This Saturday night (well, technically at 2am Sunday morning, 30 March) we begin Summer Time, and clocks go forward 1 hour. Although we lose an hour, Mass will start at 11:15 as usual! Fr Ed

As yet, I have received notification of one bowl of salad being prepared for our shared meal after Sunday Mass. If you are able to bring salad, please let me know. Otherwise our fasting might be a little more strict than we were intending! Thanks. Fr Ed.

There are many members of our parish community who are single, some by vocation or choice, some not. Often parish events or Masses presume relationships (for example the ‘Valentine’s Mass) or are orientated towards those who have families (First Communion, Confirmation Masses). There is clearly a need for events where single Catholics can come together, be nurtured in spirituality and faith, meet socially and extend their network of friends. If you would be interested, in principle, in events of this kind, please let me know. I have an image of our parish in my mind: it is a sleeping giant — already a huge presence, but with so much potential. As such, we need to be a parish for all our members, as each person and each group has so much to give, and equally can gain. If there is sufficient interest, we can meet to decide what events will work best for all. Fr Ed

Naturally there is much interest in music in our parish, especially during the 11:15 Sunday Mass. I have received requests for more ‘folk’ masses, a formal part-choir, more traditional (English) hymns, a ‘rock’ Mass and a ‘gospel’ Mass (from last year’s Confirmation candidates), more Taizé chants – the list goes on. Obviously, the easiest way to respond to these demands would be piecemeal – a little bit of everything we can manage. To an extent, this has necessarily been our default position, given the changes our parish has been through in the last 18 months. But something more is required, I think – a strategy; what vision are we aiming for in our parish regarding the music: what goals would we like to attain? What resources do we have? How do we plan towards our ideal future? To this end I have produced a paper which gives a brief resumé of our situation, an overview of the resources available to us, principles I think should be observed, an outline strategy and practical proposals for moving forward. You can access the paper here. For the moment it is for conversation and reflection, but I intend to open a discussion thread on our website to enable comment and opinion. All results will be available to the Parish Council for deliberation. I know we are impatient to move forward (and I think we already have) but to short-cut the process would lead, I believe, to a potentially poorer result. Fr Ed.

Next Tuesday, 25 March, is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord — celebrating the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, announcing that she is to bear God’s Son. There will be Mass in English at St Alphonse at 19:00. All welcome!

Mass in French at 07:30 & 18:15