Our Lady & St Joseph's church, Kingsland
Guidelines
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We are a large and varied Catholic community, comprising people from so many differing cultures and backgrounds. We are also overwhelmingly young - the majority of those who worship at Kingsland are under 40 - and we are blessed with lots of young families and many children! Like any ordinary family, we need house rules to ensure that everyone knows that they are valued and respected. What follows is an attempt to outline some of the areas in which we can co-exist more happily and fruitfully.
Our parish family meets in a building. We know that the Church is a people and not a place, but where we worship together is important. Jesus loved the Temple in Jerusalem: He became visibly distressed when He saw its peace being upset (St Matthew 21: 10 -17) and He said those famous words: "My house shall be called a house of prayer". We have to do everything we can to make Our Lady & St Joseph's "a house of prayer".
Most people's lives today are stressed and noisy. The business of living - running a home, getting to work and back, bringing up children - means that in our church building we have a unique resource. It ought to be providing "a holy space" where individuals can find the chance to recharge their batteries. This is why we open our doors at 6:30am each day and keep them open until after 7pm. We want our church to be an oasis of peace for those who live in this part of Hackney and Islington - and this depends on everyone doing their bit.
When you come into church, try to be as quiet as you can. Restrict unnecessary conversation to inside the porch or outside the building itself. Greet one another with a nod and a smile, be warm and welcoming, but resist the urge to chat! Give those around you the chance to be still - it may be the only opportunity they/you have in the week to spend quality time with God. We need to reclaim Our Lady and St Joseph's as a quiet space: that is especially true on Sundays.
One of the greatest causes of irritation is the ringing of Mobile Phones during Mass. Please make sure that if you have one, it is turned off before coming into church. And try to arrive in good time so that you have the chance to settle yourself and your family before worship begins. At present, it seems that the congregation at any Mass more than doubles in the first quarter of an hour after it has begun! That can't be good for anyone.
Our children are our future and we love them. We are very happy that so many children come to join in our worship. Jesus famously said: "Let the little children come to me: do not stop them for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs" (St Mark 10: 13 - 16). But having such a large proportion of very young people, especially at the 9:30am Sunday Mass, does bring its own problems. Please help your children to understand that when they come into church, they are entering the house of God, and encourage them to be as quiet and reverent as possible. Please do not let young children run in the aisles or climb on the benches. Young people should be supervised at all times, particularly when going to the toilet or when near lit candles. If your children are crying or are being fractious take them into the porch for a while until they are calmed - there are seats in the porch, and you can still follow what is happening through the speakers. You will also find a box of books which might help to settle them. You can then return with them when they are more settled.
One increasing problem, (before and after Mass) is parking. There is enough space around the church to accommodate the number of vehicles involved, but only if drivers park considerately and sensibly. Cars are often left in such a way that they block others and take up space that could be used by more people. We are very fortunate that there has not yet been a serious accident. Car drivers need to act more responsibly, and parents, in particular, need to ensure the safety of their children. If the situation does not improve, it will become necessary to close the gates on Sundays and stop vehicle access altogether.
When Mass has finished, do not forget to take your copy of the Newsletter home with you for reference during the week. It would be a great help if hymnbooks etc could be returned to the porch and/or trolleys and everything left tidy for the next worshippers. Please remember that there will be people who want to remain in prayer, so try to respect their wishes and leave the church as quietly as possible. After the 9:30am Mass on Sunday there is usually a cup of tea/coffee available in the hall and the chance to greet one another, and get to know more fellow worshippers.
Our current Mass attendance is a little over 1400. It is important that each individual who makes up that number - from the youngest to the oldest - feels really at home in Our Lady & St Joseph's. Never be nervous about having your say. This community of faith belongs as much to you as it does to anyone else. Perhaps there are things God wishes to communicate through you to the rest of us? In everything, may we be true to the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper: "May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me" (St John 17: 21 - 22)
Christopher Colven, Parish Priest
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SUNDAY MASS TIMES
[Vigil 7pm - Saturday] 8:00am, 9:30am (Family),
11:00am (Solemn), 12:15pm & 6:30pm
There is a time of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament
on Saturday from 6:00 - 6:45pm and on Sunday 5:00 - 6: 15pm
100A Balls Pond Road, London N1 4AG
Telephone 0207 254 4378
Part of the Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trust Registration No. 233699
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