Requirements for a valid Catholic Marriage
There are three basic requirements for a valid Catholic wedding:
The couple must be capable of being married—that is, they must be a woman and a man who are free of any impediment that would prevent marriage.
The couple must give their consent to be married — that is, by an act of their will they irrevocably give and accept one another in order to establish marriage (Canon 1057).
They must follow the canonical form for marriage—that is, they must be married according to the laws of the Church so that the Church and the wider community will be certain about the validity of their marriage. Failing to follow these requirements would mean that we are not free to receive the Sacraments until the marriage is convalidated i.e. made valid by the church.
Impediments to marriage
First, both people must be capable of being married and free of any impediment (obstacle) that would prevent marriage. Some impediments to marriage include:
Age: Both persons need to be old enough to contract marriage according to the local civil laws. (The Church has a minimum age requirement as well; see Canon 1083.)
Previous marriage: You cannot marry someone else if you are already married.
Relatives: You cannot marry someone who is already your relative (Canons 1091-1094).
Reason: Anyone who is incapable of understanding what marriage is and the responsibilities that come with it (because of mental impairment, for instance) cannot enter marriage (Canon 1095).
Fear: No one can be forced into marriage, either directly or because of some "grave fear" (Canon 1103).
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.
Parish Fundraising
Thank you to everyone who supports the 200 Club. The results of the April draw are as follows:
1st prize £150 - 82 Mrs J Lewis
2nd Prize £100 - 161 Mrs L Maguire
3rd Prize £75 - 11 Mr Joseph O’Brien
4th Prize £50 - 145 Mr G Hookway
5th Prize £25 - 185 Mrs E Humpage
The 200 Club continues to provide funds to support the running of the Parish Centre. Forms are available from the back of the church or ring Linda Wall on 01702 558217.
Annual Collection for our Sick and Retired clergy - 2nd/3rd June
The Sick & Retired Clergy Fund is part of the Diocesan Charity which helps and supports our retired and sick clergy. As a Charity we rely on the generosity of the Parishes and individual donations to keep the Fund in a healthy state. Another valuable means is by including a bequest in your Will; a Form of Bequest can be found on page 36 of the Brentwood Diocesan Directory. Your generosity through donations, the annual collection and bequests is greatly appreciated.
Sacrament of Confirmation
We offer our prayerful good wishes to those confirmed last Sunday during the Mass of Pentecost.
Sean Auton, Rocio Ayerbe, Erin Barrett, Louis Bibby, Sophia Blackburn, Anna Daly-English, Grace de Rozario, Christine Federmann, Amy Fox, Harrison Frost, Conor Gibbons, Sophia Haiser, Emma Harris, Gemma Hobson, Alysia Kean, Jacob Kwasnica, John Lambert, Francis Leftley, Thomas Mason, Rachel McEwan, Mia Mullin, Mia Perry, Hannah Phipps, William Russell, Eleanor Seymour, Samuel Skedge, Reuben Sleigh-Johnson, Aislinn Slough, Daniel Stobart, Lucy Thomas, Archie Twine and Caitlyn Walton.
We Pray for our Sick
Joseph Martin, Christine Robinson, Rosemary Bragard, Mark Wilson, Noel Kolby, John Lavery, David Gurney, Paul Keane,Maureen Gooding, Mabel Addecott, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Teresa O’Brien, Maureen Deekes, Noel Fagan, Tina Doveaston, Pat Lynch, Rose Craft, Addi Brady, Ben Wilson, Patricia Fleming, Nicky Wigmore, Brita Irons, Eileen Wilson, Patricia Spikin, Sandra Fagan, Edna Wallace, Beryl Dixon, Nan Carrit, Nick Evans, Vicky Jack, Lyn Gopee, Mary Boyce, Kristin Hallenga, Anne O’Neill, Cheryl Shallis, Anthony McEvoy, Justin Stark, Sheila Netherton, David Blyth, Dympna Addecott, Janet Woods, Lynne Hilkene, June Moncaster, Laura & Anne Breen, Breda Lynch, Maria Clark, Roy Widdecombe, Johanna Lynch, Sheila McBrearty, Anthony King, Chas Taylor,Norma McCleverty, Belinda Balazsi, Johnnie Pool, Edward Martin, Joanna Luciani, Pauline Wilsher, Simon Marshall, Kriston Barnes, Hugh Isaacs,Josephine Griggs, Colleen Worley, Dawn Deleigh, Antonella McConalogue, Fr Jean Laurent Marie, Eddie McConalogue, Georgina Cornwell, Lorraine Hart, Wyn McCafferty, Linda Dean, Annie Holland, Martin Buckley, Martha Braun, Jane Jowers, Ivor & Joanne Knight, Brian Beresford, Rebecca Peake, David Clark, David Askew, Connor Bourke, Mattia Mollica, Sharon Levill, Bernadette Lane, David Kislingury, Maureen Ward, Irena Solecki, Lanto Bellis, Doreen Troughton, Marguerite Harris, Andrew Exley, Rosemary Arscott, Richard Collins, Niqui Denkmayer, Elizabeth McConalogue, Kean Smith, and children Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price, Connie Price, Frazer Gregory, baby Talia Emery and Hattie Seymour.
Please Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr John Timmins, Bp John Petit, Canon Eric Goldingay, Fr Donald Clover, Elizabeth Newton, Thomas O’Malley, Richard Bird, Leonard Brockhurst, Neil & Joan MacMillan, Mildred Jackson, Angela Edwards, Iolanda Peretti, Edith Young, Dr Denis O’Riordan, Clarice Wheeler, Mildred McHattie, Vera Waelend, Sebastian De Souza, Mabel Hooper, Joseph Mulline, Odilia Duhig, Stephanie Horwood, Kit Nafziger, Dr Nigel Warburton, Stella Mary Hale, Jonas Acton, Ida D’Eath and Dorothy Winyard.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
Pentecost Sunday
Dear Friends in christ
Pentecost is the Day on which the Church came into existence. From the Mount of the Ascension, the Apostles with Mary, gathered in prayer so that the Holy Spirit would fill them with the courage and fortitude needed to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ. What is this Good News? It is the Gospel which gives meaning, direction and purpose to life on earth; it is the Good News that proclaims Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
Dear Friends in christ
Pentecost is the Day on which the Church came into existence. From the Mount of the Ascension, the Apostles with Mary, gathered in prayer so that the Holy Spirit would fill them with the courage and fortitude needed to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ. What is this Good News? It is the Gospel which gives meaning, direction and purpose to life on earth; it is the Good News that proclaims Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and wants us to be with Him in Heaven. So the Apostles go out and tell the world about the Jesus whom they have known and loved and believed in. They went to every corner of the earth; they spent themselves totally; they suffered martyrdom. They did all of this for the Truth of what God revealed about Himself, about life, death and eternal life. Pentecost empowers us to do the same. As we hear in one of the dismissals at the end of Mass: Go and announce the Gospel of The Lord! Each of us who have been Baptised and Confirmed have received this mission and exhortation; we have this power given to us; we simply have to use it, draw upon it and be courageous soldiers of Christ. Over the period of Lent and Eastertide, forty young people in our area have been undergoing a spiritual and doctrinal preparation for this moment. They have reflected on the Faith over these weeks, asked questions, discussed and above all, prayed together, each week before the Blessed Sacrament. Now they will receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Pray for them, that we may continue to be proud of them in the way they will carry their Faith into the world as fully adult-initiated members of the Holy Church. May God bless us all abundantly with a renewed bestowal of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit this Pentecost!
God bless you.
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org
Pentecost Sunday
PENTECOST SUNDAY - Sunday 20th May
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Ann Campbell RIP, Ann Campbell Snr RIP, Carole Campbell, RIP
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Gwendoline Underwood, RIP (RB)
9.30am Mass Patrick Murphy, RIP (EC)
11.30am Mass Confirmation Mass - The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 21 Mary, Mother of the Church
9.00am Mass Jonathan Grindley, RIP (KH)
Tuesday 22 St Rita of Cascia, Rel
9.00am Mass Intentions of Dr Charlie O’Donnell (MPG)
Wednesday 23 Feria
9.00am Mass Deceased members of the Siani Family (RB)
Thursday 24 Our Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest
9.00am Mass Intentions of Rosemary Mann, RIP (RM)
Friday 25 St Bede the Venerable, Pr, D
12Noon Mass John & Pat Moon & Valerie Griggs, RIP (SM)
Saturday 26 St Philip Neri, Pr
10.00am Mass Intentions of Brett Mackay (SD)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
THE MOST HOLY TRINITY - Sunday 27th May
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Alfredo Tisi, RIP (LO&GB)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Adrian Dann, RIP (MD)
9.30am Mass Barbara Sheaf, RIP (CH)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
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.
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
Our next Meeting is on Thursday 24th May from 10.30 am. All Women welcome!Enjoy tea/coffee/cake and meet friends new and old! A small donation of £1 each week is requested.
Next week Jo Ronan will be giving one of her interesting and stimulating talks, plus we have lots of time for discussion and chat. Any enquiries contact Cynthia: twobushes@talktalk.net. or cynthiabush11@googlemail.com.
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.
Tea/Coffee & Homemade Cakes
Every Monday & Thursday after 9am Mass. Why not pop into the Parish Centre, meet friends and enjoy coffee and cake!
An evening with Dame Joanna Bogle
Thursday 7th June at St Peter’s Catholic Church, Eastwood.
7.30pm Mass from Divine Worship:The Missal
8.15pm Dame Joanna speaks
9.00pm Coffee and Questions
9.30pm Blessing & Depart
Joanna Bogle is a respected and lively Catholic writer, speaker, broadcaster, and historian. She will be giving a talk on the importance of Walsingham for the Catholic church in England today, in preparation for the rededication of England as Mary’s Dowry in 2020. You can follow her blog on
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.