Easter Sunday
The Lord has risen. He has conquered death and brought about new life. As we renew our baptismal promises today, may we be renewed in our faith. We have received the greatest of all gifts, our faith. It is a gift to be shared. We are witnesses of the resurrection and we have been ordered to proclaim this to the people.
Today many are coming to receive the waters of baptism. We pray for them that that they may be faithful witnesses of the resurrection. We wish everyone a happy and holy Easter.
Many Thanks
We would like to thank everyone for the Easter offerings as well as the gifts you have given us. Very many thanks to all who have worked hard to make our Holy Week services so dignified. Many people work hard behind the scene, giving their time to cleaning and decorating the church. This is much appreciated. This goes on throughout the year but is particularly intense around Holy Week. Many thanks too to all those involved in liturgical ministry in the parish, to all our catechists and to everyone who gives their time to the parish. We thanks the Monday Club for preparing the Easter garden, where we can go and reflect on the Easter story. God bless you all.
Columban Mission Appeal
Father Conal O’Connell will be here next weekend to make a mission appeal at all Masses. There are Missions all over the world, spreading the word of the Gospel, building relationships between peoples of different faiths, cultures and ideologies. FAR EAST magazine is also published 8/9 times during the year, which also supports their valuable work here and abroad.
Feast of the Annunciation
Our Parish Feast Day will be on Monday 4th April, when Masses will be at 9am and 7.30pm. At the evening Mass, we invite people to come in their national costumes and for children to carry a flag of their country in the opening procession. Groups will be singing in their own language and the Bidding Prayers will be in five different languages. We hope that you will bring along with you somebody who perhaps has not been to church for some time to join in our parish celebrations at this International Mass.
After Mass there will be a social in the Parish Centre to which we invite you to bring along an international dish and we will provide the drink.
No Friday Abstinence
There is no need to abstain from meat this Friday as Easter Week is like a week of Sundays, celebrating the Resurrection.
No 7.30am Mass
There will be no 7.30am Mass on Easter Monday or the following two Mondays. The mass resumes on 18th April.
Proclaim
In response to Pope Francis encyclical ‘The Joy of the Gospel’, Westminster Diocese has encouraged each parish to plan three projects to help the spread of the Good News. We have formed an Evangelisation Team who have decided on the following initiatives.
1. An International Mass. This will be on our Parish Feast Day of the Annunciation at 7.30pm.
2. Signposting. A) We plan to put a signpost on the grass bank facing Gervase Road, making more people aware of our location.
B) On Polling Days to have the church central doors wide open, encouraging people to come in and see ‘The Hidden Gem of Burnt Oak.’
C) Encouraging parishioners to be human signposts, pointing people towards our church.
3. Street Groups. This would involve getting people in different corners of the parish together, possibly for House Masses and re-introducing the SVP to visit the needy.
The Evangelisation Teams meet again on Thursday 28th April at 7.30pm in the Dominic Room.
Deborah Lodge Mass
There will be a Mass at Deborah Lodge on Friday at 3pm.
Have you signed a Gift Aid Form?
We will be soon putting a claim asking HMRC to give us the tax that you have paid on your donations. So, if you have stopped paying tax, please would you let Fr Colin know so that we do not claim. Thank you.
Novena & Holy Hour
There will be no Novena on Tuesday or Holy Hour on Wednesday this week. We resume next week, 5th and 6th April.
Forthcoming Mercy Masses
The monthly Mercy Masses have been arranged on Fridays at 7.30pm as follows:
April 22nd Corporal Works of Mercy.
May 27th Spiritual Works of Mercy.
June 24th Sacrament of the Sick.
Parish Council
The new Parish Council meets on Thursday 7th April at 7.45pm in the presbytery.
Baptism Preparation
The next session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised will be on Sunday 8th May at 4pm in the Dominic Room in the Parish Centre. Application forms can be collected from the sacristy.
Youth 2000
Looking for something to do this summer? 25-29th August
Why not join 1500 other young people in Walsingham for the Youth 2000 Summer Festival!-”Conquerors”
This is a 5 day Prayer Festival, packed with Dynamic Talks form international speakers, Live-Band Worship, powerful prayer times, Fun Social Activities, creative workshops, in-depth discussions, evening entertainment and loads more. Coaches from London, Euston. Telephone 0207221 2124. info@youth2000.org.
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy:
Hail, our life, our sweetness
and our hope;
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping
in this vale of tears.
Turn then most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us;
And after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary
WATCH THIS SPACE-J.D.S
Jack was a very hard working guy. In addition to his demanding job at the bank he is on the Parish Council and does a lot of work in the parish and though he is away from home a lot, he loves his wife very much and always tries to please her. One day, his wife said to him “Jack, those two young ones that have moved in next door seem such a loving couple. Every morning when he leaves the house, he kisses her goodbye, and evening when he comes home he brings her a dozen roses, Now, why can’t you do that? “Gosh” Jack says “I hardly know the girl!”