The 2025 Diocesan Directory now available from the back of the Church—£3.20.
Vacancy at St Bernard's High School
LEARNING MENTOR
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week (8.00am – 4.00pm), term time only
Scale 7 – 12 (£25,584 - £27,711 / pro rata actual salary £21,933- £23,757)
Closing Date: 16 December 2024, 9.00am
Interviews: Morning of 18 December 2024
Start date: 6 January 2025
We are looking for a positive, enthusiastic and approachable professional to work alongside our Learning Mentor Team supporting identified students.
You will be joining a successful, friendly and supportive department within a high-performing school, supporting students from Years 7 – Y13. You will need to be able to work flexibly and provide support, motivation and guidance to help students overcome barriers to their learning.
If you are interested in applying for this role, please complete the Support Staff Application Form found on our website (www.stbernardswestcliff.org.uk under About Us/Vacancies) and email it to recruitment@stbernards.southend.sch.uk.
Second Sunday of Advent
Second Sunday of Advent
Liturgy:
Readings of Year C
The Nicene Creed
Preface 1 of Advent
Saturday 7
St Ambrose, Bp D
5.30pm Vigil Doctor Rebecca Brown, RIP (D&SC)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
Sunday 8 December
Second Sunday of Advent
8am Mass Michael Mapson, RIP (LM)
9.30am Mass Clare Clarke, RIP (Anniv) (IR)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 9
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
9am Mass Paul Watts, RIP (MH)
7pm Holy Rosary, Consecration to the Immaculate Heart & Benediction
Tuesday 10
Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
9am Mass Intentions of Ann Craig (AC)
Wednesday 11
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
9am Mass For the intention of all Priests (ML)
Thursday 12
Our Lady of Guadalupe
9am Mass Lucille Tarrobal, (RIP)
Friday 13
St Lucy, V, M
12Noon Mass Ian Spacie, RIP (VS)
Saturday 14
St John of the Cross, Pr, D
10am Mass Maria Luisa Page, RIP (LS)
10.30-11.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
5.30pm Vigil John Jarvis, RIP (VJ)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
Sunday 15 December
Third Sunday of Advent ‘Gaudete’
8am Mass Michael Mapson, RIP (GM)
9.30am Mass John McCarthy, RIP (Anniv) (McC)
11.30am Mass The People of the Parish
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
We Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr John Lane, Canon Anthony McKinley, Fr Geffrey Pye, Fr Eamonn Magrath, Fr George Carolan, Fr william Evers, Fr Francis Kerrigan, Fr Gerard Kerr, Fr Bernard Pownall, Fr John Evers, Fr Bentley, Ann Dawson, William Johnson, Bruce Pond, John Newton, Thomas O’Hanlon, Mary Alice Ring, Mary Dulcie O’Leary, John Parsons, Sheila de Chantilly, Johanna Sadowski, Arthur Coughlan, Walter Scott, Patrick Lyons, Clare Clarke, Karen Anderson, Hilda Eid, Georgina Francis, Ann Dunbar, Francis Mullan, Ivy Heale, Cecilia Upsher, William Anderson, Marie O’Carroll, John Burke, Ronald Clarke, Eugene Grant, Alexander Black, Baby Felicity Garland, Peter D’Angerville, Bernard Dunne, Mary Slattery, Sallie Walker, Patrick Sheehan, Angela Evelyn Joyce & Doreen Murphy.
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 in thanksgiving for Jennifer’s healing of cancer.
Music at 11.30am Mass
Prelude: No. 9—William Boyce (1711-1779)
Postlude: Fantasia—Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Responsorial Psalm
Lourdes Jubilee Year Pilgrimage
The proposed Pilgrimage to Lourdes next year, flying with BA, will depart Heathrow on Monday 21st July 07.35am—Arrive Toulouse 10.25am, returning on Saturday 26th July 10.45am—arriving at 11.45am.
The 5-night package price is £895 per pilgrim sharing, single supplement is £225, staying at the 4 star Grand Hotel Moderne Soubirous (closest to Sanctuary).
This includes 5 nights full-board and return luxury coach transfer from Lourdes airport to the hotel.
Please leave your name and contact details with the Parish Office soon, as places are limited.
Dates for your Diary
Monday, 9th December—Journey in Faith (RCIA) 8pm Parish Centre
Friday 20th December—Annual Carol Service 7pm
Saturday 15th—Friday 21st March 2025—Parish Mission led by the Redemptorists
Saturdays 10th & 17th May 10.30am—First Holy Communion Masses
Sunday 1st June 2025—Visitation & Confirmation
Sunday 22nd June—Corpus Christi Procession 4pm
Monday 21st—Friday 25th July—Lourdes Pilgrimage
Monday 8th September Centenary of the Opening of our Church
JOURNEY OF FAITH—RCIA
This continues on Monday, 9th December and is specifically for those who are not Catholics but who are enquiring with a view to finding out more about the Catholic Faith and Reception into the Church. These evenings begin at 8pm, are held in the Newman Room of the Parish Centre (the door is beside the Memorial Garden) and usually last just over an hour. Names may be given in advance to Fr Kevin or the Parish Office.
Posters & Stickers
A supply of 'Keep Christ in Christmas' envelope stickers provided free by the Knights of Saint Columba are available for parishioners to take home to be put onto the front of Christmas card envelopes. Please take some home to be used for your Christmas card postings. Please also take a poster to display prominently in your window.
Repository
We have a good selection of Advent Calendars for children, plus New year Calendars for Adults. We also have a good stock of Aid to Church in Need Christmas cards and a selection of cards now in stock from the LMS.
We have a few 1 Year Missals left and if you would like the 3 Year copy please ask one of the Volunteers to add your name to the Waiting list.
Transport required for elderly Parishioner
One of our parishioners, living in Kingswood Chase, likes to come to the Sunday mass at 11:30am every week, except for the first Sunday of the month when she attends the Latin mass at 4pm. Her daughter usually takes her there and back but will be away for 6 weeks.
If anyone will be attending one or two of the following sessions and wouldn't mind giving her a lift there and back it would be much appreciated.
8th Dec 11.30am
15th Dec at 11:30am
25th Dec at 11:30am
29th Dec at 11:30am
5th Jan at 4pm
She is mobile with no walking aids, although an arm would be appreciated!
If you are able to help, please contact the Parish office.
Bazaar Cake Boxes
Would anyone who kindly made a cake for the recent Bazaar please check you have the right cake box. If not please return to the Parish Centre/or please collect if you have left one behind. Thank you!
OLOL Annual Christmas Carol Service
We are looking for helpers in the Parish Centre at the Carol Service, to serve refreshments (teas, mulled wine, mince pies etc). Please contact Darrell Binding on 07825 686249 if you are able to help.
HARP
Will you consider donating £10 to help a homeless person during the forthcoming Christmas period?
Between 3rd and 10th December every donation made to HARP will be doubled—thanks to the national Christmas Big Give Challenge. This means, if you donate £10, we will receive £20!
Please visit the HARP website to donate, www.harpsouthend.org.uk, or give your donation to Linda Wall. Thank you for your continuing generosity and for supporting our local homeless people.
Sea of Voices Choir
The choir will be holding an informal Carol and cakes concert in the Parish Centre on Sunday 15th December from 3pm - not a formal concert, as in past years, as we will be asking for audience participation in singing well known carols, as well as us singing some of our repertoire. We will ask for charity donations on that afternoon.
Brentwood Diocesan Yearbook 2025
The 2025 Diocesan Directory now available from the back of the Church—£3.20.
St Joseph's Canvey is looking for Foundation Governors
Are you a practising Catholic?
Are you effective at forging links with the local and wider community?
Do you have skills that might be useful in a primary school like strategic leadership? recruitment? using data?
The Governing Body of St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Canvey Island is looking for foundation governors. The term of office is usually for 4 years from date of appointment.
The governors work as a team, in close co-operation with the headteacher and staff. The core responsibilities of the governing body are:
Ensure clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction
Hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent
In addition to this, foundation governors are appointed specifically to ensure:
That the religious character of the school is preserved
That the school is conducted in accordance with its trust deed
That the religious education curriculum is in accordance with the Bishop’s policy for this Diocese
Are you able to give some of your time to a local Catholic school? We'd love to have you onboard. If you're interested in applying but you don't feel you have the experience, training will be provided to those that wish to expand and develop their skills.
If you would like to know more about the becoming a governor, please contact Frank McEvoy, the Chair of Governors, by email: fmcevoy@assisicatholictrust.com.
We look forward to hearing from you.