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CONSULTATION ON MASS TIMES
Fr Vincent has launched a consultation of the entire parish in order to decide new times of Masses. Full details of the background to this appeared in Fr Vincent's Newsletter of 20 October 2002. With Mass attendance now at around 450 per week, the Archbishop has appointed just one priest to the parish. Under Canon Law (the laws promulgated by Our Holy Father for the whole Church) a priest is permitted to celebrate Holy Mass only once a day. If there is a scarcity of priests, the Bishop may allow the priest to celebrate twice on a Sunday for good reason. If pastoral need requires it, the Bishop may permit the priest to celebrate three Masses. The parameters in which we can operate are therefore clearly defined by the law, i.e. the maximum number of Masses which one priest can celebrate are three.
Fr Vincent asks that in a spirit of prayerful trust in God and generosity we now together re-evaluate our needs and abilities, and respond in faith by laying new foundations for the future of our parish. In arriving at a decision, our aim should not simply be to satisfy our own needs in the world of our own convenience, but rather to look for what is best for the parish as a whole.
The parish is asked to address two key questions:
(i) At what times should the three Masses be celebrated? (ii) Where should the three Masses be celebrated?
The Parish Council is putting forward two options:
OPTION A OPTION B 8.00 am Mass 9.30 am Family Mass 9.30 am Family Mass 11.30 am Sung Mass 11.30 am Sung Mass 5.00 pm Mass Another option may be added depending on comments from parishioners.
The procedure of consultation will be as follows:
During this period people can speak to Fr Vincent after Mass or telephone him; see him at the parish surgery on Monday between 12.00 pm and 6.00 pm (no appointment needed); make an appointment or, if someone is genuinely unable to visit him, he will call to the person's residence.
Those who would prefer to speak to the Chair of the Parish Council, simply e-mail him.
Every parishioner will be given a voting card and asked to choose between options A and B (or a possible third option). Within their chosen option they will also be invited to indicate which Mass they are likely to attend on a regular basis and where they would like it to be celebrated: St Raphael's Church, Claremont Hall or St Joseph's School. Mass should be celebrated only in a Church; other venues should only be considered for a genuine pastoral need.
Fr Vincent, having listened to the parish and carefully considered the consultative vote and comments made, will write to the Bishop requesting him to issue a decree permitting the new times of Masses,
OR If there are areas requiring further consideration, a meeting of the Parish Council will be called / the parish will be re-consulted.
Decree from Bishop Tripp Upon receipt of the decree from Bishop Tripp, the parish will be informed of His Lordship's decision and the new schedule of Masses will be announced for four consecutive Sundays and go into effect on the fifth Sunday. This is the usual procedure, though the Bishop is free to change the time period.
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