The Parish of Our Lady & the English Martyrs Cambridge
Our Lady of Lourdes, Sawston –
Saint Vincent de Paul, Ditton Lane
Bar Hill Church & Cambourne Church
Lent is the
Church's preparation for the celebration of Easter. The Liturgy prepares the catechumens (those seeking baptism through
purification and enlightenment) for the celebration of the paschal mystery by
the various stages of Christian initiation. Lent is also the season for the
whole Body of Christ to be cleansed and renewed as they recall their baptism and do penance in
preparation for Easter.
Lent has the
ability to draw us together and encourage us to a deeper life of prayer, fasting and charity as no other season can.
Although our personal observance of Lent may seem to be a private matter - just look at the Gospel for Ash
Wednesday -it takes place
within the entire community seeking to renew hearts and souls together, thus
strengthening our identity as the Church, the One Body of Christ.
During this
holy season, the Church both local and universal, prays for and supports those who are preparing for baptism and
reception into full communion at the Easter Vigil. We are invited to give witness to the faith of the Church,
to the hope that is within
us, while those preparing for the sacraments of initiation give witness to us by the intensity of their final
preparation. Lent is often called a journey. That means-that at the end of Lent
we should expect to find ourselves somewhere different from where we started. Our destination is
Easter, doorway to our promised
homeland. Lent isn't about self-improvement, therapy, one less chocolate
biscuit or diets. Lent is an
invitation to be transfigured and transformed evermore deeply into the likeness of Christ by walking
with Him to the Cross and through our baptism, celebrating more profoundly the Easter sacraments - principally
the Mass, source and summit of our faith.
We are
reconciled to God through the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord. We are called to not only abandon our sins
and turn wholeheartedly to the Lord, but
to recognise that when we do so we are welcomed home to the Father's house and lovingly embraced by Him. Our Lord
entrusted the ministry of reconciliation
to His Church by way of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) for the pardon of sins after baptism. The Church has
faithfully celebrated this sacrament throughout the centuries. So this is the season to return to Confession
- 'now is the acceptable
time' to be reconciled with the Lord and renewed by the grace of His loving forgiveness.
We offer ample
opportunity for the celebration of the sacrament each week throughout the year, but in the days leading up
to the Triduum, we offer many additional times. There
will also be a Penitential Service during Holy Week, and in other churches in the deanery, similar celebrations at around the
same time.
The Bishops of England and Wales
recognise that simple acts of witness, accompanied by sincere prayer, can be a
powerful call to faith. Traditional Catholic devotions such as making the sign
of the cross with care and reverence, praying the Angelus, saying a prayer before and after our meals, to name only a few,
are straightforward actions which both
dedicate certain moments in our daily lives to Almighty God and demonstrate our
love and trust in His goodness and providence. If these devotions have been lost or even forgotten, particularly in our
homes, we have much to gain from learning
and living them again.
The Bishops
also wish to remind us that every Friday is set aside as a special day of penitence, as it is the day of the suffering and death of the Lord. They
believe it is important that all the faithful again be united in a common,
identifiable act of Friday penance because
they recognise that the virtue of penitence is best acquired as part of a
common resolve and common witness.
The law of the Church requires
Catholics on Fridays to abstain from meat, or some other form of food, or to observe some other form of penance laid down
by the Bishops' Conference. The Bishops have decided to re-establish the
practice that this penance should be
fulfilled simply by abstaining from meat and by uniting this to prayer. Those who cannot or choose not to eat meat
as part of their normal diet should
abstain from some other food of which they regularly partake.
On Wednesdays in Lent, after the
12.15 Mass, there will be a hunger lunch in the Hall with offerings to CAFOD. On the first Friday in March (2nd)
there will be Mass at 7.30 followed
by breakfast with donations to CAFOD. Family Fast day is also on 2nd March
with a retiring collection at all Masses on the following Sunday. And don't
forget, for every £1 given to the CAFOD Give it up! appeal this Lent, including Lent Fast Day, the Government will donate
another £1 - doubling your donation and changing even more lives.
Our Parish
keeps Lent
Below you will
find 'what's on' in the parish during Lent, Holy Week and Easter.
This is by no
means exhaustive so please check the weekly newsletter for additions and any alterations to the programme.
During Lent we are asked to pray for
Candidates for the Sacraments; The Needy and
Hungry of the World; Penitents and Wanderers and for the election of a man of holiness and wisdom to be our bishop.
Ash Wednesday
- February 22nd
Mass at 8,9.30
(Sawston) 10,12.15 and 18.15 (sung)
Exposition of
the Blessed Sacrament - 14.30-15.30
Hunger Lunch in the Parish Hall
following the 12.15 Mass. Donations for CAFOD
Why not come to a weekday Mass as part of your
Lenten observance?
From Ash Wednesday the times of daily Mass at OLEM are changing to allow
more people at work to attend, either during
your lunch-break or on your way home at the end of the day.
Monday, Wednesday & Friday - Masses at 8
& 12.15.
Tuesday & Thursday at 8 & 18.15.
Saturday morning at 10.
There is in our parish a very strong tradition of Eucharistic exposition
deepening our awareness and experience of Christ's Eucharistic presence
enthroned on the Altar for our loving
adoration. Please see the newsletter for weekly times
Tuesday 17.30
Saturday 9,10.30 & 16.30
or by appointment with one of the clergy.
Additional times before Holy Week: March 26*,
28* at 0830 & 29* at 17.30
For Confession times during Holy Week please see
over
Evening Prayer of the Church with a devotional
homily will be sung on Saturdays 26* February, 18*
& 31st March at 17.15
We will walk the way of the Cross every Friday
evening in Lent at OLEM and Sawston beginning on Friday 24th
February at 7.30pm. In addition you can walk the way of the Cross yourself when the church is open during the day.
The Rosary is prayed every Saturday after the
10.00 Mass followed by refreshments in the Music Room.
The Prayer Group meet in the Music Room following the 12.15 Mass on Mondays while Morning Prayer will be offered at Sawston Mon-Fri at
9.15
Mass including the Laying on of hands and
Anointing of the Sick will take place on Saturday 10th March at
15.00 followed by refreshments in the Hall.
On Monday 19th March the Church
celebrates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Mass at 8 &
12.15 (Sung)
The Annunciation of The Lord to Our Lady is celebrated on Monday 26th March - Mass at 8 & 12.15
(Sung)
'Where does the Jesus Story Begin?' - A Lent
course based on reflections by Father Denis McBride.
Thursdays during Lent at 10.30 in the Music Room starting on 23rd February. Full details from antionette_askin@yahoo.co.uk
Tel:224850
Holy Week &
Easter
In Holy Week the Church celebrates the mysteries
of salvation accomplished by Christ in the last days of His earthly life, from His
messianic entry into Jerusalem, until His Blessed Passion and glorious
resurrection.
Palm Sunday of
the Passion of the Lord - 1st
April.
Masses with
Blessing of Palms Saturday 31st March
-18.00 (OLEM & Bar Hill) 17.00 Cambourne.
Sunday 1st
April - (OLEM) 8, 9.30 (Family) 10.45 (Solemn) beginning in St Alban's
Playground; 12.15 (Polish) 17.00 & 18.15 (Solemn Latin)
'(Sawston)
8.45 & 11.15 (Blackfriars
Priory- Extraordinary Form) 9.15
(Ditton) 10.15
Holy Monday -
2nd April
Masses at 8
& 12.15 Confessions at 8.30 Mass
at 9.30 (Sawston)
Masses at 8
& 11 (Hope House) 19.30 Penitential Service
Masses at 8
& 12.15 Confessions at 8.30
19.30 Diocesan Chrism Mass at Saint
John's Cathedral Norwich
Principal
Celebrant: H.E Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Conner
Holy Thursday
- 5th April
10 Confessions.
19.30 Solemn
Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper followed by Watching at the Altar of Repose until midnight. 23.45 Sung Compline
19.30 Evening
Mass of the Lord's Supper (Sawston)
9.30 Office of
Readings and Morning Prayer
10.00-11.00
Confessions
11.00 Stations
of the Cross for Children
15.00 Solemn
Celebration of the Lord's Passion (and at Sawston)
19.00 The
Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis sung by members of the Petrucci
Ensemble.
19.30 Stations
of the Cross
20.30 Taize Prayer around the Cross
Holy Saturday - 7th April
9.30 Office of
Readings & Morning Prayer
21.00 The
Easter Vigil (and at Sawston)
Easter Sunday
of the Lord's Resurrection - 8th April
Masses at OLEM
- 8, 9.30 (Family) 10.45 (Solemn) 12.15 (Polish) 17.00 18.15 (Solemn Latin)
Masses at
Sawston - 8.45 & 11.15
Mass at
Ditton-10.15
Mass
(Extraordinary Form) Blackfriars Priory - 9.15
Mass at Bar
Hill -12.00
Mass at
Cambourne - 17.00