Serving the Homeless

Sincere thanks to everyone who supported the recent Quiz Night that raised £588 towards our local homelessness projects, also to those parishioners who have generously donated raffle prizes for our grand Summer Draw.

Our next event is an Afternoon Tea to be held in the Park View Suite in Chalkwell Park on Thursday 14th June at 2 pm. Tickets cost £12 and are available from Jo 474062, Linda 558217 or Nina 472536.

St Helens to St George's Sponsored Walk for the BCCS and CAFOD 'Share the Journey'

The annual parish to parish sponsored walk to raise funds for the Brentwood Catholic Children's Society (BCCS) takes place on Saturday 2nd June. We will gather at St Helens for 10am Mass, and set off afterwards around 10.45am with Father Joseph for an approximate five and a half miles walk along the seafront to Shoeburyness where we will finish the walk with refreshments in the parish hall at St George's after midday.  All participants will receive a certificate at the end from Julie of the BCCS. 

To take part, to receive registration and sponsor forms, and for more information, please contact Damian of the Knights of St Columba (07887 678741 / damian.dillon@btinternet.com).  Registration is free, and any sponsorship raised will go direct to the BCCS.  This year we will be combining the walk with the CAFOD Share the Journey campaign to show solidarity with refugees to count the miles we walk collectively, and to sign a card to go to the Prime Minister calling for agreements to be made at the United Nations for refugees and migration.  

Visit cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Share-the-Journey for more information. We hope you can join us to support these two causes this year.

Church Access

Because of recent problems with theft and vandalism, the church is locked at 1pm each day. After that time it is possible to gain access through the door on the north side, using the security keypad, the number for which can be obtained from the Parish Office; please do not disclose the number to third parties.

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Dear Friends in christ

Well done everyone who braved the cold last Sunday afternoon for the 

Rosary on the Coast which we prayed on Chalkwell beach. There was a really heartening gathering from the local Parishes, and beyond (including one coach-load from NW London!) praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary for Faith, Life and Peace in our Country.  We prayed looking across the water to the Isle of Thanet in Kent, where St Augustine arrived in 597 with monks from Rome, sent by Pope St Gregory, bringing the Gospel to these shores. Thank God for this beautiful act of witness, prayer and evangelisation!

On Thursday we celebrate The Ascension of Our Lord to Heaven. This mystery of Jesus’ life concludes and completes the time he spent on earth after His Resurrection. The Ascension is one of the two recently restored Holydays of Obligation in the year (the Epiphany is the other) and a Day when we celebrate by attending Holy Mass. Our culture of Faith is diminishing all of the time, due to the increasingly secular environment in which we live. It requires constant vigilance and unremitting work to ensure that we continue to swim in the warming waters of a culture of Faith. Living and celebrating the festivals of the Church is one of the ways we maintain this; so even if we are working we can find a church near us wherein we can participate in the Mass on these Holydays. The Ascension of Jesus draws our vision upwards to where Jesus has gone before us, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding and waiting for us.

In this month, dedicated to Mary, may God and His Blessed Mother assist and bless us always!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org

Sixth Sunday of Easter

SIXTH Sunday of Easter - Sunday 6th May

Saturday 5.30pm Vigil The People of the Parish
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession

8.00am Mass Eileen Mishtall, RIP (MB)
9.30am Mass Intentions of Imelda (BH)
11.30am Mass Rose Comey, RIP (MC)
4.00pm Mass Intentions of Anna Wiktorska (AW) - Ex. Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

Monday 7 Feria
10.00am Mass Adrian Dann, RIP (C&JO’B)

Tuesday 8 Feria
9.00am Mass Christine Fisher, RIP (TF)

Wednesday 9 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of Rosemary & Gerry Dillon (SH)    

Thursday 10 THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD - Holyday of Obligation
9.15am Mass Intentions of David Sullivan (UO’K) (with OLOL School)
12Noon Mass Intentions of Frank & Maureen Maguire (MW)
8.00pm Mass The People of the Parish

Friday 11 Bl John Rochester, Pr, M
12Noon Mass Jim Scott, RIP (MS)
      

Saturday 12 St John Houghton, Pr, M
10.30am Mass First Holy Communion Mass

SEVENTH Sunday of Easter - Sunday 13th May

Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Bernadette Dellar, RIP (J)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession

8.00am Mass Joyce Wilkinson, RIP (Anniv) (PW)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Frank Baynes, RIP (BH)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

The Sacrament of Penance is available on request

Baptisms

We congratulate the parents of Fintan Ladell and Stanley Staves who were Baptised recently at Our Lady of Lourdes.  May God bless them and their families as they grow in His knowledge and love.

Serving the Homeless

In June we will be holding our annual Grand raffle and we would welcome donations of items that we could offer as top prizes.

Parish/Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes Monday 23rd - Saturday 28th July 2018

Five nights (full board) travelling with British Airways via Toulouse and staying at the Grand Moderne Hotel will cost £665 per pilgrim.  There are still a few places available.  Please ask for more details from the Parish Office.

Flower Festival 16th June 2018

Thank-you to everyone who has volunteered to take on a window display for the Flower Festival, or to help with the refreshments.

Nearer the time, we will be asking people who are not already doing a display to contribute some flowers or garden greenery to help with the displays. 

Thanks for all the encouragement and support.  Jo & Theresa

OLOL Women’s Group

Following another successful morning, the Women’s Group will next meet on Thursday 10th May from 10.30am.  Enquiries or offers of guest speaker please contact Cynthia Bush on twobushes@talktalk.net

Counters & Folders

Counters:   Sheila West & Eileen Wilson
Folders:     Angie Martin & Joseph Martin

SHIPS – Stewards of the Gospel Host Impromptu Prayer Support

On Wednesday 9th May at Saint Helens, Westcliff, between 7pm and 10pm.  The evening will include Mass, a shared Fayre in the hall to present all related groups from our Deanery.  The evening will conclude with Adoration, intercessions and a simple Benediction with Father Joseph.  Please direct all enquiries to Andrew Downey 07722 043074.

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 Centre - call for help one hour per week

To keep the Parish Centre looking pristine and clean, we are looking for some more volunteers to help support the existing cleaning team.  No heavy lifting involved.  If you are able to help, your support would be much appreciated.  Please contact  the Parish Office or Steve on 0792 939 1890.  Thank you.

Kwasnica Quiz Night - Saturday 12th May 2018

It is that time of year when the Kwasnicas start fundraising again. This year three of us are off to Lourdes with the BCYS (Brentwood Catholic Youth Service). It is a week of service (assisting the sick and elderly pilgrims by pushing wheelchairs and engaging in conversations etc.) and spiritual growth. We gain through giving. However, as you may remember from previous years, the young people do need to pay for their own travel and accommodation. So to begin our fundraising, please get your friends and family and join us for a fabulous evening of trivia courtesy of Mr Andy Abel - Quiz Master extraordinaire! Tickets cost £5, please pay at the door. Bring your own drinks and nibbles. 7:30 pm start in the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Centre. Many thanks, Joseph, Rachel and Jacob.

Gift Aid

Thank you to all those Parishioners who gift-aided their offerings last tax year 2017/18.  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.

Dates for your Diary

12th & 19th May -  First Holy Communions
20th May - Confirmation
1st July - Parish AGM

Requirements for Catholic Marriage; Divorce and Remarriage

Divorce is not in itself a bar to receiving Holy Communion and the Church accepts that in some circumstances Catholics may need to initiate divorce proceedings to protect their rights in civil law.  However the Church presumes that all marriages are valid and bind until death, unless and until nullity is proven, or a dissolution of the bond on the grounds of non-consummation, or in favour of the Faith is granted (where one or both parties was not baptised).  A Catholic who marries outside the Church, without permission from the Bishop (dispensation from the canonical form of marriage), is still free in the eyes of the Church, because the Church’s law has not been observed, but the appropriate documents must be produced to show this.  However, Register Office marriage does bind non-Catholics.  A priest cannot book a marriage when one of the parties has been divorced without proof that he or she is now canonical free.  

Equally the Church cannot bless a marriage which she regards as invalid, and those who are in a marriage the Church considers irregular are not feee to receive Holy Communion or absolution.  A recent letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states: ‘In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ, the Church affirms that a new union cannot be recognised as valid if the preceding marriage was valid.  If the divorced are remarried civilly they can find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God’s law.  Consequently, they cannot receive Holy Communion as long as this situation persists.’  The letter also recognises that this is a heavy burden, one that needs the support of the Catholic community.  In addition to the personal contact with one’s parish priest, support may be found in the Association of Separated and Divorced Catholics.  Anyone, Catholic or 

non-Catholic, wishing to enquire about the possibility of a declaration of nullity, or dissolution with regard to a former marriage, should initially contact the Brentwood Diocesan Tribunal Office for further information and help on 01277 265283.

Church Access

Because of recent problems with theft and vandalism, the church is locked at 1pm each day. After that time it is possible to gain access through the door on the north side, using the security keypad, the number for which can be obtained from the Parish Office; please do not disclose the number to third parties.

APF Missio

This weekend, 5th/6th May,  we welcome Mrs Eileen Tompkins who will appeal at all the Masses on behalf of APF (red boxes).