Dear Friends,
Today we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is much more than chocolate eggs and bunny rabbits! Our Christian lives have no meaning if the Christ who died for us has not also risen. At every celebration of the Eucharist it is his death that we commemorate – but the presence is that of the Risen Lord. During Holy Week we relived the Last Supper, the crucifixion and the mystery of the resurrection as elements of one whole – the Passing of the Lord from this world to his Father, the mystery of our redemption. In Christ, we too have died in baptism and are risen, though our resurrection is not yet fully achieved.
A big Thank You to all who worked so hard this last week especially the choir, servers, sacristan, flower-arrangers, those who prepared the altar of repose: your reward will be great in heaven!
God bless
Father James
Today, this Easter Sunday, the 11,00am Mass at the Sacred Heart is a Family Mass when the children take major roles in the liturgy.
The Collection at Masses this weekend is your Easter gift to Fr James. Please keep all general contributions for the parish until the following week.
Lenten Alms in all our three communities are for the Church in Need: there are collection baskets at Aylsham and Hoveton and at North Walsham a wall slot
The Senior Citizens Group (NW) re-convene after Easter on Monday 29th April when Teresa will give a talk on traditional smocking.
St Helen’s 4th Wednesday Club for senior citizens next meets 24th April. We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary of the Club. Coffee is served at 11.30am, a simple hot lunch at 12.30pm is then followed by “home-spun” entertainment, poems, sing-a-long, quizzes and social activities with free participation in the raffle. It finishes at 4pm with tea and cake. Please bring along your poems and stories. All welcome.
The Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham takes place Bank Holiday Monday 6th May. Lists will be out this weekend; please put your names on these lists ASAP PLEASE. The cost of £5 which will be collected on the coach. Please bring a packed lunch. The coach will pick up from Hovetion at 9.30am; North Walsham at 9.50am and Aylsham at 10.25am – to arrive in Walsingham at 11.15am: the return journey departs approx. 5.15pm. The Programme of the Day will shortly be on display in church porches. Please make a special effort to join the pilgrimage.
Churches Together (North Walsham) – The next Ecumenical Prayer Group will be at St Nicholas’ Hall on Wednesday 8th May at 7pm.
Rucksacks for the Asylum Seekers. Many thanks to everyone for so generously responding with items for the rucksacks. We have received the following letter of thanks from Carol Chilton who fills and distributes the rucksacks from St John’s Cathedral Justice & Peace Group. “Thank you so much for the wonderful response to the Lent Appeal for items for the ’Welcome Rucksack project’. I was quite overwhelmed to be presented with five large boxes filled with items. We know from the asylum seekers who have come to Norwich how pleased they are to be given the filled rucksacks as they come with very little or nothing and the rucksacks are a genuine welcome.” We will take down another 3 filled boxes after Easter so there is still time if you want to donate any further items.
We pray for all our sick parishioners: Mary Johnson, Joe Seely, Maria Wilby, Frances Palman, Thomasina Hopkins, Matt Butler, John Gowing and Teresa Farrow.
We pray for Peter Lloyd who died last Tuesday; we remember his family and friends at this time. We pray also for all those whose anniversaries occur at this time including: Winifred (Freda) Edwards, Joan Sims, Anne Papendick, Alfred Pycroft, Bernard Lipscombe, Marin Conneely, Connie Newsham, Doris Johnson and Sally Lovell.
May they rest in peace.
Easter Day The Lord is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!
