EAST HENDRED CATHOLIC PARISH St Mary’s East Hendred St Patrick’s East Ilsley Fr. Tom Taaffe EpV Assisted by Fr. Terence FitzPatrick OSB www.catholichendredandilsley.org.uk Week Commencing Sunday 21st December 2008 Sunday Cycle B Weekday Cycle
Fourth Sunday of Advent
SUNDAY MASSES: St. Mary’s, East Hendred 9.30am St. Patrick’s, East Ilsley 11.15 am Sybil Clarke (FM) CHRISTMAS MASSES St Mary’s East Hendred Wednesday 24 Dec 9.30am 7.30pm Readings and Quiet Reflection 8pm First Mass of Christmas Thursday 25 December, Christmas Day 9.30am St Mary’s 1.15am St Patrick’s Please note there will be no Mass at St Amand’s Chapel on Friday 26 Dec or January 2. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place every Friday between 3 and 4 pm. in St. Amand’s Chapel, Hendred House. Anniversaries. Bernard Egan, Maureen Morris, Helen Rea, Mary Hunt, John Stibbs, Winifred Anns, John Champ, Kathleen Cavan and Sybil Clerk. May they rest in the peace of the Risen Lord WELCOME A warm welcome to anyone who is visiting East Hendred or East Ilsley today. LAST CALL for the Thames-Isis Confirmation 2009 Are you in Year 8 or above? Would you like to be Confirmed? Next year’s Confirmation in the Thames-Isis Pastoral Area will take place on Tuesday 2nd June. Preparation will start in January. Please contact Helen Sutherland ( HYPERLINK "mailto:helen_sutherland@hotmail.com%20/%2001635%20579311" \t "_blank" helen_sutherland@hotmail.com / 01635 579311) TRANSPORT TO CHRISTMAS MASSES If you or someone you know would like a lift to church to enable you to attend Mass, please contact Chris Holmes 01235 816223 or email HYPERLINK "mailto:stmaryseasthendred@fsmail.net" stmaryseasthendred@fsmail.net. PARISH CLEAN AND PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS Calling as many volunteers as possible to help clean and prepare St Mary’s church for Christmas. This will take place after the 9.30am Mass THIS MORNING. Children are invited to stay and help prepare the Crib. HENDRED VILLAGE NATIVITY PROCESSION This takes place today. It starts at 4pm from Hendred House drive. Come and join in singing carols and enjoy a glass of mulled wine afterwards! CLUTTER IN THE PARISH ROOMS The amount of crockery and cutlery left in the parish rooms, usually after parish events, seems to be increasing. A parish office is now being created in the rooms so there is less space to ‘store’ things. If you think there maybe items belonging to you in the parish rooms, will you please collect them before the end of the year. Soon, in the new year, unwanted items may either be acquired, perhaps for a donation, or will be disposed of.
GATHERING TOGETHER IN CHRIST A group of us will be meeting on Wednesday 7th January, to practise lectio divina, using the Bible to help us pray. We shall be concentrating on a passage in the ninth chapter of Mark’s Gospel. Everyone is welcome and those wishing to come are encouraged to read prayerfully this chapter at least once before the meeting. We meet in the parish rooms at 7.30 p.m. For information contact Denis Smith, 01235 765564. At the meeting of the Pastoral Area Leadership Team held on Wednesday Dec 10 the following items were discussed: Pastoral Area confirmation programme and arrangements; a meeting for all the parish pastoral councils with the pastoral area leadership team to explain what work the leadership team has already done and to discuss the scenario of all parishes being amalgamated into one parish within two years with perhaps two priests and one deacon in the new parish; this to take place on 19th January in St Edmund’s parish centre at 7.30; a series of talks on St Paul to be given on Thursday evenings in Lent by local, interesting and entertaining scholars: the dates will be March 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th and the speakers who have so far agreed to take part are: Nicholas King, S.J., Richard Ounsworth, O.P. and Fr Jerome Bertram. For more information contact Fr Tom or Denis Smith, 01235 765564 BAPTISM Today we welcome Luke Patrick Hayward in Baptism at St Mary’s. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS The Christmas Day offerings are your personal gift to the Priest. Gift Aiders please note you will find the White Gift envelope in your box. Thank you Thank you to everyone who has given their time and effort to prepare our Parish for Advent events and Christmas Day. It really is appreciated.