Here is a guide for when Mass cannot be celebrated publicly
Please pray for the soul of our Founder, John George Kenyon.
Please pray for members of our community in need of prayer.
Please pray for the priests who have served our community over the years.
IN MEMORIAM
Please pray for the souls of all those who contributed to this church in their lifetimes, especially:
THE SERENITY PRAYER
God, give me the grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
Please pray for our Pope, Pope Francis:
PRAYER OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
For a beautiful story inspired by St Francis, please click here.
MEMORARE
Remember,
O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection,
implored Thy help or sought Thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly unto Thee,
O Virgin of virgins my Mother;
to Thee do I come,
before Thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful;
O Mother of Thy Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in Thy clemency hear and grant my prayers. Amen.
If you find the Desiderata helpful, you may also enjoy Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations.
PRAYERS TO A GUARDIAN ANGEL
Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
My good Angel, Thou comest from heaven; God has sent thee to take care of me. Oh, shelter me under thy wings. Lighten my path, direct my steps. Do not leave me, stay quite near me and defend me against the spirit of evil. But above all come to my help in the last struggle of my life. Deliver my soul so that with thee it may praise, love and contemplate the goodness of God forever and ever. Amen.
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this house and family, and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy: let thy holy angels dwell herein, who may keep us in peace, and may thy blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
BRIEF NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR
Oh Mother of Perpetual Succour, grant that I may ever invoke your powerful name, the protection of the living and the salvation of the dying.
Purest Mary, let your name henceforth be ever on my lips.
Delay not, Blessed Lady, to rescue me whenever I call on you.
In my temptations, in my needs, I will never cease to call on you, ever repeating your sacred name, Mary, Mary.
Mother of Perpetual Succour, pray for me and grant me the favour I confidently ask of you.
[Then say three Hail Marys.]
LONGER FORM NOVENA
Dear Mother of Perpetual Help, from the Cross Jesus gave You to us as our Mother. You are the kindest, most loving of all mothers. Look tenderly on us Your children, as we now ask You to help us in all our needs, especially this one…
[pause to recall your petition]
While you were on earth, dear Mother, You willingly shared in the sufferings of Your Son. Strengthened by your faith and confidence in the fatherly love of God, You accepted the mysterious designs of His Will.
We too have our crosses and trials. Sometimes they almost crush us to the ground. Dearest Mother, share with us Your abundant faith and confidence in God. Make us aware that God never ceases to love us; that He answers all our prayers in the way that is best for us. Strengthen our hearts to carry the cross in the footsteps of Your Divine Son. Help us to realise that they who share the Cross of Christ will certainly share in His resurrection.
Dearest Mother, as we worry about our own problems, let us not forget the needs of others. You always loved others so much; help us to do the same. While praying for our own intentions, and for the intentions of all who make Your novena, we earnestly ask You, our Mother to help us comfort the sick and the dying, give hope to the poor and the unemployed, heal the broken-hearted, lighten the burden of the oppressed, teach justice to their oppressors, and bring back to God all those who have offended Him.
Dearest Mother, help us to avoid sin which separates us from our heavenly Father and from one another. Full of trust in You, we place ourselves under the mantle of Your maternal protection, and confidently hope for Your powerful help. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
Good Lord, teach me to be generous, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and to ask for no reward save of that of knowing that I do your holy will. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST RICHARD OF CHICHESTER
Thanks be to thee, Lord Jesus, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly. Amen.
PRAYER OF MARY WARD, FOUNDER OF THE I.B.V.M.
Neither life nor death, my God, but thy holy will be ever done in me. What pleases thee, that do; only this, let me no more offend thee, nor leave undone what thou wouldst have me do. Amen.
PRAYER OF ST THOMAS MORE
Give me your grace, good Lord, to set the world at naught; to set my mind fast upon you and not to hang upon the blast of men’s mouths; gladly to be thinking upon you, piteously to call for your help, to lean unto the comfort of God and busily labour to love Him. Amen.
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY NUN’S PRAYER
Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will some day be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of other’s pains, but help me to endure them with patience. I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a saint – some of them are so hard to live with – but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the Devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people. And, give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so. Amen.
Below follows a small selection of Latin prayers.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PATER NOSTER, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
HAIL MARY
AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
GLORY BE
GLORIA PATRI, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
HAIL, HOLY QUEEN
SALVE REGINA, Mater misericordiae. Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te Suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
V. Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix.
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
ANGELUS (Latin)
V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
V. Ecce ancilla Domini:
R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
V. Et Verbum caro factum est,
R. Et habitavit in nobis.Ave Maria, gratia plena; Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix,
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.Oremus. Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem eius et crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.
ANGELUS (English)
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
R. Be it done to me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. And the Word was made flesh,
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, by the message of an angel, so by His Passion and Cross we may be brought to the glory of the Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Our Lady Of Perpetual Succour, Gillingham 