Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir
We are organising a Christmas Painting competition of an event occurring around the Nativity for school year groups 3-4 and 5-6. Entries certified as to age group by a Catechist or teacher to Brian Dillon, ℅ Sacred Heart Church, 418 Southchurch Road,Southend, SS1 2QB by 31st January 2020. Judges will be: Fr Graham Smith, a teacher from Sacred Heart School and the Grand Knight of Council 192, Southend.
Knights of St Columba
We are organising a Christmas Painting competition of an event occurring around the Nativity for school year groups 3-4 and 5-6. Entries certified as to age group by a Catechist or teacher to Brian Dillon, ℅ Sacred Heart Church, 418 Southchurch Road,Southend, SS1 2QB by 31st January 2020. Judges will be: Fr Graham Smith, a teacher from Sacred Heart School and the Grand Knight of Council 192, Southend.
Sacred Heart Winter Night Shelter
Items now being requested are: new adult sized socks and pants, jogging bottoms and toiletries. 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!
Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine
Fully escorted Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine, Ireland, led by Bishop Alan Williams. 25th May 2020. £649.00 per person sharing. Price includes flight with 10kg hand luggage, all transfers, 4 nights in Knock House Hotel with breakfast and dinner. All entertainment and excursions included. Lunches on days out. Single supplement £100. Contact Patricia on 01268 762 278 or 07740 175557 or email knockpilgrimages@gmail.com. Knock Pilgrimages is a member of the Travel Trust Association and is fully protected by ATOL T7613.
Brentwood Diocesan Directory
These are now available from the back of Church at a cost of £2.80.
Year of the God Who Speaks - the Gospel of Matthew
Fr Adrian Graffy will lead an exploration of the Gospel of Matthew, the lectionary gospel for Sundays in 2020, from 7 pm until 8.30 pm on Wednesday 15th (changed from 22nd) January, and Wednesday 29th January at the Catholic Church of Christ the Eternal High Priest, Gidea Park.
Admission is free, but please book your place by email to GPstudydays@gmail.com Copies of the recently published ‘Revised New Jerusalem Bible’ will be on sale for £30 (reduced from the normal price of £39.99). Full details and video of earlier talks available on www.whatgoodnews.org.
Bereavement Support Group
We meet next Wednesday 18th December in the Parish Centre, Bernadette Room from 2pm. This is an opportunity for anyone experiencing bereavement and loss to have some support in a confidential and friendly environment. Enquiries: cynthiabush11@googlemail.com or elizabeth.dex@btinternet.com.
CAFOD World Gifts for Christmas
If you are looking for an alternative Christmas gift that can transform peoples lives, take a look at CAFOD's World Gift ideas. As well as being able to buy a fair-trade gift for a member of your family, you can give a gift to someone in a developing country, such as providing a school starter pack for a child, helping to plant a tree or buy a family a chicken or goat. Take a look at their website and see what you think. Thank you. https://worldgifts.cafod.org.uk/search?q=christmas+gifts.
HARP
Our grateful 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.
Landings - Welcoming Home Inactive Catholics
The new Landings Programme will begin on Thursday, 6th February. Catholics who have been away from their church and faith sometimes find it daunting to come back on their own, not knowing what has changed since they have been away. Landings is designed to help them back into parish life. If you have a family member, a friend or a neighbour who is an inactive Catholic please take an information leaflet for them from the back of the church, say a prayer for them and invite them to come home. Your invitation may be all it takes.
Counters & Folders
Counters: Mary Cook & Jacky Hoggett
Folders: Jane Trower & Clare English
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 16th December 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.
Dates for your Diary
Saturdays 16th & 23rd May First Holy Communions - 10.30am
First Thursday of every month Meeting of Parish Evangelisation Team 8pm
We Pray for our Sick
Bill Sullivan, Sheena Evans, Peg Larman, Alice Hennessy, Ian Irwin, Sylvia Clancy, 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, Austin Butler, John Lavery, Christine Robinson, Rosemary Bragard, Paul Keane, Pat Lynch,Maureen Gooding, Dympna Addecott, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Tina Doveaston, Addi Brady, Ben Wilson, Patricia Fleming, Nicky Wigmore, Rose Craft,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, Georgina Cornwell,Antonella McConalogue, Eddie McConalogue, Sharon Levill, 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, Keith Maliff & 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 William Guinevan, Clarice Bugazzi, Thomas McInerney, Francis Gavin, Anthony Troughton, Charles Hughes, John Maxfield, Mary McQuaid, Francis O’Neill, Eileen Byczynski, Kevin Shanahan, Herbert Marriott, Evelyn Tobias, Ronald Buckley, Patricia Bishop, Andrew Hills, Mary Hurley, Alice Chapman, Miss Parker, Paul Emmerson, Sylvia Walton, Gladys Symons, Mabel Walmsley, John Baigent, Anthony Fleming, Bernard Murphy, Paola Murch, Mary Poole, Peter Robson, Christopher Maybe, Mabel Carter, Francis Brady, Eleanor Dillon, William Smith, Grace Greiner, Veronica Barrett & Cathy Baker.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
Second Sunday of Advent
Dear Friends in Christ
This season of Advent is given as a timely reminder to us each year that we need to be prepared; vigilant for the moment when God will come to Judge the living and the dead. This moment for each of us is known only to God, but He does not wish us to be caught-out. The figure of St John the Baptist was sent before the Birth of Jesus, to prepare the ancient world for His arrival. This call to conversion is meant to be heard echoing down the ages and is no less urgent now than when it was first delivered. Let us watch and pray that we may not be found drowsy or wanting when God calls us.
Dear Friends in Christ
This season of Advent is given as a timely reminder to us each year that we need to be prepared; vigilant for the moment when God will come to Judge the living and the dead. This moment for each of us is known only to God, but He does not wish us to be caught-out. The figure of St John the Baptist was sent before the Birth of Jesus, to prepare the ancient world for His arrival. This call to conversion is meant to be heard echoing down the ages and is no less urgent now than when it was first delivered. Let us watch and pray that we may not be found drowsy or wanting when God calls us.
There are always a good number of people to whom we owe our gratitude in the life of the Parish Family: last weekend during our Forty Hours’ Prayer we celebrated the Night of Light when during the annual Leigh pageant we invited passers-by into the church to light a candle or make a prayer intention before the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration. Over five hundred men, women and children came into the church for this and we should keep the prayer intentions they made in our hearts; God alone knows how any hearts were touched and moved to find Him. Our thanks to the members of the Evangelisation Team who organised this and members of the Sion Community for their back-up.
We held our Parish Bazaar also last weekend, and I am very grateful to the faithful Team who helped organise it all. Also, the many Parishioners who donated goods and who came to support it on Sunday morning. We raised just over £1,900 which we shall use for the ongoing upkeep of the Parish Centre and also donate a portion to Aid to the Church in Need.
God bless you and thank you!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
The Sunday Homily is available as a podcast at LourdesLeigh.org
Second Sunday of Advent
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Sunday 8th December
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Saverio Pucino, RIP (GP)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Sybil Swann, RIP (MW)
9.30am Mass Intentions of Gerard Clarke (BH)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 9 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
9.00am Mass Clare Clarke, RIP (Anniv) (BH)
Tuesday 10 Feria
9.00am Mass Margaret Farrell, RIP (Anniv) (TF)
Wednesday 11 St Damasus 1, P
9.00am Mass Clare Chadwick, RIP (Anniv) (MI)
Thursday 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
9.00am Mass Raymond de Chantilly, RIP (LC)
Friday 13 St Lucy, V, M
12Noon Mass Intentions of Sandra Hippard (SH)
Saturday 14 St John of the Cross, Pr, D
10.00am Mass John Jarvis, RIP (VJ)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Gaudete - Sunday 15th December
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Eileen Byczynski, RIP (Anniv) (JB)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Paul Emmerson, RIP (Anniv) (AE)
9.30am Mass Intentions of the Butler Family (CS) - Gift Mass for BCCS
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Services from the church are live streamed
St Thomas More High School Carol Service
This will be taking place at 7.00 pm on Thursday 12th December at St Peter’s Catholic Church. We hope that you and your family will be able to join us on this night to help celebrate the true meaning of Christmas as part of our Christian Community. There will also be an opportunity to socialise at the end of the service over some refreshments. Donations of mince pies, bottles of wine or festive refreshments would be appreciated for after the service; these can be left at the school reception.
The Year of the Word
Some booklets are available at the back of Church, which are a useful resource in this year ahead. The God who Speaks to us contains some helpful material about the Bible.