Dates for your Diary
Wednesday, 21st February Start of Lent
21st, 28th February ) Marriage Preparation
7th - 14th March )
12th & 19th May First Holy Communions
20th May Confirmation
Counters & Folders
Counters: Linda Wall & Jacky Hoggett
Folders: Clare English & Jane Trower
Tea/coffee & Homemade Cakes
Every Monday & Thursday after 9am Mass. Why not pop into the Parish Centre, meet friends and enjoy coffee and cake!
Parish/Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes Monday 23rd - Saturday 28th July 2018
Four nights (full board) travelling with British Airways via Toulouse and staying at the Grand Moderne Hotel will cost £665 per pilgrim. Please indicate your interest by putting your name on the list in the Parish Office.
PILGRIMAGE to KNOCK SHRINE, IRELAND - 28th MAY 2018
Inaugural Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine, Ireland, 28th May 2018. Led by Bishop Alan Williams. £699.00 per person sharing. Price includes flights from London Stansted with 15kg checked in bag, all taxes, transfers, 5 nights’ in newly refurbished Knock House Hotel, in the grounds of the shrine, with full Irish Breakfast each morning, light lunch and 4 Course Dinner each evening. All entertainment and guided tours included. Wheelchair accessible rooms in the hotel. Limited single rooms available. Groups and Individual bookings welcome. Excellent programme of prayer time, masses, liturgies, excursions and evening activities. We will also visit Ballintubber Abbey, Croagh Patrick, Westport and other famous sights in Co. Mayo. Contact 01268 762278 or email knockpilgrimages@gmail.com Knock Pilgrimages is a member of the Travel Trust Association and is fully protected by ATOL T7613.
Friday Film Night
Live Simply invite you to view The Shack (based on the highly acclaimed book)on Friday January 19th in the Parish Centre at 7.30pm.
Refreshments will be on sale in aid of refugee charities.
All are welcome.
Social News Update
Margueriteville Country Music Club donated another £500 at Christmas to the Parish Centre funds. Their next live music gig at St James Church hall, Elmsleigh Drive, Leigh is on Saturday 27th January with singer Jim Worton. Contact Darrell 07825686249 for booking seats etc.
Sea of Voices Choir recommences singing from Wednesday 17th January onwards, from 7.45pm. We have some new members to the choir at the start of 2018 but there is always room for some more! Contact Darrell for more information. Especially welcome any help to get a choir website set up and assist on future publicity on social media, etc.
New social events at the Parish Centre are being planned including St Patrick’s night. More details will follow in due course.
Serving the Homeless - Sunday Lunch
Our first event in 2018 will be a Sunday lunch on Homelessness Sunday, 28th January at Affinity Restaurant, London Road, Leigh at 12.30 pm. Tickets cost £20 and are available from Jo 474062, Linda 558217 or Nina 472536.
White Flower Appeal
White Flower Appeal - the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) will be holding its annual appeal next weekend.
SPUC is currently campaigning to stop the decriminalisation of abortion, which means taking abortion outside the law. This is the most dangerous threat to unborn children and their mothers in decades.
Please be as generous as you can to help us defeat this latest attack on unborn babies and their mothers, and to stop abortion getting even worse in this country by decriminalisation.
Journey of Faith (RCIA)
A series of informal talks, designed to give an insight into the teachings and traditions of the Catholic church, continues on Monday 8th January at 8pm in the Parish Centre with The Church. You are welcome to attend some or all of these talks; if you would like more information please speak to Fr Kevin.
Thank You from Serving the Homeless
As another year ends we would like to thank you all for your wonderful support again last year. With your donations, attendance at our events and membership of our 200 Club, we have been able to spend £15,623 on local homelessness initiatives during 2017.
We have continued to spend £200 per month on fresh meat, milk and cheese for HARP to provide meals for their clients. We gave HARP £3,500 for transition programmes which help clients into work and housing, bought garden benches and the bedding for the 20 beds in the new women’s hostel and also financed a garden project which will involve clients working to better their environment.
We are continuing to support The Churches Winter Shelters programme. We assisted last year by purchasing the bed rolls, sleeping bags etc. that were needed to set up the shelter in Leigh Road Baptist Church. We have also given them £500 towards the cost of installing a shower for their rough sleepers. Another £650 was given to support the general costs of running all the Church night shelters. We have also financed ‘Suspended Meals’ at Oasis café, to enable them to give hot meals to those who need it.
We sponsored one of the Youth awards at Southend YMCA and we are raising funds to support their project, ‘Mary’s House’ (a safe refuge for the most vulnerable youngsters.) We have been able to give them £4,950 this year. We also made up a Christmas parcel for each of the 33 youngsters who are spent Christmas at the YMCA this year.
We hope you all had a very happy and peaceful New Year and we would love to hear from anyone who would be willing to join the Committee so that we can continue to help those around us who are in need next year.
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH - Sunday 31st DecEMBER
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Steve & Agnes McManus, RIP (Anniv) (SW)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Diana, RIP (SC)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Deceased members of Walsh & Clark Families (MC)
6.00-7.00pm Holy Hour, Te Deum & Benediction
Monday 1 January MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
12Noon Mass Gregory Power, RIP (Anniv) (MP)
Tuesday 2 Ss Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bpp, Dd
9.00am Mass Maureen Regan, RIP (Anniv) (CR)
Wednesday 3 Feria of Christmastide
9.00am Mass Thomas Henry Gunn, RIP (F/M)
Thursday 4 Feria of Christmastide
9.00am Mass Anne Young, RIP (S)
Friday 5 Feria of Christmastide
12Noon Mass Intentions of the CWL
12.30pm Exposition after Mass until
8.00pm Holy Hour & Benediction
Saturday 6 Feria of Christmastide
10.00am Mass Terence & Maisie Renehan, RIP (Anniv) (MH)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - Sunday 7th January
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Rosemary O’Brien, RIP (WMcH)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Raymond de Chantilly, RIP (SVP)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Essie Glauda, RIP (Anniv) (KC)
4.00pm Mass Marian Payne, RIP (SVP) - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Blessing of Babies & Benediction
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Priests of the Parish join in wishing you all the joy and grace of the Birth of Our Lord
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Fourth Sunday of Advent - Sunday 24th DecEMBER
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Deceased relatives & loved ones of Braggard & Underwood Families (RB)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Tony Nesnas, RIP (Anniv) (SC)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Clare Chadwick, RIP (MI)
5.30pm Vigil Mass - Christmas Eve - Intentions of Teresa O’Brien (SW)
(preceded by Carols at 5pm)
10.30pm Carols & Readings
11.00pm Midnight Mass The People of the Parish
Monday 25 CHRISTMAS DAY
8.00am Mass Private Intention
9.30am Mass Private Intention
11.30am Mass Private Intention
Tuesday 26 ST STEPHEN, The First Martyr
10.00am Mass Intentions of the Altar Servers & their Families
Wednesday 27 ST JOHN, Ap, Evangelist
10.00am Mass Anne Young, RIP (T&RO’C)
Thursday 28 THE HOLY INNOCENTS, Mm
9.00am Mass Ugo Gardin, RIP (Anniv) (MB)
Friday 29 ST THOMAS OF CANTERBURY, Bp, M
12Noon Mass Ints of John & Renata Butler-50th Wedding Anniversary (RB)
Saturday 30 Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas
12Noon Mass Anna siani, RIP (Anniv) (RB)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH - Sunday 31st DecEMBER
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Steve & Agnes McManus, RIP (Anniv) (SW)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Diana, RIP (SC)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Deceased members of Walsh & Clark Families (MC)
6.00-7.00pm Holy Hour, Te Deum & Benediction
Mass for Vocations
A Mass for those enquiring or discerning a vocation to the priesthood will be at Our Lady of Lourdes at Leigh on Sea at 12:00pm on the feast of St. Thomas Becket, the 29th December 2017. All are welcome to come and pray for vocations and to meet our seminarians.
Counters & Folders
Counters: 27th December Linda Wall & Brian Mountier
2nd January Jacky Hoggett & Eileen Wilson
Folders: 5th January Angie Martin & Joseph Martin
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society
The BCCS would like to thank all those who donated gifts and toys in recent weeks. We have already been able to send on many of these donations to children and families in our community, and on their behalf we would like to thank you and wish you all very Happy Christmas.
Please Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Please Pray for the Dead on their anniversaries
Canon Wilfrid Thompson, Fr Francis Greenan, Fr Francis Wilson, Canon John Byrne, Fr Brian Reeves, Canon Patrick McKenna, Fr Francis Heenan, Fr Jim Wilkinson, Fr Denis Cantwell, Elizabeth Astall, Jessica Wilson, Basil de Neuman, Mary Higgins, Anthony Nesnas, Bridget McDonald, Julia Upsher, Eddie Gillman, Clare Whomes, Douglas Hurley, Charles Stokes, Lynda Quinlivan, Guido Lauria, Janet Newby, Michael Manning, John Furley, Amelia Eaglesfield, Flor Perez de Pina, P.A.Holcombe, Mrs Beeching, James O’Donnell, Francis Gibson, Mary Fitzroy, Deirdre Gray, James Keefe, Doris Swinney, Joseph Dologhan, Audrey O’Connell, Catherine Rankilor, Doreen Foley, Nora Phillips, Francis Cook, Peter Whale, Frederick Ross, Stephen McManus, Anna Siani, David Scott-Frame, Sylvia Sippitt, George Lane, Leslie Dawson, Mary Reilly, Michael McGaughey, Thomas Woolcott, John Sinclair, Mrs Joan Gubbins, Kate Lessons, Kathleen Lewin, Gregory Power, Maureen Guihen, Emily Swann, Mary O’Toole, Annie French, Jules Deuss, Ethel Milo, Simon Burgoyne, Violet Jackson, Millicent Ransom, Joseph Hazell, Eileen Murray, Maureen Regan, Lu Gardner, Hannah Flintoff, Eileen Bull, Len Plummer, Anthony Ryan, Hilda Edwards, Walter Burden, Ricky (Lola) Clarke, Lena Austin, Lucien Staw, Eric Tarrant, Niall Cooney, Essie Glauda, Mary Herbert, Arthur Jackson, Ivy Whiting, Phyllis Sullivan, Patricia Dear, Sibyl Hardy, Gerald Vickers & Claire Mellish.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete
Dear Friends in christ
This year, Advent is just three weeks long and so we begin this weekend the last days before the festival. There is always a sense of excitement, especially in families, as we prepare for the Birth of our Saviour. Advent is meant to provide us with that space and time in which we can make room in our lives for the Christ Child. As I said in my Homily last Sunday: if we arrive at 25th December tired of Christmas, then we have not done Advent properly!
Dear Friends in christ
This year, Advent is just three weeks long and so we begin this weekend the last days before the festival. There is always a sense of excitement, especially in families, as we prepare for the Birth of our Saviour. Advent is meant to provide us with that space and time in which we can make room in our lives for the Christ Child. As I said in my Homily last Sunday: if we arrive at 25th December tired of Christmas, then we have not done Advent properly!
Part of our preparations for Christmas include all of the normal things we like to do, such as: the sending of greetings cards to our distant family and friends, the selection of (modest) gifts for our loved-ones and all those elements that will enable us to celebrate well the greatest moment in history. It is this event that gives meaning to our lives, and so we should ensure that we make appropriate preparation and spend money wisely, and not extravagantly, on those items that are not simply superfluous to the celebration of Christmas. Indeed, we might consider some of those deserving Charities that seek our help at this time of year, especially for those who have much less than we have. Above all, part of our preparation for Christmas must be the reception of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: this is the definite way that we prepare ourselves to receive Jesus well. During this coming week our Parishes will provide good opportunities for this Sacrament.
The Novena for Christmas begins this weekend; a good spiritual prelude to the Nativity would be a prayer each day asking for the grace to open our lives to receive the Saviour.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org