Dates for your Diary

Weekend 2nd/3rd October Mission Appeal—For Comboni Missions

Monday 4th October Journey in Faith begins (RCIA)
Parish Centre, Bernadette Room—8pm

Thursday 7th October Meeting for Parents of First Communicants
Parish Centre—8pm

Thursday 4th November Annual Parish Requiem—8pm

Thursday 25th—Saturday 27th November
Annual Days of Eucharistic Exposition

Sunday 5th December Christmas Bazaar—8.45am to 1pm

Friday 17th December Serving the Homeless Carol Service—7pm

Wednesday 25th May Visitation of the Bishop & Confirmation

Saturdays 14th & 21st May First Holy Communion Masses

Music at 11.30am Mass on Sunday

Prelude: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV 731 - J S Bach (1685-1750)

Postlude: Choral (Pièces en style libre) - Louis Vierne (1870-1937)

First Holy Communion 2022

If you wish your child to make their First Holy Communion in May 2022, and they are in Year 3 or above, please ensure the online form is completed and submitted by 30th September 2021.

Please note that if your child was not baptised at Our Lady of Lourdes, you will need to provide a copy of their Baptismal Certificate. Please send this to the communion e-mail, which is communion@lourdesleigh.org

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

Applications to Catholic Schools

If any families are applying to a Catholic School for the next academic year, they may wish to have a Certificate of Catholic Practice from their Parish. You should only request one if you are a practising Catholic and these are issued by the Parish Office; and can be had after weekday Masses from next Friday, 24th September and thereafter on Thursdays and Fridays.

Journey in Faith (RCIA)

We will begin once again the Journey in Faith sessions on Monday, 4th October. These evenings are for those wishing to discover more about the Catholic Faith with a view to Reception into the Church. If you know anyone who is interested in learning more about our Faith and wishing to become Catholic, please direct them to Fr Kevin or these evenings. They will be in the Parish Centre—Bernadette Room—and begin at 8pm.

Thank you

A big thank you to everyone who helped to make the Flower & Arts Festival such a great success last Saturday. There were so many who contributed and it was wonderful to be able to work together again on a project. Special thanks to Jan, who organised the refreshments, and her team of helpers, and to Marian for providing the wonderful music. Then of course there were all those who used their fantastic talents to provide the flower displays, quilted hangings and embroidery and photographs which filled the church. Thanks also to Steve for all his help moving things into the church on Friday and out again on Monday!

Finally, thank you to everyone who came to support us on Saturday, especially those who were welcoming people into the church and bringing friends and neighbours to share in the day.

We received £700 in donations to ‘Serving the Homeless’ which we will be using to support the new housing projects at HARP and the YMCA.

Jo & Theresa

OLL Ladies Group

Our next Meeting is on Thursday 23rd September in the Parish Centre from 10.15am. All women in the Parish are welcome, especially new members.

Our guest speaker next week is one of our own Parishioners who has very kindly agreed to come along and talk about her career in the Police force. Please come along and give Liz a very warm welcome. There will be plenty of time to meet friends, old and new, whilst enjoying tea, coffee and cake. Subs are only £1 per session, plus a fun raffle.

St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) 'Awareness Month' - September 2021

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 far 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 Susan Hibbert mob. 07957411373.

Should you wish to support our work, SVP envelopes are available at the back of the Church and can be returned via the offertory collection or to the parish office.  If you would like to know more about the SVP or if you are interested in joining the Society, please get in touch with Susan Hibbert, number as above.

The Thresholds of Hope Questions

The Thresholds of Hope Questions are a series of talks for adults who want to grow in understanding and confidence when questioned or speaking about their Catholic Faith. The talks and discussion will take place on Zoom from 4.00 - 5.00 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. The first talk is on the 19th September and will consider the question: "What is the relationship between faith and reason?" It will be given by Fr Mark Swires, the chaplain at the University of Essex. If you would like to join this discussion please email your name and a contact email address to adultformationvicariate@dioceseofbrentwood.org

For more information about The Thresholds of Hope Questions go to www.thresholdsofhope.co.uk. You will find some leaflets at the back of the Church.

Bereavement Support Group

The planned re-opening of this Group has unfortunately been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, but we are hopeful it will start again in the near future, supporting people who are experiencing loss and bereavement.

Landings for Returning Catholics

If there is a member of your family, a neighbour or a friend who has been away from the church for a while please invite them to the next Landings program. We are running the program once again in the Parish Centre, which will start on 30th September and run for 8 weeks. They can contact the Landings Team for further information on landings@lourdesleigh.org.

Sea of Voices Choir

Our choir plans to recommence singing from Thursday 23rd September in the Parish Centre, which will be open from 7.30pm but starting the singing at 8pm, finishing by 9.30pm for the time being.

An email was recently sent out to all members giving an update that the committee would be meeting to discuss a Choir risk assessment. The draft Risk Assessment will be emailed out to all returning members in due course, giving them the opportunity to give feedback on the measures we plan to put in place for everyone’s safety. Attendees will pay £3 per session, as previously, and sheet music will be provided.

The plan is to put on a Christmas concert in December - as always, we are ambitious! - so we will sing some old favourites and some new songs will be added to our repertoire.

We already have some re-joiners and new singers who want to sing with us, so if you would like to join us (no auditions!) please contact Darrell ( email seaofvoiceschoir@outlook.com ) or speak to other choir committee members at church: Carole Symons, Jacqui Henderson or Adam Carstairs.

Thank you. Darrell Binding.

St Bernard's High School - Year 6 Open Mornings

We will be holding Year 6 Open Mornings in October on the following dates,
by appointment only:

Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th, Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th & Friday 8th October.

There will be 40 minute tours given between 9.15am - 10am & 10am - 10.45am.

Please note that these mornings are for Year 6 students and parents only.

Appointments will be given on a first come, first served basis.

Please call our Reception on 01701 343583 to book a slot.

Missio Red Box Holders

I have received the Autumn 2021 Missio Magazines. If you have not received one from me personally please take one from the back of the Church (in the usual place on the shelf at the entrance). If you have any boxes not opened in the last six months please give them to me personally, or leave them in the Office and I will collect them.

Thank you, Joan Caunce, Secretary 01268 757505.

Tea/Coffee Mornings in the Parish Centre

Please join us for tea, coffee and cake in the Parish Centre after the 9am Mass on Mondays and Thursdays. We look forward to seeing you again!

St Helen's Catholic Primary School

We are looking for Midday Assistants to join our friendly team as soon as possible. Forms and details are on our website www.st-helens.southend.sch.uk

Any questions please contact Mrs Sears 343823.

Magnificat

The link to the free Magnificat digital access is :
https://uk.magnificat.net/offer092021

Vacancies at St Bernard's High School

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-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

In the liturgy of this particular Sunday we are reminded that the most fundamental question of life is about how we view our relationship with God, with Jesus Christ. Our happiness is not in health, worldly success or material things, nor in our ability to get what we want. Our life will be worth something if and when we fall in love with Jesus Christ. All our problems can be resolved if we are close to Him. There is no satisfactory solution to any of the problems and crosses of life without reference to Him. This is the meaning of the Readings this weekend.

Through the testimony of Saint Peter, the Apostles give a summary of what the two years of being next to Him have meant. In our case also, in order to make a more conscious profession of faith in Jesus Christ, we must, like Peter, listen attentively and carefully. We must follow in the school of the first disciples, who had become His witnesses and our teachers. At the same time we must accept the experience and testimony of no less than twenty centuries of history marked by the Master's question and enriched by the immense chorus of responses of the faithful of all times and places (St Pope John Paul II, 7.I.’87). Can we honestly answer the question Jesus puts to Peter and the Twelve and say that there is no other meaning to life except with Him and in Him? When we acknowledge that we want to follow Jesus exclusively, He will help us to carry our daily cross with dignity and refinement. We ask Him to include us among his closest disciples. Lord, take me as I am, with my defects, with my shortcomings, but make me become as you want me to be, just as you did with Saint Peter! (Pope John Paul I, 13.IX.’78).

We must thank all those who have prepared, contributed and made possible the Flower Festival in our church this Saturday. Following the biblical theme of I AM…we have been able to celebrate the Word of God alive amongst us and also have our spirits raised through the beauty of creation.

This Sunday is designated Education Sunday, which gives us the opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks for all who work in the field of forming our young people. You might like to read the message our Bishop has sent for this weekend, which you will find again this week in the Newsletter.

I wish you all a happy and holy week ahead!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.30pm Vigil Mass Joseph & Stella Gallo, RIP (RG)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

8am Mass Intentions of the Maxfield Family (JL)
9.30am Mass Intentions of Genti & Bonn Shpella and Kristian & Dan (TS)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

Monday 13
St John Chrysostom, Bp, D
9am Mass Alan Bush, RIP (Anniversary) (CB)

Tuesday 14
Exaltation (Triumph) of the Holy Cross
9.15am Mass Frank Maguire, RIP (Anniversary) (MM)
Year 6 children from OLOL School attending

Wednesday 15
Our Lady of Sorrows
9am Mass Richard Campbell-Carr, RIP (MI)

Thursday 16
Ss Cornelius, P, and Cyprian, Bp, Mm
9am Mass Charles & Alice Whitefield RIP (FM)

Friday 17
St Robert Bellarmine, Bp, D
12Noon Mass Special Intention of Mya Strzetelska (PM)

Saturday 18
Saturday Memorial of BVM
10am Mass Samuel Patchai, RIP (RP)
10.30-11.30 Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

Sunday 19 September

Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.30pm Vigil Mass Intentions of Mary Daly (ES)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions

8am Mass Tom & Rita O'Callaghan-Wedding Anniversary (LC)
9.30am Mass Intentions of Lucrecia Conlu (JC)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction