Catholic Exeter

A great day of celebration today at Blessed Sacrament as Nara was received into the Church and confirmed, supported by her sponsor Scott, both in traditional Samoan dress. We wish her every blessing as she continues her journey in faith. Congratulations Nara!

Blessed Sacrament News⎥22 September 2024⎥25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we pray for the martyrs of Korea, those who gave their lives for the faith. Let us pray for the Church in Korea today, both in the south and the north, that the faithful may be strengthened and consoled.

The saint who came from a family of martyrs - Catholic Herald St Andrew Kim Taegon (September 20) was the first Korean Catholic priest

Good morning!
He will give light to those in darkness, those who dwell in the shadow of death, and guide us into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Blessed Sacrament News⎥15 September 2024⎥24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Canon Paul Cummins greeting Bishop-elect Philip at the door of the Cathedral this morning.

Bishop Philip writes: "I'm very honoured to be asked by Pope Francis to be the 10th Bishop of this great Diocese of Plymouth. I know that the diocese has been without a bishop for the last two years, so l am very grateful to Canon Paul Cummins, who has administered the diocese during the vacancy so ably and generously, and all who have supported him. I look forward to visiting and getting to know the clergy, religious and lay faithful in this beautiful part of the Lord's vineyard."

Thanks be to God.

WE HAVE A BISHOP!

Pope Francis appoints Bishop Philip Moger as the new Bishop of Plymouth - Catholic Bishops' Conference His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Philip Moger as the new Bishop of Plymouth. Bishop Moger has, until now, served as an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Southwark.

Please Note: There will be no Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church tomorrow morning (Saturday). Mass will be celebrated at St Nicholas School during our GIFT meeting at 10.00am. All welcome.

Try ALPHA. It’s changed the lives of so many people and brought them closer to God.
Blessed Sacrament 24 September. See post below for how to register.

Good morning. May the light of the Lord shine on you today.

TILLING THE GARDEN

In his message for the world Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis writes, ‘Obedience to the Spirit of love radically changes the way we think: from ‘predators’, we become ‘tillers’ of the garden. The earth is entrusted to our care yet continues to belong to God.’

At Blessed Sacrament, we are using the Season of Creation this year to be ‘tillers’ of our parish garden. The garden is used and enjoyed by so many during the year – parishioners and visitors alike. Volunteers from the parish have come together to clear this years’ growth (much needed) and we plan to have a regular session every few months to tidy and tend the garden.

Help us to make the garden a place of beauty. We are inviting parishioners to donate a bulb, a pack of bulbs (spring or summer flowering), a £5 garden voucher or money during this season of creation. There will be a basket at the back of church each week where you can leave your donations and they will be brought up at the offertory each Sunday.

At all Masses on Sunday 29th September the donations will be blessed. You will then be invited to a bulb planting day when we will work together to till our garden ready for a beautiful spring and summer display.

The Season of Creation ends on 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.

Click https://forms.office.com/e/Vy5S5ZvZ0g to register for this Diocese of Plymouth Event.

We are praying for all our learners who are beginning a new term.

Blessed Sacrament News⎥1 September 2024⎥22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Going back to school, college or university? The Saints are here to help. Have a great new term.

Today we celebrate St Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. This lovely painting by Niccolò di Pietro (1414) shows his mother St Monica taking him to school.

May his wisdom and insight teach us today, that we may grow in knowledge and love of the Lord.

St Augustine, pray for us.

Today we celebrate St Monica, mother of St Augustine. She prayed earnestly and with many tears for the conversion of her son. Her prayers were answered shortly before her death. She is the patron of mothers.

St Monica pray for all mothers, especially those who are worried about their children. May they find peace and consolation.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Chris Clatworrhy who has died.

Chris’s funeral will be celebrated tomorrow (28th) at Exeter and Devon Crematorium at 11.30am (not at 10.30am as mentioned in the newsletter).

May he rest in peace.

Blessed Sacrament Parish News⎥25 August 2024⎥Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Don’t forget to book on our Alpha course for a truly memorable experience💕

Catholic Exeter Welcome to the parishes of Sacred Heart and Blessed Sacrament Exeter and Holy Cross Topsham.

Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein).

She was born into a practising Jewish family. She had a distinguished career as a philosopher and received a doctorate at the University of Freiburg, but her academic career was impeded because she was a woman.
Reading the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Ávila brought about her conversion to Catholicism and she was baptized on 1 January 1922. She taught at a Dominican girls’ school and studied Catholic philosophy. She became a lecturer at the Institute for Pedagogy at Münster but was thrown out of her post in 1933 as a result of the N**i régime’s anti-Semitic legislation.
She entered a Carmelite monastery in Cologne and took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Her order moved her to the Netherlands to keep her safe from the growing N**i threat. While a Carmelite she wrote an important philosophical book, seeking to combine the phenomenology of her former teacher Edmund Husserl with the philosophy of Aquinas, and she also wrote on St John of the Cross.
On 20 July 1942 the Dutch Bishops’ Conference had a statement read in all churches condemning N**i racism. In retaliation the authorities ordered the arrest of all Jewish converts to Christianity. Teresa Benedicta was taken to Auschwitz and killed on 9 August 1942. (Universalis)

St Teresa Benedicta, pray for us.

A STATEMENT FROM OUR DIOCESAN ADMINISTRATOR CANON PAUL CUMMINS

“We appeal to everyone to turn away from violence and embrace peace and reconciliation”

Canon Paul Cummins, Administrator for the Diocese of Plymouth, has called for everyone to turn away from violence and embrace peace and reconciliation:

“The Southwest of England has long been a place of welcome. Our beautiful countryside and wonderful coast have been havens of peace for generations. We have always welcomed the stranger and offered a place of sanctuary for those fleeing violence and discrimination.

“In the past few days in our diocese, we have witnessed scenes of disorder which have disturbed that peace and brought fear and anxiety to the streets of Weymouth and Plymouth.

“We appeal to everyone to turn away from violence and embrace peace and reconciliation. We reaffirm our solidarity with those of different faiths, races and cultures who have sought refuge in our diocese. This is your home.

“We are grateful for the work of our emergency services in ensuring the safety of all and for all those involved in creating communities of hope, not hate.

“Jesus tells us to ‘treat others as we would like them to treat us”.

“This is our hope. This is our prayer.”

PRAY FOR PEACE

Lord, Prince of Peace,
We appeal to your boundless love and mercy.

In the face of violence and turmoil in our country,
strengthen our resolve to work for reconciliation and peace within our communities.

Help us not to harden our hearts, to redouble our efforts to welcome the stranger and to reach out to those in need.

Change the hearts and minds of those who seek to fuel unrest and bring us all to live in your kingdom of justice, peace and love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessed Sacrament News⎥4 August 2024⎥Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today we celebrate the memorial of St Alphonsus Ligouri, son of Naples, Italy and founder of the Congregation of the Most Hoky Redeemer (Redemptorists). To read about his extraordinary life visit the link below.

St Alphonsus, pray for us.

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