St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More
Parish Newsletter
December 2023
4th Sunday of Advent
Parish Priest: Fr Adrian Lowe
Parish Phone: 0208 508 3492/ E-mail: loughton@brcdt.org
The Brentwood Diocesan Trust Registered Charity No. 234092
PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK
Edgar Azzopardi, Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Karl Britz, Brenda Bryant,
Jane Downs, Bernadette Hall, Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Les Langan, Angela Long, Lilian Mothersole, John McKernan, Rosemary O’Rourke, Remy, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, James Wright, Pamela Gibson, Martha D’Souza, Peggy Howes, Geraldine Stains, Linda Moriarty, Andrew Godsave and all our loved ones who are unwell.
CHRISTMAS MASSES
Sunday 24th December, 2023
5pm Mass Family Mass with Tableau
7pm Vigil Mass
9:30am Carols before mass
10:00pm Mass during the Night
Monday 25th December, 2023
9:00am Mass
11:00am Mass
Tuesday 26th December, 2023 -St Stephen’s Day
11:00am Mass
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FOR OUR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC GROUP Many thanks to all our singers and musicians for your support and commitment during 2023 and wishing you and your families a very happy and peaceful Christmas. We will next be playing and singing at the 11am Mass on Sunday, 7th January which is the feast of the Epiphany, so let’s all be there to make it a joyful celebration as our first Mass of the new year! Thanks again and God Bless!
MESSAGE FROM FR ADRIAN:
“God hides Himself in the littleness of a Child being born” – Pope Francis
In his prepared remarks, the Holy Father recalled that Jesus’ birth reveals God’s preferred style, “which is neither grandiose nor noisy, but rather a style characterised by hiddenness and littleness.” “These characteristics,” he said, “convey to us the gentle trait of God, who does not come to us to terrify us with His greatness or to impose himself with his magnificence, but makes himself present in the most ordinary way, becoming one of us.” Pope Francis noted that Jesus was born in a simple stable in Bethlehem, as a sign of God’s desire to be close to all.
On behalf of Father Christopher Clohessy, who is spending Christmas with us, Deacon Frank and myself, we wish you and your families a very Happy and Holy Christmas.
God bless
Father Adrian
CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
The Christmas offerings are your personal gift to your priest. Please gift aid your donations
as usual.
ALTAR SOCIETY
We need new members to join our Altar Society Group. Please if you can assist contact Sharon 07854919207 or shazzafitzm@aol.com
FIRE TRAINING: On Sunday the 14th January our Parish Safety Officer, Robin Bradley, will be holding a basic Fire Training course in the hall after 11am Mass. This is for all uniformed leaders, all regular hall users, cleaners , employees of the church and anyone wishing to have some Fire knowledge. It will be a light hearted, but very informative and useful, session.
CAFOD ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CRISIS APPEAL: Donate to CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal at cafod.org.uk/ipc or call 0303 303 3030 to support those affected and get funds to local trusted experts in Gaza and southern Israel who have been working alongside communities helping those most in need.
BAPTISMS: If there are parents wishing to have their children baptised at St. Edmund’s please could you kindly contact your parish priest Fr Adrian Lowe as soon as possible. For first time parents there is a Baptismal Programme run by Mrs Sharon Chalk. Baptisms take place on Saturdays at 12.30pm
PARISH NEWSLETTER: If you would like to receive the Parish Newsletter via E-mail each week, please contact Iain McLay bloggeriain@gmail.com this gives an extended version of the weekly bulletin. The Parish Newsletter can also be obtained and downloaded from the Parish website. They are always published on a Saturday Morning.
HELP SUPPORT THE EPPING FOREST FOODBANK THIS CHRISTMAS!
Every year as well as basic food parcels the Foodbank also provides Christmas hampers to help spread joy and happiness over Christmas, providing relief for individuals and families.
The Foodbank is reaching out to the local community for any help they can give, so if you are able to support them, one way to do this over the next few weeks is to drop an item or two into our plastic collection boxes (in Father Adrian’s garage), we will then do the rest and deliver it to the Foodbank. For inspiration, the Top 10 items they need are: Batter mix, tinned potatoes, tinned carrots & peas, stuffing and gravy, tinned custard, hot chocolate, savoury crackers, Christmas pudding, chocolates, mince pies.
Thank you everyone for your support.
IN CASES OF EMERGENCY: If there is no answer from the parish phone and you are seeking a priest in an emergency, please call one of the local parishes, either in Epping – Tel 01992 572516, or the St. Thomas of Canterbury Friary at Woodford Green – Tel: 020 8504 1688.
ALL VACANCIES ARE LISTED ON THE NOTICE BOARD AT THE
BACK OF THE CHURCH
New Year 2024 Mass Intentions
Mon 1st Jan 9:30am Anne & Sean Connolly ( John Connolly)
Tues 2nd Jan NO MASS
Wed 3rd Jan 9:30am Fr Patrick Hayward -Birthday INTS ( M Duffy)
Thur 4th Jan 9:30am Erol Ata RIP ( O’Rourke Family)
Fri 5th Jan 9:30am Fr Tim O’Connor RIP ( Rooney Family)
Frances & Sam Murray & Family INTS (M Duffy)
Sat 6th Jan 6:00pm People of the Parish
Sun 7th Jan 9:00am Stewart McCahill RIP ( Anthony Family)
11:00am Sean Brennan RIP ( Louise Pierce)
MASS INTENTIONS – FROM 23rd December 2023
| Vigil Mass for Sunday | |||
| Sat 23rd | 9:30am6:00pm | Cris Ungos & Eugenio Mirto -Healing( Bacani Family)People of the Parish | |
| Sun 24th | 9:00am | Jim Sullivan RIP (Celia Sullivan) | |
| Sun 24th | 11:00am5:00pm7:00pm10:00pm | Archie Campbell RIP ( Brenda Bryant)People of the ParishDavid Faud RIP ( Faud Family)Caroline Masawi ( Lucy Weight) | |
| Mon 25th | 9.00am11:00am | Peter McQuade Anniv( M Duffy)Diana Boahma ( Lucy Weight) | |
| Tues 26th | 11:00am | Paul McCarthy RIP ( Maria Fray) | |
| Wed 27th | 9:30am | Lucy Weight – Thanksgiving | |
| Thur 28th | 9:30am | Thomas & Mary Lamb ( M Duffy) | |
| Fri 29th | 9.30am | Martha De Souza-For Healing ( Marion) | |
| Sat 30th | 9:30am | Erol Ata RIP ( Lucy Weight) | |
| Confessions 5:30-6:00pm or by appointmentVigil Mass for Sunday | |||
| Sat 30th | 6.00pm | People of the Parish | |
| Sun 31st | 9.00am | Joe Hackett ( Campbell Family) | |
| Sun 31st | 11:00am | Jesus Santos RIP ( Bacuetes Family) | |