New Altar Servers Required
Any child who has received First Communion and would like to become an Altar server please contact the Parish Office on 478078 or leave your name and telephone number via the Parish Website.
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. 30th January: The Mass - Sacrifice. 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.
Please Pray for the Dead on their anniversaries
Fr John (Jack) Clifford, Fr Joseph Burns, Fr Eric Bindloss Smith, Canon John Byrne, Carmel Abi-Aad, Joyce Reilly, Noel Calnan, May Ferry, Norah Kelly, Mary Abel, Wyndham Richards, Florence White, May Keane, William Moroney, Mary Quinn,Lizzie Burnham, Elizabeth Ray, Peter Griffin, William Gannon, Patricia Robinson, Robert Jones, Kathleen Jennett, Francis Faulkner, Pamela Woodley, John Dickens,Myrtle Conridge, Edward Atherton, Florence Miller, James Kerr, Teresa Phelan, Bernard Pycroft, Winifred Wallen, Michael Shrapnel, Teresa O’Brien, Lilian Abbott & Elizabeth Judge.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
We begin this week in Year A cycle of Readings, the Gospel of St Matthew. He introduces Jesus at the start of his public ministry with the call of the Apostles. We are familiar with their names since they are spoken when we pray the Roman Canon at Mass and also we keep their images before our eyes as we gaze upwards in our church. They said Yes immediately when they were called: either because they were attracted by the teaching of the Master, or because they were simply captivated by his persona. Either way, they could never have envisaged what lay ahead for them. Following Christ, in every age, means inevitably misunderstanding, rejection and suffering. I mentioned for instance in my Homily last weekend that, during 2016, 90,000 Christians were put to death for their Faith; that’s one every six seconds! It’s always easy to start an enterprise; it was easy for the Apostles to say Yes at the beginning; to remain steadfast in faith requires the grace of final perseverance, a grace that we should beg from God every day.
Dear Friends in Christ
We begin this week in Year A cycle of Readings, the Gospel of St Matthew. He introduces Jesus at the start of his public ministry with the call of the Apostles. We are familiar with their names since they are spoken when we pray the Roman Canon at Mass and also we keep their images before our eyes as we gaze upwards in our church. They said Yes immediately when they were called: either because they were attracted by the teaching of the Master, or because they were simply captivated by his persona. Either way, they could never have envisaged what lay ahead for them. Following Christ, in every age, means inevitably misunderstanding, rejection and suffering. I mentioned for instance in my Homily last weekend that, during 2016, 90,000 Christians were put to death for their Faith; that’s one every six seconds! It’s always easy to start an enterprise; it was easy for the Apostles to say Yes at the beginning; to remain steadfast in faith requires the grace of final perseverance, a grace that we should beg from God every day.
Phase One of the redecoration of the Church, which is long overdue and which I flagged-up last year, will begin later this month. Inevitably this will entail some disruption to the daily schedule. Consequently, on weekdays Holy Mass will be celebrated in the St Clement Room of the Parish Centre. I know you will be very tolerant of any inconvenience but the end result will be a restored and a cleaner-looking House of God. Phase Two, the restoration of the Reredos and the Rood, will happen a little further down the line.
I ask you to make a note of some forthcoming events, such as the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on Saturday 11th February; this is also the inauguration of the Diocesan Centenary Year. There will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament that morning from 10-11am, with the Sung Mass at noon, followed by a Parish lunch (further details in the notices). Also, the Parish and Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes at the end of July. Reserve places for both of these events through the Parish Office.
I wish you all a blessed week ahead!
Msgr Kevin Hale
January Week III
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 21
5.30pm Vigil Mass Sebastian & Louise de Souza, Deceased, Anniversary
6.30 Exposition & Confession
Sunday 22
8am Mass Frances Emmerson, Deceased, Anniversary
9.30 Mass The People of the Parish
11.30 Mass Josie Daly, Deceased
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Weekday in Ordinary Time
Monday 23
9am Mass Intentions of the Clark Family
9.30 Rosary
Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Tuesday 24
9am Mass Marcia Clarke, Deceased
9.30 Rosary
The Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Wednesday 25
9am Mass Intentions of Sandie Hippard
9.30 Rosary
Saints Timothy & Titus, Bishops
Thursday 26
9am Mass Intentions of the Lambert Family
9.30 Rosary
Saint Angela Merici, Virgin
Friday 27
12noon Mass Brian O’Loughlin, Deceased
12.30pm Rosary
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Doctor of the Church
Saturday 28
10am Mass Mark Solecki, Deceased, Anniversary
10.30 Exposition & Confession
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 28
5.30pm Vigil Mass Intentions of Raphael Mathewson
6.30 Exposition & Confession
Sunday 29
8am Mass Intentions of Paul Williams
9.30 Mass The People of the Parish
11.30 Mass Carla Doherty, Deceased
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Pray for our Dead
Pope Benedict XV, Bp Arthur Doubleday, Fr John O’Sullivan, Fr John Hibbert, Fr Alfred Field, Bp Patrick Casey, Rose Nice, Isobel King, Conor Patrick Hartley-Anderson, Mary Vermeulen, John Dillon, T. Fitzpatrick, Mary Lilian Clarke, Ellen Rose Brooks, Sarah Mann, William Hands, Kathleen Cooke, Phylis Faulkner, Ida Wallace, Bridget McGrath, Huguette Farrelly, Vera Plummer, May Fazio, Elsie Tyrrell, Phyllis Collins, Michael MacDermott, Gloria Dickens, Maud Darnell, Frank Russell, Edward Armitage, William Cooper, Robert Waller, Mark Solecki, Maureen Leyden, Gerrard Tait & Andrew ‘Mel’ Kenny.
“May their Souls and the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace”
Pray for our sick
June White, Maureen Deekes, Carol Halldenby Noel Fagan, Leanor Fairbanks, Patricia Abram, Christine Noden, Tina Doveaston, Pat Lynch, Rose Craft,Teresa Yates, Addi Brady, Gerard Rodgers, Ben Wilson, Patricia Fleming, Nicky Wigmore, Brita Irons, Eileen Wilson, Patricia Spikin, Sandra Fagan, Edna Wallace, Beryl Dixon, Nan Carrit, Nick Evans, Vicky Jack, Margaret Harrington, Lyn Gopee, Vera Farrow,Kristin Hallenga, Anne O’Neill, Cheryl Shallis, Anthony McEvoy, Justin Stark, Sheila Netherton, Dympna Addecott, Monica Neate, Laura &Mark Braley, Anne Breen, Roy Widdecombe, David Blyth, Lynne Hilkene,Johanna Lynch, Janet Woods, Thomas Corrigan, Mary Boyce, June Moncaster, Breda Lynch, Sheila McBrearty, Anthony King, Norma McCleverty, Belinda Balazsi, Edward Martin, Johnnie Pool, Joanna Luciani, Pauline Wilsher, Simon Marshall, Kriston Barnes, Barbara Sheaf, Maria Clark, Antonella McConalogue, Josephine Griggs, Colleen Worley, Fr Jean Laurent Marie, Eddie McConalogue, Noel Kolb, Georgina Cornwell, Lorraine Hart, Dawn Deleigh, Wyn McCafferty, Linda Dean, Annie Holland, Fr Martin Buckley, Chas Taylor, Martha Braun, John Lavery, Ivor & Joanne Knight, Brian Beresford, Rebecca Peake,Connor Bourke, Mattia Mollica, Sharon Levill, Bernadette Lane, David Kislingury, David Askew, Maureen Ward, Jane Jowers, David Clark, Doreen Troughton, Marguerite Harris, Andrew Exley, Rosemary Arscott, Sr Imeda, Pauline Sullens, Henry de Souza, Lanto Bellis, Richard Collins, Irena Solecki, Elizabeth McConalogue and children Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Lucy Price, Mary Isherwood, Frazer Gregory, baby Talia Emery and Hattie Seymour.
Dates for your Diary
11th February Start of the Diocesan Centenary year celebrations
Feast of our Lady of Lourdes - Mass 12 Noon, followed by
Parish lunch in Parish Centre
22nd March Centenary Mass at Brentwood Cathedral
Saturday 6th & 13th May First Holy Communion Masses- 10.30am
Sunday 4th June Confirmation Mass - 11.30am
Saturday 22nd July Walsingham Centenary Pilgrimage
Monday 24th/Friday 28th July Parish Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes
24th September to 1st October Parish mission
Counters & Folders
Counters: Jan Lewis, Sandie Hippard & Nina Bridgeman
Newsletter Folders: Bobby Newman & Emma Beardsell
Parish Fundraising
Thank you to everyone who supports the 200 Club. The results of the December draw are as follows:
1st prize £150 26 Miss J Gibbons
2nd Prize £100 218 Mrs Samatha Miller
3rd Prize £75 119 Mrs C Warwick-Brown
4th Prize £50 184 Mrs A Peoples
5th Prize £25 185 Mr J Kidney
Subscription is £5.00 per month, either by cash, cheque or direct debit. If you would like to join, please fill in a form which can be found at the back of the church or ring Linda Wall on 01702 558217.
Reception into the Church
During the 11.30 Mass this Sunday, those wishing to be received into the Church at Easter will be presented with copies of the Scriptures. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers.
Parish Drama Group
A meeting will be held in the Parish Centre on Tuesday, 31st January at 7.30pm for anyone interested in forming a Parish drama group. If you are interested and cannot attend then please contact Angela Clements 07940 183452 or email angelaclements47@gmail.com.
Parish and Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Monday 24th-Friday 28th July 2017
Four nights (full board) travelling with British Airways via Toulouse and staying at the Grand Hotel Moderne Soubirous will cost £565. Please indicate your interest by putting your name on the list in the Parish Office.
Carmelite Meeting
The next meeting is on Saturday, 28th January. We have a quiet time in the Church at 2pm followed by the Rosary at 2.15pm. We then go to the Parish Centre Newman Room for the meeting. This commences with a cup of tea, talk about our spiritual growth and how we can help one another spiritually, we then have Lectio divina, the meeting usually finishes by 5pm. All parishioners are welcome for all or part of the meeting, why don't you come and see what we do?
Unwanted Gift Sale
The Parish Fundraising Committee would like to thank everyone who donated and turned up to the unwanted gift sale last weekend. We raised over £200.
Serving the Homeless
Our next two events, both on 29th January, are a second collection, for Homelessness Sunday and a 3 course Sunday lunch at 12.30pm at ‘Affinity’. Tickets for this are £20. Telephone Theresa, 335122, Linda, 558217 or Jo 474062. Thank you for your continuing support for this work.
Jo Ronan, Chair, Serving the Homeless
Talk by Jim McEvoy, Street Pastor
On Monday 23rd January at 2.15pm Jim McEvoy has been invited to give a talk on his work as a Street Pastor. People like Jim are trained volunteers from local Churches who can be seen around the Town and the Seafront most Fridays and Saturdays, helping people in a variety of different ways. The Catholic Women's League extend a very warm welcome to any Parishioners who would like to meet Jim and enjoy what promises to be a very interesting talk. Refreshments are available and admission is free.
Prayer for the Homeless
“Loving God, in your house there is room for everyone.
Help us as we strive for a world where everyone has a home that truly meets their needs.
Give us the grace to welcome strangers and refugees.
Give us insight to see where inequality hurts.
Fill us with the courage to do our part.
Save us from being overwhelmed by the scale of the housing crisis,
And show us, Lord, where to begin
Amen”
Please remember in your prayers this week all who are homeless and those that fear they will lose their homes this year. There will be a collection next Sunday for 'Serving the Homeless' which supports many homelessness projects in this area.
Thank you for your continuing support
Jo Ronan