Please pray for the repose of the souls of
RODNEY MOORE who died on 29th April. His funeral will take place at Southend Crematorium on Monday 10th June at 1pm, followed by committal at Sutton Road Cemetery.
VALERIE QUINN who died on 5th May. Her Requiem Mass will take place on Friday, 14th June at 10.45am followed by committal at Sutton Road Cemetery.
ROSE SCOTT-FRAME who died on 27th April. Her Requiem mass will take place on Monday, 17th June at 10.30am, followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
Requiescant in pace
Responsorial Psalm at 11.30am Mass
Incoming: Allegro in C—William Walond (1725-70)
Outgoing: Voluntary in B flat major—Jonas Blewitt (1757-1805)
Wedding Anniversaries
Fr Kevin would be pleased to hear from any couples who are celebrating significant anniversaries this year (25, 40, 50, 60 years) so that they can be invited to the Mass celebrating Marriage and Family Life in Brentwood Cathedral in July,
An Award for Serving the Homeless
On Tuesday 4th June, members of the Serving the Homeless Committee were invited to an Awards evening organised by Southend YMCA.
As you are aware we had closed the charity at the end of December last year, so it was lovely to be invited back to receive an award for our past service to the YMCA in Southend.
The citation reads:
"Serving the Homeless have made personal sacrifices, whether financial, time, or comfort, sustained over many years to support and uplift homeless individuals and their families. Their fundraising work has been exemplary in the way it has been carried out, all characterised by love."
You will be able to see the certificate in the Parish Centre.
Once again we would like to thank all those parishioners who supported our efforts over the last 34 years.
Accommodation needed
A young family in the parish are in urgent need of accommodation in the Leigh, Westcliff, Southend, Rochford area. Ideally two bedrooms with bathroom and kitchen facilities. If you know of anything or can possibly help in this regard, please contact Francis O'Brien on 07845874331.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 23rd June—Fortieth Anniversary Mass of Fr Kevin Hale 11.30am
Saturday 6th July—Flower Festival
Monday 22nd—Friday 26th July 2024—Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Saturday 15th—Friday 21st March 2025—Parish Mission led by the Redemptorists
General Election 2024
Helping Catholics engage with the General Election to make their voices heard on Thursday, 4th July.
SVP Summer-time Strawberry Tea
What could be nicer! Summertime is on its way and your parish SVP (Society of St Vincent de Paul) Conference is delighted to announce the date of its forthcoming annual 'Strawberry Tea' to which all senior citizens of the parish are most warmly invited!
Our Strawberry Tea is being held in the Parish Centre on Saturday, 15th June, commencing at 2pm and concluding at 4pm! If you, or someone you know, would like to join us on this happy parish occasion please call Francis O'Brien on 07845 874331. You will be most welcome!
Flower & Craft Festival Saturday 6th July 2024
It is time to start preparations for this year’s Flower and Craft Festival! The Theme this year is ‘PRAYER.’
We would love to have as many people as possible to take part. Simply choose a prayer or prayers and think about how that can be illustrated visually with Flowers, Art work, Artefacts, Needlework etc.
The Festival day is always a very inspiring occasion with people from all faiths or none dropping into our beautiful Church. We have been overwhelmed by the positive response that there has been over the last few years to our themes.
If you would like to take part please email me at : mcronan@btinternet.com, or simply speak to me or Theresa.
If you are not sure about a suitable prayer then I have lots to choose from.
Jo Ronan
St Bernard's High School Year 5 Open Evening Thursday 11th July
St Bernard’s High School, A Catholic Academy for Arts and Science
Open Evening for Year 5 Students(Starting Year 7 in September 2025)
Thursday 11 July 2024—5.30pm to 8.30pm
We would be delighted to welcome Year 5 girls and their parents/carers to our Open Evening. This is an evening for girls wishing to join Year 7 in September 2025.
We are also offering an opportunity for parents/carers to visit the school during a normal teaching day, between 9.30am and 11.00am on set days in October, dates will be published on our website. Appointments for these guided tours will be available in September.
St Bernard’s High School offers selective places based on success in the CSSE
selective tests and non-selective places according to faith-based admissions criteria. (Please see school website for full details.)
‘St Bernard’s High School is a welcoming, inclusive school’. Ofsted 2023
‘Leaders have high expectations of pupils in terms of learning and behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations.’ Ofsted 2023
‘The behaviour of students is exemplary both in lessons and throughout the school as they strive to live out the mission statement, ‘Love one another as I have loved you’. (Diocesan Inspection, 2024)
‘Behaviour for learning is outstanding, fostered through extremely positive teacher-student relationships’. (Diocesan Inspection, 2024)
www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk
Milton Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7JS. Tel: 01702 343583
St Thomas More Alumni Memorial Mass—22nd June
The annual St Thomas More Alumni Memorial Mass will take place this year in the chapel at St Thomas More High School on Saturday 22nd June at 11am to coincide with the SVP Fun Day being held at the school on the same day.
All former pupils and members of staff are welcome, together with their families and current members of the school, to pray for and remember those from the school community who have died.
Cleaner Required
Would you be able to spare an hour a week between 10am and 1pm, to help clean our church ? 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.
Safeguarding—Free online training
The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) has recently released new free online training about safeguarding in our parishes - Courses (catholicsafeguarding.org.uk). There are 3 levels of training - Level 1 - General information about safeguarding (this takes the form of a leaflet and for ease of reference is available at the back of the church by the noticeboard); Level 2 - for volunteers in parishes in roles requiring DBS; and Level 3 - for clergy and parish safeguarding reps. There is also other general training and information on CSSA website. If you have any questions about safeguarding in the parish please speak to Fr Kevin or contact our Safeguarding rep - Jackie Sullens (safeguarding@lourdesleigh.org). Thank you.
Repository Notice
We have cards for all those special occasions so please browse and come early to avoid disappointment . One of the volunteers are happy to help if you do not see what you are looking for. We also have a selection of Statues and Rosaries, plus a few new books for children.
Please note that the Repository is only open after all Masses at the weekends.
Catholic Social Teaching in an Election Year
As the General Election approaches, on Saturday 15th June, Raymond Friel OBE, CEO of Caritas Social Action Network, will speak on Catholic Social Teaching and what the Church says about democracy and voting. The talks will be held at the Catholic Church of Christ the Eternal High Priest, Gidea Park (RM2 6DH). Coffee will be available from 10.30 am and the talks begin at 11 am, and conclude by 2 pm. This is an in-person event, also available online at www.whatgoodnews.org
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Dear friends in Christ
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Feasts—the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Dear friends in Christ
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Feasts—the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Each year the Church gives us this beautiful Feast to celebrate in an unrestrained way the Mystery of Faith. Because the events around the institution of the Holy Eucharist are clouded by the events of Holy Week, the Church initiated a special day by which we can give thanks to God for the Eucharistic Gift of His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. In the Holy Mass Jesus offers Himself to the Father for our salvation. The fruit of this Sacrifice is the Blessed Eucharist which is not only a gift to be consumed, but also one which we worship. All of the mysteries of the Christian life begin and end with the Eucharist. St Thomas Aquinas was given the task by Pope Urban IV in 1264 of composing suitable texts for this Feast; we still pray and sing them today. In fact, the prayers of the Mass of Corpus Christ remain essentially the same prayers which St Thomas composed in Latin. We are familiar with his hymns for Benediction such as O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo. It is the antiphon written for Vespers on this Feast that most beautifully and succinctly encapsulates the mystery we celebrate: O sacrum convivium…O sacred banquet, in which Christ is received; the memory of His Passion is renewed; the soul is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
This Day is characterised by Eucharistic processions which in some regions of the Catholic world are elaborate affairs in which whole cities and towns take part. We shall have our own procession this Sunday afternoon beginning in the church at 4pm and with our First Communion children leading the procession. Benediction is given in the Memorial Garden where our beloved dead are at rest and then finally a Benediction in the church. It is followed by a Tea in the Parish Centre. As usual the Tilbury Brass Band will accompany us—please pray for fine weather!
May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time!
God bless you!
Msgr kevin Hale
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ—Corpus Christi
Liturgy:
Readings of Year B
The Nicene Creed
Preface of The Blessed Eucharist
Saturday 1 June
St Justin, M
5.30pm Vigil Mass Valentine Tisi, RIP (LB)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
Sunday 2 June
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ—Corpus Christi
8am Mass Gilberte Cook, RIP (MC)
9.30am Mass Michael Foy, RIP (VJ)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
4pm Corpus Christi Procession
No Vespers & Benediction
Monday 3
St Charles Lwanga and Comps, Mm
9am Mass Jim Law, RIP (MR)
Tuesday 4
Feria
9am Mass Ian Irwin, RIP (MI)
4pm Body in Church Cathy Saunders
Wednesday 5
St Boniface, Bp, M
9am Mass Mike & Teresa O’Brien, RIP (Anniv) (MI)
10am Requiem Mass Cathy Saunders
5pm Body in Church Raymond Simkins
Thursday 6
St Norbert, Bp
9am Mass Fr Michael Daley RIP (Westminster) (PM)
2pm Requiem Mass Raymond Simkins
Friday 7—First Friday
THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
12Noon Mass Barbara Adams RIP (HR)
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass until Holy Hour 7—8pm
Saturday 8
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
No 10am Mass
12Noon Mass Silver Jubilee Mass—Fr Jean-Claude Selvini
5.30pm Vigil Mass The People of the Parish
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
Sunday 9 June
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
8am Mass Peter Deal RIP (CMcH)
9.30am Mass Caroline Geoghegan, RIP (MI)
11.30am Mass The Speedy Recovery of Winifred Gover
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Father Jean-Claude Selvini
This week Father Jean-Claude Selvini will celebrate his Silver Jubilee of Ordination as a Catholic Priest. He will celebrate a special Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday at 12 noon, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It will be followed by a gathering in the Parish Centre (no 10am Mass on Saturday). This anniversary is an opportunity for all of us to give thanks to God for the gift of the Priesthood in the Church, by which we can continue to encounter Jesus Christ sacramentally. In particular, we give thanks for the years of ministry of Father Jean-Claude who has served as Assistant Priest in Upminster and then Parish Priest of Hainault for twenty years before his retirement to Leigh almost three years ago. I am most especially grateful for his presence in the Parish and for all the help and support he gives me personally, in particular his ministry with the sick and housebound; this has made life much easier for me with the increase of Diocesan commitments. May God bless him and give him a long and fruitful ministry among us—ad multos annos! Fr Kevin
Sick & Retired Clergy Fund
Next weekend there will be a second collection in aid of the Sick & Retired Clergy. You can donate in the second collection, online via the website, or the contactless device at the back of church.