Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Friends in Christ
The liturgy of this Sunday calls to mind once again the limitless mercy of God: a God who forgives and takes delight in finding and bringing home the lost sheep. We see in the First Reading how Moses interceded with God on behalf of the Chosen People. They had strayed from the Covenant even while Moses was conversing with God on the top of Mount Sinai. Moses makes no attempt to excuse the people’s sin. He relies instead on the ancient promise of God and His great mercy. Many centuries later St Paul was to experience this in his own life, which he describes to Timothy in the words of the Second Reading: I myself am the greatest of sinners: and if this mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people…
Dear Friends in Christ
The liturgy of this Sunday calls to mind once again the limitless mercy of God: a God who forgives and takes delight in finding and bringing home the lost sheep. We see in the First Reading how Moses interceded with God on behalf of the Chosen People. They had strayed from the Covenant even while Moses was conversing with God on the top of Mount Sinai. Moses makes no attempt to excuse the people’s sin. He relies instead on the ancient promise of God and His great mercy. Many centuries later St Paul was to experience this in his own life, which he describes to Timothy in the words of the Second Reading: I myself am the greatest of sinners: and if this mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people… The Gospel account of the lost sheep reminds us that each one of us is that sheep, and how Jesus would go - and goes - in search of each one of us in order to bring us back to the fold.
St Clement of Alexandria has written about this in a moving way: God’s great love for humanity is similar to the care shown by the mother-bird for the chick that has fallen from the nest. If a serpent should threaten to devour the little creature, she hovers over it, spreading her wings to protect it. This is how God perpetually seeks out His fallen creature curing him from his lapse, warding off the savage beast that would attack him and recovering His own. God beckons the soul to fly once again and return to the nest. If God is so good to look-out for us, what more can we ask? We only have to take that one small step towards Him and He comes all of the distance towards us.
God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
The Sunday Homily is available as a podcast at LourdesLeigh.org
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Sunday 15th September
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Intentions of Michael Calnan (F&JO'B)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Intentions of Tom & Rita O'Callaghan (LC)
9.30am Mass Michael & Margaret Gibbons, RIP (Anniv) (BG)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 16 St Cornelius, P, and Cyprian, Bp, Mm
9.00am Mass Michael O’Sullivan, RIP (Anniv)(DJ)
Tuesday 17 St Robert Bellarmine, Bp, D
9.00am Mass Samuel & Joanna Beech, RIP (M&JC)
Wednesday 18 Feria
9.00am Mass Mark Christopher Wilson, RIP (Anniv) (KW)
Thursday 19 St Januarius, Bp, M
9.00am Mass Sarah Louise Clarke, RIP (Anniv) (SH)
Friday 20 St Andrew Kim Tae-Gon, Pr, and Paul Chong Ha-sang and Comps, Mm
9.30am Mass Mary Kennedy, RIP (SG) - attended by OLOL School
Saturday 21 ST MATTHEW, Ap, Evangelist
10.00am Mass Damian Zovaro, RIP (BT)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Sunday 22nd September
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil The People of the Parish
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Frank Maguire, RIP (MM)
9.30am Mass Jim McEvoy, RIP & Fran's Intentions
11.30am Mass Eddie Morris, RIP (MJ)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Services from the church are live streamed
Counters & Folders
Counters: Sheila West & Brian Mountier
Folders: Jacky Hoggett & Pauline Jordan
Thank You
We would like to thank everyone who took part in the ‘Serving the Homeless Annual Raffle,’ over the summer. We raised almost £900 from the sale of tickets. The draw took place on Monday 2nd September. The winning tickets were:
1. 531 Pam, the Pamper Hamper
2. 395 Lucy, Wines and Spirits Hamper.(Generously donated back to STH)
3. 379 Linda, Gardening Hamper
4. 878 Maria, Italian Hamper
5. 1392 Carol, Toy Hamper
6. 316 Eileen, Books Hamper
Our next event is a wine tasting on the 18th October at St Margarets, Lime Avenue. Ask committee members about tickets.
Tea on the Terrace - 21st September 2.30pm
Come and enjoy a superb Afternoon Tea in the Parish Centre and meet friends old and new. This is the final week to buy tickets, which will be on sale after all Masses and from the Parish office during this week. £8 adults and £25.00 for a family.
OLL Ladies Group
Next Meeting is on 19th September at 10.30am, prompt start! Come along and enjoy one of our very popular Quiz mornings, meet friends old and new over coffee and cake. Don't forget to add your name for the trip to Cambridge in October. Subs only £1.00 All ladies welcome.
Pivotal Players - New from Bishop Barron
There will be a screening of the NEW instalment in Bishop Barron’s best-selling ‘Pivotal Players’ series, which is a multi-part film series that illumines a handful of saints, artists, mystics and scholars who not only shaped the life of the Church but changed the course of civilisation.
Series 2 of this ground-breaking series will be shown on Monday evenings at 8pm in the Parish Centre with two incredible saints from the fourth and fifth centuries:
St. Augustine of Hippo – 23rd September 2019
St. Benedict of Nursia - 30th September 2019
You can watch the "The Pivotal Players - St. Augustine & St. Benedict" series trailer here: https://youtu.be/kUNogvef5lM
First Holy Communion 2020
There will be a parent’s meeting on Thursday 26th September at 8pm in the Parish Centre for those parents who have registered their child for First Holy Communion in 2020.
St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) 'Awareness Month' 2019
The SVP offers practical care by visiting people in need. This is one way we can put our Faith into action! Presently, we are particularly mindful of members of our parish living now in local care homes who may have lost touch with our local Catholic community. If you know of these - or indeed any others - who would benefit from and welcome a visit from a friendly face then please let us know and we will seek to assist if we can within the scope of the current membership. In the not too distant future we will begin planning our Christmas Social for senior members of the parish community! If you are not already on our guest list but would like to be included or if you know of someone who might enjoy this very sociable, festive gathering, please contact Francis O’Brien on 01702 552373. Our Annual Appeal to parishioners’ for their financial support will be made after all Masses in the parish next weekend! SVP ‘Gift Aid’ envelopes are available at the back of the Church if you are able to increase the value of your donation in this way.
School Admission Forms for Primary & Secondary Schools
Parents wishing to apply to Catholic Schools for the next academic year are required to obtain a Letter of Catholic Practise from their Parish Priest. This must be requested from your Parish Priest in person and only one per child will be issued. We will provide the appropriate form. Please come to the Parish Centre for these on Friday, 18th October between 6pm and 8pm or Sunday, 20th October between 3pm and 4pm.
These are issued only to practising Catholics (i.e. those who attend weekly Mass). Furthermore, this practise of the Faith will be viewed over a period of time and not just the weeks prior to an application. Parish Priests may also look at the date of Baptism, noting those children who have been Baptised soon after birth as compared to those Baptised with proximity to school age. This is a matter of justice to all involved in applying for places in our Schools. Our schools are often oversubscribed and in order to be fair, preference will justly be given to those who live and practise the Faith as well as who contribute to the life of the Church through the various ways in which that support is given. If you are not a practising Catholic this Certificate will not be given; you may still apply to a Catholic School but your application will considered under another category for Admissions.
Bereavement Group
This will be held in the Parish Centre (Bernadette room), on Wednesday, 18th September at 2pm (we meet on the third Wednesday of every month). All are welcome to join us in a supportive, friendly and confidential environment. Enquiries to : elizabethdex@btinternet.com or cynthiabush11@googlemail.com or if you prefer just contact the Parish Office.
Nazareth House Church Repairs
A big ‘thank you’ to all who attended the charity meal on 25th August, to those who donated so generously and to those who bought raffle tickets for the Restoration to the church at Nazareth House. The sum raised was £1200 which is a good start. Thanks everybody. (From A. Deans, Friend & organist at Nazareth House).
HARP
Thank you for all the recent donations of groceries and clothing, which we are very grateful for. However, due to incidents of bed bugs in donated bedding, we can no longer accept duvets or any form of bedclothes.
This month's wish list: bottles of squash, individually wrapped biscuits, small packets of crisps, men's and women's deodorants.
Altar Serving
We would like to recruit some more Altar Servers: anyone post-First Holy Communion age who would like to be trained to serve Holy Mass, is asked to give their names to Father Kevin or send to the parish Office.
The Bethlehem Nativity Group
We visited your Parish last weekend to sell Olive Wood religious carvings from the Holy Land, and would love to express our huge thanks for everyone who supported our good cause. The result of which was very beneficial and rewarding for our needy Christian families, (we raised £3,411). We don't have enough words to thank you with, but be sure that you are always in our prayers. God bless.
Our website is www.tbng.co.uk, if you missed or wanted anything else , please use code FREE for free shipping on any order.
Please Pray for the Repose of the Souls of:
Denise Gianelli, RIP who died recently. Her Requiem Mass will be held on Friday 27th September at 11am followed by committal at Southend Cemetery.
Basil Emmerson, RIP who died recently. His Requiem Mass will be held on Wednesday, 2nd October at 11am followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
We Pray for our Sick
Patrick Walls, Lyn Gopee, Vita D’Souza, Patricia Vanner, Amy Louise Fox, Sarah Savage, Bill O’Connell, Sheena Reeves, Janet Weale, Charlotte O’Neil, Ella Williams, David Kislingbury, Mark Shepherd, Eileen Bines, Frank Bramley, Mark Hartley, Canon Daniel Harnett, 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, 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, Wyn McCafferty, Antonella McConalogue, Eddie McConalogue, Sharon Levill, Georgina Cornwell, Annie Holland, Ivor & Joanne Knight, Brian Beresford, Rebecca Peake, Connor Bourke, Mattia Mollica, Bernadette Lane, Irena Solecki, Ianto Bellis, Doreen Troughton, Marguerite Harris, Andrew Exley, Richard Collins, Elizabeth McConalogue, Kean Smith, Mick Cordingley & children Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Connie Price, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price & Frazer Gregory.
Please Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr John Bergin, Fr Anthony Mayston, Canon Frederick Gahagan, Fr John Ryan, Bernard Wiltshire, Eileen McCarthy, Percival De’ath, Bridget Finnegan, Sylvia Jones, Dot Tooley, Anne Gibson, Frances Spriggs, Joseph Hayes, Queenie Kay, Christopher Hickey, Stella Smith, Bernard Ratcliff, Hing San Lan, Mary Collins, Elizabeth Parsons, James Hale, John Watters, Anna Tynan, John Fazio, Lilian John, Dora Loker, Margaret White, Ann Walker, Mark Wilson, Moira Costello, George Hobbs, Josh Overton, Winifred Lawson, Frederick Tewkesbury, Lilian Craven, Helen Bainbridge & James Fogarty.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace