Sanctuary Lamp
This week the Sanctuary Lamp burns for the deceased members of the Caunce & Harrison Families.
Please pray for the repose of the souls of
BERNADETTE LANE Her body will be received into the church on Tuesday, 20th February at 4.30pm and her Requiem Mass will take place on Wednesday, 21st February at 10am followed by committal at Basildon Crematorium.
BRIDGET WARD who died on Thursday, 11th January.
ISABEL COOMBS who died on Wednesday, 17th January.
Requiescant in pace
Music at 11.30am Mass
Prelude: Praeludium (Pastorale in F) - J S Bach (1685-1750)
Postlude: Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr - J P Sweelinck (1562-1621)
Dates for your Diary
Monday 12th February—Journey in Faith (RCIA) continues—8pm St Clement Room
Thursdays: February 15th, 22nd, 29th & March 7th, 14th & 21st—'The Chosen’ 7pm Parish Centre
Wednesdays: February 21st, 28th, & March 13th & 20th;
Lenten Evenings of Reflection—7-8.30pm
Saturdays 11th & 18th May—First Holy Communion Masses
Sunday 19th May—Sacrament of Confirmation
Saturday 6th July—Flower Festival
Monday 22nd—Friday 26th July 2024—Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes-Monday 22nd-Friday 26th July2024
The Parishes of Leigh-on-Sea, Southend & Prittlewell will travel together to Lourdes in July. The cost is approximately £760 per adult sharing, with an additional £180 for a single room. (Plus transfer to airport and Brentwood donation).
Package Inclusions: Return flights with British Airways from Heathrow including 23kg hold-luggage, 4 nights full-board in the 4* Grand Hotel Moderne (closest to the shrine), fully guided with walking tour & full religious itinerary.
Please register your details (name, number of seats requested, contact number & email address) with the Parish Office as soon as possible.
LENTEN EVENINGS OF REFLECTION
Wednesday, February 21st—Msgr Kevin Hale: Celebrating our Faith in the Sacred Liturgy
Wednesday, February 28th—Fr Mark Reilly PP Hornchurch: Towards the Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
Wednesday, March 13th—Fr Graham Smith PP Southend: How to be Holy
Wednesday, March 20th—Fr Stephen Morrison OPræm PP Peckham: The Kingship of Christ in the Passion
To include a preached meditation by a guest speaker, Eucharistic Adoration, Compline, Benediction and Confessions. These will be held in the church from 7–8pm followed by refreshments and a bookstall in the Parish Centre.
THE CHOSEN—showing in the Parish during Lent
The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus Christ, seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the drama shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings.
Six of the episodes of this Gospel depiction will be screened in the Parish Centre on the Thursdays of Lent, beginning on 15th February at 7pm; each episode lasts one hour.
CAFOD Lent Family Fast Day—Friday 23rd February
This Lent Fast Day, CAFOD highlights the work it does to support hardworking communities with resources, skills and training to earn a living and feed their families. It highlights its work in Liberia through which it is providing fishermen with compasses, lifejackets and GPS systems so they can find the fish successfully and return to their homes safely. Please keep CAFOD in your prayers and consider eating simply on 23rd February and donating what you can to help their work. Gift envelops are at the back of the church, or you can donate electronically, or donate online and learn more about CAFOD's current work (www.cafod.org.uk)
Sacrament of Confirmation
This will take place on Pentecost Sunday, 19th May, 2024. Any adult or young adult (who must have reached the age of fourteen by 1st September 2023) may apply. Please send an email with your name and contact details to mrscatherineharris@gmail.com by Ash Wednesday, 14th February, 2024.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham - Saturday 25th May 2024
Join Bishop Alan and other parishes around the Diocese of Brentwood in Walsingham. We will celebrate Mass at the Basilica before walking the Holy Mile to the grounds of Walsingham Abbey to celebrate Vespers and Benediction on the site of the Holy House. If you would like to come please leave your name and contact details with the Parish office.
Organ Loft cleaner required
Would you be able to spare an hour a week between 10am and 1pm, to help clean our organ loft? Whichever day suits you, and it doesn’t have to be the same day every week!
If you can help, please contact the Parish office on 01702 478078 or email office@lourdesleigh.org.
Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School
Are you looking for a Nursery for your 2 to 4 year old?
Contact us to look around our learning environment!
office@ourladyoflourdes.southend.sch.uk 01702475689
Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School is located in Leigh's heart along Manchester Drive, a short walk from the London Road.
Our welcoming community school is perfect for children starting Nursery in 2024.
We're proud of our family feel, which spans generations, and our vast grounds for children to play.
Excelling in music, sport, science, and a balanced curriculum, we're the ideal place for your child to flourish.
Thinking about your child as they grow, our children transition easily and happily into our Reception classes. Our children achieve well in KS2, with many children moving on to the Catholic secondary schools.
National Marriage Week 7—14th February 2024
Below we share a reflection penned by a married couple of our Parish:
ROSES AND ASHES
Have you started thinking about Lent yet? This year St Valentine’s Day, falls on Ash Wednesday. So how to combine red roses with fasting and ashes?
When we marry we profess in our vows to follow our paths of life together, no matter what that may mean. We commit to being more than just alongside each other. We promise to love and to cherish one another: to do all that we can to enable our spouse to be happy in this world and in the next, and to grow to be all we can be ourselves. That is our calling.
What of our path through Lent? It’s similar as we look to understand ourselves and learn how we can realise the unending love of God inviting us to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection at Easter. We seek change in ourselves in order to pay special attention to both God and our spouse. Our gift to our spouse is to help them become who God made them to be; who they have the capacity to be. The outcome of this depends on how we respond to the graces given to us. So, how can we grow to be the best help mate for our spouse, and to be more fully appreciative of them, and be closer to God?
We believe it’s about communication with our spouse and with God; how can we do that when we are so busy? There’s always the children, the parents, work and even our church commitments.
Perhaps we can agree some resolutions for Lent to help us?
• Pope Francis has simple guidance for couples. He says, each day include, “Thank you, Please, I’m sorry”. Or how about:
• leave the phones away from the dining table and from the bedroom.
• get a practice of saying a daily prayer together - the Lord’s Prayer, the Angelus, the Magnificat - are just a few options.
Each day take some time to check in with each other …. Maybe ask “Tell me something about your day today and how do you feel about that”.
This February is a LEAP YEAR, one more day in the month to love each other. We’re thinking of doing something DIFFERENT for the 29th to express our love. Would you like to give some thought to any of the above notions for your relationship?
Brian & Maureen Devine
Journey of Faith—RCIA
RCIA will meet on Monday, 12th February 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 Church. These evenings begin at 8pm, are held in the St Clement 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.
Repository
We have some new stock so please take a minute to visit us and have a browse, especially at our new selection of various sized Statues.
We also have new Mass cards and Sympathy cards plus a selection of Anniversary, Baptism cards etc. If you can’t find what you are looking for please ask one of the volunteers.
Please note the Repository is only open after Weekend Masses.
Right to Life: Changing Hearts and Minds—update
MPs in the United Kingdom Parliament: Dame Diana Johnson and Stella Creasy, have tabled amendments to the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill; New Clause 1 and New Clause 2 respectively.
Both amendments would decriminalise abortion, that is, remove it from the criminal law.
These amendments are very dangerous for it removes all legal protection for the unborn babies and reduces further the wellbeing of the mother’s mental and physical health.
How can you make a difference and have your voice heard about this very important issue….write to your MP
It is vital that we all “lobby our MPs” to oppose these extreme and dangerous amendments.
We expect that there will be a vote in Parliament next month.
Please contact your MP, asking them to oppose these proposals.
Click on the link below and following the guidance to send your message to your MP.
Careers Co-ordinator Vacancy at St Bernard's High School
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week (8am–4pm) term time, plus two weeks
Start date: February/March 2024
Salary Scale: 19-24 (pro-rata salary £26,784-£29,897)
Closing Date: 26 February 2024, 9am
Interviews: tbc
Are you enthusiastic about supporting young people to make the best possible career choices?
We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Careers professional to support students in identifying and pursuing their chosen career. You will contribute to the Careers components of the PSHE programme, arrange Careers Fairs, arrange work experience in line with Gatsby benchmarks, and support Years 11-13 with their career paths and UCAS applications.
If you would like more information about the role please see our website (www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk under About Us/Vacancies). If you are interested in applying please complete the Support Staff Application Form found on the Vacancies webpage and email it to recruitment@stbernards.southend.sch.uk.
St Helen's Catholic Primary School Teaching Assistant Vacancy
St. Helen’s Catholic Primary School are seeking to appoint a Teaching Assistant to join our friendly team. This will be a 1 year temporary contract to cover maternity. Please see our website for full details or contact Mrs Sears on 01702 343823.
Housekeeper Vacancy
A female Parish member is seeking the right person to assist with general domestic duties. Rate of pay £13.00 per hr for a total of 5.5 hrs per week divided into two hrs on two days and 1.5hrs on another. Late mornings/early afternoons. Full employer insurance cover. Please contact izzybee555@gmail.com for enquiries.