Dear All,
I do hope that everyone managed to get a break over Easter and spend time with family and loved ones. Underpinning the solemnity of Easter has to be the call to community and family which is the bedrock of the Church. We have a joyful Eastertide to appreciate all the way up to Pentecost when Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate. Over the next few weeks it is important to look for when we encounter the Holy Spirit in prayer, through each other and in the liturgy. We encounter the Holy Spirit in the silence of our hearts and He invigorates and raises us up to a closer union with the Father.
We have a few weeks now until the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham. Details of coach timings will soon be available– it’s a great day out (if the weather is good) and a good opportunity to see our diocese come together as one. I recommend bringing a packed lunch and making it a special day for the family as we celebrate the golden jubilee of the diocese.
My thanks to Fr James who celebrated Masses this week in my absence, so that I could get away for a few nights.
Father Alan
Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine and Basilica of our Lady at Walsingham—4th May
It is important to note that there is a change in the organisation of the day this year. The procession will go from the Shrine to the grounds of the Abbey in the afternoon. So, everyone will meet in the morning at the Shrine. There is a poster at the back of the church which will give you all the details. The same arrangements will apply for those who do not wish to join the procession. You will be taken by coach in both directions. Do not worry! The coach will pick up first in Hoveton at 9.05. North Walsham 9.25 and Aylsham 9.45. Please add your name to the list if you have not already done so, and you will be kept up to date with arrangements.
Parish Hall Meeting Room – this room is now used regularly for meetings and so it is essential for the Hall Co-ordinator (Christine) to be advised in good time of the intended date and time. Contact details are on the front of the newsletter and here online.
Sacred Heart Readers– The new lists are ready and may be collected from the back of the church.
Social Committee Events – there are several planned this year. The first of these is a Beetle Drive to be held in the Parish Hall on 9th May (not 8th May as previously indicated) from 2pm to 4pm. This has been a huge success in the past and it is a great event for all the family to enjoy. Coffees and teas and other refreshments will be served. Come and join the fun!
Faithful Flames – a reminder to parents, especially if attending Mass at the Sacred Heart, that there is a children’s liturgy group, held in the parish hall on Sundays. It runs between 10.30 and 11.30am when the group joins the congregation in church for the Eucharist.
Please contact Kerry Barrett at Faithful.flames2025@gmail.com
We pray for our sick parishioners: Matt Butler, Frances Palman, Mary Bell, Celia Cooper, Margaret Larkins, Maria Halsey, Joan Macnamara, Richard Skelton, Teresa Fitzmaurice, Bernadette Saunders, Doreen Rockey & daughter Sandra, Pam Thornton, Mary Long, Malcolm Akers, Frances Mack, Amy Heywood & Peter, Cathie Dickson, Carolyn Rayner & her mother Mary Rayner and Alan Ganney.
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur this week: Ida Dufour, Bert Alley, Inga Courtenay, Joan Sims, Anne Papendick, Peter Quinlan, Alfred Pycroft, Bernard Lipscombe, Anthony Kelly, Marin Conneely, Connie Newsham.
May they rest in peace
