This weekend the clocks go forward, and we celebrate Lætare Sunday, mid-Lent Sunday, a day of rejoicing when the liturgical colour is lightened from purple to rose and the organ makes itself heard once again (not the main organ, of course, but the small accompanying instrument that has been in use since the main one was taken away).  The name Lætare comes from the Introit for the day, “Rejoice, Jerusalem”, which develops the idea of Jerusalem as a mother.  Hence the tradition of keeping this Sunday as Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday as it was once called.  Grateful prayers and good wishes for all mothers, young and old, alive and deceased.  We owe them a great deal.

 

This Sunday also sees the annual mission appeal, led by the Comboni Missionaries, or Verona Fathers as they are often known.  Members of this missionary congregation will be speaking at all Masses and a retiring collection will be taken in support of their work.  Their 19th-century founder, the Italian priest and bishop Saint Daniele Comboni, felt a strong call to bring the Gospel to Africa, and since that time his congregation has spread throughout the world.  I know you will be eager to support the Appeal.

 

Heartfelt thanks to all who have so generously contributed to our own Parish Appeal since November.  Many others have pledged to donate by the end of the tax year, which is coming up very soon now, next weekend, on 5 April.  Should all these gifts arrive, we will probably close our Appeal in the coming weeks. I will update you on the success of our fundraising and on the status of the work being carried out on our main church organ and heating upgrade in early May.

 

Last weekend’s collection for CAFOD brought in a handsome £2869.03, for which many thanks.  This obviously does not include donations that were sent directly to CAFOD, so all in all it was a very successful appeal.  Thank you for the support that you give to so many charities, especially those that benefit our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

 

Many will have seen from last week’s newsletter that the Assisted Dying bill is passing through Parliament once again, for its third reading.  Next Sunday there will be a Pastoral Letter from Cardinal Nichols on the subject, focusing particularly on the limited Parliamentary time that has been allotted to this bill.  It is a matter of concern for all who care about quality of life and quality of medical care in our society.  We are urged once again to contact our MP, even if we did so earlier in the process.

 

Wednesday of this coming week will be the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope Saint John Paul II, who offered the world a shining example of living through terminal illness with dignity.  We thank the Lord that he has now been raised to the altars, so we are invited to turn to him in prayer for our world, particularly in view of unhappy developments in recent times.  It was of course the then Dean of the College of Cardinals who presided at his funeral, and was subsequently elected to the Papacy as Pope Benedict XVI, in April 2025.  The 20th anniversary of his election will be on Holy Saturday this year, which seems fortuitous, since Holy Saturday in 1927 was the day of his birth.  

 

Many parishioners will be saddened by the news of the death last Sunday of Eduardo Barrachina Garcia, after a long battle with cancer.  Eduardo worked hard to develop the links between this church and his native Spain, both of which he loved dearly.  The increased representation from the Spanish Embassy on Saint James’s Day in recent years is largely his achievement.  So too, the reading in Spanish that has featured in the celebrations of our patronal feast has often been delivered by him, so many of you will have seen him on those occasions even without ever having had occasion to speak with him.  His funeral will take place at 2pm next Saturday, 5 April, here in Saint James’s Church.

 

The previous day, Friday 4 April, is the first Friday of the month, when it is our custom to expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration throughout the afternoon.  Those who are able to make a commitment to be present for a part of the period of adoration are encouraged to sign their names on the list at the back of the church, so that we can ensure that the Sacrament is never left unattended.  The Friday evening Mass will be followed, as usual in Lent, by Stations of the Cross. The following Friday, though, in place of Stations, there will be a devotional performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, beginning at 7pm.  In this way we anticipate the celebration of Holy Week, which begins just two days later.  Flyers with the times of all our Holy Week and Easter services should be ready by next weekend.