We look forward the the public celebration of mass which will resume from Sunday 7th March at 9.00am. Thereafter, mass will be celebrated as usual on Tuesday and Thursday at 9.30am unless otherwise noted in the weekly newsletter. Please be mindful that all the safety measures we had in place before the closing are still in place. Remember that during this time there is still no Sunday obligation so you can attend Mass at any of the time in the week. Please only attend mass if you are well and free of Covid-19 symptoms.
CAFOD Family Fast Day 26th Feb 2021
We may not be having a mass or a collection for CAFOD this lent but you are still able to donate online or by text. For further information and to donate please go to https://cafod.org.uk/Fundraise/Family-Fast-Day
Please watch the video below about Abdella in Ethiopia and his long journey everyday to to get water.
Masses for the Victims of Covid-19
This initiative aims to offer a sign of communion
and hope for the entire continent.
On Tuesday 2nd March, Cardinal
Vincent will celebrate a special Mass at 5.30pm in Westminster Cathedral as
part of this Eucharistic chain, and invites us all to join him via livestream
at www.westminstercathedral.org.uk
Redemptorist Publications Free Online Retreat: Reflecting with Paintings with Fr Denis McBride
Father Denis McBride will be leading a FREE online retreat this Lent, based on his two books Reflecting with Paintings Vol 1 and Vol 2 from Wednesday 24th February 2021
Each video will be uploaded on the dates
given below. You can choose to watch each video at a day/time
that suits you. You can access the retreat from the
Redemptorist Publications website by clicking on this link Reflecting with Paintings | Retreat with Denis McBride |
RP Books
Reflecting with paintings
One
of the things that has always intrigued me about Jesus is how so much of his
teaching he chose to do through the medium of fiction. All his parables
are fiction: each could begin ‘Once upon a time.’ Jesus asked his hearers to
leave their own world and come with him into an imaginary world, and then
return to their world to have an inner conversation of how they see things in
the light of the parable. Jesus’ parable world is a world of great
variety. You meet all sorts of people: difficult judges, committed
burglars, broken families, wounded beggars, awkward neighbours, selfish
priests, eccentric employers, desperate hosts, surprised guests, wise and
foolish virgins.
Paintings,
too, have their own language, from pictorial to representative, to coded, to
abstract, to you-name-it – communicating another world to the onlooker, another
slant on looking at people and things, or simply to provoke unspoken
communication between the artist’s emotions and the viewer’s. For this Lenten
retreat I invite you to look at selected paintings, to imagine another world,
and then to return to your own story in the hope that some inner conversation
might be provoked through the strange encounters.
- Denis McBride, CSsR -
- First week
in Lent - Wed 24 Feb
Praying the Rosary – Old Woman Praying the Rosary by Paul Cézanne - Second week
in Lent - Wed 3 Mar
Growing up hyphenated – Jojo by J W Miller - Third week
in Lent - Wed 10 Mar
Food for thought – The Promenade by Fernando Botero - Fourth week
in Lent - Wed 17 Mar
Facing the truth – Logo for Frankfurt Book Fair, 1998 - Fifth week
in Lent - Wed 24 Mar
Bearing up – Peasant Woman with Buckets and a Child by Kasimir Malevich - Palm Sunday
- Sun 28 Mar
Hat trick – Pilate’s Wife by Sebastien Champion - Good Friday
- Wed 31 Mar
Letting go – Pieta by Vincent Van Gogh
When words are not enough – The Reconciliation of Peter by Iain McKillop
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, 11th February
Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of
Lourdes. Our Parish is known as Our Lady
of Lourdes and St Bernadette so here is a brief review on why our parish is so
named.
In Lourdes, France, in 1844 a baby girl named Bernadette
Soubirous was born. Bernadette’s family was very poor, and Bernadette was
responsible for looking after and caring for her brothers and sisters. The only
education Bernadette received was the Catholic teachings which she studied
faithfully in the evenings.
The beautiful lady
smiled at Bernadette and asked her to say her rosary. Bernadette said her prayers and when she was finished, she looked
up, the lady had vanished. The third time Bernadette went to the grotto, the
lady spoke to her. The beautiful lady asked Bernadette to come here every
day for fifteen days. She said that she wanted Bernadette to tell the
priests to build a chapel there. She told her to drink water from the
stream. The lady also told Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners. Bernadette
followed the requests.
On March 25, the Lady finally told Bernadette that she was Mary,
the mother of Jesus, and that her purpose in appearing to Bernadette was to
warn her to pray and make sacrifices for sinners. The miracles of body and soul performed at
Lourdes are the proof that this message was a true warning from the Queen of
Heaven to her children and that she was deeply interested in their welfare.
Eventually everyone did believe Bernadette and the
grotto at Lourdes became a place of worship and the Lourdes holy water was
sacred for performing miracles.
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
Oh ever immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick,
Refuge of Sinners, Comfortess of the Afflicted,
you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings.
Look upon me with mercy.
When you appeared in the grotto of Lourdes,
you made it a privileged sanctuary where you dispense your favours,
and where many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities,
both spiritual and corporal.
I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence
to implore your maternal intercession.
My loving Mother, obtain my request.
I will try to imitate your virtues so that I may one day share
your company and bless you in eternity.
Amen
Latest News
Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage 2021
It is with regret that we announce that the Diocesan and Catholic Association Pilgrimage to Lourdes this year has been cancelled. The Pilgrimage, which was scheduled for 21-27 August 2021 has been cancelled in light of the on-going effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, a schedule for special virtual events throughout 2021 and the virtual Pilgrimage programme will be announced very soon.
This will be a disappointing decision for many past pilgrims and those hoping to travel to Lourdes this year. Over the last number of years, an ‘online presence’ and ‘Virtual Pilgrimage’ experience whilst in Lourdes has been offered, where everyone is able to follow the Pilgrimage daily and experience the Homilies and reflections with those in Lourdes, at home.
This year special moments for 2021 are being planned that will enable us to still celebrate the miracle of Lourdes. The Diocese looks forward to welcoming all to their ‘virtual Pilgrimage’ once again and to their events programme throughout the year.
More details will be available on the Clifton Diocese website soon! www.cliftondiocese.com
World day of Prayer
Fr Liam Slattery at St Peter’s in Gloucester will celebrate a Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, and also mark World Day of Prayer for the Sick at 7.00pm on *Thursday February 11th*. This Mass will be live streamed on the homepage of the Diocesan website. The Catholic Association will follow the mass with a Rosary live streamed on their website at 7.45pm. The details of this will be available soon on the Diocesan website www.cliftondiocese.com
Sister Michael, RIP
Sister Michael, who was part of our parish and used to teach in Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School passed away last week.Please remember her in your prayers, as well as her family and friends.
May she rest in peace.
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