Please watch the video below from the Cardinal about the Pentecost Novena which starts after the Feast of the Ascension on Thursday.

A message from Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am very happy to announce to you that the annual Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians will take place on the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Sunday, 9th May 2021), with the participation of Christians from all over Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa and India.

This Day of Prayer – promoted by the French charitable organization, L’Oeuvre d’Orient and its UK counterpart, Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE) in partnership with the Congregation for Oriental Churches – will offer Eastern and Western Christians an opportunity to be united in prayer during the time of Easter.

It will offer us in the West an opportunity to think of the Eastern Churches and to give thanks to God for all that we owe them: the first preaching of the Gospel, the origins of the monastic tradition, the early Church Fathers, and above all the witness of the Eastern Christians down the centuries, which has been, and still is, an inspiration to our faith. This Day could also be an occasion to give thanks for the recent pilgrimage of Pope Francis to Iraq and to draw inspiration from its message of solidarity, fraternity and hope.

Today, the Eastern Christians, many of whom are suffering from the effects of war and from discrimination, now face the added crisis of the Covid epidemic, with its threat to their livelihood, health and well-being. This is a crisis within an already existing crisis! They deserve our prayerful support.

In commending this Day of Prayer to you, may I suggest that you bring it to the attention of your family and friends, perhaps sharing with them the following prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray today for peace in the world, especially in the Middle East. By your heavenly grace, strengthen the faith and hope of Eastern Christians. May they be blessed with peace and prosperity in their countries. May we be inspired by their devotion and witness to the Gospel, by their love and compassion for all in their communities, and by their courage, their endurance and self-sacrifice. Through their charity, tolerance and friendship, bring peace and reconciliation to those troubled lands, where Christianity was born and first spread. This we ask of you through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I trust that this Day of Prayer, despite the restrictions caused by the current pandemic, will bring comfort and assurance to Eastern Christians. In our solidarity and communion, may we all be renewed by the hope we place in the Risen Christ.
With the assurance of my prayers and with my warmest wishes for a joyful celebration of Easter,

​Yours in Christ
Michael Cardinal Fitzgerald M.Afr

If you would like to join each shrine online, go to the link of Vatican YouTube Channel below. 

The Holy Father has asked us all to prayer the Rosary to plead for an end to the pandemic. He is doing this by focussing on a different Marian Shrine around the world each day.  We are very privileged in England that he has chose Walsingham for his prayers on May 1st. Unfortunately, this news reached us only yesterday and was too late for our bulletin last Sunday  but if you do read this, please join the community of Walsingham in the praying rosary at 5.00pm tomorrow, May 1st. IF you wish, you can also join them virtually by clicking Feast of St Joseph the Worker - Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady (walsingham.org.uk)

Today is Vocations Sunday
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Vocations Sunday or Good Shepherd Sunday and is marked as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The purpose of this day is to fulfil Jesus' instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38). While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates her attention today on raising up shepherds for God's people - vocations to Holy Orders (the priesthood and diaconate) and to the Consecrated life (religious life, secular institutes and various forms of consecrated single life.) - while encouraging all who are discerning their vocation to pray more earnestly that they may hear and respond to God's call.
Our Diocesan Vocations Office produces materials for our parishes, schools and universities to mark this day. Physical copies of posters and prayer cards are sent to parishes and schools in the diocese and digital copies can be downloaded from  
https://www.vocations.org.uk/vocations-sunday

​ The Clergy Training Fund
On Vocations Sunday we are not only asked to pray for vocations but also to financially support the training of Priests and Deacons in our diocese. Today’s second collection will therefore support our seminarians- men in formation to be our future priests of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. It will also contribute towards the formation of deacons who serve in parishes across our diocese.
As well as the second collection today, there are also leaflets (featuring our own Fr Sean on the front!) which show you how you can support the Clergy Training fund by Standing Order and Gift Aid. Full details are in the leaflet. Please take one to find out more.
 
 
Prayer for Vocations Sunday
God our Father,
you call each of us to follow Jesus, your Son,
on the path he has marked out for us -
the way of charity, service and fulfilment.
May the homes and parishes
of the Archdiocese of Birmingham
be blessed with ever-renewed dedication
to the work of building up your kingdom here on earth.
May those whom you call
to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life
faithfully give themselves
to the service of your Church.
Prompted and strengthened by your Holy Spirit,
may I respond generously to the call
to follow you each day and live out my vocation,
to give you glory, for the good of those around me
and for my own happiness.​
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
​Amen.
 
The bulletin is now ready to download from the ONLINE ACTIVITES AND BULLETIN page.

In St Luke's Gospel this week we learn more about the nature of the Resurrected body of Jesus when he asks for something to eat and the astounded apostles give him some grilled fish!

The Bulletin is now ready to download from the ONLINE ACTIVITIES AND BULLETIN page.

The bulletin is now ready to download from the Online Activities and Bulletin page. Please note that the printed version of the bulletin in Church has a mistake in it. Dan O'Hara's Funeral is at 12.30pm on Friday. The online version of the bulletin now has the  correct time on it. 

On Friday 9th April, the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh was announced. The Cardinal will celebrate the 12.30 Mass in Westminster Cathedral today, Saturday 10th April for the repose of the soul of Prince Philip. Please join him via livestream at: https://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/

Following the sad news, Cardinal Vincent offered prayers for the repose of his soul: "At this moment of sadness and loss I pray for the repose of the soul of Prince Philip, Her Majesty the Queen’s faithful and loyal husband. I pray for the Queen and all of the Royal Family."

"How much we will miss Prince Philip’s presence and character, so full of life and vigour. He has been an example of steadfast loyalty and duty cheerfully given. May he rest in peace."

Vatican News also produced an article about the interview they had with the Cardinal about Prince Philip that can be accessed using the button below.

The Bulletin is now ready to print from the Online Activities and Bulletin page. All of our Easter Masses are now booked so please consider coming to any of the Easter Weekday Masses instead. It will also be possible to watch Mass on you phone in your car outside at SS Peter & Paul and after Mass I will bring Holy Communion to you. God Bless, Fr Mark

As Watching in the church is not allowed under the current coronavirus guidelines, we will have an hour's watching online from 10.00pm to 11.00pm tonight.
This will finish with Night Prayer of the Church at 10.45pm. The text for Night prayer can be found on our Watch Live page.