Parish of St Teresa of Avila, Ashford
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark
No Public Worship until december
NATIONAL GUIDANCE
On 4 November 2020, Parliament passed into law The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)(England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020. These are in force from 5 November to 2 December 2020. As well as the Regulations, the Government has updated its Guidance for the safe use of places of worship to reflect current circumstances. The Regulations preclude gatherings for communal worship, including the celebration of Mass, baptisms and most weddings.
In the current Regulations, places of worship are permitted to remain open for certain purposes, and to attend a place of worship is listed as a reasonable excuse to leave home.
Most notably, the Regulations allow places of worship to remain open for “individual prayer” which is defined as “prayer by individuals which does not form part of communal worship.” It is important that a generous provision is made to open our churches for substantial amounts of time. Funeral Masses and funeral services may continue to be celebrated, with an attendance of up to 30 people (not including those who are required for the celebration). Face coverings should continue to be worn in churches, unless individuals are exempt.
What does it mean for a Catholic?
At all the Catholic Churches, including St Teresa’s, Ashford & St Ambrose, Wye there will be no public services (including Masses) until the end of the National Lockdown. Funeral Masses and funeral services may be held. Please refer to the Regulations (for places of worship see paragraph 18) and associated Guidance.
It is important that we, as responsible citizens, observe these Regulations, which have the force of law: “Remind them to be obedient to the officials in authority; to be ready to do good at every opportunity” (Titus 3:1) We do this in solidarity with so many others on whom are being imposed restrictions which impact severely on their lives and livelihoods. It is also important to recognise that these Regulations are not an attack on religious belief. However, they do demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding of the essential contribution made by faith communities to the well-being, resilience and health of our society.
At this difficult moment, we ask that, as a Catholic community, we make full use of our churches as places of individual prayer and sources of solace and help.
For full details regarding the national autumn lockdown and worship visit the CBCEW website or to find out more about the wider situation with regard to the pandemic in England visit GOV.UK
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY (8th November)
Please join us ONLINE for Remembrance Service 8th November at 10.30am followed by Litany for the dead, prayer for our country and the world.
Please note, that the Blessing of the Graves at Bybrook on Sunday 8th November will not take place.
PRIVATE PRAYER
National Guidance allow Churches to open for private prayer during the Autumn lockdown period. Therefore St Teresa’s main church will be open for Parishioners Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10.00am to 11.00am and on Sundays from 3.00pm to 4.00pm with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for private adoration (No Private Prayer time on Wednesday an Saturday to allow proper cleaning.)
While the main church will be closed after the Private Prayer time, the church porch will be unlocked on weekdays until 4.00pm if you want to say a prayer (please mind that outside of the designated times there might be some noise due to the church refurbishment works).
MASSES via Livestream (ONLINE only)
On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday at 7.00am, on Wednesday & Saturday at 10.00am and on Sunday at 10.30am (in English) and 12.00noon (in Polish)
FULL PLAN SUMMARY
Monday
7.00am – Holy Mass (Livestream)
10.00am – Private Prayer until 11.00am
7.00pm – Rosary Prayer (Livestream)
Tuesday
7.00am – Holy Mass (Livestream)
10.00am – Private Prayer until 11.00am
Wednesday
10.00am – Holy Mass (Livestream)
7.00pm – Devotion to ST Teresa (Livestream)
Thursday
7.00am – Holy Mass (Livestream)
10.00am – Private Prayer until 11.00am
Friday
7.00am – Holy Mass (Livestream)
10.00am – Private Prayer until 11.00am
7.00pm – Divine Mercy Chaplet (Livestream)
Saturday
10.00am – Holy Mass (Livestream)
Sunday
10.30am – Sunday Mass in English (Livestream)
12.00am – Sunday Mass in Polish (Livestream)
3.00pm – Private Prayer until 4.00pm
Bishop’s Statement on the Prime Minister’s LOCK-DOWN ANNOUNCEMENT
Saturday, October 31st, 2020 @ 10:23 pm
This evening, the Prime Minister announced further widespread restrictions in England beginning on Thursday 5 November. The Government have published their New National Restrictions Guidance on their website here. Whilst there was no formal announcement on Places of Worship by the Prime Minister, there is clear guidance on this website that places of worship will be required to end all acts of collective worship, except for funeral ceremonies. In response the following statement is issued by the President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference.
The announcement of a new ‘national lockdown’ in England will, we know, bring hardship, distress and suffering to many. We must hope and pray that this is an effective strategy against a growing pandemic which has tragically taken so many lives already and threatens so many more.
Faith communities have played a vital role in sustaining personal, spiritual and mental health and encouraging vital charitable activities, which support hundreds of thousands of people in all sections of the community, especially the most vulnerable. That critical service towards the common good of all is created and sustained by communal worship and prayer. Part of this selfless giving has been a strong ethic of responsibility in the way in which we have reopened our churches so that essential worship has been enabled. Our communities have done a great deal to make our churches safe places in which all have been able to gather in supervised and disciplined ways.
It is thus a source of deep anguish now that the Government is requiring, once again, the cessation of public communal worship. Whilst we understand the many difficult decisions facing the Government, we have not yet seen any evidence whatsoever that would make the banning of communal worship, with all its human costs, a productive part of combatting the virus. We ask the Government to produce this evidence that justifies the cessation of acts of public worship.
To counter the virus we will, as a society, need to make sustained sacrifices for months to come. In requiring this sacrifice, the Government has a profound responsibility to show why it has taken particular decisions. Not doing so risks eroding the unity we need as we enter a most difficult period for our country.
The Prime Minister has stated that the draft legislation will be placed before Parliament on Monday 2 November. Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss the issues and vote on the proposed national restrictions. In this short timeframe, questions can be raised with our elected Members of Parliament regarding the cessation of public common worship. They are in a position to require the Government to publish the data that drives the decision to cease public worship under these restrictions.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
President
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP
Vice-President
Month of November
Traditionally the month of November is devoted to prayer for our deceased relatives and friends, and those that have nobody to prayer for them, so the Mother Church offers her prayer for these Holy Souls.
The Church believes that those perfected by the Lord’s grace and virtuous life are taken to heaven. Some are known by name and officially presented to the faithful with a special liturgical day of memorial or feast. 1st November is the Solemnity of All Saints, unknown to us by name.
The Church, constantly looking up to heaven, also stands on the firm ground remembering, that not everyone is ready to meet the Lord face to face. Our Soul, if not perfected in earthly life, must go through purification in Purgatory. 2nd November is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, known as All Souls Day and we pray for these souls that cannot help themselves any more, and must look towards us and the Church’s Treasury of Prayer.
Let us make a special effort to pray and offer indulgences (click here to find out more) for the sake of the Souls in Purgatory.
- The plenary indulgence for those who visit a cemetery and pray for the departed, which is normally applicable between 1 to 8 November, will now apply to the entire month of November and need not be on consecutive days.
- The plenary indulgence of All Souls’ Day, 2 November, whereby the faithful may visit a church, chapel or oratory to pray the Our Father and the Creed, can be transferred not only to the preceding or successive Sunday, or, indeed, the solemnity of All Saints’, but may now also be gained on any other day within the month of November, too.
- Those faithful who are shielding, or for whatever genuine reason are unable to leave their homes, may also achieve the plenary indulgence by offering prayer for the departed and offering any hardships they may presently be enduring. The following provisions would also apply: spiritually uniting themselves with all other faithful; detachment from sin; and, having the intention as soon as possible to meet the three usual conditions of sacramental Confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.
EASY FUNDRAISING
Did you know that whenever you buy anything online-from your weekly shop to your annual holiday-you could be raising free donations for St Teresa of Avila Church Roof Fund with easy fundraising. There are over 4,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation-including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S-and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds.
Simply click the link below:
www.easyfundraising.org.uk/
Every time you shop online go to easy fundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping. After you have checked out, the retailer will make a donation to St Teresa of Avila Church Ashford Roof Fund at no extra cost to you whatsoever. There are no catches or hidden charges and we would be really grateful for your donations.
How to book a Mass?
Masses can be celebrated for deceased members of family or friends, thanksgiving, anniversaries, vocations, for the sick and for any particular need. If you would like a Mass said please fill in the Mass envelope at the back of Church and give it to a priest or drop it into the Parish Office.
NOW YOU CAN BOOK A MASS WITHOUT LEAVING HOME
Simply call us or email us about the availability. We will confirm and send you the DONATION link.
There is also an old tradition of Gregorian Masses. Gregorian Masses are a series of Holy Masses traditionally offered on 30 consecutive days as soon as possible after a person’s death. They are offered for an individual soul. The custom of offering Gregorian Masses for a particular soul recognises that few people are immediately ready for heaven after death, and that, through the infinite intercessory power of Christ’s sacrifice, made present in Holy Mass, a soul can be continually perfected in grace and enabled to enter finally into the union with the Most Holy Trinity – our God, Who is Love Itself.
History of Gregorian Masses.
Gregorian Masses take their name from Saint Gregory the Great, who was sovereign Pontiff from 590 to 604. St. Gregory the Great contributed to the spread of the pious practice of having these Masses celebrated for the deliverance of the souls from purgatory. In his Dialogues, he tells us that he had Masses on thirty consecutive days offered for the repose of the soul of Justus, a monk who had died in the convent of St. Andrew in Rome. At the end of the thirtieth Mass, the deceased appeared to one of his fellow monks and announced that he had been delivered from the flames of Purgatory.
See our Live Stream
For previous events
please, visit our YouTube Channel.
Holy Mass LIVE (in Lockdown) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday at 7.00am, on Wednesday & Saturday at 10.00am and on Sunday at 10.30am (in English) and 12.00noon (in Polish)
Evening Devotions LIVE with Rosary on Mondays & Devotion to St Teresa of Avila on Wednesdays, and Divine Mercy Chaplet on Fridays at 7pm. To add your own intention to our evening prayers use the form below up to 6pm each day.
Donate to our Church Roof Fund
