Charity Number: 234091 / HEART TO HEART
The Newsletter of the Sacred Heart Parish
148 Ashcroft Road, Stopsley, Luton LU2 9AY
Fr Chris Whitehouse (Parish Priest) ( 723099 Rev James Bannan (Deacon)
Diana Enstone (Parish Secretary) Jenny Dowsett & Sandra Dias (Pastoral area Reps)
Margaret Berry, Pat Abela (Safeguarding) Wesley Weekes (Parish Centre)
Web site: sacredheartluton.org email:
Hospital Chaplain: Fr Michael Patey ( 663706 Hospice: Fr Tony Brennan ( 502400
Sacred Heart School: ( 730781 Cardinal Newman School: ( 597125
Part of the Diocese of Northampton, Province of Westminster & Deanery of St Alban
1st Sunday of Advent Psalter Week 1 3rd December 2017
Saturday:
Sunday: / 6.30pm
9.00am
11.00am / Nunes & Gois Family Deceased
People of our Parish
Paddy Dolan RIP / First Mass of Sunday
Monday: / 9.30am / Francis & Gladys Kannampuzha intentions
Tuesday: / 9.30am / Keith Woods RIP
Wednesday / 7.30pm / Deceased Legionaries / St Nicholas, Bishop
Thursday / 9.30am / Billy Purcell RIP / St Ambrose, Bishop & Doctor
Friday / 9.30am / Judy & Wesley Weekes
Golden Wedding Anniversary / IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF BVM, Chief Patron of Diocese
Saturday / 6.30pm / Harry Sheridan RIP
Entrance Antiphon: / TO YOU I LIFT UP MY SOUL, O MY GOD. IN YOU I HAVE TRUSTED. LET ME NOT BE PUT TO SHAME. NOR LET MY ENEMIES EXULT OVER ME & LET NONE WHO HOPE IN YOU BE PUT TO SHAME.
Psalm Response / GOD OF HOSTS, BRING US BACK; LET YOUR FACE SHINE ON US
WE SHALL BE SAVED.
Gospel
Acclamation: / Alleluia, alleluia. LET US SEE, O LORD, YOUR MERCY
GIVE US YOUR SAVING HELP. Alleluia.
Communion Antiphon: / THE LORD WILL BESTOW HIS BOUNTY & OUR EARTH
SHALL YIELD ITS INCREASE.

CONFESSIONS: Saturdays 10.00 – 10.25am (with exposition) & 6.00 - 6.15pm

ROSARY is prayed twenty minutes before weekday Masses.

MORNING PRAYER: is prayed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday at 8.50am.

Collection: Last week’s plate collection came to £973.81 Thank you.

9.00& 11.00am

Entrance / 241 / Hail to the Lord’s anointed
Advent Candle / 366 / v1 & chorus
Gospel accl: / 368 / Maranatha chorus
Prep. of gifts / 302 / In bread we bring you Lord
Sanctus, Great Amen, Agnus / - / ANPM
Communion / - / Choir
Recessional / 8 / Come Lord Jesus, Advent Verses
Sunday / 12noon / Coffee and chat. All welcome! / Hall
Monday / 7.00pm
8.00pm / Readers Meeting
Legion of Mary / Church
Sacristy
Tuesday / 10.00am
7.15pm / Church cleaning (all welcome)
Choir Practise / Church
Church
Friday / 10.00am
9.00pm / Prayer Group
Vigil Adoration / Sacristy
Church
Saturday / 9.50am / Confirmation Candidates Adoration & Confession / Church

ADVENT: The church’s new year starts with Advent, which means coming. We recall the promise of the Lord to come again (the second coming), we engage in preparing to celebrate Christmas spiritually and reflect on our mortality which may bring us to the Lord at anytime. The Sunday Readings are for Year B, Mark.

YEAR OF PRAYER & YEAR OF VOCATION
Bishop Peter will speak at all Masses this weekend via video, to launch the Year of Prayer & Year of Vocation.
Please take a Book Mark from the church porch
which contains a prayer and website
to obtain more information.
READERS
Please come to the meeting on Monday at 7.30pm in church. Commissioning at all Masses, next weekend.
ALTAR SERVERS
Training for new altar servers on Saturday 16th December at 10.45am in church.
Please come along and see what is involved.

PRAYER & FASTING FOR LIFE: Pray & fast for the end of abortion & euthanasia, Thursday 7th December. Pray especially that Buffer Zones will not be introduced. Full details on notice board or visit www.GoodCounselNetwork.com

ACT OF WITNESS : in support of life & against abortion outside the L&D, Saturday 9th December 1-2pm. There continues to be hundreds of unborn children in this area & nationwide, who do not come to birth. Please come to give them a voice, & to pray for all those involved.

PARISH PROJECT: our Parish Project for the current financial year is Mary’s Meals. They provide meals to over 1 million children around the world with the proviso, the children must be at school to receive them. Education gives them a future. They have contacted us to say that they have secured sponsorship which will match any donation on a £1 for £1 basis, so every £1 we donate will be worth £2 for the project. Any donations received by 10th December (in the Parish Project Box in the church porch) will be sent on to take advantage of this offer. We will of course still be supporting the charity in the New Year but would like to maximise the amount we are able to donate now. Thank you

CHOIR PRACTISE: meet in the organ loft on Tuesday at 7.15pm, New members warmly welcomed. They who sing, pray twice.

RIP: Please pray for Nicholas Walsh, Funeral on Wednesday 13th December 3pm

THANKS: from the family of the late Cis Hill for all the prayers, Masses and kind support.

CHRISTMAS DINNER: Mary Maybury would like to invite those who will be on their own (or unable to prepare a full Christmas Dinner) to come, celebrate and enjoy a 4 Course Christmas Dinner with others at St Martin De Porres Church on Christmas Day, 25th December 1.30 - 5.00pm. Cost per person £5 or a donation & transport will be provided if needed. Contact Mary on 754850 or 07866 989254.

VACANCIES: PARISH ADMINISTRATOR at St Martin de Porres, Luton (16 hours per week). We are currently recruiting for the above position. For further details please visitwww.northamptondiocese.org/vacancies. The closing date for applications is Friday 15thDecember 2017.

COMMUNICATIONS & EVENTS COORDINATOR – NYMO (Luton based) The Diocesan Youth Ministry team is recruiting for this newly created role to support the youth ministry team in the delivery of professional events for young people and youth leaders. Strong organisational and problem solving skills, positivity & a desire for constant improvement will be essential qualities in any applicant. Closing date for applications: 5thDecember 2017. Full details & how to apply: www.northamptondiocese.org/vacancies or call Paula Wynn on 01604 714840.

DO YOU SUPPORT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
THE RIGHT OF CATHOLICS
TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO THEM?
Then we need you to make your voice heard. The Government is making a critical decision on whether to overturn the admissions cap which prevents Catholic schools from allow allowing all Catholic pupils to attend. They have acknowledged that this policy discriminates against Catholics
promised to abandon it, now we need to tell them not to u-turn
on their promise to Catholics .
Visit hhtp://catholicnews.org.uk/education-cap
or search for ‘Catholic Education’ in your search engine
to write to the Government and urge them to drop their policy
which bans new Catholic schools.
X The Rt Rev Peter Doyle
Bishop of Northampton

CHRISTMAS CRIB, TREE & DECORATIONS: helpers would be very welcome to prepare the church on Monday 18th December after the 9.30am Mass. Refreshments afterwards in the Presbytery.

ANNIVERSARIES: Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:

Charlotte Mary Byrne 2011, James Connolly 1980, Stanislawa Curtis 2000, Harry Sheridan 2008, James Bennett 1988, Maurice Croke 1993, John Joseph Comerford 2013, Mary Robinson 1962, Margaret Burton1982, Carmella Borcellino 2003, Bridget Mulligan 2009, Francis Beirne 1982, Frederick Stockley 1991, Bridget Toomey 1997, Bridget Burke 2001, Thomas Hennessy Jean Van Develde 2002, Bill Land 2005, Lenos Moses Wilson 2014, James Walsh 1974, Hugh Devlin !977, Thomas Hunt, 1992, Vernon McLaughlin 1998, Nellie Hope2009, Gerry McCarthy 2010, John Gannon 1972, Eileen Leahy 1983 & Peter McCarron 1999 X May their souls & the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Saturday 23rd December 6.30pm (first Mass of Sunday)

Sunday 24th December 11am Mass only. (Note: no 9.00am Mass).

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES

Sunday 24th December, 6.00pm Children’s Mass (first Mass of Christmas)

9.30pm Carols by candlelight

10.00pm “Midnight” Mass

Monday 25th December (Christmas Day) Mass at 9am & 11am.

Tuesday 26th December, Mass at 10.00am

From 1558 until 1829, Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.
Someone during that era wrote a carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels
of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
1  The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
2  Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
3  Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
4  The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
5  The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6  The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
7  Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving,
Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
8  The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
9  Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience,
Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
10  The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
11  The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
12 The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.