Newsletters
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FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the Feast of the Lord's Baptism. This event at the River Jordan is a kind of Epiphany when there was a revelation of God's love at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The voice of Father is heard and the Spirit is seen when Jesus is anointed as the Christ of God. God is love and his overwhelming love for each of us is revealed in the mystery of Christ, the Word-made-flesh and the Saviour of the world.
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THE PARISH TEAM WRITE
A big thank you to all who made Christmas go smoothly and successfully here at Our Lady of Lourdes—especially those who manned the carpark and church doors, and to those who cleaned and decorated the church and altar. Special thanks to the children in Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School who made the decorations for the Christmas tree—it looks fantastic! Thank you for the many kind messages, cards and gifts that we have received. We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year. We’re exhausted but enjoyed being with you either in person or in prayer over the Christmas liturgies. God bless you all and have a happy New Year.
Fr David, Fr Andrew, Fr Johnson, Deacon Ian, and the parish office team.
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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT—END OF TERM
Today is the Fourth Sunday in our Advent journey. Since 17th December we entered the inner heart of the Advent season, which really prepares us to celebrate the great feast of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. This week was also the end of term for children and staff in our schools. We send them all our thanks and best wishes after a very challenging school term, and every blessing for the Christmas holidays.
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT—GAUDETE
Today is Gaudete Sunday—a day of rejoicing and gladness in the heart of the Advent journey. Today we light the third, rose-coloured candle on the Advent wreath.
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FR DAVID WRITES
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent, when we meet John the Baptist in the liturgy; the ‘voice crying in the wilderness’. The wilderness of today’s world also needs to hear clear voices of faith, awakening memories of goodness and holiness, that will open the doors of hope. Today at Mass we hear the opening words of the Gospel according to Mark (Mk 1:1-8). Mark’s Gospel does not begin with the stories about Bethlehem and Nazareth, or about angels and shepherds. It begins when Jesus is already an adult, at the start of his challenging and life-changing mission by the bank of the River Jordan. These words at the start of the Gospel are an extraordinarily message about the coming of the one who will baptise his people with the Holy Spirit—words that have resounded throughout the centuries, opening doors of hope to those who have come to believe.
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR B)
Today is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new cycle in the Church’s calendar. Advent is a season of hope and of preparation for the coming of Christ. It is also a time when we prepare for the liturgical celebration of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem at Christmas.
END OF LOCKDOWN—WEDNESDAY
This week the lockdown ends at 12.01am on Wednesday 2nd December. That means the faithful will be able to come to public Masses, the first being Wednesday lunchtime 12 noon. The system we had in place until 5th November will recommence. Saturday Mass 4pm & 6pm; Sundays 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm; Monday-Friday 12pm & 6pm. We will hear Confessions on Saturday afternoons at 2pm. The same procedures apply to the church as before: limit on numbers, face covering, hand sanitiser, shorter Mass. Please note there are no toilet facilities available.
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ENGLISH MASS TIMES ONLINE
Monday-Friday 12 noon; Saturdays 6pm; Sundays 10am
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FR DAVID WRITES
Perhaps like you, I can hardly believe that we have already marked Remembrance Sunday (last week) and are almost at the Feast of Christ the King (next weekend). The strangest of years is almost at an end (please God, is there light at the end of tunnel?) Perhaps later we will have a better opportunity and perspective to make sense of just what has happened and how we have truly experienced it. For now, the lockdown goes on. Thank you for your prayers, support, love for each other, and kind messages which are shared throughout the parish. Let us persevere together! Finally, please keep me in your prayers next Sunday which will be the twelfth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood; twelve years that have also gone by very quickly! God bless you all.
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ENGLISH MASS TIMES ONLINE
Monday-Friday 12 noon; Saturdays 6pm; Sundays 10am (extra Mass Tues 10am this week)
MALAYALAM MASSES
Fr Johnson will also celebrate Mass in Malayalam every evening at 7pm online.
CHURCH OPENING TIMES (PRIVATE PRAYER)
Wednesdays 12.30pm-2pm; Fridays 12.30pm-2pm; Sundays 10.30am-12 noon.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Today is Remembrance Sunday when we pray for all those who died in war. The 10am Mass on Sunday will be a Requiem Mass. Please join us online and in prayer.
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ALL SAINTS & ALL SOULS
Today, 1st November, is the solemnity of All Saints. This is the feast of the saints in
heaven - God’s heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, to which we are all headed. Tomorrow is All Souls’ Day. This is a day of prayer for all the faithful departed—the Holy Souls. On All Souls’ Day (Monday) we will have Mass at 12 noon and 6pm. At each Mass we will present our Book of Remembrance as we pray for our deceased loved ones and friends. November is the month of the Holy Souls. We will continue to offer prayers and Masses for the faithful departed throughout the month.
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FR DAVID WRITES
I had a lovely visit to St Dominic's Sixth Form College in Harrow this week. I visited their principal and their chaplain, and celebrated Mass with a handful of students, which was recorded for the wider college community. It has been great to see so many schools, colleges, teachers and pupils return to what they do best, and do it so safely. I can hardly believe it is half-term already! Well done and thank you to all who have worked so hard to enable our schools to operate so successfully. These days, running schools (like parishes, deaneries and dioceses!) is an exhausting enterprise for everyone involved. I hope that everyone involved is able to get some respite in the coming days and come back slightly more refreshed. Have a safe and happy half-term break!