Spring Walk on Sunday 26th April—starting times of either 2pm or 3pm
It is a 3 ½ mile stroll along the Prittle Brook Greenway from Priory Park to Belfairs Park to raise money for HARP. Dogs on leads are welcome. The price is Adults £8, children £4 and a family ticket is £20 (2 adults and 2 children). When you arrive at Belfairs Park tea and cake will be given to each participant. If you are a good cake maker and would like to help by baking, please phone Lucy at HARP on 01702 415833 or Catherine at HARP on 01702 415834.
Reception into the Church
During the 11.30am Mass this Sunday, those wishing to be received into the Church will be presented with personal crucifixes. Please continue to remember them in your thoughts and prayers.
Coffee Morning at Nazareth House
A Coffee Morning and Sales will be held at Nazareth House, 111 London Road, Southend on Saturday 21st March 2015 starting at 10.30am. Admission Free and will be run by the Friends of Nazareth House.
Lenten Lunches
Only two more weeks to enjoy a lunch of delicious home made soup, a different one each week! Why not join us on 20th and 27th March, donation of £4. All proceeds to Aid to the Church in Need and the Parish Centre. Organised by CWL.
ABC - About Being Catholic
The series of informal talks designed to give an insight into the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church will continue starting at 8pm in the Parish Centre. 16th March - Prayer. You are welcome to attend some or all of these talks; if you would like more information please speak to Fr Kevin or telephone Pat O’Connell, Tel 01702 712123.
Money Matters
Offertory: Thank you for the generous offerings received last weekend, which amounted to £1,590.76.
Counters are Linda Wall & Sheila West.
Newsletter Folders are Pauline Jordan & Maureen Ward.
Serving the Homeless
The Committee of Serving the Homeless would like to thank the parishioner who left a generous donation in the office for their work with local homeless people.
CWL Cake Sale - Sunday 22nd March
The above will be held in the Parish Centre following the 9.30 am Mass. Donations of home made cakes would be greatly appreciated.
Fourth Sunday of Lent
First Reading Chronicles 36: 14-16, 19-23
Second Reading Ephesians 2: 4-10
Gospel John 3: 14-21
Preface of Lent 1
The Roman Canon
Saturday 14th March
5.30pm Mass Anne Shaves, RIP
Sunday 15th March
8.00am Mass Edward & Esther Martin, RIP
9.30am Mass James Kennedy, RIP (Anniv)
11.30am Mass People of the Parish
4.00pm Body in Church: Christopher Francis Keville, RIP
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Third Sunday of Lent
Dear friends in Christ
The Gospel of this Sunday gives us a rare insight into the righteous anger that Jesus felt when He experienced the Temple — the place where God is encountered — turned into a bazaar. By this act of Cleansing the Temple, Jesus shows both symbolically and practically how we also have to purify ourselves so that we can encounter God. The customs of penance and mortification during Lent are outward exercises which we impose upon our bodies, so that we can approach God with minds and hearts more in-tune with His divine love. In mortification there is a paradox, a mystery, which can only be understood when love of God is present. Behind the apparent death is life, and he who egoistically tries to save his life for himself loses it. To bear fruit — loving God and helping others in an effective way — sacrifice is necessary. There is no harvest without a sowing season. When we each examine our lives in sincerity, we discover very many reasons to offer penance and mortification to God: our faults and failings, our lapses in loving, sins of thought, word, deed and omission. We could pray for the twofold grace of calmness and kindness this Lent: calmness, so that we may find the space, time and silence needed to encounter God in prayer; and kindness, so that we may live the practical demands of our Faith. Our aim and goal is to arrive at Easter Day with love of God and neighbour made more perfect. God bless you!
Fr Kevin Hale
Year B, Psalter Week 3
Monday 9th Feria
9.15am Mass: Charles & Alice Whitefield, RIP
Tuesday 10th Feria
9.15am Mass: Intentions of the O’Rourke Family
Wednesday 11th Feria
9.15am Mass: Bill Pearson, RIP
4.30pm Body in Church: Michael Flynn, RIP
5.30pm Body in Church: John Holland, RIP
Thursday 12th Feria
9.15am Mass: Ronnie Olliffe, RIP & Thomas Lafferty, RIP
11.00am Requiem Mass: John Holland, RIP (Burial in Leytonstone)
2.00pm Requiem Mass: Michael Flynn, RIP
Friday 13th Feria
6.30am Mass: Intentions of Fatima Batalong, RIP
12Noon Mass: Frances Emmerson, RIP
8.00pm: Way of the Cross & Benediction
Saturday 14th Feria
10.00am Mass Mervyn Calton, RIP (Anniv)
Confession – the Sacrament of Penance – is also available on request
Holy Rosary is said after morning Mass during the week
Please pray for the repose of the souls of:
Michael Flynn who died on Monday, 2nd March. His body will be received into the Church on Wednesday 11th March at 4.30pm and his Requiem Mass will be held on Thursday, 12th March at 2pm, followed by committal at Sutton Crematorium.
Perpetua Miller who died on 2nd March. Her Requiem Mass will be held on Friday 13th March at 10am at St. George’s, Shoebury.
Stephen Fontana who died on Saturday, 28th February. Funeral details to follow.
Sanctuary Lamp
This week the Sanctuary Lamp burns for the deceased members of the Bourke Family.
We pray for the departed on their anniversaries
Canon Joseph Whitfield, Fr Thomas Lawton, Fr John Gordon, Fr Edmund Meyer, Fr Maurice Roche, Fr William Luby, Teresa Rumsey, Henry Delaney, John Button, Constance Ryan, Joyce Quinn, Pamela Jones Peggy Choppin, Vincent Ingham, Christopher Tyler, Joe Swann, Therese Ketterer, Joseph Collins, Lionel Clarke, Richard Young, Margaret Houston, Benjamin Dawson, Leo King, Edith Smith, Eileen Greaves, George Burnham, Lydia Upton, Maura Harley, Eric Wilding, Stefan Zyms, Frank Keenan (Snr), Philip Hale & Eleanor Hayes.
AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE GIFT AID SCHEME
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is one of the simplest and most effective ways of giving to charity.
It does not cost the donor anything over and above the amount of their donation.
It is a scheme introduced by HM Revenue which allows charities to reclaim the basic rate tax you pay as a UK taxpayer.
It means that for every £1 you donate, the parish can claim an extra 25p of tax at no extra cost to you. Therefore if you donate £10 to the Parish, you’ll actually be giving £12.50.
Do I qualify for Gift Aid?
To qualify for Gift Aid, you need to be a UK taxpayer and to have paid sufficient Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax to cover your donation. Gift Aid can apply to donations of any amount, large or small – it all adds up!
How do I join the Gift Aid scheme?
All that is required is to complete a Gift Aid declaration form filling in your full name, address and postcode and tick the box (indicating that you wish to join the scheme) confirming that you are a UK tax payer and we’ll do the rest.
Does joining the Gift Aid Scheme entail disclosure of ‘personal’ matters?
No-one is required to disclose their earnings, their employer, the amount of tax they pay or anything else that is personal to them or their family.
What if the donor already makes Gift Aid donations to another Charity?
A donor may complete Gift Aid Declarations to as many charities as they wish provided they pay sufficient Income Tax to at least equal the amount of their donations.
Must membership of the Gift Aid Scheme run for any particular term?
No. There is no term commitment whatsoever The Declaration has no expiry date, does not have to be renewed or superseded and can be cancelled at any time by the donor.
Donations can be made during the collection at weekend masses using the envelopes provided or by monthly standing order.
For more information or to pick up a form please call 01702 478078.
Alternatively, please leave your details in the Parish office and we will contact you.
Irish Social Evening in celebration of St Patricks
Tickets on sale for the Irish Social evening for Saturday 14th March in the Parish Centre’s Gilbert Room, 7.30pm to 10.30pm. All welcome! Adults £7.50 children £3.50. Contact Darrell on 07825 686249 (email manybindings@hotmail.co.uk).
Irish Social Evening in celebration of St Patricks
Tickets on sale for the Irish Social evening for Saturday 14th March in the Parish Centre’s Gilbert Room, 7.30pm to 10.30pm. All welcome! Adults £7.50 children £3.50. Contact Darrell on 07825 686249 (email manybindings@hotmail.co.uk).
ABC - About Being Catholic
The series of informal talks designed to give an insight into the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church will continue starting at 8pm in the Parish Centre. 9th March - The Moral Life. You are welcome to attend some or all of these talks; if you would like more information please speak to Fr Kevin or telephone Pat O’Connell, Tel 01702 712123.
Reception into the Church
During the 11.30am Mass this Sunday, those wishing to be received into the Church will be presented with copies of the Apostles’ Creed. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.