FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES IN THE CENTENARY YEAR
On Friday 10 February we will keep our patronal feast in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes, Patroness of the Parish, Church and School. There will be Mass in church at 10 am for the 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 (Parish Priest from 1990-2001) as the celebrant. After Mass, there will be a celebration in the parish hall. Please make a note of the date and be sure to join us!
FEAST OF THE LORD’S PRESENTATION: CANDLEMAS DAY
This Thursday, 2 February, is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas Day) which marks the final end of the liturgical journey since Christmas. There will be simple Mass at 8am; the 10am Mass will begin with the blessing of candles and the procession. Please bring any candles with you from home that you would like blessed at the 10am Mass. Candlemas is also the World Day of Prayer for those in Consecrated Life.
LUIGI CATTINI RIP
The funeral for Luigi Cattini will take place on Wednesday 8th February at 10am.
GIUSEPPA ORLANDO RIP
The funeral for Giuseppa Orlando will take place on Thursday 9th February at 10am.
KATHLEEN FLYNN RIP
The funeral for Kathleen Flynn will take place on Friday 24th February at 10am.
May they all rest in peace.
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.
BAPTISM
The next meeting to arrange baptisms will be on Wednesday 8th February at 5pm in the Parish Centre.
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!
FUNDRAISING FOR THE CENTENARY DURING 2023
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’. (Please make cheques payable to Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church)As ever, we are also able to collect the tax refund on donations from UK taxpayers (Gift Aid), 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.
HATTERS’ CAKE SALE - WEEKEND 4th/5th FEBRUARY
There will be a cake sale after all Masses on Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th February to help raise funds for the Hatters Explorer Scout Unit. In the summer of 2023 they are going on a once in a lifetime, and life changing experience, for our young people in the Himalayas. Over 60 will be travelling to the Himalayas for this unique opportunity and we are attempting to fundraise £100,000, 50% of the overall cost of the projects and expedition. This expedition will be life-changing for everyone involved, so we are all working as hard as we can to get there.
SUNDAY MORNING TEA AND COFFEE
Teas and coffees are served in the Parish Hall after the first three Masses on Sunday mornings. All are welcome to come in and chat with your fellow parishioners.