SS Peter and Paul
The weekend we are celebrating Saints Peter and Paul. In this celebration we are signalling the beginnings of Christianity.
Dear Friends in Christ
This weekend we are celebrating Saints Peter and Paul (the feast is transferred from 29th). In this celebration we are signalling the beginnings of Christianity. In the words of Pope Saint Paul VI: The Apostles Peter and Paul are considered by the Faithful and rightly so, to be the pillars, not only of the Holy Roman See but also of the Universal Church of the living God, spread to the utmost bounds of the earth. Peter, whom Our Lord Jesus Christ chose as the foundation of His Church and Bishop of this illustrious City and Paul the Doctor of the Gentiles, teacher and friend of the first community founded here. When we consider their lives in the cold light of day, it seems extraordinary that God has chosen two weak men to be the foundation stones of the Church. Their humanity and also their strong and indomitable faith, gives us courage to witness to Jesus in these difficult times in which we live and to live confidently in the realisation that He has chosen us too.
As we continue to come gradually back to church, I am grateful for the many offers of help that we have received; especially those who have volunteered to be stewards during the hours when the church has been open Monday - Saturday. It has been a comfort for many of us just to be able to visit the church for private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. As from Saturday 4th July we can resume public Masses. Obviously this will need to be done in accordance with the guidelines. This means that numbers will be limited in church and there will be a booking system in operation through the Parish website; this will provide further details. (There can’t be any singing for the present!) If you know someone who does not have internet, please ask them if they would like you to book them in. We will also need four volunteers for stewarding and to clean the church after each Mass, as we have been doing these last two weeks. This also applies to weekday Masses, as the obligation to attend Sunday Mass continues to be suspended throughout this period. Please be patient as we shall need to proceed cautiously.
Pope Francis last weekend, added three new invocations to the Litany of Our Lady (Loretto): Mother of Hope, Mother of Mercy and Comfort of Migrants. These beautiful little expressions of the solicitude of the Mother of God for the human race, remind us to always go confidently to ask her help.
May Mary, Queen of Apostles, with Saints Peter & Paul, intercede for us and keep us united in Faith, the Faith that we profess each week as One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. May God bless us as we continue to live in that same Church which they established on earth!
Msgr Kevin Hale
SS Peter and Paul
Saturday 27 June
5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sunday 28
11.30am Mass Teresa Parascandolo RIP anniversary (PP)
5.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition & Benediction with
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Monday 29
9am Mass Gareth Lewis RIP anniversary (JL)
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Tuesday 30
First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
9am Mass Patrick Clarke RIP anniversary (BH)
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Wednesday 1 July
St Oliver Plunket Bp
9am Mass John Kidney RIP anniversary (JL)
Thursday 2
9am Mass Msgr Frederick Miles RIP
Friday 3
St Thomas Ap +First Friday
9am Mass Frank Clancy RIP anniversary (VC)
7pm Holy Hour & Benediction
Saturday 4
St Elizabeth of Portugal
10am Mass James Cornelius Forde RIP
10.30am Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Sunday 5
8.00am Mass Charles and Alice Whitehead RIP
11.30am Mass Alf and Mary Johnson RIP anniversary (CM)
4pm Mass in Extraordinary Form
5.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition & Benediction
Pray for Our Sick
Marie Karaf, Richard Collins, Christine Reid, Gilberte Cook, Garry Pearman, Anne Owen, Adrian Barclay, Patricia Ann Darroch, Peggy Larman, Sylvia Langley, Patricia Vanner, Amy Louise Fox, Sarah Savage, Bill O’Connell, Janet Weale, Charlotte O’Neil, Ella Williams, David Kislingbury, Mark Shepherd, Eileen Bines, Breege McCaffrey, Mark Hartley, Austin Butler, John Lavery, Paul Keane, Rosemary Bragard, Pat Lynch, Maureen Gooding, Dympna Addecott, Ben Wilson, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Tina Doveaston, Addi Brady, 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, Elizabeth McConalogue, Kean Smith, Keith Maliff & children, Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Connie Price, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price & Frazer Gregory.
Pray for Our Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr James Hawes, Fr James Littleton, Fr Patrick Curran, Fr Patrick Carthy, Leslie Earl, Marlon Lane, Anna Hlustik, Emannella Hillman, Christine Rigg, Gareth Lewis, Cecil Compton, Benita Skellon, Patrick Clarke, Jim Robinson, Albert Nichols, Marguerite Cave, John Lloyd, John Kidney, Frank Clancy, Gustave Rombaut, Lionel Conway, Paul Stewart King, Josephine Studd, Julie Quaile, Fr Bill Brown, Iris Bell, Harriet Thompson, Reginald Brierly, Joan Wiltshire, Alfred Edwards, Marian Jackson, Kathleen Ford, Gertrude Bridges, Elsie Asher, Edmund Golembiewski, Ann Frances Littlewood, Marie Louise Clements, Alfred Johnson, Jennifer Lyons.
May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Volunteer Stewards Needed
In order to continue to provide opportunities for private prayer and to enable the attendance at Mass, the church needs continued support of volunteer stewards. Please check the online booking system for further details and how to support the parish during these difficult times.
Baptisms and Marriages
If you have had a Baptism or Marriage postponed during the lockdown, you might like to contact Fr Kevin; please call him to arrange a new date.
Home for Rent
Bernadette Timothy, a regular parishioner, is looking for a Catholic family / couple to rent her 3 bedroom, recently renovated, semi detached home in Rayleigh. The property will be available from mid August and all queries can be made to office@lourdesleigh.org
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus tells us this Sunday Do not be afraid…
Dear friends in Christ
We are returning this Sunday to Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar and we continue the reading of Saint Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus tells us this Sunday Do not be afraid… fear was undoubtedly experienced by Matthew when Jesus called him. Whenever we think of life, especially the future, we may often be filled with many apprehensions. We have been living through days and weeks of uncertainty since the end of March, and many of us have been confused in our minds about what has is happening. All the way through the Scriptures there is the the constant admonition: Do not be afraid. Fear is something very dominant in our world these days: the fear of where society is going, fear for our health, fear for our jobs and the well-being of our families; what will the world, my life, look like in six months time? Fear is a very debilitating emotion; it can paralyse us. If we are children of God, then we know by faith that we can live securely under His protection. Whatever happens, God knows about it and has allowed it for some reason — best known to Himself — so that we may benefit from it. We cannot believe that what has occurred in the world and in our lives these past months has not got a supernatural meaning. If the world cannot see it, then we at least must. God is calling us, as he called Saint Matthew, to be totally dependant upon Him, to follow Him, trust Him and know that we are in His safe and loving hands.
Now that the Parish has been able to see the completed work on the Reredos, I hope you will remember to pray for the repose of soul of the benefactor who made this possible, together with those Parishioners who made donations, which has more than paid for the work. The general appreciation for the restoration has been lovely to hear. We have a beautiful church, and everything in it is done for the glory of God and not merely for show. I am grateful to the many Parishioners who encouraged this work. I am so pleased that it has surpassed expectations, restoring it to it’s original glory!
It has been a tremendous joy to have been able to have the church open again this week, albeit for only a couple of hours each day. We are extremely grateful to all those who have volunteered to act as stewards and cleaners. We shall be in need of this help for the weeks to come and if you can help, please go to the relevant area on the Parish website and hit the volunteer button. Once we are allowed to start coming back to Mass and the Sacraments, we will need this help even more. Obviously the numbers allowed to gather at any one time will need to be regulated and with your help, we can manage this effectively.
God bless you all in this coming week!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary time
Saturday 20 June
5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sunday 21
11.30am Mass Vi and Will Coveney RIP
5.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition & Benediction
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Monday 22
SS John Fisher Bp and Thomas More Mm
9am Mass Tom and Benitta Skellon RIP
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Tuesday 23
St Etheldreda
9am Mass William Armstrong RIP anniversary
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Wednesday 24
Nativity of St John The Baptist
9am Mass Betty Gray RIP anniversary
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Thursday 25
9am Mass Canon Edward Matthews RIP
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Friday 26
9am Mass Paula Chandler RIP anniversary
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Saturday 27
St Cyril of Alexandria Bp
10am Mass 50th Wedding Anniversary of Paul and Carol Haldenby
10.30am Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with
Divine Mercy Chaplet
SS Peter and Paul
5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with
Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sunday 28
11.30am Mass Teresa Parascandolo RIP anniversary
5.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition & Benediction with
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Pray for the Repose of the Souls
Angela Hughes, who died on 31st May
Canon Vincent Berry, who died on 14th June
Parish Fundraising
Thank you to everyone who supports the 200 Club. The results this month are:
1st prize £150 9 Mr S Pearson
2nd Prize £100 178 Mr A Tisi
3rd Prize £75 49 Mr P Smyth
4th Prize £50 112 Commander C Paterson
5th Prize £25 162 Master S McCarthy
How the Catholic Church helped unemployed labourers in the 1920s
Father Gilbert and the building of our beautiful church!
Pray for our sick
Marie Karaf, Richard Collins, Christine Reid, Gilberte Cook, Garry Pearman, Anne Owen, Adrian Barclay, Patricia Ann Darroch, Peggy Larman, Sylvia Langley, Patricia Vanner, Amy Louise Fox, Sarah Savage, Bill O’Connell, Janet Weale, Charlotte O’Neil, Ella Williams, David Kislingbury, Mark Shepherd, Eileen Bines, Breege McCaffrey, Mark Hartley, Austin Butler, John Lavery, Paul Keane, Rosemary Bragard, Pat Lynch, Maureen Gooding, Dympna Addecott, Ben Wilson, Christian Ryan, Mike Rubbert, Tina Doveaston, Addi Brady, 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, Elizabeth McConalogue, Kean Smith, Keith Maliff & children, Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Connie Price, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price & Frazer Gregory.
Pray for Our Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr Edward Thomas, Canon James Dacey, Mary Wright, Doreen Faux, Patricia Larman, Francis Woodward, Sidney Baldwin, Anthony Gwatkin, Francesco Ciccone, Peter Liddell, Rosemary Conway, Frank Cope, Marie Kidd, Stella Migdalski, Mildred Turner, Henry Adamson, Rory McNaughtan, Julie Emerson, Pat Collins, Joseph Whomes, Rosemary Montgomery, Esther Wilkins, Teresa Parascandolo, Mary Sutcliffe, Elizabeth Gandee, Derek Cousins
May their Souls and all the Souls of the Faithful Departed, rest in peace
Corpus Christi — the Body and Blood of Christ
The Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi — the Feast most dear to my heart.
Dear Friends in Christ
It may come as no surprise when I say that the Solemnity this Sunday — The Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi — is the Feast most dear to my heart. This is because it is THE Mystery of Faith, the touchstone of Catholic belief, and the reason, quite simply, why I am a priest. Some of the most beautiful prayers in Catholic liturgy and piety have been composed around this feast and the abiding Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The prayers which are used at the Mass for this Sunday are largely those composed (in Latin, of course!) by St Thomas Aquinas. Hymns such as O Salutaris, Tantum Ergo, Lauda Sion and so on, are examples of the faith that poured forth from his heart and pen. The Saints and Theologians down the centuries gave of their best in praise and worship of Christ in the Eucharist. We also try — I try — to give the best possible to Jesus in the Mass. We try to surround Him with as much love and perfection as possible: in words, music, vessels and vesture. Nothing we have is ever too excessive for the worship of God on earth.
I am sure that celebrating this great Feast will only renew the pain many of you feel in not being able to receive Holy Communion. Someone told me this week that they knew the exact number of days it has been since they had last received! Some words of St John Vianney may help us this week:
“When we cannot come to church, let us turn at least in the direction of the Tabernacle. The good God has no walls to stop Him. Let us pray the Our Father and Hail Mary and make a spiritual communion… though we cannot receive Him, a soul on fire with love makes up for that by the desire of receiving Him at every moment.”
As of this Monday — 15 June — we are allowed to open our churches for private visits and prayer. There will still not be any public liturgies nor group prayer. I am proposing to have our church open 11am-1pm, Monday-Saturday. You will read elsewhere in the Notices the requirements if we are to do this correctly. If you are able to offer your services as a volunteer, please hit the button:
The work on the restoration of the Reredos has been virtually completed. This has been an opportune time for carrying out the work safely and in accordance with the guidelines for people returning to work. As I have told you previously, this work was possible through a bequest specifically for this purpose, plus some other donations from Parishioners. The overall result of the work is very beautiful and restores the Reredos to something of its original glory. We are very fortunate to have a church which speaks to us of the Holy, the Sacred and the Beautiful. Everything in our church is there for the glory of God and the dignity of the sacred liturgy. The restoration work says something about our reverence for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Tabernacle. We can never adore God as He truly deserves or as we would wish but our generous displays of honour arise from hearts full of faith and piety. When we return to church for Mass and the other Sacraments, we can do so in the certain knowledge that we have been truly longing for this time. The words of two Psalms resonate with this:
“Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul longs for you, my God”
“It is your face, O Lord, that I seek, hide not your face”
God bless you and keep us all united in His Eucharistic Heart!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Corpus Christi
The Body and Blood of Christ
Saturday 13 June
5.30pm Vigil Mass Gwendoline Underwood RIP anniversary
6.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sunday 14
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition & Benediction with
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Monday 15
9am Mass Teresa O’Brien RIP anniversary
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Tuesday 16
St Richard of Chichester Bp
9am Mass Grahame Addecott RIP
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Wednesday 17
9am Mass Charles and Alice Whitefield RIP
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Thursday 18
9am Mass Canon John Berry RIP
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Friday 19
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
9am Mass Intentions of Margaret Hiscock
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
7pm Holy Hour: Benediction
Saturday 20
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
10am Mass Intentions of Eric and Stella Dobson: 50th Wedding Anniversary
10.30am Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sunday 21
11.30am Mass Vi and Will Coveney RIP
5.30pm Holy Hour: Exposition & Benediction with
6pm Divine Mercy Chaplet
Pray for the repose of the souls
Vivien Clancy RIP
died 19 May
Angela Hughes RIP
died 30 May
“Father of mercies and God of all consolation,
you pursue us with untiring love
and dispel the shadow of death
with the bright dawn of life.
Comfort your family in their loss and sorrow.
Be our refuge and our strength, O Lord,
and lift us from the depths of grief
into the peace and light of your presence.
Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
by dying has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.
Enable us therefore to press on towards him,
so that, after our earthly course is run,
he may reunite us with those we love,
when every tear will be wiped away.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”