News & Events - Weekly Notices

Weekday Masses - Looking Ahead

Fr Nicholas

Earlier this year we introduced an experimental pattern of weekday Masses, including the celebration of Mass at midday on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Although relatively few comments have been received, the attendance recorded in our service registers suggests a modest but encouraging increase in the number of worshippers over the past six months. On that basis, I intend to recommend to the PCC that these arrangements now become our permanent weekday pattern. Assuming that is agreed, our noticeboard on the Kettering Road will be updated to reflect the revised service times and other changes that have taken place over recent months.

Alongside the revised timetable, we have also gently refreshed the weekday liturgy itself. When Mass is celebrated at midday we now begin by praying the Angelus together before the statue of the Madonna and Child in the North Transept before moving into the Lady Chapel for the Eucharist. New service booklets have also been produced. The previous ones had served us faithfully for many years, but were beginning to look rather tired. Some had become well-thumbed; others were held together more by hope than by staples – and even the staples had begun to rust! The new booklets include a brief welcome and preparation before Mass, prayers of thanksgiving after Holy Communion, and a prayer before we leave the Lady Chapel and return to the demands of everyday life. My hope is that these small developments will help deepen our prayer and remind us that the grace we receive at the altar accompanies us into the whole of our daily living.

Fr Nicholas

Thank you!

Fr Nicholas

First, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped to make our Patronal Festival and Feast of Dedication such memorable occasions, and to all who supported our celebrations of Our Lady of Walsingham and Michaelmas. There is always a great deal of work behind the scenes in preparing for these occasions, from music and flowers to catering, sacristy work and the many other practical details which most people never see. It is the generosity of so many people that enables us to celebrate our great feasts with such joy and beauty. Thank you to everyone who played a part, whether conspicuously or quietly behind the scenes. It is very much appreciated.

October

October is always a wonderfully full month in the life of St Matthew’s, with Harvest, Confirmation, the continuing rhythm of our devotional life, and the approach of All Saints’ and All Souls’. There is much for which to give thanks, and much in which to share. I hope that you will find time to join us for as much as you can.

The Laying on of Hands

The Laying on of Hands

I intend to develop an opportunity for the laying on of hands after Communion on the second Sunday of each month. At present, this ministry takes place in the Lady Chapel. My intention is to invite members of our worshipping community to share with the clergy in this ministry in the Lady Chapel.

This is something in which we can all share. After the individual has spoken privately with the priest, duly prepared members of the laity may place a hand gently upon the person’s shoulder and join silently with the priest in prayer. It is a simple but powerful expression of the fact that Christian prayer is not something we undertake only on our own: we carry one another before God. Of course, anything shared with the priest remains confidential. I shall say more about how this will work in due course, but I hope that it will become a valued part of our common life and prayer.

St Matthew's Ladies Group

St Matthew's Ladies Group meetings are on Monday afternoons from 2.00pm till 4.00pm in the Parish Centre, on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. For more information on meetings coming up, visit our St Matthew's Ladies Group page.

Junior Church

Junior Church takes place every Sunday during term time, except on All Age Mass weeks. All Age Mass dates can be found on the All Age Mass page.

Remembering the Departed

As you will be aware, it is our custom at St Matthew’s to pray for those who have died. This is an invaluable part of our parish ministry: praying for the repose of the souls of the faithful departed, that they may be at peace and reconciled to God, and also offering comfort and support to those who continue their earthly pilgrimage

As our lists have grown over time, it seems right to take a fresh look at how we exercise this ministry, while retaining its essential character. The purpose is not to reduce our prayer for the departed, but to ensure that the way in which we maintain our lists remains meaningful, pastorally appropriate, and rooted in the living relationships of the present congregation.

The Recently Departed will continue to be remembered regularly in our prayers until after their funeral has taken place.

Departed loved ones and friends may also be remembered in prayer, whether or not they lived locally or had any particular connection with St Matthew’s. We rightly pray for those whom we have known and loved, wherever they may have lived or worshipped.

With regard to anniversaries of death (Years’ Minds), however, these will in future be confined to those for whom there is a current member of the congregation who knew them personally. We have accumulated a number of names whose connection with the parish is now very remote, including some who were known only to a former worshipper who has themselves since died. While we continue to remember that former worshipper, it does not seem necessary also to maintain indefinitely the complete list of people whom they themselves asked us to remember. Otherwise, we risk creating a kind of remembrance by extension, which can continue without any living connection within our worshipping community.

I hope everyone will regard this as a reasonable and proportionate approach. There is also something appropriate in recognising that, when we have prayed faithfully for a soul over a considerable period, we may reasonably entrust that person to the mercy of God, trusting that our prayers have been heard.

None of this diminishes the Church’s prayer for the departed, nor our confidence in the communion of saints. Indeed, All Souls’ Day and our Monthly Requiem remain important occasions when we gather as a parish to pray for the faithful departed and to commend them to God’s mercy. Please do support these occasions whenever you are able.

Our aim is simply to ensure that this important ministry remains both meaningful and pastorally focused: not less prayer for the departed, but prayer that is properly connected with the living pastoral life of our parish, while entrusting all the departed to the mercy and love of God.

Harvest Thanksgiving

Sunday 4 October 2026

Harvest Thanksgiving

On Sunday 4 October we shall give thanks to God for all the good gifts that surround us in creation. Our morning Mass will be an All-Age Mass, with a presentation exploring some of the themes of Harvest and the ways in which we receive, enjoy and share the gifts entrusted to us. There will be an added joy this year as we celebrate within the Mass the Baptism of AJ Rowan Lupita Lush, one of our Cub leaders. AJ has chosen to be baptised with the encouragement and support of the children among whom she serves. She is also currently receiving instruction as she prepares for Confirmation, so this will be a particularly significant occasion in her journey of faith.

You may remember the excellent sketch presented at last month’s All-Age Mass on the theme of forgiveness – and, rather amusingly, the difficulty of being unforgiving! Sometimes a memorable bit of humour can help us to see something afresh, and we can perhaps learn more readily when we have been made to smile.

Harvest itself is changing. This year the harvest was approximately four weeks earlier than would once have been usual, something which reminds us that our climate and seasons are not quite what they once were. From next year, therefore, we shall celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving in September, which will better reflect the actual timing of the harvest and the changing pattern of our seasons.

At 4.00pm we shall gather again in church for a Songs of Praise, followed by our Harvest Supper. I hope very much that you will support both the morning and evening celebrations. Details of tickets for the supper are available through the usual parish channels.

Healing Mass

Monday 5 October 2006 at 7.00pm

The Lady Chapel

Our next Healing Mass will be on Monday 5 October at 7.00pm in the Lady Chapel. I am looking at ways of updating and revising this service so that it continues to speak meaningfully to those who come. I would therefore be very grateful to hear from anyone who has attended the Healing Mass in the past. What have you found helpful? Is there anything which you particularly value about the service, or anything which you think could be changed or developed? Your experience and reflections would be very helpful as I consider its future shape.

Parish Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham

Saturday 10 October 2026 at 9:30am

The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

Our next Cell Mass at the Holy House will be on Saturday 10 October at 9.30am in the Lady Chapel, followed by refreshments and our Cell discussion. These discussions are always stimulating and enriching. They give us an opportunity to reflect together upon our faith, the life of the Church and the place of Our Lady and the Shrine of Walsingham in our Christian discipleship. You do not need to be an expert, nor a long-standing member of the Cell, to come along. I very much hope that anyone and everyone who feels drawn to do so will accept our invitation to “come and see.”

Be a Chorister Morning

Sunday 11 October 2026

The Choir of St Matthew's Church

Our Be a Chorister Morning takes place on Sunday 11 October.

I am sure that you will recognise the ever-present challenge of recruiting new members to our choir. It has never been easy – even cathedrals face this challenge – but it has become considerably harder in recent years. Music in schools is often poorly resourced and its importance is not always understood, while opportunities for children simply to sing together have become much fewer. The virtual disappearance of singing from many religious assemblies and school occasions has not helped.

This presents a real challenge for Tom as our Director of Music, and one which he takes very seriously. We hope that the Chorister Morning will give children an opportunity to discover something of what singing in a choir can offer: music, friendship, discipline, team work, enjoyment and the experience of belonging to something larger than oneself. Children may first become interested through coming to St Matthew’s, or through meeting Tom in school. But, as with so many activities involving children, everything ultimately depends upon parental support. Choir membership is a real commitment for a family, and it is that commitment which enables a choir to flourish.

Please pray for our choir and for this initiative. And if you know of a child or family who you think might be interested, please do speak to Tom. He will be very happy to have a conversation and to discern with you whether the choir might be something in which they would enjoy taking part.

PCC

Wednesday 14 October 2026 at 7.30pm

The Parish Centre

A reminder to members of the Parochial Church Council that our next meeting will take place on Wednesday 14 October at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre. There is always plenty to discuss as we seek to care for the practical, financial and spiritual life of our parish. Please keep the PCC and all those who serve on it in your prayers.

Parish Confirmation

Sunday 18 October 2026 at 10.15am

Our Parish Confirmation takes place on Sunday 18 October at 10.15am.

We shall be very pleased to welcome Bishop Andrew Proud, who will be known to many of you. Bishop Andrew is an Assistant Bishop in our diocese and was formerly Bishop of Reading.

We have two adult candidates on this occasion: AJ Rowan Lupita Lush and Michael William Bell. Both have been worshipping regularly with us for some time and have become valued members of our parish community. It will be a particular joy to see them make this important step in their Christian journey. For various reasons, including a number of unfortunate circumstances and health difficulties, several others who had expressed a desire to be confirmed are unable to do so on this occasion. We hope and pray that they will have the opportunity to take this step in due course, when the time is right for them.

Please hold AJ and Michael, and all those preparing for Confirmation, in your prayers.

Monthly Requiem

Monday 19 October 2026 at 7.00pm

The Lady Chapel

Our monthly Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Monday 19 October at 7.00pm in the Lady Chapel. The monthly Requiem is a quiet and prayerful opportunity to commend to God those who have died, and to remember before him those whose lives have touched our own. All are welcome.

House Group

Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 2.00pm

A small alteration to the date discussed when we last met: our next House Group gathering will be on Wednesday 21 October at 2.00pm at the Vicarage.

These gatherings are deliberately informal: an opportunity to meet together, talk, listen and reflect on our faith in good company. New faces are always welcome, so please do come along if you have not joined us before.

The clocks go back!

Sunday 25 October 2026

A seasonal reminder – British Summer Time ends on Sunday 25 October. The clocks go BACK one hour at 2.00am. In practical terms, that means you get an extra hour in bed. Please remember to make the adjustment before you go to bed on Saturday evening, however, or you may suffer the particular indignity of arriving at church an hour early!

Half Term and All Saints’ Day

Sunday 25 October 2026

All Saints' Day

Please note that the school half term falls in the week commencing Sunday 25 October. The choir will therefore have a Sunday off and will return on Sunday 1 November for our celebration of All Saints’ Day. The morning Mass will be for all ages, and in the evening we shall have Solemn Choral Evensong at 5.30pm.

All Saints’ is one of those great occasions when the Church reminds us that the Christian life is lived within a much larger company than the people we see around us. We belong to the communion of saints: those who have gone before us, those who worship alongside us, and those who will come after us. I hope you will make a particular point of joining us for this beautiful feast.

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