St Benet’s remains open for worship, but the heating is broken again!

St Benet’s remains open for worship, but we are encountering problems with the heating again, so please wrap up warm if you are intending to come to Mass.

An engineer will be coming out to service Big Bertha our beloved parish boiler on Tuesday, so we hope the system will be repaired by next week.

Food Bank – donations urgently needed!
We are getting very low indeed on food for our food bank. We urgently need donations of non-perishable goods that can be given to those in need. We also need disposable nappies in sizes 4 and 5. Drop any provisions you would like to donate off in the box at the back of church or deliver them to the vicarage front door.  Many thanks indeed!

COVID and worship at St Benet’s
St Benet’s is open for public worship this Sunday with our Parish Mass at 11.00 am. The heating is on the blink again, and the engineers can’t come before next week, so wrap up warm!

In order to allow people the maximum possible space for social distancing, the daily Mass will continue to place each day at the high altar until further notice, with the congregation sitting in the chancel.

There will be no Saturday night Vigil Mass and Sunday evening Mass until further notice in order to reduce the number of services where people meet, and we will concentrate on one Sunday morning Mass at 11.00 am. Numbers of people have been very reduced at the 11.00 am Mass (frequently no more than 10-15 people) so far this year under the lock down, so it strikes me as eminently safe to gather in our large building with those sorts of numbers. The situation will be kept under constant review.

During the current lockdown, public worship remains permitted as long as we follow strict COVID measures. Nobody should feel under any pressure to come to church if you have health concerns or are worried about COVID infection rates, but if you do decide to attend the Mass, you can be assured that every possible precaution has been taken to ensure our worship is COVID secure.

We have all got used to worshipping with social distancing, a mask, and without congregational singing. It is important that we redouble our efforts to implement these measures scrupulously. I am very grateful to you all for so patiently ensuring our church remains a safe place to worship.

Please note that under the present lockdown measures, there can be no Sunday School for the next few weeks. Until now we have had outdoor activities for our children during the Mass, but even that has to stop now that the virus is spreading more quickly than before.

If you have children, they will have to remain with you during the 11.00 am service, and it is crucial that they do not run around the building, and that you keep them physically close to you at all times.

I will keep you all breast of how things develop.

Fr Peter Anthony

Services from Sunday 7th February 2021

Sunday 7th February 2021
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
11.00 am     Sung Mass

Tuesday 9th February 2021
Feria
11.00 am      Mass

Wednesday 10th February 2021
S. Scholastica
7.30 pm     Mass

Thursday 11th February 2021
Our Lady of Lourdes
7.30 pm    Mass

Friday 12th February 2021
Feria
11.00 am     Mass

Sunday 13th February 2021
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
11.00 am      Sung Mass