OUR LADY OF LOURDES

& ST SWITHUN PARISH in Southsea 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 26TH February 2017

ENGLAND AND WALES CONSECRATED TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY Cardinal Vincent Nichols has crowned a statue of Our Lady of Fátima in the centenary year of Her appearance, and re-consecrated England and Wales to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At a packed Cardinal Nichols led the prayer of consecration, which includes the sentence: “To you and your Immaculate Heart, in this centenary year of the apparitions of Fátima, we re-consecrate ourselves in union not only with the Church, the Mystical Body of your Son, but also with the entire world.” The cardinal was renewing a consecration made by his predecessor as Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Bernard Griffin, in 1948. The National Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, and Relics of Blessed Jacinta and Francisco will be travelling around the country visiting various Cathedrals, including St John's from 26-27 August.

MONDAY 27TH February - THE ASCENT GROUP will meet in the Hall again from 2-15pm on Monday the 27th of February! The Guest Speaker will be Andrew Negus who will give his 3rd talk on the History of Portsmouth and that ‘guest attendees’ will be most welcome.

THE BEACON PROJECT Our next session will take place tomorrow, Monday 27 February when Sister Hyacinthe of the Dominican Sisters will be joining us to share on the New Evangelisation. The Beacon Project is for anyone aged 16+ who wants to come and spend some time in prayer, hear some great teaching and meet other Catholics from around the Pastoral Area. @ St Swithun’s 1930-2100. For more information please contact Paul Vacher on [email protected] --- from 7.00PM to 9.00PM PREPARATION COURSE in Polish (part 2), led by Fr Marcin. The course is dedicated for Polish couples or for Mix Couples - Polish part & other nationality part.

TUESDAY 28TH February - - Know your Faith. You can give your email to St Marie-Elise, Fr Marcin or send it to [email protected] - *** ‘HEAR GOD’S VOICE’- from 7.40 PM to 9.00 PM in the church hall we have a special form of the Scripture Meetings opened for the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Everyone is welcome - no register, no checking the list (the next ones this year 2017: 7th, 14th, 21st March).

ASH WEDNESDAY 1st MARCH 2017 day of fasting and abstinence: 10.00 am – Holy Mass at St Swithun’s church with whole St Swithun’s Catholic Primary School (with distributing the ashes). 7.00 pm – Holy Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes church (with distributing the ashes); 8.15 pm – Holy Mass at St Swithun’s church in Polish (with distributing the ashes); (next days of the week on page 4 of the Newsletter)

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for March 2017

Support for Persecuted Christians - That persecuted Christians may be supported by the prayers and material help of the whole Church.

The Month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus - We don't know much about him except what is mentioned in the Gospels. Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. Holy Scripture proclaims him as a "just man," and the Church has turned to Joseph for his patronage and protection.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Dear Friends the spiritual. The body is not a thing, but it is part of our Today, a few day before we’ll start LENT let’s prepare humanity. It was sin that made Adam and Eve begin to feel ourselves for the special time with this meditation. shame. They then lost the original harmony, they lost purity of The liturgical year is not like a stage. The language of gaze free of the desire of appropriation of another person. The the characters shows the truth about God and man. Lent tells body is a source of pleasure, and so is God's plan, but the desire us that our life is a struggle. We are not alone. Christ carrying for pleasure is excessive. The search for pleasure cannot decide the cross goes with us. To confront evil together with Christ - on our choices and attitudes. The body is also a source of is the essence of Lent! suffering, and fear of pain is so crippling that it deprives the The concept of "spiritual warfare" is a classic human capacity of difficult goodness, of sacrifice. The ability to of Christian spirituality. It is also our daily bread. Each of us control the body of a man obtained by asceticism, mortification, fights against the evil around us, in itself. It ends a long year's fasting, determination of fair borders for pleasure. In all this, it is important that the body is always treated as an integral part of carnival. Before us Lent, a time of penance, that is spiritual man, created in the image of God, not to treat carnality warfare. But the fight against whom? About what? And how? (sexuality) as 'pure' biology, which must carry out its instincts. A spiritual war takes place on several fronts. In general, The man does not have to sin. Meditation of the Way of the Cross in classic ascetical literature there are four areas of struggle: - looking into the faith of the tortured body of the Saviour - is a 1. The fight against sin; 2. The fight against Satan; 3. The fight spiritual therapy after injuries caused by improper treatment of against the body; 4 The fight against the world. Today, a few our or another’s body. words on each of these fronts. 4. FIGHT WITH THE WORLD --- And again we have to 1. FIGHT AGAINST SIN ---- The thing seems clear. The author remember not to make the mistake of thinking of the world as of the Letter to the Hebrews notes: "In your struggle against our enemy. There is often a lot of confusion here. The world sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your was created by God as good. But the value of a man is bigger blood" [Hebrew 12, 4]. Until the bloodshed. And what is than the value of the world. Because of man's sin the world happening today? We are witnessing the slight of sin, any push has been contaminated, damaged. The world has become an of the boundaries between good and evil, often in the name of area of remaining 'in the service of Satan'. St. John in the wrongly understood autonomy of conscience. We fail to sense uses the word 'world'. He points to the conflict between recognize our own faults. We justify so many things by the the 'world' and Christ: 'If the world hates you, know that it circumstances, by the load of past injury. Instead of a solid has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the examination of conscience and repentance, we are looking for world would love its own; but you are not of the world, but I excuses and mitigating circumstances. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, chose you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you." [J a converted soldier, was one of the strategists of spiritual 15: 18-19] warfare. In his spiritual exercises he recommends meditation to Today it is stressed that the poisoning of the ask God for "a great and deep sorrow of the soul and of tears environment is the result of human selfishness, lust for money, because of the sins.” And then he asks us to look straight to irresponsibility, stupidity. Fair enough, but there is a similar, God, against whom we have sinned, to scream “a cry full of much more dangerous environmental contamination of surprise and great love.” With such a prayer flows the strength culture, philosophy, science, politics, media, and all areas of to continue to fight against sin. life. John Paul II spoke of the 'culture of death'. So many 2. FIGHT AGAINST SATAN ---- "Be sober, be watchful. Your wreaking havoc e.g., pornography. The fight with the world adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking therefore requires a critical look at the whole of reality. We someone to devour” [1 Peter 5.8]. Today, we see two wrong need to recognize and call evil by its name. And it is not at all approaches: disbelief in the existence of the Devil or an 'condemning or judging everything around', as they say unhealthy, excessive interest in him. The devil influences a man proponents of the naive 'dialogue with the world.' It's all in different ways. He plays his diabolically tuned instruments about discernment. A word of importance but often that are within us, which we ourselves provide (disordered misunderstood. Discernment is looking at the world in the affection, excitement, weaknesses of character, bad habits, light of faith: know the difference between evil and good, in etc.). The scale of the impact of evil in a man may vary from order to denounce evil and choose the good. Discernment is simple temptations by Satan's bondage (addiction, obsession not about the acceptability of any attitudes and choices, for with evil), to possession. In the case of possession exorcism is example due to the so-called - complex situation. required; that is the official prayer of the Church for the Discernment must be used to identify what is the will of God, release conducted by a priest exorcist. But every day in each and not a 'blessing' of all human choices. Peter one day heard 'Our Father' we utter short exorcism: 'Deliver us from evil', Jesus saying to him 'Get behind me, Satan!’ Why? Because that is, from sin, from Satan. The devil has his strategy - he 'you are thinking not in the way of God, but the human'. wants to cut off man from the source of his strength - of Discernment is unmasking 'global', 'human' thinking in order communion with God and men. Satan attacks us consistently to receive God's point of view, that is, to convert. And to say through our weakest points. The temptation comes under the to the devil - 'Get out!’ guise of good and promises a bigger, easier happiness. The Spiritual warfare has a community dimension. In the past devil is the father of lies and is not easy to unmask. He is a we talked about the so-called Church militant (Ecclesia master of illusion, continually disturbing us in our minds, in militans). After the Second Vatican Council it put this notion to our hearts. How to fight it? First of all, do not argue, do not rest. Pope Benedict XVI said: "The concept of the church combine, stick to the sacraments, prayer, the Word of God, the fighting today is not fashionable. In fact, however, we Church. Expose in ourselves any deception, pretences. Repeat understand better now that it captures something of the truth. We with faith: 'Jesus, I trust in you!’ God gives strength; without see that evil wants to control the world and it is necessary to Him we have no chance. ‘You can do nothing without me’ [J take up the fight against evil." Do we realize the degree of 15, 5]. secularization of the world? It is not that the world 3. FIGHT AGAINST THE BODY ----- This is yet another front. today secularizes the Church faster than the Church evangelizes Be careful not to fall into Manichaeism, which recognizes the world? Christ says: 'In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world '[John 16, 33]. body as evil. God created man as a being substantially - With love, friendship and prayers – Fr Marcin

1917 - 2017: 100th Anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady in Fatima - (last part of apparition from 13th May 1917) The children remained kneeling in the flood of this wondrous light, until the Lady spoke again, mentioning the war in Europe, of which they had little or no knowledge. - Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war. After that She began to rise slowly in the direction of the east, until she disappeared in the immense distance. The light that encircles Her seemed to make a way amidst the stars, and that is why we sometimes said we had seen the heavens open. The days that followed were filled with excitement, though they had not intended it that way. Lucia had cautioned the others to keep their visitor a secret, correctly perceiving the difficulties they would experience if the events became known. However, the joy of seven year old Jacinta could not be contained, and she rather promptly forgot her promise and revealed all to her mother, who patiently listened but gave it little credence. Her brothers and sisters piped in with their questions and jokes. Among the interrogators only her father, "Ti" Marto, was inclined immediately to accept the tale as true. He believed in the honesty of his children, and had a simple appreciation of the workings of God, such that he became the first believer in the apparitions of Fátima. Lucia's mother, on the other hand, when at last she heard what had transpired, believed her own daughter to be the instigator of a fraud, if not a blasphemy. Lucia would quickly learn what the Lady meant when she said they would suffer a great deal. Maria Rosa was unable to get Lucia to recant, event under threats. Finally she hauled her before the parish priest, Fr. Ferreira, with no better success. On the other hand, Lucia's father, who was not especially religious, was practically indifferent, attributing all of it to the fancies of women. The next few weeks, as the children awaited their scheduled appointment with the lady in June, would reveal that they had few believers, and many detractors, in Aljustrel and Fátima. ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH - (105 Waverley Road, Southsea PO5 2PL) DAY OF THE WEEK TIME INTENTION OF FEASTS & MEMORIALS Readings of THE HOLY MASS of the Holy Liturgy a day EIGHTH SUNDAY IN Isaiah 49: 14-15; 8.30 am + John Bernard Bullock RIP ORDINARY TIME 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5; 10.15 am + Carmen Labiano RIP Liturgy of the Lord’s Day 26-02-2017 Matthew 6: 24-34; 6.00 pm Mass in Polish: known to God

Monday 27-02-2017 9.30 am Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament Feria

8TH Week in Ordinary Time Ecclesiasticus 17:24-29 10.00 am Barbara Drabik Birthday Mark 10: 17-27;

intention (Fr Marcin’s Mum) 10.30 am We pray the Rosary Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament Tuesday 28-02-2017 9.30 am Feria

TH 10.00 am +Maurice Marshall Phillipson RIP 8 Week in Ordinary Time Ecclesiasticus 35: 1-12 10.30 am We pray the Rosary Evening Mass For the Grace Mark 10: 28-31; 7.00 pm + Lawrence Ellul RIP of a Happy Death Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament Wednesday 01-03-2017 9.30 am ASH WEDNESDAY 10.00 am Brother David Joel 2: 12-18; 2Corinthians 5: 20-6:2 11.00 am We pray the Rosary Beginning of The Season of Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18; 8.15 pm Mass in Polish: For family members LENT Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament Thursday 02-03-2017 9.30 am After Ash Wednesday 10.00 am + Anthony Stafford RIP Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Luke 9: 22-25; 10.30 am We pray the Rosary Rosary

Friday 03-03-2017 9.30 am Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament After Ash Wednesday

10.00 am Souls in Purgatory Isaiah 58: 1-9a; (First Friday of the Month) 10.30am Stations of the Cross Matthew 9: 14-15; 6.30pm Stations of the Cross 7.00 pm MASS in LATIN: Aubrey Family Votive Mass of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 7.30 pm Stations of the Cross in Polish Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament Saturday 04-03-2017 9.30 am 10.00 am Fr Kazimierz Stefek intention St Casimir Isaiah 58: 9b-14;

(First Saturday of the Month) Luke 5: 27-32; 10.30 am We pray the Rosary

8.30 am + John Bernard Bullock RIP Genesis 2: 7-9; 3: 1-7; FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT 10.15 am + Elizabeth Enoch Carrew RIP 05-03-2017 Liturgy of the Lord’s Day Romans 5: 12-19; 5.15 pm Lenten Lamentations with a Matthew 4: 1-11; Passion Narrative (in Polish) 6.00 pm Mass in Polish: Deceased of family OUR LADY OF LOURDES CHURCH (Bransbury Road, Portsmouth PO4 9JY) Wednesday 01-03-2017 7.00 pm For intention of David Joel 2: 12-18; ASH WEDNESDAY 2Corinthians 5: 20-6:2 Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18; Thursday 02-03-2017 12.00 noon Catherine d’Espagnac intention Deuteronomy 30:15-20 After Ash Wednesday Luke 9: 22-25; 12.30pm Stations of the Cross Saturday 04-03-2017 6.00 pm Genesis 2: 7-9; 3: 1-7; VIGIL MASS of SUNDAY Catherine d’Espagnac intention Liturgy of the Lord’s Day Romans 5: 12-19; Matthew 4: 1-11; OFFERTORY: Thank you for last Sunday’s Offertory. The total amount was: £1237.8 (53.29% Gift Aid). As always, your generosity is much appreciated. Your donations make the life and work of the Parish possible. THANK YOU!!! LIFE HOUSE - food collection as usual on the First Sunday of each month - NEXT WEEKEND. Donations of tinned and packaged non-perishable food.

Our Parish Lenten project this year is dedicated to build up in our Parish a Youth Ministry with two or three enthusiastic leaders - ambassadors. We need your support to start to gather young people of our Parish and to prepare them to be involved to evangelize and support children, teenagers to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our YOUTH will go out to reach our schools, streets and will help us to show the beauty of the Liturgy of the Church. Please, support the project this Lent that we will be able to create very fruitful Youth Ministry among us.

THURSDAY 2ND March - Stations of the Cross at Our Lady of Lourdes church at 12.20PM

FRIDAY 3RD March - Stations of the Cross at 10.30am, 6.20pm & at 7.30pm (in Polish) - theme of the Way of the Cross this week - ‘FOLLOWING JESUS’. - Our ‘Parish Cinema’ shows the next film: “ROMAN TRIPTYCH” - (65 min), will be shown on Friday 3RD March 2017 at 7.30PM, in the church hall - in the special Lenten way. ROMAN TRIPTYCH is based purely on original words of John Paul II. From Ruah ("The Spirit of God hovered above the waters") through three major panels: "The Stream", "Meditations on the Book of Genesis and the Threshold of the Sistine Chapel" and "A Hill in the Land of Moria", THE ROMAN TRIPTYCH is a beautiful, spiritual journey that most people face in universal aspect. If someone even says "I'm an atheist", it does not mean he/she gives up a search, a sort of seeking "The Word". First, it usually takes place at the admiration of nature and that is what appears at the beginning - a stream.

SATURDAY 4TH March - 11.10am to 11.50am - Formation meeting for Altar Servers and all those who would like to join the group of young people to serve God and people during the Holy Liturgy. We meet in the church. ------at 11.00am - RITE OF ELECTION in Portsmouth Cathedral. Please pray for Michael Barter & Matt Haynes from our Parish, who will be presented to the Bishop at the Rite of Election. They will join many others from across the Diocese all of whom are preparing to be baptised or received into the Church this Easter.

Dearest Parishioners, Dear Friends - Thank You for last week fruitful time in our Parish. We had fantastic time with 8 Polish couples during the Marriage Preparation Course, so powerful messages during our Scripture Meeting ‘Hear God’s Voice’ and absolutely shocking time with last film showed in our ‘Parish Cinema’. And of course most of all the time with real presence of God in the Sacraments. This week we start Lenten period of the Liturgical Year and a new month. I’m sure we will use this time to be closer to love of God, the love with no limits - we can renew this message from God attending the Stations of the Cross and other activities which we can find in the Newsletter, and which will give us the opportunity to recognize His presence among us. Please take and keep the leaflet. I would like to thank also our Dear Helen Jones, who celebrated with us last Sunday morning her 25 years’ service for us as the Extra-ordinary Minister of the Holy Communion. Thank You Helen again and may God bless You for your dedication for all of us. Dear CHILDREN, please remember, that from next Sunday Mass will be given special cards to collect some inspiring stickers with sorrowful Jesus. The children, who will be able to collect all 6 stickers during six Sundays of Lent 2017 will be promoted and rewarded in some surprising and hopefully exciting for them and their family way. Please, collect from Sister Marie Elise the Lenten Card and from Fr Marcin the first sticker on 5th March - First Sunday of Lent. SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION: MONDAY TO SATURDAY 9.30am to 9.55am at St Swithun’s Tuesday: 6:30 pm to 6:55 at St Swithun’s; Friday: 6:00 pm to 6:20 at St Swithun’s Saturday: 5.30pm - 5.55pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Sunday: 4:45 pm to 5:10 pm at St Swithun’s and by request Please pray for those who are ill, especially: Joan Smith, John Williams, Margaret Bager, Monika Madigan, Fred Vuksani, Tom & Lily, Greta Kemp, Magda K, Mary Wallis, Micheline and Ted Thompson, Pat Needham, Margaret Badger, Rosemary Ashton, Anne Sullivan, Catherine Morgan, Arthur Tobin, Jo Wheeler and Josephine Butler. and all whose anniversaries occur at this time: 19th February: Anne O’Neill, Provost Bernard Lindsay, Ivy Walsh, Hilda Ralls, Wendy Gray, James "Jim" Russell, Dennis Kavanagh, Arthur Berry, May O'Shea, May Ellen Currie, Bob McCulla, Timothy Kidney, Clifford Young, Kathleen Elizabeth Bidois, Gwen Tyrel, William Anderson, James Harrison, baby Tom Denny, Catherine Smith, Mary Cox, Charles Porter, Joan Lightowlers, Lily May Clark, Michael Joseph Lynch, Sydney Donovan, Marion Russell, Anne Tall, Gladys Garner, Philibert Hudson, Grace Thompson, Ellen Rachel Hall, Noelle Martin, Arthur Vincent Aston, Jane Whittington, Julie O'Connell, John Hehir, Nonie Kavanagh, Monica Phelps, Violet Ellison, Joseph James Garcia, Mary Stacey, Alexander Finnigan, Mary Tankins, Clara Jessop, Adrienne da Gama and Edith A Wilcox. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

______PARISH PRIEST: Father Marcin Drabik, tel: 02392 828305; e-mail: [email protected]; 105 Waverley Road, Southsea, PO5 2PL; Pastoral Assistant: Sr Marie Elise Tel: 07747 728734; Safeguarding Representative: Val Croughan - 023 9234 1682; (Parish Office: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8.00am –12.30pm) Tel: 02392828305 e-mail: [email protected]