Dear friends in Christ
In the Gospel of this Sunday St John paints another beautiful icon for us of Jesus as The Vine.
Dear friends in Christ
In an early text by Saint Justin, Martyr, c.150 AD we read: On Sundays there is an assembly of all who live in towns or in the country... This is the first day, on which God transformed darkness and matter and made the world; the day on which Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead.
Dear friends in Christ
The Octave Day of Easter renews our joy and hope in the Resurrection of Our Lord
Saturdays 18th May First Holy Communions - 10.30am
Sunday 19th May Visitation and Confirmation
Saturday 15th/Sunday 16th June Flower Festival
Sunday 23rd June Corpus Christi Procession - 4pm
Sunday 7th July Parish AGM 6.30pm
Monday 22nd-Saturday 27th July Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes
First Thursday of every month Meeting of Parish Evangelisation Team 8pm
The Governors of our school now invite applications for the following positions:
We are looking for a bright, talented and passionate teacher who can inspire our learners. The position could be KS1 or KS2. There may be the potential for an additional responsibility for the right candidate.
We are looking for a fixed term maternity cover teacher in KS1 or KS2. We are looking for an excellent teacher to enable our excellent learners. There is the possibility that this role could become permanent.
We welcome applications from NQTs who can demonstrate their potential and enthusiasm for teaching and learning.
Please contact the School Office via email at office@ourladyoflourdes.southend.sch.uk or call on 01702 475689 for an application pack. Visits to the School are welcomed.
Closing date: 13th May 2019
Interview date: Tuesday 14th May/Wednesday 15th May
On behalf of Missio, I wish to gratefully thank you all for your very generous contributions in 2018. The total donations came to £3,331.26 (£1,531.26 from the Red Boxes and £1,818 from Direct donations). Please see the ‘Thank You’ poster at the back of the Church. You can see Missio’s Website for further details of their work. If anyone should wish a Red Box do not hesitate to contact me.
Joan Caunce, Secretary 01268 57505.
It has been considered for some while now that a Bereavement Support Group could start-up in the Parish. This would be for any men and women who have experienced loss and bereavement in the past, and will begin in the Parish Centre (Bernadette room) on Wednesday 22nd May at 2pm and thereafter each month. All are welcome to join us in a supportive, friendly and confidential environment. Enquiries to : elizabethdex@btinternet.com or cynthiabush11@googlemail.com or if you prefer just contact the Parish Office.
The Sharing Hope in Crisis team are offering a day for you to hear how they approach situations. This seminar is designed to help you know what to say - and what not to say - to someone facing difficulty and to compassionately share the love of Jesus Christ with those who need it most. The event takes place at the Conference Centre Brentwood Cathedral on Saturday 18th May from 9am to 4.30pm. There are only 80 places available so please do sign up as soon as you can. Go to Eventbrite www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sharing-hope-in-crisis-seminar-tickets-58994806053 or email adeleangel@dioceseofbrentwood.org Refreshments are provided, please bring a packed lunch. There is no charge for the event but there will be an opportunity to make a donation to cover costs.
Next Meeting Thursday, 16 May from 10.30 in Parish Centre. All women in Parish welcome so come along make new friends and enjoy another of our great fun quiz mornings.
Help urgently needed for volunteers on Thursday after 9am Mass otherwise this popular social/COFFEE time will finish at the end of May. Please contact Phyllis Sadowski to add your name as a volunteer.
Three workshops to assist our Parish in its work of evangelisation. These will be held in the Parish Centre.
Workshop 1 - Saturday 25th May 11am - 3pm How to defend the Faith without raising your voice!
Workshop 2 - Saturday 8th June 11am - 3pm Religious Freedom / Love & Sex
Workshop 3 - Saturday 22nd June 11am - 3pm Defending the Unborn / Assisted Suicide
Put these dates in your diary, more details to follow.
The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima will be celebrated at Nazareth House, London Road, Southend on Sea on Monday, 13th May. Mass will be at 4pm, followed by a Procession at 4.45pm.
Counters: Linda Wall & Brian Mountier
Folders: Pauline Jordan & Maureen Ward
A very sincere thanks for all your recent donations especially the financial contributions during the Lenten period.
This month's wish list: individually wrapped biscuits, small packets of crisps. UHT milk, men's and ladies' socks, men's boxer shorts (small and medium) also ladies knickers (small and medium). These must be new.
Over £2,000 was collected last weekend for ACN which is a very generous amount. If you missed the collection, or weren’t prepared last week, you will find ACN envelopes at the back of Church which can be returned in the collection or left in the Parish Office. Please fill in the details if you are a UK Taxpayer. Please continue to help our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Faith by supporting this very deserving Charity which is under the direct patronage of the Pope.
This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. It is traditionally a day of prayer for vocations to the Priesthood.
God calls each of us to serve him in some particular way so it is important for us to promote a culture of vocations within the church. A person might be called to live a single life, to marriage, to religious life or to the priesthood.
Please give generously to the collection today towards the promotion of vocations. Please also pray in particular to day for vocations to the priesthood for our diocese and for our current seminarians as they journey towards priesthood. They are Paschal Uche, Adrian Lowe, Michael Barwick, Tony Grant, Alexander Johnson, Damien Wade, Matúš Meleg and Jonathan Burden. Our new seminarian is Moses Itene who will start at Allen Hall in September. At the moment there are ten young men in the priesthood enquirers’ group. Thank you for your prayers and generosity.
Fr. Graham Smith: Vocations Director - fr.gjdsmith@gmail.com;
Fr. Mark Swires: Vocations promoter - vocprom@dioceseofbrentwood.org
Dear Friends in christ
The Easter reason reminds us that every Sunday is in fact a mini-Easter Day. Back in May 1998 St Pope John Paul II wrote a beautiful Letter to the Church entitled The Day of the Lord - Dies Domini - in which he teaches the importance of this Day. It is right, therefore, to claim, in the words of a fourth century homily, that "the Lord's Day" is "the lord of days". Those who have received the grace of faith in the Risen Lord cannot fail to grasp the significance of this day of the week with the same deep emotion which led Saint Jerome to say: "Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, it is the day of Christians, it is our day". For Christians, Sunday is "the fundamental feastday" established not only to mark the succession of time but to reveal time's deeper meaning.
Third Sunday of Easter - Sunday 5th May
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil Carmel O’Leary, RIP
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Bertha Nesnas, RIP (Anniv) (S&JC)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Joyce Foy, RIP (B&I)
4.00pm Mass Private Intentions of Rosemary Mann (RM) - Ex Form
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 6 St John Payne, Pr, M
10.00am Mass Brita Irons, RIP (SVP)
Tuesday 7 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of Bobby Newman (AC & MP)
Wednesday 8 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of Bill O'Connell(SVP)
Thursday 9 Feria
9.00am Mass Intentions of Mary McDermott (birthday)
Friday 10 Feria
12Noon Mass Intentions of Sister Mary Juliana (RM)
Saturday 11 Bl John Rochester, Pr, M
10.30am Mass First Holy Communion Mass
10.30am-11.30am Exposition & Confession
Fourth Sunday of Easter - Sunday 12th May
Saturday 5.30pm Vigil The People of the Parish
6.30pm–7.30pm Exposition & Confession
8.00am Mass Thanksgiving for the Spacey Family (VS)
9.30am Mass Arthur Mills, RIP (DL)
11.30am Mass Frederick Freeman, RIP (Anniv) (DF)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
The Sacrament of Penance is available on request
Services from the church are live streamed
We congratulate the parents of Edward Nash, Kate Ballestrieri, Alexander Walton, Emilia Campbell-Carr & Ophelia Clark-Abdullah who were Baptised recently at Our Lady of Lourdes. May God bless them and their families as they grow in His knowledge and love.
The May Rotas are now available for collection at the back of Church.
On Friday 24th May there will be a mass at 5:30pm followed by a special dinner with Bishop Alan Williams at 7pm in celebration of all the couples who were married at St. Helen’s Church over the years. Tickets are £30. Please contact the office on 01702 342324 for tickets.
On Saturday 25th May from 6 to 8.15pm there will be a concert featuring beautiful songs, instrumentals and dance by talented young people from Brentwood Diocesan schools and churches. No tickets required but there will be an opportunity to make a donation. Coffee and cake will be available in the hall during the interval.
On Saturday 26th May there will be an International Food Festival starting with a cultural show at 12pm. Adult £8/ Children £3 (please contact the office on 01702 342324 for tickets).
On behalf of Missio, I wish to gratefully thank you all for your very generous contributions in 2018. The total donations came to £3,331.26 (£1,531.26 from the Red Boxes and £1,818 from Direct donations). Please see the ‘Thank You’ poster at the back of the Church. You can see Missio’s Website for further details of their work. If anyone should wish a Red Box do not hesitate to contact me. Joan Caunce, Secretary 01268 57505.
It has been considered for some while now that a Bereavement Support Group could start-up in the Parish. This would be for any men and women who have experienced loss and bereavement in the past, and will begin in the Parish Centre (Bernadette room) on Wednesday 22nd May at 2pm and thereafter each month. All are welcome to join us in a supportive, friendly and confidential environment. Enquiries to : elizabethdex@btinternet.com or cynthiabush11@googlemail.com or if you prefer just contact the Parish Office.
