Tag Archives: advent

An Advent for all!

3 churches, advent,

Advent this year has some real highlights, starting with this Sunday evening!

There will be beautiful music for Advent and Christmas in St Brigid’s at 7.30pm when “In The Stillness” is a concert given by the Elizabeth Singers with our own Max Davies. There is nothing like music to set the scene for events, and when it is as good as this will be, I’m sure we will all be smiling our way towards Christmas. There will be refreshments to follow. Free entry with retiring collection. Don’t miss it…

Meanwhile, on Saturday of this week a wonderful Catholic Youth Retreat will take place with young people from all corners of the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the Diocese of Menevia! Are you a teenager or young adult? Join us on Saturday 16 December in Swansea for a day filled with joy, inspiration, and spiritual growth. This is a follow-up to World Youth Day in Lisbon in July, but also it is the launch of a Youth Service for the Catholic church here in South Wales, something we have looked towards for a long time… What to expect? Mass with Archbishop Mark… Uplifting music from 99. One… Inspiring talks and insightful conversations… Delicious food to fuel your spirit… Two streams available: ages 13 to 18 and ages 18 and above. To register, please email Deacon Christian Mahoney at: christian.mahoney@rcadc.org or call him on: 07764 515864.

Then next Sunday, so-called Gaudete Sunday is also Bambinelli Sunday in our 3 Churches. At all weekend Masses in all 3 churches, you are invited to bring the figure of the baby Jesus from your crib at home. During the Mass the images will be blessed, ready for you to place in your crib at Christmas. This lovely tradition from Italy (bambinelli means little children) has taken off here in Britain too in recent years. Children love it, but anyone can bring their little figures to the altar when the priest invites us – young and not-so-young!

Lastly, we have our 3 Churches Carol Service on Tuesday 19 December 6pm at St Brigid’s, led by our younger children from Christ the King, our parish school.

So there’s a lot going on this Advent in our 3 Churches. Make sure you are part of it…

Fr Matthew

Coming up… Advent

3 churches, advent,

Next weekend sees the start of the great season of Advent. First, we have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation at our joint Penitential Service at St Brigid’s on Saturday at 11.30am. The First Sunday is marked by a Family Mass at Christ the King church and a lovely talk about Our Lady, so central to Advent and Christmas, in the evening at Christ the King Parish Centre.

Here are the details about what’s happening in Advent 2023:

Saturday 2 December
11.30am Penitential Service at St Brigid’s

Sunday 3 December
9.30am Family Mass at Christ the King
7.15pm “Mary the Mother of Jesus” talk at Christ the King Parish Centre

Sunday 10 December
 7.30pm Advent and Christmas Concert by the Elizabeth Singers at St Brigid’s

Sunday 17 December
All Masses. ‘Bambinelli’ blessing

Tuesday 19 December
6.30pm Carol Service at St Brigid’s

Thursday 21 December
10.30am Advent and Christmas Mass at Christ the King School

Sunday 24 December Sunday Masses
9am St Paul’s
9.30am Christ the King
10.30am St Brigid’s

Sunday 24 December Christmas Vigil
6pm St Paul’s
6pm Christ the King
8pm St Brigid’s

Christmas Day Masses
9am St Paul’s
9.30am Christ the King
10.30am St Brigid’s

A little child and I

newsletter,

The Fourth Sunday of Advent in the Year of Matthew – Year A in the lectionary – gives prominence to St Joseph’s role in the Christmas story. This is a poem written from his point of view, that I found – a little sentimental but charming. Let’s not forget St Joseph!

“We walked through the field of wheat
– a little Child and I.
His face was as fair as the dawn,
his eyes as bright as the sky.
O’er hillside and valley we went,
through blossom strewn meadow and glade. He held my hand as I told him the names
of all the flowers he made.

We worked at the carpenter’s bench
a beautiful Child and l.
The air was still as the star light,
and the Mother of Grace was nigh.
The burden of labour and toil
were sweet, though hard was my trade,
for I taught the heavenly Child to use
the tools which he had made.

We gathered for even tide prayer
– a Child, the Mother and I.
The only sound was the vesper song
of the birds that were flying by.
We gazed at the sinking sun
As the light began to fade
and saw a flame from
the heart of the Child
by whose power all things were made”

Fr Matthew

Advent and Christmas

advent, Christmas,

This Tuesday we celebrate our Advent Service at 7pm at St Brigid’s. This will mark this important season in a beautiful and creative way. Please join us in the church or via live-streaming. During Advent we will be seeking support for our Food Market.

Booking is necessary for any of our six Christmas Masses as follows:

Full details for our Advent and Christmas activities are on our 3 Churches Advent and Christmas Info Sheet.

It’s Advent…

advent

Dear parishioners and friends of our 3 Churches,

It’s Advent – a new Church year. The season’s themes point us to the future, and we are invited to prepare not just for the great feast of December 25 .

This first Sunday we also prepare for the great Second Coming of Christ, and so find ourselves “in between”. We are in between the first and second advents of Jesus. Our faith rooted in the first gives us great expectation of the second, and a firm and clear route to get from the one to the other – the road of the Gospel.

As the Year of the Word moves to its conclusion, let us set out on this royal road with renewed faith and conviction.

Fr Matthew