St Edmund of Canterbury, Loughton

The Eighteenth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

This weekend we will continue listening to the Bread of life Discource from St. John’s Gospel. One of the famous ‘I am’ statements by Jesus: “I am the bread of life” confirms who Jesus is ‘the anointed one of God’. Jesus uses the analogy of Moses who gave the chosen people of God Manna in the desert for their bread. Jesus states that we should work for food that lasts, that gives life; and of course this is the eternal gift of his Body & Blood, that sustains us on the pligrim journey of life and faith. For us Catholics, it is the Eucharist that is the Sacrament of Unity. It is Jesus Christ who calls us to share in his life, but it is up to each one of us to make a personal response; no one can do this for us. But once we respond, we cannot look back.

The greatest challenge of the age in which we live with regards our faith, is a sense of indifference that has permeated the world and society. How to contend with indifference is extrmely difficult. Many have lost that sense of awe and wonder of God & Jesus Christ. It just doesn’t impinge upon their lives. This slow and gradual erosion of the sacred really changes people’s lives. All it takes is one person to stop practicing their faith, and before long it could be the end of the line of generations of Catholics. Within a genration the knowledge of faith and practice disappears; and in a secular society the likelihood of recapturing that is quite remote!

ONGOING COVID SITUATION: Every day we’re being presented with new numbers of people contracting the Delta variant. Over the past week the numbers have gone up and down. But there are still a lot of people with this awful disease. We need to continue to be vigilant and aware and senstive to each other. At church I encoruage all of our parishiioners to continue to wear a face covereing. There will be hand sanitisers on entry and exit of the church. Please be sensistive to social distancing in the church. We are still obliged to track & trace (but thankfully, we have never had a case through the church). Communion will be given under one species, the body of Christ. As of next weekend Masses will be: Vigil Mass Saturday Evening at 6.00pm Suinday Masses – 9.00am & 11.00am. Please note the 10.00am mass will discontinue. With thanks to you all for your understanding.

Dear Friends in Christ, 18^th Sunday of the Year

As we have entered into the holiday season of the year. I would like to wish all of our families a happy holiday. I hope you will be able to take a break and possibly get away for a while. For many of us, it’s been nearly two years since we’ve had a break. Everyone needs that special time away to recharge batteries. Have a good rest and relaxation. With the lifting of restrictions, people may even be able to get abroad. Continue to keep safe and well. Although we are nearly 88% vaccinated here in UK, it’s not the same in Europe.

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022. I am hoping to begin our programme in September, following a systematic instruction in all aspects of Catholicism. It would be wonderful to have a few people on the programme. Could you spread the word about please! If you want to know more about the programme please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery for more detials on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. Start Date for Programme: Thursday 9^th September 2021.

ALTAR SOCIETY: Please can we appeal to all parishioners for help to keep our church clean. During lockdown we have only asked a few a few deep cleans but now things will be changing, we desperately need your help to keep a weekly rota going. Cleaning is split between the altar, sanctuary, main church, front porch/library, choir loft brass ware and candle racks. The duties include dusting, sweeping, mopping, polishing, window/door cleaning, hoovering, linens and polishing. You can do as much or as little as you are able to do (1 hour at the most, per month) and all parishioners are invited to help, regardless of age or gender. To register your interest please contacts Sharon Fitzmaurice on 07854919207 or shazzafitzm@aol.com THERE WAS NO RESPONSE LAST WEEKEND; CAN I MAKE AN IMPASSIONED APPEAL THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU!

MASS INTENTIONS: There are plenty openings for Mass Intentions in the parish diary. If you would like a mass celebrated for a special intention; deceased family members; birthdays etc. Please complete Mass Intention envelope and return to the Presbytery as soon as possible please! Fr John will always try to accommodate the date you’ve requested. Thank you!

WEEKLY OFFERTORY: £634.28 My sincere thanks to those who are making their weekly contribution of Gift Aid envelopes and through the banking system that has been set up through the Diocese whereby your Offertory can be paid directly into the Parish Account, details below:

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME: Thank to all parents I’ve seen whose children from years 3 & 4 will commence their First Holy Communion preparation in September. Please remember that you should be attending weekly Mass. The programme will commence with a Parents’ Information Evening on Wednesday 15^th September at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall. The children’s programme will commence on Sunday 19^th September at 10.00, and the children will be formally presented as candidates of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist at the 11.00am Mass. Please put these dates in your diary. Thank you!

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: As of 16th August, The local HSBC bank will be closing. This is the Bank the Diocese uses for all parishes. Obviously, it’s going to be difficult from now on. It’s going to be very difficult with coinage. Could I appeal to the whole Parish Community to seriously think about Gift Aid Scheme, or the online giving scheme? PLEASE NOTE: Many parishioners are not quoting their GA number in the online giving. WE NEED THE NUMBER OTHERWISE WE CANNOT CLAIM ON YOUR OFFERTORY DONATION.

DIARY AUGUST 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

Carmen Antaki, Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Brian Beveridge, Karl Britz, Carlos Camacho, Jane Downs, Steve Dalgliesh, Pat Fenn, Veronica Godsave, Bernadette Hall, Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Noel Johnson, Shaun Keel, Angela Long, Lilian Mothersole, John McKernan, Rosemary O’Rourke, Kathleen Pomeroy, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, Mary Witten, James Wright. And all our loved ones.

ANNIVERSARIES: Mary Cocklin RIP, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

SACRAMENTS CELEBRATED DURING ALERT LEVEL 4 RESTRICTIONS: In accordance with Government & Diocesan Guidelines, we are allowed to celebrate Funerals with 100 people present, strictly observing social distancing. 30 people are allowed to be present at a wedding. Baptisms: you are now allowed up to 30 persons at a Baptism; not too sure what the restrictions are for social event after though! These are really difficult times, and many couples were disappointed last year not being able to celebrate their marriages. We are hoping with the distribution of the vaccine, that things will change dramatically this year. If there are any couples who are thinking about getting married, please notify the parish immediately. Thank you. Obviously until restrictions are lifted all of the above applies for the foreseeable future.

MASS INTENTIONS: It has always been a custom within the Roman Catholic Faith to have an Intention offered when celebrating Holy Mass. Intentions can be for all occasions: e.g. For a deceased member of a family; deceased anniversary mass; Birthday intention; Special Occasions; Get Well Mass; Success in exams; Special milestone anniversaries, Wedding, Ordination, Confirmation. In fact, you can offer a Mass for almost every occasion! There are Mass Intention envelopes and Special Mass Cards for all occasions in the Repository at the back of the Church. (Please complete Mass envelope and enclose your Mass Offering and drop off at the Presbytery); I will always try to accommodate the date you have requested, or the nearest date to it. It’s always beautiful to receive a Mass card from someone!

RECEIVING SACRAMENTS: Recently, 48 of our young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is a milestone in a young person’s life. Sadly I haven’t seen many of them since the day they were Confirmed. This Sacrament of commitment and mission is about these young people assuming a certain amount of mature responsibility in their own Faith Journey. It’s not just about stamping the Sacramental Passport; I had it said to me recently, I quote “my parents said to me if I got Confirmed, I don’t have to go to church anymore.” This is not only an insult to the young person, but even more so, an insult to Almighty God. If faith means so little, why would you go through a Sacramental Programme knowing that you would walk away from the practice of that faith? This is a really serious issue, and not something to be dismissed lightly. I ask everyone to think seriously about what it means to be really committed in your life of faith! Life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing every day; and there can be so many missed opportunities!

IRREGULAR MARRIAGES: An irregualr marriage is one tht has taken place outside of the Catholic Church without dispensation. For example: Marriages in hotels, and secualr venues, on beaches or Las Vegas; marriage in a non Catholic Church without dispensation from the Bishop. These marriages are not recognised by the Catholic Church, and therefore are non sacramental & irregular. But there is a facility in the Church to recetify these situations called a Convalidation (this is a strictly private facility that is offered by the church). As marriage and family life is what I specialised in while studying Canon Law, if anyone wishes to speak to me confidentially please don’t hesitate to contact me: Tel No: 0208 508 3492

PARISH REPOSITORY: There are a large number of gifts and cards available in the Repository. There are rosaries, statues, medals, candles, special cards, prayer crosses, Anniversary Cards for all occasions, and many other items that would be suitable gifts for all occasions. Please leave your money in the basket provided. Thanks

THOSE WHO USE PARISH GIFT AID: continues thanks to all who use the Gift Aid Scheme. I would encourage everyone to sign up for this scheme. If you are a Tax Payer, all we need is your name and address. There are forms in the Porch. Also could I make an appeal on behalf of our organiser to those who do not have their Gift Aid number on their Bank reference. Could you address this as soon as possible please? It will help to save a lot of time when we have to enter details onto the Gift Aid system. Also there are many who are making standing orders, but are not registered on the Gift Aid Scheme. It would be really good to register, if you need help contact Maria Mosquera.

MASS INTENTIONS – JULY / AUGUST 2021

Sat 31^st	10.00am	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 31^st	6.00pm	Loy Phillips Int’s (Kathleen Faherty)
Sun 1^stAug Sun 1^st	9.00am 10.00am	Violet Hall RIP (Mrs Short) Fr John’s 40^th Anni Int’s (J & K Forwood)
Sun 1^st	11:00am	People of the Parish
Mon 2^nd	10.00am 10.30am	Sarah McQuade RIP (Margaret Duffy) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 3^rd	10.00am	Jenny Chilton Higgins Int’s (Kathleen Faherty)
Wed 4^th	10.00am	Olga Nogueira B’day Int’s (Pat & Margaret)
Thurs 5^th	10.00am	Violet Hall RIP (Mrs Short)
Fri 6^th	10.00am 10.30am	Maureen Tilsey B’day Int’s (Pat & Margaret) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 7^th	10.00am	Tom Swan RIP
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 7^th	6.00pm	Catrina Hamilton Int’s (Kathleen Faherty)
Sun 8^th	9.00am	Violet Hall RIP (Mrs M Cobelli) PLEASE NOTE: NO 10am MASS
Sun 8^th	11:00am	People of the Parish

Please kindly be patient with your mass requests. I will try to accommodate your requested dates, but there have been a large number of requests recently and we celebrate masses in the order in which we receive them.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading : Exodus 16:2-4,12-15

The whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and said to them, ‘Why did we not die at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we were able to sit down to pans of meat and could eat bread to our heart’s content! As it is, you have brought us to this wilderness to starve this whole company to death!’

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now I will rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people are to go out and gather the day’s portion; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not.

‘I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel. Say this to them, “Between the two evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have bread to your heart’s content. Then you will learn that I, the Lord, am your God.”’

And so it came about: quails flew up in the evening, and they covered the camp; in the morning there was a coating of dew all round the camp. When the coating of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was a thing delicate, powdery, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When they saw this, the sons of Israel said to one another, ‘What is that?’ not knowing what it was. ‘That’ said Moses to them ‘is the bread the Lord gives you to eat.’

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 77(78):3-4,23-25,54

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

The things we have heard and understood,

the things our fathers have told us,

these we will not hide from their children

but will tell them to the next generation:

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

the glories of the Lord and his might

and the marvellous deeds he has done,

Yet he commanded the clouds above

and opened the gates of heaven.

He rained down manna for their food,

and gave them bread from heaven.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Mere men ate the bread of angels.

He sent them abundance of food;

So he brought them to his holy land,

to the mountain which his right hand had won.

The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Second Reading : Ephesians 4:17,20-24

I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Now that is hardly the way you have learnt from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus. You must give up your old way of life; you must put aside your old self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of the truth.

Gospel : John 6:24-35

When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs

but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.

Do not work for food that cannot last,

but work for food that endures to eternal life,

the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,

for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’ So they said, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven,

it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven,

the true bread;

for the bread of God

is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.’

‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us that bread always.’ Jesus answered:

‘I am the bread of life.

He who comes to me will never be hungry;

he who believes in me will never thirst.

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

The Seventeenth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

https://anchor.fm/st-edmunds-loughton/episodes/The-Seventeenth-Sunday-of-the-Year–2021-e1519ul

In the Gospel today we see the beginning of the Bread of Life Discourse in St. John Chapter 6. This beautiful discource is an absolute masterpiece in Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Eucharist. It is set within the context of the feeding of the Five Thousand. Jesus not only provides off the spiritual hunger of the people who want to hear what he has to say, but in their moment of phnysical hunger through the miracle gives them bread to eat. It is a prelude to the giving of himself completely for the sake of the whole of humanity, in that one sacrificial act on the altar of the cross. Jesus dies once and for all ofr the whole of humanity, and in his resurrection, his triumph over sisn and death he offers us the Bread of Life – His Body & His Blood – the eternal gift for all time. Jesus cannot die anymore, and therfore, evey Eucharist, through the miracle of the Mass, he is truly present in the species of Bread & Wine. This is why we talk about the real presence, and, is why we honour and reverence the Holy Eucharist.

LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS: The past week has seen the lifting of many restrictions. Unfortunately, the Covid case numbers continue to rise with nearly forty thousand daily. A high percentage of people have now been vaccinated, and hopefully this will keep many people out of hospital. But this is still a very serious situation. I truly believe we have to be very sensitive to one another. Although the wearing of face-coverings is now optional, I would strongly recommend our parishioners to continue to wear your face mask in church for mass. I will continue to wear a face covering for the distribution of Holy Communion. Hopefully when things start to improve we will be able to disregard them. Hand sanitisation will be available on entry and exit from the church. All church benches are now open, but please be sensitive to social distancing. (In The Blessed Sacrament Chapel we have retained alternate bench seating for people who may feel uncomfortable with every bench open). We are still obliged to keep a record of who attended through track & trace. The additional 10am Mass will discontinue from Sunday 8^th August. Weekend Masses will be: Saturday Vigil Mass at 6pm. Sunday Masses 9.00am & 11.00am.

Dear Friends in Christ, 17^th Sunday of the Year

I would like to make a really impassioned plea to the whole parish community to return to the full time practice of faith. When we opened the church again on 4^th July 2020 many were apprehensive about returning. But with nearly who whole population having received the Covid jab, life to a certain extent is a little easier. I see many people out shopping and at eating establishments in town. The precautionary measures that we have taken at the church over the past 16 months has for the most part, exceeded that of many shops and other establishments. Manifestly, your health and safety have always been our priority. I feel we have done an excellent job, and I thank all of our stewards for their incredible work, especially over the past year. I have seen many people coming to our car park with children for uniform groups, obviously your commitment to your children’s activities is important, but your commitment to God through the weekly practice of faith is even more important. I feel really aggrieved that so many of our young people who were Confirmed a couple of months ago, and their families, have not been back to church since the Confirmation. In truth, this makes a real farce of the Sacrament of Confirmation, and is insulting to Almighty God. But of course, we all stand-alone before God at the end of life. There are no excuses at the final judgement! A rhetorical question we can ask ourselves is, am I practicing Catholic or not? The ‘Salvation of Souls’ is fundamentally at the heart of these sentiments!

God Bless You All,

TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM 40^th ANNIVERSARY
I’m extremely grateful to Steven Pover, who took photographs throughout the ceremony. To access the gallery, use the following case-sensitive password:
Gallery Password: QJXK4xJUuw
Use the following 4-digit PIN to download photos: Download PIN: 8613
This collection will be online until: Expiry: 31st October, 2021
If the View Photos button does not work, copy and paste this URL into your browser’s address bar:
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Stephen Pover Photography
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Questions? Contact stephen@stephenpoverphotography.com

WEEKLY OFFERTORY: My sincere thanks to those who are making their weekly contribution of Gift Aid envelopes and through the banking system that has been set up through the Diocese whereby your Offertory can be paid directly into the Parish Account, details below:

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22

Account Number: 11019651

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR GRANPARENTS & THE ELDERLY:

Pope Francis has instituted this day of Grandparents & the Elderly. Identifying with the more senior members of our society, He says: “The whole Church, is close to you – to us, and cares about you, loves you and does not want to leave you alone!” The theme “I am with you always” comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:30. The Pope says we should cherish the elderly and recognise that there’s no retirement age from the work of proclaiming the Gospel and handing down tradition to grandchildren.

VICARIATE FOR ADULT FORMATION: Have produced a leaflet entitled ‘The Journey Home’ – Returning to Sunday Mass and the Practice of our Faith. Sunday is the Day of the Lord. It is on this day that we meet the Risen Christ and we are formed into a community of faith, hope and love by the power of His Holy Spirit. All of us have an opportunity to reflect honestly on the practice of our faith and to take the decision to make the journey home to the Celebration of Sunday Mass. The welcome will be assured and warm because it there that Christ waits for us and invites us into his life. For more information about Sunday Mass, please got to the Parish Website for up to date information or contact your Parish Priest. Please visit the new Thresholds of Hope website at: www.thresholdsofhope.co.uk

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: £385.36 my ongoing thanks to the whole parish community for your weekly financial support! As you can see our Weekly Offertory bears no comparison to prior Pandemic income; many parishioners have signed up for the online giving and Gift Aid Scheme. I would like to encourage this even more. My thanks to Michael Manzi our Accountant, who looks after the Parish Accounts & Maria Mosquera who looks after the Parish Gift Aid Scheme; they have both done a truly wonderful job this year. If you would like to join the Gift Aid Scheme, there are application forms in the Church Porch or ask Fr. John for a form. If you forget your envelope, there are spares in the Porch. Thanks!

RECEIVING SACRAMENTS: Recently, 48 of our young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is a milestone in a young person’s life. Sadly I haven’t seen many of them since the day they were Confirmed. This Sacrament of commitment and mission is about these young people assuming a certain amount of mature responsibility in their own Faith Journey. It’s not just about stamping the Sacramental Passport; I had it said to me recently, I quote “my parents said to me if I got Confirmed, I don’t have to go to church anymore.” This is not only an insult to the young person, but even more so, an insult to Almighty God. If faith means so little, why would you go through a Sacramental Programme knowing that you would walk away from the practice of that faith? This is a really serious issue, and not something to be dismissed lightly. I ask everyone to think seriously about what it means to be really committed in your life of faith! Life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing every day; and there can be so many missed opportunities!

RETURNING TO THE WEEKLY PRACTICE OF THE FAITH: With so many people having received their Vaccination against Covid, it would be wonderful to see many more return to the weekly practice of the faith. To be without the Sacrametns for such a long period of time is unprecedented. It’s true that many people have just got out of the habit of going to Church, and live-streaming is not a subsititute for being together with the worhsipping community. Our Church’s opened last July 4^th, and many parishioners have returned. To get back into the routine of regular practice is up to the individual, but if you have children, it is so important that this routine recommence once again. Children are guided by their parents, and if chidlren witness that this is not important to you, it will, sadly, not be important to them. There are so many challenges and threats to our lives of faith, on so many fronts these days, please don’t let Covid be another of them!

PARISH MASS TIMES: Please always consult your Parish newsletter for the times & intentions of the Mases throughout the week. As of the weekend 7^th/8^th August, weekend masses will be celebrated for the Vigil on Saturday evening at 6.00pm & Sunday Morning at 9.00am & 11.00am. Hopefully we will be able to sing again; even though I do strongly recommend for the time being the wearing of face coverings. I thank the whole parish community for being so understanding during this Pandemic, and for the maintenance of Social Distancing. If we can continue to be sensitive to each other’s fears; and respect everyone’s social space. Thank you very much. Fr. John

THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS – NOT A HOLIDAY FROM GOD: As our schools close for the summer recess, it is important for all of us to have a well-earned rest. Many people haven’t been able to get away for probably well over a year, and many ‘staycations’ will take place this summer. It is important to remember that as much as we all need a break, that our holidays are never a holiday from God. Wherever we go we take the Lord with us; and I’ve always believed that it’s wonderful exploring new places and new churches when we are away. Unfortunately, as yet I haven’t been able to find a substitute to be able to get away; so it looks like I’ll be around over the summer again this year! The new regulations for substitute priests in parishes, because of the pandemic, make it almost impossible to find someone.

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: Mary Cocklin RIP, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

MASS INTENTIONS – JULY / AUGUST 2021

Sat 24^th	9.00am	Breege & Michael Kerrane RIP (Mary)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 24^th	6.00pm	Daria Kohls – B’day Int’s (K Faherty)
Sun 25^th Sun 25^th	9.00am 10.00am	People of the Parish Jack Kuss Int’s (John McMorrow)
Sun 25^th	11:00am	Patrick Spratt RIP
Mon 26^th	10.00am 10.30am	Pat & Margaret B’d Ints (Veronica & Steve) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 27^th	10.00am	Rosemary O’Rourke (B’day) Pat & Margaret.
Wed 28^th	10.00am	Jennie Kennelly RIP (John O’Rourke)
Thurs 29^th	10.00am	Xanthe Hasan Int’s (Kathleen Faherty)
Fri 30^th	10.00am 10.30am	Tricia Brennan RIP (Kathleen Pampellonne) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 31^st	10.00am	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 31^st	6.00pm	Loy Phillips Int’s (Kathleen Faherty)
Sun 1^stAug Sun 1^st	9.00am 10.00am	People of the Parish Fr John’s 40^th Anni Int’s (J & K Forwood)
Sun 1^st	11:00am	People of the Parish

REQUIESCAT IN PACE: In your mercy please pray for the repose of the soul of Colette Wenborn, who passed away this week. Her Requiem Mass will take place on Friday 30th July at 2.00pm. And interment will take place at Chigwell cemetery at 3.30pm. Our condolences to her family in this time of great loss!

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading : 2 Kings 4:42-44

A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing Elisha, the man of God, bread from the first-fruits, twenty barley loaves and fresh grain in the ear.’ ‘Give it to the people to eat’, Elisha said. But his servant replied, ‘How can I serve this to a hundred men?’ ‘Give it to the people to eat’ he insisted ‘for the Lord says this, “They will eat and have some left over.”’ He served them; they ate and had some left over, as the Lord had said.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 144(145):10-11,15-18

You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God.

You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.

The eyes of all creatures look to you

and you give them their food in due time.

You open wide your hand,

grant the desires of all who live.

You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.

The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

You open wide your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires.

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

Gospel : John 6:1-15

Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee – or of Tiberias – and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.

Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.’ So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

The Sixteenth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS: There has been so much on the news over the past week about the lifting of restrictions on Monday 19^th July. But we have also seen an incredible upsurge in Coronavirus cases with this Delta variant, which remains worrying. It is recommended that on public Transport that face-coverings should continue to be worn, not only to protect ourselves, but also other people. Obviously, face coverings can sometimes be uncomfortable. I think we all have to be very sensitive to one another as we slowly try to resume some semblance of normality in our lives once again. Some people have been so frightened over the past 16 months that they have barely ventured out of their homes. But as the Prime Minister & Government Ministers now keep telling us, this is something that we are all going to have to live with for the foreseeable future. We will continue to provide hand sanitiser as you enter and leave the church. Face coverings are recommended (Fr John will wear a face covering to distribute Holy Communion). Holy Communion will continue to be given under the species of the Body of Christ only. (No chalice). We will remove the alternate bench prevention tape as of next weekend. The 10.00am Mass will only continue until the end of the month Just being sensible and respectful to one another is the best way forward in this ongoing Pandemic.

Sadly, many people have not returned to the practice of their faith after these past 16 months, even though the Church opened on 4^th July 2021. Although live streaming has been a life-saver during the Pandemic, it is not a substitute for Mass; nothing can ever replace being actually present at Holy Mass and receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion. Live-streaming should now be for the sick and housebound, and we will probably live stream one Sunday Mass in future. Manifestly, there will possibly be a number of parishioners who will not return to the practice of faith, this is unfortunate, and of course, it affects children especially, as there is no regular routine in the practice of the faith. Please think seriously about all these issues. The ‘Salvation of Souls’ is fundamentally at the heart of these sentiments!

Dear Friends in Christ, 16^th Sunday of the Year

First and foremost I would like to thank the whole parish community for such a wonderful Thanksgiving Mass last Sunday, as I celebrated 40 years of Sacred Priesthood. Words cannot express my gratitude to Almighty God for these past forty years, and I felt very humbled to be able to express that gratitude through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. After the past sixteen months, with our masses curtailed and shortened, it was incredible to celebrate a ‘full mass’ once again; and with the Choir being able to sing the various hymns, motets and parts of the mass certainly filled my heart with great joy. My thanks to Msgr Kevin Hale for preaching a wonderful homily, which I have published in this week’s Newsletter online. hearts that say thank you clip art | Lazy Daisy Designs ...

My thanks to all those parishioners who sent in gifts and greetings cards. I was a little overwhelmed as I sat down last Sunday evening reading all the cards. Your kindness and generosity is overwhelming! I absolutely loved the beautiful Papal Blessing presented at the end of the Thanksgiving Mass; it will have a place of honour in my Office.

As we were unable to have a fuller celebration with all my guests, family & friends from all over the world, hopefully next year within the twelve month period, which is how long a Jubilee lasts, we can gather together and have another beautiful Mass & Reception. Once again thank you to the whole parish community. I felt very humble last Sunday, and very fortunate and happy to be your Pastor. As I said at the end of Mass in thanksgiving to God for the gift of Priesthood: “Not to us Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory.” (Psalm 115 v.1).

May God Bless You All,

I’m extremely grateful to Steven Pover, who took photographs throughout the ceremony.

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FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: If as yet, you haven’t returned your enrolment form for your child’s First Holy Communion Programme commencing in September, could you kindly do so immediately! This year children from years 3 & 4 will share the programme together. Please pray for the children. I do now expect to see the children with their families at Holy Mass at the weekends; attending Mass is not an optional extra, it is part of our commitment in faith to Jesus Christ.

ALTAR SOCIETY: Please can we appeal to all parishioners for help to keep our church clean. During lockdown we have only asked a few a few deep cleans but now things will be changing, we desperately need your help to keep a weekly rota going. Cleaning is split between the altar, santurary, main church, front porch/library, choir loft brass ware and candle racks. The duties include dusting, sweeping, mopping, polishing, window/door cleaning, hoovering, linens and polishing. You can do as much or as little as you are able to do (1 hour at the most, per month) and all parishioners are invited to help, regardless of age or gender. To register your interest please contact Sharon Fitzmaurice on 07854919207 or shazzafitzm@aol.com THERE WAS NO RESPONSE LAST WEEKEND; CAN I MAKE AN IMPASSIONED APPEAL THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU!

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OFFERTORY COLLECTION: £529.05. My ongoing thanks to the whole parish community for your weekly financial support! As you can see our Weekly Offertory bears no comparison to prior Pandemic income; many parishioners have signed up for the online giving and Gift Aid Scheme. I would like to encourage this even more. My thanks to Michael Manzi our Accountant, who looks after the Parish Accounts & Maria Mosquera who looks after the Parish Gift Aid Scheme; they have both done a truly wonderful job this year. If you would like to join the Gift Aid Scheme, there are application forms in the Church Porch or ask Fr. John for a form. If you forget your envelope, there are spares in the Porch. Thanks!

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who

continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: Mary Cocklin RIP, June Happe RIP, Mary Moriarty RIP, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

RECEIVING SACRAMENTS: Recently, 48 of our young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is a milestone in a young person’s life. Sadly I haven’t seen many of them since the day they were Confirmed. This Sacrament of commitment and mission is about these young people assuming a certain amount of mature responsibility in their own Faith Journey. It’s not just about stamping the Sacramental Passport; I had it said to me recently, I quote “my parents said to me if I got Confirmed, I don’t have to go to church anymore.” This is not only an insult to the young person, but even more so, an insult to Almighty God. If faith means so little, why would you go through a Sacramental Programme knowing that you would walk away from the practice of that faith? This is a really serious issue, and not something to be dismissed lightly. I ask everyone to think seriously about what it means to be really committed in your life of faith! Life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing every day; and there can be so many missed opportunities!

MASS INTENTIONS – JULY 2021

Sat 17^th	9.00am	Ordination to the Priesthood of Anthony Grant (The Laffey Family)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 17^th	6.00pm	John O’Reilly RIP
Sun 18^th Sun 18^th	9.00am 10.00am	Kate & Tom Dennison RIP (Margaret Duffy) People of the Parish
Sun 18^th	11:00am	Tony Duff RIP(Anni) (M Ryan)
Mon 19^th	10.00am 10.30am	Norbert Widera RIP (Fr. John) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 20^th	10.00am	The McCann Family (The Kendals)
Wed 21^st	10.00am	Ann Campbell (B’day Ints) Brenda Bryant
Thurs 22nd	10.00am 10.30am	Rebecca Casey Int’s (Kathleen Faherty) Holy Hour with Exposition of the Bl Sacrament
Fri 23^rd	10.00am 10.30am	Violet Hall RIP (Mrs Short) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 24^th	9.00am	Breege & Michael Kerrane RIP (Mary)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 24^th	6.00pm	Daria Kohls – B’day Int’s (K Faherty)
Sun 25^th Sun 25^th	9.00am 10.00am	People of the Parish Jack Kuss Int’s (John McMorrow)
Sun 25^th	11:00am	Patrick Spratt RIP

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading : Jeremiah 23:1-6

‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.

Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!

‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,

who will reign as true king and be wise,

practising honesty and integrity in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved

and Israel dwell in confidence.

And this is the name he will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Second Reading : Ephesians 2:13-18

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

Gospel: Mark 6:30-34

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length. The Gospel of the Lord.

HOMILY PREACHED BY MONSIGNOR KEVIN W HALE

John Canon Harvey—Fortieth Anniversary Mass

When Fr John asked me to preach on this anniversary, my first reaction was to think it would be better had he asked someone who has known him longer and better than I. And then I reflected that actually I have known him since I was sixteen when we shared a room on my first visit to Lourdes, that he was present at my Ordination in 1984, that I succeeded him as assistant priest in Colchester in 1990 and have shared many of the highs and lows of priestly life these past forty years; so perhaps I am well placed perhaps to say something significant on this great anniversary of his ordination.

We all know what the prefect priest is, and we all want the perfect Parish Priest. A recent survey disclosed that the perfect priest preaches exactly seven minutes. He condemns sin, but never upsets anyone. He works from 8am until midnight and is also church caretaker. He makes £70 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about £50 each week to the poor. He is 29 years old and has fifty years experience. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all of his time with senior citizens. He makes 15 calls daily and visits the sick in hospital, and is always in the Parish Office. If you don’t know any priest like that, don’t worry, he doesn’t exist because there is only one perfect priest—Jesus Christ—and he has allowed us weak and frail human beings to have a participation in His eternal priesthood.

Let us think back to that moment forty years years ago, in St Bede’s, Chadwell Heath, when Bishop Thomas McMahon, laid his hands upon Fr John’s head, in a gesture that goes back to the beginning of the Church when the Apostles did the very same when they Ordained their fellow-workers, conferring on them the power and authority Jesus had given them. It was the moment when Christ took possession of Fr John and said to him: You belong to me. He also said: You are now under the protection of my Heart. You are to be kept safely in the palm of my hands, stay in my hands and give me yours. Because you see, the hands of a priest are something very important. That is why as part of the Rite of Ordination, they are anointed with Chrism, to signify that they are being set-apart. That, in a sense, these hands no longer belong exclusively to yourself, but they are surrendered, consecrated for the service of the salvation of souls. Fr John gave The Lord his hands; so that they could belong exclusively to Him; so that they can be put at the service of the world, not for taking, but for giving, for being the means whereby God’s divine touch can reach the world.

From that moment those hands are to be used only for good: they are to pour the water in Baptism; to anoint souls in Confirmation and the sick and suffering; to invoke the Holy Spirit over the offerings at Mass and feed His people on the Bread of Life; and, to raise his hand in absolution, remembering at the same time that he is a recipient of the divine mercy.

But for all our frailties, the people of God have never ceased putting their trust in the power of God at work through our ministry. the ministry of Fr John. Today my mind also goes back to the retreat for priest which we made in the village of Ars in 2017. It was the home of famous Curé: St John Vianney. I recall some words he spoke of the priesthood as if incapable of understanding the greatness of the gift and task entrusted to him, a mere human creature:

Oh, how great is the priest! … If he realised what he is, he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host…Explaining to his parishioners the importance of the Sacraments, he would say: Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest. And if a soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest… After God, the priest is everything! … Only in heaven will he fully realise what he is.

These words that welled-up from the priestly heart of the Saint, might sound excessive nowadays. Yet they reveal the high esteem in which he held the sacrament of the priesthood. He seemed overwhelmed by a boundless sense of responsibility, and all of us priests have that same sense, no less today than on the day of our Ordination.

St Benedict—on whose feast Fr John was Ordained—is very strong and direct in what he says to his monks about the duty they have to seek holiness.

In his Rule, St Benedict says: Just because he is a priest, he may not therefore forget the obedience and discipline of the rule, but must make more and more progress toward God.(RB 62.4) All of us are called to holiness, but the holiness expected of the priest derives from the fact that he is the custodian of the mysteries of God, mysteries he handles every day at the Altar, and for which he must one day give an account of his stewardship. St Norbert puts it rather bluntly: Take care, oh Priest, lest what was said to Christ on the cross be said to you: He saved others, himself he cannot save!

That is why the main thing Fr John would ask of you today—and I do so on his behalf—is to pray earnestly for him daily. Pray for more priest, that there will be a priests to take his place one day so that the people of God may be feed and nourished on Jesus, the Bread of Eternal life. And as we pray we also thank. On behalf of the Bishop and our Diocese I thank Father John for everything he has done and continues to do, wearing a number of different hats, he has served the Church with fidelity and generosity these forty years.

When the mother of St John Paul II died, when he was only eight years old, he went to the Shrine of the Jasna Gora and said to Mary: Now you will be my Mother. When as priests we no longer have our earthly mothers at our side, we know that we have the Mother of Our Lord assisting us. I know Fr John has a love for Our Blessed Mother. She has a special love for him, because she can see in him the image of her Son. We therefore go to her and commend the ministry of Fr John to her continued care and motherly help, that he and all priests, may be ever more faithful icons of the face of her Divine Son, Jesus Christ.

Msgr Kevin W Hale VG

Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh-on-Sea

The Fifteenth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

Fr. John’s Fortieth Anniversary of Priesthood

My Dear Friends in Christ, $C:\Users\User3\Downloads\a34a9225-0dbf-4411-b816-60e3fba15c3a (1).JPG$

Today, as I celebrate my 40^th Anniversary of Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ, I give heartfelt thanks to Almighty God for calling me to this great gift. I have had 40 wonderful years of serving the Lord through his people in our Diocese of Brentwood. I have served in several parishes and have met some truly wonderful faith filled people through those years. It has been an honour and privilege to have celebrated the Sacraments with thousands of people. Words cannot express my joy!

I thank my dear parents, Mary & John RIP, now with God, who were my first teachers of the faith; all my siblings and their families for their support and encouragement through the years. I thank Bishop Thomas McMahon who ordained me a Priest, for his kindness and support to me always. For Bishop Alan who has shown such great kindness and trust in me. I thank all the priests whom I served with in various parishes, and all the people whom I was honoured to serve. I humbly thank the people of St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More Parish, where I have served as a priest for the past 19 years; the longest period of time that I have ever lived anywhere. You have always been kindness itself, and I have learnt so much from you. It has been a real joy to watch the parish grow, to see the children I baptised grow into faithful young men and women, and to be able to celebrate the Eucharist with you, is, of course the greatest privilege of all.

Unfortunately, due to the restrictions of the Pandemic, there is no big celebration. But for me, to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with you is the greatest gift of all, and I’m honoured to do this at the 11am Mass which is my Thanksgiving to God for these 40 Years of Priesthood. If you can join us it would be wonderful. Mass will also be livestreamed.

Dear Friends in Christ, 15^th Sunday of the Year

On this Day of Jubilee, I would like to thank Monsignor Kevin Hale, our Vicar General and one of my oldest friends, for kindly joining us for this celebration and preaching at Holy Mass. Also my grateful thanks for the many Anniversary Cards that I have received, you are extremely thoughtful! As we have had to postpone the bigger celebrations, and as a Jubilee lasts for a year, I am hoping to have an open larger gathering next year at the same time, probably Friday 8^th July 2022 at 7.00pm. Obviously, with the Pandemic this year, so many people’s plans and celebrations were scuppered. Let us pray that we will be able to resume some semblance of ‘normality’ again from 19^th July.

I would like to say a special thank you to all those who have helped over the past 16 months, Iain McLay and all of our stewards, who have faithfully worked so hard at all of our masses and opening of church during the week. For Sharon Fitzmaurice & members of the Altar Society ensuring that our church is kept tidy and clean. For Veronica Short and her helpers for ensuring that the Church linen was kept beautifully clean. For David Knott, Robert Hatt & our Altar Servers, for faithfully serving at the Altar each week. For our Readers & Eucharistic Ministers, for fulfilling their ministries during this Pandemic. Finally I would like to thank my Housekeeper Josie Sison, for everything she does in looking after me throughout the year, I’m truly grateful!

END OF SCHOOL YEAR, ST JOHN FISHER: Next Friday 16^th July, our children at St. John Fisher School will break up for the summer holidays. I would like to thank Mr Mike Ross and all his staff for everything they have done throughout the past 16 months during the Pandemic. It has not been an easy task running a school and ensuring that our children benefit from as much education as was possible when they were studying at home. There were many challenges for everyone. You will be happy to know that we appointed a new Deputy Headteacher recently who will begin in September. But it is with sadness that we have to say farewell to our Headteacher Mike Ross, who will finish at the end of this term. Mike is taking some time out of teaching. We wish him every happiness and success in the future, and assure him of our prayers. Also we say farewell to Mrs Liz Laycell who will be retiring at the end of term, thank you for all you have done for St. John Fisher School.

May God Bless You All,

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FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: If as yet, you haven’t returned your enrolment form for your child’s First Holy Communion Programme commencing in September, could you kindly do so immediately! I have waited two weeks for forms to be returned so that I can order the Study Books. I presume if you haven’t returned forms by Monday you do not wish your child enrolled in the programme. Also a copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate will be required at the Information Evening in September. This year children form years 3 & 4 will share the programme together. Please pray for the children. I do now expect to see the children with their families at Holy Mass at the weekends; attending Mass is not an optional extra, it is part of our commitment in faith to Jesus Christ.

ALTAR SOCIETY: Please can we appeal to all parishioners for help to keep our church clean. During lockdown we have only asked a few a few deep cleans but now things will be changing, we desperately need your help to keep a weekly rota going. Cleaning is split between the altar, santurary, main church, front porch/library, choir loft brass ware and candle racks. The duties include dusting, sweeping, mopping, polishing, window/door cleaning, hoovering, linens and polishing. You can do as much or as little as you are able to do (1 hour at the most, per month) and all parishioners are invited to help, regardless of age or gender. To register your interest please contact Sharon Fitzmaurice on 07854919207 or shazzafitzm@aol.com

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: £398.45 My ongoing thanks to the whole parish community for your weekly financial support! As you can see our Weekly Offertory bears no comparison to prior Pandemic income; many parishioners have signed up for the online giving and Gift Aid Scheme. I would like to encourage this even more. My thanks to Michael Manzi our Accountant, who looks after the Parish Accounts & Maria Mosquera who looks after the Parish Gift Aid Scheme; they have both done a truly wonderful job this year. If you would like to join the Gift Aid Scheme, there are application forms in the Church Porch or ask Fr. John for a form. If you forget your envelope, there are spares in the Porch. Thanks!

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: Mary Cocklin RIP, June Happe RIP, Mary Moriarty RIP, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

RECEIVING SACRAMENTS: Recently, 48 of our young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is a milestone in a young person’s life. Sadly I haven’t seen many of them since the day they were Confirmed. This Sacrament of commitment and mission is about these young people assuming a certain amount of mature responsibility in their own Faith Journey. It’s not just about stamping the Sacramental Passport; I had it said to me recently, I quote “my parents said to me if I got Confirmed, I don’t have to go to church anymore.” This is not only an insult to the young person, but even more so, an insult to Almighty God. If faith means so little, why would you go through a Sacramental Programme knowing that you would walk away from the practice of that faith? This is a really serious issue, and not something to be dismissed lightly. I ask everyone to think seriously about what it means to be really committed in your life of faith! Life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing every day; and there can be so many missed opportunities!

NEWS OF DIOCESE:

Retirements: As of the end of August there are 5 retirments – Canon Martin O’Connor; Fr Jean-Claude Selvini; Fr Frank Jackson; Fr. John Touhy; Fr Gerry Gostling.

Parish Priests:

Fr Seaon Connelly From Manor Park to Chadwell Heath

Fr Joseph Whisstock From Halstead to Frinton/Harwich

Fr Jijo George From From Canning Town to Springfield

Fr John Victor Drabeesan From Walthamstow St G. to Manor Park

Fr Sabu Pariyadan JCJ From Springfield to Basildon, Holy Trinity

Together with Fr Saji Thomas Puthuparambil

RCJ ( Kerela)

Fr Daniel Kelly From Basildon Holy Trinity to Royal Docks

Fr Michael Halsall (Ord) To Upminister

Fr Rick Fernandez From Basildon Holy Trinity to Lexden

Fr Rob Page (Ord) Appointed PP of Hainault in addition to

Clayhall.

Assistant Priests:

Fr. Michael Barwick Newly Ordained to Walthamstow, St. George

Fr Tony Gran New;y Ordianed to Canning Town

Fr David Pearce From Dagenham HF to Basildon St Basil’s

Fr Tarciziu Erdes From Romania to Hainault

Parochial Administrator

Fr Felix Adiele Broomfield Chaplain to Halstead

RETURNING TO THE WEEKLY PRACTICE OF THE FAITH: With so many people having received their Vaccination against Covid, it would be wonderful to see many more return to the weekly practice of the faith. To be without the Sacrametns for usch a long period of time is unprecedented. It’s true that many people have just got out of the habit of going to Church, and live-streaming is not a subsititute for being together with the worhsipping community. Our Church’s opened last July 4^th, and many parishioners have returned. To get back into the routine of regular practice is up to the individual, but if you have children, it is so important that this routine recommence once again. Children are guided by their parents, and if chidlren witness that this is not important to you, it will, sadly, not be important to them. There are so many challenges and threats to our lives of faith, on so many fronts these days, please don’t let Covid be another of them!

MASS INTENTIONS – JULY 2021

Sat 10^th	9.00am	Veronica Short B’day. (Pat & Margaret)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 10^th	6.00pm	Joan Dowding RIP
Sun 11^th Sun 11^th	9.00am 10.00am	People of the Parish Austin O’Dowd RIP
Sun 11^th	11:00am	Fr. John’s Int’s 40^th Anniversary of Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood
Mon 12^th	10.00am 10.30am	Kate & Joe Duffy RIP (Margaret Duffy) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 13^th	10.00am	Eileen Murphy RIP (Rosemary Ward)
Wed 14^th	10.00am	Sean O’Shea RIP (John Kelly)
Thurs 15^th	10.00am 10.30am	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco) Holy Hour with Exposition of the Bl Sacrament
Fri 16^th	10.00am 10.30am	Anthony Rattigan RIP (Maureen Rattigan) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 17^th	9.00am	Ordination to the Priesthood of Anthony Grant (The Laffey Family)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 17^th	6.00pm	John O’Reilly RIP
Sun 18^th Sun 18^th	9.00am 10.00am	Kate & Tom Dennison RIP (Margaret Duffy) People of the Parish
Sun 18^th	11:00am	Tony Duff RIP(Anni) (M Ryan)

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading : Amos 7:12-15

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer;’ get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’ ‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”’

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 84(85):9-14 (Sun15)

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

I will hear what the Lord God has to say,

a voice that speaks of peace,

peace for his people.

His help is near for those who fear him

and his glory will dwell in our land.

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

Mercy and faithfulness have met;

justice and peace have embraced.

Faithfulness shall spring from the earth

and justice look down from heaven.

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

The Lord will make us prosper

and our earth shall yield its fruit.

Justice shall march before him

and peace shall follow his steps.

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.

Second Reading : Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.

Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,

to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,

determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ

for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace,

his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom, through his blood, we gain our

freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.

Such is the richness of the gracewhich he has showered on us

in all wisdom and insight.

He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,

the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning

to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:

that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head,

everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

Gospel : Mark 6:7-13

Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

The Fourteenth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

As they listened to Jesus preaching and teaching in the Synagogue the people are amazed at his knowledge. But then they start to question where he got his knowledge, and they result to saying, “Isn’t this the Carpenter’s Son? Isn’t Mary his mother? Don’t we know his relations? Their questions were leading them to explore the greatest mystery of life: who was Jesus of Nazareth? Sadly, their line of questioning did not lead to faith because they ‘took offence at him’. What a shame, because their minds were beginning to entertain the mystery of the Incarnation – God made man – one of the most fundamental aspects of the panorama of Christian revelation. Just as we need to cultivate a sense of Eucharistic awe, so too we need to nurture a sense of incarnational awe. Of course, the key to this mystery is faith: but to understand, we must first believe. Our minds in themselves are not capable of grasping the incarnation. St Thomas Aquinas said: ‘By the Divine Nature, Christ is simple. By his human nature, he is complex.’

RUBY JUBILEE OF ORDINATION TO THE SACRED PRIESTHOOD

Next Sunday 11^th July, I will be celebrating my 40^th Anniversary to the Sacred Priesthood. Sadly, due to Covid restrictions I have had to postpone the Jubilee celebrations until a later date, possibly the same time next year. Originally, I had many people travelling from different parts of the world, lots of family & friends, and of course my parish family. But health & safety in these precarious times is of supreme importance. I will celebrate the 11am Mass on the 11^th July as a Thanksgiving Mass, and for me, this is the most important thing that I can do as a priest. Monsignor Kevin Hale, our Vicar General, and one of my oldest friends, will be preaching at the Mass. Sue Farrow our Choir Director and Choir members will sing at the Mass. I sincerely hope that you may be able to attend the Mass, even with limited spaces, there will be seating also outside the Church; and we have a speaker that can transmit outside. In humility, I ask for your continued prayers as I celebrate this great milestone, and I thank God for the Gift of the Priesthood.

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: Last weekend’s Offertory £454.78. My ongoing thanks to the whole parish community for your weekly financial support! As you can see our Weekly Offertory bears no comparison to prior Pandemic income; many parishioners have signed up for the online giving and Gift Aid Scheme. I would like to encourage this even more. My thanks to Michael Manzi our Accountant, who looks after the Parish Accounts & Maria Mosquera who looks after the Parish Gift Aid Scheme; they have both done a truly wonderful job this year. If you would like to join the Gift Aid Scheme, there are application forms in the Church Porch or ask Fr. John for a form. If you forget your envelope, there are spares in the Porch. Thanks!

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: I have completed the interviews with parents. I would like to thank all the parents that I was able to see you regarding your child’s forthcoming First Holy Communion Programme. It was really nice to be able to meet up with you, and discuss the programme the children, hopefully, will begin in September. As you know, in light of the Covid Pandemic, we had to cancel this year’s programme; therefore there will be two years of children, Years 3 & 4. There should be about 30 children on the programme. Please keep the children and their families in your prayers. COULD YOU KINDLY RETURN YOUR CHILD’S ENROLMENT FORM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE PLEASE AS BOOKS HAVE TO BE ORDERED.

May God Bless Your Week,

https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/donations?parish=loughton

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022, please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. The programme usually commences in September. It would be wonderful to have a number of enquirers. We follow a systematic programme of instruction, covering all aspects of Catholicism, Doctrine, Scripture, Liturgy, Mariology, Catholic practices. Please spread the word about this programme. Thank you!

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.zRYAgGz0fbi3vZJXnfmY0wHaJ4&pid=Api&P=0&w=300&h=300

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

RETURNING TO THE WEEKLY PRACTICE OF THE FAITH: With so amny people having received their Vaccination against Covid, it would be wonderful to see many more return to the weekly practice of the faith. To be without the Sacrametns for usch a long period of time is unprecedented. It’s true that many people have just got out of the habit of going to Church, and live-streaming is not a subsititute for being together with the worhsipping community. Our Church’s opened last July 4^th, and many parishioners have returned. To get back into the routine of regular practice is up to the individual, but if you have children, it is so important that this routine recommence once again. Children are guided by their parents, and if chidlren witness that this is not important to you, it will, sadly, not be important to them. There are so many challenges and threats to our lives of faith, on so many fronts these days, please don’t let Covid be another of them!

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: Alan West RIP, Marie Dawson RIP, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

RECEIVING SACRAMENTS: Recently, 48 of our young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is a milestone in a young person’s life. Sadly I haven’t seen many of them since the day they were confirmed. This Sacrament of commitment and mission is about these young people assuming a certain amount of mature responsibility in their own Faith Journey. It’s not just about stamping the Sacramental Passport; I had it said to me recently, I quote: “my parents said to me if I got Confirmed, I don’t have to go to church anymore.” This is not only an insult to the young person, but even more so, an insult to Almighty God. If faith means so little, why would you go through a Sacramental Programme knowing that you would walk away from the practice of that faith? This is a really serious issue, and not something to be dismissed lightly. I ask everyone to think seriously about what it means to be really committed in your life of faith! Life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing every day; and there can be so many missed opportunities!

MASS INTENTIONS – JULY 2021

Sat 3rd	10.00am	Mary Burton B’day Int’s (Monica Maycraft)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 3^rd	6.00pm	Sheila Murphy RIP (Rooney Family)
Sun 4^thSun 4^th	9.00am 10.00am	People of the Parish Gerard Pampellonne RIP ( K Pampellone)
Sun 4^th	11:00am	Charles Frost RIP (Martin Frost)
Mon 5^th	10.00am 10.30am	Violet Hall RIP (Maureen Perry) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 6^th	10.00am	Kathleen Daly RIP
Wed 7^th	10.00am	Sheila Murphy RIP (Hornett Family)
Thurs 8^th	10.00am 10.30am	Private Int. (Maureen Perry)Holy Hour with Exposition of the Bl Sacrament
Fri 9^th	10.00am 10.30am	Margaret Mullaney B’day Ints (M Maycraft) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 10^th	9.00am	Veronica Short B’day. (Pat & Margaret)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 10^th	6.00pm	Joan Dowding RIP
Sun 11^thSun 11^th	9.00am 10.00am	People of the ParishAustin O’Dowd RIP
Sun 11^th	11:00am	Fr. John’s Int’s 40^th Anniversary of Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

First Reading : Ezekiel 2:2-5

The spirit came into me and made me stand up, and I heard the Lord speaking to me. He said, ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebels who have turned against me. Till now they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me. The sons are defiant and obstinate; I am sending you to them, to say, “The Lord says this.” Whether they listen or not, this set of rebels shall know there is a prophet among them.’

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 122(123)

Our eyes are on the Lord till he shows us his mercy.

To you have I lifted up my eyes,

you who dwell in the heavens;

my eyes, like the eyes of slaves

on the hand of their lords.

Our eyes are on the Lord till he shows us his mercy.

Like the eyes of a servant

on the hand of her mistress,

so our eyes are on the Lord our God

till he show us his mercy.

Our eyes are on the Lord till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

We are filled with contempt.

Indeed all too full is our soul

with the scorn of the rich,

with the proud man’s disdain.

Our eyes are on the Lord till he shows us his mercy.

Second Reading : 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

In view of the extraordinary nature of these revelations, to stop me from getting too proud I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and stop me from getting too proud! About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he has said, ‘My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.’ So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.

Gospel : Mark 6:1-6

Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD.

The Thirteenth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

Dear Friends in Christ 13^thSunday of the Year

The Covid-19 global Pandemic has taught us many things but the one thing that surely stands out is that human life is fragile and short, and we must cherish and treasure it. This is as true today as it was in the first century. We can buy many things, but we can’t buy our health, and none of us truly knows what each day may bring. Someone we love may be perfectly healthy one day and the next be struck down with a life-changing diagnosis or be the victim of an accident, etc. To be sure, human life is subject to vagaries and hardships. This isn’t to make us depressed of afraid – it is simply and sobering and salutary fact of life.

The very real life situations that Jesus encountered in his daily ministry show us the power of his healing touch related, often to the faith of the individual. We can still know the healing touch of Christ today, through the sacrament of anointing, in which the healing power of Jesus is made present. Jesus encourages us not to be afraid but to be bold and to believe.

SOLEMNITY OF SS PETER & PAUL: Is a Holy Day of Obligation, and will be celebrated on Tuesday 29^th June. Peter the Apostle chosen by Jesus to be the rock, on which he would establish the church. The leader of the Apostles, the first Pope, who would eventually give his life for the Lord. Paul, the fearless preacher; turns from being the persecutor of Christians to the Lord’s great preacher and evangeliser of the Gentiles; also giving his life for the Lord in the City of Rome. With the Universal Church today we proclaim these two great giants of our faith. There will be three masses today: 10.00am, 12.15pm & 8.00pm. Please make every effort to join us for Mass. ONGOING COVID PANDEMIC UPDATE: Sadly, we have seen a real increase of Covid cases over the past week. The new Delta variant has really begun to spread exponentially. It appears that the only saving factor is the vaccine, which is certainly helping to reduce hospital admissions. The high percentages of those being admitted to hospital are those who haven’t, as yet, received the vaccine. With the extension of restrictions until the 19^th July, we are still technically limited to things we can do. In church, Health & Safety will always be the main concern for the protection of all of our parishioners. We will maintain our social distancing, hand sanitisation, face coverings, track & trace, one way system in the church, complete sanitisation of the church after every service. The Church has been really safe, and we now have been open for the past year. I appeal to all parishioners, especially if you have had the vaccine, to kindly return to the weekly practice of your faith. Life cannot be put on hold forever!

VICARIATE FOR ADULT FORMATION: Have produced a leaflet entitled ‘The Journey Home’ – Returning to Sunday Mass and the Practice of our Faith. Sunday is the Day of the Lord. It is on this day that we meet the Risen Christ and we are formed into a community o faith, hope and love by the power of His Holy Spirit. All of us have an opportunity to reflect honestly on the practice of our faith and to teake the decision to make the journey home to the Celebration of Sunday Mass. The welcome will be assured and warm because it there that Christ waits for us and invites us into his life. For more information about Sunday Mass, please got to the Parish Website for up to date information or contact your Parish Priest. Please visit the new Thresholds of Hope website at: www.thresholdsofhope.co.uk

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: I have now completed the interviews with parents. I would like to thank all the parents that I was able to see this week regarding you children’s forthcoming First Holy Communion Programme. It was really nice to be able to meet up with you, and discuss the programme the children, hopefully, will begin in September. As you know, in light of the Covid Pandemic, we had to cancel this year’s programme; therefore there will be two years of children, Years 3 & 4. There should be about 30 children on the programme. Please keep the children and their families in your prayers.

May God Bless Your Week,

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022, please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. The programme usually commences in September. It would be wonderful to have a number of enquirers. We follow a systematic programme of instruction, covering all aspects of Catholicism, Doctrine, Scripture, Liturgy, Mariology, Catholic practices. Please spread the word about this programme. Thank you!

POSTPONEMENT OF JUBILEE: It is wiith great sadness that I have had to make the decision to postpone my 40^th Anniversary of Ordination. Originally, I was inviting family friends, and loved ones, and from all over the world, to celebrate with us here in the parish. Unfortunately, with the extension of the lockdown, and the increase of the Delta variant, it’s almost impossible to do anything at present. Had the restrictions lifted on 21^st June I was hoping we could have got together after Mass in the Car Park for a drink and a piece of cake; we can’t even do that now! I will celebrate a Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday 11^th July at 11am with only my Parish Family, this will be live streamed. Msgr Kevin Hale our Vicar Genral, and one of my oldest friends, will preach at the Mass.

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: Kazimierz Michalik RIP, Tom Smith RIP, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: I would like to take this public opportunity of thanking every single member of this parish Community for your incredible support of the parish over the past 16 months of Pandemic. With the church remaining open and with online daily live streaming of Holy Mass, even during those four and half months of lockdown; in completing our Financial Returns to the Diocese, you will be delighted to know that we broke even this year. My thanks to Michael Manzi our Accountant, who looks after the Parish Accounts & Maria Mosquera who looks after the Parish Gift Aid Scheme; they have both done a truly wonderful job this year. With continued thanks for your Weekly Offering. If you would like to join the Gift Aid Scheme, there are application forms in the Church Porch or ask Fr. John for a form. If you forget your envelope, there are spares in the Porch. Thank you!

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading : Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24

Death was not God’s doing,

he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.

To be – for this he created all;

the world’s created things have health in them,

in them no fatal poison can be found,

and Hades holds no power on earth;

for virtue is undying.

Yet God did make man imperishable,

he made him in the image of his own nature;

it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world,

as those who are his partners will discover.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 29(30):2,4-6,11-13

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me

and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,

restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,

give thanks to his holy name.

His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.

At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

The Lord listened and had pity.

The Lord came to my help.

For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:

O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Second Reading : 2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15

You always have the most of everything – of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection – so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. This does not mean that to give relief to others you ought to make things difficult for yourselves: it is a question of balancing what happens to be your surplus now against their present need, and one day they may have something to spare that will supply your own need. That is how we strike a balance: as scripture says: The man who gathered much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.

Gospel : Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’ Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.

Now there was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. ‘If I can touch even his clothes,’ she had told herself ‘I shall be well again.’ And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out from him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him, ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?”’ But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’

While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, ‘Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?’ But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.z1azx8csLn283jxTKMchUAHaFj&pid=Api&P=0&w=201&h=152

NOTE TO ALL PARISHIONERS – NEW GIFT AID ORGANISER: Due to unforeseen circumstances our Gift Aid Organiser Maria Mosquera has to step down from her role. I am making an appeal to all parishioners for a volunteer to take over the role of Gift Aid Organiser? Maria will be able to help whoever takes over to learn the role and will be available should problems arise. Obviously Computer Skills will help. I’m truly grateful to Maria for assuming this role for the past few years ago. This would be a wonderful way of serving God through the Parish Community – please think about this request, thank you! If you want to speak to me personally please call Tel No: 0208 508 3492 AS YET, NO ONE HAS RESPONDEND. PLEASE THINK SERIOULSY ABOUT THIS TO HELP THE PARISH.

Jesus is asleep in the boat • Eve Out of the Garden

The Twelfth Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

Dear Friends in Christ 12^thSunday of the Year

Being caught in a storm at sea must be terrifying. The apostles in the Gospel today feel helpless and afraid; they awaken Jesus who stills the wind with one command and then questions his disciple: ‘Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?’ Such a situation is the moment most of us find our faith. In its truest sense, faith is at those moments a return to God, through reliance – a dependence that can bring deep relief, peace and humility. We give ourselves completely to God, acknowledging his might and our smallness. God fills us and we feel a ‘love divine’, all loves excelling, as the hymn tells us. ‘My moments of depression and despair turn out to be renewals, new beginnings,’ wrote Thomas Merton. Stuck or powerless, we turn to God for help, and so find him again. Is this why we sometimes suffer? Is suffering a reminder from God to come home?

Relying on God gives us a feeling of being protected and supported in life. In tough times, we rely upon Christ. Rather than making us feel unpleasantly small, these moments of great need paired with great faith make us feel wonderfully small! It is s relief to ‘let go and let God’.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.OR0jYx1pD2Yctypo0_8tsgHaD5&pid=Api&P=0&w=309&h=163

ONGOING COVID PANDEMIC UPDATE: As predicted, the Government have extended this lockdown until the 19^th July. People are feeling really frustrated by this extension; but health and safety are the major factors at play here. With the Delta variant spreading very rapidly up and down the country, the last thing the government want is another complete lockdown. Obviously, this will affect many people’s lives in all sorts of different ways. Once again, at the church we will maintain our social distancing, hand sanitisation, face coverings, track & trace, one way system in the church, complete sanitisation of the church after every service. Many parishioners have returned to the weekly practice of the faith, many haven’t, and yet I bumped into many in the supermarkets; and seen many out and about. If there are folks who have got out of the habit of coming to Mass regularly, I appeal to you think seriously about non-attendance and have a talk with yourselves. There have been many religious articles written about this; that there will be some who will not return to the church for whatever reasons, but please ask yourselves the important questions, can I live without God in my life? Can I truly live without the sacraments? And if you are parents, can I jeopardise my children’s spiritual faith journey if I abandon the practice of my faith? These are relevant and poignant questions that need to be asked!

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: I have now completed the interviews with parents. I would like to thank all the parents that I was able to see this week regarding you children’s forthcoming First Holy Communion Programme. It was really nice to be able to meet up with you, and discuss the programme the children, hopefully, will begin in September. As you know, in light of the Covid Pandemic, we had to cancel this year’s programme; therefore there will be two years of children, Years 3 & 4. There should be about 25 children on the programme. Please keep the children and their families in your prayers.

FEAST OF SS. JOHN FISHER & THOMAS MORE: Tuesday 22^nd June. The children from our Primary will join us through live streaming, and special crosses for all the children will be blessed at the end of Mass and then distributed to all the children at school.

May God Bless Your Week,

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022, please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. The programme usually commences in September. It would be wonderful to have a number of enquirers. We follow a systematic programme of instruction, covering all aspects of Catholicism, Doctrine, Scripture, Liturgy, Mariology, Catholic practices. Please spread the word about this programme. Thank you!

POSTPONEMENT OF JUBILEE: I have decided to postpone my 40^th Anniversary of Ordination Jubilee celebrations until a later date. With ultimate restrictions not being lifted now until July 19th, it’s going to be impossible to do anything. I will celebrate a Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday 11^th July at 11am with only my Parish Family, this will be live streamed.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE: In you mercy please pray for thr epose of the soul of Violet Hall RIP, who passed away recently. Violet lived in St. Edmund’s Parish for nearly 70 years, and was our oldest parishionerS at 98 years. Condolences to her family. Her Requiem Mass will take place on Tuesday 22^nd June at 1.00pm followed by Cremation at Forest Park Crematorium.

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Brian Beveridge, Karl Britz, Carlos Camacho, Jane Downs, Steve Dalgliesh, Pat Fenn, Veronica Godsave, Bernadette Hall, Violet Hall Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Pamela Houghton, Noel Johnson, Shaun Keel, Angela Long, Lilian Mothersole, Sheila Murphy, John McKernan, Rosemary O’Rourke, Kathleen Pomeroy, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, Collette Wenborn, Mary Witten, James Wright. And all our loved ones.

ANNIVERSARIES: Alice Bate RIP, Kazimierz Michalik RIPFor all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

MASS INTENTIONS – JUNE 2021

Sat 19^th	10.00am	Pat Ata Int’s ( Bridget & Maree)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 19^th	6.00pm	Kazimierz Michalik RIP (Ewa Michalik)
Sun 20^th Sun 20^th	9.00am 10.00am	Tony Galcius RIP (John & Sue Campbell) People of the Parish
Sun 20^th	11:00am	Elizabeth Nkum RIP (Maria Fray)
Mon 21^st	10.00am 10.30am	Joe Burke RIPHoly Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 22^nd	10.00am 1.00pm	Annie Ginty RIPRequiem Mass. Violet Hall RIP
Wed 23^rd	10.00am	Grace Rose Skinner Int’s (John O Rourke)
Thurs 24^th	10.00am 10.30am	Chinnamma Augustine RIPHoly Hour with Exposition of the Bl Sacrament
Fri 25^th	10.00am 10.30am	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 26^th	10.00am	Ann Hawkes Int’s (Remy)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 26^th	6.00pm	Kazimierz Michalik RIP (Ewa Michalik)
Sun 27^th Sun 27^th	9.00am 10.00am	Charles Hardy RIPPeople of the Parish
Sun 27^th	11:00am	Louise Esseiva RIP

TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

First Reading : Job 38:1,8-11

From the heart of the tempest the Lord gave Job his answer. He said:

Who pent up the sea behind closed doors

when it leapt tumultuous out of the womb,

when I wrapped it in a robe of mist

and made black clouds its swaddling bands;

when I marked the bounds it was not to cross

and made it fast with a bolted gate?

Come thus far, I said, and no farther:

here your proud waves shall break.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 106(107):23-26,28-32

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.

Some sailed to the sea in ships

to trade on the mighty waters.

These men have seen the Lord’s deeds,

the wonders he does in the deep.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.

For he spoke; he summoned the gale,

tossing the waves of the sea

up to heaven and back into the deep;

their souls melted away in their distress.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.

Then they cried to the Lord in their need

and he rescued them from their distress.

He stilled the storm to a whisper:

all the waves of the sea were hushed.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.

They rejoiced because of the calm

and he led them to the haven they desired.

Let them thank the Lord for his love,

for the wonders he does for men.

O give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.

Second Reading : 2 Corinthians 5:14-17

The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.

From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here.

Gospel : Mark 4:35-41

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.

The Eleventh Sunday of the Year, 2021

St. Edmund of Canterbury & St. Thomas More

Dear Friends in Christ 11^thSunday of the Year

The Lord Jesus uses many agricultural themes in his preaching and teaching. Today he talks about the seed, how small it is, but it can grow into something incredible. This imagery he uses for the faith. No matter how small or little our faith is, when we nurture and culture it, it can grow into something truly beautiful. The seed grows by itself, even when we are asleep. This is our natural curiosity and longing for God. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, ‘The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for’ (para 27).

It really doesn’t matter how small or little our faith is, God can use it and nurture it, when we allow him to do so. Some of the greatest saints in history allowed the Lord to use them in this way, and they became incredible instruments of God through the holiness of their lives by their example, their teaching and preaching: a few of examples – St Therese of Lisieux; Saint Teresa of Calcutta; Blessed Carlo Acutis; St Francis of Assisi. The potential is there for each and every one of us for that faith to grow strong in Christ.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: Last week I advertised the forthcoming First Holy Communion Programme with interviews commencing Monday 14^th June until Friday 18^th June. Unfortunately, very few people have made appointments. Parish news is published weekly in the Newsletter; if parishioners are not reading the updates then they will have no knowledge of future event and programmes. I always make a point at the end of each of the weekend masses to stress the importance of reading the parish newsletter. If you haven’t yet booked appointment, you need to do so this weekend. Tel No: 020 8508 3492

As we were unable to run a programme over the past year, there will now be two years eligible to enrol in the programme (school years 3 & 4) as of September 2021). The Church reopened last July 4^th 2020, and many families returned to the regular practice of the faith. If you didn’t return to the practice of the faith, and have been away for over a year, we will need to discuss whether it would be prudent to wait some time until you get back into a regular routine of the practice of faith once again.

Requirements of entry into the programme are that you are a baptised and practicing Roman Catholic, which means you attend weekly mass; that you live within the Parish boundaries of St. Edmund of Canterbury Parish; and that you will be totally committed to the programme sessions with separate meetings for parents throughout the year.

CONGRATULATIONS: To our 48 young people who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this week from Bishop Alan. I managed to get the Bishop to come on both days, and it was a wonderful surprise for our young people. Both masses were very beautiful; to have live music, offertory, prayers of intercession, was truly wonderful again! Grateful thanks to all of our Catechists for the incredible work and the time you gave to our young people over the past six months. I think all of our young people went home very happy each night after these beautiful ceremonies. God bless you all!

ONGOING PANDEMIC UPDATE: Unfortunately, with the recent surge in the Delta variant up and down the country, and with the numbers increasing dramatically, it looks as though the total lifting of lockdown restrictions will not take place on 21^st June. Obviously, there are many opinions from the experts and scientists alike, but everyone’s Health & Safety will always come first. People will be extremely disappointed, and of course, everyone is so fed up with living this kind of life. But, when we look at the past 16 months and see how many people lost their lives through this terrible disease, we need to continue to be vigilant and careful. Sadly, I buried several parishioners over the past year that passed away from Covid 19. We will still comply with governmental guidelines in our Church and Parish Hall: hand sanitisation, one way system, face coverings, social distancing, and track & tracing.

May God Bless You All this Week,

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022, please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. The programme usually commences in September. If would be wonderful to have a number of enquirers. We follow a systematic programme of instruction, covering all aspects of Catholicism. Please spread the word about this programme. Thank you!

POSTPONEMENT OF JUBILEE: I have decided to postopone my 40^th Anniversary Jubilee celebrations until a later date. With ultimate restrictions not being lifted until the latter part of June, it really doesn’t give enough time to send out invitations, and also for many friends who wanted to come from abroad to attend. I will celebrate Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday 11^th July at 11am with only my Parish Family.

REQUIESCANT IN PACE: In you mercy please pray for thr epose of the soul of Shiela Murphy RIP, a long time parishioner who passed away recently. We extend our condolences to her family in this time of great loss. Her Requiem Mass will be on Wednesday 16^th June at 2.00pm with the interment at Chigwell Cemetery.

Also Violet Hall RIP, who passed away recently. Violet lived in St. Edmund’s Parish for nearly 70 years, and was our oldest parishioner. Condolences to her family. Her Requiem Mass will take place on Tuesday 22^nd June at 1.00pm followed by Cremation at Forest Park Crematorium.

PARISH REPOSITORY: There are a large number of gifts and cards available in the Repository. There are medals, candles, special cards, prayer crosses, and many other items that would be suitable gifts for all occasions. Please leave your money in the basket provided. Thanks

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: For all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

MASS INTENTIONS – JUNE 2021

Sat 12^th	10.00am	Sapper Raymond Marchant RIP (Pat & Jean Marchant)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 12^th	6.00pm	Tony Galcius RIP ((Mike & Grainne Sheehy)
Sun 13^th Sun 13^th	9.00am 10.00am	Dec’d of Bacuetes Family RIP People of the Parish
Sun 13^th	11:00am	Leanne Kieran RIP (Maria Fray)
Mon 14^th	10.00am 10.30am	Fr Stewart Foster (sick) (Terry & Lucy) Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 15^th	10.00am	Marth D’Souza (B’day Int’s) (Pat & Margaret)
Wed 16^th	10.00am	Brendan Kelly RIP (Stephanie Hemsworth)
Thurs 17^th	10.00am 10.30am	Tony Galcius RIP (Diana & Ferdi Tisi) Holy Hour with Exposition of the Bl Sacrament
Fri 18^th	10.00am 10.30am	Eleanor Millar RIP (Kathy & Mark Munro)Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 19^th	10.00am	Pat Ata Int’s ( Bridget & Maree)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 19^th	6.00pm	Kazimierz Michalik RIP (Ewa Michalik)
Sun 20^th Sun 20^th	9.00am10.00am	Tony Galcius RIP (John & Sue Campbell) People of the Parish
Sun 20^th	11:00am	Elizabeth Nkum RIP (Maria Fray)

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading : Ezekiel 17:22-24

The Lord says this:

‘From the top of the cedar,

from the highest branch I will take a shoot

and plant it myself on a very high mountain.

I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel.

It will sprout branches and bear fruit,

and become a noble cedar.

Every kind of bird will live beneath it,

every winged creature rest in the shade of its branches.

And every tree of the field will learn that I, the Lord, am the one

who stunts tall trees and makes the low ones grow,

who withers green trees and makes the withered green.

I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.’

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 91(92):2-3,13-16

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your truth in the watches of the night.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

The just will flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Planted in the house of the Lord

they will flourish in the courts of our God,

still bearing fruit when they are old,

still full of sap, still green,

to proclaim that the Lord is just.

In him, my rock, there is no wrong.

It is good to give you thanks, O Lord.

Second Reading : 2 Corinthians 5:6-10

We are always full of confidence when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight – we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him. For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.

Gospel : Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’

Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, 2021

Dear Friends in Christ Corpus Christi 2021

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christ – The feast of the Body & Blood of Jesus Christ. It goes back to the 13th century, but it celebrates something far older: the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion at the Last Supper. While Holy Thursday is also a celebration of this mystery, the solemn nature of Holy Week, and the focus on Christ’s Passion on Good Friday, overshadows that aspect of Holy Thursday.

In an incredible way, Jesus was able to leave with us the gift of His Body & Blood; sharing with his friends at the table of the Last Supper this eternal gift of himself for all time. The giver became the gift. After his Passion, Death & Resurrection, Jesus couldn’t be limited to time or space, and the Eucharist is the eternal reminder that the Lord is always with us. There is no more intimate expression of his love for us, and that’s what we receive every time we present ourselves for Holy Communion. He is the Bread of Life, come down from heaven; he is the food for the journey of life; He is the great ‘I am’! Let us fall on our knees before him.

Dear Friends in Christ, Corpus Christi 2021

Every week there are new announcements about the Universal Pandemic. Here in the UK, there is much speculation as to what is going to happen on the 21^st June, and whether the present restrictions are going to be lifted. The science has pointed to the contagious nature of the Delta strain of the virus, which has now taken over in the UK. Obviously, the government is stressing all the while to receive the vaccine as soon as possible. And they’ve just given the go ahead for younger people to receive it. Health and Safety are of prime importance for everyone! Keep safe and well! Please continue to follow the guidelines at Church, until we are advised otherwise.

CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF COMNFIRMATION: This week on Wednesday 9^th & Thursday 10^th June we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with our young people. This is a very momentous moment in their Faith Journey. My thanks to all those who attended the rehearsal last Wednesday; some arrived very late and missed the practical session; but there will be another opportunity to be present on Monday 7^th June at 7 pm for all those who were away during the half-term break. I commend to your prayers all our young people who will receive the Sacrament this week. Unfortunately, we are still bound by Covid restrictions, and therefore it is only the Candidates and their Sponsors, and parents who can be present. At present, due to social distancing in the Church, we can only accommodate about 100 persons; as I’ve stated all along your Health & Safety are of utmost importance. (If there are additional family members who would like to actually be present on either day, weather permitting, there is a speaker outside of the Church, and we can make some seating available). The Confirmation ceremony will be transmitted via Social Media – St Edmund of Canterbury Website – you will be directed to the livestream. Groups 4,5,6, Wednesday 9^th June; Groups 1,2,3, Thursday 10^th June; both at 7.00pm

PARISH REPOSITORY: There are a large number of Confirmation gifts and cards available in the Repository. There are medals, candles, special cards, prayer crosses, and many other items that would be suitable gifts for the Confirmandi. Please leave your money in the basket provided. Thanks

May God Bless You All This Week,

SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI HOLY HOUR: On Sunday afternoon there will be a special Holy Hour at 5.00pm in honour of the Blessed Sacrament. This beautiful feast is very ancient. In the past there would have been Corpus Christi processions. I invite the whole parish to come along to Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. There will be reflections on the document produced by the Bishop’s Conference ‘The Day of the Lord’ and the centrality of the Sunday Mass in our Catholic lives.

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
HSBC Sort Code 40-13-22
Account Number: 11019651

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022, please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. The programme usually commences in September. If would be wonderful to have a number of enquirers. We follow a systematic programme of instruction, covering all aspects of Catholicism. Please spread the word about this programme. Thank you!

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2021/2022: It is hoped that we will be able to run a First Holy Communion Porgramme, commencing in September this year. There will be two years eligible to apply. (school years 3 & 4 as of Septmeber 2021) You have to be a practicing Roman Catholic (which means that you attend holy mass weekly). Please contact Fr. John for interview Tel No: 020 8508 3492 – Interviews Week commencing Monday 14^th June concluding Friday 18^th June.

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

Margaret Baldwin, Evelyn Bearne, Brian Beveridge, Karl Britz, Carlos Camacho, Jane Downs, Steve Dalgliesh, Pat Fenn, Veronica Godsave, Bernadette Hall, Violet Hall, Ann Hawkes, Claire Howes, Pamela Houghton, Noel Johnson, Shaun Keel, Angela Long, Lilian Mothersole, Sheila Murphy, John McKernan, Rosemary O’Rourke, Kathleen Pomeroy, Geraldine Taylor, Vera Taylor, Mary Witten, James Wright. And all our loved ones.

ANNIVERSARIES: Molly Hixon RIP For all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

MASS INTENTIONS – JUNE 2021

Sat 5^th	10.00am	Letitia Fletcher RIP (Nancy Ironside)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 5^th	6.00pm	John A Harvey RIP (39 anni) (Fr. John )
Sun 6^th Sun 6^th	9.00am10.00am	Iain Campbell RIP (Brenda Bryant)People of the Parish
Sun 6^th	11:00am	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)
Mon 7^th	10.00am10.30am	David Mills RIPHoly Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 8^th	10.00am	Roxanne Batashi Kani RIP
Wed 9^th	10.00am7.00pm	Lesley Lewis RIPConfirmation Mass. Jim Shanahan RIP
Thurs 10^th	10.00am 10.30am7.00pm	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)Holy Hour with Exposition of the Bl SacramentConfirmation Mass. Niki Bayley RIP
Fri 11^th	10.00am 10.30am	Ian Campbell RIP (Brenda Bryant)Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 12^th	10.00am	Sappper Raymond Marchant RIP (Pat & Jean Marchant)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 12^th	6.00pm	Tony Galcius RIP ((Mike & Grainne Sheehy)
Sun 13^th Sun 13^th	9.00am10.00am	Dec’d of Bacuetes Family RIPPeople of the Parish
Sun 13^th	11:00am	Leanne Kieran RIP (Maria Fray)

Corpus Christi – Solemnity

First Reading : Exodus 24:3-8

Moses went and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. In answer, all the people said with one voice, ‘We will observe all the commands that the Lord has decreed.’ Moses put all the commands of the Lord into writing, and early next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed certain young Israelites to offer holocausts and to immolate bullocks to the Lord as communion sacrifices. Half of the blood Moses took up and put into basins, the other half he cast on the altar. And taking the Book of the Covenant he read it to the listening people, and they said, ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’ Then Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people. This’ he said ‘is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all these rules.’

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 115(116):12-13,15-18

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

How can I repay the Lord

for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

you have loosened my bonds.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil

before all his people.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

Second Reading : Hebrews 9:11-15

Now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.

He brings a new covenant, as the mediator, only so that the people who were called to an eternal inheritance may actually receive what was promised: his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant.

Gospel : Mark 14:12-16,22-26

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to Jesus, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house which he enters, “The Master says: Where is my dining room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there.’ The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.

And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’ After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, 2021

Dear Friends in Christ Corpus Christi 2021

Dear Friends in Christ, Corpus Christi 2021

May God Bless You All This Week,

Donate

Or you can use Parish Bank Account: Using Online Banking
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Account Number: 11019651

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: If you know of anyone who may be interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic Faith possibly with the view of receiving the Easter Sacraments in 2022, please contact Fr. John at the Presbytery on Tel No: 020 8508 3492. The programme usually commences in September. If would be wonderful to have a number of enquirers. We follow a systematic programme of instruction, covering all aspects of Catholicism. Please spread the word about this programme. Thank you!

EPPING FOREST FOODBANK DONATIONS: Thank you to all parishioners who continue to generously donate items for the Foodbank during these difficult times. The Foodbank are truly grateful for the generosity our parish has shown throughout the pandemic and our donations are still needed desperately as more and more people in our community are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Foodbank have asked for support with the following items: Long-life fruit juice, tinned tomatoes, instant mash, tinned fish, tinned peas, tinned carrots, tinned potatoes, small jars of instant coffee, small or medium bags of rice, sponge pudding, snack bars, chocolate bars, chocolate spread and savoury crackers Thank you! You can also keep up to date with the Foodbank news via their facebook page: www.facebook.com/EppingForestFoodbank/

DIARY JUNE 2021

PLEASE PRAY FOR THOSE SICK IN OUR PARISH

ANNIVERSARIES: Molly Hixon RIP For all whose anniversaries occur at this time and for all of our deceased loved ones, Requiescant in Pace.

MASS INTENTIONS – JUNE 2021

Sat 5^th	10.00am	Letitia Fletcher RIP (Nancy Ironside)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday: Confessions at 5.30pm*
Sat 5^th	6.00pm	John A Harvey RIP (39 anni) (Fr. John )
Sun 6^th Sun 6^th	9.00am10.00am	Iain Campbell RIP (Brenda Bryant)People of the Parish
Sun 6^th	11:00am	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)
Mon 7^th	10.00am10.30am	David Mills RIPHoly Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Tues 8^th	10.00am	Roxanne Batashi Kani RIP
Wed 9^th	10.00am7.00pm	Lesley Lewis RIPConfirmation Mass. Jim Shanahan RIP
Thurs 10^th	10.00am 10.30am7.00pm	Peter Smith RIP (Paul Falco)Holy Hour with Exposition of the Bl SacramentConfirmation Mass. Niki Bayley RIP
Fri 11^th	10.00am 10.30am	Ian Campbell RIP (Brenda Bryant)Holy Hour with Exposition of Bl. Sacrament
Sat 12^th	10.00am	Sappper Raymond Marchant RIP (Pat & Jean Marchant)
		*Vigil Mass for Sunday Confessions 5.30pm*
Sat 12^th	6.00pm	Tony Galcius RIP ((Mike & Grainne Sheehy)
Sun 13^th Sun 13^th	9.00am10.00am	Dec’d of Bacuetes Family RIPPeople of the Parish
Sun 13^th	11:00am	Leanne Kieran RIP (Maria Fray)

Corpus Christi – Solemnity

First Reading : Exodus 24:3-8

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 115(116):12-13,15-18

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

How can I repay the Lord

for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

you have loosened my bonds.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil

before all his people.

The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.

Second Reading : Hebrews 9:11-15

Gospel : Mark 14:12-16,22-26