What is Lent - Retreating into the Wilderness with Jesus - Lent is the forty-day period before Easter which begins on Ash Wednesday. This year, it falls on the 14th February and is a day of fast and abstinence. Masses will be celebrated at 9.30am and 7.30pm, during which there will be a blessing and imposition of ashes. The act of receiving ashes symbolises our fragility and mortality, and the need we all have to be redeemed by the mercy of God. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolise that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptised are called during this season. We omit Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sunday is the ‘Day of the Lord’ and commemorates the Resurrection. Lent officially ends at sunset on the 29th March (Holy Thursday) with the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. During Lent, the decorations are purple, which is the colour of repentance. Lent is a season of soul-searching andreflection. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness. On Fridays during Lent, there will be an extra Mass at 7pm, which will be directly followed by Stations of the Cross at 7.30pm.
Walk with Me - Copies of the popular daily reflection for Lent booklet ‘Walk with Me’ are now also available for purchase in the Church porch price £1. This is a good way of spending some time in prayer and reflection each day of this holy season.
“We Adore You, O Christ, and We Praise You”: The Gift of the Holy Eucharist – Small Group resource for Lent 2018- This Lent resource for small group reflection on the centrality of the Eucharist is divided into six thematic sessions and begins on Thursday morning of this coming week, the 14th February at 10.30am, and finishes in the fifth week of Lent. If anyone is interested in being part of this, please contact the parish office at
Sacrament of Reconciliation – From Saturday 17th February, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available from 5.40pm to 6.10pm every Saturday evening. The reconciliation area (confessional) on the right side of the sanctuary near to the entrance of the Sacred Heart Chapel is currently being refurbished and will be in operation shortly, so that reconciliations will be afforded far more privacy.
The ALPHA Course continues! – and it’ s not too late to come! The course continues with session 4 ‘How can I have faith?’ this coming Tuesday 13th February and then over the following 6 Tuesday evenings at the Hume Centre (Parsons Green Nursery entrance) on Cortayne Road. Alpha starts at 7.30pm and finishesby 9.15pm and includes supper, a talk and discussion. Alpha is open to anyone who wants to come along. Please email if you would like to attend, or simply turn up for 7.30pm.
Young Readers – If any children or young people from School Year 4 to 18 years old would like to be trained to read the scriptures and read the bidding prayers at the 9.30 Sunday morning Family Mass, could parents please contact Fr Michael.
Adult Readers – If there are adults of any nationality or accent who would like to proclaim the scriptures and read the bidding prayers at the Sunday Masses, please contact Fr Michael. Full training will be provided.
Parish Confirmation Programme – Further information concerning the forthcoming Parish Youth Confirmation Programme will soon be available for parents and candidates. Thank you for your patience. The Sacrament of Confirmation will be administered by Bishop John Wilson, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, during the celebration of Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday 20th May at 6pm.
Cardinal’s Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sacrament of Matrimony, Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 19th May 2018 at 3pm - The Cardinal, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, is inviting all couples in the Diocese to this Mass who are celebrating their 5th10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th (and every year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage in 2018. If you are celebrating an anniversary, please provide the following details to Annie, the parish administrator as soon as possible. Her contact details are overleaf: Husband and wife’s names, wedding date, Church where married, full home postal address and e-mail (or telephone number, if no e-mail).
We pray for those who are sick:Donatella Sanso,Sheila McCusker,Sarah Muir, Jenny Guest, Nana Akowuah,John Connors, Myra Scully, Teresa Knott and for all the sick and housebound in our parish.
We pray for the faithful departed:Recently deceased: Sheila Barrow, Ken Moody, Lucy Craig, Maria Louisa Tavella, Joyce Daley, Mary Joyce and all who have died because of conflict and war, terrorism or natural disaster. Anniversaries: George Moody
Prayer for Ash Wednesday – Blessed are you, O Lord our God.As we go about our lives, the press of our duties and activities often leads us to forget your presence and your love. We fall into sin and fail to live out the responsibilities that you have entrusted to those who were baptised into your Son.In this holy season, help us to turn our minds and hearts back to you. Lead us into sincere repentance and renew our lives with your grace. Help us to remember that we are sinners, but even more, help us to remember your loving mercy.As we celebrate Ash Wednesday, may the crosses of ashes that mark our foreheads and our worship, prayer and penitence this day be sustained throughout the season of Lent.Bring us refreshed and renewed to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at Easter.We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen