All Saints Sunday at St Ann’s

Sunday 2nd November 2025

This week, we celebrate All Saints’ Day with great joy as our children join the Saints Parade dressed as their favourite saints. Their creativity and enthusiasm remind us that holiness begins in our everyday lives. A heartfelt thank you to the parents and catechists for guiding our children on this faith-filled journey.

In the afternoon, Cemetery Blessings will take place at Putney Vale Cemetery (2:00 pm) and Kingston Cemetery (3:00 pm). Let us unite in prayer for our departed loved ones, especially throughout this month of November dedicated to the Holy Souls.

We are also delighted to announce the launch of a new Youth Group for ages 11–14. Registration forms are available at the back of the church and on the noticeboard. Young people are warmly invited to join, share their talents, and grow together in faith and friendship.

Join us on Saturday, 8th November for a Special Rosary Walk in collaboration with St Pius X Parish, Norbiton. We gather at 9.45 am to walk, pray, and reflect as one community of faith.

Upcoming Events

• Kids’ Gardening Day: Sunday 9th November, after 10:30 am Mass – our final gardening event before winter.
• Kids’ Christmas Party: Saturday 22nd November, 3.00–5.00 pm. Register by 15th November at kingstonhill@rcaos.org.uk.
• Deanery Mass for Deceased Clergy: Friday 21st November, 7:00 pm at St Ann’s. All are welcome.
• Christmas Lights Switch-On & Mass: Sunday 7th December at 5:00 pm.
• Christmas Eve & Day Masses:
  • 24th Dec: Children’s Mass at 5:00 pm, Vigil Mass at 7:30 pm (Carols at 7:00 pm)
  • 25th Dec: Christmas Day Mass at 10:30 am with Blessing of Toys

Christmas Preparation Appeal

As we begin preparing for Christmas decorations and celebrations, your contributions are most welcome. You can use the QR code in church or support any of the following:

• Altar candles – £120
• Mass bread and wine – £150
• Advent candles – £50
• Christmas flower decorations – £150
• Post-Mass refreshments – £80–£120
• Gifts for neighbours and those in need

Your generosity helps make St Ann’s a place of beauty, welcome, and prayer this Christmas.

Regular Parish Activities

Saturdays: Adoration & Confession at 11:15 am, Pilgrims’ Mass at 12:00 noon

60+ Club: Wednesdays, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm, in the Parish Hall. Gentle chair exercises, bingo, and social time.

Weekly Pilgrim Devotions:

Tuesdays: Adoration & Confession at 6:15 pm, Mass at 7:00 pm

Visit Our Website

Stay connected with parish updates, upcoming events, homilies, and registration forms at:
www.stannskingstonhill.org.uk

Homily for All Saints’ Day

My dear brothers and sisters,

Once a wise sage was walking with his disciples along a riverbank. Suddenly, he noticed a scorpion struggling in the water. It was drowning. Quickly, he reached to save it. The scorpion stung his hand, and out of pain he dropped it back into the river. But again he reached down to rescue it. And again, the scorpion stung. The disciples cried out, “Master, leave it! Don’t you see it will keep hurting you?”
The sage finally lifted the creature and set it safely on dry land. Then he turned to the disciples and said,
“The nature of the scorpion is to sting. But the nature of a human is to help.”

This is the greatest lesson: Your purpose is not to imitate the sting of the world but the love of God.
Saints understood that.

Today, on All Saints’ Day, we celebrate those men and women who chose God’s love even when the world stung them. They remind us what humanity is truly made for.

Look at our children today, beautifully dressed as saints. They look joyful and innocent, but deeper than that they are reminding us:
Holiness is our true costume. We are created to shine.

God says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

The saints show us that life is not about self-centred survival but self-giving love. As Buddha insightfully taught, when you give, your hand should be open and low, like a beggar’s hand. Because the one who receives your help is actually giving you a chance to grow in goodness.

The world may call generosity foolish. But look again:
People who live only for themselves are quickly forgotten.
Those who live for others… are remembered forever.

Saint Mother Teresa once said: “We are not called to be successful, but to be faithful.”

Dear brothers and sisters, we are not mere beings simply following instinct. We are human, created “in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:27).
We are made for holiness, which simply means loving like Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus climbs the mountain and gives us the Beatitudes. It is not a list of rules, but a map to heaven. The saints are those who took this map seriously.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Saint Augustine said,
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.”

The saints were restless until they lived the Beatitudes with passion.

So let us not waste this one precious life. Holiness is not for the few.
It is for every single one of us here.

When you Look at these children dressed as saints.
Tomorrow, let them remove only a costume…
Let them keep the holiness.
Let these costumes become their identity.
Let Christ live through them and us.

The world needs saints today…
Saints in classrooms, saints in workplaces, saints at home.
Saints who speak kindly.
Saints who forgive quickly.
Saints who choose peace over popularity.

And why not here?
Why not us?
Why not St Ann’s becoming a factory of saints?

Let heaven look at Kingston Hill and say:
“There is a parish where saints are being born!”

Let us join the crowd of witnesses.
Let us walk the path of love.
Let us let Christ shine through us.

My dear friends,
Saints are simply sinners who never gave up.
So let us not give up.

May God bless you. May Jesus live in you.
May the Holy Spirit help you become the saint you are created to be.

Happy All Saints’ Day. Let us march towards heaven together. Amen.