Weekly reflections

Thoughts and prayers from the Wood Green team

Parish Letter - Sunday 12th April 2026

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Christ is risen, Alleluia! Alleluia!

I suppose it’s because I have taken holy vows, that I am quite often asked if I ever have doubts. I’ve also had people tell me that it must be great not to have doubts. And then people seem genuinely shocked when I say that I do sometimes have doubts. Yes. It’s true. I do.

This week’s Gospel reading is one we all know so well. The resurrected Lord has appeared to the apostles and they know that he has risen. Except for Thomas. He wasn’t there and he would not believe what the others told him, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe”. It’s why we usually refer to him as ‘Doubting Thomas’.

A week later all of the apostles are together, including Thomas, and Jesus appears again. Jesus says to him, “Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe”.

Thomas says, “My Lord and my God”. The Gospel does not tell us that he did actually put his finger into the holes in Jesus’ hands, or into his side. I think he probably didn’t. Seeing and hearing Jesus was enough for him to believe.

I find it interesting that Thomas was also known as Didymus; both names mean ‘twin’. Of course he was most probably a twin, but to me it also explains a bit about my own faith. I sometimes both believe and doubt at the same time. They exist side-by-side, like twins. I generally do not let this bother me because I see nothing wrong with a curious mind. I think it is good to question our faith. If I find my faith faltering, I sit silently before God, because that is when I can feel his presence and I know that he exists. I do not need to put my finger into the holes in his hands or into his side. I know he is there. I can feel him. He is my Lord and my God. My doubting twin steps back into the shadows, for the time being.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, Thomas the Apostle went to India where he preached the Good News of Jesus Christ. Two thousand years later, Indian Christians still highly venerate him, in fact he is the Patron Saint of India. He was martyred there in about 72 AD. Like nearly all of the other apostles, he died for his faith in Jesus. Does anyone willingly go to their death for something they do not believe in?

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’. That, my brothers and sisters, is you and it is me. We believe… even if we sometimes have doubts, even if we have questions, we still believe. That is what faith is and it is why we are blessed.

He is risen indeed, Alleluia! Alleluia!

With my love and prayers,

Sr Pat

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer for Holy week

Lord Jesus, when I doubt you, Sit beside me.
When I question you, Hold my hand.
When I feel alone, Put your arm around my shoulder.
When I feel that my life is too hard, Wipe my tears away.
And when I am frightened, Remind me of your words,
“Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid’.
In Your Most Holy Name, Amen.

Worship this Holy week

Sunday 12th April (Easter 2)
8.30am: Said Mass
10.30am Parish Mass of Easter Day at St Michael Wood Green

Tuesday 14th April
11.00am Mass at St Michael at Bowes

Wednesday 15th April
12noon Mass at St Michael Wood Green

Thursday 16th April
No Holy Hour this week

Friday 17th April
12noon Mass at St Michael Wood Green

Easter Saturday 18th April
12noon Mass at St Michael Wood Green

Sunday 19th April (Easter 3)
United Parish Mass 11am at St Michael’s Wood Green
Fr Ian’s final Mass with us please join us to say farewell to him and Carol

Notices

Bible Study at Bowes – Will be taking a break for a few weeks but will resume in due course so please watch this space..

New to the parish? It is pleasing to see a number of new members at St Michael’s. Please consider adding your names to the parish electoral roll. This simply means we can keep you in touch with all that is happening in the church and gives you the ability to vote at the Annual Church Meeting. Electoral roll forms are available near the church door.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting – Sunday 17th May 2026 – This is a very important meeting especially this year as the parish goes into vacancy. At this meeting the PCC will be elected, accounts will be presented and plans for the future set out. Please make a note of this date and join us. The meeting follows the 10.30am Mass.

Fr Ian & Carol – Fr Ian will retire just after Easter. His final service will be on Sunday 19th April at 11am. Please keep this date clear and do all you can to be present on that day. Details will follow on how we can best mark the occasion.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass 11am at Wood Green
Thursday 14th May – Feast of the Ascension. Mass 7pm at Wood Green
Sunday 17th May – APCM
Sunday 24th May – Pentecost Sunday
Sunday 31st May – Trinity Sunday
Thursday 4th June – Feast of Corpus Chrisit

Parish Letter - Holy Week and Easter 2026

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Last Sunday, Holy Week began in the most beautiful and moving way as we processed through the streets proclaiming Hosanna in the highest, recalling that moment when our Lord and Saviour entered into Jerusalem to face the agony of the cross and the joy of the resurrection.

Now we reach the summit of the Church’s year, the Easter Triduum (the great three days). Although three separate days, it is in a liturgical sense one service that flows from one into another enabling us to enter fully into the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. The Triduum is packed with symbolism and meaning and we shall be keeping it in all its fullness and we hope and pray you will play your part in the drama of God who reveals His great love for us in the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

As your clergy we shall be praying for you especially on Maundy Thursday and as we have walked together throughout Lent, we look forward to sharing with you in the fulfilment of that journey as we move on to the Easter celebrations.

May the passion of Christ strengthen you to walk with him in his risen life.

With love & prayers

Fr Ian

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer for Holy week

Glory and power to you Lord Jesus,
who submitted to the will of the Father,
who broke bread with the one who would betray,
who washed the feet of the one who would deny,
who healed the ear of the one who would arrest,
and in his faithfulness will win victory over sin and death.
Glory to you O Lord, glory to you. Amen

Worship this Holy week

Maundy Thursday 2nd April
7.30pm Mass of the Last Supper at St Michael Wood Green with a vigil of prayer till midnight

Good Friday 3rd April
12.00 – 15.00 pm Good Friday Service at St Michael Wood Green

Holy Saturday 4th April
8.00pm Holy Saturday Easter Vigil at St Michael Wood Green

Easter Sunday Alleluia 5th April
10.30am Parish Mass of Easter Day at St Michael Wood Green
11.00am Easter Day Mass at Bowes

Easter Tuesday 7th April
11.00am Mass at St Michael at Bowes

Easter Wednesday 8th April
12noon Mass at St Michael Wood Green

Easter Thursday 9th April
7.00pm Holy hour at St Michael Wood Green

Easter Friday 10th April
12noon Mass at St Michael Wood Green

Easter Saturday 11th April
12noon Mass at St Michael Wood Green

Sunday 12th April (Easter 2)
8.30am Said Mass
10.30am Parish Mass

Notices

Holy Week – The Great Three Days are now upon us. All of our Lenten disciplines have been leading to this moment.

All our Holy Week services are set out above – please do all you can to be part of the Triduum.

Children’s Triduum workshop Returns – Our parish workshops for children which explore the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday) will return this year. See posters displayed in church for full details

Bible Study at Bowes – Will be taking a break for a few weeks but will resume in due course so please watch this space..

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Holy Week and Easter 2026

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

‘Our church has lost its umph!’
So said a friend of mine the other day. She went on to tell me how Holy Week has dwindled to a couple of extra Eucharist services at her Anglican church. No Palm Sunday Procession. No Stations of the Cross. No Maundy Thursday foot washing or vigil. No ‘Three Hours’ on Good Friday. No great fire and Liturgy of Holy Saturday.

And nothing particularly special about Easter Sunday!
The vicar, she says, is a nice man and good at pastoral care (my friend is chronically ill), but over the years he has given up on the great feasts, and Holy Week, the greatest week in the Church’s calendar, is hardly any different than any ordinary week.

At the same time, the congregation has shrunk. Some have moved to other churches and some have just stopped going to church altogether. I asked her about the PCC and if they are active. She said they seem to have meetings but nothing ever changes. The church, a church that she has been going to for most of her 73 years, is dying a slow and painful death.

This gave me food for thought. First of all, what has happened to that vicar? Why, when he had started out so well, had his ministry suffered so badly? Maybe he is depressed? Maybe he has lost his faith? And where is the bishop in all this? Then I thought about the congregation. Why have they lost interest? Why don’t the PCC do something to help rejuvenate the church? Why don’t they sit down with the vicar and have it out? It seems that they have all given up.

Then I realised something, and the old expression comes into my mind, ‘It takes two to tango’. This vicar is only half of the issue. The congregation is the other half. Without an active congregation the church starts to diminish. The life goes out of it. At the same time, a vicar who, for whatever reason, has lost his motivation, cannot rally the people to enliven the church. They are like a married couple who have stopped talking. It’s a sad situation and I pray for my friend, her vicar and their
church.

St Michael’s is a very different kettle of fish. We have a church which offers us amazing worship throughout the year and especially during Holy Week. From Palm Sunday, this Sunday, when we process through the streets, through a week of Masses, Stations of the Cross, the beautiful Maundy Thursday service with foot washing, the Three Hours of Good Friday, the First Mass of Easter on Holy Saturday (which is fantastic!) and of course, beautiful Easter Morning Mass. This will be Father Ian’s last Holy Week as our Rector, his ninth with us. Let us turn up as a people who know how to ‘do’ Holy Week. Let us show that we the people of God in this parish have certainly not lost our umph! St Michael’s Wood Green and Bowes are both alive and kicking! To the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

With my love, prayers and best wishes for the Holiest of Weeks,

Sr Pat

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer for the week

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Lord, we are with you when you ride on the donkey through Jerusalem;
We are there when you turn the tables in the Temple;
We are there when you wash the feet of your Apostles;
We are there when you break the bread and bless the wine;
We are there when you cry in the Garden of Gethsemane;
We are there when Judas kisses you and they arrest you;
We are there when they shout ‘Crucify’ to Pontius Pilot;
We are there when they hammer the nails into your flesh;
We are there when you are hanging and bleeding and dying,
When you give your Mother to John, and so to us.
And Lord, we are at the tomb with Mary Magdalene,
When you have Risen from the dead!
We are there with you Jesus,
All the way.
As you are always with us.
Through you, our Lord and our God,
Forever and ever, Amen.

Worship this Holy week

Please remember clocks go forward one hour this weekend

Sunday 29th March (Palm Sunday)
(No 8.30am: Said Mass at Wood Green)
10:30 am: Sung Mass at Wood Green.
(No 11.00am: Parish Mass at Bowes this week)
6pm: Stations of the Cross at Wood Green

Monday 30th March
7pm: Mass

Tuesday 31st March
11am: Chrism Mass at St Andrew’s Holborn with Bp Jonathan
7pm: Mass with Stations of the Cross

Wednesday 1st April
12noon Mass

Maundy Thursday 2nd April
7.30pm: Mass of the Last Supper, foot washing, Vigil of prayer till midnight

Good Friday – 3rd April
12noon – 3pm The great three hours including Stations of Cross and the Good Friday Liturgy with veneration of the Cross

Holy Saturday 4th April Alleluia!!
8pm: Holy Saturday Easter vigil and first Mass of Easter

Easter Sunday Alleluia Alleluia!!! 5th April
10.30am: Parish Mass of Easter Day (St Michael’s Wood Green)
11am: Parish Mass of Easter day (St Michael at Bowes)

Notices

Holy Week – Join us this Sunday as Holy Week begins with our Palm Sunday procession. We shall gather on Trinity Green to receive our palm crosses and after the Gospel and blessing we walk in witness praising God remembering the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. Please do all you can to join us for the procession which begins at 10.15am.

All other Holy Week services are set out above – please do all you can to be part of this holiest of weeks

Bible Study at Bowes – Will be taking a break for a few weeks but will resume in due course so please watch this space..

New to the parish? It is pleasing to see a number of new members at St Michael’s. Please consider adding your names to the parish electoral roll. This simply means we can keep you in touch with all that is happening in the church and gives you the ability to vote at the Annual Church Meeting. Electoral roll forms are available near the church door.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Clocks go forward this weekend!!!
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 22nd March 2026 - Lent 5

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our Gospel on Sunday, we encounter an all too familiar scene and one which we witness today as the horrors of war and violence are beamed live into our homes. It is the scene of people weeping over the death of loved ones. As we witness the senseless and random killing of innocent men, women and children across the Middle East, we share the utter despair of the grief-stricken and traumatised as they try to come to terms with all that is happening.

It is to that same place that we are taken in our Gospel on Sunday. The darkness of death descends upon Martha, Mary and the community. Our Lord is at the heart of this sad scene, for it is his close friend Lazarus who is dead. However, in the midst of darkness Jesus shines the light of hope. He tells the sisters that those who believe in him never really die. ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ Jesus proclaims, ‘if anyone believes in me, they will never die’. How often do we hear these words at funerals; but do we hear them, do we believe them?

Even after the raising of Lazarus, the Apostles found it hard to believe these words. It wasn’t until Jesus died and rose again that they finally believed them. Even with faith, death still proves to be the greatest test of all. To believe, in spite of evidence to the contrary, that there is in us a divine spark which even death cannot extinguish – this is the challenge our faith has to meet. Christ encountered death and emerged victorious. He promises us a share in his victory.

As we prepare for the conclusion of Lent and head towards Holy Week and Easter, let us be reminded of the cost of Christ’s love for us and the price he paid for our redemption – and may we, even amidst our sorrow, boldly proclaim Yes, Lord, we know and we believe that you are the resurrection and life.

With love and prayers

Fr Ian

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer for the week

Holy God, Creator of Life,
you call us out of our dark places,
offering us the grace of new life.
When we see nothing but hopelessness,
you surprise us with the breath of your spirit.
Call us out of our complacency and routines,
set us free from our self-imposed bonds,
and fill us with your spirit of life, compassion, and peace,
Amen

Worship this week

Sunday 22nd March (Lent 5)
8.30am: Said Mass at Wood Green
10:30 am: Sung Mass at Wood Green.
11.00am: Parish Mass at Bowes this week
6pm: Stations of the Cross at Wood Green

Tuesday 24th March
11am Mass at Bowes followed by Lent Bible Study

Wednesday 25th March (The Annunciation of the Lord)
12noon Mass

Thursday 26th March
7pm Lent course followed by Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 27th March
8.30am Devotions before the Cross
5.30pm Mass

Saturday 28th March
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 29th March (Palm Sunday – Holy Week begins)
United Parish Mass
10.15am on Trinity Green (Solemn procession and walk of witness)
6pm Stations of the Cross

Notices

Bible Study at Bowes – Our Lent bible study continues at St Michael at Bowes following the 11 am Mass on Tuesdays. Each week we have explored part of the Israelities 40 year journey through the wilderness. All are welcome.

Lenten Journey 2026 – It’s not too late to make the most of Lent. You are most welcome to join us for any of our devotions at either of our churches as we prepare for Holy Week and the Easter season.

Thursday Evening Devotions – During each week of Lent, we shall study and reflect on the Sunday Gospel for the week ahead. This is topped off with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Join us at 7 pm at St Michael’s Wood Green.

Social and Fundraising team – The Social diary for the Wood Green Parish has been drawn together, and events are advertised at both churches.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Mothering Sunday – This coming Sunday is Mothering Sunday, a celebration which has its traditions deeply rooted in our Christian faith. Please do all you can to join us as we give thanks for our Mother in faith and discipleship, the Blessed Virgin Mary, for Mother Church and, of course, our own Mothers.

Children’s Triduum workshop Returns – Our parish workshops for children which explore the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday) will return this year. Posters with further details will be displayed shortly.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 15th March 2026 - Mothering Sunday

Dearest Friends in Christ,

This Sunday, we get to enjoy a momentary reprieve in our Lenten observance as we pause to give thanks to not just our own mothers and the legacy they can leave us, but also the legacy that the Mother of Christ, Mary, gives to all of us.

There are many parts of the Church that since the reformation in the 16th century have enjoyed reducing the great Mother of God to simply one whose participation in the Holy Sprirt brought forth God incarnate, Jesus Christ. Mary is not just a facilitator of divine action, however, she was chosen by God, born without sin, assumed into heaven and crowned as its queen. Besides Mary, only Elijah and Enoch are given the grace of assumption into heaven – not even the great leader of Israel is assumed.

Pope Benedict XVI, when writing of the Blessed Virgin explained that because the Angel Gabriel declared that “the Lord is with thee” Mary is in fact identified as the “bridal people of God”. As such the Church learns “concretely what she is and is meant to be by looking at Mary.” The life and witness of the Blessed Virgin is not just the template for our engagement with the Gospel and Christ as a community, she is also the image of what discipleship should look like – an image not diminshed even in front of the cross. As we enter the harder weeks of this holy season of Lent, may the image of our mother Mary, sorrowful but bound to the cross, inspire and drive us deeper into the Lenten wilderness.

Pray for us O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the the promises of Christ.

Fr Simon

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer for the week

O God,
Whose Son, upon the Cross,
committed his mother to the care of the Church,
thereby making her an eternal mother to all,
Help us to ever treasure the Blessed Virgin,
to whom the church sets her example by,
and stand in constant witness and adoration,
of Your Son.
Who lives and reigns, one God,
forever and ever. Amen.

Worship this week

Sunday 15th March (Lent 4, Mothering Sunday)
8.30am: Said Mass at Wood Green
10:30 am: Sung Mass at Wood Green.
11.00am: Parish Mass at Bowes this week
6pm: Stations of the Cross at Wood Green

Tuesday 17th March
11am Mass at Bowes followed by Lent Bible Study

Wednesday 18th March
12noon Mass

Thursday 19th March
7pm Lent course followed by Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 20th March
8.30am Devotions before the Cross
5.30pm Mass

Saturday 21st March
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 22nd March (5th Sunday of Lent, Passiontide)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Social and Fundraising team – The Social diary for the Wood Green Parish has been drawn together, and events are advertised at both churches.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Children’s Triduum Returns – Our parish workshops for children which explore the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday) will return this year. Posters with further details will be displayed shortly.

Fr Ian & Carol – Fr Ian will retire just after Easter. His final service will be on Sunday 19th April at 11am. Please keep this date clear and do all you can to be present on that day. Details will follow on how we can best mark the occasion.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 8th March Lent 3 2026

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

This Sunday’s gospel reading is the most extraordinary reading and one of the most extraordinary encounters with Jesus in the Gospels. It is a story you will probably be familiar with.

Jesus and the Twelve are travelling through Samaria, a country which is not Jewish. As a people, Samaritans are Gentiles and hated by the Jews. It is the sixth hour, midday, when the sun is at its hottest. They come to a town called Sychar that had a well called Jacob’s Well, in a field given by Jacob to his son Joseph. The disciples have gone off into the city to buy food, but Jesus, wearied from his journey, remains in the field, sitting by the well.

A Samaritan woman comes to the well to draw water, and Jesus says to her ‘Give me a drink’. This is when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Jewish law was, and still is for Orthodox Jews, very strict about men talking to women, even Jewish women who are not their kin, and even stricter about talking to a woman who is a Gentile. Jesus is breaking an ancient taboo of the Jews.

The woman, only too aware that Jesus is a Jew, is shocked. Not only has he acknowledged her, but he is asking her to give him a drink of water. Again, by Jewish law, she would have been considered ‘unclean’.

She says, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of
Samaria?’

If you don’t know the story, this is the cliffhanger! Because what unfolds is, for us Christians, a manifesto of WHY Jesus was here among us. If you don’t know the story, or you need reminding of it, come to church on Sunday.

The point that I want to make in this limited space, is that Jesus turns the relationship of a Jewish man and a Gentile woman completely on its head. He is taking a huge risk here. He is alone with her. He knows that she has a sexually permissive reputation (five husbands and living with a man who is not her husband). And yet knowing this, Jesus offers her the Kingdom of God. He offers her Salvation. He offers her the Water of Life.

She is at the well at the hottest time of the day, on her own and not with the other women. She is an outcast from her own people, most probably called a prostitute and jeered at in the street. And yet this woman becomes a preacher of the Good News. She tells what she has heard.

She brings her people to Jesus. To faith. We do not even know her name, and yet she calls out to us across two thousand years telling us that Jesus is the Messiah. That Jesus is the Saviour of the world!

With my love and prayers for a Holy Lent,

Sr Pat

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer for the week

Lord Jesus Christ,
I am just an ordinary person
and, as you know, I am a sinner.
There are things in my past that I am ashamed of.
And yet I know that you, Lord, have forgiven me.
I am not famous. Not a saint. Not rich.
Nothing special.
And yet you love me.
To you I am precious.
How can I ever understand your love?
How can I ever repay you?
Speak to me Lord Jesus.
I am listening.
In Your Holy Name, Amen

Worship this week

Sunday 8th March (Lent 3)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass Parish Mass
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes this week
6pm Stations of the Cross at Wood Green

Tuesday 10th March
11am Mass at Bowes followed by Lent Bible Study

Wednesday 11th March
12noon Mass

Thursday 12th March
7pm Lent course followed by Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 13th March
8.30am Devotions before the Cross
5.30pm Mass

Saturday 14th March
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 15th March (4th Sunday of Lent Mothering Sunday)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Lent so far – It has been heartening to see so many people entering into the holy season of Lent. Both Lent study courses are well attended and the midweek worship has been growing steadily. Next week we celebrate Mothering Sunday, the midpoint of our Lenten journey – now is a good time to redouble our efforts to keep Lent holy, we look forward to worshipping with you and walking with our Lord to the cross and beyond.

Bible Study at Bowes – Our Lent bible study continues at St Michael at Bowes at 11am on Tuesday.

Lenten Journey 2026 – It’s not too late to make the most of Lent. Our Lent program is still available containing all our services and devotions right up until Easter, please take one and join us as we journey with our Lord on the way of the Cross

Lenten Devotions – Thursday evenings in Lent we shall study and reflect on the Lenten Sunday Gospels finishing with Benediction. Join us at 7pm in St Michael’s Wood Green.

Social and Fund-raising team – A year of events and activities are now displayed at the back of the Church. Grateful thanks to our Social and fund-raising team.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Mothering Sunday – Next week is Mothering Sunday, a celebration which has its traditions deeply rooted in our Christian faith. Please do all you can to join us as we give thanks for Mother Mary, Mother Church and our own Mothers.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 1st March 2026 - 2nd Sunday of Lent

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

You are very much in my prayers as we journey together through this holy season of Lent. I pray that your chosen Lenten disciplines and observances will strengthen you as together we ponder on the Lord’s passion up until our Easter celebrations in April.

Last Sunday, our first reading reminded us how Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s call which led to sin entering into God’s creation. This week we meet Abraham who through obedience begins the story of God restoring creation to its intended state. Abraham is singled out as the father of faith who ‘went as the Lord told him’. The disobedience of our first parents separated us from God, now Abraham’s willing obedience turns that round for he did as the Lord had said. Abraham was called to let go of the familiar, the safe and secure and trust completely in God. That, in a nutshell, is the meaning of faith.

Journeying from the familiar, travelling by faith and hope in God’s promise takes courage and it is by no means a painless journey. St Paul, writing to Timothy, is well aware of the hardships involved in discipleship. Hardship is one of his constant themes and understandably so, as he himself suffered so much for the sake of the Good News.

Our Lenten observances should both stretch and challenge us as we like countless numbers of Christians before us leave behind the comfortable and familiar and set out to follow the Lord on his way of the cross. Should we find the going difficult then we pray for courage and guidance, but we should also take heart, for it means we are truly living out the Lord’s passion in our lives.

With love & continued prayers

Fr Ian

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

You are God’s chosen Son, O Lord.
Please help us listen to you.
Help us open our hearts to your grace.
Help us believe, help us love.
We are small and we become afraid.
Show us your dazzling glory hidden in the hum-drum
of our wondrous, everyday lives.
Though we are sinners, make us one with you, and let us
bring your life, death and resurrection to all people. Amen

Worship this week

Sunday 1st March (Lent 2)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass Parish Mass
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes this week
6pm Stations of the Cross at Wood Green

Tuesday 3rd March
11am Mass at Bowes followed by Lent Bible Study

Wednesday 4th March (St Casimir)
12noon Mass

Thursday 5th March
7pm Lent course followed by Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 6th March
8.30am Devotions before the Cross
5.30pm Mass

Saturday 7th March (Ss Perpetua and Felicity)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 8th March (3rd Sunday of Lent)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Bible Study at Bowes – Our Lent bible study continues at St Michael at Bowes at 11am on Tuesday.

Lenten Journey 2026 – Our Lent program is available containing all our services and devotions right up until Easter, please take one and join us as we journey with our Lord on the way of the Cross

Lenten Devotions – Thursday evenings in Lent we shall study and reflect on the Lenten Sunday Gospels finishing with Benediction. Join us at 7pm in St Michael’s Wood Green.

Social and Fund-raising team – A year of events and activities are now displayed at the back of the Church. Grateful thanks to our Social and fund-raising team.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240

If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 22nd February 2026 Lent 1

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Have you noticed how unpopular the devil is these days? Of course the devil has never been popular, but what I mean is that even some of the most committed Christians will scoff at any mention of the devil. Like the old wooden pews, he’s been taken out of the church to make everyone feel a bit more comfy.

For the first Sunday in Lent, we have two readings which bring the devil into sharp focus. The first reading is from Genesis (2:7-9; 3:1-7) and tells the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the serpent tempting Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A story we all know well.

The Gospel Reading is Matthew (4:1-11) where we are told how Jesus goes into the wilderness and fasts for forty days and forty nights, at the end of which the devil, Satan, comes to him to offer temptations. Jesus responds by quoting scripture readings to him and eventually Satan gives up and leaves him. ‘Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him’.

It is of course the Lent story, and during these forty days and forty nights we try and imitate Jesus in our small ways: by giving up some luxury, by examining our lives, by offering extra devotions or giving to charity, by resisting temptation ourselves. But where is the devil in all this? Is it really him who is making us crave chocolate?

The Genesis reading tells us that the serpent ‘was more crafty than any other beast of the field’. That is the thing with the devil. He will try to make us turn away from the ways of Jesus, to follow his own ways. He is crafty. He’s at work when we turn away from the homeless man because he is dirty. When we go along with the crowd and say that the refugee is not welcome here. When we judge someone because they are different from us. When we hold onto our money and ignore those who need our help. These are just a few examples of how we turn away from the ways of Jesus. It is the crafty serpent at work in our lives.

Jesus was fully human whilst he lived among us. Of course he was tempted by the devil. He was hungry. He knew that he was going to die a painful and humiliating death. He knew he had great powers that he could easily abuse. But he didn’t. He quoted scripture to the devil. And there is our answer to overcoming temptation.

Read the words of Jesus. If you find giving up chocolate useful, which I do, then go for it. But allow that small sacrifice to lead you into the bigger picture of examining your conscience. Are you living by the teachings, the ways, of Jesus? There is the essence, the heart, the nub, the crux (which means cross) of our Christianity. Don’t let that old devil tell you any different.

With my love and prayers for a holy pilgrimage through Lent.

Sr Pat

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

The Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is a powerful
invocation for protection against evil:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle,
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host,
by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Worship this week

Sunday 22nd February (Lent 1 blessing of Icons, rosaries and crosses)
Combined Parish Mass 10.30am at Wood Green
No 8.30am
No 11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes this week
6pm Stations of the Cross at Wood Green

Tuesday 24th February
11am Mass at Bowes followed by Lent Bible Study

Wednesday 25th February
12noon Mass

Thursday 26th February
7pm Lent course followed by Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 27th February
8.30am Devotions before the Cross
5.30pm Mass

Saturday 28th February
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 1st March (2nd Sunday of Lent)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Lent course begins Thursday 19th 7pm

Bible Study at Bowes – We will shortly begin our 5-week study course for Lent, in which we look at the journey through the desert as a way of engaging with our own pilgrimage through Lent to the Cross of Christ. We meet for our first week on Tuesday 24th February.

Lenten Journey 2026 – Our Lent program is out now and includes all the details for how we will keep a good and holy Lent this year. Join us as we start our journey towards Calvary on Wednesday, 18th February.

Lenten Devotions – Thursday evenings in Lent we shall study and reflect on the Lenten Sunday Gospels using ‘A word for Lent.’ The booklet is designed to help us reflect on the Gospels through discussion, study and prayer. If you would like a booklet, please let Fr Ian know. The booklet costs £4.95.

Social and Fund-raising team – A year of events and activities are now displayed at the back of the Church. Grateful thanks to our Social and fund-raising team.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Fr Ian & Carol – Fr Ian will retire just after Easter. His final service will be on Sunday 19th April at 11am. Please keep this date clear and do all you can to be present on that day. Details will follow on how we can best mark the occasion.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240
If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

1st Sunday of Lent – 22nd February (Combined 10.30am Mass – No 8.30am of Bowes)
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 8th February 2026

Dear Friends,

Grace and Peace to you from Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest,

Our Epistle reading this Sunday is taken from that great first letter written by St Paul to the Corinthians. It’s a very intriguing piece of the letter that we have been given to meditate over as part of our Mass this coming Sunday. It speaks of wisdom and mysteries, and of things that are to be revealed, a glimpse of which we have in the Gospel text itself. However, we would do well to pay attention to one part of the text that can get lost in this.

The gift of divine revelation is just that – a gift. Christ has been freely offered to all so that all could, in the fullness of time, come before God in the heavenly realm. With that gift comes “the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory”, and therein lies a temptation. What is concerning St Paul in the Corinthian church is their relationship with the “wisdom of God”. What is not meant by St Paul is “Wisdom about God” – wisdom about something can be possessed, it can be owned without participation in what it is. However, the “Wisdom of God” is something of God himself and cannot be had apart from a relationship with Him.

When we feel we possess something, we have a tendency to use it towards our own ends. What we should be more concerned about is how we participate in the wisdom of God, and so step closer to Him in this life. When we do so, we participate in God’s glory, which becomes ours by virtue of our participation in Him. It might seem like a pedantic point to make, the difference between “of” and “about”, however as we step into Lent, we step into the Desert with Christ and have the opportunity to experience that anything we have that is apart from God is as the dust under our feet.

With my prayers for a holy and nourishing Lent,

Fr Simon

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

Heavenly Father, as I walk through this Lenten season,
I ask for Your guidance and wisdom.
Help me to discern Your will in my life
and to make choices that honor You.
May I seek Your direction in all things
and trust in Your plan for me. Amen.

Worship this week

Sunday 15th February (6th Sunday in ordinary time)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Tuesday 17th February (Shrove Tuesday)
No 11am Mass at Bowes.

Wednesday 18th February (Ash Wednesday)
11am Mass St Michael-at-Bowes with Imposition of Ashes
7pm Sung Mass St Michael’s, Wood Green with Imposition of Ashes

Thursday 19th February (St Damian)
7pm Holy Hour and Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 20th February
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Saturday 21st February (St Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 22nd February (1st Sunday of Lent) Combined Parish Mass
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
No 11am Mass at St Michael-at-Bowes

Notices

Pancake Party – The children of the parish are invited to a Pancake Party on Shrove Tuesday (17th February). This will take place in the Church and will be a great opportunity to learn about Shrove Tuesday, play some games, and of course enjoy LOTS of pancakes!

Social and Fund-raising team – Our wonderful Social Team met earlier last week and details of future events and fundraising opportunities will be advertised in due course. If you want to offer your help in any way, then please speak to a member of the team, or Frs Ian and Simon.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Fr Ian & Carol – Fr Ian will retire just after Easter. His final service will be on Sunday 19th April. Please keep this date clear and do all you can to be present on that day. Details will follow on how we can best mark the occasion.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240
If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Ash Wednesday – 18th February
1st Sunday of Lent – 22nd February (Combined 10.30am Mass – No 8.30am of Bowes)
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 8th February 2026

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

How wonderful it is to see the long winter nights slowly give up their cover. Everything seems so much safer and clearer as the daylight remains with us a bit longer than we have been used to over the last few months.

Having now left the Christmas season with the passing of Candlemas we turn our attention towards the holy season of Lent. This is the season when we are reminded of God’s great love for us, which is why we walk with Jesus through his temptations, his transfiguration, his passion, death and resurrection. To do this we will need the help of our faith, our prayers, the church’s liturgy and the grace of God. To walk the way of the cross is difficult and challenges us all in the very depth of our being.

Maybe that is why the Gospel this Sunday is a rallying call from the Lord. He calls on the Church to be a light shining in the darkness of the world. However, the reading comes with a warning – as our witness to the Lord can be overshadowed by a great ‘If’. For how much more brightly would that light shine, if we who are Christians were really like Christ?

As we prepare for Lent, can I suggest that we ponder the first reading on Sunday from Isaiah (58:7-10), here we find a rule of life which will not only challenge us but also enable us to shine so much so that others will see the glory of God in their midst.

With love & prayers

Fr Ian

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

Merciful God,
You call us to be salt of the earth and light of the world.
We confess that our witness is often bland and gloomy.
Forgive us when we fail to be an influence for good,
and when we condone or do what is wrong in Your sight.
Help us to flavour the earth with righteousness
and to reflect the light of Your love in a dark world;
through Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Amen.

Worship this week

Sunday 8th February (5th Sunday in ordinary time)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Tuesday 10th February (St Scholastica)
11am Mass at Bowes

Wednesday 11th February (Our Lady of Lourdes)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Thursday 12th February (St Damian)
7pm Holy Hour and Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 13th February
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Saturday 14th February (St Cyril and St Methodius)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 15th February
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Bible Study at Bowes – We take a short break for two weeks and our Lent Bible study will begin on Tuesday 24th February. Our Bible Study group meets after the 11am Mass at St Michael-at-Bowes. All Welcome.

Lenten Journey 2026 – Our Lent program will be available from next week and will include everything needed for a good keeping of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday 18th February.

Social and Fund-raising team – Our wonderful Social Team will be meeting on Tuesday 10th February at the Rectory to plan the year ahead.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240
If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Ash Wednesday – 18th February
1st Sunday of Lent – 22nd February (Combined 10.30am Mass – No 8.30am of Bowes)
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 1st February 2026

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Have you ever been lost? I have a terrible sense of direction and manage to get lost on a regular basis. I have even managed to get lost in Wood Green after living here for a quarter of a century! I may joke about it, but it’s actually quite frightening. Getting lost in the dark is of course even worse. Who hasn’t felt a sense of panic trying to find the bathroom during a power cut?

This Sunday we celebrate the great Feast of Candlemas. The Gospel Reading at Mass (Luke 2:22-32) tells of Mary and Joseph taking the Infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, for the Purification of Mary, 40 days after giving birth. We hear how old Simeon had been told by God that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes. When he encounters Jesus, he knows that God’s promise has been fulfilled. And how the old prophetess Anna, living in the Temple, also recognises the Infant as the Promised One and tells anyone who will listen what she has seen. It is an incident in the very early life of Our Lord that is filled with joy and beauty, except for one moment, when Simeon foretells that Mary’s own soul will be pierced with a sword. A moment when we see the Shadow of the Cross.

Candlemas represents the Light of Jesus coming into the darkness and of course we celebrate this with candles, just as we do on Holy Saturday when we celebrate the first Mass of Easter. It is a feast that has been celebrated around the Christian world since early times. It also represents the end of Christmastide and, by tradition, is the day to take down the decorations and put away the Nativity sets… for we are now to prepare ourselves for the coming of the solemn season of Lent.

Some of you may know that I am a fairly recent convert to Christianity. I was raised an atheist and remained so for many years. It’s ironic that I manage to get lost so easily… for I certainly was lost spiritually. Like the Gentiles of the Gospel, I lived in darkness and the shadow of death. But then I saw a great light and that light was Jesus Christ, and the darkness could not overcome the light. I still get lost in a geographic sense, but in a spiritual sense I can see clearly and I know my way forward.

With my love and prayers for a light-filled Candlemas,

Sr Pat

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

Nunc Dimittis
(Song of Simeon said at Night Prayer)
At last, all-powerful Master,
You give leave to your servant
to go in peace, according to your promise.
For my eyes have seen your salvation
which you have prepared for all nations,
the light to enlighten the Gentiles
and give glory to Israel, your people.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Alleluia.

Worship this week

Sunday 1st February (Feast of Candlemas – the Presentation of the Lord)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Tuesday 3rd February (St Blaise Bishop and Martyr; St Ansgar Bp)
11am Mass at Bowes with Bible Study after.

Wednesday 4th February
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Thursday 5th February (St Agatha Virgin and Martyr)
7pm Holy Hour and Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 6th February (St Paul Miki and companions Martyrs)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Saturday 7th February
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 8th February
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Agape women’s group – There will be a meeting of Agape today following the 10.30am Mass in St Raphael’s centre. Further information from Vanessa.

Bible Study – We will be having a short two-week study of the Epistle of St Jude on Tuesday 27th January and Tuesday 3rd February. Our Lenten study Series will look at the journey of the Israelites through the Sinai Desert to the promised land and begins on Tuesday 24th February (Week 1 of Lent). Our Bible Study group meets after the 11am Mass at St Michael-at-Bowes. All Welcome.

Social and Fund-raising team – Our wonderful Social Team will be meeting soon this month to plan ahead for the coming year. If you have any thoughts or ideas, feel free to share them so as they can be added to the calendar.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240
If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Ash Wednesday – 18th February
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 25th January 2025

Dear Friends-in-Christ,

Grace to you from the Light of the Nations,

Our Christian hope propels us to look to the everlasting life that we will inherit through the Cross; the life where we will stand shoulder to shoulder with all the saints of ages past praising God before his throne of glory. For many of us, this sure and certain hope is the bulwark that we have against the many and varying trials that we face and we witness others face in this life. Moreover watching others endure hardship with this faith can inspire us to deeper faith and indeed prompt the unbelieving to faith itself.

The Psalm appointed for this Sunday however gives us a light to hold onto for the present. In Psalm 27 the Psalmist proclaims that “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness, in the land of the living.” Christ’s Ascension, the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost shows to us that whilst we rightly hold onto the promise of eternal life and allow that to shape our experience of this age, the comfort and love of Christ is not a grace that is reserved solely for eternity. We know that the goodness of God is something we can enjoy right now because St Matthew records Christ’s declaration at the end of his Gospel – “I am with you always” (Matthew 28.20). God is in all things and in all places. God is also only good, and a good that is perfect nor constrained by limitations. This gives us cause to walk our pilgrimage to eternity in the comfort that our human lives are littered with the goodness of the divine.

Our task, and at times a challenge we must rise to, is to remember that the goodness of God is not the “goodness” of the world that man has created. We must look at our lives and each other through the eyes of Christ, seeking to encounter what he would in our experiences, to treasure what God treasures in us. When we do this, we begin to discover the untold depths of God’s love and provision – all of which is a foretaste of greater things to come.

Fr Simon

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

Thou art the Holy Lord God; Thou art God of gods who alone dost marvelous things;
Thou art holy, Father, King of heaven and earth.
Thou art Three in One and One in Three, Lord God of gods.
Thou art Good, all Good, Highest Good, Lord God Living and True.
Thou art Love, Charity, Thou art Wisdom, Thou art Humility.
Thou art patience. Thou art Fortitude and Prudence; Thou are Security;
Thou art Quiet, Thou art Joy and Gladness; Thou art Justice and Temperance.
Thou art all our Riches and Plenty; Thou art our Protector; Thou art our Guide and Defender.
Thou art Beauty. Thou art Gentleness. Thou art our Refuge and Strength.
Thou art our Faith, our Hope and our Charity; Thou art great Sweetness to us.
Thou art our Eternal Life, Infinite Goodness, Great and Wonderful Lord,
God Almighty; Loving and Merciful Savior.

Worship this week

Sunday 25th January 2026 (3rd Sunday in Ordinary time Year A)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Tuesday 27th January (St Angela Merici, Virgin)
11am Mass at Bowes with Bible Study after.

Wednesday 28th January (St Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor of the Church)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Thursday 29th January
7pm Holy Hour and Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 30th January
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Saturday 31st January (St John Bosco, Priest)
12 noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 1st February
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:

The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240
If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Ash Wednesday – 18th February
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 18th January - Peace Sunday

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

May I begin this Parish Letter by offering my sincere thanks to you all. Carol and I have received so many kind messages and comments following last week’s announcement and we are truly grateful. That said, my final Sunday on 19th April is a little way off and there is work to be done. I am determined not to just free-wheel to that day, but to work hard in the work God has called me to do. We did however want to acknowledge the love and prayers that have surrounded us.

In the gospel on Sunday, John the Baptist tells the people who Jesus is and what his mission is. Jesus is God’s Chosen One who will take away the sins of the world. He is that ‘servant of the Lord’ Isaiah spoke about who would gather the scattered tribes of Israel and bring them back to God. Indeed, his mission would go further. He would be a light to the nations and would bring salvation to the very ends of the earth.

Being God’s servant is not always a simple matter. Even for John the Baptist, who had been proclaimed as a prophet by so many people, it was not immediately obvious how he should react to the arrival of Jesus.’I did not know him myself’, John admits yet, through the power of the Holy Spirit who comes down on Jesus from heaven like a dove, John is able to recognise the mission of the man who came to him to be baptised. Although he did not know Jesus, he knew that his task was to reveal him to the people of Israel. We too do not know Jesus as his disciples knew him. We do not know the way he looked, how his voice sounded, the way he laughed. We have not seen him when he was tired or hungry, angry with those who spoiled his father’s house, or brought to tears by Jerusalem’s rejection of his teaching.

However, we too are given the task of revealing him to the world- to our world, the world of our family; our friends; our homes; our work and our parish. Not that this needs any spectacular display or any flaunting of our mission. If God is in our hearts, he goes wherever we go. We proclaim him in our daily lives: in the way we speak to each other; in the value we place upon people and possessions; in the right care we take of ourselves. We bring him to others in the courtesy and the compassion we show to those in need; in our care for the elderly and in the way we value the young. Christ will use us to do his work and the power from on high will guide and direct us to point to Jesus – the Lamb of God.

With love & prayers

Fr Ian

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Send us out to live lives that glorify you
Help us to be people of peace
Empower us to recognize your call
In our families
In our communities
In our workplaces and schools
In our churches and in our world.
To the glory of your name. Amen

Worship this week

Sunday 18th January 2026 (2nd Sunday in Ordinary time Year A) Peace Sunday
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Tuesday 20th January (Ss Fabian & Sebastian)
11am Mass at Bowes

Wednesday 21st January (St Agnes)
**Please note** no 12noon Mass at Wood Green

Thursday 22nd January (St Vincent)
7pm Holy Hour and Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 23rd January
12noon Mass at Wood Green

Saturday 24th January (St Francis de Sales)
12noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 25th January
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Where else do we hear the words ‘Peace be with you’? In the message, Pope Leo XIV writes about Jesus bringing peace. This peace is like a light in the darkness and we are called to also be lights, bringing peace into the world. We are called to be open and gentle to others, to listen to one another, to build trust with one another and to have hope. Pope Leo writes about the need to build peace within ourselves, but also to work to build peace between others and between countries.

At St Michael’s we shall not only keep Peace Sunday, but also unite with our friends at St Paul’s R C Church and Christians of other denominations tomorrow (19th January in St Raphael’s hall next to our Church). This will all happen in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Please let Colin Kerr or Fr Simon know if you are able to attend. We hope to provide simple tea and biscuit refreshments so if you could help with that it would be appreciated.

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

Fr Ian & Carol – As we heard last week, Fr Ian will retire just after Easter. His final service will be on Sunday 19th April. Please keep this date clear and do all you can to be present on that day. Details will follow on how we can best mark the occasion.

Important Banking Information: If you pay your offering via a Standing Order or a direct debit, please note the following account details. All cheques to be made payable to:
The Parish of Wood Green
Account no. 00037635
Sort code 405240
If you have any questions please speak to Festus, Fr Ian or Elizabeth our Church warden.

Dates ahead

Sunday 18th January – Peace Sunday
Ash Wednesday – 18th February
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April
Sunday 19th April – Fr Ian’s final Mass at Wood Green

Parish Letter - Sunday 11th January 2026 - Baptism of the Lord

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Once again we see our world in turmoil with the attack on Venezuela by the United States. Once again we hear the debate about whether this was justified or not, without mention of the ordinary men, women and children whose lives have been lost or changed forever.

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is from Matthew 3:13-17, where we hear how Jesus came from Galilee to the River Jordan to be baptised by John. Nothing is written about the life of Jesus between him being found in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, aged about twelve years old, and this reading about his baptism.

But the prophet Isaiah did tell the Jewish people what God was planning, and we will hear this in the First Reading on Sunday:
‘I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.’ And later, ‘He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice on the earth…’ These words remind us that our God is a God of Justice for all people. Peace and justice are at the heart of our faith, most especially for the lowliest on earth: the poor the vulnerable, the ordinary people who want to live their lives and raise their children in peace and harmony.

When Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist, the heavens opened for us to hear the voice of the Father calling Jesus ‘the beloved’, and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove… Father, Son and Holy Spirit together… the Holy Trinity of Christianity.

Christmas has reminded us that the Father sent the Son to be born as a vulnerable baby in Bethlehem. We are a Holy People whose God lived amongst us. When superpowers send their war machines to kill and disrupt the lives of God’s People, they break their relationship with God. But we, the ordinary people, have a power greater than theirs: we can speak to a God who understands us, who listens, who acts for the lowly. Our superpower is prayer.

With my love and hope for a peaceful 2026,

Sr Pat

(On behalf of the clergy)

Prayer of the week

Lord Jesus Christ,
You came to live amongst us on earth,
Born into poverty in a nation dominated by the Roman superpower.
As we struggle in today’s world of increasing violence and chaos,
Keep us close to your message of justice and peace.
Hold us in a place where we can see your light shining
From a simple crib in the silence of a holy night.
In your most Holy Name, Amen.

Worship this week

Sunday 11th January 2026 (The Baptism of Jesus)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Tuesday 13th January (St Hilary)
11am Mass at Bowes

Wednesday 14th January
12noon Mass at Wood Green

Thursday 15th January
7pm Holy Hour and Benediction at Wood Green

Friday 16th January
12noon Mass at Wood Green

Saturday 17th January (St Anthony)
12noon Mass at Wood Green

Sunday 18th January (Peace Sunday + week of prayer for Christian unity)
8.30am Said Mass at Wood Green
10.30am Parish Mass at Wood Green
11.00am Parish Mass at Bowes

Notices

Pax Christi – Peace Sunday and Prayer group –
In January each year, Pax Christi England and Wales promote the Pope’s message for the World Day of Peace (1 January). Pax Christi is a Catholic movement for peace, working for peace, nonviolence and reconciliation in England and Wales and all over the world. We encourage parishes, schools and communities to join us in sharing this message. This year, the title of the message is ‘Peace be with you all: Towards an “unarmed and disarming” peace’.
Where else do we hear the words ‘Peace be with you’? In the message, Pope Leo XIV writes about Jesus bringing peace. This peace is like a light in the darkness and we are called to also be lights, bringing peace into the world. We are called to be open and gentle to others, to listen to one another, to build trust with one another and to have hope. Pope Leo writes about the need to build peace within ourselves, but also to work to build peace between others and between countries.
At St Michael’s we shall not only keep Peace Sunday next week, but also unite with our friends at St Paul’s R C Church and Christians of other denominations on Monday 19th January in St Raphael’s hall next to our Church. This will all happen in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Please let Colin Kerr or Fr Simon know if you are able to attend. We hope to provide simple tea and biscuit refreshments so if you could help with that it would be appreciated.

Raffle prizes – There are a couple of unclaimed raffle prizes at the back of Church, so check your tickets, it could be YOU!!!

Midweek Worship – Please support the worship and prayer life of the Church, we offer an almost daily Mass and additional devotions. You can find the times set out on this parish letter.

There is to be an important statement on Sunday following the 10.30am Mass, please do all you can to be present.

Dates ahead

Sunday 18th January – Peace Sunday
Ash Wednesday – 18th February
Mothering Sunday – Sunday 15th March
Palm Sunday – 29th March
Maundy Thursday – 2nd April
Good Friday – 3rd April
Holy Saturday – 4th April
Easter Day – 5th April