Co-op Hamper Raffle for Our Lady of Lourdes School
The Broadway Coop are raffling a lovely hamper for school funds. Tickets available from 1st December from the Coop or Darrell Binding 07825686249 or email darrell.binding@coopmembers.co.uk. The prize will be drawn on 21st December.
HARP
Our thanks for all your recent donations of food and clothing. At this time of the year we think of the vulnerable people in our community, not having a safe place to call home or not knowing where the next meal will come from. HARP have now launched their Christmas appeal – could you sponsor a Christmas meal for £10? They hope to provide 250 meals for homeless and vulnerable people over the festive period. You can do this online at www.harpsouthend.org.uk, leave your donation in the office or give it to Linda Wall.
Night of Light
A big thank you to all those who made this event so memorable. To the volunteers who came from Benfleet and Southend, the people who prayed continuously in the church, those who prayed in their own communities and to the Sion Community who provided the music and presence on the street, helping us to invite passersby into our beautiful church. Over 200 people passed through our doors, many of whom said they had never been into a church before. Well done everyone.
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society Gift Mass
There will be a Gift Mass on Sunday 16th December at 9.30am. Please write clearly on the gift whether it is for a boy or girl and what age range it would suit. Gifts for teenagers would also be much appreciated and if you are struggling with ideas, then Gift Vouchers are always very welcome.
Lourdes Ladies Group
Come along and enjoy a pre Christmas fabulous morning of entertainment with a return visit of Elizabeth Dunlop and her singers, plus mulled wine and festive Fayre on Thursday 13th December from 10.30am to12.30 pm. We will also be holding a Raffle with some fantastic prizes and announcing an exciting programme of events for the New Year. Admission only £1. Open to all ladies in the Parish, if you are a regular attender or never joined us before you are all very welcome, so don't miss out!
Serving the Homeless
Serving the Homeless have recently become one of the charities to benefit from purchases made via Smile.Amazon. If you would like to support us in helping the homeless people of the Southend area and you are a user of Amazon please consider registering with Smile Amazon.co.UK so that a small percentage of your purchase price comes to us. Please select Serving the Homeless from the list of charities and once you have done this, all future purchases will go towards benefiting our cause. If you require further information please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you. Nina. ninabridgeman@btinternet.com
Sacred Heart Winter Night Shelter
As part of the Southend Churches Winter Night Shelters, the Sacred Heart’s Shelter will open on Wednesday 5th December and run for sixteen weeks. The Night Shelter is urgently asking for items needed to run the shelter and offer as much help as possible to the guests. Items now being requested are: new adult sized socks, toothbrushes, sanitary products for women, travel size soap, deodorant, shower gel and toothpaste etc. Warm adult sized jumpers; t-shirts, trousers etc. and winter coats would be very welcome. Our Lady of Lourdes SVP has offered to coordinate on behalf of the Night Shelter the collection of donations from parishioners and to that end a box has been placed in the sacristy – marked ‘Sacred Heart Night Shelter’ - where donations can be placed. Thank you in anticipation for any help you can give! OLOL SVP Conference.
Christmas Dinner - Sunday 23rd December 2018
Once again this year Sacred Heart Primary School will be hosting Christmas dinner on 23rd December, as it was such a lovely occasion last year, celebrating with some friends old and new. If you are on your own that day and would like to join us for turkey and all the trimmings then please contact the school office on 534546 to reserve a place. We will be serving dinner about 1pm but will welcome visitors after 11am M.00ass. If you require transport please advise the office. Look forward to seeing you, Sally Nutman, friends and family.
Brentwood Diocesan Directory 2019
These are now available from the back of church at a cost of £2.75p.
Carol Concert Friday 14th December at 7pm
‘Serving the Homeless’ would like to invite you to a short service of carols and readings for Christmas on Friday 14th December at 7pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, and afterwards to join us for mulled wine and mince pies. A retiring collection will be taken to support Southend YMCA projects.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Linda Wall & Sheila West
Folders: Jane Trower & Clare English
Advent Windows
Hopefully you have enjoyed the Advent windows and the Jesse Tree. Thank you to all who contributed to their production, especially St Bernard’s and Our Lady of Lourdes pupils, and the ‘Lourdes Ladies’ group. A special thank-you to Claire for her wonderful knitted shepherds and sheep. The Jesse Tree tells the story of redemption through the prophets of the Old Testament up to the birth of Christ.
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 10th December at 8pm in the Parish Centre with Journey of Faith (Mary and The Saints). You are welcome to attend some or all of these talks; for more information please speak to Fr Kevin.
Votive Candle Stands - Health & Safety
We need to be always and ever more conscious of fire risk with candles in the church. To this end, the votive candle stand by the Sacred Heart statue has been modified so that the safer-type night-lights can be placed there. When placing candles on the votive stands, please be very careful. It is safer to place lighted candles towards the back of the stands so that it isn’t necessary to stretch across live flames. Thank you for your vigilance with this.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 16th December Children’s Gift Mass - 9.30am
Saturdays 11th & 18th May First Holy Communions
Sunday 19th May Visitation and Confirmation
1st Thursday of every month Meeting of Parish Evangelisation Team 8pm
Please Pray for the Repose of the Souls of
Jack Vesey, RIP who died on Wednesday 28th November. His Body will be received into the Church on Tuesday, 18th December at 5pm and his Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, 19th December at 10.15am, followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
John Hevey, RIP who died recently. Funeral details to follow.
We Pray for our Sick
Charlotte O’Neil, Ella Williams, David Kislingbury, Janet Weale, Mark Shepherd, Eileen Bines, Frank Bramley, Mark Hartley, Gillian Oldham, Basil Emmerson, Austin Butler, Christine Robinson, John Lavery, Rosemary Bragard, Paul Keane, Rose Craft, Maureen Gooding, Dympna Addecott, Pat Lynch, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Tina Doveaston, Addi Brady, Ben Wilson, Patricia Fleming, Nicky Wigmore, Brita Irons, Nan Carrit, Eileen Wilson, Patricia Spikin, Sandra Fagan, Edna Wallace, Beryl Dixon, Nick Evans, Vicky Jack, Lyn Gopee, Mary Boyce, Kristin Hallenga, Anne O’Neill, Cheryl Shallis, Anthony McEvoy, Justin Stark, Sheila Netherton, David Blyth, Janet Woods, Lynne Hilkene, June Moncaster, Laura & Anne Breen, Breda Lynch, Maria Clark, Roy Widdecombe, Johanna Lynch, 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, Lorraine Hart, Linda Dean,Antonella McConalogue, Eddie McConalogue, Georgina Cornwell, Martha Braun, Wyn McCafferty, Annie Holland, Jane Jowers, Ivor & Joanne Knight, David Clark, Brian Beresford, Rebecca Peake, David Clark, 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, Mick Cordingley and children Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price, Connie Price & Frazer Gregory.
Please Pray for the Dead on their anniversaries
Fr Geoffrey Pye, Fr Eamonn Magrath, Fr George Carolan, Fr William Evers, Fr Francis Kerrigan, Fr Gerard Kerr, Fr Bentley, Karen Anderson, Hilda Eid, Georgina Francis, Ann Dunbar, Ivy Heale, Cecilia Upsher, Marie O’Carroll, John Burke, Ronald Clarke, Eugene Grant, Alexander Black, Baby Felicity Garland, Peter D’Angerville Bernard Dunne, Mary Slattery, Sallie Walker, Patrick Sheehan, Angela Joyce, Doreen Murphy, Clarice Bugazzi, Thomas McInerney, Francis Gavin, Anthony Troughton, Charles Hughes & John Maxfield.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
First Sunday of Advent
Dear Friends in Christ
The First Sunday of Advent is a new beginning. We begin to prepare for Christmas, but more importantly, we renew and intensify, our preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The first part of Advent focuses us on the way we look-out for the Saviour. We have the Prophets to point us in this direction. Above all Mary - whose Immaculate Conception which we shall celebrate on Saturday 8th - shows us how to adopt the stance of readiness. You will see that the window ledges of the church have been adorned with various scenes reminding us of these realities: The Jesse Tree (cf image on the Newsletter), the Annunciations, Visitation etc. Thanks to all those who have contributed these lovely and catechetical displays.
Dear Friends in christ
The First Sunday of Advent is a new beginning. We begin to prepare for Christmas, but more importantly, we renew and intensify, our preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The first part of Advent focuses us on the way we look-out for the Saviour. We have the Prophets to point us in this direction. Above all Mary - whose Immaculate Conception which we shall celebrate on Saturday 8th - shows us how to adopt the stance of readiness. You will see that the window ledges of the church have been adorned with various scenes reminding us of these realities: The Jesse Tree (cf image on the Newsletter), the Annunciation, Visitation etc. Thanks to all those who have contributed these lovely and catechetical displays. The season of Advent, like the other liturgical times, has a distinct nature: preparation.
So, whilst we may be thinking about the Nativity of Jesus, we don’t begin to celebrate it until 25th. We may get drawn into pre-Christmas social events, but it is important that we try to live Advent as a time in which we follow closely the promptings of the Prophets, especially Isaiah and St John the Baptist. As we plan our celebration of Christmas, let’s be mindful of how we can evangelise by the manner of our living: not making material things, like food and drink, the centre of how we live; moderation and sobriety in the gifts we offer; remembering to use religious greetings cards; not making Christmas one big secular holiday. If we can live Advent, focused on our preparation to meet Christ in prayer and the Sacraments, then we shall have done our best.
May God bless us now as we prepare together for the comings of our Saviour.
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org