Second Sunday after the Nativity
Dear friends in Christ
I wish each and everyone of you a Happy New Year!
I am very conscious that many families and individuals have been isolating over the Christmas period and I can imagine that this has been debilitating and frustrating. The hardships that many have experienced may serve to help us have some insight into the life of the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary and Joseph—in the days following the birth of Our Lord. They had been traveling for the census and had to make-do with what accommodation they could find. They then fled in fear of Herod to Egypt. All of the privations associated with the Christmas story make us realise that it was far from the idyllic scenario we like to imagine. As a new year begins, we also have new expectations that life will improve. For so many in our world the stability of a safe and clean home is not a reality. I am thinking of so any refugees driven their homelands. We must be grateful to all those groups who try to relieve the sufferings of those unfortunate people who have no means of providing for themselves.
On Thursday we will contemplate the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem. Led by the star of faith, they brings gifts rich in symbolism: gold for the new King; incense for the worship of the True God; myrrh for his suffering and Passion. May the celebration of the Epiphany be a moment once more for us, to contemplate God-made-flesh and give us the impetus to go to Him, and seeing Him, convey the Good News of His presence on earth to those we encounter.
God bless you throughout 2022!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Second Sunday after the Nativity
Sunday 2 January
Saturday,Vigil Mass 5.30pm the People of the Parish
Second Sunday after the Nativity
8am MassMaureen Regan, RIP (Anniv) (CR)
9.30am Mass Yvonne Kiernan, RIP (JA)
11.30am Mass Gregory Power, RIP (MP)
4pm Mass Tai Ba Do, Paul Do Dinh Chiuong, Hguyen Duc Doam & All Souls (EP)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 3
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
10am Mass Terence Wilson (Astro) (SM)
Tuesday 4
Feria of Christmastide
9am Mass Intentions of Ali Campbell and Family (SM)
Wednesday 5
Feria of Christmastide
9am Mass David Amess' Family (SG)
Thursday 6
The Epiphany of the Lord—Holyday of Obligation
9.15am Mass Maisie & Terence Renehan, RIP (Anniv) (MH)
12Noon Mass The People of the Parish
8pm Mass Oscar James Smith (MF)
Friday 7
Feria of Christmastide—First Friday
12Noon Mass Tom & Denise Hagger 50th Wedding Anniversary (T&H) Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until Holy Hour 7-8pm
Saturday 8 January
Feria of Christmastide
10am Mass Peter Griffin, RIP (Anniv) (SG)
10.30-11.30am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
Sunday 9 January
The Baptism of the Lord
5.30pm Mass Alex Guggisberg and Vu Que and All Holy Souls (EP)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
8am Mass The People of the Parish
9.30am Mass Tommy Byrnes, RIP (Anniv) (SG)
11.30am Mass Essie Glauda, RIP (Anniv) (KC)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
We Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr Francis Heenan, Canon Patrick McKenna, Fr Canon John Bloomfield, Fr Denis Cantwell, Emily Swann, Mary O‘Toole, Annie French, Jules Deuss, Ethel Milo, Simon Burgoyne, Violet Jackson, Millicent Ransom, Joseph Hazell, Eileen Murray, Maureen Regan, Helen cotton, Len Gardner, Hannah Flintoff, Eileen Bull, Frances Ryan, Brita Irons, Len Plummer, Anthony Ryan, Hilda Edwards, Walter Burden, Ricky (Lola) Clarke, Lena Austin, Lucien Saw, Eric Tarrrant, Niall Cooney, Essie Glauda, Mary Josephine Herbert, Arthur Jackson, Ivy Whiting, Phyliss Sullivan, Patricia Dear, Sibyl Hardy, Gerald Vickers, Claire Mellish, Duncan Boyle, John Bloomfield, Minnie Fogarty, Brean McInerney, Blodweh Owen, Louise Alexandra Marsden, Hester Masi, Walter McGune, Melissa Overton, John O’Leary, Elizabeth Hancock, Marie Thompson, Doreen Clements & Firmina Rose Bailey.
We Pray for our Sick
Roland Clark, Kenneth Biebuyck, Zach Stokes. Andrew Stokes, Noel Conroy, Marjorie Jay, Paul Sutton, 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, 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, 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, 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 Souls of
EILEEN WASKETT, RIP. Her Requiem Mass will take place on Wednesday, 5th January at 12.45pm followed by burial at Sutton Road Cemetery.
JOHANNA SADOWSKI, RIP. Her funeral service will take place on Monday, 10th January at 3.20pm at Southend Crematorium West chapel.
SHEILA DE CHANTILLY, RIP. Her body will be received into the church on Thursday, 13th January at 5pm and her Requiem Mass will take place on Friday, 14th January at 10.45am followed by burial at Sutton Road Cemetery.
Dates for your Diary
Wednesday 25th May Visitation of the Bishop & Confirmation
Saturdays 14th & 21st May First Holy Communion Masses
Chorister for a Day
Brentwood Cathedral will be hosting a ‘Be a Cathedral Chorister for a Day’ opportunity for boys aged 7-12 on Saturday 29thJanuary 2022. The day will begin at 10.30am with a welcome for families and will end with Choral Vespers at 4 pm, an opportunity for everyone to hear the boys sing. We hope the day will be of interest to all boys who enjoy singing, whatever their prior musical experience. We will be holding a similar day for girls later in the year. For more details and to register a place, please visit www.cathedralbrentwood.org or telephone 01277 265288.
Lourdes Ladies Group
Our next Meeting is on Thursday, 6th January in the Parish Centre from 10.15am to 12 Noon. Please join us for a ‘Social morning’ when there will be an opportunity for everyone to catch up with news and events over coffee & cake! All women are welcome to an enjoyable and relaxing morning, meeting friends, old and new, over refreshments and chat. Subs only £1, plus raffle.
Crib Offerings
The Crib scene depicting the Nativity helps us to focus on the Incarnation of Christ and His love for the whole of humanity. Traditionally, the Offerings placed at the Crib go to help the work of the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society. This important Charity within our diocese gives constant and generous assistance to children with various needs. The Crib remains in place until February 2nd, Feast of The Presentation of The Lord.
Covid Precautions
From Friday 10th December face coverings became compulsory in most public indoor venues, including places of worship, following recent new strains of the virus. We do ask everyone to continue to be vigilant by taking the necessary sanitary precautions when in church: sanitising your hands and respecting the space of others. There has been a further clarification sent from our Bishops with regard to singing in places of worship: HM Government guidance states that “There is a reasonable excuse for someone to remove a face covering when it is reasonably necessary for them to sing, for example, if they are singing as part of a choir, or during a service, rehearsal or for a performance.”
The current Church guidance states that congregational singing should take place with face coverings in place and choirs and soloists may sing without such coverings.
When coming to Holy Communion you are reminded that if you wish to receive on the tongue then you should come last in the queue; everyone should please remember to remove masks before receiving. This is to ensure practicality and reverence for the Sacred Host and avoid mishaps.
16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
As part of the worldwide consultation ahead of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, to be held in October 2023, the Diocese of Brentwood has launched the first stages of its Synodal Pathway. Each parish has been asked to make contributions by the end of January and it is important that voices from our parish are heard.
We are therefore asking parishioners and regular worshippers to reflect on a short series of questions, under the Synod themes of communion, participation and mission and to submit their responses online.
Please visit LourdesLeigh.org/synod for full details.
Journey in Faith (RCIA)
The Journey in Faith sessions resume on Monday, 10th January in the Parish Centre at 8pm.
Feast of the Holy Family
Dear friends in Christ
I wish you all the blessings of this Christmas Season!
Dear friends in Christ
I wish you all the blessings of this Christmas Season!
The Sunday following Christmas Day is a celebration of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, Joseph. God chose to initiate the redemption of the world from the midst of a human family. This feast is a moment for us to give thanks for our own families through which we have come to know and love God and His Mysteries
Thankfully we are able to celebrate Christmas with more solemnity than we could last year! I am grateful for all of the help that has been provided to make this Christmas both joyful and beautiful. So many parishioners work quietly away ensuring that the church and the administration of the Parish continues efficiently. I am grateful to all of you who contribute to this, as well as all of the extra help that has been given during the last year and throughout the pandemic, to keep the church open, clean, and safe.
I thank you very much for your many greetings, prayers, gifts and Christmas offerings which have been a great support and joy to me! I have missed seeing many of you personally in this last year but hopefully, as we move ahead and life becomes brighter, more of us may feel confident to emerge from isolation and shielding.
May the coming year—by the grace of God--be filled with optimistic hope as we continue to live united in the bonds of faith and charity.
I wish you all a happy New Year and every blessing for 2022!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Feast of the Holy Family
Sunday 26 December
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph
8am Mass Anna Kilcoyne, RIP (PL)
9.30am Mass Intentions of David Hudson (JD)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 27
St John, Ap, Evangelist
10am Mass Intentions of the Altar Servers and their Families
Tuesday 28
The Holy Innocents, Mm
9am Mass Lyn Peters, RIP (CS)
Wednesday 29
St Thomas of Canterbury, Bp, M
9am Mass Sir David Amess, RIP (CS)
Thursday 30
Sixth Day within the octave of Christmas
9am Mass Steve & Agnes McManus, RIP (Anniv) (SW)
Friday 31
Seventh Day within the octave of Christmas
12Noon Mass Yekky Sannie-Lamptey, RIP (AC)
6.00pm Holy Hour, Benediction & Te Deum for the end of year
Saturday 1 January
Mary, Mother of God
12noon Mass Irene Hurst, RIP (LC)
Sunday 2 January
Second Sunday after the Nativity
5.30pm Mass The People of the Parish
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
8am Mass Maureen Regan, RIP (Anniv) (CR)
9.30am Mass Yvonne Kiernan, RIP (JA)
11.30am Mass Gregory Power, RIP (MP)
4pm Mass Tai Ba Do, Paul Do Dinh Chiuong, Hguyen Duc Doam & All Souls (EP)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
We Pray for the Dead their Anniversaries
Fr Francis Greenan, Fr Francis Wilson, Canon John Byrne, Fr Brian Reeves, Fr James Duffy, Fr Jim Wilkinson, John Hurley, Amelia Eaglesfield, Flor Perez de Pina, P.A. Holcombe, Mrs Beeching, James O’Donnell, Francis Gibson, Mary Fitzroy, Deirdre Gray, James Keefe, Doris Swinney, Joseph Dologhan, Audrey O’Connell, Catherine Rankilor, Doreen Foley, Nora Phillips, Adrian Dann, Francis Cook, Peter Whale, Frederick Thomas Ross, Stephen McManus, Ana Siani, David Scot-Frame, Sylvia Sippitt, Louis Mooney, George Lane, Leslie Dawson, Mary Reilly, Michael McGaughey, Thomas Woolcott, John Sinclair, Joan Gubbins, Kate Lessons, Kathleen Lewin, Gregory Power & Maureen Guihen.
We pray for our Sick
Roland Clark, Kenneth Biebuyck, Zach Stokes. Andrew Stokes, Noel Conroy, Marjorie Jay, Paul Sutton, 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, 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, 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, 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 Souls of
EILEEN WASKETT, RIP. Her Requiem Mass will take place on Wednesday, 5th January at 12.45pm followed by burial at Sutton Road Cemetery.
JOHANNA SADOWSKI, RIP. Her funeral service will take place on Monday, 10th January at 3.20pm at Southend Crematorium West chapel.
SHEILA DE CHANTILLY, RIP. Her body will be received into the church on Thursday, 13th January at 5pm and her Requiem Mass will take place on Friday, 14th January at 10.45am followed by burial at Sutton Road Cemetery.
Sanctuary Lamp
The lamp burns for the deceased members of the McManus and West Families and Kathryn Shepherd, RIP.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Dear friends in Christ
One of the preludes to the Nativity is the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.
Dear friends in Christ
One of the preludes to the Nativity is the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. We meditate on this during the Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary and it is present before our eyes in the reredos of our church, to the left of the Tabernacle. We ponder here the charity that motivated Our Blessed Lady to go with haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. It is so beautiful that John the Baptist—in the womb of Elizabeth—leaps with joy at his proximity to Jesus in the womb of Mary. This exquisite finesse of the two women teaches us how to live in the presence of the Incarnate Word. Very soon we shall be celebrating again the Birthday of Our Saviour. We want to do this with Christian faith and devotion, even if the majority of people around us may not even be aware of the significance of this Mystery we celebrate. Let us make that room for Jesus, even if since the first Christmas night He has found it difficult to find a place to welcome Him. Let us come to Christmas Mass with the simplicity of Mary and Joseph, so conscious of the meaning of this Birth; so aware also of how much it has changed the world and our lives. The Incarnation has made it possible for us to live on earth as the children of God. Mary and Elizabeth remind us of this—in the Visitation—and together they teach us the lessons of divine love.
God bless you all in this final week of Advent and for the forthcoming celebration of Christmas!
Msgr Kevin Hale