March Newsletter
Opening dates and times
An update from Jon Harcourt:
Having carefully followed directives and suggestions for church openings over the past year, and especially leading to the recent lockdown, I am pleased to say that St Edmunds will be re-opening this coming Sunday ( 28th February) for the 11am Mass with Fr John Oakes as Celebrant.
Our last service was on the 10th January, so it will have been 7 Sundays since we have been able to receive the Blessed Sacrament.
The social distancing, masks, hand cleansing policies will be back in place – and the church will probably be safer than supermarkets!
Our thanks go to the priests who have supported us during many good and sometimes difficult times, and we will keep you updated on the news as it happens, especially for services.
We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, but only if you feel confident enough and are not isolating because of a medical condition.
Be strong – be safe – be sensible.
God be with you,
Jon
Lent 2021
Wednesday 17th February 2021 (Ash Wednesday) will mark the first day of Lent. Please read the Bishop of Ebbslfeet’s pastoral letter for Lent. The letter contains the Gospel reading for every day in Lent, along with the Rosary Meditations “of Holy Week”. You can download the letter here:
Bishop Jonathan has also made a Lent video, which can be watched here:
The Society, in conjunction with the See of Fulham and supported by Forward in Faith, is delighted to release A Covenant With God: A Journey through Lent 2021. Through this devotional booklet, Fr Philip Barnes reflects on the Old Testament readings from the Lenten Sunday Masses, exploring the story of God’s relationship with His people and preparing the way for the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, which are marked by the Church’s principal liturgies of the year over Holy Week and Easter.
The booklet can be used either on its own or in conversation with others in your parish community. There is a reflection for each Sunday in Lent with some questions to ponder in each case. A video introduction to the themes of the booklet will be provided by the Bishop of Fulham in due course and will be shared via The Society’s Facebook page and also made available via this page (https://www.sswsh.com/).
If you are looking for further study material, we recommend The Society in the Diocese of Leeds’s course on Communion and Catholicity. It is available here.
Lent is also a time during which we meditate upon the Stations of the Cross, often on the Fridays in Lent. For those looking to pray using the Stations at home, please think about using this booklet.
The Society fervently hopes that you may have a prayerful Lent in this time of national emergency and as we prepare to celebration Our Lord’s victory over death.
For further devotions, the Benefice is running a Lent course via Zoom on Tuesday nights. Please contact Rev Hugh Burton for the log in details.
It is traditional at St. Edmund’s that we raise money for the Additional Curates Society though Lent. We will not be able to collect our collection boxes from St. Edmund’s this year, however donations can still be made online. You can donate here: https://additionalcurates.co.uk/support-us/
Mass can be watched every Sunday live at 9 AM at this link: https://vimeo.com/shrineolw
May God with you through this Lenten season. Have a Holy Lent, and please stay safe.
February Newsletter
The February issue of the Newsletter is now available on this web site. The printed version is now also available.
Please click on this link to view this issue of the newsletter: Newsletter 142 February 2021-compressed
Lock-Down Update
A decision has been made that St. Edmund’s will remain closed throughout February. This decision is due to be reviewed at the end of the month.
Mass is still available to watch live every Sunday at 9 AM from the Shrine website: https://vimeo.com/shrineolw. The Benefice Zoom Service is also available at 11 AM.
This does mean that St. Edmund’s will be closed for Ash Wednesday. However please remember to download The Society Lent booklet.
Please also remember to pray for the nation every day through February at 6 PM.
Please keep checking this website for further updates, and stay safe.
Sunday 31st January 2021 (The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany)
St. Edmund’s remains closed for this Sunday. However Mass will be live steamed at 9 AM from Walsingham here:
Monday 1st February 2021
The Society, in conjunction with the Church Union and with the support of Forward in Faith, urges you to participate in the Prayer for the Nation initiative from Monday 1 February in response to a request from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. As many of us as possible should unite at 6pm each day to say the Angelus and offer intercessions for the souls of the departed, for the bereaved, for the vulnerable and for those charged with their care. We hope that this short prayer booklet helps you do that: https://www.churchunion.co.uk/…/Praying_for_the_Nation… Other resources for use inside our church buildings or at home are available here: https://churchunion.co.uk/fullposts.php?id=174#PrayerForTheNation
Tuesday 2nd February 2021 (Candlemas)
Tuesday this week will will celebrate The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas). Mass will be lives treamed at 8PM from Walsingham.
Wednesday 17th February 2021 (Ash Wednesday)
Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent.
The Society, in conjunction with the See of Fulham and supported by Forward in Faith, is delighted to release A Covenant With God: A Journey through Lent 2021. Through this devotional booklet, Fr Philip Barnes reflects on the Old Testament readings from the Lenten Sunday Masses. For further details, please see: https://www.sswsh.com/fullposts.php?id=303
Have a blessed week and please stay safe.
Sunday 24th January 2021 (Third Sunday of Epiphany/Third Sunday of Ordinary Time)
The Gospel reading for this Sunday, and a homily from the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, can be downloaded here:
If you want to watch a service this Sunday, Mass will be lives streamed from the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (Anglican) at 9 AM. The Mass can be watched on the Shrine’s Vimeo Channel (https://vimeo.com/shrineolw) or on Facebook
God’s blessing be upon you this week. Stay safe, and stay at home.
Whilst St. Edmund’s is Closed
As I am sure everyone is already aware, the Covid-19 Tier system has now ended, and we are back into a full lock-down across England. What we can and can’t do in this current lock-down can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home. Places of worship are allowed to stay open; however, along with many other churches in the Dudley area, St. Edmund’s has made the decision to close. There are a number of resources available in order for us to keep up-to-date with the Bible readings and prayers every day.
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet’s calendar has the gospel readings for every day of the year. The document can be downloaded here:
Bishop Jonathan’s calendar can be used in conjunction with the Praying at Home Booklet published by the Church Union; this document can be downloaded here:
There are also a number of ways of watching services on-line. The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (Anglican) live streams the Mass every Sunday at 9 AM; the Mass can be watched at this link:
The Benefice Zoom service can also be access at 11 AM.
The up-to-date guidance from the Church of England can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/COVID%2019%20Permitted%20Activities%20v3.1.pdf
Bishop Philip North has released a new video, it can be watched here:
Please stay safe, and keep tuned to this website for further updates.
LOCKDOWN UPDATE
Latest update from Jon Harcourt:
With the horrific rise of Covid infections and so many dying each day from the Virus, we have decided that following the service at St Edmunds this Sunday 10th January, the church will be closed until it is considered safe to reopen.
Our celebrant on this day will be Canon Darren Smith.
The strict rules we have had in place at St Edmunds still apply:
Masks/face coverings worn at all times; Sanitise your hands on entering/leaving church;
Into church and straight to your pew – no engagement with others;
At Communion please only leave your pew when there is space behind the black/yellow distance lines;
Back to your pew safely;
After the service please do not mingle or hang around – leave the church immediately.
Update on the latest Covid situation
A message from Jon Harcourt:
All,
Following the guidelines issued by the government and further clarification, churches are being allowed to open for communal worship.
We at St Edmunds will be open as usual this Wednesday 6th January for Celebrate the Epiphany at 12.15pm, with Fr John Oakes presiding.
Sundays as usual 11a.m, with Fr Darren Smith this week.
HOWEVER, to do this we must follow the strict guidelines on social distancing we announced last Sunday:
Masks/face coverings worn at all times; sanitise your hands entering/leaving church;
Into church and straight to your pew – no engagement with others;
For Communion please only leave the pew when there is a space behind the black/yellow distance lines;
Back to your pew safely;
After the service please do not mingle or hang around, but leave the church immediately.
These measures are necessary, and we all must be aware that the care for ourselves and others makes these restrictions necessary, and we will review the situation at all times.
We fully understand if you feel that for the moment you will not be able to travel on buses or join with us for our services: take care – stay safe
God be with you till we meet again.
Jon.
