This page is taking the place of the Parish Newsletter for the time being
Coronovirus – The church will re-open for public Mass on Saturday 5th December.
THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE PERMITTED IN THE CHURCH IS RESTRICTED AND IN DESIGNATED SEATING ONLY. YOU MUST WEAR A FACE COVERING WHICH COVERS BOTH MOUTH AND NOSE. The Fraternity will continue to keep you all in their thoughts and prayers. Peace and all good.
Mass at St Francis Church
Click above for more information about attending Mass including new Mass times from 7th March
Diocesan Virtual Pilgrimage to Walsingham – Saturday 29th May – Bishop Alan will lead a virtual pilgrimage from the Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham, which we can join using the Shrine’s live-streaming service via their website www.walsingham.org.uk or their YouTube channel ‘Walsingham Catholic TV’.
Pope Francis has asked that the month of May be dedicated to
a “marathon” of prayer
A Covid-19 vaccine confidence webinar has been organised for the faithful of Dioceses of Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster, with the cooperation of Hertfordshire County Council and Hammersmith & Fulham Council, and other local authorities. Poster available here. It will take place on Saturday 15th May 2021 from 10am to 11.30am and will feature a panel of eminent medical experts led by Prof Kevin Fenton, Regional Director of Public Health London. The panel will share the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccines. There will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions anonymously. To join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/99627319556 Passcode: 546617 The recording of the previous webinar, held prior to Easter, is available to view at: https://rcdow.org.uk/news/vaccination-confidence-webinar/
YOUCAN – Family retreat, a weekend away for Catholic families, Friday 24th to Sunday 26th September 2021. More details here.
Gift Aid envelopes for April 2021 to April 2022 available from the parish office. For more information re donations including Gift Aid and Gift Aid certificates for 2020/2021 click here
FORTHCOMING WEDDINGS
Please keep in your prayers the following couples who are hoping to get married in the next few weeks.
James O’Connell and Michela Trincia
Jheryl Cabey and Rachel Haig
Mattia Cevolani and Astrid Motta
In this difficult time that their weddings may go ahead and by a time of joy and celebration for them and their families and friends.
May the Lord bless them and keep them.
Three Job Opportunities – Sacred Heart of Mary Girls School, Upminster. Cleaner Relief Lettings Supervisor
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Trust (based in Newham) has a vacancy for a management accountant. Please see http://www.ourladyofgraceacademy.org.uk/careers-opportunities/
Vocation Cafe – A Facebook Group for Catholic Young Adults in London
POPE FRANCIS AND THE CULTURE OF ENCOUNTER: On Saturday 15th May from 11 am until 12.30 pm Dr Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis, will lead a Gidea Park live stream study day on the theme ‘The Culture of Encounter: Can Pope Francis’ vision of fraternity counter the politicization of faith?’ Dr Ivereigh will explore the importance of the Abu Dhabi declaration, the Amazon Synod, the recent encyclical on fraternity Fratelli Tutti, and the March 2021 visit of Pope Francis to Iraq. To access this free live stream event simply go to www.whatgoodnews.org and follow the instructions found there.”
COMPASS Discernment Programme. Young adults 18-40 – How do I make good decisions? Can I notice how God’s spirit acts in my life? Join us to listen, reflect and share. Email us: CompassCVP@gmail.com More info: Discernment Programme or Https://fb.me/e/3MA8KE2ar #vocation #religiouslife #discernment #joy
Each Wednesday we gather together on Zoom from 7-8.30pm starting on 21st April 2021
There will be time for input and finding out some tools for discernment as well as time for sharing, questions and discussion.
Zoom link: email us on CompassCVP@gmail.com for the link and for any other information.
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/3MA8KE2ar
Compass is a project of CVP (Catholic Vocations Projects). CVP is supported by a group of religious women and men in the UK who are interested in promoting a culture of vocation in our Church.
LIVING JOYFULLY – click for poster- See more details on facebook – https://fb.me/e/EdDGXmw
Vocation Music Award – Song writing Competition
https://www.facebook.com/COMPASSvocationdiscernment
Calais – ‘Will we survive or drown?” Calais Light is a small refugee charity group that is still caring for refugees here & in N France. Watch & listen to the desperate thoughts of a refugee mother adrift in the dark in their Guided Meditation: “A minute on the Aegean Sea”. Imagine the terrible decisions she has to make. Watch on their website: www.calaislight.com & please donate if you can. Thank you.
Spring Newsletter from Fr Dominic Howarth, BCCS (Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society)
Also from Fr Dominic:
I hear about refugees and I ask, “what can I do”? Inspired by his Grandparents, themselves refugees, Rob Green, a young BCYS leader, travelled to a refugee camp in Greece: what he saw inspired and challenged him. Interspersed with reflective questions, and information from the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) hear Rob tell his story in the latest BCYS voices video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqt0mvRrDH0. More details of the whole BCYS voices series and much more at www.bcys.net
Coronovirus – Click for Latest Update from the Catholic Church
Advice re attending Mass and having the vaccine.
Click here for the full text of the email from Bishop Alan Williams.
A Message from Pope Francis – Click here.
When you are out on your daily exercise, which a lot of us are doing, you to note or record the distance you walked, run or cycled. You then submit the details to our website and help cover the 1,168 miles. You can either get sponsorship or make a donation via Just Giving. Anyone can join. For further details and to sign up for free go tohttps://sites.google.com/view/brentwood-2-rome-2021
Fraud Alert – Please be aware that there are an increased number of scams around, some involving the coronovirus vaccine. Click here for more information
Is your marriage stressed – A Lifeline for Marriages. Click for information / Click for poster
2021 – The Year of St Joseph- click here
Click for the Pastoral Letter from Bishop Alan for the Feast of the Holy Family
300 CLUB
December 2020 Our Very last Winner – Number – 263
If you have any queries re the 300 Club please contact Marian 07715420629
Sadly, we are going to have to close the 300 Club. We are able to continue to pay prize money to the end of December, but the loss we have made this year has just about wiped out our reserves. Thankfully, as the parish own some of the numbers and have had a couple of wins this year, the parish has still benefitted by £480. However, it is likely that next year, the parish would have to subsidise the club. Any balance remaining on current subscriptions will be repaid. Apologies for the delay in sorting this out. It will be done as soon as possible given the current lockdown.
First Holy Communion 2020 – To parents and families of those children who were to have received their First Holy Communion back in May, this will now be celebrated next year. The exact date to be confirmed.
BCYS– The Brentwood Catholic Youth Service has a number of opportunities coming up for young people and those accompanying them, including “BCYS voices” on YouTube considering the pain and problem of racism, and the potential for us, as young Catholics, to build the world in the image of Jesus Christ – where everyone is welcomed, valued and loved, in all the beautiful diversity of every race. More details at www.bcys.netand on Instagram and YouTube @BrentwoodCYS.
“The Three Flowers of Pope,St John XXIII”
A Prayer for Strength
NEWway email appeal Sept 2020 Items for the homeless are needed by the Newham NEWway Project
All Brentwood Diocesan Catholic School Vacancies (for which the Education Services Department are aware) are posted on the Diocesan website. https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/departments/education/vacancies/school-vac
Practical Help and Advice
Includes:
Links to Brentwood Diocese, BCCS and BCYS
Links to livestreamed services
Some warnings from our local police re fraud