The Word on Fire Institute are holding a two day Conference in the Excel Centre in London—February, 21st & 22nd—on Evangelisation and Culture. Bishop Robert Barron is the keynote speaker. You can find the details with the link below and also how to book for one or both of the days. Father Kevin will be attending the Friday evening.
Minnie Vinnies
An introduction to the role of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Minnie Vinnies will take place on Monday 10th February in the St Clement room in the Parish Centre from 5.15pm to 6.30pm.
Minnie Vinnies is about praying and doing good works in the community, but it is also about young people meeting to talk, to share ideas and concerns, to have fun and to support each other.
The Minnie Vinnies model of ‘See, Think, Do’ is a great way to get young people thinking and talking about their spiritual lives. By connecting their beliefs and values with service activities and issues in their community, they can help to make their faith real, meaningful and relevant.
Margaret Sullivan
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham—24th May 2025
Join Bishop Alan and other parishes around the Diocese of Brentwood in Walsingham to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope. We will celebrate Mass at the Basilica before walking the Holy Mile to the grounds of Walsingham Abbey to celebrate Vespers and Benediction on the site of the Holy House.
JOURNEY OF FAITH—RCIA
This continues on Monday, 10th February 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.
Brentwood Catholic Youth Service—Summer Lourdes Pilgrimage 19th—26th July 2025
Open to anyone in school year 10 and above. Join the BCYS for our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, supporting the adult pilgrimage in a week of prayer, service and fun!
All details can be found at www.bcys.net/events. Funding and bursary opportunities are available.
World Day of Prayer
This year’s World Day of Prayer Service takes place on Friday 7th March at 10.30 am at St Saviour’s Church, Kings Road, Westcliff-On-Sea SS0 8LL followed by tea/coffee.
This years service is prepared by the Christian women of the Cook Islands on the theme ‘I made you wonderful’.
We are very fortunate to have the children from St Helen's Primary School to take an active part in the service. We invite everyone to join us in praying together.
We are also holding a coffee-singalong concert at St Clement’s Church in aid of funds for this year’s World Day of Prayer service. 10.30 am.—concert (45 minutes) by The Two Elizabeths will start at 10.40am, followed by coffee, homemade cakes, bring and buy. All welcome—entry is free.
Cleaner Required
Would you be able to spare an hour a week between 10am and 1pm, to help clean our church ? Whichever day suits you, and it doesn’t have to be the same day every week!
If you can help, please contact the Parish office on 01702 478078 or email office@lourdesleigh.org.
Young Couples Group
National Marriage Week
7th-14th February is National Marriage Week. Please pray for couples living the vocation to marriage, for those preparing for married life, for those who are widowed, and those who are struggling with difficult situations in their family life. The Annual Mass of Thanksgiving for Marriage and Family Life will take place in Brentwood Cathedral on Saturday 21st June - if you are celebrating a significant anniversary this year please let your parish priest know. In a message for this week the lead Bishop for Marriage and Family Life, Bishop Bosco MacDonald, writes ‘the hope of marriage is that it becomes a source of stability and happiness, showing us the endless love that God has for all of us’. Read the whole message on the Bishops’ Conference website cbcew.org.uk
Repository
We are open after all weekend Masses. From this weekend we have Mantillas in stock in Black lace or white lace . Also why not be an ‘early bird’ and browse our stock of special cards for Mothers Day and Saint Patrick’s Day.
We will shortly also have a selection of Easter cards plus a good selection of cards for Masses, Birthdays, Get well cards etc. Please come along and browse our stock. If you cannot find what you want please ask one of the Volunteers.
OLOL Ladies Group
We next meet on Thursday 13th February at 10am in the Parish Centre. At this Meeting we are delighted to welcome Mr. Adam Tregonning who is the Mace Bearer to the Mayor of Southend on Sea. All ladies in the Parish are welcome to come along to what should be a very interesting morning. As usual Subs are just £1.00 which includes refreshments and we also have a fun Raffle.
St Vincent’s Centre Southend Market
We are excited to announce that St Vincent’s Centre Southend is bringing our Market to St Helen's Catholic Church, Westcliff (27 Milton Road, Westcliff-On-Sea, SS0 7JP) every Thursday, starting this coming Thursday the 13th of February.
🕘 Market Opening Hours:
Morning: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Afternoon: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Music at 11.30am Mass
Prelude: Ave Maria —Jacques Arcadelt born c.1505)
Postlude: Preludium—Matthias van den Gheyn 1721-1785)
The Presentation of the Lord
The Presentation of the Lord
Liturgy:
Readings for the Feast of The Presentation of The Lord
The Nicene Creed
Preface of The Presentation of The Lord
Saturday 1 February
Saturday Memorial of the BVM
5.30pm Vigil Veronica Saunders, RIP (MMcD)
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
Sunday 2 February
The Presentation of The Lord
8am Mass The People of the Parish
9.30am Mass John & Pat Moon, RIP (SM)
11.30am Mass Intentions of Rose D'Souza (MF)
4pm Mass Peter Griffin, RIP (FM)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
Monday 3
St Anne Line, M; St Blaise, Bp M
9am Mass Susan Jane O'Neill, RIP Blessing of Saint Blaise after Mass
Tuesday 4
Feria
9am Mass Barrington Gray, RIP (Anniv)(JH)
Wednesday 5
St Agatha, V, M
9am Mass Leonora Maguire, RIP (K&LW)
4.30pm Body in Church Leonora Maguire
Thursday 6
SS Paul Miki and Comps, Mm
10.15am Requiem Mass Leonora Maguire
Friday 7
Votive Mass of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus—First Friday
12Noon Mass Frank Holt, RIP (AT)
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass until Holy Hour 7—8pm
Saturday 8 February
St Jerome Emilian
10am Mass Bernard Ward, RIP (Anniv) (MW)
10.30-11.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
5.30pm Vigil Holy Souls
6.30-7.30pm: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & Confession
Sunday 9 February
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
8am Mass Martin Joslin, RIP (Anniv)
9.30am Mass The People of the Parish
11.30am Mass Glen Ecketh, RIP (LL)
5.30pm Vespers & Benediction
We Pray for the Dead on their Anniversaries
Fr Enda Keenan, Fr Eric Bindloss Smith, Fr Francis Richardson, Fr Alan Wilcox, Kathleen Bennett, Frances Faulkner, Mary Quinn, Pamela Woodley, Myrtle Conridge, Edward Atherton, Florence Miller, James Kerry, Teresa Phelan, John Dickens, Bernard Pycroft, Miss Eyre, Mrs Winifred Wallen, Michael John Shrapnel, Teresa O’Brien, Lilian Abbott, Elizabeth Judge, Margaret O’Connor, Robert Robertson, Margaret Pearson, John Hanna Manna, Victor Maguire, Joseph Ruggiero, Barbara Blaker, Charles Taylor, MaryCchatterway, Henry Moores, Catherine Burn, Modge Dutton, Emma Oldham, Veronica Read & Peter Heritage.
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 Mary Byrnes, RIP.
Please pray for the repose of the souls of
LEONORA MAGUIRE, RIP who died on Friday, 27th December. Her body will be received into the church on Wednesday, 5th February at 4.30pm and her Requiem Mass will take place on Thursday, 6th February at 10.15am followed by committal at Southend Crematorium.
ROSEMARY BRAGARD, RIP who died on Tuesday, 14th January. Her body will be received into church on Thursday, 13th February at 5pm and her Requiem Mass will be on Friday 14th February at 10am followed by burial at Sutton Road Cemetery.
OLIVE CHRISTINE YEMS, RIP who died on Tuesday, 30th December. Her funeral will take place on Wednesday, 19th February at Southend Crematorium at 12.30pm.
Requiescant in pace
Dates for your Diary
Monday, 3rd February—Journey in Faith (RCIA) 8pm Parish Centre
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
Saturday 5th July—Flower Festival
Monday 21st—Friday 25th July—Lourdes Pilgrimage
Monday 8th September Centenary of the Opening of our Church