Mass Times

We have been conducting a widespread consultation on Mass Times over the last three months including individual discussions, parish council meetings, a parish-wide meeting and dialogue at individual Masses. I have also consulted Father Richard, Bishop Declan, the Deans and my Provincial. I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their contribution and for the open and respectful way the consultation has been conducted.

The following arrangement of Mass times will commence on the weekend 4th & 5th September 2010.

Please note the following:

Prisons: If only one priest is available the Mass will be at Eastwood Park and a deacon will conduct a Liturgy of the Word at Leyhill.

Berkeley: The Mass will be in the Town Hall during the renovations at Berkeley Castle. A decision about a permanent location will be made at a later date in consultation with the parishioners and the Berkeley Family.

Wotton: The Sunday Evening Mass will be discontinued. There will be an effort to provide an occasional Mass during the week especially on specific feasts and occasions.

Thornbury: The 12.00 mass on Saturdays will be discontinued. The former Sunday evening Mass has been transferred to Saturday evening. This is in response to many individual requests. I understand that not all the Sunday evening mass goers will be happy with this decision and so this change is for an experimental period till the end of the year. I will review the situation then and consider the matter afresh.

Number of Priests If there is only one priest available there will have to be a Liturgy of the Word in several places but this will be done fairly.

Thank you for your help in effecting these changes and enabling the number of masses over the weekend to be reduced to a manageable level.

Let us now place our energy into enabling the Sunday Eucharist to be prayerful and fitting act of worship.

Yours, Father Alex