MASS TIMES: FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 6.00pm Una and Charlie McKay. 8.30am People of the Parish. 10.30am Tony Mann. MONDAY 7.00pm Advent feria Brigid Moyles. TUESDAY 10.00am Advent feria Winnie and John Webb. CHRISTMAS EVE 5.00pm Vigil Mass Brigid Moyles. 9.00pm Mass in the Night Thanksgiving. SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD 8.30am Bayliss and Semple families. 10.30am Sarah & Michael McDonnell. FRIDAY 10.00am Saint Stephen, first martyr Mary and George Green. SATURDAY 10.00am Saint John, Apostle, Evangelist Frank Tuite. FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH 6.00pm People of the Parish. 8.30am P J and Louise Driscoll. 10.30am Kathleen Duffy.
CONFESSION – 5.15pm on Saturday or contact Fr Neil (01213512161) or email fr.neil.bayliss@rcaob.org.uk to arrange a mutually convenient time and place.
CHRISTMAS POST BOX – The Post Box is available for you to post Christmas cards to your friends in the parish.
CHRISTMAS TREES / DECORATIONS – Volunteers are needed to assemble the crib and decorate our church and the Christmas trees. When? Monday December 22nd at 10.00am. Many hands make light work. With plenty of helpers, this should be completed by 11.00am. The Christmas trees have once again been donated by the Turfrey family. This year, in memory of their father, Tony Turfrey.
CHRISTMAS CRIB OFFFERING – Your Crib Offerings this year will be donated to the Erdington Food Bank.
CHRISTMAS DAY COLLECTIONS – The offertory collection taken at all Christmas Day Masses will be for your Parish Priest.
PRAYER MARATHON – A parishioner will be undertaking a prayer marathon in the Lady Chapel on Sunday December 21st from 12noon until 7.00pm. On that day, please do not disturb them. If you have a prayer intention, please hand it to Father Neil.
READERS AT THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES are: TEAMS 6.00pm R2 8.30am R9 10.30am R14
MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION are: TEAMS 6.00pm EM2 8.30am EM8 10.30am EM14
MASS ATTENDANCE December 13th / 14th 6.00pm 136 8.30am 111 10.30am 162
PARISH PILGRIMAGE 2026 – ROME, SAN GIOVANNI (PADRE PIO), LORETO AND ASSISI 10 days at £1,450 00 September 21st – September 30th Birmingham flights. To book a place, please contact Northern Star Travel directly on info@northernstartravel.com Telephone: 0161 773 2115.
MASS INTENTIONS – FULLY BOOKED – Fr Neil is unable to accept any Mass requests until mid-February. However, if you are happy for another priest to say the Mass it can be arranged, just not at Holy Cross.
GUILD OF SAINT STEPHEN – Altar servers in Year 4 will be awarded their Guild Servers’ medals at the 10.00am Mass on Saint Stephen’s Day, December 26th.
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THE CHILDREN’S LITURGY GROUP – invite children to an Epiphany Party on Sunday 11th January 2026, following 10:30am Mass until 1.30pm. to be held in the Church Hall at a cost of £2.50 per child (maximum £5.00 for 2 or more children). We look forward to welcoming as many children as possible. Please complete an Invite Proforma (available from Liturgy Group or from a table in the Church entrance), and return it to a Liturgy Leader as soon as possible. If you have any queries, please contact Dawn Tansley on 07989 213029.
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SAINT OF THE WEEK – Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He was one of seven deacons who helped the apostles: he was’’ filled with faith and the Holy Spirit’’ and was ‘’full of fortitude’’. However, after a dispute with members of the synagogue of ‘’Roman Freedmen’’, he was denounced for blasphemy against God and Moses and speaking against the temple and the Law. Stephen was tried before the Sanhedrin. He was condemned and stoned to death by an infuriated mob, which was encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, later to be known as Saint Paul the Apostle. After Paul’s own conversion to Christianity, he makes reference to witnessing Stephen’s martyrdom. The Feast of Saint Stephen is celebrated on December 26th.
The ‘O’ Antiphons – An antiphon is a short verse that is used like a refrain used in the singing of psalms. The ‘O Antiphons’ are the antiphons that are said or sung before and after the Magnificat on the seven days preceding Christmas Eve (17–23 December). They all begin ‘O…’ hence their name. The antiphons use texts from the Bible, both Old and New Testament, that Christians understand to refer to Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah. People who do not know the antiphons from Evening Prayer may well know them from the Advent hymn ‘O come, O come, Emmanuel’. 20 December – O Clavis David O Key of David. 21 December – O Oriens O Morning Star. 22 December – O Rex Gentium O King of the nations. 23 December – O Emmanuel O Emmanuel.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK IN OUR PARISH – May the Lord grant them consolation, peace and healing and to all involved in health care in hospital or in the community, grace, strength and perseverance.
IN MEMORIAM – Please pray for the repose of the souls of parishioners whose anniversaries occur at this time: Catherine Purcell, Annie O’Connor, Margaret Morgan, Paul Tarmey, Ellen Davis, Hugh Callan, Philomena Quinn, John Jackson, Maureen Taylor, John Joseph Flynn and Sylvia Duffy.
+ REST IN PEACE + Please pray for the repose of the soul of Margaret Atherley who died recently. May she rest in peace.