EASTER FLOWERS: Thank you for the most generous way you supported the flower ladies last weekend. You helped them raise some £205 which enables them to ensure that our Church looks as beautiful as it usually does for the Easter ceremonies… and well into the Easter season, too.

EASTER REFLECTION BOOKLETS: These simply reflection taking you through each of the fifty days of Easter are available from the Narthex, priced £1. Pick up your copy from the table.

TAIZE MUSIC AND PRAYER: In the midst of the Easter Season, we gather to celebrate the living presence of the Risen Christ – our hope and our life. This beautiful and simple evening of reflection will draw our attention towards the Resurrection. Monday 23 April at 7.30pm. Do come along; we deepen our relationship with the Lord through prayer, through the scriptures, and through beautiful, simple, chant.

TABLE TOP SALE: To raise some much needed funds for CLIC (Cancer and leukaemia in Children) and SANDS (Stillborn and neonatal death), Barbara Coles is hosting a table top sale in the Hall on Saturday 21 April from 12 – 200pm.  If you can help out by making baked goods, jams and preserves, or you have something for the gift table or some unused, unwanted toiletries, you can hand them into at the presbytery or contact Barbara on (01275) 837754 as soon as possible. Do come along on the day, though, and support these charities, please.

WEDNESDAY CAFÉ: Beginning late May we will begin a very simple, uncomplicated parish series where, on each of the Wednesdays mornings, there will be opportunity to deepen your understanding of what it means to be a Catholic over a cuppa and begin to explore what lies at the heart of what we believe. Watch this space!

WELCOME: Next weekend we welcome Fr Michael English back to our parish. Fr Michael comes to celebrate Mass for us on Saturday and Sunday. Do make him welcome.

MARY COOPER RIP: We remember Mary in our prayers and also her family and friends. Mary’s funeral takes place here on Tuesday at 2.30pm and her burial takes place at Whitchurch cemetery. May she rest in peace.

PARISH FORUM: The Forum group meets again on Wednesday 25 April at 7.30pm in the presbytery.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION: The children preparing for First Communion this summer pick up their preparation again after the Easter break, They meet on Wednesday 18 April in school. They come to celebrate the gift of the Cross on Sunday 29 April at 10.30am Mass.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: The group meets next on Wednesday 16 May at 7.30pm in the presbytery.

OPENING THE WINDOWS – IN CELEBRATION OF VATICAN II: The fifth lecture in our diocesan series takes place at the Cathedral on Tuesday 15 May, beginning at 7.30pm. Professor Gavin D’Costa from Bristol University leads the reflection upon the Church reaching out to those of other faiths. He will explore the Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions – Nostra Aetate. They have been fantastic lectures so far. Do go along. There’s plenty of parking and its free to get in, too.

CONGRATULATIONS to Noah Peacey who was baptised here on Sunday 25 March. As we welcome him into our parish family, so we congratulate, also, Noah’s family.

PLENTY OF THANKS: The beauty of the celebrations of Easter is such that you know that you are at the end of Lent. There is a wonderful transformation in our Church and it’s good to notice that our church reflects the vibrancy of Easter joy. Lent has been a most prayerful season for us here at St Bernadette’s and whilst there is never chance to sit back, it is good to appreciate the tremendous hard work of those who have brought us to the start of this Easter Season.  We have been so blessed this Holy Week; people have used their gifts and their skills in so many generous ways. Our music has graced the liturgy and that’s thanks to Mervyn and the many cantors that are supporting him; the flower ladies and those who look after plants and pots have done us proud once again, making our Church alive with the beauty of the resurrection. We have been fortunate to have had readers and Eucharistic Ministers working hard this last week and, of course, our servers continue to support Fr Christopher in so generous and skilful a way. Welcomers have featured greatly this week and it’s always good to have them as the first contact with folk who come to share in our celebrations. But there are so many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that everything is where it should be and as it should be ~ people looking after the linens and ensuring things are washed and pressed, kind people have cleaned the church and dusted everything that didn’t move, people have been up ladders yet again, got things ready and prepared, lit candles, put them out again afterwards… all in the name of being of complete service to our parish community. We couldn’t do what we do so well without the generous contribution of so many… and so Fr Christopher wants to acknowledge the great giftedness of the people of St Bernadette’s and to thank you all for the generous way you employ your talents for the good of the ‘family’. THANK YOU.

THIS SUNDAY: In the weeks of Lent so far we have followed God’s work of salvation: we have seen the Covenants he established with Noah, Abraham, Moses and the people of Israel after the return from Babylon. Now we come to one of the most significant parts of the Old Testament: the promise of a brand new Covenant, which will be different from all those that went before. This Covenant will see God and Man living more closely together. For the ratification of a Covenant, something was always sacrificed as a sign of the new relationship – normally man would offer some animal offering to God. But the New Covenant will be ratified not with the death of sheep or bull, but by the death of Jesus Christ, God and Man. In this perfect sacrifice is the source of our eternal salvation.

PALM SUNDAY SOUP LUNCH: The second of our parish soup lunches takes place on Palm Sunday – 1 April – from 12 noon onwards. Just sign up on the list in the Narthex to ensure you are well catered for.  What is raised goes to support our charitable, outreach projects.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: There will be the celebration of the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction this afternoon in the Church at 4.00pm

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER: Morning Prayer in the Church each Sunday beginning at 9.45am.

FRIDAY HOLY HOUR: This Friday the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for an hour of prayer after the morning Mass (so from 10.00am until 11.00am). This is the last of our Lenten Holy Hours.

MASS IN ITALIAN: For the beginning of Holy Week and the celebration of Palm Sunday, Fr Gerardo Fabrizio will be with us once again to celebrate Mass at 5.00pm on Palm Sunday in Italian (1 April). Do come along if you can. There will be refreshments in the Hall afterwards.

TAIZE MUSIC AND PRAYER: At the start of our journey of Holy Week this year, there will be an evening of Taize prayer in the Church. This beautiful and simple evening of reflection will draw our attention towards the cross. In song and prayer, reflecting upon the scriptures and drawing upon the spirituality of Taize, we come to the Lord. Monday 2 April at 7.30pm. Do come along – there will also be opportunities for confession that evening, too. The Community of Taize, based near Cluny in France, is an ecumenical community drawing pilgrims into deeper relationship with the Lord through prayer, through the scriptures, and through beautiful, simple, chant.

LENTEN CONFESSIONS: There will opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation as we journey through Lent. The two Saturday opportunities are there as well as an opportunity as part of Taize evening or prayer on 2 April (7.30pm); also on the Tuesday of Holy Week (3 April) from 6.00pm until 7.30pm (altered), and Spy Wednesday (4 April) from 7.30pm until 8.15pm, as well as on Good Friday afternoon after the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion.

THE ROAD TO CALVARY – A Passion Play: This reflection as we head towards Holy Week takes place at St Gerard’s, Knowle, on Friday 30 March at 7.00pm. Tickets cost £5. All are welcome.

TABLE TOP SALE: To raise some much needed funds for CLIC (Cancer and leukaemia in Children) and SANDS (Stillborn and neonatal death), Barbara Coles is hosting a table top sale in the Hall on Saturday 21 April from 12 – 200pm.  If you can help out by making baked goods, jams and preserves, or you have something for the gift table or some unused, unwanted toiletries, you can hand them into at the presbytery or contact Barbara on (01275) 837754 as soon as possible. Do come along on the day, though, and support these charities, please.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER: The schedule for Holy Week this year is available for you to take away. Do make sure you pick up an extra one or two copies to pass around to folk who might just need a little encouragement to come and celebrate Easter with us.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS: Kathleen Joyce’s funeral takes place here at St Bernadette’s on Monday 26 March at 10.00am. May she rest in peace.

OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL: Our primary school survived their full-on inspection this last week. They must await, now, the final report.

PRIMARY SCHOOL STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Our Year 5 pupils will be leading their beautiful Stations of the Cross as they approach the end of this term, here in the Church on Thursday at 10.00am. Do come and support them, encourage them, but also join them in prayer as we prepare to enter into Holy Week.

APF NEWS: The total collected in 2011 through your Red Boxes was £2424.00 – that’s a terrific amount for the Missions. Many thanks to all our red box holders, our annual members, and all who contributed in any way.

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES: New boxed sets are available from the Narthex. If you are a tax payer and would like a Gift Aid set of envelopes, have a word with Dave Lavelle.

EASTER FLOWERS: The flower ladies will be asking for your help and support through next weekend’s retiring collection for the flowers at Easter. Do, please, give them what support you can next weekend.

THIS SUNDAY: There were two remarkable moments in the story of the Old Testament where God saved his people; one was in the escape from Egypt – we’ll keep that for the Easter Vigil. The other was the end of their second exile, this time in Babylon, which we hear of today. Of course there was an even greater moment when God saved his people: the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God – and we hear Jesus tell Nicodemus about that today. So today’s theme is “salvation”: but to understand “being saved”, we must ask “What from?” Saved from slavery, from exile, from human enemies – these are all clear. But the last and greatest salvation brought by Jesus is harder to understand: saved from sin and death. These threaten us as much as any other enemy, and our salvation in Jesus is as real as any other. We are also at the mid-way point of Lent – Laetare Sunday invites us to to a certain joy as we near the events that celebrate our salvation.
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LENTEN SOUP LUNCHES: The second of our parish soup lunches takes place on Palm Sunday – 1 April – from 12 noon onwards. A great way to tap into that Lenten fasting as well as reaching our in love to those less fortunate than ourselves.   Just sing up on the list in the Narthex to ensure you are well catered for.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Each Sunday of Lent at 4.00pm, there will be the celebration of the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction.

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER: Just for the Season of Lent, we will continue to celebrate Morning Prayer in the Church each Sunday beginning at 9.45am.

FRIDAY HOLY HOUR: This Friday and for the remaining Fridays of Lent, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for an hour of prayer after the morning Mass (so from 10.00am until 11.00am).

VATICAN II COURSE: Keep 20 March (that’s this coming Tuesday) free in your diaries – Clifton Cathedral, 7.30pm. Professor Paul Murray from Durham University will be with us to talk about the Decree on Ecumenism and the Council’s ecumenical outreach and, of course, its impact on what we are called to be, as Church, today. Prof Murray is well able to deepen our understanding of the Council’s ecumenical initiatives, and it’ll be great to reflect upon how we continue to live the fruit of that invitation today. All are welcome – a fantastic series so far!

MASS IN ITALIAN: For the start of Holy Week and the celebration of Palm Sunday, Fr Gerardo Fabrizio will be with us to celebrate Mass at 5.00pm on Palm Sunday in Italian (1 April). Do come along if you can. There will be refreshments in the Hall afterwards.

TAIZE MUSIC AND PRAYER: At the start of our journey of Holy Week this year, there will be an evening of Taize prayer in the Church. This beautiful and simple evening of reflection will draw our attention towards the cross. In song and prayer, reflecting upon the scriptures and drawing upon the spirituality of Taize, we come to the Lord. Monday 2 April at 7.30pm. Do come along – there will also be opportunities for confession that evening, too.

LENTEN CONFESSIONS: There will opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation as we journey through Lent. The two Saturday opportunities are there as well as an opportunity as part of Taize evening or prayer on 2 April (7.30pm); also on the Tuesday of Holy Week (3 April) from 6.00pm until 7.30pm (altered), and Spy Wednesday (4 April) from 7.30pm until 8.15pm. There will be a couple of priests available those evenings.

THE ROAD TO CALVARY – A Passion Play: This reflection as we head towards Holy Week takes place at St Gerard’s, Knowle, on Friday 30 March at 7.00pm. Tickets cost £5. All are welcome.

TABLE TOP SALE: To raise some much needed funds for CLIC (Cancer and leukaemia in Children) and SANDS (Stillborn and neonatal death), Barbara Coles is hosting a table top sale in the Hall on Saturday 21 April from 12 – 200pm.  If you can help out by making baked goods, jams and preserves, or you have something for the gift table or some unused, unwanted toiletries, you can hand them into at the presbytery or contact Barbara on (01275) 837754 as soon as possible. Do come along on the day, though, and support these charities, please.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER: The schedule for Holy Week this year is available for you to take away. Do make sure you pick up an extra one or two copies to pass around to folk who might just need a little encouragement to come and celebrate Easter with us.

FOR YOUR PRAYERS: We remember in our prayers Evelyn Welling and Kathleen Joyce who both died during this last week. Evelyn’s funeral will take place at South Bristol Crematorium this coming Friday at 2.00pm, and Kathleen Joyce’s funeral takes place here at St Bernadette’s on Monday 26 March at 10.00am. May they rest in peace.

OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL: Do keep our primary school in your prayers this week as they welcome the Section 48 (RE) inspector into school on Tuesday and Thursday.

THIS SUNDAY: There are many “themes” running through the Gospel today—faith, perseverance, healing—which seem dramatic to us. But the theme highlighted by our first reading is that of the power of Jesus to forgive sins—something that would perhaps have been more remarkable in his own time. Saint Mark is clearly revealing to us something important about Jesus of Nazareth—something which shocks and surprises the scribes listening to Jesus. Such an immediate forgiveness of sins was, to them, new and disturbing. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves if we take forgiveness for granted sometimes: when the paralytic, after all the struggles and efforts of his family and friends, heard Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven”, was he disappointed or delighted?

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The preparation sessions for our youngsters start up again this coming week -Wednesday, 22 February – at 11.00am in school.  The children will still have their books in school already, but if they haven’t, parents are asked to make sure you send them in, please. We welcome the children to 10.30am Mass on Sunday 11 March as they are presented with a copy of the scriptures, reminding them of Christ’s presence to us in his Word – a Word that grow attentive to each and every time we celebrate the Eucharist.

BATH HALF MARATHON: Maria Murphy is planning to run this year’s half marathon to raise funds for the Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (MPS), diseases that causes progressive physical disability as well as severe degenerative mental deterioration in children. Maria has put a sponsor form on the notice board in the narthex, so if you would care to sponsor her, please sign up! The half marathon takes place on 11 March… so there’s time to give her your support.

PARISH LITURGY GROUP: This gathering will look at ensuring that each of our ministers is formed and supported, as well as providing a real opportunity to reflect upon what we do as a community of prayer. The meeting aims, also, at allowing each of those coordinators to communicate with one another and facilitate a planning of what takes place here when it comes to our prayer. They meet on Tuesday 6 March at 7.00pm.

THE SEASON OF LENT ~ a season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving so that we might be re-moulded, renewed, re-imagined, refreshed and re-fashioned to become more like Christ.

CAFOD FAST DAY: This year, the CAFOD fast day takes place on Friday 2 March. Envelopes will be attached to next week’s newsletter in readiness for the start of Lent and the Lenten collection will take place on Saturday 3/Sunday 4 March (Second Sunday of Lent). This year’s collection is focused upon giving clean water to communities. There is a government price match – for every £1 we raise for CAFOD, the government will match it with another £1. Look out for your envelope and please give as generously as you can.

ASH WEDNESDAY: The Season of Lent begins on Wednesday 22 February. Two Masses in Church – 9.30am and 7.00pm. There will also be a Liturgy of the Word with the distribution of Ashes in our primary school. It’s not a Holyday of Obligation, but it is an important start to this season on renewal, growth, and preparation.

LENTEN SOUP LUNCHES: These two wonderfully nourishing yet simple soup lunches that mark the start and the end of Lent in our parish will take place on Friday 24 February at 12noon onwards (…that’s this coming Friday), and also on Palm Sunday – 1 April – from 12noon onwards. A great way to tap into that Lenten fasting as well as reaching our in love to those less fortunate than ourselves. Details of the ecumenical lunches will appear in the newsletter next week. Just sign up in the narthex for this coming Friday’s.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Each Sunday of Lent, beginning 26 February at 4.00pm, there will be the celebration of the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction. This prayerful journey to the Cross draws us deeper into the mystery of Christ’s love for us. If you can make this a real part of your Lenten prayer, please do come along. We’ll use a different set of reflections for each of the weeks.

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER: Just for the Season of Lent, there will be Morning Prayer in the Church on Sundays beginning at 9.45am. If you want to make this part of your Lenten Prayer, then please come along. The Liturgy of the Hours is a beautiful celebration of the psalms sung to simple tones and enables us to pray, not only for the Church, but with and on behalf of the Church, too. We’ll begin Morning Prayer next Sundays on 26 February. This is only for the six Sundays of Lent… so come and see!

FRIDAY HOLY HOUR: On each of the Fridays of Lent, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for an hour of prayer after the morning Mass (so from 10.00am until 11.00am) just to allow those who want to, to either stay on or to allow folk to just pop in for a moment of prayer. The Church will be open, so do make use of this little opportunity to deepen our relation with the Lord.

WALK WITH ME: These beautiful little books of Lenten reflections are available from the Narthex. They cost £1 and will take you through each day of the six weeks of Lent. Pick up your copy whilst they are there. The money can be popped in with the newspaper money.

BORN FOR THIS: A powerful musical recounting the story of Easter is being performed in our Cathedral by talented young people from our diocese. Taking place on Saturday 3 March in the Cathedral, this wonderful musical presentation begins at 7.30pm… and all are welcome. Entry is free. An ideal opportunity to celebrate the Season of Lent and look forward to the wonder of Easter. Do go along and support our young people, our secondary schools, and our Diocesan Youth Service. Poster in the narthex for more info.

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER taking place on Friday 2 March.  This year the service for the local Christian Churches is being held at Christchurch, Petherton Road at 11.00am and the theme prepared by the women of Malaysia is for Justice to Prevail throughtout the World.  Following the service a light lunch will be offered. Please do go along and join them as well as representing St B’s.

THIS SUNDAY: Here we enter a new stage of Advent: having spent so much time on the Second Coming, now we look back, to remember the details of the Lord’s First Coming. Today we focus on the character of Mary, and hear of the angel Gabriel being sent to her, to invite her to take her part in the mystery of the Incarnation, “the revelation of the mystery kept secret for endless ages”. This mystery springs from the House of David, and so we lead into the Gospel by hearing of the establishing of that house. An interesting idea is that the first reading talks of David wishing to build a house for the Lord; through the prophet he is told not of the house that he would build, but the House which is his line: eventually, in Mary (betrothed to Joseph) the House of David does itself become the house of the Lord, the womb wherein he has a dwelling place.

RETIRING COLLECTION this Sunday morning (only): The Flower Ladies are seeking your help and support with their Christmas flower collection. Your support enables them to make our Church look so beautiful and stunning for the Christmas feasts. Thanks to the Saturday evening ‘crew’ for your kindness last weekend.

FAMILY CRIB SERVICE: This Sunday afternoon, we gather with the children of our parish to begin to re-trace that journey to Bethlehem and reflect upon the beauty of the Christmas story. The children are invited to come dressed as one of the characters of the nativity to help focus our reflection upon the people who responded to the invitation to welcome Christ into our world. All are most welcome and we begin at 3.30pm.

BLESSING OF THE BAMBINO: If you would like to bring into Mass over the Christmas weekend the bambino from your crib at home, please place them beneath the altar at which ever Mass you come to over the Christmas weekend. Seeking God’s blessing, we pray that his peace may rest upon us and in our homes.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE HOMELESS: You’ve been great in previous years wrapping socks, jumpers, toiletries and chocolates for the homeless at the Julian Trust shelter. Please leave your gifts in the Lady Chapel.

CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS: There will be the usual Saturday morning session of Confessions Christmas Eve. On Tuesday 20 December, there will be a couple of priests hearing confessions from 7.00pm – 8.30pm. Then on Thursday 22 December, an opportunity from 10am – 10.45am. Make room for the Lord this Advent!

BIG CLEAN FOR CHRISTMAS: On Wednesday 21 December from 10am onwards, willing volunteers are needed just to get the Church ready for the Christmas weekend. If you can spare a little time along with a duster and a brush, just turn up for half an hour or so and lend a hand. Many hands make light of the work.

A CHRISTMAS WELCOME AND OUT-REACH: There’s still time to take those postcards away with you and hand them around. Use this Christmas as an invitation to folk who may have lost touch with Church, and bring them home for Christmas.

CHRISTMAS TREE: The decorated and illuminated tree will be blessed at the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve.

CRIB OFFERINGS: As usual, there will be a little basket next to the crib for your offerings. This year, our crib offerings will go in support of the work done at St Nick’s, Lawford’s Gate for the homeless and the refugee.

CHRISTMAS MASSES: It’ll be great to see you sometime over this Christmas weekend. Do make note of the times. You have them on the newsletter, on our website, and on the Christmas postcards.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The children preparing for First Communion this summer celebrated their First Confession this weekend. We look forward to welcoming them at Mass in January for their enrolment into the next leg of the preparation for First Communion.

PARISH MAGAZINE: Pick up your copy this weekend. There’s no charge for the magazine. If you want to pop a little something into the newspaper pot, then please do.

200 CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Subscriptions for 2012 are due soon. Look out for your membership letter. Your membership supports our parish in such real ways. With all 200 numbers taken, half that subscription money goes to parish funds – that’s £1200 if all numbers are taken. The other £1200 is given out in prizes throughout the year – ten £25 monthly prizes and two Grand Draws (May and November) with the potential first prize of £200. Do think about renewing your subscription and, if you haven’t got a number, have a word with Colette and sign up before the end of this December.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: This next date for your diaries ready for the New Year – Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 7.30pm. Fr Timothy Menezes will be leading our reflection upon Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Council’s document on the liturgy. This fantastic series of talks Opening the Windows offers us a simple route into re-introducing ourselves to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. Do go along if you can. It is free, open to everyone, and there’s plenty of parking, too. Downloads on diocesan website.

AND FINALLY… if you are travelling this week to spend Christmas with family or friends, drive safely, have a wonderful time, and return refreshed and spirit-cheered.

THIS SUNDAY: So who is coming? This Sunday’s readings help to answer that question. John the Baptist is asked about the coming of the Messiah – is it him? He affirms his role as “a witness to speak for the light”, by pointing to the one who stands among the crowd unknown to them who is coming after him. This idea is present in the First Reading, where Isaiah proclaims what the “anointed one” (‘Messiah’ in Hebrew) will do, and the joy that this will bring. It is interesting that the Psalm appointed for this Sunday is the Magnificat – Mary’s song of praise at the announcement that the Messiah would be born of her – in which she sings of the works of the coming Messiah. Paul then reminds us that we are still waiting patiently: “God has called you, and he will not fail you.” This is why, on this ‘Gaudete’ Sunday, we as God’s people rejoice in his care, made visible in his promises, fulfilled in Jesus.

200 CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Subscriptions for 2012 are due soon. Look out for your membership letter. Your membership supports our parish in such real ways. With all 200 numbers taken, half that subscription money goes to parish funds – that’s £1200 if all numbers are taken. The other £1200 is given out in prizes throughout the year – ten £25 monthly prizes and two Grand Draws (May and November) with the potential first prize of £200. Do think about renewing your subscription and, if you haven’t got a number, have a word with Colette and sign up before the end of this December.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The children began their preparation for First Confession last Wednesday and continue their preparation this coming Wednesday in school. The children celebrate their First Confession this coming Saturday. We keep them in our prayers.

VESPERS: This Sunday afternoon, the last of our Advent Vespers takes place at 4.00pm. This beautiful praying of the Prayer of the Church is a wonderful way to unite ourselves with the Church across the world at prayer.

FAMILY CRIB SERVICE: On the Fourth Sunday of Advent (18 December) we gather with the children of our parish to begin to re-trace that journey to Bethlehem and reflect upon the beauty of the Christmas story. The children are invited to come dressed as one of the characters of the nativity to help focus our reflection upon the people who responded to the invitation to welcome Christ into our world. All are most welcome and we begin at 3.30pm on Sunday 18th December here in the church. There will be refreshments afterwards.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE HOMELESS: Once again, we’ll be collecting your gifts for the guests of Julian House this Christmas. You’ve been great in previous years wrapping socks, jumpers, toiletries and chocolates for the homeless. The box will be in the Lady Chapel in time for the Crib Service, mid December.

CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS: Responding to the call of John the Baptist to turn back to the Lord this Advent, you’ll see from the little postcards that there are opportunities other than the two usual Saturday sessions of Confessions. On Tuesday 20 December, there will be a couple of priests hearing confessions from 7.00pm – 8.30pm. Then on Thursday 22 December, an opportunity from 10am – 10.45am. Don’t leave your Christmas confession until the last moment. Make room for the Lord this Advent!

BIG CLEAN FOR CHRISTMAS: On Wednesday 21 December from 10am onwards, willing volunteers are needed just to get the Church ready for the Christmas weekend. If you can spare a little time along with a duster and a brush, just turn up for half an hour or so and lend a hand. Many hands make light of the work.

A CHRISTMAS WELCOME AND OUT-REACH: There are some beautiful cards available from the narthex that give clear details of the week’s build up to Christmas so that you can ‘invite’ folk to join us for Christmas this year. The cards give times of the celebrations at St Bernadette’s, opportunities for confession, and allow you to encourage those who may not normally be with us at the weekend to come back and join us at this special time of year. This is a most important part of reaching out to folk and an important aspect of evangelisation. There may be friends, family, neighbours who just need that encouragement from you to put them back in touch with Church and with that living encounter with Christ.

CHRISTMAS MASSES: You’ll see from the little Christmas postcards that there are four masses over Christmas Day: 6.00pm Christmas Eve as well as Midnight (beginning 11.30pm with Carols) and then 8.30am and 10.30am on Christmas Day. It’ll be great to see you sometime over that Christmas weekend.

RETIRING COLLECTION this Sunday: the Flower Ladies are seeking your help and support through their Christmas flower collection. Your support enables them to make our Church look so beautiful and stunning for the Christmas feasts.

PARISH MAGAZINE: The Advent and Christmas edition of the parish magazine is available for you to collect from the Narthex. There are some fantastic articles in this edition – its well worth picking up. When you;ve finished with it, pass it on! There’s no charge for the magazine. If you want to pop a little something into the newspaper pot, then please do.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: This next date for your diaries ready for the New Year – Tuesday 24 January 2012 at 7.30pm. Fr Timothy Menezes will be leading our reflection upon Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Council’s document on the liturgy. This fantastic series of talks Opening the Windows offers us a simple route into re-introducing ourselves to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. Do go along if you can. It is free, open to everyone, and there’s plenty of parking, too. Downloads on diocesan website.

THIS SUNDAY: Throughout the first three weeks of Advent our focus is very clearly on the Second Coming of the Lord – not so much on the run up to Christmas (until the last week). If we view Advent as a preparation for Christmas these readings will make little sense – and neither will the figure of John the Baptist who appears today: if it’s about the preparation for Christmas, then John the Baptist, preaching after Jesus was born, is a confusing figure: but his role is to preach to us, as he did of old, and to prepare us for the (second) coming of the Lord. Today we have a very graphic reference to the end of time and the Second Coming in the reading from Saint Peter; it is a frightening picture, and so the first reading offers tender words of comfort to help us understand who is coming, and why we should be ready to meet him.

A HUGE ‘THANK YOU’: Mother Kathleen from the Little Sisters in Cotham has written to thank our parish for their continued support for the work at St Joseph’s.  Some of the Sisters and the residents came to the bingo night last weekend and had a fantastic time out. You raised £550 for the Sisters last Saturday because of your generosity. Thanks to those who supported the evening and those who helped make it a fun time!

200 CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Subscriptions for 2012 are due soon. Look out for your membership letter. The Grand Draw took place during the bingo night last weekend and there were three lucky winners: £50 – Norah Smalldridge; £100 – Clare Taylor; £200 – Fr Christopher.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The children began their preparation for First Confession last Wednesday and continue their preparation this coming TUESDAY in school. We look forward to welcoming them for their Mass on Enrolment in January. Do keep them in your prayers as they journey towards the Sacraments.

VESPERS: Continuing this Sunday, there will be the celebration of Evening Prayer at 4.00pm on Advent Sunday I, II, and III. This is a beautiful way of praying the psalms drawing the day to a close. Do come along and make this a real part of your Advent journey of preparation.

WALK WITH ME: These simple books of reflection for each day of Advent, priced £1, from the narthex.

FAMILY CRIB SERVICE: On the Fourth Sunday of Advent (18 December) we gather with the children of our parish to begin to re-trace that journey to Bethlehem and reflect upon the beauty of the Christmas story. The children are invited to come dressed as one of the characters of the nativity to help focus our reflection upon the people who responded to the invitation to welcome Christ into our world. All are most welcome and we begin at 3.30pm on Sunday 18th December here in the church. There will be refreshments afterwards in the hall.

A CHRISTMAS WELCOME AND OUT-REACH: There are some beautiful cards available from the narthex that give clear details of the week’s build up to Christmas so that you can ‘invite’ folk to join us for Christmas this year. The cards give times of the celebrations at St Bernadette’s, opportunities for confession, and allow you to encourage those who may not normally be with us at the weekend to come back and join us at this special time of year. This is a most important part of reaching out to folk and an important aspect of evangelisation. There may be friends, family, neighbours who just need that encouragement from you to put them back in touch with Church and with that living encounter with Christ. You are encouraged to take the cards and hand them on! Take as many as you can.

CHRISTMAS MASSES: You’ll see from the little Christmas postcards that there are four masses over Christmas Day: 6.00pm Christmas Eve as well as Midnight (beginning 11.30pm with Carols) and then 8.30am and 10.30am on Christmas Day. It’ll be great to see you sometime over that Christmas weekend.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE HOMELESS: Once again, we’ll be collecting your gifts for the guests of Julian House this Christmas. You’ve been great in previous years wrapping socks, jumpers, toiletries and chocolates for the homeless. The box will be in the Lady Chapel in time for the Crib Service, mid December.

DIOCESAN YEARBOOKS AND DIRECTORIES: Get them while you can! There were only 20 directories (£5) and 8 liturgical yearbooks (£5.99) this year. You can pop the money into the newspaper money box.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: This coming Tuesday – 6 December at 7.30pm in our cathedral, Fr James Hanvey SJ will explore two of the influential and significant documents of the Second Vatican Council – Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes – drawing us into reflection and inviting us to think about how we are called to be the Church in the contemporary world. This fantastic series of talks Opening the Windows (the complete list is in the narthex) offers us a simple route into re-introduceing ourselves to the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. Do go along if you can. It is free, open to everyone, and there’s plenty of parking, too.

RETIRING COLLECTION this Sunday for the Poor Missions of the Diocese. We support the parishes that aren’t as fortunate as we are to have the finances to do what we do throughout the year. Some of our parishes struggle and so this collection invites us into solidarity and support with them in their need. On Sunday 18 December, the Flower Ladies will be seeking your help and support through their flower collection.

THANK YOU to Michael Long for the beautiful way he has inscribed the new Altar Missals with the names of those in whose memory the donations have been given.

THIS SUNDAY: We must be very careful that the real point of today’s first reading is not washed away in genuine concerns over what one can and cannot say about the responsibilities of spouses. This is not, in fact, a recipe for ‘the perfect wife’, but an illustration, from one age, of the virtue of fully employing the talents God gives us. Some things are timeless, such as holding out a hand to the poor, while other talents shift and change. The point is that all of us are gifted in varying ways and degrees: none of us should begrudge anyone else their talents, for fear that we overlook our own. We work wisely and well, looking forward to the master’s return, when we can hand over to him not just what he gave us, but also the fruits that our labours have gained.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY: This Sunday, we commemorate those who have lost their lives in conflicts across the twentieth century and during this century, too. We will observe a period of silence as part of the Bidding Prayers at the 10.30am Mass this Sunday bringing the dead into our prayer and praying, of course, for peace.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: The next date for your diary is Tuesday 6 December, 7.30pm in our cathedral when Fr James Hanvey SJ will explore Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, inviting us to think about being the Church in the contemporary world.

200 CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Subscriptions for 2012 are due soon. Look out for your membership letter.
FIRST COMMUNION 2012: The complete list of preparation sessions, celebration Masses, and parents’ sessions can now be found on the notice board as well as on the parish website. If you missed the details and the meeting for whatever reason you will need to contact FrC this week, please. The children begin their preparation for First Confession at the end of this month. We look forward to welcoming them for their Mass on Enrolment in January.

FIRST FRIDAY SOUP LUNCH: The next First Friday soup lunch takes place on Friday 2 December, following Exposition, at 12.15pm. All are most welcome.

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR: The Little Sisters were bowled over by your kindness, your welcome, and your terrific generosity last weekend. You sent them away with £604 towards their work – Thank you.

BINGO NIGHT – IN AID OF THE LITTLE SISTERS: Bingo night on Saturday 26 November (7.30pm) to raise money for the Little Sisters. A hearty supper for £5 and bingo cards will be available to buy on the night. Pop your name on the list in the narthex if you would like a seat… and bring your friends with you! There will be plenty of opportunities to help the Little Sisters raise a little money for their home in Cotham. The Grand Draw  of the 200 Club will be drawn at the Bingo night – there’s a big cheque for £200 to be taken home!

NEW ALTAR MISSALS: The Sunday Missals should arrive in the next two or three weeks in readiness for Advent. Watch this space. Weekday missals ordered will be with us in January.

VESPERS FOR CHRIST THE KING: The last Sunday of the Church’s year falls on Sunday 20 November (next Sunday). There will be Vespers (4.00pm) for the feast of Christ the King as we draw the liturgical year to a close. It is also National Youth Sunday, a Sunday where we pray for the young people of our Church and also where we are asked to support our diocesan youth service through the retiring collection. There is so much to support our young people in our diocese and your gift through this collection works to encourage them and those who work with them to be confidently Catholic.

ADVENT: In two week’s time we begin a new year in the life of the Church, and the season of preparation for Christmas. There will be Vespers on the first three Sundays of Advent, and our Family Crib Service on Sunday 18 December. There will be little reflection books for Advent, allowing you to journey through the scriptures of the season each and every day. There will be details of the opportunities for Confession during Advent, and details of the ways in which we can use Advent as a season of prayer, too. Get your Advent Wreath ready for home and bring it along to mass the week after next for a blessing.

A CHRISTMAS WELCOME AND OUT-REACH: There will be some beautiful cards available NEXT week that will give clear details of the week’s build up to Christmas so that you can ‘invite’ folk to join us for Christmas this year. The cards give times of the celebrations at St Bernadette’s and allow you to encourage those who may not normally be with us at the weekend to come back and join us at this special time of year. This is a most important part of reaching out to folk at this time of the year. There may be friends, family, neighbours who just need that encouragement from you to put them back in touch with Church and with that living encounter with Christ. You will be encouraged to take the cards and hand them on!

OUR RETIRED PRIESTS: We are fortunate to be welcoming some of our retired priests back to St Bernadette’s for their annual mass and lunch with the Bishop on Wednesday 23 November. Mass will be celebrated late morning with Bishop Declan, so watch this space for details, and come along and help make these priests welcome.

DIOCESAN YEARBOOKS AND DIRECTORIES: Get them while you can! There are only 20 directories (£5) and 8 liturgical yearbooks (£5.99) this year. There were too many left last year, so get these whilst they are available from the Narthex. You can pop the money into the newspaper money box.

READERS FOR CHRISTMAS: If you are available to read at either of the Christmas morning Masses (8½am or 10½am), please get in touch with FrC or Cora Pring asap. Readers for 6pm and Midnight have been sorted.

ROTAS: You’ll find the December rotas online and paper copies as well as notes for Readers in the narthex.

THIS SUNDAY: When you look at something like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and see its 691 pages, or look at the 2,000 pages of the big Jerusalem Bible, you can be forgiven for thinking that Christianity is a complicated affair. But Jesus reminds us today that it is essentially very simple: everything can be summed up in two basic rules: love God, love your neighbour. Exodus backs this up, by talking about the simple love that we must show to each other. Not that this is easy – love is always costly, and involves some degree of sacrifice. We will have to change, to become perfect in love; but it is possible, and when we do, like the people of Thessalonica, we become a great example to people everywhere.

WORLD MISSION SUNDAY: Every year we spend this Sunday reflecting upon those who bring the Gospel – in word and in action – to peoples and nations around our world. This weekend gives us a real opportunity to reflect upon how we are missionary, how we preach the gospel through the lives we lead. We are invited to those those on and in Mission through our gift to the APF Missio. Many of you support the missions through your red boxes. We may not be able to leave everything to bring the gospel to foreign lands, but we can support them with our help and our prayers. The retiring collection this weekend goes to support Missio.

NEW ALTAR MISSALS: News is that the new missals for the altar should be with us during this coming week. FrC will arrange for the list of intentions to be etched into the front plates of the altar missal thanks to the kindness of donations that have come in. The Sunday Missals should arrive in the next two or three weeks in readiness for Advent. Watch this space.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: The series got off to a fantastic start last Tuesday. The next date for your diary is Tuesday 6 December, 7.30pm in our cathedral when Fr James Hanvey SJ will explore Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, inviting us to think about being the Church in the contemporary world.

VESPERS AND THE ROSARY: To end this beautiful month of the Holy Rosary, there will be Vespers and Devotions next Sunday – 30 October – at 4.00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to pray together as families and as a parish community, entrusting ourselves, through the psalms, through the Rosary, to the gentle Lord who keeps us close to him.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012 – PARENTS MEETING: Once again, we begin to think about preparation for First Communion. Parents of children in Year 3 of primary school who are considering putting their children forward for preparation beginning in January are invited to meet with Fr Christopher in the Church on Thursday 3 November at 7.00pm. This will be a short meeting outlining the programme for both children and, this year, for parents as well. The application forms as well as complete list of dates for the preparation programme will be available on that evening. If you need to get in touch with FrC before then, please do give him a call. The preparation for First Confession will take place during Advent (December) and then First Communion preparation will begin in January. It is so important that children are ‘registered’ for this year’s programme at that November meeting and don’t miss out.

FEAST OF ALL SAINTS: Tuesday 1 November is a holyday of obligation. There will be two Masses that day – 10.00am with our children in school, and then 7.30pm in the evening in Church. The Wednesday, 2 November is the commemoration of All Souls. There will be two Masses that day, also: 9.30am and 7.00pm. It’s not a holyday of obligation, but it is an important celebration nevertheless. The list of Masses for the month of November can be found on the notice board. If you want to allocate a Mass for a particular intention then please print the name of the intention on the sheet – one intention per Mass, only, please. If you would kindly pop the name on an envelope and give it to FrC that would help enormously. Keep an eye on the newsletter for the intention during the week… just in case there are changes to the time of Mass.

BLESSING OF GRAVES: There will be a Blessing of graves on All Souls’ Day at Whitchurch cemetery at 2.00pm. If you have loved ones buried there, do join FrC for that short blessing. If you have a jam jar with a little night light, maybe bring that along with you.

MASS OF WELCOME: As last year, we will welcome the children who have started at the primary school along with their families on Sunday 6 November at 10.30am. It’s an important celebration to enable us to foster those necessary links with our parish school.

FIRST FRIDAY SOUP LUNCH: Our first Friday soup lunches started well. The next takes place on Friday 4 November. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the morning Mass until midday. A hearty, simple soup lunch will be served in the hall from 12.15pm. All are welcome and your offerings go to support those in need both at home and overseas.

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR: The Little Sisters are with us again on Saturday 5/Sunday 6 November making an appeal for their most valuable work at St Joseph’s. Also, you might like to make note of the Bingo night on Saturday 26 November (7.30pm) to raise money for the Little Sisters. Supper for £5 and bingo cards available on the night. Details of how you can get a ticket will be available next weekend. All welcome.

CHRISTMAS MASSES: It’s two months away yet, but if you feel there would be a take up if we were to have a Vigil Mass of Christmas – focused on our families and our children – at 6.00pm on Christmas Eve, then please just have a word with FrC. We might have this in addition to our midnight Mass and Mass on Christmas Day. If there would be no take up or need then we’ll stick with what we usually have.

THIS SUNDAY: Everyone on this earth belongs to God. All are made in his image. Therefore it is right that all men and women, ‘from the rising to the setting of the sun’, should know the God to whom they belong. The only desire of our God is that all should know and love him, and find in him the fulfilment that they seek. Even a pagan king like Cyrus is used to further this knowledge of God – just as Jesus uses Caesar’s head to make the point again: all belong to God, and the mission of all who acknowledge that belonging is to help others to find it. This is exactly what we see Paul, Silvanus and Timothy doing, as they write to the people of Thessalonica. to whom they carried the Good News of Jesus Christ.

NEW TRANSLATION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL: Keep using the Mass cards that are available. It is good to hear our community growing in its familiarity with the new texts. We persevere… together.

FIFTY YEARS ON – VATICAN II: Starting on Tuesday 18 October (this Tuesday), our diocese is hosting a series of seven talks/lectures inviting us to re-engage with the teachings and the documents of the Second Vatican Council which began October 1962. Bishop Declan opens the series looking at one of the beautiful documents of the Council – Dei verbum. The talks take place at the Cathedral and start at 7.30pm. They are well worth going along to and give us an honest reflection of how we are called to be church in the contemporary world. Have a look at the Adult Education and Evangelisation newsletter on the narthex notice board. There is also a poster on the board giving full details of dates and the details of our most competent speakers.  If you want to read ahead of the Bishop’s opening talk, have a look at cliftondiocese.com or you may find some copies of the Vatican II texts and study guides in the narthex.

ST BRENDAN’S SIXTH FORM COLLEGE: Do have a look at the information poster in the narthex -15 October, 19 October and 20 October. Contact details for the college are on the poster.

CAFOD HARVEST FAST DAY: A big thank you for your kindness to CAFOD over last weekend. The retiring collection raised over £450 with more coming in during this last week. The First Friday soup lunch raised £130. The concert given most generously by the Community Choir raised £426, so we can happily send over £1000 to CAFOD from last weekend’s fundraising efforts. That comes down to your kindness, your generosity, and your commitment to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves.

THE MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY: Do make something of this month dedicated to the Holy Rosary. It may be that you take up the challenge of a decade a day during this month, maybe praying for vocations. Each weekday Mass will end with a decade, bringing our parish to the intercession of our Blessed Lady.

FIRST COMMUNION 2012 – PARENTS MEETING: Once again, we begin to think about preparation for First Communion. Parents of children in Year 3 of primary school who are considering putting their children forward for preparation beginning in January are invited to meet with Fr Christopher in the Church on Thursday 3 November at 7.00pm. This will be a short meeting outlining the programme for both children and, this year, for parents as well. The application forms as well as complete list of dates for the preparation programme will be available on that evening. If you need to get in touch with FrC before then, please do give him a call. The preparation for First Confession will take place during Advent (December) and then First Communion preparation will begin in January. It is so important that children are ‘registered’ for this year’s programme at that November meeting.

FEAST OF ALL SAINTS: Tuesday 1 November is a holyday of obligation. There will be two Masses that day – 10.00am with our children in school, and then 7.30pm in the evening in Church. The Wednesday, 2 November is the commemoration of All Souls. There will be two Masses that day, also: 9.30am and 7.00pm. It’s not a holyday of obligation, but it is an important celebration nevertheless. There will be a Blessing of graves on All Souls’ Day at Whitchurch cemetery at 2.00pm. If you have loved ones buried there, do join FrC for that short blessing.  The list of Masses for the month of November can be found on the notice board. If you want to allocate a Mass for a particular intention then please print the name of the intention on the sheet – one intention per Mass, only, please. If you would kindly pop the name on an envelope and give it to FrC that would help enormously. Keep an eye on the newsletter for the intention during the week… just in case there are changes to the time of Mass.

MASS OF WELCOME: As last year, we will welcome the children who have started at the primary school along with their families on Sunday 6 November at 10.30am. It’s an important celebration to enable us to foster those necessary links with our parish school.

FIRST FRIDAY SOUP LUNCH: Our first Friday soup lunches started well. The next takes place on Friday 4 November. There will be exposition of the Blessed Sacrament after the morning Mass until midday. A hearty, simple soup lunch will be served in the hall from 12.15pm. All are welcome and your offerings go to support those in need both at home and overseas.

FRED WILLIAMS RIP: Our prayers are offered for Fred whose funeral Mass will be celebrated here on Monday afternoon at 2.30pm before cremation at South Bristol at 3.30pm. We pray that God will be good to Fred and bring him safely home. We remember Ron, all Fred’s family, and his friends in our prayers at this time.

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR: The Little Sisters are with us again on Saturday 5/Sunday 6 November making an appeal for their most valuable work at St Joseph’s. More details later. Also, you might like to make note of the Bingo night on Saturday 26 November (7.30pm) to raise money for the Little Sisters. Bingo and supper for £5. More details next week.