Dear Parishioners & Friends of SS Joseph & Swithun,
It is lovely that at long last we are able to open the church doors again and I am able to greet parishioners as they enter for private prayer. As you know, Parish Masses must now be celebrated by the priest alone, without servers, readers or choirs. As we cannot therefore gather physically in our church, the Parish has made it possible to celebrate Mass as a community through watching the Mass online.
We therefore urge family members within their household to join the rest of our church community and as one body participate in the liturgies via the internet.
Each service will be available on the Parish website (below) or for you to view. Please click here if today’s Mass does not show below.
A small group of parishioners are also working to help facilitate our connectedness as a worshipping community in these unprecedented times. We are using Zoom to continue with our Sacramental Preparations.
If you would like to get involved, please inform the Parish office via email: bromley@rcaos.org.uk
The lockdown has put the parish finances under great stress as; whilst our offertory collections have dramatically fallen because we are not gathering for Masses, and Hall lettings have stopped, the costs of running the parish have remained more or less the same. Many of you have also suffered financially during these past few months, and yet have kept contributing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is contributing to the parish during these difficult times.
May God bless you and keep you safe!
Fr. Peter Murphy
Read here the Archdiocese of Southwark’s post about the Metropolitan Archbishops of the Catholic Church in England’s message regarding the resumption of collective worship.