St Thomas More Alumni Memorial Mass—Thursday 19th June at 8pm
The annual Memorial Mass to remember and pray for all deceased pupils, staff and governors of St Thomas More High School will take place in the school at 8pm on Thursday 19th June.
This will be the 45th such celebration organised by the St Thomas More Alumni and it will also, sadly, be the last. All former pupils, staff and governors are warmly invited to attend with their partners and to also enjoy the drinks and buffet which will be served afterwards, providing a wonderful opportunity to catch-up with old friends.
The Mass will include the traditional roll-call of all known deceased former pupils, staff and governors; the reading of the Execution Account of St Thomas More; and the school's two favourite hymns.
St John Bosco Children’s Camp 2025
For children aged 9-12 years old (school years 5-7), a week of great fun, activities including climbing wall and zip wire, fishing, football, archery and much more, all in a beautiful setting. The Camp has a Catholic ethos, and exists to give children a magnificent holiday. 26th July – 2nd August. For more details, and application information: www.boscocamp.co.uk. The Camp is a special work of Caritas Diocese of Brentwood.
If you are supporting a family to apply from within your parish or school, please do apply very soon to be sure of a place. The direct link for a child’s application is:https://Johnbsoco.formstack.com/forms/bosco_child_application_form_2025
St Bernard's High School Open Evening for Year 5 Students
A Catholic Academy for Arts and Science (Starting Year 7 in September 2026)—Thursday 10 July 2025 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 2026. 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
PENTECOST
Dear friends in Christ
Today, as members of the Church born on this day, we can indeed wish each other a happy birthday
Dear friends in Christ
Today, as members of the Church born on this day, we can indeed wish each other a happy Birthday!
Pentecost is the moment that changes everything. It was one of the great Jewish festivals, when many Israelites would go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to adore God in His Temple. This was the fifty days after the Passover. The material harvest which the Jews celebrated with such joy, became a new celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit with all His gifts and fruits. It is with the appearance of fire that God manifests the outpouring of His life upon the first members of the Church gathered in that upper room. Fire both penetrates and purifies: both actions which the Holy Spirit brings about in our souls: Lord, with the fire of the Holy Spirit, purify our inmost being and heart.
Pentecost is not an isolated historical event. The Holy Spirit continues daily to sanctify the Church. As Saints Francis de Sales says: The Paraclete sanctifies every soul. This He does through the innumerable inspirations which are all the attractions, motions, rebukes and interior compunctions, lights and intuitions which God works in us. So He strengthens our hearts with his blessings, with His Fatherly love, so as to arouse us, move us, impel us and draw us to holy virtues, to heavenly love, to good resolutions: in short, to all that leads to our eternal life. (Introduction to the Devout Life, III,18.)
Thanks be to God for our belonging to that Body of Christ, instituted by Jesus Christ and vivified on this Day of Pentecost. All of us who are Baptised and Confirmed—especially those Confirmed by the Bishop here last Sunday—enjoy this life which, even here on earth is a foretaste of the life to come. We ask Mary, whose feast as Mother of the Church we celebrate on Monday, to protect us, and bring us to deeper friendship with God, the Holy Spirit!
Msgr Kevin Hale
PENTECOST
Liturgy:
Readings of Year C
Preface of Pentecost
The Apostles’ Creed
Saturday 7
Saturday after the Seventh Sunday of Easter
10am Mass John Pembroke, RIP (MW)
10.30—11.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
5.30pm Mass Intentions of Rory Neal-McKenzie (CJD)
6.30-7.30pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
PENTECOST
8th June
8am Mass Julie Emerson, RIP (Anniv) (GM)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Marjorie Jay, RIP (JS)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 9
Mary, Mother of the Church
9am Mass Caroline Geoghegan, RIP (Anniv) (PG)
Tuesday 10
Feria
9am Mass Bernard Ward, RIP (MW)
Wednesday 11
St Barnabus, Ap
9am Mass Private Intention
Thursday 12
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, The Eternal High Priest
9am Mass Mrs Brown, RIP (JA)
Friday 13
St Anthony of Padua, Pr, D
12Noon Mass Ian Spacie, RIP (VS)
Saturday 14
Saturday Memorial of the BVM
10am Mass Angela Sangster, RIP (K&LW)
10.30—11.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
5.30pm Mass Arthur Mills, RIP (DL)
6.30-7.30pm Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
The Most Holy Trinity
15th June
8am Mass John Wood, RIP (AK)
9.30am Mass Jim & Teena Rockell, RIP (Anniv) (K&LW)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Music at 11.30am Mass
Prelude: Choral varié sur le thème du Veni Creato—Maururice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Postlude: Komm Gotta Schöpfer, heiliger Geist BWV 631—J S Bach (1685-1750)
We Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr Edmund Tyler, Fr Gerard Butcher, Fr Thomas Crowe, Fr John Gallagher, Fr Robert Mortimer-Anderson, Fr Thomas Carlin, Fr Gerard Hughes, Nora Murphy, Catherine Weston, Kathleen Lee, Ray Parascandolo, Irene Chessher, Caroline Geoghegan, James McCrimmon, Pamela Gafga, Annie Adelia Lawrence, Rose Whitehead, Walter Burrill, Marian Button, Gerad Melhuish, Gwendoline Underwood, George Houston, Theresa Yates, Raymond Morton, Harold Britt, Ken Bailey, Margaret Grenier, James George Fairchild, Janice Mary Turner, Jill Kinsley, Norita Fanning, Christine Pegler & Michelle Disney.
We pray for our sick
The Sick List is available on the website main menu, under Worship.
We pray for the sick of our parish
“Father,
by the power of your Spirit
you have filled the hearts of your faithful people
with gifts of love for one another.
Hear the prayers we offer for our relatives and friends.
Give them health of mind and body
that they may do your will with perfect love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.”
Sanctuary Lamp
This week the Sanctuary Lamp burns for the deceased members of the Selvini Family.
Please pray for the repose of the souls of
ANGELA SANGSTER who died on Wednesday, 4th June. Funeral details to follow.
MUNIM ALANI who died recently. Funeral details to follow.
Requiescant in pace
Corpus Christi Procession
Procession of The Most Blessed Sacrament
Sunday, 22nd June—Solemnity of Corpus Christi—4pm
Accompanied by the Tilbury Brass Band
Followed by a Parish Tea
Confirmation
Our prayers and good wishes go to those young adults, and their Sponsors, who have been Confirmed in our Parish this year:
Amelia Beardsell, Harry Carstairs, Megan Edwards, Seraphim Goodrich, Martha Greer, Grace Heddon, Arianna Kean, Jude Mulhern, Fiacra Neville, Dominic Rice, Erin Sedgwick, Oliver Shields, Krystof Spudis, Aaron Spurgeon, Mary Watts & Daniel Kwasnica.
Mass in Thanksgiving for Marriage & Family Life
Brentwood Cathedral: Saturday, 21st June, 3pm.
If anyone is celebrating a significant anniversary of Marriage this year, or would like to attend this Mass celebrated by the Bishop, please give your name to Fr Kevin.
Dates for your Diary
Sunday 22nd June—Corpus Christi Procession 4pm
Saturday 5th July—Flower Festival
Monday 21st—Friday 25th July—Lourdes Pilgrimage
Monday 8th September Centenary of the Opening of our Church
Sunday 14th September Parish Centenary Celebration 3pm
St Thomas More Alumni Memorial Mass—Thursday 19th June at 8pm
The annual Memorial Mass to remember and pray for all deceased pupils, staff and governors of St Thomas More High School will take place in the school at 8pm on Thursday 19th June.
This will be the 45th such celebration organised by the St Thomas More Alumni and it will also, sadly, be the last. All former pupils, staff and governors are warmly invited to attend with their partners and to also enjoy the drinks and buffet which will be served afterwards, providing a wonderful opportunity to catch-up with old friends.
The Mass will include the traditional roll-call of all known deceased former pupils, staff and governors; the reading of the Execution Account of St Thomas More; and the school's two favourite hymns.
SVP Awareness Month
Following our May SVP awareness month, we are still looking for Parishioners to join our parish group.
Might you have a few hours to spare each week? Be available to attend a fortnightly evening meeting, and a weekly visit to assist those within our community who could benefit from our support.
If you would like to discuss, please call either Sallie Pollock on 07450277956 or Gina Marshall 01702 710836.
St Thomas More Open Evening
St. Thomas More High school - open evening, Thursday, 10th July 4.00p.m. to 7.00p.m. - for families who have a son due to transfer to secondary school in September 2025 - come and see the school, meet the staff and pupils.
The Headteachers talk will begin at 5.30pm.
Parents of boys who wish to apply to St. Thomas More School for a place in September 2026 should complete the local education authority single application form (saf) and fill in the supplementary information form (sif) that can be collected at the open evening.
If you are unable to come to the open evening, please contact the school in order to get the supplementary information form. The form can also be downloaded from the school web site:-
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Our family friendly nursery welcomes children from 2-4 years old. Our experienced team provide opportunities for all children to learn through play, inside and outside the classroom. We are pleased to offer spaces from September. Please contact the school office on 01702 475689 to book your visit.
SVP Strawberry Tea
The Parish SVP (Society of St Vincent de Paul ) is delighted to announce the date of its forthcoming annual 'Strawberry Tea ' to which all senior citizens of the parish are invited.
Our Strawberry Tea is being held in the Parish Centre on Saturday 14th June, commencing at 2pm and concluding at 4pm. If you would like to join us, please call Janet Markham 07786 901488. You will be most welcome.
Flower and Craft Festival 2025
This year’s festival will be on Saturday 5th July from 11.00am to 4.30pm.
It is less than 8 weeks now until our Flower & Craft Festival; thank you to everyone who has already committed to taking part. If you have not taken part before please consider doing so this year. It is part of our mission here in Leigh to give local people an opportunity to experience what our Church is all about, especially in this Jubilee Year of Hope.
We are asking you once again to get creative, in flowers, arts and crafts. None of us are professionals, we are not expecting perfection ! There will be plenty of people on hand to help you if you need it.
The theme this year is the hymn,
‘O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy Hand has made…….’
So the focus is on creation, but this year we are also celebrating the opening of our beautiful church 100 years ago. We are also in a Jubilee Year, the focus of which is ‘Hope.’ We are to be pilgrims of hope in our very troubled and dangerous world. So there are many themes to choose from. Photographers, artists, needleworkers, carpenters and gardeners, we would like as many people as possible to be involved in creating a beautiful and powerful message for our local community of Leigh.
We are not asking for professionalism, although professionals are very welcome indeed ! Just your enthusiasm.
If you would like to be involved in creating something for 5th July please contact me at
mcronan@btinternet.com or speak to me after 9.30 mass on Sundays.
Jo Ronan