FR DAVID WRITES - FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES IN THE CENTENARY YEAR
Dear Parishioners: on Friday 10 February we will keep our patronal feast in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes, Patroness of the Parish, Church and School. Our feast day this year has added meaning as we begin to celebrate the centenary of the parish. On Friday 10 February, there will be Mass in church at 10 am for the children, staff and community of Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School. In the evening, at 7 pm, there will be a special Mass for the parish. We are delighted to welcome Mgr. Paul McGinn (our Parish Priest from 1990-2001) as the celebrant and preacher for our Mass. After Mass, there will be a celebration in the parish hall. Please make a note of the date and be sure to join us! Thank you to Ashley Wells for adjusting our logo for the centenary. May God bless you all - have a wonderful weekend!
MARY BRODERICK RIP
The funeral for Mary Broderick will take place on Monday 23 January at 10 am.
EILEEN NAGLE RIP
The funeral for Eileen Nagle will take place on Wednesday 25 January at 10 am.
LUIGI CATTINI RIP
The funeral for Luigi Cattini will take place on Wednesday 8 February at 10am.
BAPTISM
The next meeting to arrange baptisms will be on Wednesday 8th February at 5pm in the Parish Centre.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2023
Parents are reminded of their next meeting on Tuesday 31 January at 8pm in the hall. Children’s session will be Saturday 4 February and then the family Mass at 11.15am Mass on Sunday 5 February.
BERNADETTE CLUB - NEW MEMBERS WELCOME
To the next meeting of the Bernadette Club 2 to 4 pm Thursday 2 February in the parish centre. We are an active group of mainly retired people who enjoy getting together once a month (on the first Thursday) for a relaxing afternoon over a cup of tea. Our activities include quizzes, board games, raffles, occasional parties and day trips to places of interest. Do come and see for yourself - you will certainly be assured of a warm welcome!
TEA AND COFFEE
Please do remember we have tea and coffee in the hall after 10am and 11.15am Masses on Sunday. Please call in after Mass for a cuppa, to visit the Fair Trade stall, and help to support the parish at the same time. All welcome.
FAIR TRADE STALL 21/22 JANUARY
The first Fair Trade stall of 2023 will be open after all Saturday and Sunday Masses this weekend—please call in.
FUNDRAISING FOR THE CENTENARY DURING 2023
As we continue with plans to have the church redecorated to mark our centenary, thoughts turn to fundraising. This is a remarkably generous parish, especially when it comes to helping others through appeals or by marking special events. At the same time, everyone is conscious of the financial situation the wider community is currently experiencing. Nevertheless, it will cost a considerable sum to complete our works, bearing in mind that we also recently redecorated the parish centre and made several important but costly repairs. Can you help the parish by making a donation, either now or during this year? If so, please mark any donation clearly, either online or in written form, for the ‘Building Fund’. As ever, if we are also able to collect the tax refund on donations (Gift Aid) from HM Treasury, this is always very valuable and comes at no extra expense to you. You can ask at the office about this, and there are also blue donation envelopes in the church porch. Father David is always willing to speak to anyone who is considering making a contribution to the parish for the centenary—please see him either after Mass or contact the office to make an appointment.
PAPER SHOP ROTAS
New volunteer rotas are available in the Paper Shop today—thank you.