Summary of the recent Directives for Cremation from the Holy See
Following the most ancient Christian tradition, the Church insistently recommends that the bodies of the deceased be buried in cemeteries or other sacred places. Burial is above all the most fitting way to express faith and hope in the resurrection of the body. By burying the bodies of the faithful, the Church confirms her faith in the resurrection of the body, and intends to show the great dignity of the human body. Burial in a cemetery or another sacred place adequately corresponds to the piety and respect owed to the bodies of the faithful departed who through Baptism have become temples of the Holy Spirit.
The burial of the faithful departed in cemeteries or other sacred places encourages family members and the whole Christian community to pray for and remember the dead.Through the practice of burying the dead in cemeteries, in churches or their environs, Christian tradition has upheld the relationship between the living and the dead and has opposed any tendency to minimise, or relegate to the purely private sphere, the event of death and the meaning it has for Christians.
In circumstances when cremation is chosen because of sanitary, economic or social considerations, this choice must never violate the explicitly-stated or the reasonably inferable wishes of the deceased faithful. The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since cremation of the deceased’s body does not affect his or her soul. Thus cremation, in and of itself, objectively negates neither the Christian doctrine of the soul’s immortality nor that of the resurrection of the body. The Church continues to prefer the practice of burying the bodies of the deceased, because this shows a greater esteem towards the deceased. Cremation is not opposed per se to the Christian religion under the condition that this choice has not been made through “a denial of Christian dogmas, the animosity of a secret society, or hatred of the Catholic religion and the Church”. In the absence of motives contrary to Christian doctrine, the Church, after the celebration of the funeral rite, accompanies the choice of cremation, providing the relevant liturgical and pastoral directives.
When, for legitimate motives, cremation of the body has been chosen, the ashes of the faithful must be laid to rest in a sacred place, that is, in a cemetery or, in certain cases, in a church or an area, which has been set aside for this purpose, and so dedicated by the competent ecclesial authority. From the earliest times, Christians have desired that the faithful departed become the objects of the Christian community’s prayers and remembrance.
The reservation of the ashes of the departed in a sacred place ensures that they are not excluded from the prayers and remembrance of their family or the Christian community. The conservation of the ashes of the departed in a domestic residence is not permitted. It is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed in the air, on land, at sea or in some other way, nor may they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewellery or other objects. When the deceased notoriously has requested cremation and the scattering of their ashes for reasons contrary to the Christian faith, a Christian funeral must be denied to that person according to the norms of the law.
Dates for your Diary
Thursday, 10th November
Annual Parish Requiem Mass for those who have died in the past year - 8pm
Sunday 13th November
Cemetery Visit - 3pm
Thursday 24th November-Saturday 26th November
Forty Hours Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
Saturday 3rd December
Christmas Bazaar - 10.30am
Friday 16th December
Carol Service (Serving the Homeless)- 7pm
Saturday 6th & 13th May
First Holy Communion Masses - 10.30am
Sunday 18th June
Corpus Christi Procession - 4pm
Saturday 22nd July
Steward of the Gospel – Diocesan Consultation
You are warmly invited to join fellow parishioners on Saturday 19th November from 2pm - 4pm in the Parish Centre for the second of our meetings to discuss and respond to this important Diocesan consultation. All ages are welcome! Please do try to come! If you can, please let Jan Lewis know - on 01702 478105 or janlewis123@btinternet.com – so we can be properly organised. Outcomes from this consultation will help guide the path of our Diocese over the next 15/20 years! For parishioners unable to make the meeting a short questionnaire is to be be found with this parish newsletter – please give it your thoughtful consideration. Completed questionnaires should be put in the gold-coloured box marked ‘Parish Questionnaire’ at the back of the church by Sunday, 20th November, at the latest. Thank you for your support! Francis O’Brien
An Autumn concert by the Two Elizabeths
Friday 11th November, 7 for 7.30pm in aid of Fair Havens Hospices/LRBC Build Fund in Leigh Road Baptist Church. Tickets £10. Ring Elizabeth on 347369.
ABC - About Being Catholic
Following Fr Kevin’s Introductory Talks, the series informal talks designed to give an insight into the teachings and traditions of the Catholic church continues every Monday, starting at 8pm in the Parish Centre. 7th November: The Trinity. 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 on 712123.
Works of Mercy - The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants
The next Rosary Procession Vigil, led by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, will be held on Saturday 12th November 2016, at St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, 557/559 High Road, Woodford Green, IG8 0RB. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will begin at 9am followed by our Rosary Procession, following an Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to Marie Stopes, Buckhurst Hill, where we shall pray 15 decades of the Rosary and sing hymns. At approximately 12Noon we return to St. Thomas’ for refreshments. For full details see poster on Church Noticeboard. For further details telephone 01727 763832 or e-mail marg@helpersuk.org.
Scripture Group
Fr Con Joyce’s Scripture Group will next meet in the Parish Centre 8pm-9pm
on Thursday, 17th November. Fr. Con will be talking about the prophets. All welcome.
Our Lady of Lourdes School All Saints Fireworks Party
Our All Saints Fireworks Party is being held on Friday 11th November, from 7.00-8.30pm. As well as the spectacular fireworks, there will be hot and cold refreshments, entertainment, lots of stalls and, for the chance to win a prize, dress up as your favourite saint. Tickets are £5 each (under 3s free) and are available from the school office or on the night. Thank you for your support.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Mary Cook & Jacky Hoggett.
Newsletter Folders: Pauline Jordan & Maureen Ward.
Church Cleaning
If you could spare one hour every 4 weeks to help clean the Church, please leave your name and telephone number in the Parish Office.
Pray for the Dead
Please pray for our dead on their anniversaries:
Cardinal John Carmel Heenan, Fr William Philpot, Deacon Norman Wiseman, Canon Denis Petry, Fr James Ethrington, Marie Elliott, Olive Potter, Alice West, James McHugh, Alan Gloyne, Bernard Culham Bridget Curtis, Tom Doran,
Robert Drew, Clare Murphy, Emma Harley, Francis Whelan, Dorothy Stuart,
Sydney Hambion, Thomas Horner, Dr Gerry Leyden, Marie Daniels,
Sidney Hempstead & Pear Scaife.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Thirty-first Sunday of the Year
Dear friends in Christ
The autumn season is well and truly upon us and with the start of November this week we once again begin to reflect upon the eternal truths: death, judgement, heaven and hell. Tuesday is the Holy Day of All Saints and Wednesday the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed: the Holy Souls. As Catholics we keep these sacred days as the celebration of the life of the Blessed in Heaven and then the hope of the Souls in Purgatory - and our hope too - for life eternal. The whole point of religion is to get us to heaven, and attain this as soon as possible after our life on earth. The Church reminds us with urgency in November to pray earnestly for the Holy Souls. This we do by assisting at Mass (especially on 2nd) by praying for them, and by visiting their places of burial. One lovely custom for the month of November is the Blessing of Graves. This year we will revive this custom as a Deanery by making a joint-visit to Sutton Road Cemetery, Southend, on Sunday 13th November. At 3pm - the Hour of Mercy - we are invited to gather at the large Cross inside the Cemetery for some introductory prayers, Then with our priests we can process to the graves of our Departed family members and friends to bless them. We can also take lighted lamps, which will be lit from the Paschal Candle, and leave those on the graves as a sign of our faith and hope in the Resurrection. These wind-proof candles can be bought from the Repository at the back of church (three pounds each) and brought along to the Cemetery on the day. I hope many of you will be able to join us on Sunday week - even if you do not have family buried there - as we can together pray for their eternal repose and also in the hope that we all share of the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 29th October Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Jim Scott, RIP (MS)
5.30pm Vigil Mass Deceased members of McMahon & Swanton Families (AS)
Sunday 30th - Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
8am Mass Robert Morgan, RIP
9.30am Mass Dennis Jordan, RIP (Anniv) (PJ)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 31st Feria
9.00am Mass Maria Parkinson, RIP (MM)
Tuesday 1st November ALL SAINTS - Holy Day of Obligation
9.30am Mass Holy Souls
12Noon Mass Michael Irons, RIP (JV)
8.00pm Mass The People of the Parish
Wednesday 2nd ALL SOULS
9.00am Mass Marie Hale, RIP (Anniv) (KH)
12Noon Mass Holy Souls
8.00pm Mass Intentions of the Holy Father
Thursday 3rd St Martin of Porres, Rel
9.00am Mass Tom Mannion, RIP (VW)
Friday 4th St Charles Borromeo, Bp
12Noon Mass Intentions of CWL (CWL)
12.30pm Exposition after Mass until
8.00pm Holy Hour & Benediction
Saturday 5th November Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Una McAnulty, RIP (CB)
5.30pm Vigil Mass Vera De Souza, RIP (LD)
Sunday 6th - Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
8am Mass Peter Herzog, RIP (Anniv) (JL)
9.30am Mass Holy Souls
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4.00pm Mass Helen Hiscock, RIP (MH) - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Dates for your diary
Thursday, 10th November
Annual Parish Requiem Mass for those who have died in the past year - 8pm
Sunday 13th November
Cemetery Visit - 3pm
Thursday 24th November-Saturday 26th November
Forty Hours Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
Saturday 3rd December
Christmas Bazaar - 10.30am
Friday 16th December
Carol Service (Serving the Homeless)- 7pm
Saturday 6th & 13th May
First Holy Communion Masses - 10.30am
Sunday 18th June
Corpus Christi Procession - 4pm
Saturday 22nd July
Walsingham Centenary Pilgrimage
Blessing of the Graves
This will take place on Sunday 13th November at Sutton Road Cemetery. It will start at 3.00pm with prayers at the large cross and be followed by the blessing of individual graves.
Steward of the Gospel – Diocesan Consultation
“How can we sustain and encourage the growth of our Catholic community in the coming years?” You are warmly invited to join with fellow parishioners on Saturday 5th & 19th November to together respond to this important Diocesan consultation. There are 12 questions to ponder: Questions 1-6 we shall consider on 5th November; Questions 7-12 on 19th November. Both meetings from 2.00 - 4.00 pm. Prompt starts and finishes guaranteed! All ages are welcome! Please do try to come! If you can, please let Jan Lewis know - on 01702 478105 or janlewis123@btinternet.com – so we can be properly organised. Outcomes from this consultation will help guide the path of our Diocese over the next 15/20 years – please do your best to take part! For parishioners prevented from making one or both of the meetings, a short questionnaire will be included in the parish newsletter next week seeking your ideas and views! Please pray for a fruitful outcome to this endeavour, both for our Diocese and for our parish. Thank you for your support! Francis O’Brien
Christmas Bazaar 3rd December 2016
This years Bazaar is just around the corner, we would not be able to have this annual family and community event without all of your fabulous donations! If you’ve been meaning to have a good clear out now is the time!!
We are now ready for all donations of bric a brac, books, grand draw prizes, sweets, craft, toys, new gifts and toiletries and anything else in a new or
re-saleable condition. (No jumble or electrical please).
Can we please ask that all donations are left at the back of the church in the old baptistery apart from donations of bottles for the bottle stall, which will be collected over one weekend a bit nearer the time, due to problems with storage. Prize draw tickets will be handed out and available at the back of the church after masses from this weekend.
Many thanks in advance and if you have donations you would like collected or any suggestions/ideas for stalls, or would like to help setting up or on the day but couldn’t make the meeting, please call Sue on 07816141492.
ABC - About Being Catholic
Following Fr Kevin’s Introductory Talks, the series informal talks designed to give an insight into the teachings and traditions of the Catholic church continues every Monday, starting at 8pm in the Parish Centre. 31st October: Divine Revelation - Sacred Tradition. 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 on 712123.
Social Events and Choir news
Social events. Our next event with be a Parish New Year’s Eve Disco party through to midnight. Tickets available from November. A St Patrick’s night is being planned for next year along with a Michael Buble tribute evening later in 2017. We would welcome a few more volunteers to serve on the committee and/or help with functions. Raffle prizes always welcome!
Margueriteville CMC. Next country music evening at St James Church Hall, Elmsleigh Drive is Saturday 29th October with guest artist Chis Mezza. November 26th sees BBC Essex Radio country host and singer Steve Cherelle return. Christmas party night is on 10th December (Ticket only available now at £10) with Peter Shaw entertaining.
Sea of Voices. Our Community choir resumes after half term break next Wednesday through to early December and will start preparing for some seasonal singing! New members always welcome to join us! There’ll be a chance for parishioners to hear us in December as well.
All enquiries for Social events to Phyllis Sadowski (07969465518) and Darrell Binding (Margueriteville and Sea of Voices) 07825686249.