Our Lady Queen of Heaven
Catholic Church, Harwich, Essex

Second Sunday of Advent (B) 6 December 2020

For Catholics on the Tendring Peninsula….

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER XXXIV – keeping in touch

 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B)                                                                             5/6 December 2020

 

CATHOLIC PARISHES OF:

Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Dovercourt:             01255 503383

email                       Harwich@dioceseofbrentwood.org

website                   www.harwichcatholics.org.uk

Sacred Heart and St Francis of Assisi, Frinton-on-Sea:         01255 674475

email                       Frinton@dioceseofbrentwood.org

website:                  www.frintoncatholicchurch.wordpress.com

 

Masses to be celebrated in our churches during the week:

Monday (7th):                         (Dovercourt)           9.30am   Gerry RIP

Wednesday (9th):                   (Frinton)                  11.00am  Anne Bray

Thursday (10th):                      (Frinton)                  11.00am  Ania Wigley RIP

Friday (11th):                           (Dovercourt)           9.30am   Migrants & Refugees

Saturday (12th):                      (Frinton)                  6.00pm   Fr Charles Kakooza

Sunday (13th):                         (Frinton)                  8.30am   Margaret & Michael White

(Dovercourt)           10.45am  All Parishioners

 

In addition to these Masses, Fr Bill will continue to celebrate Mass in The Presbytery.  His Mass intentions are:

Ann Duggan & family

Ellen & Patrick Horgan RIP

Openness to the Word of God

Private Intentions

Expectant Mothers

 

A hymn for Sunday:

For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you.

O Root of Life, implant your seed within us,

and in your advent draw us all to you,

our hope reborn in dying and in rising.

Last week I wrote a little about the O Antiphons, or great Os.  Each antiphon is a name for Christ as mentioned in holy scripture and each refers to the coming of the Messiah as prophesied by Isaiah.  They are:  O Wisdom; O Lord; O Root of Jesse (ie of Life); O Key of David; O Dayspring; O King of the Nations; O Emmanuel.  Both last week’s hymn, ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’, and this week’s draw on the great Os.  ’My soul in stillness waits’ is written and set to music by Marty Haugen with a simple but haunting accompaniment.

This week’s reflection from the second letter of St Peter: ‘So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain.’ (AJ)

 

Sunday Mass Attendance (both parishes – ADVENT): To give all parishioners the opportunity of attending Mass once during Advent, Sunday Masses will be open to parishioners as follows:  3rd Sunday of Advent (12/13 Dec), Surnames H-O; 4th Sunday (19/20 Dec) P-Z.   The church may be more crowded than usual, please maintain social distancing at all times even if this means standing.

 

Advance notice (Christmas Masses):  I am planning for seven Christmas Masses to be celebrated across the two parishes between 24th and 27th December.  Please note that attendance will be limited to those who have pre-booked seats.  There will be some opportunity after Masses during Advent to book seats where these are still available  – please speak to Jane Dunbar (Dovercourt) or Anne Jackson (Frinton).

 

It’s getting cold:  as we need to leave windows and doors open in church to ensure adequate ventilation, please remember to come dressed in warm outdoor clothes!

 

Sunday Smile: A child’s prayer:  Dear God, please take care of me and my daddy and mummy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and my cat.  And please take care of yourself, God, for if anything happens to You, we will all be in a big mess.