Public Mass in our parish will resume this coming Wednesday 2nd December. Please see below for details.
The 12.00 noon Mass on Tuesday is in the Extraordinary Form will continue to be live streamed only.
(E) = Evesham (B) = Broadway
| Sat 28th | 4.00pm | Alina Ostrynska |
| Sun 29th | 10.00am | People of the Parish |
| Rosary and Benediction 4.00pm | ||
| Mon 30th | 10.00am | Julia Rouse |
| Tues 1st | 10.00am | Private intention |
| 12.00noon | Mary Killick | |
| Wed 2nd | 10.00am(E) | David Cottrell |
| Thur 3rd | 10.00am(B) | Holy Souls |
| Fri 4th | 10.00am(E) | Bob Cottrell & Family |
| Sat 5th | 10.00am(E) | Keyna Ffield |
| Second Sunday of Advent | ||
| Sat 5th | 4.00pm(B) | Holy Souls |
| Sun 6th | 8.45am(E) 10.00am(E) | People of the Parish Michael Joseph O’Neill |
Confessions
Please contact the presbytery to make arrangements to go to confession. A Priest will be available in Evesham after all Masses and in Broadway after all Masses
Private Prayer in Church
Evesham(Capacity 58): Monday11:00 – Noon
Broadway(Capacity 30): Sunday Tuesday Friday and Sunday 11:00-Noon
Private prayer and Public Masses
Attendees must stand or sit and not kneel. Wear a mask Remain 1 metre + apart Sanitise hands on entering and leaving. Complete the track and trace slips or use your phone to scan the QR number Place your offering in the receptacles by the door.
Please pray
For the sick and housebound of our parishes
Of your charity
Pray for all who have died in recent days and for Mieczyslaw Ostrynski Julia Rouse Alice & Edward Mackelden Mackelden Family Rita Mumford-Ryan Gerald Anthony Pallett Winnie Morris Patricia Hodgetts
whose anniversary of death falls at about this time.
Catechism points and themes
Advent 1 ( CCC numbers indicate paragraph number): CCC 668-677, 769: the final tribulation and Christ’s return in glory
CCC 451, 671, 1130, 1403, 2817: “Come, Lord Jesus!”
CCC 35: God gives humanity grace to accept Revelation, welcome the Messiah
CCC 827, 1431, 2677, 2839: acknowledging that we are sinners
Volunteers
In order to have our Churches open for public Masses, it is essential that we have sufficient volunteers to act as stewards, cleaners and helpers. Those wishing to volunteer should. Contact Dominique in Broadway or in Evesham email your contact details to : [email protected]
We do need as many volunteers as possible please, and no doubt the current situation will continue for some time yet. So do please get involved and help us keep our Churches open going forward.
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From Fr Christopher
Today is the first day of Advent. As we begin this new liturgical year we realise that true happiness results from identifying one’s will with the will of God, as perfectly as possible. If it were otherwise, it would be weak, unsatisfying and short-lived. St Josemaria said : “The cheerfulness you should have, is not the kind we might call physiological – like that of a healthy animal. Rather, it is the supernatural happiness that comes from the abandonment of everything, including yourself, into the loving arms of our Father God” (St. Josemaría, The Way, n. 659).
I am somewhat unusually going to use this column to think about Advent and Christmas in the society in which we live rather than concentrate on the liturgical texts of the Advent Liturgy.
It is beyond doubt that days, and in some instances, weeks before Advent, shops, display windows, restaurants, television and other advertisements and even some homes began displaying Christmas decorations. One might make the challenge, “Whatever happened to Advent?”. Further, worry over the seeming disappearance of Advent pales when compared to the more significant problem that most of the Christmas displays suggest secular aspects of a winter holiday rather than the birth of Christ. Has the annual Advent-Christmas observance become a market paradise or is it still a religious event? What is the correct Catholic response to these growing aberrations of the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas? Can there be a correct Catholic response?
Catholics across the globe, of course, look for signals from the church to help chart such challenging waters and once again in this instance, those signals are in place. During his First Sunday of Advent Homily in 2009 the Pope inaugurated the holy season by preaching that “Christian Advent becomes an opportunity to reawaken within ourselves the true meaning of waiting, returning to the heart of our faith which is the mystery of Christ, the Messiah who was expected for long centuries and was born in poverty, in Bethlehem”. The Pope spoke of this season as a hopeful time for awaiting the Lord’s coming, and as a time for contemplating in hope Christ’s presence among us.
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI repeatedly identified consumerism as a threat, not only to an authentic celebration of the birth of Christ, but to authentic Christian life in general. In 2005, he warned that Christmas is being polluted by consumerism. By way of example, he suggested that families might invest loving effort into the construction of their home Nativity scene as a way of safeguarding the holiness of the season. The Pope has also expressed particular concern about the power that consumerism is gaining in the lives of children and youth. Whereas the church proclaims the Church’s consistent Christmas themes of courage, peace, prayer, family love and reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation, she does so in the midst of a city, a country, and a world busy promoting price discounts, winter holiday excursions (even in this time of pandemic) and the arrival of presents.
Advent is a time of fervent hope. But it also proposes to us, above all in the first weeks, the need to avoid succumbing to the torpor of mediocrity. “Take heed, watch and pray,” says Jesus in today’s Gospel, “for you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33). That time is the moment when the Lord will ask of us an account of our life, of how we have used the gifts we have received. Are we conscious that God expects us to love and serve others no matter what situation we are in?
On the first Sunday of Advent, the Church gives us this teaching in the words of Jesus Christ in the Gospel: “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Watch therefore – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch” (Mark 13:34-37).
Christmas Masses
The Masses are of necessity at different times than those to which we are accustomed. Due to strict social distancing a ticketing system will ensue for all Christmas Masses at both Churches. It will not be possible to enter the churches on Christmas Eve/Day without a ticket. Please note that according to new Government guidelines for Christmas 23rd-27th December, bubbles during this period only, for places of worship, do include extended Christmas bubbles of up to 3 households and not simply single adult household support bubbles. This should make things easier for families and maximise the social distancing capacity in Broadway and Evesham for all Christmas Masses. Application forms for tickets will be available when public worship resumes and must be returned by 12.00noon on Wednesday16th December. Information concerning the practicalities and the return of will be indicated on the application forms. Flexibility will be required from everyone with regard to times. Parishioners will be asked to indicate preferred times should Masses be oversubscribed,
Broadway:
Christmas Eve 5.00pm (Night)
Christmas Day 9.00am (Dawn)
Evesham;
Christmas Eve 6.30pm(Vigil)
8.00pm(Night)
Christmas Day 8.00am(Dawn)
10.00am(Day)
Finance
Details concerning Gift Aid, The Donate button and Standing orders can be found on the website or from Fr Christopher who will provide contact details. Whilst thanking everyone for their continued support of the parishes may I remind all parishioners of the need to ensure financial stability in our parishes. The Bills must be paid even though the churches are not used for Mass during this time of lockdown..
Walk with me
Books available in church
Videos on the Creed
During Advent these will be made available each week on the Youtube channel and Parish website
Facebook The fact that we have been fortunate to receive some part funding for the Celebration of Pugin and Pugin and thus refurbishment for the church building also involves the establishing of a Facebook page which will ensure greater publicity. The details are as follows. https://www.facebook.com/The-Church-of-the-Immaculate-Conception-and-St-Egwin-Evesham-113814183806139/
Evesham Food Bank
Please phone 07721559387 in order to discover how and when to take any contributions you may have. Please remember that this would of necessity need to be part of one’s daily exercise or necessary journey for shopping. It would be a good idea to phone and ask what particular items the food bank needs.
Broadway Notices
Christmas Hampers
Support for families in need in Broadway with Christmas hampers. We are unable to collect food etc in our churches this year(hence the cut-off date We are asking that you give generously so that we can purchase those things necessary from our stores Please be generous as usual in supporting this Christian effort.
Donations can be placed in envelopes marked Christmas hampers and posted through the presbytery door in Evesham or through the letter box at the retreat in Broadway marked Flat 12
Many thanks to those who have already supported this worthy cause
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Track and Trace Slip
(This may be used in Broadway and Evesham
Name:
Contact Number:
Size of Group
Date attended