collection at Sunday Masses forms a significant part of our parishes income. Donations can be made by

using bank transfer to:

“PRCDTR READING STJAMES&WILLIAM OF YORK” Sort Code 30-93-04,

Account No. 00885887 Ref: STJ&W; Your name

Or use the ‘Give’ donation button on our website. Or post your donation through the Presbytery letterbox. Thank you for supporting your parish during this difficult time.

Catholics in RBH: Catholic patients at the RBH, relatives or friends should explain to staff that they request a visit from a Catholic priest in cases of serious illness.

Due to recent changes, Priests can now more readily respond to requests to visit the sick in hospital.

We have a team of Catholic priests in Reading who are available for this Ministry, so it is hoped that no Catholic patient at the RBH will die without the Last Rites. Contact the duty priest

at the hospital on: 0118 322 7105.

Spiritual Communion — Prayer by St

Alphonsus. My Jesus, I believe that You are 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 if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.