Home Newsletters 11th July 2010

11th July 2010

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF YEAR (C) 11^th July 2010

NEW APPOINTMENTS FOR PRIESTS IN OUR DIOCESE

PARISH PRIESTS:

Fr. Dominic Howarth to be Parish Priest, Basildon Team Ministry.

Fr. Paul Dynan to be Parish Priest at Stanford-le-Hope with responsibility for Tilbury.

Fr Tom Lavin from SS Peter & Paul, Ilford to St Theresa’s Lexden

Fr Andrew Headon to be Parish Priest SS Peter & Paul’s, Ilford. 

Fr Andrew has just finished his term as Vice Rector of the English College, Rome, and is presently involved in organising the Pope’s visit.

Fr Dan Mason to be Parish Priest at Wickford and Chaplain to the Brentwood Diocesan Youth Service

Missionaries of La Salette We welcome Fr Krzysztof Tomczak MS as Assistant Priest in the parish of St Cedd’s Goodmayes.

Mgr Arthur Barrow Parish Priest of Lexden is retiring

Fr John Meehan retired as Parish Priest of Tilbury to take a sabbatical

Fr David Clemens Parish Priest of Stanford-le-Hope is retiring

ASSISTANT PRIESTS

Fr. Brett Adams from Colchester to Basildon Team Ministry.

Fr. Mark Riley (recently ordained) to Forest Gate

Fr. James Mackay (recently ordained) to Cathedral, Brentwood.

Rev. Neill Brett (to be ordained in September) to Colchester Parish

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME C 11^th July 2010

My dear People,

“You must love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself”. A lawyer quoted these words from Deuteronomy 6:5-10 to show people how to live in right relationship with God and neighbour. Jesus told him that living according to this commandment is to have eternal life, and eternal life is knowing God and his only son, Jesus Christ. In the person of Christ we see the perfection of divine and human nature, for it is through him that God loves us totally and absolutely. Jesus loved his Father and all mankind so much that he sacrificed his life, by suffering and dying on the cross. His sacrifice shows us the price of love, which reconciles us to God.

Some people choose to love God and get away from or forget about people. Others love people and are always ready to help anyone, but have little or no thought of God. Jesus depicted The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) as an example of a non-religious and non-Jewish person who did not belong to the chosen people, who sacrificed all without thought of personal safety, and chose to show compassion and love to one in need. For Christians the call and challenge is to reflect on God’s love for us, and how we love him in return. An essential part of loving God is loving people, for St John tells us: if a person says he loves God, whom he cannot see, but does not love his neighbour whom he can see, the truth is not in him” (1 John Chapters 3,4 5).

St John’s first letter calls us to imitate Christ by linking the divine, which we attribute to God, and the human, which we attribute to our nature. This union is expressed at the start of Christian life in Baptism, as the priest asks the parents if they accept the responsibility of training their children in the practice of faith, by bringing them up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbour. Love is incomplete without the grace of God and a divine dimension to it. It is just ethereal if it is not focused on people, with a disposition to put self last and others first. May the vertical beam of the Cross always remind us that love has come down to us from God through the sacrifice of Christ, and it is through him that we go up to God. May the horizontal beam of the Cross remind us that as the hands of Christ were extended out to the world in sacrifice and love, so too our hands and minds should reach out to others in sacrifice and love, following the example of our most Holy Redeemer and Saviour.

May each of us be given the grace to love God & our neighbour. Fr John

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK

OFFERINGS We thank you for your very generous Offerings of £1529.41 for our parish last weekend, and £55.24 for our CAFOD Project in Africa.

This tax year we have received a total of £21,523.40 refund through the Gift Aid Scheme.  We would like to thank people for their contributions, and also the counters, area organisers and others involved in running the scheme. If anyone would like to join Gift Aid, they can complete a declaration form available at the back of church and return it to the parish office.

This weekend we have an appeal & retiring collection for SURVIVE-MIVA, which provides vehicles and varied forms of transport for missionaries and medical staff in poor nations. Cheques are payable to “Catholic Church Billericay”. Gift aid envelopes may be used.

BAPTISMS Congratulations to the parents of George Oscar Wilkins and Mia Rose O’Connor on the Baptism of their children in our Church on Sunday, 4^th July. We pray that the Lord will help them to bring up their children in the knowledge and love of God.

SPIRITUAL LIFE & WORSHIP

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION & RECONCILIATION PREPARATION Application forms to enrol children who will in School Year 3 and above in September 2010 can be collected from the Repository Shop in the Church porch before or after all weekend Masses until Sunday 25^th July. Forms must be returned to the Parish Office by Monday, the 26^th July. Application forms received after that date will be put on file for the preparation course starting in September 2011.

PILGRIMAGE TO TAIZÉ (ages 18-35) August 14^th–23^rd visit www.bcys.net or contact the youth office on 01277 265286.

CALLING LONDON WELSH ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ Bishop Edwin Regan of Wrexham invites you to join him and Archbishop Vincent and Archbishop Rowan Williams, bishops from Wales and many others in a unique service on July 17^th at 2pm in Westminster Cathedral. This year we celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the martyrdom at Tyburn of St. John Roberts from Trawsfynydd, North Wales. It is an opportunity to celebrate those who have laid down their lives in the service of Christ and His Gospel. Details from Bishop Regan at 01978 262726, diowxm@globalnet.co.uk or from Sue Roberts at sue@inc-cyf.com

WORLD YOUTH DAY, MADRID 9^th-23^rd August 2011 Open to Year 12+ in July 2011. Tel: 01277 265286 or visit www.bcys.net/wyd

THE ESSEX RECUSANT SOCIETY will visit the Church of St Peter & Paul, High Road, Ilford on Saturday 17th July at 2pm. During the visit Fr. Stewart Foster will speak about Canon Palmer and the history of the parish. All welcome.

NEWS FROM ST PETER’S This week many of the senior citizens in the Parish joined our Year 6 pupils at school to enjoy afternoon tea prepared by the children. This was a delightful afternoon. We were also very pleased to welcome a group of French children, their teacher and parents to our school. They have linked up with one of our Year 3 classes and formed friendships through the penpal system. They were able to exchange gifts and enjoy lunch with the children who, again, had prepared soup and other refreshments. They also had the opportunity to tour the school.  This was a wonderful occasion and is a great way for the children and teachers alike to share and enjoy one another’s cultures and traditions.

SUMMER PROM AT ST PETER’S Congratulations to the boys and girls at St. Peter’s for the wonderful Summer Prom that was brilliantly performed on Monday. It was a lovely evening of music and singing by the children, and a real tribute to the teachers, staff and parents who prepared them so well for the Prom.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

HOLIDAY BIBLE CLUB 23^rd-27^th August Places are still available for this activity week and registrations forms are located in the Church porch. We have extended the deadline for completed registration forms and payments to 30^th July. Any queries, please call Julia 07957 698105 or Jenny 07747 845980.

CENTENARY CAFOD GARDEN PARTY Sunday July 25^th at 1.30pm at Mountain Ash, London Road. Tickets £10 on sale after Mass this weekend, or from Joan Keane 01277 651773, include a buffet & a glass of Pimms. You are invited to come in "Centenary Dress" if you wish, in order to give the occasion a real 1910 flavour. All welcome - bring your friends.

HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AGM on Wednesday 21^st July at 8pm in Room 3 of the Pastoral Centre. All parishioners welcome to attend.

MHR 2010 CENTENARY NEWS

15^th-16^th July - The King & I - Tickets on sale! Please

use the application forms in the Church foyer

18^th July - 8pm to 9pm - Parish Choir broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour 70^th Anniversary programme

Sat 16^th October - MHR 2010 Centenary Ball

Tickets on sale! Please use the application forms in the Church foyer. Space will be strictly limited to 140 parishioners and high demand is expected therefore we urge all those wishing to attend this event to submit their applications ASAP!

September is going to be a busy but historic month. Please keep the following dates free in your diaries: -

Friday 10^th September - Centenary Lecture

10^th to 19^th September - Centenary Exhibition

Monday 13^th September - Main Centenary Mass

Sat 25^th September – Parish Choir sing the 6pm Mass at Westminster Cathedral

Don’t forget there is some excellent MHR 2010 memorabilia on sale in the Repository including Centenary candles and the Centenary CD

WE PRAY FOR OUR SICK AT HOME AND IN HOSPITAL:

Peter Bion, Tony Foley, Nick Hogg, John Brentnall, Michael Cannon, Mary Carr, Sean Brown, Irene Yarrow, Margaret Williams, Ann Hurcombe, Maura Stone, Pam De Keyser, Sarah Stewart, Beryl Barclay, Denzil Reeves, Delia Birch, Mavis Reed, Jill Field, Marie Bristow & Regina Barnes, Pierce & Marie Norton, Michael Glavin, Rhona Sullivan, George & Julia Pritchard, Jim & Diane Bowen, Patricia Nicholson, Ken Brook, Maureen Travers, Maureen Phillips, Dorothy Robertson, Pauline Wallace, Barbara Flynn, Maureen Tall, Aileen Fleetwood, Isabel Jasinska, Elizabeth Smith, Isabella Butler, Marlene Hawkins, Debbie Dowds, Elsie Jackson, Eileen Beard, Julie Halstead, Mary Keilthy, Bridget Edwards, Gertie Walsh, Ruth Gillespie, Lilian Cox Bridget Stevens, Kirsti Dennett, Anne Cannon, Jean French, Margaret Sefton, Julie Bouchel, Mary Shane, Tony Wilkinson, Tommy Campbell, Michael Pierce, Jamie Taylor, Bryce Smith, Erroll Newman, Francis Monk, Philip Parks, Brian Mardle, Lyle Wheeler. Clergy: Bishop Michael Rowland, Bishop John Crowley, Fr David Papworth, Mgr Chris Brooks, Fr Dick Ashton, Fr Conrad Smith, Rev Warner Pidgeon Children: Marilena Gant, Oliver Hegedus, Daisy Locker, Mark Selwood, Sarah Townhill, Helen Slattery, Annie Boon, Savannah and Cayde Lewis, & Grace.

May the healing power of the Holy Spirit come down upon them.

WE PRAY FOR OUR DECEASED RELATIVES & PARISHIONERS

ANNIVERSARIES: Molly McDonald, Patrick Leamy, Jan Borowski, Louis Valis, Charles Huggins. Clergy: Fr John Watson, Canon Daniel Harnett.

Arthur Awcock, Ellen Aiken, Mary Bowditch, Arthur Sparke, Frances Bundock and Bob Candler

May they rest in peace and rise in glory and may the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, strengthen and console their families all who mourn for them.

MHR 2010 Centenary Exhibition We want to use a laptop and light-box to beam images on to the wall of the Small Hall during this Exhibition which will be held from 10th to 19th September.  We would be most grateful if you could assist by loaning this equipment. Please contact the Parish Office on 01277 624891

CONDUCT IN CHURCH There is a need to change some of the behaviour in our Church. It would be good if we could reduce noise levels before and at the end of Mass, so that people are able to pray and especially at Holy Communion time. There has also been significant damage done to the seats by pens and pencils, used by children on the Word Search in the Newsletter. We ask parents to help children follow the Mass in the Mass Book or use a suitable book with a religious theme

BOOT SALE  The League of Friends will be holding a Boot Sale at the Marillac, Eagle Way, Warley on Saturday, 17th July from 7 am. Car - £8.00, Commercial Vehicle - £12.00. No entry to before 7 am. Sellers line up in the Ford Car Park from 6 am.  Free parking for buyers in Ford car park. Your support is appreciated.

MASS TIMES AND INTENTIONS

ADORATION & PRAYER BEFORE THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

TUESDAY 9.15am to 10.15am & 10.45am to 11.15am

SATURDAY 11.00am – 12.00 noon & 5.00 – 5.30 pm

THE DIVINE OFFICE: PSALMS for Week 15 of year are from Week 3

MASS ATTENDANCE 4^th July (last week) Total 794 (803): 6pm Mass 169 (198), 9am Mass 223 (218), 11am Mass 249 (309), 5pm Mass 153 (78)

BILLERICAY CATHOLIC MOTHER & TODDLER GROUP are looking for someone to run the mother & toddler group on Thursday from 12.30 - 2.00pm  from September in term time. For more information contact 01277 622294 or please email billericaycatholictoddlergroup@gmail.com