Search Results

The Great O Antiphons What are they? The O Antiphons refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, with Dec. 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil. The origin of the antiphons is not known exactly but they were likely to have existed by the fifth century. For more information, see HERE . Set to ancient Gregorian music they provide an inspirational and deeply spiritual lead up to Christmas Day. In the paragraphs below, are provided the text and music of each antiphon; the music comes from various choirs. DECEMBER 17th O Sapientia O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae. O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence . DECEMBER 18th O Adonai O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento. O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm. DECEMBER 19th O Radix Jesse O radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare. O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer. DECEMBER 20th O Clavis David O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis. O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. DECEMBER 21st O Oriens O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis. O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. DECEMBER 22nd O Rex Gentium O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti. O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay. DECEMBER 23rd O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster. O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Prayer Communication with God Roll over the grid and explore some prayer ideas What is prayer? ​ Prayer is a way of staying in touch with God and deepening our relationship with Him Prayer takes time and effort Prayer should be a daily activity, taking time to speak and listen Praying with Bible Pray with the Flowers Be Alone at Prayer Pray with joined Hands The Holy Rosary Pray in Grandure Be Together at Prayer Pray with Nature Unpacking Prayer Prayer is an expression of faith that allows us to communicate with God. It is a wholehearted faith response to God. ​ Formal Prayers are based on traditions and teachings for example the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father and the Hail Mary. ​ Informal Prayers are prayers using our own words and can be said at any time, for example, in times of thanksgiving, celebration, stress or fear Liturgy of the Hours The Official Prayer of the Church: Morning Prayer Evening Prayer Links to Mass You can watch masses from our church live every Sunday at 10:30am as well as see recordings of previous masses. St. Clements Ewell LIVE Mass Church Services TV You can watch a wide range of masses from across the British Isles either live or recorded via Church Services TV Prayer Resources Pray as you Go The Rosary Stations of the Cross Sacred Space The Rosary with Bishop Robert Barron

Parish Advent Course BELONG AND BELIEVE COURSE How our Celtic past can help us today. Lindisfarne Abbey, Holy Island In our post-pandemic world, the need for vibrant and welcoming Christian communities has never been stronger. This new filmed course is a timely resource drawing on the immense wisdom and inspiration from our Celtic spiritual heritage, helping us to find renewed faith and vision together. ​ Following the success of last year's Sycamore Course, the parish now proposes a short online Advent course of five sessions, drawing on the wellspring of our Celtic spiritual heritage. ​ The course starts at 7:30PM on THURSDAY 17th NOVEMBER and runs for five consecutive Thursdays. Everyone is invited to join. Like last year, we shall use the ZOOM application for online communication. ​ To join in, please use the registration form on the parish website HERE . ​ You can find out more information about the content of the course itself at the Cafe Faith Exploration site. NOTE There is no charge to parishioners. The course is free. ​ ​

Person to Person Fancy a Chat ? Missing your friends at St Clement's? Fed up with reading or the latest TV programmes? Would you like the opportunity to chat to someone who shares your values and maybe some of your interests? ​ Fiona Perks is setting up parishioner to parishioner online (& telephone) informal conversations for those who would enjoy this. ​ So if you would like to chat over Zoom - or indeed by telephone - why not contact Fiona who is organising this initiative. You can contact her at: Fionap580@gmail.com or telephone the church presbytery on 0208 393 55721 and leave a message

Baptism F.A.Q.'s What are my duties? Baptism is not simply a "naming ceremony" or even just a blessing for a new baby. It is the beginning of the Christian life and the gateway to eternal life. Because of this, the sacrament of Baptism is taken very seriously in the Church. ​ The ceremony of Baptism assumes a well-founded hope that you will bring your child up in the practice of the faith. This means · you teach your child to pray · you teach your child to lead a good Christian life · you & your child come to Mass regularly on Sundays · you teach your child the Catholic faith ​ How do I arrange a Baptism? One or both parents should come to see the parish priest, after any Weekday Mass or after Mass on Saturday or Sunday. You do not need to telephone or make an appointment. ​ How soon should I have my child baptised? Children should be baptized as soon as possible after birth. You are even welcome to come and arrange a date for the Baptism before the child is born. (The priest will then also be able to give the blessing for an expectant mother and pray for the safe delivery of the child.) ​ I am not married. Can my child be baptised? Yes. A child may be baptised so long as there is a well-founded hope that they will be brought up in the practice of the Catholic faith. If you have any questions about marriage in the Catholic Church, please ask the priest because there are often misunderstandings in this area. ​ I do not live in the parish. Can I have my child baptised at St Clement’s? Yes, if you regularly come to Mass here. If you are not coming to Mass, you need to decide which will be the Church you are going to start attending. It will usually be more appropriate (and more convenient) for you to start going to Mass at your local parish and to arrange the Baptism there. ​ I would like my child Baptised in another Parish? You will still need to approach the Parish Priest so that he can send a written confirmation to the other parish that you are known to him and have attended Preparation evenings in our Parish. ​ How many Godparents should we have? The Church's Canon Law states that there should be one or two Godparents. If there are two, they should preferably be a Godfather and a Godmother. At least one Godparent must be a Confirmed Catholic over 16 years of age who takes their faith seriously by regularly going to Mass and receiving Holy Communion. ​ What about non-Catholics? If you are finding it difficult to find Catholic Godparents, then along side a Catholic Confirmed Godparent, a non-Catholic who is a baptised Christian, in good standing with his or her own faith community, may act as a Christian witness, similar to a Godparent. During the ceremony they together with the parents profess the Church’s faith in which the child is to be baptised. He or she will be asked to renew the vows of their own baptism saying “I do” to three questions about turning from sin and then three questions about faith in the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They also have to attest that they are ready to help you as parents in your role as Christian parents and be prepared to support the godchild in a spiritual role for the rest of the godchild’s life. ​ Neither I nor my spouse is Catholic. Can our child(ren) be baptised Catholics? Only if one of the parents decides to become a Catholic themselves. This is a process which involves prayer, instruction and sharing in the life of the Catholic community over several months at least.) The most appropriate conclusion to this process is for the family to be baptised together. Please ask the priest for further details. Fees In the Catholic Church in England, there is no fee for the Baptism. If you can afford to do so, you should make an offering. You can give this in an envelope to the priest or deacon at the time of the Baptism. If you cannot afford anything, it does not matter and nobody will be offended. I had a child baptised but I never got a Baptism certificate. How can I get one? Every parish keeps a Baptism register in its permanent archive. A certificate can always be provided for you by the parish where your child was Baptised. ​ For any enquires regarding your child's baptism email baptism@stclementsewell.org ​

Formation for Mission The purpose of faith formation is to take Catholic theological insight, gleaned from Catholic Tradition and the best of contemporary theological thought, and guide individuals and groups towards its integration into their personal spirituality and to the living out of their baptismal mission. Group Study Shared Learning, Community Context, Practical Skills Study Opportunities Online Courses Knowledge, Information, Tradition, Scripture, History, Liturgy Look Online Pastoral Responsibility Gifts, Roles, Ministries, Collaboration, Living the Gospel Taking Responsibility Retreats Developing Prayer, Time out, Focus, Locations Take Time The Church Exists to Evangelise Para 14 Evangelii Nuntiandi The word formation comes from the Latin, formare, meaning ‘to shape’ or ‘to mould’. We are all constantly being shaped and moulded by our circumstances and our surroundings, whether we are aware of it or not. When we talk of spiritual formation, we are talking about choosing what will shape and mould us, and to what we give our deepest energies!

Time Out This page isn’t available right now. But we’re working on a fix, ASAP. Try again soon. Go Back

Time Out This page isn’t available right now. But we’re working on a fix, ASAP. Try again soon. Go Back

Gift Aid Weekend 18th and 19th July Envelope boxes for the tax year 2020-2021. The Gift Aid Administrator Julian Hall will be available 15 minutes before each Mass and after all masses next week ( 18th / 19th July) in order to hand out the boxes. We ask for your patience in this process because we must hand each box individually as opposed to donors helping themselves to the boxes, this is of course in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions. 2019-2020 Donations Letter If you have not received your by email we will have your hard copy letter available next week end. Should you have any envelopes or donations that you were unable to offer during the lockdown period (March / April/ May / June) please do not hesitate to let us know and drop them off at Mass.

Upcoming Changes The government has announced changes in the COVID restrictions from Wednesday, 2nd December. This means that parishioners (70 MAX.) will be able to attend Mass - on a first come, first in basis. - starting Saturday (6.00pm) December, 5th . Mass will also be available on the next day - Sunday, Dec 6th - at 8.30am & 10.30am. ​ Until then the present arrangements below are still in force, i.e. Private Prayer Access - Commencing Sunday 8th November Wednesdays 9.30am - 11 30am Sundays 9.30am - 11.30am All attendees are to follow the required safety guidelines when accessing the church and using the seating.

CAFOD Harvest Fast Day 1st October Heading 5 click here for more information