Home Newsletters 20th Feb 2011

20th Feb 2011

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) 20^th February 2011

PRAYER FOR EDUCATION SUNDAY

Dear God,

We thank you for our schools,

for the people who built them,

the people who manage them,

the people who clean and look after them

and for all the staff who teach in them.

We thank you for all the people in the churches,

for all in the past who believed education was so important

that they began founding and financing our schools

and for all who continue to support schools today.

We thank you for all the people who are helping us to build strong foundations, in our lives, through Christian education.

We make this prayer in the name Jesus of teacher and Saviour.

Amen

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME A 20 February 2011

Dear Friends,

“BUT I SAY TO YOU” When Jesus said these words on the Mount of the Beatitudes, his listeners understood, with some anxiety, that he was placing himself on a par with God, and indeed He was. He was completing the law and explaining its full significance. So he tells us “love your enemies” and not just your friends. This is the way to live and love as his followers. We are called to the very highest ideals. AIM HIGH. It is your calling.

God Bless you all, Fr Fiacra

Today is EDUCATION SUNDAY. For well over a hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education.

One understanding of education is laying the foundations needed for life. Jesus Christ is the foundation (I Corinthians 3) and whether we are educators at school, church or home we need to build with regard to our faith.

Education needs to build children’s spiritual lives as well as their intellect and moral capacity. Space for God to break through (and space for children and young people to glimpse the Divine), needs to have its place, to give them a chance to glimpse holiness. Awe, wonder and curiosity contribute to a child’s spiritual growth and flourishing.

Education Sunday offers an opportunity to celebrate the churches’ gift to the nation of education for all, alongside celebrating Christian educators in all places of learning, whose vocation, skills and care shape young lives in school, church and home. And it gives each of us the chance to look back in thankfulness for those who laid the foundations in our own lives, allowing us to grow in faith and understanding.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK

OFFERINGS We thank you for your very generous Offerings of £1741.00 last weekend, and £38.61 for our CAFOD Parish Project Connect2Rwanda.

CAFOD Do something different to raise money for CAFOD. Register now for the 2011 110ft abseil down Harlow Water Tower on 30^th April/1^st May. Organised by the Harlow Tye Rotary Club in conjunction with Dukes Barn Outdoor Adventure Organisation. For details and registration form contact email brentwood@cafod.org.uk or phone Joanna on 020 8502 9722

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS This, we have five adults in our Monday evening course on the Catholic faith year in our parish, preparing for reception into the Church and the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion at Easter. They are Julie Callis, Neil Duller, David Ford, Stephen McBurney and Rossella Provenzano. their first Ceremony was held in our Church on Sunday, 30^th of January. On Wednesday of this week at 7.30pm they will have the Signing Ceremony at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church,

61 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AW. All parishioners are invited to attend.

BISHOP GRAHAM ROSE, Bishop of Dundee, made a fleeting visit to our Diocese this week. He was delighted to recall his enjoyable visit to Billericay for our Centenary Celebrations, and he sends his best wishes to our parishioners.

SPIRITUAL LIFE & WORSHIP

TALKS ON THE CATHOLIC FAITH We invite anyone interested in finding out about our faith, becoming Catholic or returning to the practice of their faith to a series of talks on Monday evenings at 8pm in the Pastoral Centre. The next session will take place on Monday 28^th February. If you are interested, please contact Fr John or see details in the porch.

CONFIRMATION will be celebrated in our Parish by Bishop Thomas at the 11am Mass on Sunday, 20^th March. The next meeting for young people will be this Sunday, 6^th March.

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER This year’s service will be held at The Christian Link, Queens Park Avenue, Billericay on Friday 4^th March at 10.30am. The theme which has been prepared by the women of Chile is: “How many loaves have you?” Please come and pray for the world.

SUNG LATIN MASS (Extraordinary Form) will be celebrated at St Margaret’s Convent Chapel, Bethell Avenue, Canning Town, London E16 4JU every Sunday at 6pm, beginning on the 1^st Sunday of Lent, 13 March 2011. This replaces the 6.30pm Mass at St Antony of Padua, Forest Gate. For further details please contact Father Stewart Foster (0207 476 2084).

CATHOLIC HANDICAP FELLOWSHIP for people with learning disabilities. There will a special Mass on Sunday 20^th February at 3.00pm at Brentwood Cathedral.  Bishop Thomas will preside. All are welcome.

PRAISE & WORSHIP at SION Community, Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, will take place on Sunday, 27^th February, 7.30pm - 9pm. All welcome.

UNDERSTANDING THE REVISED MASS TEXTS Tuesday 8^th March, 7.30pm at Cathedral Conference Centre, Brentwood with Martin Foster, Depart. of Christian Life &Worship, Bishops’ Conference of England &Wales. Cost £5 per person. Call 01277 265255 or email arefm@dioceseofbrentwood.org

THE FIRST BRENTWOOD CATHEDRAL LENTEN LECTURE will take place in Brentwood Cathedral on Wednesday 16th March at 7.30 p.m. This inaugural lecture, "Living our Catholic faith in a Secular Age", will be given Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster. Entry free. Everybody very welcome.

ANNUAL LENTEN SPIRITUALITY DAY- The Road to Jerusalem- ‘Jesus resolutely took the road to Jerusalem’. Saturday 26^th March 10.00am -3.30pm at Cathedral Conference Centre, Brentwood with Fr Denis McBride, CSsR. Cost £10 per person. Call 01277 265255 or email arefm@dioceseofbrentwood.org

FORTHCOMING EVENTS & NEWS

11AM CHOIR NEEDS NEW MEMBERS urgently. If you enjoy singing or are interested in playing for this Mass then please contact Kathy Underhill (626661) or Miriam Parker (658485)...don’t delay...pick up the phone!

HCPT GROUP 718, consisting of pupils from St John Payne School, present ’Up Late with 718,’ an evening of entertainment in aid of the group’s travel to help care for disabled children in Lourdes at Easter. This is on Thursday 3rd March at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £5 adults, £3.50 under 16s are available from David Silver 01376 513580 or email dsilver24@hotmail.com

CYMFed Congress - Sat 12 March 2011 - Euston, London Do you work with young people in a Catholic context, either voluntary or paid, in school or parish, part time or full time?  If so, there is a national congress just for you.  It is being organised by CYMFed, and is fully endorsed by the Brentwood Catholic Youth Service.  The day involves inspiring, engaging liturgy, and access to lots of  new resources and information for working with young people.  Tickets are £14 and are available from www.cymfed.org

HIT THE ROAD for JACK The Campion School is organising a fundraising walk on Saturday 30th April in memory of one of their sixth formers, Jack Chester, who sadly died in September 2010. This 21-mile walk will start from the school and finish in Regent’s Park.   Jack was a leading ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust and the school hopes to raise as much money as possible for this cause.  Entry forms and details are available from the school website www.campion.havering.sch.uk

ALTAR SERVERS For all new servers and those who have now been serving for one year there will be a meeting on Sunday 6th March 3pm - 4:30pm.  Please all ensure you attend, as this will be a meeting to provide some refresher training and give you some new ideas for serving.

CATHOLIC SINGLES is an organisation which helps single adult Catholics of all ages meet, either one to one or through social events. Please tel. 0161 941 3498, visit the website www.catholicsingles.org.uk or email info@catholicsingles.org.uk

SCHOOL VACANCIES at St. Bonaventure’s, Forest Gate and St Francis Maldon. The details are on the Church notice board.

Copies of Churches Together in Billericay Newsletter is in the Church Porch.

WE PRAY FOR OUR SICK AT HOME AND IN HOSPITAL:

Maureen Boon, Irene Yarrow, Bernard Regan, Peter Bion, Bernard Yarrow, Ken Brook, Maura Stone, Pam De Keyser, Dorothy Wheeler, Denzil Reeves, Jacques Visser, Aileen Fleetwood, Philip Parks, Sarah Stewart, Isabel Jasinska, Eileen Beard, Mavis Reed, Delia Birch, Maureen Travers, Isabella Butler, Barbara Flynn, Margaret Williams, Lily Warner, Miriam Gregory, Ruth Gillespie, Mary Carr, Marie Bristow & Regina Barnes, George & Julia Pritchard, Jill Field, Pauline Wallace, Jim & Diane Bowen, Dorothy Robertson, Maureen Phillips, Patricia Nicholson, Elizabeth Smith, Bridget Edwards, Marlene Hawkins, Maureen Tall, Bridget Stevens, Rhona Sullivan, Elsie Jackson, Ann Hurcombe, Kay McCabe, Eileen Molloy, Debbie Dowds, Gertie Walsh, Beryl Barclay, Kirsti Dennett, Anne Cannon, Julie Bouchel, Margaret Sefton, Julie Halstead, Lilian Cox, Jean French, Mary Shane, Mary Keilthy, Michael Glavin, Brian Mardle, Bryce Smith, Tommy Campbell, Tony Wilkinson, Erroll Newman, Michael Pierce, Lyle Wheeler, John Nolan, Jamie Taylor. Nick Ramsey, Francis Monk, Clergy: Bishop Michael Evans, Bishop Michael Rowland, Mgr Chris Brooks, Fr David Papworth, Fr Dick Ashton, Rev Warner Pidgeon. Children: Daisy Locker, Savannah & Cayde Lewis, Helen Slattery, Mark Selwood & Grace. May the healing power of the Holy Spirit come down upon them.

WE PRAY FOR OUR DECEASED RELATIVES & PARISHIONERS:

ANNIVERSARIES: Charles Hand, Iset Harper, Joseph Morely, Paul Moyne, Margaret Hunter, Catherine Moyne, Helen Butler, Conrad Grant.

Clergy: Canon Aloysius Roche, Mgr Canon Jules Van Meenen, Fr Gerard Murphy, Deacon Sidney Lewis.

May they rest in peace and rise in glory, and may the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, console their bereaved families and friends.

NEWS FROM ST PETER’S SCHOOL

One of our teachers and a parishioner are presently visiting our twin parish of Blaauwbosch in Dundee Diocese, South Africa. They are concerned to develop the relationship between the Primary School in Blaauwbosch and St Peter’s and we look forward to hearing from them on their return after the School half-term. They are also bringing musical instruments, as a gift from the children and parents of St Peter’s School, for the children at the school in Blaauwbosch.

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

MASS ATTENDANCE SUNDAY 13^th February 2011 (previous week)

Total 834 (879): 6pm Mass 186 (141) 9am Mass 243 (233),

11am Mass 270 (286), 5pm Mass 135 (219)

THE BRENTWOOD DIOCESAN DIRECTORY for 2011 is on sale at £2.50

Alternative parish e-mail address: parishpriestbillericay@gmail.com