THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY & JOSEPH (C)
26th December 2021
Dear Parishioner
St. John Paul II reminds us "The great danger for family life, in the midst of any society whose idols are
pleasure, comfort and independence, lies in the fact that people close their hearts and become selfish".
Today we celebrate the solemn memorial of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. A family blossoms with the birth of
a child. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem marks the beginning of the blossoming of the Holy Family.
The Human family is the microcosm of the society and the domestic church according to the second Vatican council. In the
family children are raised and trained in the values that promotes love of God and neighbour, affection and appreciation.
Pope Francis addressing the World Congress of Families in Philadelphia during his visit to the United States said,
"Perfect families do not exis. This must not discourage us. Quite the opposite. Love is something we learn; love is
something we live; love grows as it is "forged" by the concrete situations which each particular family
experiences. Love is born and constantly develops amid lights and shadows. Love can flourish in men and women who try not
to make conflict the last word, but rather a new opportunity. An opportunity to seek help, an opportunity to question how
we need to improve and an opportunity to discover the God who is with us and never abandons us. This is a great legacy that
we can give to our children, a very good lesson: we make mistakes, yes; we have problems, yes. But we know that that is not
really what counts. We know that mistakes, problems and conflicts are an opportunity to draw closer to others, to draw
closer to God." Certainly family love grows in times of celebration, success, joy and happy occasions. But family love
also grows in times of challenge, trial, darkness, and tragedy as well. Every moment of family life is an opportunity for
love to grow. Pope Francis also tells us the same is true for conflict. If we see conflict as a new opportunity instead of
the last word, we can experience growth within ourselves and maturity in our relationships.
In order to counter conflicts, challenges and bring maturity in one's relationship, firstly families need to develop
their own habit of prayer. Secondly, for a family spirituality, the habit of generosity is important and thirdly spend
quality time with your family.
Fr Jijo George
Notices:
-
Cashless giving: In response to requests from parishioners and to keep up with the times QR codes have
been provided by the Diocese to enable cashless giving. These have been placed at the doors of our church. Please scan
the amount you want to donate and the money will automatically go into the parish bank account. The Donate link has
also been set up by the diocese to pay in directly to the parish account http://stream.seccomgroup.com/donations/saoc. Thank
you for your continued generosity.
- Priest Surgery: There will be Parish Priest surgery on Thursdays 5.30pm - 6.30pm. Please in order to
book a baptism date for your child, please attend the weekly Parish Surgery.
-
Baptism Enquiries: Kindly use the parish email (click
here) for any request. Please ensure that you give us your contact number/email address for further communication.
Kindly do not leave your contact number via the phone answering machine. Please do come to the Thursday parish priest
Surgery.
- Baptism Preparation: If you have booked in for a Baptism, you are asked to take part in a Baptism
Preparation Course. The course will be conducted by the Parish priest on first Tuesday of every month at 7.30pm or by
appointment. The Parents and God-parents are expected to attend the course. The baptism dates will be available on first
and third Saturdays of every month and the time for Baptism would be at 12 noon.
- RECEIVING COMMUNION Please consume the Body of Christ in front of the Priest or Minister of
Communion NOT in your seat.
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SECOND SUNDAY MASS SURVEY: At our recent PPC meeting, attended by Fr Jijo, it was proposed that there
should be a second Sunday mass at St Augustine. Two mass times were put forward, one at 5pm on Saturday and one at
6.00pm on Sunday. If you support the idea of a second Sunday mass, would you please indicate which mass time you prefer
by clicking here to Email
Roger Sclater or by phoning him on 01245 469458. If there is sufficient demand, the more popular mass time will be
introduced. Also, if you know of any former parishioners who might be interested in attending one of the extra masses,
would you please forward the above information to them.
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CHRISTMAS SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS from Brentwood Cathedral can now be found on youtube. Search
"Thresholds of Hope" for the video or visit https://youtu.be/4qsxJoZJulc.
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'BE A CATHEDRAL CHORISTER FOR A DAY' Brentwood Cathedral will be hosting this opportunity for
boys aged 7-12 on Saturday 29th January 2022. The day will begin at 10.30am with a welcome for families and will end
with Choral Vespers at 4pm, an opportunity for everyone to hear the boys sing. We hope the day will be of interest to
all boys who enjoy singing, whatever their prior musical experience. We will be holding a similar day for girls later
in the year. For more details and to register a place, please visit www.cathedralbrentwood.org or telephone 01277 265288.
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SYNODAL PATHWAY: Pope Francis has acknowledged the need for change and has initiated a 'synodal
journey' for the universal Church, the Synodal Pathway. This began in October 2021 and culminates in the 16th Synod
of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. Between October 2021 and April 2022, there is a diocesan listening phase and every
diocese is asked to consult as widely as possible, listen, reflect and discuss, "How does this 'journeying
together' allow the Church to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the mission entrusted to her?" Anyone
interested in participating in the listening phase at parish level should approach Fr Jijo or click
here to send him an email. Further details on the Synodal Pathway can be found by following the diocesan link
https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/synod-2021-2023/
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NEW YEAR YOUTH 2000 RETREAT Why not try something NEW this New Year? Join Youth 2000 at Trinity
Catholic High School in Woodford Green. NEW will be a weekend filled with fun, friendship, inspiring talks and, of
course, lots of praise as we welcome in 2022. The retreat will run from Fri 31 Dec - Sun 2 Jan 2022. Book today at
https://www.youth2000.org/new
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GIDEA PARK STUDY DAY: THE EVOLUTION OF THE MASS Sat 15th Jan Professor John Morrill will lead this
Study Day, tracing the development of the Eucharistic liturgy from the earliest centuries to the present day. He will
explore in particular the teaching of Trent and Vatican II, and the latest papal instructions on the celebration of
Mass. To access this free live stream event simply go to www.whatgoodnews.org. The event begins at 11am and ends by 1.30pm. No prior registration needed. To join
the mailing list simply follow the instructions on the home page of the website.
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FAITH TALK ON THE CHRISTMAS GOSPELS: As Christmas draws closer we shall be reading the sections of the
gospels commonly known as 'infancy narratives' with their stories of the births of John the Baptist and of
Jesus. The three parts of this talk consider Matthew chapters 1-2, Luke chapters 1-2 and John chapter 1. The videos
given by Fr Adrian Graffy, parish priest, Scripture scholar and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission are
available free of charge on www.whatgoodnews.org.
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DIOCESAN VACANCY We are looking to recruit a suitability experienced Health & Safety
Co-ordinator. This role will have responsibility to promote and develop the Diocesan safety culture, acting as
the focal point guidance and training in relation to Health & Safety throughout the Diocese. Working with the
Health and Safety Consultant to ensure all responsibilities associated with Health and Safety within the Diocese are
adhered to including establishing, managing and monitoring standards, policies, processes, communications, training and
systems. Further information in respect of this and other vacancies within the Diocese can be found in the Vacancies
section of the Diocesan website: https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/diocese/working-for-us/
- Parish Income - If you do not pay by standing order and are not able to get to Church, you can pay
directly to "Catholic Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury Springfield" on account 91082884 at sort code
40-13-22. Envelopes can be dropped through the Presbytery letterbox.
- HOSPITAL VISITS: If you go into hospital or a member of your family, inform the Parish Office so
that the priest can visit you in hospital.
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DBS CHECKS: It is a legal requirement for those working with children and vulnerable adults within the
Church to be DBS checked, these checks are now carried out every three years, this must be adhered to. Our Parish
Safeguarding representative is Christina Coen or for info from the Diocese please
click here to Email Antoinette.
Please remember to pray for:
Daily for the sick clergy of our Diocese
The sick and housebound
Those who have recently died
Years Mind:
Sunday: Fr Francis Greenan
Monday: Fr Francis Wilson
Tuesday: Eric Pearson
Thursday: Canon John Byrne
Friday: Fr Brian Reeves
