Dear friends in Christ
On this Octave of Easter we renew the joy of our celebration of the Resurrection of The Lord!
Dear friends in Christ
On this Octave of Easter we renew the joy of our celebration of the Resurrection of The Lord!
Holy Week is the most time of the Christian year and the Paschal Triduum—Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday—form the very core of the Christian Mystery, as we celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord.
The BCCS would like to thank all those who donated gifts and toys in recent weeks. We have already been able to send on many of these donations to children and families in our community, and on their behalf we would like to thank you and wish you all very Happy Christmas.
Please Pray for the Dead on their anniversaries
Canon Wilfrid Thompson, Fr Francis Greenan, Fr Francis Wilson, Canon John Byrne, Fr Brian Reeves, Canon Patrick McKenna, Fr Francis Heenan, Fr Jim Wilkinson, Fr Denis Cantwell, Elizabeth Astall, Jessica Wilson, Basil de Neuman, Mary Higgins, Anthony Nesnas, Bridget McDonald, Julia Upsher, Eddie Gillman, Clare Whomes, Douglas Hurley, Charles Stokes, Lynda Quinlivan, Guido Lauria, Janet Newby, Michael Manning, John Furley, Amelia Eaglesfield, Flor Perez de Pina, P.A.Holcombe, Mrs Beeching, James O’Donnell, Francis Gibson, Mary Fitzroy, Deirdre Gray, James Keefe, Doris Swinney, Joseph Dologhan, Audrey O’Connell, Catherine Rankilor, Doreen Foley, Nora Phillips, Francis Cook, Peter Whale, Frederick Ross, Stephen McManus, Anna Siani, David Scott-Frame, Sylvia Sippitt, George Lane, Leslie Dawson, Mary Reilly, Michael McGaughey, Thomas Woolcott, John Sinclair, Mrs Joan Gubbins, Kate Lessons, Kathleen Lewin, Gregory Power, Maureen Guihen, Emily Swann, Mary O’Toole, Annie French, Jules Deuss, Ethel Milo, Simon Burgoyne, Violet Jackson, Millicent Ransom, Joseph Hazell, Eileen Murray, Maureen Regan, Lu Gardner, Hannah Flintoff, Eileen Bull, Len Plummer, Anthony Ryan, Hilda Edwards, Walter Burden, Ricky (Lola) Clarke, Lena Austin, Lucien Staw, Eric Tarrant, Niall Cooney, Essie Glauda, Mary Herbert, Arthur Jackson, Ivy Whiting, Phyllis Sullivan, Patricia Dear, Sibyl Hardy, Gerald Vickers & Claire Mellish.
May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.
Dear Friends in christ
This year, Advent is just three weeks long and so we begin this weekend the last days before the festival. There is always a sense of excitement, especially in families, as we prepare for the Birth of our Saviour. Advent is meant to provide us with that space and time in which we can make room in our lives for the Christ Child. As I said in my Homily last Sunday: if we arrive at 25th December tired of Christmas, then we have not done Advent properly!
Third Sunday of Advent - Sunday 17th December - Gaudete -
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil William Underwood, RIP (RB)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Intentions of Joe & Joan Hurley (LY)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Mya Strzetelska - Special Intention (MS)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 18 Feria
10.00am Requiem Mass Derek Timothy, RIP
Tuesday 19 Feria
9.00am Mass Mrs Joan Clarke, RIP (Anniv) (CH)
Confessions after Mass
2.30pm Requiem Mass Nora McKay, RIP
Wednesday 20 Feria
9.00am Mass Anne Young, RIP (LM)
Confessions after Mass
5.00pm Body in Church Anne Reid, RIP
Thursday 21 Feria
9.00am Mass Bernadette Perry, RIP
Confessions after Mass
10.30am Requiem Mass Anne Reid, RIP
Friday 22 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of Patricia Burzotta (B&MH)
Confessions after Mass
Saturday 23 Feria
10.00am Mass Alison Shepherd, RIP (CH)
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
Fourth Sunday of Advent - Sunday 24th December
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Deceased relatives & loved ones of Braggard & Underwood Families (RB)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Tony Nesnas, RIP (Anniv) (SC)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Clare Chadwick, RIP (MI)
5.30pm Vigil Mass - Christmas Eve - Intentions of Teresa O’Brien (SW)
(preceded by Carols at 5pm)
10.30pm Carols & Readings
11.00pm Midnight Mass The People of the Parish
We congratulate the parents of Rory Scott and Eugene Manning who were Baptised recently at Our Lady of Lourdes. May God bless them and their families as they grow in His knowledge and love.
These are now available from the back of the church at a cost of £2.75p.
The shoe box destination this year is Central Asia. A big Thank You on behalf of all the children.
Friday 29th Dec - Monday 1st January 2018
Over the Christmas period, young people aged 15-35yrs will have the opportunity to take part in a New Years retreat held at St Bonaventure's School, Forest Gate. The retreat is being run within our diocese by ‘Youth 2000’, a National Catholic Youth ministry, which runs events all over the country.
The retreat ‘Chosen’ runs from Friday 29th Dec - Monday 1st January 2018, and will include a New Year’s Eve celebration, along with praise and worship, adoration, celebration of Mass and the Sacraments, and feature gifted speakers and testimonies. Many clergy and religious from around the diocese will be present, along with our Bishop, Alan Williams.
The cost for this event will be whatever you can afford and Youth 2000 simply ask for a donation within your means. If you would like your child to take part in this event, please register your interest on ‘event brite’ below:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chosen-youth-2000-london-retreat-tickets-39656106482
Or by emailing: info@youth2000.org
A Mass for those enquiring or discerning a vocation to the priesthood will be at Our Lady of Lourdes at Leigh on Sea at 12:00pm on the feast of St. Thomas Becket, the 29th December 2017. All are welcome to come and pray for vocations and to meet our seminarians.
Wednesday 20th December, 7pm start. We warmly welcome friends of the school to join us as we prepare for the feast of Christ’s incarnation with word and music. If you would like to attend please contact Mrs Lorna Davies:
Thank you for your continuing generous donations. Currently we have a very high demand for our services and we are desperately short of individual cartons of juice, toothbrushes and roll on deodorant for both men and women. If you could add one of these to your weekly shopping list and leave it in the sacristy it would be greatly appreciated.
Could you spare a thought for those on the streets of Southend this Christmas. Just £10 can bring a little Christmas magic for those who have been through a traumatic time. To donate £10 you can text XMAS09 £10 to 70070, visit harpsouthend.org.uk/Christmas-appeal-2017 or give your donation to Linda Wall.
Once again this year Sacred Heart Primary School will be hosting Christmas dinner on 27th December as it was such a lovely occasion last year celebrating with some friends old and new. If you are on your own that day and would like to join us for turkey and all the trimmings then please contact the school office on 534546 to reserve a place. We will be serving dinner about 1.00pm If you require transport please advise the office. Look forward to seeing you, Sally Nutman, friends and family.
A huge thanks to everyone who has supported Serving the Homeless this year. We wish all of you every blessing this Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.
Our first event in 2018 will be a Sunday lunch on Homelessness Sunday, 28th January at Affinity Restaurant, London Road, Leigh at 12.30 pm. Tickets cost £20 and are available from Jo 474062, Linda 558217 or Nina 472536.
Counters: Mary Cook & Jacky Hoggett
Folders: Bobby Newman & Emma Beardsell
The January Eucharistic Ministers and Readers Rotas are now available at the back of the Church.
I have received the 2018 Calendars. If you have not received one from me personally please take one from the back of the church in the usual place. Thank you. Joan Caunce, Secretary 01268 757505.
Do you support Catholic schools and the right of Catholics to send their children to them? Then we need to make your voice heard.
The Government is making a critical decision on whether to overturn the admission cap which prevents Catholic schools from allowing all Catholic pupils to attend. They have acknowledged that this policy discriminates against Catholics and promised to abandon it, now we need you to tell them not to u-turn on their promise to Catholics.
Visit http://catholicnews.org.uk/education-cap or search for ‘Catholic Education’ in your search engine to write to the Government and urge them to drop their policy which bans new Catholic schools.
You may like to read the first draft of a document for our Diocesan restructuring by following this link: http://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/bishop/
There are also some hard copies at the back of church.
Our Lady of Ransom, Rayleigh Monday 18th December at 8pm
St Helens, Westcliff-on-Sea Thursday 21st December at 7pm
Anne Reid, RIP who died on Wednesday 6th December. Her body will be received into the church at 5pm on Wednesday 20th December and her Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Thursday 21st December at 10.30am followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
Canon Anthony McKentey, RIP. His Requiem Mass will be held at 11.30am on Friday 22nd December at Priory Street, Colchester.
