Third Sunday of Advent

ST BEDE’S BEDLINGTON

 Catholic Row, Bedlington, NE 22 6 HS  Tel: 01670 823258 

                  Email: bede57@googlemail.com                                     

  Parish Website:  www.saintbede.org.uk

Diocesan Website:  www.rcdhn.org.uk

11th December 2011

Parish Mass Book page  87

 

Mass Times and Intentions

                                     6.30 pm  Vigil  Liam Harper

SUNDAY  11 Dec       11.00 am  People of Parish

                                                                                                               

Monday         10.00 am  Eucharistic Service

Tuesday       10.00 am  Mary Naughton

Wednesday  10.00 am  Eucharistic Service

Thursday      10.00 am  Robert & Mary Keddy

Friday           10.00 am  Betty & Peter Quinn

                             

Saturday                      6.30 pm  Vigil  People of Parish

SUNDAY  18 Dec       11.00 am  Alan Fitzgerald

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday 5.45 pm - 6.15 pm

and at any time upon request

 

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Friday 9.30 –10.00 am

First Sunday of the Month 4.00-5.00 pm

Finance ...

Parish Offertory:  £393.46

                                                                                                                                                       Many thanks

                         

Advent  To help us to celebrate the Advent season and prepare for Christmas the following services will be taking place.

· Advent service, today (11th) at 4.00 pm

 

· Penitential service, 18th December at 4.00 pm

 

There will also be Penitential services at

· St Aidan’s, Ashington, 11th December, 4.00 pm

· St Paul’s, Cramlington, 13th December, 7.00 pm

· St Wilfrid’s, Blyth, 20th December, 7.00 pm

 

St Bede’s School

 

 

The whole school will be joining us for the end of term pre Christmas Mass on Thursday at 10.00 am.  All are welcome.

 

 

RCIA   -  Journey of Faith 

On Tuesday evening at 7.00 pm in the meeting room, for the last two sessions before we break for Christmas John O’Neill will be looking at: Why did the Wise Men never meet the shepherds? “The Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke”.

 

Church Open for Prayer and Reflection

 

 

I have been considering having the church open more often for people to use for prayer and reflection.   I appreciate that there are security issues.  As an experiment for the Fridays in Advent, the church will be open from 8.30 am to 1.00 pm.  I hope this will give people an opportunity, especially for parents and grandparents taking children to school to use the church when passing by.  The church should have people in it from 8.30 am until about mid-day.  I am looking for volunteers to be present in the church from 12 noon until 1.00 pm to ensure the church’s security.  Please sign the list in the Narthex if you can help.  Ideally, I’d like at least two people to be present.

Parish Council

 

 

The main bulk of the parish council was really to review what had been done in the past year.  The representatives of the various groups gave a brief summary of what has taken place and what they hope to do in 2012.  It reminded us that quite a lot has taken place over the past twelve months with promising signs of growth and development in the parish.  The one formal decision taken was I would enquire as to the possibility of ensuring that the security light in the car park either has a sensor or we have a switch for the light in the Narthex. The next meeting is 6th February. Full minutes of the meeting will be in the narthex next week-end

There will be a Carmelite meeting today at 2.00 pm.  All are welcome.

 

Christmas Candles

 

The lighting of candles around the edge of the balcony for the first Mass of Christmas seems to be successful so we will be repeating it this year.  So if you would like to have a candle lit for someone in your family please fill in the form in the Narthex and place in the box.  Any donations made will be for St Cuthbert’s Care Side by Side project.

 

St Cuthbert’s Care

 

During Advent, instead of a special collection, the wall safes at the back of church are available for your donations.

 

Reception of Communion

 

In a letter from Bishop Seamus he reminds us that in the general introduction of the Roman Missal we are expected to make some act of reverence before the reception of communion.  The Bishop’s Conference has asked that this be a small nod before coming up to receive holy communion.

 

Decorating the Church

 

Could I please have volunteers to help decorate the church for our Christmas celebrations.  I propose that this takes place after Mass on Friday 23rd December.  Mince pies and hot drinks available to keep the worker’s going!

 

Diocesan Carol Service

 

Candlelit carols, brass quintet, storytelling at St Joseph’s Church, Gateshead, on Thursday 15th December at 7.00 pm.

 

Carol Singing in the Red Lion

 

The parish has been asked to sing carols in the Red Lion for their Charity Night on Thursday 22nd December from 6.00 to 7.00 pm.  Half the money raised will be for their nominated charity Cancer and Leukaemia in Children (CLIC), the other half will go to our own Open House project.  All are welcome to help with the carol singing. Mulled wine will be available.