On Holy Communion
The Church teaches us that the Mass is the source and summit of the Christian life. From this follows the essential importance of our participation at the Mass every week; this is not simply a precept of the Church but a commandment of God Who wills His People join together in worship every Sunday, the Lord's Day. The best and ultimate expression of our participation is Eucharistic Communion. Our Holy Communion with Christ at Mass is an expression of our faith in His real presence in the Sacrament; it signifies our communion with one another; and it is an assent to the full body of teaching of the Catholic Church; this is the meaning of the Amen we pronounce at the moment of reception. There are often people at Mass who cannot receive for various reasons, either because they are not Catholic, have not received first Holy Communion or because there are spiritual obstacles which have not been overcome. Each of us participates in the Mass according to our capacity, but it is our presence at Mass that is important wether or not we receive Holy Communion. There has evolved the custom, for those not receiving, to come forward and with a clear indication (e.g. arm placed on our shoulder) to receive the sign of the Cross; this is not precisely a blessing - the blessing is given to everyone at the end of Mass - but a symbol of the touch of Christ at that moment.
In preparation for Holy Communion, if we are receiving, we should have fasted from food and drink (except water) for one hour. This is not necessary if we are elderly or have to take medicine. Above all, it is necessary that we be in a state of grace; this means that if we are conscious of serious sin we should have gone to sacramental Confession first.
In receiving Holy Communion the universal norm of the Church is reception upon the tongue; in England there is the Indult (a special permission) for receiving Communion in the hand as well. Whichever form we choose, it is important that we indicate clearly and receive with proper care and reverence. Before we receive, we should make an act of adoration in recognition of the One we are receiving; this takes the form of a genuflection or deep bow as the person in front of us is receiving. St Augustine reminds us: Adore first, what you are to receive. If receiving upon the tongue, the proper manner is to extend our tongue so that the Sacred Host can be placed upon it easily; the Host should not be pecked-at or snatched with the lips; moving targets are also difficult to communicate! If receiving in the hand, this is done by placing one hand upon the other, receiving the Host in the palm and then placing it into the mouth carefully before moving away. Children especially, are asked to ensure that they raise their hands to a suitable height and stand close to the priest or extraordinary minister. The Host should not be snatched or walked-away with; we ask everyone to be vigilant in this. When receiving the Blood of Christ from the chalice, we take the chalice carefully with both hands, sip, and carefully return it. In whichever manner we receive we pronounce a distinct and audible Amen.
The period after Holy Communion is for private prayer, and if there is a Communion chant or hymn, this is followed by a period of silent thanksgiving. It is a help and kindness to everyone else at Mass if a prayerful silence is observed, remembering that this time is an intimate moment of Communion with Jesus, our Lord and God. Those who have not received Communion might like to make what is called a Spiritual Communion at this point, using a formula such as: I wish Lord to receive You now, with the purity, humility and devotion with which Your most holy Mother received You, and with the spirit and fervour of the Saints.
There is nothing greater in the whole of our Catholic Faith that the Presence of Jesus with us at Mass and in Holy Communion. We can never grow too-used to this Gift and Mystery and by continually reminding ourselves of Who it is we receive, then we will approach the Altar with ever greater awareness, faith and devotion.
St Thomas More Alumni Memorial Mass & Social
The annual St Thomas More Alumni Memorial Mass & Social will take place at 8pm on Thursday 21st June in the school at Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff. All past pupils, governors and members of staff are invited to attend to remember those deceased members of the school community and, after the Mass, enjoy a few drinks and a sumptuous buffet whilst renewing acquaintances with past school friends and former teachers/colleagues.
APF Boxholders
I have received the Summer 2018 Missio magazine. If you have not received one from me personally please take one from the back of the church in the usual place. If you have not had your box opened in the last six months would you please leave it in the office or give it to me personally. (Not relevant of course to those people who took a box recently at the appeal). Thank you. Joan Caunce, Secretary 01268 757505.
Mass of Thanksgiving for Marriage and Family Life
The parish has received a number of invitations to this Mass which Bishop Alan will be celebrating in the Cathedral on Saturday 14th July at 4pm. If you are celebrating a significant anniversary this year and would like to receive an invitation, please speak to the parish priest.
I would also like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to another event occurring about the same time: a two-day conference taking place at St Mary’s University, Strawberry Hill, entitled ‘Understanding Sex and Gender’ aimed particularly at those involved in education. For information visit:
Please Pray for the Repose of the Souls of
CATHERINE BAREWISH, RIP who died on Saturday 2nd June. Her Requiem Mass will be held on Tuesday 19th June at 2pm followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
ARTHUR MILLS, RIP who died on Monday 14th May. His body will be received into the Church on Tuesday 19th June at 5pm and his Requiem Mass will be held on Wednesday 20th June at 10.45am, followed by committal at Southend Cemetery.
PETER SLOAN, RIP. Funeral details to follow.
BARBARA ADAMS, RIP. Funeral details to follow
We Pray for our Sick
Margaret Owens, Basil Emmerson, Christine Robinson, Rosemary Bragard, Mark Wilson, Noel Kolby, John Lavery, David Gurney, Paul Keane, Rose Craft,Maureen Gooding, Mabel Addecott, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Pat Lynch,Teresa O’Brien, Maureen Deekes, Tina Doveaston, 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 and baby Talia Emery.
Please Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr Gerard Butcher, Fr Thomas Crowe, Fr John Gallacher, Fr Thomas Carlin, Fr Robert Mortimer-Anderson, Fr Gerard Hughes, Fr Ambrose O’Gorman, Pamela Gafga, Annie Lawence, Rose Whitehead, Walter Burrill, Marion Button, Gerald Melhuish, Gwendoline Underwood, George Houston, Theresa Yates, Harold Britt, Ken Bailey, Margaret Grenier, James Fairchild, Janice Turner, Jill Kinsley, Norita Fanning, Christina Pegler, Sheila Power, Ethel Dillon, Agnes Sawyer, Kenneth Miller, Mary Famie, Dorothy Butcher, Frederick Carter & Teresa McTavish.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
The Body & Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi
Dear Friends in christ
This weekend we have the opportunity to celebrate The Mystery of Faith - The Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi - and to do so as a Parish Family. All of the children of God today gather, kneel, adore and walk with Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. We celebrate the fact that we have a God who has not remained distant, but Who has come close to his Faithful. As we gather for Mass this weekend, let us offer profound thanksgivings for this great Love of God, made concrete for us.
Dear Friends in christ
This weekend we have the opportunity to celebrate The Mystery of Faith - The Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi - and to do so as a Parish Family. All of the children of God today gather, kneel, adore and walk with Our Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament. We celebrate the fact that we have a God who has not remained distant, but Who has come close to his Faithful. As we gather for Mass this weekend, let us offer profound thanksgivings for this great Love of God, made concrete for us. As we kneel at Mass and at Benediction, let us adore the God who lives in Heaven but also lives among men on earth; as we walk in the Eucharistic procession let us remember that our God accompanies us along all of the paths of earth, leading us to the Eternal Banquet. The Mystery of this day is summarised by St Thomas Aquinas in the antiphon at Vespers this Sunday: O Sacred Banquet in which Chits is received; the memory of His Passion is renewed the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of future glory is given to us!
This weekend I commend to your generosity the Fund for the Sick and Retired Clergy of our Diocese. When a priest has to retire or becomes infirm, this Fund is often a main source of support. We have 11 priests living in retirement at the moment and they each receive a Grant from the Fund annually, which provides subsistence support according to their needs. We all know the cost of living and priests in retirement, as those in active service, depend on the charity of their people. Thank you for all your generosity to this Fund in the past.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org
The Body & Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi
THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST - Corpus Christi - Sunday 3rd June
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Winnie Barrett, RIP (RO’S)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Stella Mary Hale, RIP (CF)
9.30am Mass Frank Baynes, RIP (MS)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4.00pm Corpus Christi Procession
NO Vespers & Benediction
Monday 4 Feria
9.00am Mass Luigia Tisi, RIP (Anniv) (AT)
Tuesday 5 St Boniface, Bp, M
9.00am Mass Rev Fr Stephen Myers - 25th Anniversary of Ordination (K&LW)
Wednesday 6 St Norbert, Bp
9.00am Mass Stella Hale, RIP (MR)
Thursday 7 Feria
9.00am Mass Anne & John Young, RIP (T&RO’C)
Friday 8 THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
12Noon Mass Intentions of Anna Wiktorska (AW)
8.00pm Holy Hour & Benediction
Saturday 9 The Immaculate Heart of Mary
10.00am Mass Roman Zakrzewski, RIP (AW)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
Tenth Sunday in ordinary Time - Sunday 10th June
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Isaac Family (JR)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Gwendoline Underwood, RIP (Anniv) (RB)
9.30am Mass Final Mass of Thanksgiving for all First Holy Communicants
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Is God calling you to a Mercy Vocation?
An invitation to single Catholic women to explore a vocation with the Sisters of Mercy. Saturday 30th June 2018, 10am to 4pm, at the Convent of Mercy, Parkers Row, Bermondsey, SE1 2DQ. If you are interested in attending please contact Sr Helen at helenfurness@iolmercy.org.uk or telephone 0208 850 1877 by Friday 22nd June.
OLL Group for Women
Our next Meeting will be on Thursday 7th June at 10.30am. all women in the Parish welcome for coffee/tea/cake and interesting discussion! Enquiries to cynthiabush11@googlemail.com
Our Lady of Lourdes ‘Parish Evangelisation Team'
All parishioners are warmly invited to the first meeting of the Parish Evangelisation Team, being held in the Parish Centre from 8pm to 9pm (finishing strictly on time!) this coming Thursday, 7th June 2018. Because we are all called to make known to others the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, so all parishioners are considered members of the Our Lady of Lourdes ‘Parish Evangelisation Team’ and are invited to this and future meetings. We hope that representatives from existing parish groups and organisations will be able to attend! With the exception of August, the intention is for the Parish Evangelisation Team (PET) to meet on the first Thursday of each month – just for an hour on each occasion to make it manageable for people. An 8pm start will also hopefully enable ‘working parishioners’ to join in! At our first meeting there will be a short input on prayer, an explanation of the aims of the PET, a discussion on initial ideas for evangelisation and finishing with a period of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Please join us! Come and see! (Francis O’Brien – PET Steering Group member)
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 3rd June Corpus Christi Procession 4.00pm
Thursday 7th June Parish Evangelisation Team Meeting (PET) 7.30pm
Sunday 1st July Parish AGM
Flower Festival Saturday 16th June
The Church will remain open all day on Friday 15th June for people to come and install their window displays. We would be grateful for any donations of flowers from parishioners to be left in the old baptistry on Friday. Thank you. Jo & Theresa
St Bernard’s High School - A Catholic Academy for Arts and Science
St Bernard’s High School Open Morning – 21st June 2018, 10.30am-12.30pm
Are you a qualified teacher with availability to teach at St Bernard’s High School on an ad-hoc basis? Please come along to our Open Morning on Thursday 21st June for Tea and Cake, where you will be given the opportunity to see our school in action. Please contact Mrs H Bennett, Assistant Head Teacher either on 01702 343583 or email hjb@stbernards.southend.sch.uk to advise that you will be attending or for further information. We look forward to meeting you.
Annual Procession of The Blessed Sacrament - Sunday 3rd June 4.00pm
Accompanied by the Tilbury Brass Band. Followed by Tea in the Parish Centre.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Mary Cook & Jacky Hoggett
Folders: Bobby Newman & Emma Beardsell
Serving the Homeless
At our Afternoon Tea on 14th June we will be saying goodbye and wishing a happy retirement to Gill Garwood, the CEO of HARP. A presentation will be made to her from STH. Also there will be the new CEO, Jacky Squires. If you would like tickets, costing £12 each, please contact Nina Bridgeman on 01702 472536.