Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends in Christ
We have begun reading from the Gospel of St Matthew at Mass during this period of Ordinary Time before Lent and, specifically from the so-called Sermon on the Mount. Jesus here addresses his disciples with the fundamental doctrine by which he launches His salvific teaching. This Sunday we hear the Beatitudes. Taken as a whole they point to one thing: holiness. Blessed means fortunate and happy, and in each one of the Beatitudes Jesus begins by promising happiness and pointing out the ways of achieving it.
Dear Friends in Christ
We have begun reading from the Gospel of St Matthew at Mass during this period of Ordinary Time before Lent and, specifically from the so-called Sermon on the Mount. Jesus here addresses his disciples with the fundamental doctrine by which he launches His salvific teaching. This Sunday we hear the Beatitudes. Taken as a whole they point to one thing: holiness. Blessed means fortunate and happy, and in each one of the Beatitudes Jesus begins by promising happiness and pointing out the ways of achieving it.
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 Sung Mass at noon, followed by a Parish luncheon (five pounds). Also, the Parish and Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes at the end of July. Reserve places for both of these events through the Parish Office THIS WEEKEND!
One of the main celebrations for the Centennial Year of our Diocese will be the Mass in Brentwood Cathedral on Thursday 22nd March at 7pm. This will be celebrated by the Bishop with the Cardinal and other members of the Hierarchy in attendance. As each Parish is only being allocated five tickets for this Mass, if you would like to attend please give me your name and if we are oversubscribed we can put the names in a hat!
Finally, the re-decoration of the church will be commencing within the next week or so; weekday Mass will be celebrated in the St Clement Room of the Parish Centre and unfortunately we shall have to keep the church closed whilst this process is underway; Health and Safety! Wishing you every blessing for the week ahead.
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org
Fourth Week in January
Sunday 29th January - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Intentions of Raphael Mathewson
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Intentions of Paul Williams (CR)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Carla Doherty, RIP (KP)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 30 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of Fr Kevin and Parish Priests (B&MH)
Tuesday 31 St John Bosco, Pr
9.00am Mass Paddy Moore, RIP (FDS)
Wednesday 1 February Feria
9.00am Mass Patricia & John Moon & Valerie Griggs, RIP (SM)
Thursday 2 The Presentation of the Lord
9.00am Mass Rose & Charlie D’Souza - 65th Wedding Anniversary (MF)
Preceeded by blessing and procession of candles
Friday 3 St Anne Line, M
12Noon Mass Intentions of CWL - Blessing of St Blaise after Mass
12.30pm Exposition after Mass until
8.00pm Holy Hour & Benediction
Saturday 3 Our Lady on Saturday
10.00am Mass Barrington Gray, RIP (Anniv) (JH)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confessions
The Holy Rosary is prayed after morning Mass during the week
Sunday 5th February - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Bertha & Tony Nesnas, RIP (SC)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Maureen Regan, RIP (CR)
9.30am Mass Marcia Clarke, RIP (PJ)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4.00pm Mass Peter Griffin, RIP (SG) - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Centenary Celebration Events
2017
CENTENARY CELEBRATION EVENTS
2017 Centenary Celebration Events
Sunday 5 February 3pm Annual Lourdes Mass, Wanstead
Saturday 11 February Parish Day of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Wednesday 22 March Mass in Brentwood Cathedral with Cardinal & Nuncio, 7pm
Wednesday 22 March-Thursday 29 June Exhibition of History of the Diocese,
Brentwood Cathedral Conference Hall Foyer
Sat 29 April 5.30pm Centenary Choir Celebration, St Antony, Forest Gate
Wed 7, 14, 21, 28 June 7.30pm Centenary Lectures in Brentwood Cathedral
Parish Hall Fr Stewart Foster, Canon Brian O'Shea,
Fr Martin Boland, Dr Paul Docherty
Sunday 18 June 11.30am Brentwood Cathedral Centenary Celebration
Thursday 22 June 11am Schools Mass in Brentwood Cathedral
Saturday 22 July 12 noon Centenary Celebration at Walsingham
Saturday 28 October 7pm Centenary Music Concert in Brentwood Cathedral
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: Linda Wall & Sheila West
Newsletter Folders: Pauline Jordan & Maureen Ward
Collection Counting
If you are able to help with the Collection Counting, on a rota basis, please leave your name and telephone number with the Parish Secretary. The Parish Office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm, alternatively ring 01702 478048.
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/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.
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
Coffee, Craft and the Environment - Monday 13th February 10am-12pm
Coffee, Craft and the Environment - Monday 13th February 10am-12pm
CAFOD are asking us to show our love for God's creation this Valentine's Day by thinking about the environment and wear 'green hearts' to demonstrate your love of the world. Some of the most vulnerable people are suffering because of the impact of climate change.
The Live Simply Group are holding a 'drop in' coffee (and cake) morning sharing awareness of some of the issues that the pope has highlighted in his encyclical Laudato Si. Children are welcome to come and make 'green hearts' too. Phone Cathy on 340405 if you want more information.
Scripture Group
Fr Con Joyce’s Scripture Group will next meet in the Parish Centre 8pm-9pm on Thursday, 2nd February. Fr. Con will be talking about the prophets. All welcome.
The Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society
The Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society is hosting a Charity Quiz Night on Saturday 25th February at the Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School. The format for the event will be teams of 8 people at a cost of £7.50 per person, with all funds raised going to BCCS. The evening will start promptly at 7pm, with a short break halfway through and finish around 10pm; you are invited to bring your own drinks and nibbles. Please contact Julie Abbot– jabbott@bccs.org.uk 01268 784544 / 07912277413 to book your places (all teams must be pre-booked) or to request a Fundraising Quiz Pack for running your own quiz night in your parish for Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society.
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.