The Catholic Parish of Long Crendon, Diocese of Northampton.

(under the patronage of Our Lady, St Jude, Apostle, St Edmund of Abingdon, 

and Blessed Thomas Belson of Brill, Martyr)

Catholic Church of Our Lady of Light              Catholic Church of St Edmund of Abingdon

Chearsley Road, Long Crendon                                                        Lower Green, Westcott

Parish Priest – Fr Eric Manley-Harris                  Tel:  01844 208754

The Presbytery, Chearsley Road, Long Crendon, BUCKS HP18 9BS  

Email:fr.eric@tiscali.co.uk                               Web: www.ourladyoflight.org.uk

SUNDAY                               16^th November 2008 Thirty-Third Sunday of the Year

St Edmund’s, Westcott 8.30am   for Pam Adams RIP

Our Lady of Light, Long Crendon 10.00am for the people of the parish

Confessions:        On request

Our Lady’s:          Readers: Gordon Curtis, Graham Cook 

        Coffee:  Sue Cook

        Flowers & Cleaning: Graham & Sue Cook

During the Week: 

Mon. 17^th Nov        9.30 Mass  Feria   for Patrick & Helen Wilson intentions

Tues. 18^th Nov       9.30 Mass Feria for Wynn Griffiths & deceased relatives & friends of Annie Griffiths 

Wed. 19^th Nov       9.30 Mass St Hugh of Lincoln   for deceased relatives & friends  of the Butler Family

Thurs 20^th Nov       9.30am Mass Feria & H. H.  for deceased relatives & friends of the Phillips Family 

Friday 21st Nov      9.30am Mass Feria   for deceased relatives & friends of Anne & Peter Watson

Sat.  22^nd Nov       12 noon Mass St Cecilia in thanksgiving for the Birthday of Cecilia Phillips

NEXT SUNDAY                   23^rd November 2008 Feast of Christ the King

St Edmund’s, Westcott 8.30am   for the people of the Parish

Our Lady of Light, Long Crendon, 10.00am for the departed family & friends of Amanda Norris

2^nd Collection today for Sick & Retired Clergy Fund

 Father Eric writes

40^th Anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul V1.

A special Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Light on Saturday 22^nd November at 12 noon followed by refreshments in the John Butler Parish Hall.

Preacher: Father Daniel Seward of the Oxford Oratory.  All welcome.

 An Open Letter of Petition to the Rt Hon John Bercow MP

Parishioners are invited to sign this letter expressing concern that Mr Bercow has chosen to ignore the ethical and moral concerns of many of his constituents regarding the many questions raised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill 2008.

A copy of this letter of petition may be found in both churches for parishioners to sign.   It is intended that this letter will be released to the local press at a later date for their consideration.

Super Church Clean – OLOL

Mrs Sue Cook has very kindly offered to organize this special clean of the Church of Our Lady of Light by a team of parishioners on 29^th November beginning at 10.00am.  Please ‘sign up’ to do a particular cleaning task and bring your own equipment to do the job!  Help will be needed too to provide hot drinks!

 OLOL Repository

Mrs Ann Watson of Long Crendon, who looks after our Repository table at Our Lady of Light, has provided a selection of inexpensive Christmas Cards, Advent Calendars & Year 2009 Calendars for parishioners to purchase.  These are on display on the table in the Church Porch and also in the John Butler Hall. Please have a look! 

 Next Sunday – The Feast of Christ the King

On the last Sunday in the present cycle of the liturgical year, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Christ the King.  The feast was instituted by Pope Pius X1 in the encyclical Quas Primas. of 11 December 1925 at the end of the Jubilee Year when the last Sunday in October was allotted for its observance.  From 1970 it has been kept on the last Sunday of the Church’s Year before the beginning of Advent.

The feast celebrates the all-embracing authority of Christ the King which shall lead mankind to seek the ‘peace of Christ’ in the ‘Kingdom of Christ’.

But just in case we have allowed ourselves to think that Christ’s rule is only a private matter between the individual believer and our Lord, Pope Pius X1 taught that “it would be a grave error…to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since, by virtue of the absolute empire over all creatures committed to Him by the Father, all things are in His power.”

Hence the truth of the evangelical saying, “If Jesus is not Lord of all, he is not Lord at all.”

Is there not in the public domain of our own times a tendency to treat religion as a private matter?  While we enjoy the freedom to practice our religion privately our citizenship of Christ’s kingdom is not welcomed when we seek to influence public policy by applying the principles and values of Christ’s moral teaching e.g. the sanctity of life.  

In summary, Pope Pius X1 taught that ‘the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men…. nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether individually or collectively, are under the dominion of Christ.  In Him is the salvation of the individual, in Him is the salvation of society.  “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)  He is the author of happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation.’     

 Please pray for Keith Ahmid, Juno Alexander, Alan Ashton, Elspeth Castle, Jane and William Druce, Joyce Evans, Clifford John Evans, Audrey Evans, Shelagh Garner, John Jillians, Christine Maitland, Claire Martin, Lara Mockler, Margaret Morris-Adams, Amanda Norris, Barbara O’Callaghan, Rachael Bailey, & Chris Culley.  

 For the departed:  for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory and especially for our departed relatives, friends and benefactors and in particular for Pam Adams