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 14th January at 8pm in the Parish Centre with Journey of Faith (The Sacraments). You are welcome to attend some or all of these talks; if you would like more information please speak to Fr Kevin.
Sea of Voices Choir
Our Community Choir returns on Thursday 17th January meeting upstairs in the Parish Centre from 7.45pm and will be rehearsing a new repertoire for the coming year. New singers are always welcome! We do have some new singers joining us so please don’t be shy! Do you know someone who may be interested? We are also still looking for a new accompaniest for the choir. Please contact Darrell 07825686249 or speak to a choir member. Thank you.
Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes - Monday 22nd July to Saturday 27th July 2019
Five nights (full board), staying at the Grand Moderne Hotel will cost £665 per pilgrim (same as last year). Please indicate your interest by putting your name on the list in the Parish Office.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 10th February Diocesan Mass for Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day celebrated by the Bishop - 3pm
Saturdays 11th & 18th May First Holy Communions - 10.30am
Sunday 19th May Visitation and Confirmation
Monday 22nd-Saturday 27th July Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes
1st Thursday of every month Meeting of Parish Evangelisation Team 8pm
Please pray for the Repose of the Soul of
June Dillon, RIP who died on Thursday 10th January. Funeral details to .
We Pray for our Sick
Sheena Evans, 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, Paul Keane,Rosemary Bragard, Rose Craft, Maureen Gooding, Dympna Addecott, Pat Lynch, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Tina Doveaston, Addi Brady, Ben Wilson, Patricia Fleming, Nicky Wigmore, 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, Wyn McCafferty, Annie Holland, 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, 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 John King, Fr Gilbert Basil Pearson, Fr Neville Banks, Fr Kenneth Green, Canon Charles Kuypers, Mgr Canon David Donnelly, Mabel Payne, Joe de Lobel, Leslie Murray, Derrick Whithil-Smith, Mary Cooper, Tim McCarthy, Lily Johnson, Eileen Watson, Georges Egidio, Dr Robert Clark, Catherine Mills, Pat Rogers, Patricia Manning, Eric Major, John Mayo, Anna Sokl, Elsie Nicol, Rose-Margaret Gilbert, Mary Ann Foley, Nancy Hume, Annie Shea, Gordon Wallen, Brigid Connolly, Violet Read, Gabriel Craven, Patrick Connolly, Brenda Campbell, Breeda Hayes, Germaine Cave-Palmer, Robert Garson-Gratidge, Bridget Kelly, Maud Reddy, Catherine Woods, Eugene Regan, Barry Anderson, Anne Ryan & Bernard Leonard.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
The Epiphany of the Lord
Dear Friends in christ
The first Sunday of the New Year is the twelfth day of Christmas and celebrates the Epiphany: the moment that Christ is shown to the world when the Magi visit Bethlehem. This is a beautiful moment because after their long journey, the Wise Men are rewarded for their endurance and faith by seeing the salvation of the world. They let that star - a symbol of faith - lead them to the house where Mary shows Jesus to them and through them to the world. We can truly repeat with great faith on this Day: Venite adoremus…come let us adore Him!
Dear Friends in christ
The first Sunday of the New Year is the twelfth day of Christmas and celebrates the Epiphany: the moment that Christ is shown to the world when the Magi visit Bethlehem. This is a beautiful moment because after their long journey, the Wise Men are rewarded for their endurance and faith by seeing the salvation of the world. They let that star - a symbol of faith - lead them to the house where Mary shows Jesus to them and through them to the world. We can truly repeat with great faith on this Day: Venite adoremus…come let us adore Him!
This first Newsletter of 2019 gives me the opportunity to say thank you for the many greetings, cards, gifts and Christmas Offerings that you have given me. This Christmas-time is always a moment when I feel very humbled by the level of appreciation that is shown to me personally. I am hugely grateful for the great level of collaboration that exists in the various facets of Parish life and which, at this time of year, make for a truly beautiful, worthy and joyful celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for what you do. Above all, however, the support of prayers is what is most precious to me, and I am heartened by the assurance of these prayers that so many continue to offer me.
I wish you all every great joy and blessing for 2019!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org
The Epiphany of the Lord
THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - Sunday 6th January
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil The People of the Parish
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Joe de Lobel, RIP (Anniv)(VC)
9.30am Mass Sandra Gilbert, RIP (Anniv) (BH)
11.30am Mass Essie Glauda, RIP (Anniv) (KC)
4.00pm Mass David Gurney, RIP (SVP) - Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 7 Feria of Christmastide
9.00am Mass Madeleine Sighe, RIP (Anniv) (MR)
Tuesday 8 Feria of Christmastide
9.00am Mass Ellen Walsh, RIP (Anniv) (MC)
Wednesday 9 Feria of Christmastide
9.00am Mass Hannah Kelly, RIP (MD)
2.15pm Requiem Mass Martha Braun, RIP
4.30pm Body in Church Eileen Byczynski, RIP
Thursday 10 Feria of Christmastide
10.15am Requiem Mass Eileen Byczynski, RIP
Friday 11 Feria of Christmastide
12Noon Mass Agnes McManus, RIP (Anniv) (SW)
Saturday 12 Feria of Christmastide
10.00am Mass Elpedio Bonggot, RIP (Anniv) (ER)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Sunday 13th January
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Jack Vesey, RIP (BH)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass The People of the Parish
9.30am Mass Tim McArthy, RIP (Anniv) (PM)
11.30am Mass Grace Millane, RIP (LD)
5.30pm Blessing of Babies & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Services from the church are live streamed
Serving the Homeless
The Committee is very grateful for all your support throughout 2018. Donations from the people who attended the Carol Service last month amounted to £634 for which we thank you. We wish everyone a peaceful, happy and healthy New Year.
Our next event is a Sunday Lunch at the Park View Suite on 27th January. Tickets cost £20 and are available from any Committee member or please telephone Linda Wall on 558217.
Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage
From time-to-time Catholics enquire, and are not sure where they stand in relation to the Church, with regard to their personal circumstances such as Divorce and a second Marriage. For a Marriage to be valid in the eyes of the Church, it is necessary that a Catholic be married – even if to a non-Catholic – in the presence of a Priest using the Catholic form of Marriage; any other form is invalid for a Catholic (unless a Dispensation has been granted by the Bishop). Divorce is not in itself a bar to receiving Holy Communion and the Church accepts that in some circumstances Catholics may need to initiate proceedings to protects their rights in civil law. However, the Church presumes that all marriages are valid and bind until death, unless and until nullity is proven on specific grounds. However, Register Office Marriage does bind non-Catholics.
Consequently, the Church cannot bless a Marriage which She regards as invalid, and those who are in a Marriage the Church regards irregular are not free to receive Holy Communion or Absolution. A recent Decree from the Congregation of the Faith in Rome 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. This document also recognises that this is a heavy burden, one that needs the support of the Catholic community. The sadness of Marriage breakdown now affects many families. Those who cannot receive Holy Communion can, and should, still participate in weekly Sunday Mass. At the moment of Communion it is possible to ask the Priest to give you a blessing: if you cross your arms he will know to do this. Anyone, Catholic or non-Catholic, wishing to enquire about the possibility of a declaration of nullity, or wanting to discuss their situation further, should contact their local Parish Priest in the first instance.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Linda Wall & Brian Mountier
Folders: Pauline Jordan & Maureen Ward
Crib Offerings
This year’s Crib offerings will, as usual, go to the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society.
Free Home Library Service
If you are housebound and enjoy reading, or know someone who finds it difficult to get out and about, you are able to have large/small print books, videos, talking books, cd’s delivered to your home fortnightly, completely free of charge.
Please contact the Community Development Team at Home Delivery Service on 01702 534123.
Sacred Heart Winter Night shelter
Thank you for your very generous donations to the Winter Night Shelter. We do not need any more warm clothes, thank you, but are in great need of new ladies and mens socks and pants.
There is a box in the sacristy – marked ‘Sacred Heart Night Shelter’ - where donations can be placed. Thank you in anticipation for any help you can give!
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 7th January at 8pm in the Parish Centre with Journey of Faith (The Last Things). You are welcome to attend some or all of these talks; if you would like more information please speak to Fr Kevin.