Palm Sunday
Today, we start the most solemn week of the year, Holy Week. It starts in a triumphant way as we recall Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with the crowds welcoming him with palms. Please gather in the Parish Centre for the blessing of palms. We will then process to the church for Mass, waving our palms. Please do not park any cars to obstruct the procession. During the recitation of the Passion, please take the part of the crowd, marked ‘C’ in the booklet.
Holy Monday
On Monday evening at 7.30pm, we have a Reconciliation Service to help us make a worthy preparation for the coming festival. Several priests will be available for confession. Mass is at 7.30am and there is a Communion Service at 9am.
Holy Tuesday
The Chrism Mass takes place in Westminster Cathedral at 12 noon, during which the oils are blessed and the priests renew their priestly commitment. There will be 9am Mass here as usual and the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 7pm.
Holy Wednesday
The 9am Mass will be followed by Holy Hour.
Maundy Thursday
There is no morning Mass but there will be confessions between 10.30 and 11am. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is at 8pm. During the Mass, the oils blessed at the Cathedral will be brought to the altar, members of the Parish Council will be commissioned and Extraordinary Minutes of the Eucharist will be re-commissioned. At the end of the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament will be taken in solemn procession to the Altar of Repose where there will be watching until 10.30pm.
Good Friday
This is a day of Fasting and Abstinence as we recall Christ’s Passion and Death. At 9.30am we have the Annual Walk of Witness, starting from outside the Annunciation Church. We will walk in silence to Appletree Court in Burnt Oak Broadway where there will be a short service. At 11.30am, there will be the Children’s Stations of the Cross in the Parish Centre. The Solenm Liturgy of the Passion will be in the church at 3pm. As on Palm Sunday, during the recitation of the Passion, please take the part of the crowd, marked ‘C’ in the booklets. There will be a retiring collection for the Holy Places to support the shrines in the Holy Land. At 7.30pm there will be Prayer and Reflection around the Cross.
Holy Saturday
There will be confessions between 10.30 and 11am. There is no morning Mass or 6.30pm Mass. The Easter Vigil starts at 8.30pm which will begin outside by Our Lady’s Grotto with the Blessing of Fire and lighting of the Easter Candle. During the Mass there will be baptisms, a reception and Confirmation.
Easter Sunday
Masses on Easter Sunday will include the Renewal of Baptismal Promises and the sprinkling with Easter water.
Blessing of Food
For those who follow the custom of having Easter food blessed, we invite you to bring along the food for blessing on Holy Saturday 15th April at 12.30pm in the church.
Terence O’Reilly Rip
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Terence O’Reilly of Wembley High Road whose funeral will take place on Wednesday at 11am. This is in addition to the 9am Mass that day.
Children’s Stations of the Cross
Children are invited to take part in the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at 11.30am, either acting or reading. There will be a rehearsal on Maundy Thursday (13th April) from 2.30 to 4pm and again on Good Friday itself at 10am. This will all take place in the Parish Centre.
Lenten Alms
The Lenten Alms box is near Our Lady’s altar and donations will be sent to the Cardinal’s Appeal.
Baptism Preparation
There will be a session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised on Sunday 7th May at 4pm in the Dominic Room. Application forms can be collected from the sacristy.
Altar Servers Rehearsals
Wed 12th April 4.30pm
( for Maundy Thursday)
Fri 14th April 12.15pm
(for Good Friday)
Sat 15th April 11am
(for Easter Vigil)
Recommissioning of Eucharistic Ministers
Ministers of the Eucharist are invited to be recommissioned for a further year during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday at 8pm. Copies of the promise can be collected from the sacristy today. If you are unable to be present, please see Fr Colin for a private recommissioning.
Mgr Canon Turner
We welcome Mgr Canon Harry Turner who will be joining us for the liturgies during the Easter Triduum. He will also be celebrating Masses during Easter week when Fr Colin is away on retreat. Mgr Turner was a priest in this Parish during the 1970’s and last year retired as Parish Priest of Harpenden.
TakeHomeNews
Next week’s newsletter will cover two weeks.
Sunflower Cancer Support Group - Upcoming Events
A local outreach group of Cherry Lodge Cancer Care. We meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the Parish Centre. For more info visit www.cherrylodgecancercare.org.uk
11th April - Laughter Yoga
9th May - Spring Flower Arranging
13th June - Pamper Evening (with Reflexology, Reiki & Acupuncture)
11th July - Seated Fun
Come & See
Come and See - becoming a Permanent Deacon. Men wanting to know more about the permanent diaconate are invited to come to a two hour meeting at Ealing Abbey Parish Centre, Charlbury Grove, W5 2DY on Saturday 29th April from 10am to noon. No booking needed. Wives welcome. Contact details Deacon Adrian Cullen 07961 594725 or Deacon Anthony Clark 07545 373548.
WATCH THIS SPACE - J.D.S
While cleaning out the aviary at a rundown zoo a keeper noticed that one of the finches had died of old age. So he put it in a sack and continued on his rounds. When he reached the primate cage he saw to his horror that two chimpanzees had also died of natural causes, so he put them in the sack with the finch. His next stop was the insect house where the Amazonian honey bees lived. As he entered their cage to see how much they had produced, he accidentally trod on three of the bees, squashing them to a pulp. So he put the dead bees in the sack. Since money was tight he decided to use the dead creatures as food for the zoo’s only lion. That afternoon , he emptied the sack into the lion’s cage. The lion took one look at his meal and groaned “Oh no! Not finch, chimps and mushy bees!”