Third Sunday of Easter
Our Gospel today provides us with a beautiful instance of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection. Jesus joins two disciples walking out of Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus. They are sad and downcast because they are confused with all the happenings over the previous days. When Jesus walks with them they don’t recognise him but Jesus explains the scripture to them. When they reach Emmaus, they invite Jesus into their home. It is when he breaks bread with them that they recognise Jesus. They then hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples that Jesus had appeared to them and so the news of the resurrection rapidly spread. We too have a role to play in spreading the Good News of the resurrection.
Priest Training Fund
Next weekend is Good Shepherd Sunday, the day we pray for vocations, especially vocations to the priesthood. The annual collection for the Priest Training Fund will take place next weekend. The Fund helps pay for training seminarians (there are currently 39), further studies of our priests for specialised ministries, and for ongoing enrichment to strengthen priests. Your generous donation helps ensure we can support these men who are called to be like Christ the Good Shepherd. Donation leaflets are available in the pews and the back of the church. Please take one home, read the information, and bring it back next weekend with your donation. Please also pray for vocations; please take home a prayer card for vocations and pray it daily. You can donate online anytime at www.rcdow.org.uk/donations. Deacon Carlos will speak about the training of priests at Masses next weekend, except at the 10.30 First Communion Mass.
May Procession
This year our May Procession will take place on a Saturday, 20th May at 10.30, following the 10am Mass. We will process to the shrine of Our Lady where there will be the crowning of the statue and the Rosary. We will return to the church for Benediction. There will be refreshments in the hall afterwards.
Lately Dead
Please pray for the repose of Imelda Grasso of Limesdale Gardens, whose funeral Mass will be on Wednesday 10th May at 11am. This is in addition to the 9am Mass that day. Her body will be brought to the Church on Tuesday 9th at 6pm.
Please also pray for Edwin Boateng, a pupil at the Annunciation Infants School, whose funeral has already taken place.
Meeting For Confirmation Parents
There will be a meeting for parents of Confirmation candidates on Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre.
Baptism Preparation
There will be a preparation session for parents who wish to have their baby baptised next Sunday, 7th May, at 4pm in the Dominic Room. Application forms can be collected from the sacristy.
Monday Mass at 7am
As I am travelling out of London on Monday and there are no tubes from Burnt Oak. Mass will be at 7am, not 7.30am. There will be no 9am Communion Service as Deacon Carlos is away. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Evangelisation Team
There will be a meeting for everyone who is interested in planning our International Mass on Thursday 11th May at 7.30pm in the Dominic Room. The International Mass takes place on Saturday 3rd June at 6.30pm. We invite people to come in their national costume and children to carry their national flag in the opening procession. If there is any group who would like to sing a hymn at the Mass, please let Fr Colin know. We are also looking for readers to do Bidding Prayers in different languages. We also would like to have a display of the Lord’s Prayer in different languages. The Mass will be followed by a reception in the Parish Centre to which we invite you to bring along a dish of food.
First Communion
The first set of First Communions will be next Sunday at 10.30am. There will be a rehearsal for these children at 6pm on Friday. There will also be First Communion Masses on Sundays 14th and 21st May at 10.30am. Please note that these Masses will be very crowded so you may prefer to attend a different Mass on these Sundays.
Ordination Gift
If you would like to contribute to an ordination gift to Deacon Carlos, please use a ’Parish Gift’ envelope at the table at the back of the church and put it in the collection. Deacon Carlos will be ordained at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 24th June at 10.30am. His first Mass will be here at the Annunciation on Sunday 25th June at 12 noon.
Finance Committee
There will be a meeting for the Finance Committee on Tuesday at 7.45pm in the Presbytery. Please note the different day, time and venue to the usual arrangements.
Deborah Lodge
There will be no Mass at Deborah Lodge in May.
Room To Let
A teacher is looking for a room to let urgently until the end of July. If there is any possibility or if you would like more information, please contact Elaine Henry telephone 0208 952 7015.
Barnet Unity Festival of Faith & Culture
This takes place at Burnt Oak Leisure Centre in Watling Ave on Sunday 14th May between 12 noon and 5pm. There is free entry to this family fun day with music, dance, drama, food stalls, children’s entertainment and much more. At 4pm, representatives of the various faiths will be making a united pledge.
CAFOD
This Lent Fast Day, our parish raised a total of £874.35 for CAFOD. Thank you for your continued support.
Nursery Places
The Annunciation Catholic Infant and Nursery School has places available in the afternoon Nursery Class in September 2017. If your child was born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014 they are entitled to a Nursery place. If you are interested please contact the school on 020 8959 2325 or pop in for an application form. We are right next door to the Church.
WATCH THIS SPACE - J.D.S
Bob had finally made it through to the last round of the £50,000 Quiz. He was going to answer a question on English History. The show’s host said “You know that if you answer this correctly you walk away with £50,000 and that this is a two-part question. Generally the second part is easier, which part would you like to answer first? “I’ll try the second part first” said Bob. The audience hushed in expectation. Bob had been the show’s best contestant for months, astounding everyone with his remarkable knowledge. There had been a lot of publicity about the programme and everybody wanted him to win. “Here we go then, Bob” said the host “I will ask you the second part of the question first, best of luck.” The host took the big money question from an envelope, “Bob, here is your question, and in what year did it take place?”