Every year we celebrate the Harvest, and give thanks for all the blessings we have received. By returning some of what we have received to God and distributing it to those in need we show we are really grateful.

On Friday 3rd October we keep the CAFOD Harvest Fast Day, and money saved on that day through fasting is collected on Sunday in a Second Collection

On Sunday 5th October we invite parishioners to bring food, and non-food items, that can be distributed by the local homeless charities and our own Society of St. Vincent de Paul group. The mass will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate God's blessings on us and our community.

We need to raise some money to replace the windows in the Church, and repaint the fascias.

We have therefore instituted a Parish Development Fund, in order to raise about £15,000 in the immediate future.

So, our first fundraising event is a great opportunity to involve lots of parishioners and their families, and for us to do something together. On Sunday 28th September at 12noon, we invite you to join us in a sponsored walk.

You can walk yourself and get sponsors, or you can gather sponsors for Fr. Peter instead. Or of course you could do both, collect sponsors for yourself and Fr. Peter! Sponsor forms will be available from Sunday 10th August.

The Chessington Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams, in conjunction with their partners at the Council, Library, Youth Service and London Fire Brigade, are running a sticker-collecting scheme for all Year 6 Children attending schools on their wards. Your child should be in possession of their very own CoP Card with their own name and School written on the front cover. The scheme starts on Monday 19th May and runs for 7 weeks.

The idea of the Scheme is for the children to collect stickers (21 in all) and fill up their card. There are 12 photographs of the individual members of your local Police Teams to collect. The children will have to go and find their local officers. They must have their CoP card with them. If they have not got their CoP card they will not get the sticker! The other spaces on the card vary from meeting some of our friends in the local area or engaging in activities that we hope to encourage your children to try. They may already be involved so collecting those stickers will be easy for them.

One of the stickers is a FAITH sticker. So, members of the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team will be here from 11am to 1pm on Sunday 22nd June 2008 to give out FAITH stickers and meet the children.

For further information see the Report of the Launch of the Scheme or see the Kingston Young Livin' website.

The Parish Meeting is currently our primary opportunity to have a meaningful discussion on pastoral priorities for the Parish. The next meeting takes place on Monday 28th April from 7:30pm to 9pm.

Please note the change of date to avoid the Easter School Holidays!

We will receive an update from the parish working parties, which have been progressing issues raised at the Parish Meeting on 8th October 2007:

• Establish a plan to engage our Young People;
• More activities for elderly parishioners;
• Improve Parish Communications;
• Create plan for Garden and Church Maintenance;
• and Consecrate the Church in 2010, the 35th Anniversary.

Obviously these issues are just the tip of the iceberg and many other issues need to be addressed. We will have a discussion on future planning, and how we might establish structures that will facilitate the continued development of the Parish.

Holy Week and Easter are the central celebrations of the Christian Faith. It is also a great time to return to Church if you have got out of the regular Sunday habit. Here at St. Catherine's we have planned a comprehensive programme of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations that should meet the needs of everyone.

Sunday 16th March - Palm Sunday

Today the Church celebrates the Lord's entry into Jerusalem to accomplish the paschal mystery. This is recalled at every Mass with the blessing of Palms and then the procession into the Church. The liturgy of the word at this Mass is the proclamation of the Passion account in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 26:14 - 27:66).

Masses are at 8am, 10am and 6pm

Thursday 20th March - Maundy Thursday

There are no services during the day on Maundy Thursday, as the Clergy all travel to St. George's Cathedral for the Mass of Chrism at 11:15am.

In the evening at 7:30pm we gather for the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper, at which we recall the events of the Last Supper. The liturgy of the word at this Mass is a recalling of the account of the "washing of the feet" (John 13:1-15).

After the Mass, the Church remains open for silent prayer and "watching" until midnight. At 11:50pm we celebrate the Night Prayer of the Church.

Friday 21st March - Good Friday

At 9:30am we have a joint service here of "Telling the Story" for all ages, with all the other Churches of Chessington and Hook. We will hear reflections for the day from all the different characters who appear in the Crucifixion account. We then make a Walk of Witness stopping at particular places to pray for and with the community. Closing prayers at Chessington Methodist Chuch at (approximately) 11am, followed by refreshments.

At 3pm we have the Solemn Good Friday Liturgy. This Liturgy is in three parts: the reading of the Passion account in the Gospel of John (John 18:1-19:42) and General Prayers of Intercession; the Veneration of the Cross; and Holy Communion.

Saturday 22nd March - Holy Saturday

By tradition, there are no services during the day on Holy Saturday. It is a quiet day, a day of reflection and contemplation.

In the evening of Holy Saturday after dusk, we gather at 8:30pm for The Easter Vigil, this is the most significant Liturgy of the Year. The Mass begins outside the Church, with the lighting of the Easter fire. There is then a procession into the Church with the new Paschal Candle and a retelling of the history of salvation in the Old Testament in the light of our Easter faith. The Mass continues with the blessing of the Baptismal Water and the renewal of Baptismal Vows, and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sunday 23rd March - Easter Sunday

Masses on Easter Sunday are at 8am, 10am and 6pm. At all masses we renew our Baptismal Vows.

In many parishes a specific activity or project to focus the mind and heart during the season of Lent, is often proposed. Often the project will benefit some foreign charity and will involve fund raising. As a parish we are very generous in supporting many charities throughout the year. Fr. Peter is proposing that this Lent we do something as a parish that will focus our attention nearer to home, specifically our Church building.

As a new year’s resolution Fr. Peter and others have been clearing out and reorganizing the sacristies and associated rooms and cupboards in the Church. This now means that we can use the main sacristy as a meeting room for parish groups during the week. As a Lenten Project and the next stage, Fr. Peter is proposing that we decorate all the ancillary rooms in the Church. We have lots of space for storage, but we could make better use of the cupboards and shelves. Would you like to help?

If so, then what we need is far more valuable than money! We need volunteers’ time, talent and expertise. Someone will have to propose the colour scheme! Please keep the Saturdays in Lent free (16th, 23rd Feb, 1st, 8th, 15th Mar) from 10.30am to 4.00pm, and we will form a working party.

Christmas is a wonderful Christian Feast for the whole family. It is also a great time to return to Church if you have got out of the regular Sunday habit. Here at St. Catherine's we have planned a comprehensive programme of Christmas Celebrations that should meet the needs of everyone.

Sunday 16th December

3:00pm Parish Carol Service and Christmas Nativity Play

Monday 24th December - Christmas Eve

6:00pm Family Vigil Mass of Christmas with Carols

10:30pm Carols and Readings
11:00pm Traditional Midnight Mass

Tuesday 25th December - Christmas Day

8:00am and 10:00am Christmas Morning Masses with Carols

At all our Christmas Masses Children are invited to come dressed as Shepherds and Angels

This year the Parish Fayre takes place on Saturday 24th November

This year our Parish Christmas Fayre features the following stalls: Bonus Ball; Books & Tapes; Bottle Tombola; Bottle Auctions; Cakes; Children's Arts and Crafts; Children's Lottery and Pick-a-Lolly; Dishes of the World; Father Christmas; Gifts & Jewellery + Water Tattoos; Glass Painting; Grand Draw; Irish Coffee; Painting Calendars; Refreshments; Sweets Tombola; Toys; Weight of Cake; White Elephant.

On the Sunday closest to the 11th November each year we remember all who have died as a result of war. If you know of someone, maybe a relative or friend from the Parish who died in WW1 or WW2 or any other conflict since, please contact us.

The following deceased parishioners have been identified so far.

• L/C Harry Finch - 6th Bat. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Killed in Action in Italy on 14th June 1944, aged 38 (Father of Kathleen Ayling).

We will remember them. May they rest in peace.

This year the 11th November is a Sunday. At each mass we will have a minutes silence in order to pray for all those who have died as the result of war. The 10am Mass is being offered for all who have died as a result of war.

November is tradionally refered to as the "Month of the Holy Souls". During the month of November we pray at every mass for all deceased parishioners, relatives, and friends. You are invited this year, to write the names of all your deceased relatives and friends on the purple Book of Remembrance forms and return them as soon as possible so that we can compile a Book of Remembrance that will be placed in the Church during the month of November. With the purple Book of Remembrance forms are the special November Dead List envelopes. Any money given in these envelopes will be used to offer Masses for the Holy Souls.

A Plenary Indulgence, applicable only to the Holy Souls, may be gained once in any church either on All Soul's Day, on the preceding or following Sunday or on the Feast of All Saints (on the usual conditions, viz: a visit to a church, where the Our Father and Creed are recited, Sacramental Confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the Holy Father's intention).

Those who visit a cemetery between 1st and 8th November and pray for the faithful departed, may obtain a Plenary Indulgence, applicable to the Holy Souls (and at other times a Partial Indulgence).

The Church commends such Spiritual Practices to all the faithful as both effective in the work of the Salvation of Souls and edifying to the individual.

Given that we do not have a custom of Parish Registration, filling in a census form each year is the only way we can ascertain who is a parishioner. So, on Sunday 14th October we will be holding a Parish Census during the homily slot of each of the Sunday masses. This information, is now used when giving references for school. Please do fill in a form, and if you are away, make sure you get a form and make sure your presence here has been noted!!

Download the Census Form 2007

Thank you to all those who were able to attend the Meeting on Monday 8th October. Thirty people were present, and this made it possible to have a meaningful discussion on pastoral priorities for the Parish. A sheet is available which summarises the comments made by those attending.

In immediate response to the meeting, and discussions on the five top issues, Fr. Peter is inviting parishioners to form working parties to further develop and make plans to address the issues of:

• Establish a plan to engage our Young People;
• More activities for elderly parishioners;
• Improve Parish Communications;
• Create plan for Garden and Church Maintenance;
• and Consecrate the Church in 2010, the 35th Anniversary.

Please sign up on the lists at the back of the Church if you would like to participate in these working parties.

Obviously these issues were just the tip of the iceberg and many other issues were raised, which will be dealt with too at a later date, once these working parties are up and running.

The Parish is planning to welcome it's new Parish Priest at the 10am Mass on Sunday 30th September 2007. Bishop Paul Hendricks is the main celebrant. All parishioners, as well as guests from the local churches and from the community, are invited to be present to witness Fr. Peter Jenner being formally welcomed and installed as Parish Priest, During the ceremony he will make a profession of faith, and pledge to serve the Catholic and the wider community.

All parishioners are invited to a farewell celebration for Fr. Barry Angus after the 6pm Mass on Sunday 16th September 2007. Fr. Barry is retiring to continue his fight against terminal cancer.

Fr. Barry Angus writes: "Many thanks to the organisers of the Farewell Evening last Sunday, and all the volunteers who helped to make the evening a success and an enjoyable time for all. Many thanks also to the Parish for the very generous cheque of £1,500, which will be put to good use in my retirement. Thank you to all who have been so kind and supportive to me over the last few years. Many have said 'We will miss you'. Well, I shall miss you too!"

It was announced on the weekend of 12th August 2007 that the Archbishop has appointed Fr. Peter Jenner, currently parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Battersea Park, as our new Parish Priest. Fr. Peter takes up his appointment on 20th September 2007.