Week of 27th January 2008

TODAY
• Collection for Cricklewood Homeless Concern of all non perishable foodstuffs.

• It is possible to sign up on the green cards in benches for our Lenten Reflection Groups, that meet on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, once a week during Lent to share, discuss & pray on aspects of Catholic Faith & Action

• It is possible to sign the SPUC petition at the back of Church concerning the HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY BILL now going through Parliament, which permits creation of human-animal hybrids & removes the traditional idea of the “need of a child for a father’. We know from Christ in the Church (as well as from reason) that this is wrong, & would therefore create, rather than alleviate, distress. See the latest blue A4 sheet from Catholic Bishops, & write to our MP, & see ‘PIA’ opp.

• Sunday Rotas for Extraordinary Ministers & weekday for Readers weekday rotas for the next three months are now ready for collection at the back of the church.

• The Lenten Bible Alive and My Day by Day are on newspaper rack.

• Faith Magazine- January-February: William Oddie on the influx of Polish Catholics; interview with the Ealing Abbey Catechetical coordinator; a Muslim on Love of God

• Sinhalese Mass at 5:00pm

NEXT WEEKEND
• We take up our monthly Schools’ Building fund collection.
• Children’s liturgy at the 10:30 am Mass. This is of reception children upwards.


THIS WEEK
PRIMARY SCHOOL APPLICATIONS: The final interview opportunities are this Thurs. Please phone Clergy Ho. between 10 & 2 for an interview for parent & child.

CONFIRMATION PARENTS MEETING for Parents AND candidates who have been interviewed. Mon 7:30 pm at Infant Sch. in Park Ave. Applications now closed.

FIRST FRIDAY CHILDREN’S HOLY HOUR 7 pm, all welcome, especially families. This is part of monthly prayer for parish groups, and this time responding to Pope Benedict’s call last year to encourage children’s adoration. This month’s group intentions are our Baptism and Marriage preparation programmes and our Youth clubs (our Y7/Y8 club will be there). As we try to give our children some short periods of silence before Our Lord, the annexe will be open for any Toddler’s/babies being a little noisy.

All our 40-odd groups have now had a Holy Hour over the last fourteen months. (Let us know if your group has been missed out!) For Fridays in Lent see opposite and watch this space for post-Lent


LENT
Ash Wednesday , 6th Feb, is the earliest since 1913 (4th Feb is earliest possible which last occurred almost 200 yrs ago in 1818)

 Each Friday evening there will be a Reflection Hour, 7-8 organized by different parish groups.

 There will be confessions after every Sunday Mass

 It is now possible to sign up on green cards one of our reflection groups.See opposite

 Service for obtaining the Lourdes indulgence, (see front cover) Sunday 10th February 3pm. Please pray fro our Journey in Faith participants who will be attending the Rite of Election at the Cathedral at this time.

 SEEKERS GROUP For those, especially non-Catholics, interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, without any commitment, for four Tues eve.s from 26th Feb.


PIA, Pray, Inform, Act pro-life group meeting has been delayed again- it will meet on Tuesday 12th February, 7:30 pm There will be a speaker from LIFE

Week of 20th January 2008

NEXT WEEKEND: Collection for Cricklewood homeless Concern for all non perishable foodstuffs.

NEW Reasons for Believing Pamphlets on key aspects of the Catholic Faith: God, Man, Jesus, Sin, Church, Mass, in bottom row of pamphlet rack. Just £1 each.

Faith Magazine- January-February issue available to buy now. William Oddie writes about the influx of Polish Catholics; and an interview with the Ealing Abbey.
Catechetical coordinator; and a discussion on Islam, including a Muslim professor on Love of God.

CONFIRMATION CLASSES for those in Year Nine. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IN TOMORROW Monday 21st January. White forms are at the back. Please ring Clergy House between 10 and 2 tomorrow to get a special late family meeting date.

-- PIA, Pray, Inform, Act pro-life group meeting has been moved from this Monday (21st) until Next Tuesday (29th) at 7:30 pm.

-- RALLY TO INFORM ON TODAY’S LIFE ISSUES and the below Bill: with David Alton, Ann Widdecombe and others, Central Hall Westminster, Wed 6th Feb 7:00 pm.

-- HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY BILL The proposed law allows the creation of human-animal hybrids and removes the traditional idea of the “need of a child for a father’. It is one more step into our brave new anti-family world. It is now proceeding to the House of Commons in late January, early Feb. Please see the latest blue A4 sheet from the Catholic Bishops, and write to our MP.

-- MORAL ALTERNATIVES TO (PRO-ABORTION) AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL:
Action by Christians Against Torture contactable via uk.acat@gmail.com.
Jubilee Action Campaign at www.justright.org.uk. Or tel.: 01483.230250. See their latest Mag “Just Right” on bottom shelf of parish library in Annexe.

-- GOOD COUNSEL NETWORK- Candlemas Fundraising Ball- Sat 2nd Feb Tickets £80 including three course meal. Dance only £40. Call James on 0207 7231740.

SPUC- Many thanks for your generous donations last weekend of £479.

Outstanding Dance Ticket Money from December: A small amount money not yet claimed. All sold at 9.00am Masses. Mrs C Horrell will be available following 9.00am Mass on 27th January and 3rd February to return this money to the rightful owners.

First Holy Communion- Dresses & accessories: Requet a hand-me-down from Clergy House or through a catechist; also St Alban’s Church Hall,51 Nether St N12 Sun 9th Mar 1.30-4.30pm & St Edmund’s Parish Hall, 115 Hertford Rd, N9, Sun 16th Mar 11am-1pm.

LENT IS FAST APPROACHING – Ash Wednesday , 6th Feb, is the earliest since 1913 (4th Feb is the earliest possible which last occurred almost 200 yrs ago in 1818.

 Calling all group leaders: Following on from our Advent Mission, we plan to have some Friday evening meditations of variable formats. Any group willing to lead one of these please contact Clergy House. It involves, for instance, providing and reading meditations for Stations of the Cross or a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament on a Lenten theme.

 Also following on from our mission, which included a penitential service with well over 200 people in attendance and an increase in immediately pre-Christmas confessions with a lot being heard on the Sunday before Christmas, there will be confessions after every Sunday Mass during Lent. Please do make use of this act of non-condemnatory compassion of Christ through his Church. It is the key to renewal in our community.

 Next week it will be possible to sign up for one of our Lenten reflection groups.

Baptism of the Lord

WE BID GOODBYE TO FR JOSEPH who supplied in the month of August
and has been with us for the last couple of months after a period of study in Paris. He flies back to Tamil Nadu tonight. He’s been meeting and greeting many, getting involved in numerous groups and sharing his creative skills – see the Christmas decorations towards the back of the Church. We thank him very much for such generous and graceful involvement and wish him well as he returns to ministry in his home diocese. God’s speed!

THIS WEEKEND: is the annual White Flower appeal for the very important political work of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child.
NEW Reasons for Believing Pamphlets on key aspects of the Catholic Faith: God, Man, Jesus, Sin, Church, Mass, in bottom row of pamphlet rack. Just £1 each.

CONFIRMATION CLASSES for those in Year Nine. White forms are at the back. Please ring Clergy House between 10 and 2 on a weekday to organize a family meeting. These will last for ten minutes and take place on the evening of Thursday 17th January and during Saturday 19th.

THIS WEEK
Monday 14th Child Protection Awareness Evening. 7:00pm Important for all those who did not make the previous one. St Mary Mag’s School Hall.

Tuesday 15th Toddlers Group will resume 10-12am in the Annexe.
Thursday 17th Meditation for a Peaceful Mind 8 pm using meditation in the Catholic tradition. Clergy House
Friday 18th Y7/Y8 Youth Club starts again. 6-8

HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY BILL The proposed law allows the creation of human-animal hybrids and removes the traditional idea of the “need of a child for a father’. It is one more step into our brave new anti-family world. It is now in the House of Lords and will then proceed to the House of Commons in late January, early Feb. Please see the latest blue A4 sheet from the Catholic Bishops, and write to our MP and/or a Peer.

MORAL ALTERNATIVES TO PRO-ABORTION AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL:
Action by Christians Against Torture contactable via uk.acat@gmail.com.

Celebrate Love- weekend seminar for married couples, 8th & 9th March 2008 Ealing Abbey. Contact 0207 931 6064 or www.celebratelove.com.au/uk for details

Brent Family Links scheme- breaks for families with disabled children. Call Roshni on 020.8937.4533

Latest single parent family Newsletter: bottom shelf of library

12 ways to avoid losing your home through debt. Blue& white-in porch wall holder
Getting Married? If you live in the parish you should give us six months notice.


FAMILY FOLLOW-UP TO THIS WEEKEND’S GOSPEL: Place a bowl of water on a table. Have a contest who can blow on the water and move the most water without spilling water out. Then read/explain Genesis 1:1-2, Exodus 14:21-22. & Mark 1:7-11. What is the Spirit (breath/wind) doing? What are the results? Thank God for the power of his Spirit in baptism.

Epiphany of the Lord

MAY GOD GRANT YOU A BLESSED NEW YEAR. We thank God for the past year, particularly for the spiritual fruit he has given members of our parish in our journey together to Him. Fr Hugh, Fr Kieran, Fr Nimal and Sr Lily would like to thank you all very much for your great support over the last year through prayer, friendship and materially, including the kind cards and gifts over this festive period and the very generous Christmas Day collection. Thank you to all who have attended our worship on the day of the Lord, as well as Cleaners, Sacristans, Servers, Musicians, Collectors, flower arrangers, Readers, Extraordinary Ministers of Communion and others, for their support of all our worship in the Church. We also remember with gratitiude at this time all our Group Leaders and Catechists who have also laboured fruitfully to be means of the grace of God to our community. Our Christmas worship was a worthy crowning of all of this.

NEXT WEEKEND: There will be the annual White Flower appeal for the very important political work of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child.

THIS MONTH
CONFIRMATION CLASSES for those in Year Nine. White forms are at the back. Please ring Clergy House between 10 and 2 on a weekday to organize a family meeting. These will last for ten minutes and take place on the evening of Thursday 17th January and during Saturday 19th.

Saturday 12th Journey in Faith starts again. Celia Edwards and Michael Jarmulowicz introduce the Sacraments.
Monday 14th Child Protection Awareness Evening. Important for all those who did not make the previous one. St Mary Magdalen’s School Hall.
Tuesday 15th Toddlers Group will resume 10-12am in the Annexe.
Thursday 17th Meditation for a Peaceful Mind 8 pm Clergy House
Friday 18th Y7/Y8 Youth Club starts again. Leader meeting Mon 14th, 6:30 pm Clergy Ho.

ALTERNATIVES TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Following the tragic undermining of all Amnesty’s good work by their recently adopted pro-abortion work it is now necessary for Catholics who want to bear real fruit in work for true.

international justice to get involved in other organizations: Our dioceses has already highlighted, in this space, Action by Christians Against Torture contactable via uk.acat@gmail.com. Another option is the fantastic Jubilee Action Campaign at www.justright.org.uk. Or tel.: 01483.230250. See their latest mag on bottom shelf of parish library in Annexe.

Celebrate Love- weekend seminar for married couples, 8th & 9th March 2008 Ealing Abbey. Contact 0207 931 6064 or www.celebratelove.com.au/uk for more details.
Brent Family Links scheme- breaks for families with disabled children. Call Roshni on 020.8937.4533
Latest single parent family Newsletter: bottom shelf of library
12 ways to avoid losing your home because of debt. Blue& white-in porch wall holder
Getting Married? If you live in the parish you should give us six months notice.

FOLLOW-UP TO THIS WEEKEND’S CHILDREN’S LITURGY: Help your child to imagine how the three wise men reacted when they saw the baby Jesus with the Star marking the place, perhaps even shining upon Him.
Part-Time Administrator. St Gregory’s Catholic Science College, Kenton has a part-time vacancy for an Administrator, working with the Deputy Headteacher responsible for Staff Development and Science College Status. Varied work, hours equal to two days, term-time only. For further details, contact Mrs Cora Ryan on 0208 907 8828 or email schooloffice@stgregorys.harrow.sch.uk

Breda & Sean Hough would like to thank all those who sent mass cards and all their support for the funeral of our sister Sadie Burke. A mass will be offer for those intentions.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Extra Confessions Today
from 11:30 am – 12:15 and before & after 12 noon & 6:30 pm Masses
and 3 pm - 4 on Christmas Eve
blue leaflets in the porch wall holder.

Available from back
 CHRISTMAS SERVICE SHEETS (beige) are available. Please take one home.
 ENVELOPES for your CHRISTMAS DAY OFFERING, which goes to the priests of the parish.
 CHRISTMAS EDITION of Magdala. N.B. Price has increased to 40p
 Cribs, mass bouquets, candles, from the Repository

TREE OF LIGHT Our annual ‘Tree of Light and Life’ is in position close to Our Lady’s Chapel. We invite those who wish to write the names of those (perhaps deceased) they would like us all to remember during our celebration of The Light shining in darkness.

SERVERS
Servers still needed for 8 am, 9am and 12 noon Masses on Christmas Day. Midnight Mass Rehearsal on Monday 24th Dec from 11.00 -12.30pm. Please complete your details on the list on the noticeboard in the sacristy.


Next Weekend Cricklewood homeless collection of non-perishable foodstuffs.

JANUARY
New Year’s Eve Midnight Mass – and New Year’s Day 12.00 noon only.

Faith Winter Conference “Hearing God’s Word” 2nd-4th January 200, Stonyhurst College, Hurst Green, Lancashire. Full cost: £95, Student £85.

Child Protections Awareness: Parish volunteers with authority over under-18 parishioners: Next meeting Mon 14th Jan at 7pm in St Mary Magdalen Junior School, for those who couldn’t make the last one.

Toddlers Group will resume on Tuesday 15th January. 10-12am in the Annexe.

Confirmation Classes for those in Year Nine will begin on February 4th with family meetings in mid-January. Watch this space for interview times

Part-Time Administrator. St Gregory’s Catholic Science College, Kenton has a part-time vacancy for an Administrator, working with the Deputy Headteacher responsible for Staff Development and Science College Status. Varied work, hours equal to two days, term-time only. For further details, contact Mrs Cora Ryan on 0208 907 8828 or email schooloffice@stgregorys.harrow.sch.uk

POST-MISSION PARENTAL FOLLOW-UP TO TODAY’S CHILDREN’S LITURGY Pray in front of a crib with your child, encouraging them to imagine sounds, voices, smells, weather, as well as the difficulties of having to give birth in a stable.
Also see the Nativity Word search game (white A4 sheets) that will be on the table near the Crib over Christmas

Risk of kids getting bored over Christmas? See the “Parenting section” of our Annexe library which has a number of excellent books with ideas that families can do together over Christmas.

Celebrate Love- weekend seminar for married couples, 8th & 9th March 2008 Ealing Abbey. Contact 0207 931 6064 or www.celebratelove.com.au/uk for more details.

Brent Family Links scheme- breaks for families with disabled children. Call Roshni on 020.8937.4533

Latest Single Parent Family Newsletter: bottom shelf of library

12 ways to avoid losing your home because of debt. Blue& white-in porch wall holder
Getting married? If you live in the parish you should give us six months notice. If you are looking for a preparation course please contact Clergy Ho.

Carol Concert; A big thank you to the children, parents who prepared them, to the musicians and SEC for Mulled Wine & Mince pies afterwards. A sum of £230 was raised for the Bangladesh Appeal, thank you for that.

Autumn Raffle: the draw took place on Sunday. Prize Winners list at the back of church, all prizes have been claimed.

Third Week of Advent

TODAY (Sunday 16th)

PARISH CAROL CONCERT 3 pm – 4:30 pm
As a community we celebrate the imminent coming of Christ.
This is an important part of our parish preparation for the Mass of Christ-Mass.
It would be good to see young and old, parents and children, single & married.
Includes Children’s Nativity Play, Instrumentals, Solo recitals etc.
and a collection towards the rebuilding of our primary schools.
Collection for the victims of the Bangladesh Cyclone

THE PARISH RAFFLE will be drawn at the Christmas Concert. So it’s still possible to purchase them, at back of church today. First Prize £500.

TREE OF LIGHT Our annual ‘Tree of Light and Life’ is in position close to Our Lady’s Chapel. We invite those who wish to write the names of those (perhaps deceased) they would like us all to remember during our celebration of The Light shining in darkness.

Available from back
 CHRISTMAS SERVICE SHEETS (beige) are available. Please take one home.
 CHRISTMAS EDITION of Magdala. N.B. Price has increased to 40p
 ENVELOPES for your CHRISTMAS DAY OFFERING, which goes to the priests of the parish.
 Plain White envelopes are for donations towards Mission team’s expenses.
 Raffle Tickets in aid of Schools’ Fund
 LARGE SELECTION of cards, cribs, mass bouquets, candles, from the Repository

SERVERS
Medals will be awarded to those in their second year, at Sunday Masses
Lists for servers who are available to serve at Christmas Day Masses. Please complete your details on the noticeboard in the sacristy.

Midnight Mass Rehearsal on Monday 24th Dec from 11.00 -12.30pm. Please complete your details on the list on the noticeboard in the sacristy.

Extraordinary ministers of Communion & Readers who wish to participate in the Christmas services are asked to sign up on the programme sheet located at the back of the church. Final details will be posted as soon as possible.

Extra Confessions next Sunday
from 11:30 am – 12:15 and before and after 12 noon and 6:30 pm Masses
blue leaflets in the porch wall holder.

Church CLOSED- Floor polishing will take place on Fri 21st Dec immediately following 9.30am Mass.

It will be closed until 1.00pm. This will allow time for the floor to dry. Apologies for inconvenience.

JANUARY
New Year’s Eve Midnight Mass – and New Year’s Day 12.00 noon only.

Faith Winter Conference “Hearing God’s Word” 2nd-4th January 200, Stonehurst College, Hurst Green, Lancashire. Full cost: £95, Student £85.

CONFIRMATION CLASSES for those in Year Nine will begin on February 4th with family meetings in mid-January. Watch this space for interview times.

Parish volunteers with authority over under-18 parishioners: Next meeting Mon 14th Jan at 7pm in St Mary Magdalen Junior School, for those who couldn’t make the last one.

Silence in the city- “ The Oneness of silence” Talk on contemplative living in the modern world. Mon 17th Dec at 7.00pm refreshments at 6.30pm in Westminster Cathedral Hall. Tel 7231 6278.

Latest single parent family Newsletter: bottom shelf of library
12 ways to avoid losing your home because of debt. Blue& white-in porch wall holder