Sea of Voices Community Choir

Because of marriage preparation courses in the parish centre for the next four weeks our parish community choir will temporarily move to Leigh Baptist church for the first two Wednesdays (21st & 28th February) and then to the Stables the following two Wednesdays (7th & 14th March).

We are still looking for parishioners and local singers to join in the fun and we are a friendly bunch. We don’t bite, we sing!  Contact Darrell 07825686249 or find us on Facebook as Sea of Voices. First timers can have a free taster session then it’s £5 to join and £3 subs when attending choir.i

Counters & Folders

Counters:    Linda Wall & Sheila West
Folders:    Jane Trower & Clare English

St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) – Request for transport

The SVP should appreciate it if someone would be willing to volunteer to give a lift on a regular basis to two parishioners (who live near each other) to either the 8am or 11.30am Mass on Sundays and home again.  If you can help kindly contact parish office  (01702 478078).  Thank you.

Vocation and Mission Alive Active weekend at Nazareth House

This will be held after the 10am Masses on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th February 2018.  All parishioners are most welcome to visit.

St Thomas More Alumni Annual Dinner

The annual St Thomas More Alumni dinner will take place on Saturday 24th February at the school. Open to all past pupils and former/current members of staff. Five-course meal for only £26.00, plus plenty of wine and beer and a guest speaker. Full details at www.stmalumni.co.uk or email pdstmoldboys@blueyonder.co.uk.

Rich Meal/Poor Meal - Saturday 24th February in Parish Centre

A Lenten Global Dining Experience with a difference!  9% of the world owns 86% of the wealth.  70% share less than 3% of the world's wealth.  Are you up for an interesting challenge this Lent?  6.30pm for 7.00pm in Parish Centre.  £5 a ticket.  Please contact Jim 07986538578, Fran 07981741788 or Cathy 07762107920 to reserve a place. Live Simply Group.

Church Premises Manager, St Clement’s, Leigh-on-Sea

£16-£20,000 Pro Rata.  Undertaking/organising planned and reactive maintenance of the church building and church yard.  Email mac@mac-jude.uk for a Job Description.  Closing Date 2nd March 2018.

Parish/Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes Monday 23rd - Saturday 28th July 2018

Five nights (full board) travelling with British Airways via Toulouse and staying at the Grand Moderne Hotel will cost £665 per pilgrim.  Please indicate your interest by putting your name on the list in the Parish Office.

Adoremus: National Eucharistic Congress September 2018

If you are interested in attending the National Eucharistic Congress being held in Liverpool from 7th-9th September 2018 further details and booking forms are available from the Parish Office.

Lenten Lunches

These popular lunches started again on Friday 16th February, 12.30pm to 2pm in the Parish Centre and continue throughout Lent.  For £5 come and enjoy homemade soup, bread and fruit.  All proceeds to charity.

Presentation Evening - Evangelisation and Discipleship

The Gilbert Room of the Parish Centre, Tuesday 20th February 2018 at 7.30pm

Pope Francis tells us in Evangelii Gaudium that: “The Church which ‘goes forth’ is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice.  An evangelising community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, He has loved us first (cf 1 Jn 4:19)”.  As we move forward as a Parish with our Stewards of the Gospel initiative and following on from our Parish Mission, Father Kevin invites you to come and hear about an exciting new initiative being launched in our parish soon. Learn about discipleship and the joy of evangelisation.

Facebook Page

We now have a parish Facebook page which we hope will provide a social media hub for news of events in our wonderful, vibrant Catholic community, please visit and "like" the page at https://www.facebook.com/LeighCatholics/

Dates for your Diary

21st, 28th February    )    Marriage Preparation
7th - 14th March         )
12th & 19th May                First Holy Communions
20th May                          Confirmation

Church Security

Following on from what Fr Kevin wrote in the Newsletter recently about a number of incidents of theft and vandalism in the church, and mindful of the need to balance the desire for access to the church and security, it has been decided that the church will remain open from early morning until 1pm. After that time access can be had to the church until early evening, using the door on the north side of the building (from the courtyard) and by using an access code which can be obtained from the Parish Office.  After this time the church will locked as normal.  It is vitally important that this code not be written down but memorised; it should not be generally disclosed, otherwise the whole object of the exercise will be undermined. We will review how this works in a couple of months time. In the meantime, do continue to be vigilant during the times that the church is open.

Sanctuary Lamp

The lamp burns for the intentions of the Steele Family.

We pray for our sick

Anne Currid, David Gurney, Maureen Gooding, Paul Keane, Mabel Addecott, Christian Ryan, Arthur Mills, Mike Rubbert, Teresa O’Brien, Maureen Deekes,  Noel Fagan, Patricia Abram, Tina Doveaston, Pat Lynch,Rose Craft, Addi Brady, Ben Wilson, Patricia Fleming, Nicky Wigmore, Brita Irons, Eileen Wilson, Patricia Spikin, Sandra Fagan, Edna Wallace, Beryl Dixon,Nan Carrit, Nick Evans, Vicky Jack, Lyn Gopee, Margaret Harrington, Mary Boyce, Kristin Hallenga, Anne O’Neill, Cheryl Shallis, Anthony McEvoy, Justin Stark, Sheila Netherton, David Blyth, Dympna Addecott, Janet Woods, Lynne Hilkene, June Moncaster, Laura & Anne Breen, Breda Lynch, Roy Widdecombe, Johanna Lynch,  Maria Clark, Sheila McBrearty, Anthony King, Norma McCleverty, Belinda Balazsi, Edward Martin, Johnnie Pool, Joanna Luciani, Pauline Wilsher, Simon Marshall, Kriston Barnes, Josephine Griggs, Colleen Worley, Antonella McConalogue, Fr Jean Laurent Marie, Noel Kolb, Eddie McConalogue, Georgina Cornwell, Lorraine Hart, Dawn Deleigh, Wyn McCafferty, Linda Dean, Annie Holland, Martin Buckley, Chas Taylor, Martha Braun, John Lavery, Ivor & Joanne Knight, Brian Beresford, Rebecca Peake, David Clark, David Askew, Connor Bourke, Mattia Mollica, Sharon Levill, Bernadette Lane, David Kislingury, Maureen Ward, Jane Jowers, Irena Solecki, Doreen Troughton, Marguerite Harris, Andrew Exley, Rosemary Arscott, Lanto Bellis, Richard Collins, Niqui Denkmayer,Elizabeth McConalogue, Kean Smith and children Thomas Ball, Liam Davis,Albert Chambers, Fergus Grant, Lucy Price, Connie Price, Mary Isherwood, Frazer Gregory, baby Talia Emery and Hattie Seymour

Please Pray for the Dead on their anniversaries

Fr Archibald O’Brien, Deacon Sidney Lewis, Canon Aloysius Roche, Fr Thomas O’Connor, Fr Gerard Murphy, Ernest Bullock, Anthony Hillier, Peggy Stevenson, Branko Deyanovitch, Hugh McHattie, Elizabeth Callow, Leo Forge, Vera Thompson, Christopher Purcell, Neil O’Keefe, Robert Bautista, Constance Anne, Christopher Kelville, Theresa Daniels, Eileen Ditton, Maria Calame, Amy Cutforth,  Grace Angwin, Anthony Warwick, Mary Latham, Mary Ashes, Anna McCall, Adolph Figueredo, Mary Keefe, Frank Blaker, Jim Keniry, Mary Wildman, Joseph Mills, Vincent Sullivan, Dominick Fanning, Maire Callanan, William Shanahan, Ernest Tobias, Olive Cale,  Rose Cook, Amelia Mullins & Roger Billena.

May their Souls & the Souls of all the Faithful Departed rest in peace.

Solemnity of Our Lady of Lourdes

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES - Sunday 11th February 

Saturday 5.30pm    Vigil Carmen Ashley, RIP (Anniv) (JA)
6.30pm–7.30pm    Exposition & Confession

8.00am Mass Martin Densham, RIP (McH)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Tony Trigg, RIP (Anniv) (AT)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction

Monday 12 Feria
9.00am Mass Ewan Lane, RIP & Family (CR)

Tuesday 13 Feria
9.00am Mass Jennifer Garrett, RIP  (Anniv)(JH)

Wednesday 14 Ash wednesday Day of Fasting & Abstinence
9.00am Mass Pam Martini, RIP (MR)
12Noon Mass Liliana & Angelo Petrini, RIP (CP)
8.00pm Mass Holy Souls        

Thursday 15 Feria
9.00am Mass Elaine MacDonald, RIP (Anniv) (JH)
3.00pm Requiem Mass Catherine Dodd, RIP    

Friday 16 Feria
6.30am Mass Private Intention
9.15am Funeral Service Gloria Fletcher, RIP
12Noon Mass Intentions of Christine Curtis (KP)
8.00pm Stations of the Cross & Benediction

Saturday 17 St Scholastica, V
10.00am Mass Alex Mc Farlane Jnr,  RIP (Anniv)(MW)    
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession 

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT - Sunday 18th February 

Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Mrs Bridie Conneely, RIP (MM)
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession

8.00am Mass Guy Bragard, RIP (GB)
9.30am Mass Neil O’Keefe, RIP (Anniv) (UO)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
6.15pm Body in Church Barbara Sheaf, RIP

The Southend Deanery in the Diocese of Brentwood

Presents a series of Four Lent Talks at Nazareth House-Thursday Evenings in Lent, beginning at 7.30pm - ending with devotions and Benediction - Priests available to hear Confessions.
 

 ‘The Ministries to which we are called’ Thursday February 22nd

Fr. Gerry Drummond, Parish Priest of Rochford and Hockley and Catholic Chaplain to Southend Hospital.

The Pastoral Care of the Sick and the Dying  Thursday March 1st

Brian Holt-President of the Comitium for the Legion of Mary ‘Be it done unto me…’

Thursday March 8th Fr. Graham Smith, Parish Priest of Southend and Prittlewell Diocesan Director of Vocations

‘Here I am Lord’ Thursday March 15th
Speaker to be confirmed: The Pastoral Formation of our Young People Abbotswick and Beyond…