Dear Friends,
At the time when St Mark wrote his Gospel leprosy was regarded with horror because there was then no cure and the sufferer was condemned to a long and painful disease. In Christian tradition leprosy has often been used as an image of sin. This theme Bishop Alan develops in is pastoral letter which will be read at every Mass in all the parishes of our diocese today.
Father James
Ash Wednesday is this coming Wednesday, 14th February: a day of fasting and abstinence. Mass will be celebrated at St Helen’s at 9.30am; at The Sacred Heart at 11.00 am and at St John of the Cross, Aylsham at 7.00pm.
The 1st Session of Fr James’ Lent Course will be held in the parish hall on Friday 16th at 7.00pm. It is entitled ‘How did the Gospels come to be written?’ Those who drive please be available to give lifts, and those not driving don’t be shy to request a lift.
The Senior Citizens Group (NW) on Monday 12th will not meet as a group at their usual time as they will be attending, later, Dorothy Rose’s Requiem Mass, in the Sacred Heart Church at 2.00pm.
A Celebration of Our Lady of Lourdes – there will be Solemn Mass with Anointing of the Sick at the Cathedral, Norwich, on Saturday 17th February at 11.30am. A reminder re. Cathedral parking difficulties.
Thank you to everyone for the very generous response to the Calais Refugee Collection. 30 bulging bags of men’s clothing have been sorted and taken over to CamCRAG in Cambridge on your behalf to be transported to Calais over the weekend of the 23rd February. CamCRAG were unable to accept the women’s and children’s clothing as they have sufficient in their warehouse; that clothing has been given to the FoodBank in Cromer for distribution to their clients.
During Lent there will be a series of Lent Station Masses celebrated by Bishop Alan at a number of different churches in the Diocese. The nearest to us will be on Thursday, 1st March at St George’s, Norwich. At 6.00pm there will be Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation; at 7.00pm Mass will be celebrated by the bishop & priests of the Deanery. This is followed by soup and cheese.
Women’s World Day of Prayer is on Friday 2nd March. There will be a Service at St Helen’s at 9.30am to 12noon and a rehearsal in the church (for the representatives) on the previous Friday, 23rd February at 9.00 to11.30am. At Aylsham the Service is at St Michael’s Church at 2.30pm and again at 7.30pm; at North Walsham the Service is at St Nicholas Church at 2pm. These services are for both men and women.
Minutes of the PPC Meeting of 23rd January 2018 are now on the parish website and on the church notice boards.
There will be a Day of Renewal, Saturday, 24th February at Bowthorpe Church Centre, Norwich NR5 9AA. The day includes Mass, prayer ministry and confessions. Bring a packed lunch.
We pray for our sick parishioners, including Barbara Appleton, Margaret Wynes, Peter Walmesly, Mary Carr and Linda Dawson.
We pray for Betty Hammond, Jean McKewan and Dorothy Rose who died recently: we remember their families and friends at this time. We pray also for those whose anniversaries occur this week including: June Trafford, Audrey Greensword, Robert Watson, Mary McKoen, Marion Yapp, Beatrice Devitt and Edward Francis.
May they rest in peace.
Living Simply
This month’s theme: Refugee Month
This week’s suggestion: Pray for the CamCRAG Convoy to
Calais on 23rd February
