Dates for your Diary
Monday 2nd October—Journey in Faith (RCIA) continues—8pm Newman Room
Thursday 30th November—Saturday 2nd December—Forty Hours’ Prayer
Monday 22nd—Saturday 27th July 2024—Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes
JOURNEY OF FAITH—RCIA
RCIA will meet on Monday, 2nd October and is specifically for those who are not Catholics but who are enquiring with a view to finding out more about the Catholic Faith and Reception into the Chruch. These evenings begin at 8pm, are held in the Newman Room of the Parish Centre (the door is beside the Memorial Garden) and usually last just over an hour. Names may be given in advance to Fr Kevin or the Parish Office.
CAFOD Harvest Family Fast Day—Friday 6th October
This harvest fast day CAFOD is focussing on the work of the amazing mobile medical clinic which operated in 2022 in Pakistan, getting help from doctors and local health experts to communities suffering from diseases caused by contaminated water and lack of food. The mobile clinic travelled across hundreds of miles to provide that care and support.
With extreme disasters like floods occurring more and more, there is an increasing need for medical support for local communities, and CAFOD is working to help provide it.
Please pray for the work of CAFOD and if you are able to make a donation to their work, gift envelopes will be available at the back of church or you can make electronic donations at the back of the church too. Thank you.
OLOL Ladies Group
Our next Meeting in the Parish Centre is on Thursday 5th October from 10 am. All ladies in the Parish are welcome.
This week one of our own members will be our guest speaker so please come along and support Chantal who will recall what prompted her to change her life and move from her home country “ From France to England” .
As usual subs are just £1.00 plus a fun Raffle. Refreshments are available at no extra cost.
Certificate of Catholic Practice for Schools
If you are applying for a place in a Catholic School for your child you may wish to include a Certificate of Catholic Practice. As our local Schools are currently undersubscribed with Catholics, the need for this Certificate is not as pressing as it has been previously. However, if you wish your application to be endorsed then these Certificates may be obtained from the Parish Office either on a Thursday or Friday morning between 10am—1pm.
Site Manager—Cathedral House
The successful applicant will identify and carry out effectively, routine and reactive maintenance tasks, regular health and safety checks and other general duties associated with the management of buildings and grounds comprising the Cathedral House and the Brentwood Parish. The candidate will also be responsible for cleaning duties at Cathedral House.
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: £23,000 - £27,000 p/a depending on experience
Start Date: ASAP
Apply by sending a CV and covering letter (no longer than A4) hr@brcdt.org.
Closing date for applications is 5th October 2023.
Sea of Voices Choir
Our community choir, based at the Parish Centre, have returned from Summer break to start putting our Christmas programme together for a fundraiser charity concert . It’s great that we have 4 new members but would welcome more (especially male basses and male/female tenors).
So budding singers out there, would you like to sing with us? Know anyone locally who would? Young (over 18s) or still young at heart welcome!
We meet Thursday evenings from 7.45pm to 9.30pm and costs just £3 per session. Free first time ‘see if you like it’ session. Contact Darrell 07825686249 or the Parish Office.
40 days for life
40days for life is a focused pro-life campaign. For further details please contact Contact Mary Connolly 07478765010 Madrecasita8@gmail.com.
Children's Liturgy
Children's Liturgy will resume soon. Can you spare an hour once a month to assist the leaders? Come and see what we do any Sunday at 9.30 Mass. Contact Sam 0787 967 6341 if interested.
BCCS
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society (BCCS) offers therapeutic support directly to children, young people, families and parents through their Child and Family Counselling Service (CFCS) located in their centre in Billericay. Their CFCS team consists of several experienced and highly qualified therapists working in specially adapted therapy rooms. Families can contact BCCS directly by emailing Donna Booth dbooth@bccs.org.uk who will outline the type of support that will be provided for them or their child. There is a charge for this service, but they urge any families needing support to contact them. More information is available on their website: www.bccs.org.uk
Primary School Link Adviser Opportunity
The Diocese of Brentwood is seeking to appoint a Primary School Link Adviser who is a practising Catholic, to support the Diocesan Board of Education and its family of schools. This is likely to be a part-time post of either 3 or 4 days a week, however, consideration will also be given to applicants who are seeking a full-time or secondment opportunity. The Primary Link Adviser will report to the Diocesan Director of Education and Deputy Director. It is expected that applicants will have an established and successful track record as a head teacher, a senior leader in a primary school or have recent, relevant advisory/consultancy experience. Applicants must be able to demonstrate school improvement experience and the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. Working closely as part of a team, the successful candidate will:
• Support the development of Catholic schools as providers of high quality educational, religious and spiritual standards
• Play a leading role in the effectiveness of organisational services and operations
• Support projects in and across schools on an ad-hoc or commissioned basis
• Deliver training
• Participate in the formulation of local level education policy.
Further details and an application form can be obtained via the following link: Primary Link Adviser – Brentwood Diocesan Education Service or by emailing: victoriabarnes@dioceseofbrentwood.org
Missio Red Box Holders
I have received the Autumn 2023 Missio Magazines. If have not received one from me personally, please take one from the back of the Church (in the usual place).
Joan Caunce Secretary 01268 757505.
Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine
Escorted Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine, Ireland, 16th October 2023. £699.00 per person sharing. Price includes flight, all transfers, 4 nights’ in Knock House Hotel with full board. All entertainment and excursions included. Day trips to Westport, Ballintubber Abbey, Croagh Patrick, Fr. Peyton Centre & National Museum. Single supplement £150.00.
Contact Patricia or Natali on 01268 762 278 or 07740 175557 or email knockpilgrimages@gmail.com.
Contactless Payments/Offerings
The contactless device is now permanently situated at the back of the church and may be used for Offertory and Second Collection offerings, Repository payments, candles, SVP and other stipends.
BIN A TIN FOR VIN
The St Vincent Centre is doing wonderful work in Southend helping the poorest amongst us.
You can help the food bank there by bringing a tin of something with you when you come to mass and putting it in VINNIE'S BIN, which will be in the OLD BAPTISTERY.
This will be emptied twice weekly.
St. Vincent de Paul Society(SVP), Our Lady of Lourdes & St. Joseph
Repository Open
We have a very nice selection of new stock which includes a small selection of Statues. Thinking ahead to “All Souls” in November we have a selection of Graveside lights, Lanterns and some small Remembrance tokens. These will of course be available each week . You are all welcome to come and browse and if you do not see what you are looking for please ask one of the Volunteers.
If you have a short time to spare before and after a weekend Mass, please consider volunteering at the Repository. Please leave your name and contact number at the Parish Office.
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear friends in Christ
The Gospel parable this Sunday is the Workers in the Vineyard.
Dear friends in Christ
The Gospel parable this Sunday is the Workers in the Vineyard. It is a symbol of those who are called to be part of God’s Kingdom, part of the Church on earth. On first hearing, there seems to be a grave injustice going on! Those who come into the vineyard at the eleventh hour are rewarded in the same way as those who had been there from the beginning in all the heat of the day. God’s justice is not like ours. He chooses to give what He decides, and He often gives equitably. We might think of this in relation to those who enter the Church. Some of us have been Catholics since the cradle; others come into the Church in later life; the reward is the same! There is room for everyone in the vineyard of the Lord: young and old, rich and poor, men and women, be they in the prime of life, or in the sunset years, whether they have time to spare or no time at all. God has created us to be with Him in the vineyard of His Kingdom. Let us strive to do all we can to attain the reward.
This leads me to remind you that the Journey in Faith—RCIA—has started this week. This weekly session is for those interested in becoming Catholics or learning more about the Faith. Monday evenings, 8pm in the Newman Room of the Parish Centre.
Now that all of the Apostles have been restored and returned to their proper places in the nave—complete with the symbols of their martyrdoms—I would like to thank all those who have given generously towards the work of the restoration. The Apostles are the foundations of the Church and the manner in which they adorn our walls reminds us of this in a most artistic, noble and visual way.
Next Sunday marks the completion of my second decade as Parish Priest here! I invite you to a modest gathering after 11.30am Mass next Sunday in the Gilbert Room, to mark the anniversary. I thank God that I have been able and privileged to have been an instrument for the grace of God in the Sacraments and beyond, to so many during these years. Above all, please do continue to keep me in your prayers.
With every blessing!
Msgr Kevin Hale