ST JOHN VIANNEY CHURCH

West Green
4 Vincent Road, London N15 3QH
Parish Office: 020-8888-5518 E-mail: westgreen@rcdow.org.uk
Facebook: West Green - St John Vianney Church
Website: http://stjohnvianneywestgreen.co.uk/

30th/31st March 2019 - 4th Sunday of Lent

My parents loved to tell me stories of their
trip to Tokyo Disneyland, several decades
ago. At one point during the day, they saw a
long queue for one very popular indoor ride.
My sister (only 3 year old then) insisted on
trying it out, so Dad obligingly complied
while Mum sat down to rest, thinking that it
was one of those relaxing doll-house rides.
When he reached the front of the queue, the
attendant spoke to him while pointing to a
sign and gesturing towards my sister. But,
not knowing any Japanese, Dad just grinned
and nodded and proceeded to sit in the
carriage despite the lady’s obvious concern.
The carriage went through a tunnel into a
darkened room, made a turn, and started
ascending slowly but very steeply... at which
point all colour drained from Dad’s face as
he realised that this is the Ultimate Space
Roller Coster ride. It was too late to get off,
so he spent the scariest 2 minutes of his life
being thrown about violently and flipping
upside down in a starry sky, clutching the
handle bar in one hand and my sister in the
other, holding on for
dear life. He wasn’t
scared so much of the
ride, but of my sister
being flung off it,
being small as she
was. My sister, on the
other hand, was
blissfully ignorant of
the danger she was in
and more worried about losing her new soft
toy. When the ride finally ended, Dad was so
shaken he could hardly walk (I imagine the
attendant looking at him with a ‘I-did-try-to-
warn-you’ look) but relieved beyond words
that my sister was safe.
The circumstances might not be exactly the
same, but I feel there are many similarities
between this anecdote and today’s parable
of the prodigal son. The younger son had no
idea what he was asking for in his search for
some exciting and new adventures, really.
The father gave in, but perhaps he thought
his son just wanted to use the money to sit
back, relax and enjoy the ride! Once the son
was on the ‘high life’, his concern was more
about holding on to
money, pleasure and
fun-friends, not
realising until too late
that his very life was
at risk. I can’t imagine
the joy and relief the
father must’ve felt
when he finally held the
son he thought was dead!
Perhaps we, too, got on the crazy roller
coaster of Life – with its highs and lows, its
twists and turns, its excitements and fears –
without really knowing how we got into it in
the first place. But, unlike the prodigal son
who was on his own in that foreign country,
I’d like to imagine that the Father is with us
in this carriage: fearing for our lives, yet
holding us tightly and securely to keep us
from being flung off it, while we are often
oblivious. At the end of the day, when finally
all is said and done, perhaps then we’ll be
able to look back and appreciate the
richness of our experiences and God’s firm
arms anchoring us through it all.
MOTHER’S DAY – Happy Mother’s Day to all
the mums present! Let us also be thankful
and appreciate all those who have been
‘mothers’ to us in our lives.
God bless! Sr. Devy
 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY
IN LAST SUNDAY’S COLLECTIONS
CATECHETICAL PROGRAMMES 2019
For any enquiries, please contact Sr. Devy
on 07455 544 065 or the Parish Office.
SUNDAY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Next session: Sat, 27th April at 10am
+ Mass Sun, 28th April at 11am
FIRST COMMUNION PROGRAMME
Next session: Sat, 27th April at 10am
+ Mass Sun, 28th April at 11am
CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME
Next session: Sat, 27th April at 3:30pm
+ Mass at 6pm
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR
ADULTS (RCIA)
Next session: Sat, 6th April at 4pm
BAPTISM FOR INFANTS
If you would like to have your child baptised
on the 11th May or later, the next session
will be on Monday, 6th May at 7.30pm
in the Parish Hall.
Please contact the Parish Office or Sr. Devy
to book your place on the course.
PARISH OUTREACH
SANDWICH MAKING (PREPARATION):
in the Parish hall on Fri. 5th April after Mass.
Next SOUP RUN: Group A
at 4.30pm on Sat, 6th April 2019
We pray for the repose of the soul of:
Sean McKeon, RIP
[Father of Maureen McKeon]
His Funeral Mass will take place on
Wednesday 4th April at 10am
here at St John Vianney, followed by
cremation at New Southgate Crematorium
at 12noon.
LENTEN ACTIVITIES
THANK GOD ON FRIDAY!
Friday, 5th April
7:30-9:00pm.
(Note: there will be no
Stations of the Cross –
we will have adoration
and reflections instead)
Spend a moment alone with God in
thanksgiving, prayer and adoration. The
short talk, adoration and music will be led
by the Verbum Dei Missionaries.
GUIDED PRAYER
Meeting with individual guide on
Friday 5th April and
Closing Session 7th April at 12.15pm.
PASSOVER MEAL
Wednesday 10th April at 7:00pm
in the Parish Hall. Tickets are available at
the back of the church
PENITENTIAL SERVICE
On Friday 12th April at 7:30pm
(there will be no Stations of the Cross)
SOUP – SOLE FOOD – SOUL FOOD
ST JOHN VIANNEY LIVE SIMPLY GROUP
The LiveSimply group would like to thank
all the parishioners for their prayers,
contributions and help for making the
CAFOD soup day such a success. We raised
£477 for the Disaster Relief.
 KURDISH QUESTION:
I would like to introduce you to the three
Kurdish people who are on hunger strike.
They are trying, (as I have for 10 years) to
raise awareness of the imprisonment of
Abdullah Ocalan, who is the Nelson Mandela
of the Kurdish people.
INSIGHT II: WOMEN & MEN OF THE BIBLE
Next session: Tues, 2nd April (7:30pm)
or Wed, 3rd April (11:00am)
PLANNING GIVING & GIFT AID
OFFERTORY ENVELOPES (2019-2020)
ARE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION.
We thank all those who support our parish
through the weekly offerings, offertory
envelopes and Standing Orders.
This weekend and over the next two weeks, we
will be giving out the envelopes for your
offertory donations from 7th April 2019.
On collection of your envelopes, please check
that your details are correct and let us know if
there are any corrections to be made.
New members are welcome to join the Planned
Giving Scheme – please register with
Germaine at the back of the church.
If you are an Income Tax Payer and not on Gift
Aid please consider signing a Gift Aid
declaration; as a registered charity, your
offertory contributions increases this gift by
25p for each £1 given, if your annual income
tax is more that the tax we will reclaim.
This is an additional source of income to the
parish at no added cost to you!
If you no longer pay tax please contact
Germaine. Thank You!
ST. JOHN VIANNEY NURSERY
APPLICATIONS SEPTEMBER 2019
If your child was born between
1 September 2015 and 31st August 2016
st
and you wish to apply for a Nursery place
for September 2019 at St John Vianney
School, please come and collect an
application pack from the school office. We
offer FREE 15 or 30hour (if eligible) spaces.
Stanley Road, Tottenham N15 3HD
Telephone: 020 8889 8421
CARDINAL’S MASS OF THANKSGIVING
FOR THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
Couples celebrating their 5th, 10th, 25th, 30th,
40th, 50th 60th (and every year after 60th)
wedding anniversary are invited to
celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony at
Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 8th June
2019 at 3pm. The deadline for submitting
couple names for Invitation has now been
extended to Monday 29 April. Please give
this to your parish clergy/parish office.
CARDINAL’S LENTEN APPEAL 2019
The Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal funds
initiatives in parishes, schools and charities
in the three mission areas of: Marriage and
Family Life; Youth and Evangelisation;
and the Church’s Service in Society. This
year, the Cardinal is asking us to think about
the last of these in particular, and he has
launched a new programme focusing on the
food poverty that affects so many across the
Diocese. Much of this poverty remains
hidden. Donation Leaflets are available.
DAY OF PRAYER FOR SURVIVORS OF ABUSE
Friday, 12th April 2019
Prayer leaflet available at the back of the
church. Please take a copy.
RALLY AGAINST KNIFE CRIME
At the recent meeting of the Deans,
attention was brought to the dramatic rise
in knife crime in London, to the number of
its victims and to the fear that is spreading
in some communities. Next Sat, 6th April
2019 there will be a Rally in Trafalgar
Square under the heading ‘Standing
Together’. The Rally runs from 2.00-
4.00pm. It will focus first on the tragic
consequences of knife crime, sharing a
lament with those who have suffered the
loss of life of a loved one and now carry a
burden of great sorrow. Then it will
proclaim the goodness of so many young
people and give forth a voice of hope, much
needed at this time. If you would like to
attend this rally, please meet at Wood
Green tube station at 1pm.
 MASS & SERVICE TIMES THIS WEEK WE PRAY FOR
Monday 9:15am The repose of the soul:
Tuesday 9:15am John Danaher
Wednesday 9:15am Martina Nwabuonwo
Thursday 10:00am [funeral for the Frank Flanagan
late Sean McKeon, RIP] Rosamund Pelham
Kathleen Flaherty
Friday 9:15am Kieran Mulkere
Saturday 9:15am RIP
[6pm – Sunday Vigil Mass] RIP Anniversary
Sunday 9:00am and 11:00am
Maureen Curran
Rosario Da Silva
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Ange Michael Jhumun
Saturday 9:45am – 10:15am
Special Intentions:
ADORATION
OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Sr Syra
Tuesdays after 9:15am Mass Richy Ryan
First Friday of the month at 7:30pm Eileen Breen [Get Well]
First Sunday of the month after 11am Mass

And for the sick and those in our parish

ROSARY
Weekdays at 8:45am (before mass) Birthday
First Saturday of the month at 3:00pm
Oliviere Whittle
MORNING TEAS /COFFEE Mary Hammond
(in the Parish Hall)
Sean P Ng Ying
Sundays, after 9am and 11am Masses
Mick Foley [Birthday Remembrance]
and Thursdays, after the 9:15am Mass
NAMES NOT LISTED ABOVE
ARE LISTED IN OUR BOOK OF INTENTIONS.

NEXT SUNDAY: 5th SUNDAY IN LENT

1st Reading: Isaiah 4: 16-21
Psalm: Psalm 125: 1-6 PARISH OFFICE HOURS
2nd Reading: Philippians 3: 8-14
Tues. to Fri. 10am-12noon, 1pm-4pm
Gospel: John 8: 1-11
To make an appointment
Phone: 0208 888 5518 or
PARISH TEAM email westgreen@rcdow.org.uk
Fr. Joe Ryan, Parish Priest
Sr. Devy Pranadjaja, Parish Sister We cannot guarantee to have anyone available
Germaine Ng Ying, Parish Admin/Secretary outside of these hours.