For Catholics on the Tendring Peninsula….
SPECIAL NEWSLETTER IX – keeping in touch.
SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (A) 23/24 May 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
‘Private’ Masses to be celebrated in our churches this week:
Monday (25th): (Frinton) 9.00am Ronald Byrne RIP (Therese Mohan)
Wednesday (27th): (Frinton) 11.00am Daniel (Owen) Murphy RIP (Murphy family)
Thursday (28th): (Frinton) 11.00am Margaret Hume RIP (Andy and Nuala)
Friday (29th): (Frinton) 9.00am Irene Margaret (Peggy) Foskett RIP
Saturday (30th) Pentecost: (Frinton) 6.00pm Francis & Eileen Woodhouse RIP (Anne Jackson)
Sunday (31st): (Dovercourt) 10.45am All Parishioners
In addition to these Masses, Fr Bill will continue to celebrate Mass in The Presbytery. His intentions this week are:
Betty Mc Mahon (Kathleen Farry)
Gretta Collins (Kathleen Farry)
Sheila and Peter Davis
Fr Frank (Anne Jackson)
NHS Staff, Carers, Key workers and Volunteers
My dear friends,
As I write this we are still waiting to see if there will be any announcements soon about re-opening our churches for private prayer. As soon as I hear anything I will email both parish contact groups with details of times of opening and what we need to do to stay safe and protect the lives of others when using our church buildings. We have recently been made aware of the impact that the ‘lockdown’ is having on the mental health of so many. Pray for them.
Some words from Pope Francis may be of help:
There are no difficulties, trials, or misunderstandings to fear, provided we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives. This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak, and sinful, because God grants strength to our weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness.
The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let us trust in God’s work!
May the God of love and mercy bless you always.
Fr Frank
A hymn for Easter:
Triumphant in His glory now
His sceptre ruleth all:
Earth, heaven, and hell before him bow
And at his footstool fall.
This is a verse from one of the most supremely beautiful of all the Eastertide hymns, i.e. ‘Ye choirs of new Jerusalem’. It seems particularly appropriate for this week since we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension on Thursday. In Sunday’s Gospel, St John challenges us with these words of Christ: ‘I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world.’(AJ).
Harwich Care Group: there are a number of people experiencing severe financial difficulty at the moment. It has become necessary for the Care Group to help out a number of parishioners financially. You can help them to continue this important work by donating money for their use. Money can be posted or dropped into the Dovercourt Presbytery. Please mark envelopes “The Care Group” – any cheques to be made payable to ‘Harwich & Dovercourt Catholic Church’. Thank you. Fr Frank
Harwich parishioners will be sorry to hear of the death of Michael Burgess, husband of Jamaica and father to Emily-Rose who made her First Holy Communion last summer. His Funeral will take place in Witham on 29th. May he rest in peace.
Offertory: A simple way of continuing to donate to church funds is to click on the appropriate link below and follow the very simple instructions.
For Harwich & Dovercourt parishioners: https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/donations?parish=harwich-and-dovercourt
for Frinton & Walton parishioners: https://www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/donations?parish=frinton-on-sea
Sunday Smile: At the end of his sermon the minister told his congregation that Jesus had called him to another church. The congregation then sang “What a friend we have in Jesus”.