Today’s Liturgy gives us one of the most beautiful passages of the New Testament. ‘I am the Good Shepherd’. It gives us some idea of how lavish is God’s love for each one of us, by allowing us to be called his children. Think of the love and tenderness parents have for their child. For those who try to love God he is not a hard exacting judge. It is our misguidedness that makes us harsh and exacting and then attribute this to God. Jesus introduces an intimate mutual knowledge between shepherd and sheep. ‘I know my own and my own know me’. He knows us intimately and lives within us. By the power of the Spirit one day ‘we shall see him as he really is’ and live with him eternally. ‘I am the Good Shepherd’. He is not a hirling who ‘has no concern for the sheep’. A hireling is only interested in his salary and what he can get. He readily ‘abandons the sheep and runs away’. No shepherd could be expected to sacrifice his life to keep the sheep safe, but Jesus has done precisely that on Calvary, such is his intense love for us. Using the imagery of buildings, so many, including ourselves, reject the stone which becomes the keystone in our lives. It is he who takes our sins away and only in his name that we can be saved. The sheep of the Good Shepherd are not all to be found in the fold of the Jews, but also in the fold of the Gentiles. The Christian Church welcomes everyone. Anyone who believes in God is acceptable to him.
Easter Stations The Way of Light - Stations of the Resurrection in St Peter’s School on Tuesday 23 April 2.30pm (about 40 mins). Parents and Parishioners invited.
May Procession and Crowning of Our Lady’s Statue in St Peter’s School (might be outside) on Friday 2 May 9.05am. Again parents and parishioners are most welcome.
Walsingham Pigrimage: Please Note. Regrettably Our Lady and All Saints, Stourbridge, has filled the coach going to Walsingham and are unable to offer places to members of our parish. If anyone pulls out, those from St Peter's who wanted to go are on their list as possible replacements, but also the coach would not be stopping to pick up anyone from Bromsgrove so it would mean travelling to Stourbridge by to catch the coach which is leaving at 7.00am.
Journey in Faith In this post-Easter period the Journey in Faith Group will meet on alternate Mondays as far as bank holidays permit. The next meeting is on Monday 29 April at 7.30pm.
Sanctuary Lamp If you would like it to burn for a particular intention, please, write it down put it in an envelope with a £10 donation and place it in the 200 Club Box. This week the lamp burns in prayer for Amelia-Rose Arthur.
2nd Collection Today is for the training of our priests and deacons who will work in our Diocese.
Church Cleaners 27 April Team 2. Sincere thanks to all our church cleaners who freely give their time and energy to cleaning.
200 Club Week 1011 £100 win for Bridget Suckling (No.239).
International Refuge Trust After the glowing report last week of the work of IRT, it is with sadness we announce that IRT will cease operations on 31 July 2024. It has been going for 35 years and we have supported it for many years. First, with the Mumbai Project and recently with the St Therese hospital in South Sudan. We know little of the reasons for the closure. When we find out more we shall let you know. We must now find a new Charity to support.
Parish Centre Last Monday the Committee discussed with the surveyor 3 quotations submitted for the work. You lovely parishioners will appreciate that a building at least 175 years old needs lots of work. We are committing to a 2 stage process spread over 2 years. The first stage includes dealing with the wall damp issue in the male toilets. New toilet sanitary ware will be installed in all toilets (male and female). Removing overflow pipes which protrude to the outside walls of the building is part of the reason for damp walls. At the same time some asbestos, located in the ceiling of the church boiler house will be removed. This will be done by a specialist contractor meeting all the necessary guidelines for safe removal and disposal. Rest assured the asbestos is completely boarded in and is quite safe. Stage one will be carried out during the summer.
Sick The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Care for all who are sick: Pope Francis, Mgr Graham, Fr Tony Rohan, all in hospitals, Care Homes & the housebound. In the name of Jesus Christ may those who are sick be healed. Amen.
Deceased Father, lead all the dead to join the saints of heaven: Mark Mapother(1969), Jack Daniels((1977), Charles Tansley(1986), John Anderson(2003), Joseph Lyall (2011), Emanuel Pixa(2016), George Higgins(2017), Norah Walsh (2018), Patrick Duignan(2021) and Thomas Lockhart (2021). Remember those brutally stabbed to death in the Sydney shopping complex. Comfort the injured and their grieving families. Those killed in the horrors of war taking place in Gaza, Iraq, Israel, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. Watch over the flock redeemed by the blood of Christ and lead them to the promised land. Amen.
Easter Stations The Way of Light - Stations of the Resurrection in St Peter’s School on Tuesday 23 April 2.30pm (about 40 mins). Parents and Parishioners invited.
May Procession and Crowning of Our Lady’s Statue in St Peter’s School (might be outside) on Friday 2 May 9.05am. Again parents and parishioners are most welcome.
Walsingham Pigrimage: Please Note. Regrettably Our Lady and All Saints, Stourbridge, has filled the coach going to Walsingham and are unable to offer places to members of our parish. If anyone pulls out, those from St Peter's who wanted to go are on their list as possible replacements, but also the coach would not be stopping to pick up anyone from Bromsgrove so it would mean travelling to Stourbridge by to catch the coach which is leaving at 7.00am.
Journey in Faith In this post-Easter period the Journey in Faith Group will meet on alternate Mondays as far as bank holidays permit. The next meeting is on Monday 29 April at 7.30pm.
Sanctuary Lamp If you would like it to burn for a particular intention, please, write it down put it in an envelope with a £10 donation and place it in the 200 Club Box. This week the lamp burns in prayer for Amelia-Rose Arthur.
2nd Collection Today is for the training of our priests and deacons who will work in our Diocese.
Church Cleaners 27 April Team 2. Sincere thanks to all our church cleaners who freely give their time and energy to cleaning.
200 Club Week 1011 £100 win for Bridget Suckling (No.239).
International Refuge Trust After the glowing report last week of the work of IRT, it is with sadness we announce that IRT will cease operations on 31 July 2024. It has been going for 35 years and we have supported it for many years. First, with the Mumbai Project and recently with the St Therese hospital in South Sudan. We know little of the reasons for the closure. When we find out more we shall let you know. We must now find a new Charity to support.
Parish Centre Last Monday the Committee discussed with the surveyor 3 quotations submitted for the work. You lovely parishioners will appreciate that a building at least 175 years old needs lots of work. We are committing to a 2 stage process spread over 2 years. The first stage includes dealing with the wall damp issue in the male toilets. New toilet sanitary ware will be installed in all toilets (male and female). Removing overflow pipes which protrude to the outside walls of the building is part of the reason for damp walls. At the same time some asbestos, located in the ceiling of the church boiler house will be removed. This will be done by a specialist contractor meeting all the necessary guidelines for safe removal and disposal. Rest assured the asbestos is completely boarded in and is quite safe. Stage one will be carried out during the summer.
Sick The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Care for all who are sick: Pope Francis, Mgr Graham, Fr Tony Rohan, all in hospitals, Care Homes & the housebound. In the name of Jesus Christ may those who are sick be healed. Amen.
Deceased Father, lead all the dead to join the saints of heaven: Mark Mapother(1969), Jack Daniels((1977), Charles Tansley(1986), John Anderson(2003), Joseph Lyall (2011), Emanuel Pixa(2016), George Higgins(2017), Norah Walsh (2018), Patrick Duignan(2021) and Thomas Lockhart (2021). Remember those brutally stabbed to death in the Sydney shopping complex. Comfort the injured and their grieving families. Those killed in the horrors of war taking place in Gaza, Iraq, Israel, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. Watch over the flock redeemed by the blood of Christ and lead them to the promised land. Amen.