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EIN HARGLWYDDES SEREN Y MôR

OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA

LLANDUDNO

 

35 LLOYD STREET.  LL30 2YA

 

SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER 2009

Fourth Sunday of Advent



Sister Jennifer, All the Sisters at Loreto
And I wish you ALL a Very Happy and Blessed Christmas

may we know Christ more clearly

love him more dearly

and follow him more nearly

Dear Parishioner,

I was innocently taking Sr Jennifer’s dog, Iolo, for a walk. As we passed down Mostyn Street, I noticed a stall on the corner of the pavement with items for sale and two rather frozen looking ladies attending it, but with no customer anywhere in sight. Maybe it was the Christmas Spirit, but I decided that I would give them a bit of custom, no matter what they were selling. As I drew near, I saw that the stall was entitled, Animal Lovers, and was laden with handmade goods, all of a Christmas nature. On the ground, and leaning against the stall was an array of Fr Christmases, all very traditional, about eighteen inches high, hand made in red felt and sporting flowing white beards. They were very nice and I thought I might buy one. I would surely be able to think of someone to give it to for Christmas.

Seeing me approach, the stall holder rushed forward and, bending down, made a huge fuss of Iolo, asking what kind of dog he was. I thought this a little strange of a so called Dog Lover, but I told her that he was a whippet and, no, he wasn’t small, that was the proper size for the breed. The fuss continued for a moment or two until it was abruptly terminated by a piercing cry, "Look, he’s peeing on Fr Christmas". And, indeed, so he was.

In an attempt to assuage the situation, I clumsily attempted to introduce a bit of humour, suggesting that the prospective buyer of the peed-on Fr Christmas would only assume that he was supposed to smell like that. But it went down like a led balloon. I thought I had better slip away. My goodbye received no reply.

A s I continued my walk, with Iolo no doubt feeling much relieved, I found myself reflecting on the little incident that had just happened. Were they really animal lovers, or was their love for something else, I wondered. And as for me, why didn’t I buy that whiffy Father Christmas? After all, I had gone to the stall with the intention of buying something, just for the sake of the freeing attendants. Nor would I have had any difficulty in finding someone to give it to he was walking on a lead beside me.

My Christmas spirit had been doused (I choose my words carefully!) by the attitude of the stall holders. How easily we can affect a person’s mood! How careful we must be to treat one another with kindness! They had upset me, but I had equally upset them. I thought how much we all have to learn. But history repeats itself.

G od made a fuss of the Jews, his Chosen People, throughout the lead up to the coming of Christ, but they, metaphorically and systematically peed on

everything He tried to do for them. But did He stop loving them, did He stop making a fuss? Indeed He did not. He sent them his Son, and they abused Him too. And we Christians, on the whole, have behaved little better.

Christmas is the time we celebrate the fact that God, for no hope of personal gain whatsoever, bent down from Heaven and revealed how genuine his love for us really is. His Stall at Bethlehem is entitled The Human-Animal Lover. What an amazing thing is the message of Christmas, that God, the Eternal Spirit, should bend down from heaven and demonstrate such genuine love for us, mere animals that we are. No matter what we would throw at him, he would not stop loving us, not stop making a fuss of us, even though it would all lead to the extreme of Cal-vary. He would not take our No for an answer. The Goodbye of Adam and Eve, echoing down the ages, was not replied to. O come, let us worship Him this Christmas.

A nd let us try to bring someone with us, some Catholic who has lost touch with this wondrous mystery of "Christ-Mass" which we celebrate not only on 25 December but on every Sunday of the year. Tell them we want them to "Come home for Christmas".

T he collection at all the Christmas Masses will be for the School. The Welsh Assembly has granted the School £220,000, with the proviso that the School finds just £15,000. This is fantastic news and major work will begin on the fabric of the School immediately after Christmas. A new roof, new windows, new doors, redecoration and lots more besides, will give the School the kind of uplift it has not had since it was built fifty years ago next year. So please be particularly generous with your Christmas collection.

T he lessons for First Holy Communion will begin on 11 January at 4pm at Stella Maris. They are for all the children in Year 3, no matter what school they are attending. First Holy Communion will be celebrated on 13 June at the 11am Mass.

Here are the dates of the lessons:

11,18,25 January

1,8,22 February

1,8,15,22 March

19,26 April

10,17,24 May.

It is very, very important that the children attend, and attend promptly and regularly. Would parents please en-sure that this happens. These lessons on the Eucharist and the place of the Mass in our lives as Catholics are essential. I hope the parents will also attend the special sessions to be arranged for themselves and to encourage their children to reverence the Mass by bringing them to it Sunday by Sunday.

God bless you, Fr Antony

Thanks for Last Sunday’s Collection: £601, (falling nearly £500 short of what the Parish needs just to survive, according to an official survey. The situation is becoming desperate. PLEASE RECONSIDER YOUR WEEKLY CONTIRUBUTION. THE PARISH CANNOT SURVIVE OTHERWISE)

Thanks for Feed my Lambs:£319 (feeding some 390 starving Sudanese children for a week) Well done!.

We are now providing an upgraded package of sandwiches for the homeless on Saturdays and Sundays, a package which includes cheese sandwiches and ham sandwiches, 250 grams of chocolate and some fruit. On Sundays we now add a bowl of hot soup as well. Please continue to contribute to the Poor Box.

   
     Newsletter designed by ...  OwenWilliam

DAY FEAST MASS INTENTION DEVOTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
         
SAT Advent Feria 12 noon Tom and Eileen Brennan Young People’s Adoration. 10am
19th   530pm June Hughes Confessions after both Masses and 415-515pm
         
SUN Advent 4C 930am For the Parish  
         
MON Advent Feria      
         
TUE Advent Feria 12 noon Stan Cannon Catechism:   4pm. Catechumenate: 730pm SM
         
WED Advent Feria 12 noon Paul Baraclough Funeral Service 130pm: Edith McCaffery +
        SVP 730pm, Stella Maris
         
THU Christmas Eve 12 noon Mary Williams  
24th   530pm Ann Green Children’s Mass, Building the Crib, 530pm
    Midnight William Ormandy RIP Carol Service: 1130 to Midnight Mass
         
FRI CHRISTMAS DAY 930am Jean Thomas  
         
SAT St Stephen 12 noon James Hibbert NO Young People’s Adoration today
26th   530pm Jean Jones Confessions after both Masses
         
SUN Holy Family 9.30am For the Parish Altar Servers received into the Guild of St
        Stephen during the 930am Mass


2008/9  The Year of the Child in our Parish

Parish Priest Fr Antony Jones

Email: antonyjones23@googlemail.com

01492 860546

 

Parish Sister Sr Jennifer

Flat 1, Seren y Mor, 8 Caroline Road

07909442305

01492 877778

 

Parish Secretary Mandy Rodrigues

mandyrodrigues1@googlemail.com

07919972842

 

john.denvic@tiscali.co.uk

01492 877088

School Head Elaine Dingsdale

penaeth@bwilliamdavs.conwy.sch.uk

01492 875930

 

Stella Maris John and Sarah Dennison

john.denvic@tiscali.co.uk

01492 877088

 

Property Manager John Dennison

john.denvic@tiscali.co.uk

01492 877088

 

Parish Website www.llandudno-catholic-church.org.uk


Newsletters are not produced every week but they are added 
to the website as soon as possible after they become available. 

All inquiries concerning the content of the Newsletters 
should be addressed to 

Father Antony Jones 

Parish Priest.


 

 

 

 

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