Welcome to our parish website. All newsletters and other updates are posted on the home page. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @stwilfholycross. We are beginning the amalgamation process with Holy Cross, Whitwick so you can find information on new Mass times here.

24 December 2010

Newsletter for 26 December - Holy Family

Click here to read this week's newsletter. We have a quieter week and smaller newsletter than usual. We will be back to normal next week!

Pope's Christmas Eve 'Thought for the Day'

It was lovely to hear the gentle voice of our Holy Father speaking to us this morning. If you missed it, you can hear the three minute broadcast and read a transcript of what he said here.

This is his closing prayer for us all:
Dear Friends from Scotland, England, Wales and indeed every part of the English-speaking world, I want you to know that I keep all of you very much in my prayers during this Holy Season. I pray for your families, for your children, for those who are sick, and for those who are going through any form of hardship at this time. I pray especially for the elderly and for those who are approaching the end of their days. I ask Christ, the light of the nations, to dispel whatever darkness there may be in your lives and to grant to every one of you the grace of a peaceful joyful Christmas. May God bless all of you!

20 December 2010

The whole world awaits Mary's reply

St Bernard said this in response to today's Gospel. Well worth reading:

You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.
  The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.
  Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.
  Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.
  Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.

17 December 2010

The last week of Advent...





...sees a change of direction in the Church's Liturgy. We being to look towards Bethlehem and the birth of the one who is Emmanuel, God with us. There is a new Preface at Mass. At Evening Prayer there are very ancient antiphons for the Magnificat, known as the 'Great O Antiphons' which capture in a special way the atmosphere of these days. You can find the text and a bit of background to these antiphons here. Why not use them in prayer each day as we prepare for Christmas?

14 December 2010

St Wilfrid's Word - Christmas Edition

You can access the Christmas issue of our parish magazine here. Paper copies will be available in Church on Sunday. Thanks to all the contributors and to Tricia Simpson for editing the Magazine.
 The next issue will be in the Summer and will be a celebration of the Golden Jubilee of St Wilfrid's Church.  What memories could you contribute?

13 December 2010

CEDAR - Catholics Experiencing Domestic Abuse Resources

The Radio 4 'Sunday' programme last weekend carried a piece about CEDAR - Catholics Experiencing Domestic Abuse Resources.
The following quote from CEDAR's website gives an indication of its remit.
The Domestic Abuse Working Group (DAWG) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have gathered here a range of resources to help parishes, deaneries, dioceses, school and organisations in the Catholic Church in England and Wales grow in awareness of issues surrounding domestic abuse. Our aim is to create an environment within the Catholic community in which domestic abuse is understood and recognised as unacceptable and where appropriate responses are available.
I have put the link to CEDAR among the permanent links on the right of this site. I have also ordered some stickers which will be displayed in Church to give contact details to any of our community who may be glad of these resources.

09 December 2010

Advent Groups...

...will meet again this coming week in various locations around the parish. Most of the groups took place a couple of weeks ago in spite of the difficult weather. I hope the weather is kinder to us for the second meetings. The material for the next meeting is based around the theme of repentance using materials from the life and writings of Blessed John Henry Newman. You can find the material here.

Newsletter for 11/12 December - Advent 3

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02 December 2010

Cancellation

The Carols, Cakes and Refreshments event planned for Saturday afternoon has been cancelled because of the weather conditions.
Please make this as widely known as possible.
Weekend Masses will, of course go ahead as usual.

Newsletter for 4/5 December - Advent 2

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