Be part of the Walsingham House Team 2022/2023
If you are 18+ and looking for an exciting gap year opportunity, then a year on the Walsingham House Team could be for you. Spend a year as a volunteer in a thriving young Catholic Community, working with thousands of young people from Essex and East London. We are looking for inspiring individuals who want to share their faith with other young people and are also looking to learn new skills, grow deeper in their own faith and enjoy a challenge.
For more information please contact Joseph Beattie, manager of Walsingham House, by emailing josephbeattie@dioceseofbrentwood.org or calling 01277 373959. There is more information about our work on our website (www.bcys.net) and social media @Brentwoodcys
Diocesan Vacancies
Headteacher
Holy Cross Primary School, Harlow
Starting salary L17 – L23 (£63,745 - £73,660). Required for September 2022.
The Governors of Holy Cross invite applications from experienced, enthusiastic and suitably-qualified practising Catholics, to play a key role in the leadership and management of our school to continue to build on our successes.
Deadline for applications: 12:00 pm on Monday 21st February 2022. For further information please contact Karen Slater, PA to Headteacher, on 01279 424452 to arrange this. Alternatively if you would like an application pack please contact Karen Slater by email: karenslater@holycross-pri.essex.sch.uk.
Other positions currently available include:
Catholic Schools Executive Leader (CSEL), Our Lady of Grace Trust, Newham - applications close 11th February, required for September 2022.
Headteacher, Holy Cross Academy, Harlow, effective from September 2022, applications close 21st February, required for September 2022.
Further details of these vacancies and others are available from the diocesan website https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/departments/education/vacancies/school-vacancies/
Vacancy - St Bernard's High School
St Bernard’s High School require Exam Invigilators for this year’s exam season.
£9.50 per hour.
Deadline for applications: Monday 21 February 2022
Application Form on our website: www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk under shared information/vacancies.
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear friends in Christ
On Wednesday—feast of Our Lord's Presentation in the Temple—we conclude the celebration of the Christmas mysteries.
Dear friends in Christ
On Wednesday—feast of Our Lord's Presentation in the Temple—we conclude the celebration of the Christmas mysteries. Mass begins at the Crib with the blessing and procession of candles. It is the feast of light, as we are reminded as we sing the words of Simeon: Lord, you can let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation. It is a moment full of symbolism and beauty as Mary and Joseph present Jesus to the Father. We may see ourselves in this Gospel picture which is a reminder that we were presented to God at our Baptism. At the moment of our Baptism, we were presented to God and incorporated into the life of the Blessed Trinity. Our vocation is to live this offering first made on that occasion, so as to live as children of God in the light.
The fourth Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary is a meditation on the Presentation of Jesus; we see it every time we are in our church depicted to the right of the Adoration of the Magi. The current restoration and decoration work being undertaken on the Rood and Calvary will further harmonise these elements so that we will see something of the original beauty of these figures as when they were unveiled almost one hundred years ago.
On Thursday we celebrate the double feasts of St Anne Line—a native of Essex— and St Blaise, fourth century bishop in Armenia. Saint Blaise is believed to have been a physician who eventually became a "physician of souls." People often turned to Saint Blaise for healing miracles. In 316, the Governor of Cappadocia arrested then-bishop Blaise for being a Christian. On their way to the jail, a woman set her only son, who was choking to death on a fish bone, before Blaise and he cured him. Later when he was imprisoned the woman came to him and brought two fine wax candles in an attempt to dispel the gloom of his darkened cell. From this grew the custom of seeking his intercession for protection against diseases of the throat and so we may receive a special blessing for this—using blessed candles—on Thursday after Mass.
I wish you all a blessed week ahead!
Msgr Kevin Hale
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
5.30pm Mass In memory of Dick & Una Young (RIP) (JY)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
8am Mass The People of the Parish
9.30am Mass John & Anne Downey, RIP (AD)
11.30am Mass Lorraine Nunn, RIP (JS)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 31
St John Bosco, Pr
9am Mass Jimmy Bolger, RIP (MI)
Tuesday 1 February
Feria
9am Mass Intentions of James Vesperas & Joseph Conlu
Wednesday 2
The Presentation of the Lord
Blessing and Procession of Candles before Mass
9am Mass John & Pat Moon, RIP (SM)
Thursday 3
St Anne Line, M
9am Mass Janice Bridge, Paul Do Dinh Chuong & All Souls (EP)
Blessing of St Blaise after Mass
Friday 4
St Agatha, V, M
12Noon Mass Intentions of Henry Gover
12.30pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament concluding with
Holy Hour & Benediction 7-8pm
Saturday 5 February
St Agatha, V, M
10am Mass Intentions of Paul Vooght (LL)
10.30-11.30am: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
Sunday 6 February
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
5.30pm Mass Eric Major, RIP (PM)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
8am Mass Martha Braun, RIP (GM)
9.30am Mass Michael Emerson, RIP (MW)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4pm Mass Peter Griffin, RIP (Anniv) (SG)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
We Pray for the Dead their Anniversaries
Fr Joseph Burns, Fr Enda Keenan, Fr Eric Bindloss Smith, Noel Calnan, May Ferry, Norah Kelly, Wyndham Richards, Mary Abel, Florence White, May Keane, William Moroney, Cissie Burnham, Elizabeth Ray, Peter Griffin, William Gannon, Patricia Robinson, Robert Jones, Kathleen Jennett, Francis Faulkner, Mary Quinn, Pamela Woodley, Myrtle Conridge, Edward Atherton, Florence Miller, James Kerr, Teresa Phelan, John Dickens, Bernard Pycroft, Winifred Wallen, Michael John Shrapnel, Teresa O’Brien, Lilian Abbott, Elizabeth Judge, Margaret O’Connor, Robert Roberton, Margaret Pearson & John Hanna Manna.
We Pray for our Sick
Gerry Clark, 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, 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, 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
DOREEN TROUGHTON, RIP who died on 22nd January. Her Requiem Mass will be on Friday, 18th February at 11am followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
CHARLES PATTERSON, RIP who died on 21st January. His body will be received into church on Tuesday, 15th February at 5pm. Requiem Mass Wednesday, 16th February, 10.45am followed by burial at Sutton Road.
Requiescant in pace
COVID-19 Precautions
From 27th January the country returned to 'Plan A' of Covid precautions. Face coverings are no longer a legal requirement in public indoor venues, including places of worship. Anyone displaying symptoms of Covid-19 should stay at home. Scientific evidence tells us that transmission is via oral or nasal aerosol; touch transmission is minimal. We ask everyone to continue to be vigilant by taking the necessary sanitary precautions when in church: sanitising hands and respecting the space of others; you may wish to continue using a face-covering. The Holy Water stoops may now be filled again. The Sign of Peace can be given in a manner that should respect the desire of others and this may suggest non-contact. 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 please, should remember to remove masks before receiving. This is to ensure practicality and above all, reverence for the Sacred Host and the avoidance of mishaps.
Sick and Housebound
For much of the last two years it has been extremely difficult to make home visits to our sick and housebound either in their homes or our local care establishments. Sometimes it has been possible only with difficulty and risk to attend the dying at home and in hospital. Now that restrictions are relaxed it will be possible again to resume those periodic visits to the sick and housebound to bring them the Sacraments. Sadly, over this period many of our Parish Family have gone to their eternal rest. If you know of someone—a relative or friend—who is housebound or in a Home and would appreciate receiving the Sacraments, please give their names to Fr Kevin, so that arrangements can be made for one of the priests to visit and minister to them.
Confessional Box
Frequent users of the Confessional Box will have noticed that it has been given a much-needed makeover! The interior has been been made more soundproof, and the ambience more dignified, as befits the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation—Confession. The hope is that it will receive even greater use!
Music at 11.30am Mass on Sunday
Prelude: Canzon quarta del quarto tono naturale
- Giovanni Battista Fasolo (c1600-1659)
Postlude: Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig (Choral and Variation 2) BWV 768
- J S Bach (1865-1750)
Dates for your Diary
Wednesday 25th May Visitation of the Bishop & Confirmation
Saturdays 14th & 21st May First Holy Communion Masses
Sacrament of Confirmation
The Bishop will be visiting our Parish on Wednesday, 25th May and will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on those eligible. If you are fourteen years of age, or above, from the end of August 2021, (i.e. Year 10 or above) and wish to be Confirmed in May, please send your name with this request to Fr Kevin before the end of January.
Loving our planet ( A day of prayer and reflection for our planet)
The Live Simply group invite you to a day of prayer and reflection on Saturday, 19th February from 10am-4pm at St Clements Church, Leigh-on-Sea. The day will focus on topics such as: Pollution and waste; the land and agriculture; Wildlife; Humankind; What can we do?
Each theme will last for approximately one hour and be led by people from various churches in Leigh.
Please come for all or part of the day.
Mums, Dads and Toddlers Coffee Mornings
Mums, Dads and Carers with pre-school children are invited to get together for coffee and chat in the Parish Centre on Monday mornings from 9.30am until 11 am, during school term times, organised by the Lourdes Ladies group. Toys and books will be provided and we look forward to welcoming you.
Recycling Sack for CAFOD
A pink sack can be found at the back of the church. Please donate your old mobile phones, jewellery, stamps (used or album collections) and other limited electronic gadgets. Details of accepted items are on the leaflets at the back of church. These will then be recycled and the money raised will go to CAFOD.
Many thanks. Live Simply Group.