This Christmas, give your loved ones something exceptional and life changing. Buying CAFOD’s virtual World Gifts makes a real difference for our sisters and brothers facing the injustice of poverty around the world. Choose from a range of beautifully illustrated cards, each representing a gift of hope, inspired by real people and real needs. Cards can be sent by post, as an eCard, or printed at home. Purchase World Gifts and other gifts such as Advent calendars and jute bags at worldgifts.cafod.org.uk or pick up a catalogue in church.
Friendship Group: Meet every Wednesday at 10:30am in the meeting room at St Urban’s. You are all welcome to join our Friendship Group for tea and cakes. All most welcome
POSTCARDS ABOUT THE ASSISTED SUICIDE VOTE : from a non-religious disability campaign group called "Not Dead Yet UK" are available at the back of church. These postcards ask MPs to vote against the legalisation of assisted suicide in the parliamentary vote on 29th November. Please do take one and send it to your MP.
Fr Gerard will be inducted as Parish Priest of St Aelred’s Harrogate on Wednesday, the 27th November at 7pm, and then St Mary’s Knaresborough on Sunday, the 15th December at 10:30am by Bishop Marcus. All are welcome to attend
Our 200 club has been going for 14 years. Peter, who kindly runs the club is still open to new members The session costs £10 and the prizes are £30 and £20 for 9 weeks and a final draw of £100 and 2 £50 prizes. People can pay either cash or through the terminal at the back of the churches. Thank you for your support.
Many of you will be aware by now that we had a burglary at St Urbans sometime on last Sunday afternoon/evening. Obviously, there was some damage done much of which has been repaired, but live stream camera and our public address system has been stolen and will need to be replaced. In the interim unfortunately in the short term we will have to manage without microphones and there will be no livestreaming of Mass. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
St Vincent’s Centre The Centre always needs supplies of non-perishable foods also toiletries. These can be left in the boxes at the back of our churches and are taken to the Centre by members of our SVP. The Lord tells us to feed the hungry, so thank you all for your donations which are sincerely appreciated. https://www.svp.org.uk/
Preparation for the sacraments of reconciliation, holy communion and confirmation take place in our primary schools. There will be children who do not go to our schools but who need to be prepared for these sacraments over the coming months. Please let Father Chris know as soon as possible if your child is not attending one of our schools and requires preparation. This is the final notice on this for now as we are about to agree timetables for the sacrament of Confirmation with our schools office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
The next meeting will be held at St Urban’s on Monday, 7th October 2024 at 7pm. The SVP do a splendid job in providing help and support to vulnerable people and all are most welcome to join the Society.
You are welcome to join our Tuesday evening socials at the Meanwood Tavern for a drink and some pizza. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and catch up with others. Do not worry if you have not been before, you are more than welcome! The next dates are the 3rd of December and the 7th of January . We walk up after Tuesday evening Mass, or you can meet us there at 7.45pm. For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders, please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454 678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416
THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR are holding two pre-Christmas Clothes Sale and Coffee Afternoons at St Urbans on the 14th and 21st of December between 12 and 3pm to raise funds for their rebuild. Please do try to support them.
A two-day course for those wishing to learn how to accompany those who are grieving. 10am – 4pm Saturday 11th January and Saturday 18th January 2025 at The Briery. For more information or an application form please contact the Elizabeth Prout Bereavement Care team at epbereavementcare@dioceseofleeds.org.uk .
This Sunday is the feast of the Holy Family. The image of the Holy Family I remember from my childhood was from the holy picture cards which portrayed them in a rather sanitised way. The reality of the life of the Holy Family was one of hardship shared with the community in which they lived. Joseph lived a hand to mouth existence entirely dependent on work coming in (or not sometimes). Mary had to make do with what was available. No doubt that from a young age the expectation was that Jesus would have help out as best he could. I think that the wonderful qualities that Jesus showed in his adult life were formed by Mary and Joseph in their family. From their experience of having lived in our world the Holy Family can identify with, and understand, the joys of family life, also the difficulties and hardships that families encounter. The Holy Family shows us that despite difficulties and hardship, love can bloom within the family and overflow to others. Be assured of my prayers for you all over the remaining Christmas period and always. Fr Christopher
Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, this year is rapidly followed by Christmas. There is hardly any time for the last candle on our Advent wreath to get going! Maybe that is how it will be at the end of time; Jesus time and again tells us to be always ready to meet him. We encounter our Blessed Lord directly in the Sacraments, particularly in the Eucharist, but how ready are we to encounter him face to face as we all will. During Advent we say and sing "maranatha", come Lord Jesus but are we ready ready for that meeting? I suspect that none of us are ever truly ready but Jesus comes to us in love, mercy, and compassion despite our weaknesses. At Christmas he comes to us not as a king in glory but as a baby. Everybody loves a baby, we are instinctively drawn to babies, we like to hold them and make them smile. So do not be afraid, embrace the infant Jesus in your heart and soul. He longs to be close to you, to embrace you too. Be assured of my prayers for you all over the Christmas period and always. Fr Christopher
In preparing the bulletin this week I noticed that Christmas is almost upon us, its funny how it kind of sneaks up on you! This Sunday is Gaudete Sunday, gaudete is a Latin word meaning "rejoice". We are invited to pause and reflect that the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour is almost here and rejoice that this is so. Jesus, who comes to us in the humility of the stable but who will return in glory when the fullness of his kingship will be revealed. A kingship we are all invited to share, the royal road to which is love of God, each other, and our neighbour As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day. Fr Christopher
Pope Francis
If peoples are to remain brothers and sisters, prayer must rise unceasingly to Heaven, and one single word constantly echo on earth: peace.