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- SUNDAY MASS
This
gathering is the ‘source and summit’ of our Life in Christ as a Catholic Community. Without our celebration of
the Eucharist together any other activity or interest will only be peripheral to the work of the parish. Due to the limited
size of the church building we have three Sunday Masses and for the foreseeable future the pattern will remain as it is. However,
the bishop has asked us to work towards having just two, or possibly even only one Mass on Sunday so that the priest could
be free to cover other parishes if a priest is away or sick and thus the feasibility of building a new church is being studied.
The characteristics (and times) of the Masses are as follows:
- 9.30 am
This is a mass
normally celebrated with music, and the parts of the Mass and hymns are sung with organ accompaniment and a small group of
singers who gather near to the organ. There is every opportunity to participate in this Mass by volunteering for the ministry
of welcome or of reader or as a lay minister of Holy Communion. Although there is currently a set rota that runs on a four-week
basis, more volunteers are always welcome, particularly if you have fulfilled any of these ministries in a previous parish.
In this Diocese of East Anglia all lay ministers of Holy Communion (n.b. Bishop Michael discourages the term ‘Eucharistic
Ministers’) are commissioned initially by the bishop himself at a special training day. These are run on a quarterly
basis and build upon theoretical and practical training already given in the parish. At this Mass there is also the opportunity
for children to have their own Liturgy of the Word on the first Sunday of every month.
- 10.30 am
This Mass is celebrated at the Carmelite Convent at Quidenham,
normally by the resident chaplain Fr. Richard Zang CSC. The community at Quidenham dates from the 1940’s and is now
some twenty strong, contemplative nuns of all ages with a healthy novitiate. There is also a regular community of local Catholics
who attend this Mass and participate in the ministries and enjoy the musical traditions of the Sisters. Their life of prayer
is deeply entwined with the singing of the Liturgy of the Hours and of the Eucharist, and we are fortunate to be able to participate
in this community of prayerful devotion.
- 11.30 am
This is a Mass without music (except at Christmas and
Easter when the parish priest can’t restrain himself from bursting into song…) and again there are opportunities
to serve in all the ministries.
- 6.00 pm
This also is a Mass without music and has a lower than
average attendance (25-40), however it serves an important need for those who work at weekends and volunteers for all ministries
are always welcome.
- WEEKDAY MASSES
There is a policy of celebrating Mass every
day in the parish when this is possible, but when it is not possible we do not, at the moment, have Services of the Word and
Holy Communion (again Bishop Michael discourages the term ‘Eucharistic Services’). There is always a quiet Mass
at 8.00 am at Quidenham each weekday if you are an early riser! Fr. Simon nearly always gives a brief homily at all weekday
Masses and there is a daily schedule of regular volunteers for the two main ministries, i.e. reader and lay minister of Holy
Communion, but this is not set in stone. The normal schedule is as follows:
- Monday 10.00 am Morning Prayer before at 9.40
- Tuesday 8.00 am*
- Wednesday 10.00 am Morning Prayer before at 9.40
- Thursday 7.00pm. Exposition until 8.00pm.
- Friday 10.00 am
- Saturday 10.00 am The Rosary is said at 9.40
3:00pm CONFESSIONS until 4:00pm
* These Masses are at different times due to the fact that Fr. Simon, in addition to his duties as parish priest, goes
on these two days to Poringland near Norwich to work on the Matrimonial Tribunal in the Diocesan Offices and has to keep ‘Office
Hours’. (These duties also mean that he is occasionally absent at conventions or conferences that are not ‘holidays’
even though they may be pleasant!)
- HOW TO HAVE A MASS SAID
If you would like to have a Mass
offered for a particular intention, e.g. for someone’s anniversary or for a birthday or if someone is seriously ill,
then please speak to Fr. Simon. It is enormously helpful if you fill in a ‘green form’ with all the relevant details
rather than hoping that the priest will remember. Please drop the form into the Presbytery (or post it….). There are
Mass cards on the table at the back of the church if you would like to send one.
Ministries at Mass
Everyone has
something to offer, but we are all of us naturally reticent and we say with St. Peter “Away from me Lord, for I am a
sinful man…” but all of this notwithstanding we do need volunteers to help in a variety of ways. If you would
like to help in any way, then please speak to Fr. Simon or leave a message on the parish answer-phone.
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