Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, has helped us to support some of the more isolated members of our community in various ways. Thanks to the Government and the many volunteers for making this possible
https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/covid-19/sharing-your-story
Face coverings are mandatory in places of worship from Saturday 8th August 2020. All those who are attending churches must wear a face covering unless they are exempt from doing so. This is for the good of all who gather in the Church for Mass as it is an enclosed public space where there are people from differing households who they do not normally meet.
Priests in the sanctuary providing they are sufficiently distant (2m or more) from the congregation do not need to wear a face covering except when distributing Holy Communion (please see below). Other ministers in the sanctuary should wear face coverings and remain socially distant from the celebrant.
It is important to reaffirm that, at present, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains suspended. A significant number of churches may remain closed as they are unable to meet the requirements for opening for individual prayer. Fulfilling these requirements is a precondition for any church opening after the 4th July for the celebration of Mass with a congregation.
Please be aware that there will be a limit on the number of people who can attend Mass in our churches. This will be determined locally in accordance with social distancing requirements. We therefore need to reflect carefully on how and when we might be able to attend Mass. We cannot return immediately to our customary practices. This next step is not, in any sense, a moment when we are going ‘back to normal.’
We ask every Catholic to think carefully about how and when they will return to Mass. Our priests may need to consider whether it is possible to celebrate additional Masses at the weekends. Given there is no Sunday obligation, we ask you to consider the possibility of attending Mass on a weekday. This will ease the pressure of numbers for Sunday celebrations and allow a gradual return to the Eucharist for more people.
- Archbishop John Wilson
A Message from your Bishops to the Young People in Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Southwark
Archbishop John Wilson is currently live-streaming Mass each Sunday at 10 am from St George’s Cathedral via You Tube. If your parish does not currently stream Mass, please consider directing your parishioners to RC Southwark Channel on which these services are being broadcast, and encourage them to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr5pOWykDRh4v042c7n_vYA?view_as=subscriber
Interview with Cardinal Nichols on BBC Radio 4 - On Thursday 14th May Cardinal Nichols was interviewed by Jamie Webb on the BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme, in which they discussed how churches can be safely re-opened for private prayer as the UK government eases its lockdown restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19.
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/cardinal-on-safely-re-opening-churches-for-private-prayer
Podcast of interview: https://soundcloud.com/catholicchurch/cardinal-nichols-on-safely-re-opening-churches-for-private-prayer
See also: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-taskforce-developing-plan-to-reopen-places-of-worship
During the course of the week, the five Archbishop’s of England and Wales released a statement (on behalf of all Bishops) in response to the Government’s published plan for easing lockdown, which way issued on 11th May 2020. The Bishops’ statement can be read here:
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/catholic-bishops-respond-to-governments-lockdown-easing-plans/
On Sunday 24 May we will celebrate World Communications Day across the globe. The Pope recently recognised that the media should become a primary platform for evangelisation;
‘Studying new ways and means to communicate the Gospel of mercy to all people, in the heart of different cultures, through the media that the new digital cultural context makes available to our contemporaries is something that is very much in my heart’.
While much of the world remains in lockdown and as we, in England, attempt to recover from the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, many parishes have transformed from being physically to ‘virtually’ close for the time being, providing a new level of service and means of outreach. In Southwark Diocese alone, over 50 parishes are offering live-streamed Mass, interactive video-
conferencing, podcasts and weekly mailings filled with prayers, online meetings, sermons and offers of support. The creativity and quickness to respond has been both impressive and inspiring.
Author - Fr. Innocent Abonyi
When something akin to Corona virus threatened the very life of the infant Jesus Christ, it was to Egypt that God sent him for safety. It wasn't anywhere in Israel. One of my colleagues referred to this big threat to the life of the infant Jesus as contained in the Gospel of Matthew 2:13-23 as Covid-Herod. Egypt would have been the most unlikely place for a Jew to seek shelter or refuge in the days of Jesus because for the Jews, it was a land of Idol worshippers, a pagan country, a gentile country but God in his wisdom chose that land. God had so many better choices or means to use in saving the life of Jesus. For instance, he could have asked Joseph to hide the child in the Temple of Jerusalem, since the temple, like the churches of today should provide immunity to worshippers from the attack of King-Herod-killer-virus.
God is not angry with us for closing our Churches or public worship to stem the tide of this killer virus referred to as corona virus or covid-19. The Bishops have issued a statement telling us that we are free from the obligation to attend Sunday mass and the other holy days of obligation as long as the closure directive persists. There is no sin at all here because we have been dispensed. We are also doing a great good by obeying our government, statutory, health and religious authorities because they represent God in this particular circumstance.
We can pray from our homes and with our families or alone because the Bible did not say that we must pray only when we gather at mass, in groups or church buildings (see Matthew 18:20).
It has been established that the virus is speedily transmitted at mass gatherings. So, stopping or ceasing to gather in mass or as a staying away from the crowd makes huge sense, it is a good way to stem the tide of this killer virus, this silent enemy. Let us pray to God in the confines of our homes, praying together as a family or as an individual if we live alone. In doing this we are assisting in our own way those who are working hard to protect us. We are also saving our own lives and that of others. Let us stay at home, in the house, at this critical time. Let us run from the corona virus as Joseph and his family did. Even in Egypt God was with his only begotten Son and with the Holy Family. In our rooms and houses and families, God is with us and will bless us.
The Apostle Paul writing to the Romans, said “…hardship develops perseverance, perseverance develops character, character produces hope and hope does not disappoint, since the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.’ (Rom 5:3-5). We are people of profound hope. We will remain firm in faith and generous in charity, through Christ the ‘hope of glory,’ alive within us. (cf. Col 1:27). Let us continue to pray for all those working to overcome the effects of the Coronavirus and all those affected by it.
I wish to recommend that you kindly listen to the Youtube music by Lynda Randle which says “God of the Mountain is still God in the Valley. When things go wrong, he makes them right. And God of the good time is still God in the bad time. The God of the day is still God in the night.” This music inspires me a lot at a time like this.
Dear sisters and brothers,
The Government has mandated the ‘closure of all shops selling non-essential goods . . . and other premises including places of worship.’ As we continue to pray through the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the graces of this time has been the use of digital platforms.
We have created a YouTube channel and Facebook page for Our Lady of the Rosary church, to stay connected during a time of social distancing.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAA82hr_LUXXuU-Xcipv0FA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OLRBRX/.
Initially, we will be sharing Mass once weekly, but there is scope for growth.
Please circulate these links, so that others may subscribe to the YouTube channel, and like the Facebook page, to receive automatic notification of updates. Please please please remind everyone that these are public platforms, so they must not post personal information. Should they need to speak with Father Innocent or Father Francis, they must call the parish, not leave a message on YouTube or FB.
Archbishop Wilson also reminds us that '…hardship develops perseverance, perseverance develops character, character produces hope and hope does not disappoint, since the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.’ (Rom 5:3-5)
In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic we are no longer able to gather for public acts of worship in our Catholic churches in England and Wales. This will begin from Friday evening, 20 March 2020, until further notice. Cardinal Vincent Nichols offers a message of hope with Jesus. For a video clip of Cardinal Vincent Nicholls address, please view this shared link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbZ0_x__Cxc&feature=youtu.be
As Archbishop John says in his letter to the Clergy yesterday concerning the measures to be put in place, this is a Lent like we have not experienced before. We are entering a period of great uncertainty which most of us have never experienced in our life time.
The cessation of the public celebration of the Mass in our parishes from Friday 20th March indicates the serious action that is being taken to avoid this pandemic.
The Archbishop’s advice to us at the present time is:
· Be Good Samaritans to each other;
· Support those most in need in the best possible way;
· Speak to our families and loved ones as often as we can.
We must approach the period ahead with personal faith and prayer doing all we can to support those in our care. As Parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary, we are required to care for each other and our families. I would be grateful if all our parishioners can do their best to look after our elderly brothers, sisters, and friends whether they are parishioners or not. Some may not have the necessary level of support in the current climate and it is essential that we keep a close eye on them during the next few weeks. We can do this by offering phone support on a regular basis and ensuring that their shopping needs are met.
Please click below for important information from both the Archbishop of Southwark and the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales regarding the suspension of our public worship and services due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Invitation from Bishop Robert Barron
Friends, if you live in the Oxford area, I'd like to invite you to a lecture I'll be giving on Oct. 16th: tiny.cc/barronoxford
To celebrate the canonisation of John Henry Newman, I'll be giving a lecture on "Newman and the New Evangelisation" in the Church where Newman gave some of his greatest sermons.
The Fathers of the Oratory would like to thank the Vicar and Churchwardens of The University Church of St Mary the Virgin, by whose kind permission this lecture is able to take place.
This event is possible thanks to the work of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, and the sponsorship of The Thomistic Institute and The St Barnabas Society. To join us, please register right here: tiny.cc/barronoxford
Urgent Notice!
Friday 20th March's morning Mass at 10am will be the final one with a public congregation.
Fathers Innocent and Francis will celebrate conduct Mass daily, behind closed doors - parishioners can book Mass as usual, but not attend. No congregational attendance is permitted until further notice.
The church will be open for personal prayer, observing the distancing, handwashing, and the use of sanitizer directives.
Newsletters will be in their usual place for new information and updates. Please use our websites regularly for updates also.
The Church is open all day on Saturday and Sunday.
Our Church is also open from 9.00 am – 2.00 pm, Monday – Friday.
Our Lady of the Rosary, 364 Brixton Road, London, SW9 0TH
Telephone: 02072742367
Email: brixton@rcaos.org.uk
