Herefordshire Deanery Talk

We gather at 8.30pm on Saturday night for the Easter Vigil at St. Teilo’s. According to a most ancient tradition, this night is "one of vigil for the Lord," and the Vigil celebrated during it. Commemorating that Holy Night when the Lord rose from the dead, is regarded as the "mother of all Masses." For on this night, the Church keeps vigil, waiting for the Resurrection of the Lord, and celebrates the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Please make every effort to attend the Vigil, the highpoint of the Christian Year and the central mystery of our faith.

Day of Fasting and Abstinence Good Friday is a day of penance observed by the whole Church. It is a day of fasting and abstinence when everyone over the age of 16 and under the age of 65 are expected to abstain from meat and reduce their consumption of food. Good Friday – Walk of Witness This year, Churches Together in Whitchurch will be undertaking a Good Friday Walk of Witness following the Way of the Cross. There will be a short reading, hymn and reflection at each of the churches. 9:30am – The walk will begin at St. Teilo’s Church. Why not join Canon John and the clergy and members of Churches Together in Whitchurch at the start of the walk? 9:50am – Ebeneser at Whitchurch Community Centre 10:20am – Whitchurch Methodist Church 10:50am – St. Mary’s Church 11:20am – Bethel Baptist Church 11:50am – Ararat Baptist Church; following the reflection, hot cross buns and drinks will be served

Clothes donations for the SVP The Parish St. Vincent De Paul (SVP) Conference undertakes a monthly collection of clothing for the SVP Charity Shop. Clean, good quality clothing, books and toys are welcome. Donations may be left outside the confessionals at the rear of St. Teilo’s this weekend, April 13th , and on the weekend of the Second Sunday of each month. Please ensure that donations are brought to the Church only on the specified Sundays, as we do not want the Church to become cluttered during the week. Thank you from the parish SVP.

The Chrism Mass, at which the Oils for the Church's Sacraments throughout the year are blessed, and at which the priests of the Archdiocese renew their promises, is celebrated at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Greenhill, Swansea in Cardiff on Tuesday at 11.30am. The Chrism Mass is the central occasion of the Archdiocesan Year and is a great celebration of the life of the Archdiocese. Once people have been to the Chrism Mass, it tends to become a pivotal part of their practice of the faith. So, if you have not been before, why not go along and try it for yourself? The Chrism Mass will be the Parish Mass on Tuesday. There will be no Mass at St. Teilo’s. If you are unable to go to Swansea, you can access the live-stream of the Mass here: https://www.meneviacathedral.org/livestream-mass/

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Rest in Peace Please pray for the repose of the soul of Wendy Doxsey, Toinette Butcher and Mary Partridge who have died recently. Mary lived in Heol Gabrielle for many years but sang in St. Joseph’s choir where she had lived before moving to Whitchurch. Mrs Doxsey’s body will be brought into St. Teilo’s on Wednesday, April 23rd at 4.00pm. Her Funeral Mass will take place at St. Teilo’s on Thursday, April 24th at 10.45am. Toinette’s Funeral Mass will will take place at St. Teilo’s on Wedesday, May 7 th at 10.00am. Details of Mary’s funeral will be announced when it is available.  Please also pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Canon Bernard Whitehouse, Father Dermot Clancy, Father John McLoughlin, Anthony Nann, Laurence Spillane, Thomas Martin, Mary Hyde, Agnes O’Sullivan, Harry Marks, Kevin O’Callaghan, Clifford Jacobson, Kathleen Griffiths, John Liege Davies-Gay, Richard John ‘Dick’ Street, Stephen Arnstrong, Patrick Gavine, Francis Tucker, Winifred Poole, Mary Donovan, Sheila Steer, Trevor Kane, Martha Scully, Ivor William, Arthur Bickerton, David Brierley, Rose Davey, Honora Rowe, Giovanna Conti, Eileen Wheatley, Ellen McLoughlin, Mary O’Driscoll, Christopher Hutchinson, Germane Ash, Christine Jenkins, Veronica Martin, William Chinnick, Vanda Cronin, Patrick Daly, Dilys Thomas, Kathleen Murphy and Rita Thompson.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper With the celebration of Mass on the evening of Holy Thursday, the Church begins the Easter Triduum. This Mass recalls the Last Supper at which the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, showing His love for those who were His own in the world, gave His Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, offering them to His Father. He gave them to the Apostles so that they might partake of them. He commanded them and their successors in the priesthood to perpetuate this offering. Mass is celebrated at 7pm at St. Teilo’s. Collection at Mass The Collection for Lenten Arms will be taken during Mass on Maundy Thursday evening. The Lenten Alms this year will go towards Mary’s Meals UK and HCPT. Watching at the Altar of Repose After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, watching at the Altar of Repose takes place until 10pm. You are welcome to come along to spend time before the Lord on this night when Jesus said to the disciples: ‘Could you not watch one hour with Me?’ So, what about you?

On this day, the Church enters into the mystery of the Passion and Death of her Lord, bringing together the Triumphal Procession of Christ as King and the proclamation of His Passion. Both aspects of the Paschal Mystery are celebrated today as we recall the Lord’s Messianic entry into Jerusalem and His Passion and Death.  Refreshments after 10am Mass – Palm Sunday Refreshments will be served in the Hall after the 10.am Mass Today. We will be celebrating the 70th birthday of the Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council – Leigh Jenkins. All parishioners are welcome to come along.

As the UK Parliament considers a crucial and controversial piece of legislation – the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – Archbishop Mark has issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics, and all people of goodwill, to speak up. The bill seeks to legalise assisted suicide for terminally ill adults, a move the Catholic Church opposes both on moral and practical grounds. In his letter, Archbishop Mark reminds us that “every human life is sacred, coming as a gift of God and bearing God-given dignity.” This foundational belief underpins the Church’s principled objection to assisted suicide, and he warns that the bill “elevates… the autonomy of the individual above every other consideration.” But the Archbishop’s message is not just one of moral principle. He expresses deep concern about the way in which the bill has been handled in Parliament. He points out that this complex and far-reaching piece of legislation has not been subject to the usual thorough scrutiny: “It is a private member’s bill… published just days before MPs voted on it, giving them inadequate time to consult or reflect upon it.” Furthermore, the committee that examined the bill heard evidence for only three days, and not all voices were included in the discussion. Archbishop Mark also highlights the potential consequences of this legislation, questioning whether adequate safeguards exist to protect the vulnerable, and whether the National Health Service is prepared for such a shift in medical practice. He asks pointedly: “What will protect the vulnerable from coercion or from feeling a burden on their families?… Would this mean, in effect, the establishment of a national death service?” Instead of pursuing assisted suicide, the Archbishop calls for a renewed commitment to palliative care: “What is needed is first-class compassionate palliative care at the end of our lives… a good society would prioritise the care for the elderly, the vulnerable and the weak.” The letter ends with a heartfelt plea to the faithful: even if you’ve written to your MP before, now is the time to do so again. “This is a deeply flawed bill with untold unintended consequences,” he warns. “Every MP and government has a solemn duty to prevent such legislation reaching the statute book.” Drawing inspiration from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the Archbishop concludes with encouragement: “We, too, have many struggles… So we too, press on with this struggle too, so important in our times.”  Now is the time to speak out – in defence of life, in solidarity with the vulnerable, and in faithfulness to the Gospel.