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22 December 2011

Christmas Card

This morning I received a Christmas card from Father Jim Hannigan, PP here in the late 80's and most of the 90's. I thought that the words from Blessed John Henry Newman might encourage us to reflect on the coming feast:

Christmas 2011

Click here to read the newsletter with full details of Christmas and the coming week at St Wilfrid's.


Christmas Masses:
Christmas Eve:  6.00pm and 9.30pm, both preceded by Carols
Christmas Day: 10.00am



Remaining confession times before Christmas:
Thursday 22:        After 10.00am Mass (House)
Friday 23:             After 7.15am Mass (House)
Saturday 24:         5.00–5.40pm (Church)
                            8.45–9.10pm (Church)

A warm welcome awaits you at St Wilfrid's


18 December 2011

More about silence

Following a recent post, I was interested to read the following in the newsletter of  St Mary's, Loughborough:

THIS IS MY HOUSE
Following some recent observations from some Parishioners, we are trying to make it possible to experience before, during and after Mass some peace and quiet in the church. To help with this, we are going to make a ‘Sh-shsh-sh’ sound over the microphones about four minutes before Mass starts as a sign that we need to prepare ourselves for the most sacred act we can offer to God. We also hope that talking will be kept to a reasonable level in church so as to allow those who wish to pray, to do so. Children will need to be taught these lessons by their parents and we hope that the First Communion classes will also build up this sense of reverence in the building of the church of which Jesus said: “My house shall be called a house of Prayer."

As I peruse pastoral letters, newsletters, and listen to bishops, priests, and faithful, prayerful people, I am more and more convinced that God is calling the Church to take this subject seriously. I seem to come across such calls wherever I look. This isn't just one of Father's funny ideas!!

How often we will sing of silence in our Christmas hymns!

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.

Silent night....

I love a less well-known carol where one verse ends...
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.
and the next challenges us:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.






Visitors from Dublin


Father Balfe's sister, Mary Kennedy, his nephew Brian Kennedy, and niece Patricia Gardner recently visited us. Mary is delighted that Father Balfe is still remembered at St Wilfrid's and commemorated in the naming of the new room.

15 December 2011

We live in a noisy world...

The bishop of Aberdeen has written a pastoral letter to his flock about the value of silence. I find it helpful and challenging. You can read it here.

The Danish philosopher Kierkegaard once wrote: ‘The present state of the world and the whole of life is diseased. If I were a doctor and I were asked for my advice, I should reply: “Create silence! Bring people to silence!”

Newsletter for 17/18 December - Advent 4

Click here to read this week's newsletter. It has details of Confession times before Christmas, Christmas Masses, and details of everything happening next week at St Wilfrid's.

May this last week of Advent be a time when "we await the blessed hope and coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ"

13 December 2011

Come home for Christmas

You may have found our website because you live locally and are thinking of coming back to Mass at Christmas after being away from the Church for some time. You may have never been to Mass before. Please know that you are welcome at St Wilfrid's. The door is open. There will be no reproach for your absence, only joy that you are with us to worship the God who loves us so much that he came to share our birth, our life, and our death.

Mass on Christmas Eve will be at 6pm and 9.30 pm (both preceded by Carols) and on Christmas Day at 10am.

The full programme for next week including confession times will be published in the newsletter. This will be available on this site by the end of the week.

If you want to know more, or think that it would help to talk to a priest, please phone 01530 832098 or email Father Colin.

You may also find this site helpful.

08 December 2011

Newsletter for 10/11 December 2011 - Advent 3

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

Happy Feast

A very important feast of Our Lady - a lovely burst of joy and colour to light up the Advent season. Come to Mass at 10am if you can.

You might like to use this mediation, straight from Ignatius of Loyola

This hymn for today gives us much to reflect on about the place of Our Lady in our salvation:


Holy light on earth’s horizon
Star of hope to fallen man,
Light amid a world of shadows,
Dawn of God’s redemptive plan.
Chosen from eternal ages,
Thou alone of all our race,
By thy Son’s atoning merits
Wast conceived in perfect grace.

Mother of the world’s Redeemer,
Promised from the dawn of time:
How could one so highly favoured
Share the guilt of Adam’s crime?
Sun and moon and stars adorn thee,
Sinless Eve, triumphant sign;
Thou art she who crushed the serpent,
Mary, pledge of life divine.

Earth below and highest heaven
Praise the splendour of thy state,
Thou who now art crowned in glory
Wast conceived immaculate.
Hail, beloved of the Father,
Mother of his only Son,
Mystic bride of Love eternal,
Hail, thou fair and spotless one!

06 December 2011

Reconciliation Service

As I was thinking about the day ahead and praying for tonight's Reconciliation Service, these words from a hymn we sang on Saturday night came back to my mind:
Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heav'n;
let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all to be forgiv'n. 
There will be four priests available to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at this evening's service at 7pm, and many other opportunities to make our confession before Christmas.

Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, 
one and all to be forgiv'n. 

Bishop Malcolm's Advent Pastoral Letter.

Click here to read it.

Lots of good stuff to help us use this season of preparation fruitfully.

03 December 2011

Course for Catechists

See this poster at the back of Church. It would be wonderful if some of our excellent Catechists went on this. More details from Father Colin.

01 December 2011

Newsletter for 3/4/ December - Advent 2(B)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

If you would like to join those who receive an advance copy of the newsletter each week, please click  here, and simply send the resulting email.