MASSES FROM 9th to 23rd Apr 2017

Sun 09 9.30am People of the parish

11.30am People of the parish

Mon 10 9.30am SSA, Christopher Shaughnessy (Anni)

Tues 11 9.30am John Curristan (Biday)

Wed 12 9.00am John Dee (RIP), Cora Lanigan (B’day)

Thurs 13 7.00pm Lord’s Supper.

Fri 14 3.00pm Stations of the cross

3.30pm Passion of our Lord

Sat 15 7.00pm Easter Vigil

Sun 16 9.30am People of the parish

11.30am People of the parish

Mon 17 ——- No Mass

Tues 18 9.30am Paschal Osagie (Biday), Ann Wilson’s family &

friends (Thanksgiving)

Wed 19 9.30am John Dee (RIP), Vera Dunnion (Get well)

Thurs 20 9.30am Peter Murray (RIP)

Fri 21 9.30am Patrick Hughes (RIP)

Sat 22 9.30am Bridie Rogers (RIP)

Sun 23 9.30am Peter Harte & Annie Laffey (RIP), Janett Smith (RIP)

11.30am Elvidia Galban (Anni)

2.00pm Divine Mercy prayers

3.00pm Celebration of the Eucharist

Lectors & Eucharistic Ministers

Weekend 9th April 16th April 23rd April

9.30 am Julia, Elena James M., Julia (R) Noah, Alex (R)

Elizabeth P., Sr. Leera Betty O., Sophie (E) Veronica Carroll (E)

11.30am Ashley, Temi Florence , Julie (R) Janice, Petra (R)

Frank, Loveness Serso, Loveness (E) Marcel, Serso (E)

Anniversaries during this Week: Kitty Howel, Annie Lyons, Mary Clark ,Mr & Mrs Shaughnessy, Mr & Mrs Strevens, Winifred Mooney , John Anthony Whiting (baby) , Anne Crawley, Cormac Doyle , Mary Hogan, Jack Connors, Eddie McEleney, C. Glen-non, Michael Murphy, Celia Masterson , Tom & Eileen Fitzsimons, Annie Sheehan, Theresa Jackie Sheehan, Catherine Hearty, Neil Furey, Reginald Maggs , Georgina Martin, Jeremiah Hoban, Sheila Mary Guiness, Feichin Patrick Fagan ,Fiona Berna-dette Logan , Jeanette Smith, Terence Peter Harte , Elizabeth Patricia Gamble, Sheila Byrne .

IS THIS SEASON TRULY TIRING AND BORING?

Someone said the other day “ I hate Lent and Easter, it is a season tiring and boring” I did not say a word. Yes, we are starting the most important time in our Christian cal-endar with the dramatic event of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This season will tell the greatest story ever told namely the passion death and resurrection of Jesus.

Many critics today find it hard to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. The apostle Paul had to quash rumours in the Corinthian congregation that Jesus Christ had never been resurrected at all, so in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 he named even the eyewitnesses who had been with him after rising from the dead. Former persecutors and detractors like Paul (previously Saul) did not dispute the records. Christians were willing to live under the constant threat of death—which would have been unthinkable unless they were convinced that Jesus was not an invented myth .

At this time of the year in the northern hemisphere nature itself testifies to the death and resurrection as spring kicks in. Three months ago, we welcomed two priests from Africa, Fr. Pontius and Fr. Sunday. They arrived in this country in the middle of winter when all green vegetation was gone. They wondered what a desert England was; ‘we thought we had left the Sahara desert in Africa, but again here we are in the midst of it. Every tree is dead!’ Just the other day, I was told a different story ‘Father how wonderful it is to see every plant coming to life again, we thought these were dead trees but every tree is literary rising from death to life’ they said.

This season is unique and special. There is no time that we have the priest on his knees washing his parishioners feet, or prostrating in the church as if he was dead or trying to sing a solo (Exultet) even when he has avoided joining our parish choir, the excuse he makes of course is “oh I don’t know how to sing”. There is no time that we listen to nine readings at Mass except during this time. Some people do complain that the liturgy is too long as if to say to the priest, ‘cut this off,’ ‘slice that between’, ‘patch that up’ etc. The nature of the liturgy leading to Easter is so arranged by the church in such a way that the priest as a leading teller of the story narrates it in detail with all the dignity it deserves.

For someone who has not entered into the meaning of the story, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday liturgies are very, very long, tiring and boring. When you are inclined to think like that, it means that you need to dig deep into your faith relation-ship with God. Remember too that we never get tired of watching, listening or doing things that we are interested in. Therefore if Easter liturgy is long and boring, it may be a serious deficiency and appreciation of what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

Parish News letter–Palm Sunday 9th to 16th April 2017

A.J. Missions St. Osburg Ss. Mary & Benedict St. Elizabeth

The Most Holy Sacrament and St. Osburgs Barras Lane, Coventry, CV1 4AQ. Tel 024 76220402

Fr. Jimmy Mobile. 07906124756 Home 02476258901 Parish Safeguarding Representative Anne Collins 02476670304

———— St. Mary & St. Benedict R.C Church

52a, Raglan Street Coventry, CV1 5QF. Tel 02476258901 www.ssmaryandbenedict.org.uk

Parish Priest. Fr. Jimmy Lutwama, AJ E-mail lutwajim@yahoo.com

Parish Sisters Srs. of St. Anne of Providence Leena, and Leera 02476550848

Safeguarding Rep: Veronica Carroll, Parish School: St Mary & St Benedict’s, Leigh Street CV1 5HG

Tel: 02476 229486 Head teacher Mrs McDonald ————

St. Elizabeth’s R.C. Church St. Elizabeth’s Road, CV6 5BX Tel.:024 76688536

Website: www.stelizabethcoventry.co.uk Webcams: www.mcnmedia.tv

Parish priest: Fr. Moses Pitya David AJ E-mail mospitya@yahoo.co.uk

———–- The Parishes are part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham Reg. Charity No. 234216

Parish Development

Collection: Gift Aid:273.00 Non-Gift Aid: 503.63 Total : £ 776.63 Thank you. 2nd Collection : 14th April—Holy Places Counters : 10th April 2017 : Agnes H. & Tom Ferris Mass Attendance : 614 Bonus Ball : No. 30 Rose Trill

Pious Devotions

Stations of the cross every Friday during Lent at 6.30pm followed by Mass. Divine Mercy prayers every last Thursday of the month 6 – 7pm. Prayer for priests every first Friday of the month from 6 – 7pm. Rosa Mystica on 13th of every month between 2.00pm & 3.00pm. French Mass every 2nd Sunday of every month at 2.30pm. The church is open from 8.30am to 4:00pm throughout the week. You are all welcome to spend time in prayer before the Lord. Please pray for the sick of the Parish: Eileen McHugh, Tony McKiernan, Mary Mul-roney, Philomena Dunleavy, John Curriston, Gerard Griffith, Diana Best, Tess Peark-es, Sheila McLeany, Sheila Clear, Janie Patalong, Tom Duignan, Thomas Murtagh, Job Giles, Maria Drabik, Danny Diver, Michael Clear, Mary O’Sullivan, Max Gorman, John Kerrigan, Eamon Finlan, Phyllis Mulvey, Kath Muldoon. RCIA PROGRAM I would like to thank Ms. Veronica Carol who facilitated the program this year. She was an excellent catechist. I thank the candidates who coop-erated fully in this exercise May God accept and bless your desire to belong to his family the Church.

Matters of Importance Aid to the Church in Need News: Please join us during Lent to remember the Suffering Church around the world. Each week of Lent we focus on countries where the Aid to the Church in Need projects are helping the Faithful; and in many cases, making the difference between life and death. In Iraq, Christianity is holding on by a thread. In June 2014 Daesh (ISIS) fighters gave Christians in Mosul three choices: ‘Convert, Pay the Jizya Tax or Face the Sword’. Over 120,000 Christians from Mosul and the Christian villages of the Nineveh Plains fled north to Erbil and other towns. Since then, Christian families have been dependent on the Church for their sur-vival. ACN has been a key partner in providing aid and Archbishop Warda of Erbil, who is co-ordinating the survival operation, recently said, that without ACN’s sup-port there would be no Christians in Iraq. Deacon Tim Anthony will visit our parish on the weekend of 4th June 2017 and make appeal for Aid to the Church in Need. No information about the trees thanks to those who wrote to the Council to let them know of the danger that the trees in the car park are pausing. The trees have grown so tall that in a storm or heavy wind you just vacate the place. I’m still waiting for their reply. EASTER COLLECTION: Please note that the Easter and Christmas collections are tak-en as your personal gift to your priests. It is from this that many priests can plan a holi-day or pay for their annual retreat expenses. Some envelopes are also available to-day. Thank you for your generosity . Cake sale of two Sundays has raised £412.45 which will be used to purchase a crib for our church. I am grateful to all who prepared the cakes and to those who bought them. Thanks for your generosity.

Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine Ireland : A six days pilgrimage is organised from Birmingham from 24th April 2017. For details kindly contact Patricia, Tel. 07740175557.

Thought on Marriage the Domestic Church: In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centres of

living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient ex-pression, calls the family the Ecclesia domestica “the domestic church”. It is in the bos-om of the family that parents are "by word and example the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children. They should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each child, fostering with special care any religious vocation.

New Parish Signposts: have been made to be put in strategic places where peo-ple can know that this church is a Catholic Church. I have come across a number of people who pass by our church but do not know that this is a Catholic church building. The new Mass times are indicated as well. Please be aware that the best way to bring people to church is through our exemplary life of holiness, commitment to justice, peace and love. The signpost will go up in the course of the week. Divine Mercy Sunday: prayers will be held at St. Mary ’s and St. Benedict Church

52A, Raglan Street CV1 5QF starting from 2:00pm. You are all very welcome.