Fourth Sunday of Easter
Fourth Sunday of Easter - Sunday 7th May
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Bertha Nesnas, RIP (Anniv) (SC)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Maureen Regan, RIP (CR)
9.30am Mass Ellie & David Nash - 1st Wedding Anniversary (AW)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4.00pm Mass Intentions of Liz Drury (LD) - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 8 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of the Ward Family (FM)
Tuesday 9 Feria
9.00am Mass David Reynolds, RIP (Anniv) (VC)
Wednesday 10 Feria
9.00am Mass Sister Mary Juliana (RM)
Thursday 11 Feria
9.00am Mass Christine Fisher, RIP (RB)
Friday 12 St John Houghton, Pr, M
12Noon Mass Joyce Wilkinson RIP (Anniv) (PW)
Saturday 13 Our Lady of Fatima
10.30am First Holy Communion Mass
The Holy Rosary is prayed after morning Mass during the week
Fifth Sunday of Easter - Sunday 14th May
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil The People of the Parish
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Edmund Sheehy, RIP (MR)
9.30am Mass Intentions of James Meek (MG)
11.30am Mass May Downey RIP (Anniv) (MD)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Deputy Head Vacancy
Holy Family Catholic Primary School (Witham) seeks to employ a committed Catholic to the post of Deputy Head from September 2017. (Salary Range L8-L11). Closing date 18/5/17. Interviews 24/5/17. For more details see Job scene or contact the school on 01376 513418 or email: admin@holyfamilyrc.essex.sch.uk.
Brentwood Cathedral Choir
Brentwood Cathedral Choir has commissioned a new Missa Brevis, for choir and organ, from the composer Diana Burrell, for the Diocesan Centenary. Diana Burrell is a parishioner at the church of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, Harwich, and her most recent commission was for the BBC Symphony Orchestra at London’s Barbican Centre. The Missa Brevis will receive its first performance at the 11.30am Mass in Brentwood Cathedral on Sunday 18th June. Parishioners are very warmly invited to this celebration of the Diocesan Centenary.
Tales from a Tudor Kitchen Maid
You are warmly invited to an afternoon with Eileen aka Anghared on Monday 22nd May, who shares her experiences as a "Tudor Maid "at Kentwell Hall. The afternoon promises to be informative and amusing so please join us from 2-4 pm in the Parish Centre. Tickets are £2.50 and include tea and homemade cakes and are available from Cynthia 01702-477384 or Jan 07775620890 or after Mass during the week and weekends.
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Upminster
DEPUTY HEADTEACHER required for September at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Upminster. Please see the advert on the following website:
https://ats-haveringschools.jobsgopublic.com or contact Bernadette Matthews, Head Teacher, on 01708 220277 for information. Closing date: Monday 15th May
Serving the Homeless
The East Essex Players are arranging a fundraising meal at the Maharaja Restaurant on Bread and Cheese Hill in Benfleet on Wednesday 17th May with all the profits being donated to the local charity, Serving the Homeless. It costs £13 per person and places can be booked through Margaret 475784 or Linda 558217.
St. Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Rochford, Essex SS4 1RF
Deputy Headteacher required. Salary: Leadership Group Scale: 7-11 Group 2, NOR 212 visits from applicants are recommended. Please contact Mrs. Amanda Kipps (School Business Manager) by telephone (01702 547918) or email admin@st-teresas-pri.essex.sch.uk to arrange an appointment and request an application pack. Applicants must use the Catholic Education Service (CES) forms. closing Date: Monday 15th May 2017. Shortlisting date: Tuesday 16th May 2017Interview date: Monday 22nd May 2017.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Bob Hall & Eileen Wilson
Folders: Amanda Phipps & Clare English
The Diocese of Brentwood – 100 Years in Pictures
We have published a Souvenir Booklet to mark our Diocesan Centenary, 110 pages with more than 300 colour and black & white photographs. Copies are now available at the Repository for £7.
APF Missio
I have received the 2016 APF results from Missio recently, the Red Box collection amounted to £1,251 and the direct donations amounted to £1,140, a grand total of £2,391. Thank you all very much. If you do not have a Red Box and would like to have one please do not hesitate to contact me. If you have a Red Box and you are a Tax-payer would you please consider signing a Gift Aid Declaration. Contact me if you would like a form. I have put the poster from Missio showing the results at the back of the Church. Thank you. Joan Caunce, Secretary, 01268 757505.
Scripture Group
Fr. Con's Scripture group will start fortnightly on Thursday 11th May at 8pm in the Parish Centre. We will be looking at the readings for the two following Sundays.
Gift Aid
Thank you to all those Parishioners who gift-aided their offerings last tax year 2016/17. In order to save on postage and printing, we will only be providing letters to those Parishioners who require one to complete their tax return for HMRC. If you require a letter, please email the Parish Office at office@lourdesleigh.org. If there are any changes to your circumstances such as change of address or you are no longer a tax payer, please advise the Gift Aid organiser via the Parish Office. Thank you.
Come Holy Spirit - Journey towards Pentecost
Thursdays 6.45-7.30 A short talk followed by CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER in the Lady Chapel. "The way to self-fulfilment is the way of self-emptying. In Gethsemane and on Calvary Jesus entered the great self emptying that had been his own birth. As God had to let go of Himself in order for the Word to become flesh, so Jesus had to let go of himself humanly in order to return and blaze the trail for us to follow. ‘Where I am going… you will follow later’ (Jn 13:36)". What can this mean for each of us? COME HOLY SPIRIT AND LEAD US AND GUIDE US.
Diocesan Centenary Pilgrimage to Walsingham Saturday 22nd July
The main celebration of our Centenary this year will take place at Walsingham and will be a Diocesan-wide event. There will be no Vigil Masses in the Diocese that evening in order to encourage as many as possible to go on this pilgrimage. Two coaches will travel from our Parish at a cost of £10 per adult, £5 per child. The coach will leave Our Lady of Lourdes Church at 8am and depart from Walsingham no later than 5pm.
If you would like to book a ticket for the coach please call in at the Parish Office as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Monies should be paid at the time of booking. The Parish Office is open from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, put your name and cash/cheque (payable to Our Lady of Lourdes) in an envelope and post it through the Presbytery door.
Dates for your Diary
Saturday 13th May First Holy Communion Mass - 10.30am
Sunday 4th June Confirmation Mass - 11.30am
Sunday 18th June Corpus Christi Procession - 4pm
Saturday 22nd July Walsingham Centenary Pilgrimage
Monday 24th/Friday 28th July Parish Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes
7th October to 15th October Parish Mission
Msgr George Stokes, RIP
Msgr George Stokes, RIP
Fr George’s body will be received into the church at St Thomas of Canterbury, Grays on Tuesday 9 May at 5 pm and his Requiem Mass will take place there on Wednesday 10 May at 12 noon followed by burial at Chadwell St. Mary Cemetery. There will be a buffet in the Parish Hall afterwards.
In order to accommodate the many friends and contacts in the field of Education, who may wish to pay their respects, a Memorial Mass will take place in Brentwood Cathedral at a later date details of which will be sent out in due course.
Please Pray for the Dead on their anniversaries
Canon Brian Grady, Fr Augustine Davidson, Mgr Canon John Howell, Fr John Boyle, Fr Stanley Joynes, Mary Hardie, Mabel Salter, Dorothy Hosmer, Denys Hale, Charles McLaughlin, Fred Parsons, Arthur Chadwick, Patrick Shanahan, Peggy Choppin, Mary Donovan, Michael McDermott, Cestan Szymczak, Margaret Park, May Downey, Mary Jones, Wally Hurst, Philip Wilson, Vera Fogarty, Charlotte Anderson, Robert King, Patrick O’Sullivan, Joyce Wilkinson, Iris Amner, John Lyons, Constance Newton, Margaret Philp, Dorothy Kyrke-Smith, Joseph Edwards, John Smith & Eileen Hood.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace
Third Sunday of Easter
Dear Friends in Christ
Over these Sundays of the Easter Season, we hear the different accounts of those who witnessed Jesus after His Resurrection. This Sunday is the well-known and affectionate encounter of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. These men knew about Christ’s promise of dying and rising to life on the third day, they had heard the reports of the women finding the empty tomb. Yet they were full of discouragement. Their minds are in darkness ands their hearts numbed. When Christ appears to them on the road He patiently restores them in faith and hope. They then rediscover their joy and love is alive!
Dear Friends in Christ
Over these Sundays of the Easter Season, we hear the different accounts of those who witnessed Jesus after His Resurrection. This Sunday is the well-known and affectionate encounter of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. These men knew about Christ’s promise of dying and rising to life on the third day, they had heard the reports of the women finding the empty tomb. Yet they were full of discouragement. Their minds are in darkness ands their hearts numbed. When Christ appears to them on the road He patiently restores them in faith and hope. They then rediscover their joy and love is alive! It is possible that we too sometimes meet discouragement, lack of hope and despair. On these occasions we need to let ourselves be helped like the two disciples. perhaps this will come through the encouraging words of a friend; or through the advice we receive in Confession or spiritual direction. But it is essential that we also allow ourselves to be helped, and that we be ready and open to the advice we receive. It is also very possible that we will meet people who have lost the supernatural meaning of their lives and whom we have to bring back - in the Lord's name - to light and hope. Amidst the darkness of the world our Christian mission is to bring light and faith to the souls of all those we meet. May Eastertide, and the joy of knowing that we are children of God, help us to achieve this for the sake of His kingdom.
We begin the month of May this Monday, this month that has a special significance for our devotion to God’s Mother. It is within this month that the Church marks the centenary of the first apparition at Fatima. May the Virgin Mother of God, protect us with her unfailing help as we dedicate this month to her Immaculate Heart. May God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org