Parish News

Would you like to join the Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes (3-9 July 2026)? Please contact: lourdes.enquiries@dioceseofleeds.org.uk for further information. Registered nurses and volunteer carers are desperately needed to join the team to enable assisted pilgrims to travel to Lourdes . This is a wonderful experience and I know from personal experience that some nurses and carers return year after year including some members of our parish. Please consider joining the friendly, happy team of volunteers and enjoy a truly blessed week with the assisted pilgrims.  Fr Chris

For many years it has been a tradition for parishioners to donate a poinsettia plant as part of the Christmas display in memory of a loved one. If you would like to donate a plant (either red or white) please bring it to church as soon as possible. Thank you.

THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL (SVP): The SVP would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all who have made monetary and grocery donations throughout 2025. We have been able to provide significant and regular food donations to the SVP foodbank which have been promptly distributed to those in need. Similarly, all monetary donations have been distributed to members of our community who are struggling. We are incredibly grateful for your continued generosity and would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Thank you to people who have come forward but we could still do with having more people to count our parish collection after the 10.30 Sunday Mass . We also need people to sign up to help with refreshments after the 10.30 Sunday Mass and with cleaning St Urban’s on Monday morning . I am genuinely grateful to those who help with this work, and in other areas too such as the Children’s Liturgy, but I am concerned that the work is being done largely by the same small group of people week in and week out, some of whom are not getting any younger (myself included)! After Christmas we will put up a list of activities where we need help and invite you to consider what you can do. We are a wonderful community of over 250 people. What can we do together to better serve each other,  and, of course, the Lord Jesus? Father Chris.

CHRISMAS FLOWERS SECOND COLLECTION THIS WEEKND: to decorate our beautiful Churches.  Your generosity is greatly appreciated, with a special thank you to Robert for donating and putting up our lovely Christmas trees.

We are very familiar with the story of the Annunciation in Luke’s gospel where the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, informs her of God’s plan for the birth of his son, and seeks her agreement to it. Annunciation literally means the announcement of something, and there is more than the encounter between Mary and Gabriel in the New Testament, there is the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist, and we see another example in Sunday's gospel. The annunciation of Jesus to Joseph by the angel. Joseph is a silent but critical figure in the early life of Jesus and in the gospel we see his side of the account of the birth of Jesus. It parallels the story in Luke of Mary and the angel. Perhaps you can imagine Mary sharing her side of the story with St Luke, whilst someone seems to have had an opportunity to hear from St Joseph about what happened to him and the encounter between him and an angel. When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant it put him in an impossible situation. Being betrothed to someone at that time was tantamount to being married; the only thing that remained was for the bride to move into her husband’s house. Betrothal lasted for about a year and was a binding contract. According to the Law of Moses, Mary, being found to be pregnant, was guilty of adultery the penalty for which was being stoned to death together with her unborn child. Joseph could have insisted on this. All of us can imagine how he felt angry, humiliated and betrayed, and yet we get a sense of kindness and compassion where he wants to spare Mary public humiliation and shame. He wants to spare her life and that of the unborn child. Would you or I have done this, or would we have insisted on our legal rights and then taken satisfaction in someone getting just what they deserved? But Joseph is open hearted, he is also open to the spirit of God in his life when God sends his messenger to ask him for his help, as with Mary at the conception of her son. The message is not a demand but a request with an invitation to trust in God and his plan for the salvation of his people. Joseph could have woken from his dream and decided that it was all nonsense but he decides to cooperate with God’s plan even though he does not fully understand what he is being asked to do. Think about it. Joseph is a brave man, he must have known that publicly accepting Mary’s child as his, and therefore giving Jesus an earthly lineage from the house of David, would have been seen as being ridiculous, even scandalous with his friends, neighbours and family. They probably thought he was a soft touch. Later Joseph saves the life of his infant son by fleeing as refugees with Mary to Egypt. Most importantly Joseph brings Jesus up well. I like to think that Jesus, in his humanity, got some of his best qualities from his foster dad as well as from his mother, after all we are all a combination of our parents in some way. For Jesus qualities of compassion, acceptance, mercy, and love. Today is a story of how faith can see us through doubt as it did with St Joseph. During the dark night of the soul, those times of desolation and uncertainty that we all encounter in our lives, we need to remember that we are watched over by angels; that God speaks to us if we have an open ear and an open heart; that we have received the grace of God, and that each and every one of us are called to be saints. Today take into your heart the words of the angel to Joseph, “do not fear”, God is with you. And don’t forget Joseph, his ear and heart as open to you as it was to Jesus and Mary. In a way, as Mary is our mother, Joseph is our father. Have a word with him when you need to; ask him for his help. As Christmas approaches pleased be assured of my ongoing daily prayers for your intentions. A very Happy Christmas to you your loved ones. God bless and keep you. Fr Chris

This winter St Urban’s meeting room will be open on the first Wednesday of each month from 7pm to 8.30pm as a warm and welcome space for anyone who has suffered loss, however long ago, and who would like an opportunity to talk about it. This is not counselling, it is just a warm and welcome space where your experience of loss can be shared, if you wish. The dates are: 7th January, 4th February and the 4th of March . No booking is needed, just turn up. Also we need volunteers to provide cake, to help prepare the room, to welcome people, to make and serve hot drinks and to clean the room afterwards. It is a wonderful ministry to others and if you feel called to offer any help at all please contact Breda on 07858517163.

THE ANNUAL LOURDES DINNER DANCE: will take place on Friday 13th February 2026 at the Met hotel in Leeds. Tickets are available from Phil Marshall at £45 or £400 for a table of 10. The ticket price includes reception drink, a 3 course Meal, tea and coffee, DJ and entertainment throughout the evening. To secure your tickets for this popular event, contact Phil on 07766 148375 or email philmarshall49@outlook.com . All profits at the event go to the Diocesan Lourdes fund.

PARISH FRIENDSHIP GROUP: : This continues to meet every Wednesday at 10:30am to 12.00 in the meeting room at St Urban’s and is supported by Catholic Care. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to meet each other over tea, coffee and cake. Every week there are different activities. It is a place where you can be yourself, meet new people, and have some fun!  The group’s programme is available at the back of our churches and more information is available from Louise on 07980 313333.