Tea/Coffee Mornings

With effect from 6th September, coffee, tea and cake will be served in the Parish Centre after the 9am Mass on Mondays and Thursdays. Please come and join us!

Magnificat

For the month of September only, you can have free access to the digital version of MAGNIFICAT.

We hope that you will want to subscribe for the printed version and invite you to do so. Visit the dedicated page for more information.

In order to subscribe to the printed version from October, you will need to order by the 12th September 2021.

For more details please contact
margaret@catholicherald.co.uk
or 0203 882 9432

Vacancies at St Bernard's

We have a number of support staff vacancies that we are trying to fill at present. Full details and an application form can be found on our website:  www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk.

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

Even though at Mass this weekend we resume the reading of St Mark’s Gospel, I will be concluding my reflections on the Mass; the fifth and final one in the series. I hope to say something about the Communion and Concluding Rites of the Mass. This was deferred because of Our Lady’s Assumption two weeks ago with the proper liturgy for that celebration. Even though we are hearing St Mark at Mass this Sunday (we concluded the sixth chapter of St John last week) he nevertheless teaches us something about how we must approach God in the Mass with pure hearts. Part of our preparation for participation in the Mass requires us to be attuned to the things of God; to have a clear conscience before receiving Holy Communion, and to do so with a pure intention. This may mean that we need to be purified in the Sacrament of Penance so that we do not receive Our Lord in a state of serious sin. Just as the Jewish Law required its adherents to go though external rites of purification, so these symbolise the purity of heart necessary for approaching God in the Eucharist. All of the recent Homilies are available on the Parish YouTube channel. My hope is that these meditations have given us again an occasion to pause and consider, in more depth, what we do when we come to Holy Mass; how the Sunday celebration is at the pinnacle of all we are and do; and that our greater love of the Blessed Eucharist will instil within us a desire for Heaven.

During this coming week a number of our priests will be moving to take-up their new appointments around the Diocese; several are retiring as Parish Priests. We offer them all our prayerful good wishes for the future. Fr Jean-Claude Selvini—retiring Parish Priest of Hainault and known to many of you—will be coming to live in the Parish here. We warmly welcome Fr Jean-Claude and look forward to him becoming involved in Parish life: celebrating one of the Sunday Masses and being available for some limited pastoral duties.

For many, this Bank Holiday weekend is the last before a return to work, especially our Schools; so, I wish everyone who is returning, a blessed and fruitful year ahead!

As from the first Friday in September, we will resume our monthly day of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which is for the intentions of the Parish each month. This will be from after the midday Mass until Holy Hour and Benediction from 7-8pm.

Msgr Kevin Hale

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.30pm Vigil Mass Jose Conlu, RIP
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

8am Mass Rita O'Regan, RIP (CM)
9.30am Mass Intentions of Cynthia Bush (SG)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

Monday 30
Ss Margaret Clitherow Anne Line & Margaret Ward, Mm
10am Mass Intentions of Florian and Dawid Massalski (AA)

Tuesday 31
St Aidan, Bp and Saints of Lindisfarne
9am Mass Michael Edwards, RIP (Anniversary) (KE)

Wednesday 1 September
St Sebbi, King of the East Saxons
9am Mass John & Pat Moon, RIP (SM)

Thursday 2
Feria
9am Mass Charles Doherty, RIP (MD)

Friday 3
St Gregory the Great, P, D - First Friday
12noon Kim Kelly, RIP (MW)
12.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament concluding with
Holy Hour & Benediction 7-8pm

Saturday 4
St Cuthbert, Bp,
10am Mass Intentions of Rudy Navarra
10.30-11.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

Sunday 5 September

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.30pm Vigil Mass Intentions of the de Souza Family (AdS)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

8am Mass The People of the Parish
9.30am Mass Intentions of Margaret Kelly (MH)
11.30am Mass Intentions of Peter & Marie Murphy - 60th Wedding Anniversary (OC)
4pm Mass Helen Hiscock, RIP (1962 Missal)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

We Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries

Canon John Sloane, Canon John Walsh, Canon Cyril Shepherd, Fr Patrick Cavanagh, Vera Goldman, Margaret Knight, Antoni Byczynski, Campbell Coe, Gladys Robson, Doris Bree, Catherine Marriott, John Flemming, Pat Moon, Celia Peace, Frederick John Lea, John Harris, Harry Hammond, Kathleen Law, Victor Parrish & Anne Hall.

We Pray for our Sick

John Murphy, Mary Monaghan, Jennifer Biebuyck, Moira Scott, Jill Yates, Leonora Maguire, Brian Mountier, Renata Butler, Margaret Bartle, Tony Downey, Kristy Monferrari, Fred Ring, Ian Irwin, Russell Short, Marie Karaf, Gilberte Cook, Garry Pearman, Patricia Ann Darroch, Peggy Larman, 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, 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, Dawn Deleigh, Lorraine Hart, Linda Dean, 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, Bradley & children: Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Connie Price, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price & Frazer Gregory.

We pray for the Repose of the Soul of

AGNES (UNA) PHILOMENA YOUNG, RIP who died on recently. Her Body will be received into the Church on Thursday, 9th September at 4.30pm and her Requiem mass will be celebrated on Friday, 10th September at 11.15am, followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.

Music at 11.30 Mass on Sunday

Prelude: Largo (Voluntary VII, Op. 6) - Samuel Wesley (1766-1837)

Postlude: Fantasia in C minor, BWV 562 - J S Bach (1685-1750)

March for Life

The March for Life will take place on Saturday 4th September 2021. A number of indoor events for children, teens and adults will take place from 10am until 1pm in The Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 3DW. The March to Parliament Square, will start outside The Emmanuel Centre at 1.30pm. There will be a number of Pro-Life speakers at Parliament Square, including Bishop John Keenan who will travel all the way from Scotland to attend this very important event. For more details see: www.MarchForLife.co.uk

First Holy Communion 2022

If you have a child going into Year 3 in September and would like them to make their First Holy Communion in 2022, please complete the on-line Registration Form, available on the Parish Website under Sacraments, and return it to the Parish office no later than Thursday, 30th September.

If your child was not Baptised at Our Lady of Lourdes, please submit a copy of their Baptismal Certificate (scan or photocopy).

Further details regarding meetings etc. will be published in the weekly newsletter. 

Baptisms

We congratulate the parents of Freddie Ralph & Harry John Tollady who were Baptised recently at Our Lady of Lourdes. May God bless them and their family as they grow in His knowledge and love.

Fundraising for St Vincent de Paul (SVP England & Wales)

1 MAN - 27 DAYS - 400 MILES

Sounds like the start of a trailer for the latest blockbuster but in fact, this is the epic challenge set down by one of our intrepid volunteers to raise funds to support the work we, St Vincent's Centre, Southend do with the homeless and most vulnerable in our community.  

At 8am on Saturday 28th August 2021, Kenny Carmichael will leave Southend on the adventure of a lifetime, walking to Land's End with nothing but an 85 litre rucksack on his back and a tent! 

Having witnessed friends and family suffer with mental health problems, Kenny signed up as a volunteer with the SVP (St Vincent de Paul) in 2020. Seeing the incredible work the charity does within the community, supporting up to 300 people a month, he felt moved to do more and so his extraordinary plan evolved.  

So how can you get involved? 

1. Follow and share Kenny's journey on Facebook (St Vincent's Centre, Southend - Short Street).

2. Get a group of people to start him off in the morning and send him off.

3. Visit Kenny's Just Giving page via the link on our Facebook page and make a donation.

4. If you are physically able to, why not join Kenny on part of his walk?

5. Get a company/ business involved in sponsoring Kenny's journey!

6. Can you wash his clothing on the way - Pick up and drop off ASAP so will need a dryer.

7. Join us in seeing Kenny off from our centre in Short Street at 8am on Saturday 28th August and enjoy a free BBQ breakfast (please let us know you are coming by contacting us on 01702 5929800.

If you would like to know more about Kenny's Walk for Wellbeing, please check out our Facebook page or feel free to contact us at the centre on 01702 595280! I have attached what we have achieved for our last month at the centre and the pamphlets for the even.

Here are the links to get involved and understand the challenge further.

JustGiving  Daniel Cauchi is fundraising for St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP England and Wales) (justgiving.com)

Facebook:  This is where we will be doing daily video clips (11) St Vincent's Centre, Southend - Short Street | Facebook

Thank you in advance for your support and I invite you to come and see the centre at some stage.  I will be happy to show you around.

Flower & Arts Festival - Saturday 11th September 11am-4.30pm

A huge thank you to everyone who has accepted the challenge! We now have photographs, hangings and tapestries to accompany our flower displays for the festival on 11th Sept. We also have volunteers to provide refreshments on the day. So now we need you.

Please come along on the day to support us and bring friends, family and neighbours, especially those who do not attend any church. 

We would also like help with welcoming people who come into the church. In the past we have had some wonderful conversations with visitors who have wanted to learn about us. So if you can spend some time just being a welcoming presence it would all help to provide a more reflective experience in our beautiful church.

We would also welcome donations of flowers on the morning of Friday 10th September to supplement the displays.

Thanks again to all who have contributed already.

Serving the Homeless are holding a wine tasting evening in conjunction with Vino Vero of Leigh Road at St Margaret’s Hall, Leigh-on-Sea on Saturday, 9th October. Tickets are £20 and include cheese and nibbles, as well as a range of wines to taste in a fun and lively format. Tables are for six to eight people, so you can book a table or, if you are coming as an individual or smaller group, please let us know and we will add you to another table. To book please ring Linda on 01702 558217with your name, contact details and names of your guests.

Thomas Maxfield - Brave the Shave 'Thank you'

I just wanted to thank Fr. Kevin and all the Parishioners who donated to my fundraiser in memory of my Aunt Caroline. The final total raised was £1,125. I'm so grateful for all the support I have received and I am slowly getting used to my short haircut.

God bless Thomas

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

The final segment of the Eucharistic Discourse in the Gospel of St John is read for us at Mass this Sunday. Jesus throws down the gauntlet. They complain about His teaching them that He is the Bread of Eternal Life and that we must feed on Him. Many of the Jews walked away, incredulous and repelled by such teaching. So Jesus wants to know who His true disciples will be and challenges the Twelve, asking them: Will you also go away? It is Peter who speaks for the rest: To whom shall we go, You alone have the words of eternal life. They recognise in Jesus the Saviour of the world. Every time we attend Holy Mass we too affirm our hope in eternal life and that Jesus Himself feeds us on His Word and on His Sacrament. Through the Eucharist, Jesus teaches us to look upon the present with the eyes of eternity. We find in the Holy Eucharist the strength we need to undertake what remains of our journey to the Father’s house. The Holy Eucharist is an eternal pledge to us.

It assures us of Heaven. This is the dowry sent to us by Heaven as a promise that one day it will be our resting place. What is more, Jesus Christ will cause our bodies to rise again with greater glory, insofar as we have frequently and reverently received Him in Holy Communion (St John Vianney).

I will conclude my reflections on the Mass next weekend—after the wonderful interlude of Mary’s Assumption last Sunday—as we think about the Eucharistic Prayer this weekend and finally the Communion Rite.

I wish you all a blessed week ahead and God’s blessing!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

8am Mass Philip O'Connor, RIP (CM)
9.30am Mass Thomas Walsh RIP, (Anniversary) (MC)
11.30am Mass Tom & Rita O'Callaghan (Wedding Anniversary) (JA)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

Monday 23
St Rose of Lima, V
9am Mass Margaret McFarlane, RIP (Anniversary) (MW)

Tuesday 24
St Bartholomew, Ap
9am Mass Intentions of Maura Irwin (UO)

Wednesday 25
St Louis
9am Mass Eugene Renehan, RIP (Anniversary) (MH)

Thursday 26
Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, Pr
9am Mass Intentions of Emma Harris & Milo Challis (CH)

Friday 27
St Monica
12noon Margaret Owens, RIP (Anniversary) (SO)

Saturday 28
St Augustine, Bp, D
10am Mass Marion Payne, RIP (Anniversary) (VP)
10.30-11.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

Sunday 29 August

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.30pm Vigil Mass Jose Conlu, RIP
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

8am Mass Rita O'Regan, RIP (CM)
9.30am Mass Intentions of Cynthia Bush (SG)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

We Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries

Fr George Gresley, Fr Sean Sheils, Canon Vincent Cameron, Fr Bernard Collings, Teresa Griffiths, Anne McCarthy, Ronald Abnett, Eileen Shears, Christopher Poulain, John Ryan, Valerie Griggs, Marian Hart, Dorothy Scott, Stephen McGough, Stephen Cornell, Margaret Acaster, Col Ernest G Petter, Bernard Squires, John Lowndes, Louise Newman, Veronica Maguire, Margaret Owens, Alan Tate, Mary (Molly) Frances Horn, Basil Emmerson, Stella Stanley, William Pearson, Peter James Scott, Kathleen Shanahan, Charles Capon, Nellie Aynsley, Marjorie Clarke, Sheila King, Marian Payne, Vivien Payne & Martin Payne.

We Pray for our Sick

Mary Monaghan, Jennifer Biebuyck, Moira Scott, Jill Yates, Leonora Maguire, Brian Mountier, Renata Butler, Margaret Bartle, Tony Downey, Kristy Monferrari, Fred Ring, Ian Irwin, Russell Short, Marie Karaf, Gilberte Cook, Garry Pearman, Patricia Ann Darroch, Peggy Larman, 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, 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, Dawn Deleigh, Lorraine Hart, Linda Dean, 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, Bradley & children: Thomas Ball, Liam Davis, Connie Price, Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Mary Isherwood, Lucy Price & Frazer Gregory.

First Holy Communion 2022

If you have a child going into Year 3 in September and would like them to make their First Holy Communion in 2022, please complete the on-line Registration Form, available on the Parish Website under Sacraments, and return it to the Parish office no later than Thursday, 30th September.

If your child was not Baptised at Our Lady of Lourdes, please submit a copy of their Baptismal Certificate (scan or photocopy).

Further details regarding meetings etc. will be published in the weekly newsletter.