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 and new Eucharistic Ministers will be commissioned, and current Eucharistic Ministers will be recommissioned. At the end of 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 Solemn 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 Holy Places to support shrines in the Holy Land.
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.
Easter Sunday
Masses on Easter Sunday will include the Renewal of Baptismal Promises and the sprinkling with Easter water.
TakeHomeNews
Next week’s newsletter will cover two weeks.
Lenten Alms
The Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal envelopes are available on the table at the back of the church. If you have not done so already, please take one and put your filled envelope into the Lenten Alms Box by Our Lady’s altar. This appeal is supporting Marriage and Family Life, Youth and Evangelisation and Social Outreach within Civil Society.
Choir Rehearsal
All choirs are invited to come along to a rehearsal for the Holy Week services on Wednesday at 7.30pm in the church.
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 31st March at 12.30pm in the church.
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 (29th March) from 2.30 to 4pm and again on Good Friday itself at 10am. This will all take place in the Canon Smyth Parish Centre.
Matters Financial
Many thanks to everyone who has completed a Parish Commitment and Volunteer Form over the last couple of weeks. If you have not done so, please complete one and return them through the presbytery letter box. Under the new General Data Protection Regulation, we are no longer allowed to put out boxes of planned giving envelopes with names and addresses. Please ask Fr Colin or one of the volunteers for your box, but please don’t start using them until the weekend of 8th April.
More parishioners are now donating by standing order. If so, please complete a Parish commitment form, return it to us and we will pass the details to your bank. If you do pay by standing order there is no need to use envelopes or put anything in the collection. By Gift Aiding your donation we receive an extra 25 pence for every £1 you give. Gift Aid applications are included on the Parish Commitment Form.
Many thanks.
Altar Servers Rehearsals
Wednesday 28th March 4.30pm
(for Maundy Thursday)
Friday 30th March 12.15pm
(For Good Friday)
Saturday 31st March 11am
(For Easter Vigil)
Recommissioning of Eucharistic Ministers
Current Eucharistic Ministers are invited to be recommissioned at 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.
Feast of the Annunciation
Our Parish Feast Day has been transferred to Monday 9th April when Masses will be at 7.30am and 7.30pm. There will be a reception in the Canon Smyth Parish Centre after the evening Mass to which you are invited to bring along a dish of food, we will provide the drink.
Readers Rota
Can all readers that do not receive their rota by email, please collect their envelope at the back of the church today.
Thank you.
Eucharistic Ministers
Can all Eucharistic Ministers collect their rota from the back of the church
today. Thank you.