FSSP Bedford & Chesham Bois Bulletin 3 Dec 23

FSSP Chaplaincy Bulletin, 3 Dec 2023

Served by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter by appointment from the RC Diocese  of Northampton

Residence: St Alban House, 18 Brett Drive, Bromham, Bedford MK43 8RF

Worship: Christ the King Church, Harrowden Road, Bedford MK42 0SP; and on Sundays and major feasts at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church, Chesham Bois, 30 Amersham Road, HP6 5PE

fssp.org.uk/bedford or fssp.org.uk/chesham     

facebook.com/fssp.england

Chaplain: Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP:

malleray@fssp.org

Visiting Priest: Fr Miguel Coelho:

pe.miguelcoelho@protonmail.com

Secretary: Mrs Rita Carroll: bedford@fssp.org

Receive this newsletter by email https://fssp.org.uk/manageprofile/index.php

Watch daily Mass by the FSSP on www.livemass.net/locations/warrington.html

Daily Holy Mass readings: www.divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/missa/missa.pl

Vespers: https://www.divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/horas/officium.pl

HOLY MASS TIMES

BEDFORD: Sunday: 8:30am; Mon 10:00am; Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri: 8:00am; Sat 10:00am

CHESHAM BOIS: Sunday: 12noon

Holy Days: 11:30am (check website before travelling)

Bedford CONFESSIONS TIMES

Sat 11:00am-12noon. And during or around Holy Mass when possible, including in Chesham Bois.

Safeguarding: If you have concerns about children or vulnerable adults, please contact the FSSP England Safeguarding Lead, Fr Matthew Goddard: goddard@fssp.org.

ADVENT BEGINS.

Some wonder what little penance or resolution to make for the holy season. None will please the Child Jesus better than attending his Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on a weekday.

Immaculate Conception on Fri 8 Dec (not a holy day of obligation):

TWO holy Masses in Bedford at 8am and 7:30pm (with confessions 30mins before Mass).

We had a great family day at Christ the King on Sat 2 Dec. About 60 attended the 10am Holy Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (First Saturday votive devotion) at which Fr de Malleray preached on the two hearts of Jesus and Mary as our twin spiritual “mansion”. Fr Coelho was kept busy hearing confessions for nearly two hours during Mass and during the following holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration prayed especially for the families at the Bedford and Chesham Bois FSSP Chaplaincy.

A shared picnic followed in the (well heated) parish hall, with various stalls displaying children’s books, Regina Caeli Academy mugs and Christmas cards, pro-life literature and books by FSSP Chaplain Fr de Malleray. At 2pm, the many children were treated to a catechism session by Fr Coelho in the adjacent room, while the adults listened to a spiritual conference by Fr de Malleray on Our Lady and the Incarnation, followed by questions and answers. The day ended with a live performance of O Come Emmanuel by all the children on stage, after they had rehearsed with our lead singer Katherine. The feedback was very positive and there is interest for similar events to be scheduled in the future. Anyone is welcome. Contact us with suggestions of dates and themes.

LADIES’ group at Christ the King Church (Patrick Donegan Room) on Monday 11 December: 7:00pm Biscuits & Tea; 7:30pm Conference by Fr de Malleray, FSSP on “How God prepared his coming into our flesh according to the 7 Greater O Antiphons.”

Congratulations to Jon and Jacinta Moxham for the holy Baptism of their eight child, newborn Theodore, who became a child of God on 29 Dec; and to Vincent and Alex Grimer for the holy Baptism of their firstborn, little Lily Grimer, scheduled at Christ the King Church on Sat 9 Dec, 12noon. Let us pray for these newly baptised (or soon to be) and for their families.

PREPARATION to the SACRAMENTS:

Please kindly email Chaplaincy Secretary Mrs Rita Carroll (bedford@fssp.org) the full details of candidates for First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation (includes date of birth). Also for Holy Matrimony (if any), and Baptism. Once we know the size of each group we can schedule meetings.

On Mon 27 Nov several families attended the 10am Holy Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Fr Coelho blessed medals after Mass and offered them to those who did not already have one. These sacramentals are powerful means of sanctification.  

Telephone: A landline number will be communicated soon.

In London last week Fr de Malleray attended a clergy gathering organised by the Ordinariate.

The Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst was fully booked for a retreat on the Incarnation last weekend. Fr de Malleray’s conferences will be uploaded soon.

Fr de Malleray sung the Mass and preached on religious life for the monthly Juventutem meeting at St Mary Magdalene’s in Wandsworth, attended by 65 young adults including some non-Catholics. The annual summer weekend of Juventutem will take place at Ampleforth Abbey on 2-4 August 2024.

facebook.com/londonjuventutem/; instagram.com/juventutemlondon/.

On Sat 9 Dec, Fr de Malleray will attend the fayre of the Goretti Girls, a Catholic social society named after purity martyr St Maria Goretti, for girls aged 10-17. Visit gorettigirls.co.uk.

Three holy Masses this Christmas: In Bedford our traditional Christmas Holy Mass will start at midnight this year again (Mass of the Night), followed by the Mass of Dawn at 8:30am. The Mass of the Day will be offered at Chesham Bois at 11:30am.

Can you sing Christmas carols and/or play of an instrument? Contact us. Also, as mentioned from the pulpit, we have started singing hymns right before and after Sunday Mass, plus a simple Latin one during Holy Communion. After a few weeks we should all become familiar with tune and words.

FINANCES: Thank you to the families who have now shifted their standing order from the Reading bank account to the newly created Bedford one with Lloyd. Kindly proceed with the change if you have not done so already, since two priests full time implies ongoing expenses, which are not covered by Reading or by the diocese. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Sort code: 30-80-27   Account number: 44025960

GIFT AID: Increase your donation to the FSSP Chaplaincy by 25% at no further expense to you. Ask Rita for a Gift Aid form, fill it in and hand it back to her. That will help us a lot.

MAILING LIST: Please subscribe for free to the newly created Mailchimp list, now the official medium of information for the Northampton FSSP Chaplaincy. Click on this link: https://facebook.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c6ff52282548a1c81708fb5ef&id=adabc6323e

Or simply visit the Chaplaincy’s dedicated webpage via fssp.org.uk/bedford, or fssp.org.uk/chesham, and click to the right of the screen on “Subscribe to our Bedford and Chesham Bois bulletin”.

Envelopes for Holy Mass intentions are being printed. Meanwhile, you can write on any envelope the intention, contact details, and preferred date if any, and your stipend (average £10.00).

St Nicholas will visit us in the parish hall on Sunday 3 Dec after our Mass.

Pray  for  the sick in our congregations. Email their names for insertions in next bulletins.

HOLY MASS INTENTIONS  this WEEK

by Fr AM