New Year’s Eve Party
Celebrate New Year dancing to Phyl’s disco at the Parish Centre’s upstairs Gilbert Hall and join in the traditional Auld Lang’s Syne at Midnight! Party starts 7.30pm ending 12.15am. Bring your own drinks and nibbles! Tickets: Adult £7.50 and £20 for a Family ticket (2 adults and children), available in December from the Lourdes social committee: Darrell Binding, Phyllis Sadowski and Marian Long. Raffle prize donations welcome! All proceeds to Lourdes Parish Centre.
Book a table and buy tickets by Phoning Darrell 07825686249, email parishcentrecommittee@gmail.com or find one of us after Sunday Mass teas and coffees in the Parish Centre.
Brentwood Diocesan Directory 2017
These are now available from the back of the church at a cost of £2.75.
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society Gift Mass
There will be a Gift Mass on Sunday 11th December at 9.30am. Please write clearly on the gift whether it is for a boy or girl and what age range it would suit. Gifts for teenagers would also be much appreciated and if you are struggling with ideas, then Gift Vouchers are always very welcome.
Marriage Care Ilford
We are looking for a volunteer to carry out administration work for Marriage Preparation. We are also looking for suitable volunteers (male or female) to be trained as Marriage Preparation Providers and Counsellors. Training will be provided for both. Please email Glenda at marriagecareilford@hotmail.co.uk.
Live Simply Group Film Night - Christmas Special
Our next film night is on Friday 9th December when we will be showing Danny Boyle's 'Millions' at 7.30pm. A free glass of wine will be offered to thank you for your support this year.
As you know we have been supporting Fr. Dominic with his work for Refugees in Calais. He has thanked everyone for the support that has been shown for the work he has done. Over the past 14 months the Diocese of Brentwood has contributed £107,000 in aid, with every penny impacting on the thousands of displaced people. At Christmas time let us remember the thousands of refugees still searching for a home, never forgetting the Holy Family too suffered the same plight 2000 years ago.
Christmas Eve Lunch 1pm - Sacred Heart School
We are planning a Christmas lunch for those who may be alone this Christmas. We hope to serve Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings as well as celebrate with Christmas Carols with friends from our community.
We hope too that Father Graham Smith may be able to mark the occasion with a special service before all of the fun. Tickets will be available from early December, please contact the school office to book your ticket on 01702 534546.
ABC - About Being Catholic
The series of 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. 5th December: The Four Last Things. 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.
Scripture Group
Fr Con Joyce’s Scripture Group will next meet in the Parish Centre 8pm-9pm on Thursday, 15th December. Fr. Con will be talking about the prophets. All welcome
Counters & Folders
Counters: Shirley Murphy & John Murphy.
Newsletter Folders: Tom O’Callaghan & Rita O’Callaghan.
HARP
This month's wish list: night-pack items, UHT milk, new hats, gloves and scarves, new boxer shorts (small and medium), men's toiletries.
If you would like to donate £10 to feed a homeless person at Christmas, please visit our website www.harpsouthend.org or, alternatively, please give your donation to Linda Wall, Jo Ronan or Nina Bridgeman or leave it in the office.
Diocesan/Parish Pilgrimage Lourdes 2017
Monday 24th to Friday 28th July. More details will follow after Christmas.
Mass for Vocations to the Priesthood
Thursday 29th December (Feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Patron Saint of Pastoral Clergy) at 11am at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 161 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1NG. All are welcome.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 11th December Children’s Gift Mass- 9.30am
Friday 16th December Carol Service (Serving the Homeless)- 7pm
Sunday 18th December Blessing of the figures of baby Jesus at the Masses
Wednesday 21st December Advent Service of Penance with Confessions - 8pm
Saturday 6th & 13th May First Holy Communion Masses- 10.30am
Saturday 22nd July Walsingham Centenary Pilgrimage
Please Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr Brian Drea, Fr Michael Healy, Fr Bernard Pownall, Fr John Lane, Irene Rice, Timothy Murphy, Louise De Souza, Maurice Brazier, Agnes Nisbett, Yvonne Lovett, Ryszard Burzynski, Vera Walls, Anne Woods, Hugh Smyth, Barbara Clarke, Brigid Hill, Doris Masters, Ann Dawson, William Johnson, Bruce Pond, John Newton, Thomas O’Hanlon, Mary Alice Ring, Walter Scott, Mary Dulcie O’Leary, John Parsons, Patrick Lyons, Clare Clarke, Karen Anderson, Hilda Eid, Georgina Francis & Ann Dunbar.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
First Sunday of Advent
We have just concluded another year in the life of the Church and this Sunday we begin Advent. During the last year we have celebrated a special Jubilee Year of Mercy in which Pope Francis asked us to rediscover afresh the infinite mercy of God the Father. The Church has gone to the peripheries of society in order to draw souls to Christ and His Church; may the graces and lessons of this last year remain with us as we now go forward - thinking of the Second Coming of Jesus - into a new era. Very soon we shall begin the celebrations in our Diocese of it's Centenary. Over the coming twelve months we will celebrate our ‘coming of age’ through a number of initiatives and special events. Our hope is that, at the start of another century, we will find renewed confidence and faith in order to proclaim Christ and His Church.
I am very grateful for the generous and enthusiastic way that many of you have engaged with the invitation through the Stewards of the Gospel initiative to think about the ways we work as a Parish, Deanery and Diocese. These reflections and your responses through the Questionnaires, will help us to form strategy for the future of Brentwood Diocese. However, as I said in my Homily last Sunday, any pastoral plan or renewal for the Church, must begin with the perspective of our Faith and through intensive prayer. Any pastoral plans or discussions, however elaborately conceived and well-intentioned are worthless unless they bring us humbly to the Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist. God bless you in this Advent Season as we prepare for the Coming of Christ at the Incarnation, in our lives and at the end of time.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
First Sunday of Advent
Sunday 27th November - First Sunday of Advent
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Elizabeth Spargatis, RIP (PP)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Cornelius Joseph Burke & Elizabeth Winifred Burke, RIP (PB)
9.30am Mass Holy Souls
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 28 Feria
9.00am Mass Pietro Tisi, RIP (Anniv) (T&VI)
Tuesday 29 Feria
9.00am Mass Tom O’Callaghan (80th birthday) (MR)
5.00pm Body in Church Marcia Clarke, RIP
Wednesday 30 St Andrew, Ap
9.00am Requiem Mass Marcia Clarke, RIP
Thursday 1 December Bl John Beche, Ab, M
9.00am Mass Clare Chadwick, RIP (MI)
Friday 2 Feria
12Noon Mass CWL Intentions (CWL)
12.30pm Exposition after Mass until
8.00pm Holy Hour & Benediction
Saturday 3 St Francis Xavier, Pr
10.00am Mass Andrew & Mary Murray, RIP (Anniv) (UO’K)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confessions
The Holy Rosary is prayed after morning Mass during the week
Divine Mercy Chaplet ~ 3pm daily
Sunday 4th December - Second Sunday of Advent
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Intentions of May Strzetelska
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Margaret Sheaf, RIP (BS)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Intentions of Fatima Balolong (FB)
4.00pm Mass Holy Souls- Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society Gift Mass
There will be a Gift Mass on Sunday 11th December at 9.30am. Please write clearly on the gift whether it is for a boy or girl and what age range it would suit. Gifts for teenagers would also be much appreciated and if you are struggling with ideas, then Gift Vouchers are always very welcome.
Marriage Care Ilford
We are looking for a volunteer to carry out administration work for Marriage Preparation. We are also looking for suitable volunteers (male or female) to be trained as Marriage Preparation Providers and Counsellors. Training will be provided for both. Please email Glenda at marriagecareilford@hotmail.co.uk.