Dear Friends,
In these final weeks of Lent the Church invites us to prepare to celebrate Holy Week and Eastertide in her Liturgy. As we listen to the scripture readings we encounter Christ who both proclaims and brings about the kingdom of God through his death and resurrection – the Paschal Mystery.
‘No need to recall the past’ we hear in today’s 1st reading. God is doing a ‘new deed’. The Gospel gives an example of this new deed. The woman guilty of adultery, condemned by the Jews to death by stoning, Jesus does not condemn. For her there is only forgiveness and freedom from sin. This same forgiveness is also offered to us so that we too may be set free from sin.
Father James
A Service of Reconciliation will be held at the Sacred Heart Church this coming Saturday, 9th April, at 11.30am when 3 priests will be available for individual confessions.
The Chrism Mass takes place at the Cathedral on Tuesday, 12th April at 12 noon. The coach from the parish is now fully booked.
Young people in Year 8 upwards are invited to the Ignite Festival organised by the diocesan youth service. It will take place at Swaffam over the weekend 30th April – 1st May with a pilgrimage walk on 2nd May to Walsingham.
At St Helen’s on Wednesdays during Lent: Morning Prayer, Stations of the Cross immediately after Mass, and on Thursdays Holy Hour & Eucharistic Adoration.
Every Sunday from 10.30am Faithful Flames Children’s Group meets in the parish hall at the Sacred Heart – for all children up to the age of 16. Would be great to see you! Kerry – 0750 4048352.
Thank you for giving to CAFOD’s Lent Appeal. Your generous gifts will ensure that CAFOD’s local experts can support families with training in growing food items, helping to make their children strong and healthy. You can still donate on the CAFOD website – cafod.org.uk/lent or join CAFOD’s Walk Against Hunger to raise vital funds to tackle extreme hunger and its causes.
To comply with current legislation we need to have a trained first aider and a qualified fire marshal at our services. Therefore we are arranging training for both these roles which we expect to comprise a one evening session for each. To ensure cover we need three of each in all our three churches i.e. nine persons in all for each disciple. If you are interested in volunteering for either of these positions, please call on 07730 817580 to show your interest. There will be no personal cost involved.
Churches Together North Walsham – the Lenten Lunches. These are served at different churches at 12.30pm on Thursdays, the next and final one being on 7th April at Swanton Abbott Chapel: thespeakers are Jane & Kevin Everard. The proceeds go to Christian Aid. All are welcome.
Looking to Holy Week:
At Aylsham on Good Friday there is the Walk of Witness arranged by Churches Together in Aylsham. Please meet at Bure Valley Railway opp.Tesco at 9.30am. We finish at the Parish Church. All are welcome. Please join us.
At North Walsham there will also be a Walk of Witness on Good Friday morning starting at 9am from Market Cross.
At Hoveton the walk starts at 11am from St John’s Church.
We pray for our sick parishioners: Matt Butler, Frances Palman, Mary Bell, Monica Hawley, Mary Carr, Paul Watson, Cyril Shenton and Patricia Newton.
We pray for Catherine Baker who died recently and for those whose anniversaries occur this week: Eric Moll, Paul Humphrys, Maurice Allain and Sylvia McCready. May they rest in peace.
