A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR VISITORS Do join us for coffee after Mass and meet some of our parishioners. You may like to use a gift-aid envelope for your collection, available at the back of the church. Thank you.
TODAY there is a 2nd collection this weekend for the Dependent Priests Fund.
Continuing our ADVENT JOURNEY, preparing for the coming of our Lord. If you haven’t already done so, pick up a leaflet of Bishop Alan’s suggestions for Advent. Also, don’t forget to keep handy the Advent Christmas Parish Programme 2014, giving details of events taking place in our communities in the weeks leading up to Christmas and come along to whatever you can.
CAFOD do please give generously to CAFOD; we put money in during Advent so that the parish is able to buy some World Gifts for those living in the Developing World. However, the Appeal although starting in Advent doesn’t end at Christmas, it continues on as far as Summer 2015. For individual donations take home one of the CAFOD World Gifts catalogues for practical ideas. Deadline for ordering 17.12.14.
FLOWERS/DECORATIONS For North Walsham and Hoveton, there will be an opportunity to make a donation for the Christmas flowers on the 4th Sunday of Advent to enable flower arrangers to decorate both churches for Christmas.
SENIOR CITIZENS’ GROUP (NW) For their last meeting of this year, the Senior Citizens will be going to lunch at the Lighthouse Inn on Monday 15th December. The group will resume meetings in the hall, after the Christmas break, on 12th January with a planning meeting.
The Crib, beautifully knitted by Sheila Hall, will be on display again this year in the porch at the Sacred Heart. It will be in the hall for the children’s Christmas party and then in the church entrance porch until Epiphany. Donations this year will go to MacMillan Nurses.
PARISH CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY (Following the Carol Service at North Walsham) at4-6pm in the parish hall on Sunday 21st December. Parents are asked to please sign the lists at the back of the church, as soon as possiblefor your child to attend. Children will need to have an adult in attendance but all parents will be welcome at the party – only children’s food will be provided. Any children who would like to take part in the Nativity Story (at 3.00pm on 21st and 6.00pm on 24th), please attend the Children’s Liturgy on Sundays for rehearsals.
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL Minutes of the PPC Meeting of 23rd September are now on the website and on each church noticeboard.
PARISH DIRECTORY Please take home a copy per family of the updated Parish Directory, to be found at the back of each church.
MISSIO COLLECTION BOXES Please could you hand in your Red Boxes, the APF or Mission collection boxes: to Peter Adamson at Aylsham; Sue Perrott at the Sacred Heart and Maureen Keane at St Helen’s.
SUPPORT CAMBODIA Today is the final opportunity to contribute to the Appeal. December. Donations will be used to buy vitamins, basic necessities and medical equipment. If you wish to Gift Aid your donation, please call 01263 577784 for details. Thank you for supporting Cambodia.
CAROL SINGING IN AYLSHAM Churches Together (Aylsham) will be singing carols outside Tesco’s from 6.00 to 7.00pm on Friday 18th & Monday 22nd December. Also in the Market Place by Barnwells at 10.00am on Wednesday 24th, Christmas Eve. Do come along and join us.
RELIGIOUS POEM COMPETITION– the winner’s chosen church will receive £250 and ten free books. Anyone can submit up to three poems; no age limit, no entry fee. Send poems, of no more that 25 lines (including blank lines) of 160 words each by February 28th 2015 to: Religious Poem Comp., United Press, Admail 3735, London EC1B 1JB. More information – Tel 0844 800 9177 or email info@unitedpress.co.uk.
The poem can be a prayer, words for a hymn, describing an uplifting moment, a religious experience, about a person or your church. It can be rhyming or free verse; historic, romantic, factual or personal as long as there’s a religious theme. You cannot use Religious Poem as your title.
St Helen’s are still in need of volunteers to take over the First Wednesday coffee club as the existing team will not be continuing after December.Please see Cyril, Lesley, Dave or Mary for more information.
CHRISTMAS CARDS supporting Christian Aid and Traidcraft cards plus 19 other charities are on sale at “The Original Norwich Charity Christmas Card Shop” (new venue) All Saints Church, Westlegate, Norwich until 19th December, Monday – Saturday 9.30am until 5.00pm.
ALSO – on sale in the Parish Christmas cards in aid of Support Cambodia will be available for sale in the Sacred Heart Church hall after Mass on the Sundays leading up to Christmas.
Cards from Fairtrade are displayed on a table in the church porch at North Walsham.
We pray for all those whose anniversaries occur at this time including: Mildred Parker, Ivan Fisher, Mary Elizabeth (Lily) Smith, Teresa (Tess) Semple, Paul McGee, Irene Brown, Brian Stanley Patrick Barby and Molly Joan Harland.
May they rest in peace.
