Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
Next Sunday we hold our Remembrance Day Requiem Masses following, in the case of Harwich/Dovercourt, a wreath-laying ceremony before the Calvary outside church. At both Sunday Masses we will remember the war dead and will hold a two-minute silence – in the case of Frinton/Walton at the beginning of Mass, and in the case of Harwich/Dovercourt as part of the wreath-laying ceremony.
On Remembrance Sunday we not only remember those who have died, but also focus on our hard-won freedom and rededicate ourselves to eradicating persecution. Sadly, this is not a thing of the past. In many parts of the world our sisters and brothers in Christ face discrimination and persecution, many in those parts of the world where our Catholic Christian Faith first put down its roots.
Last year, Aid to the Church in Need UK launched a ground-breaking campaign calling UK Christians and others to stand up for faith and freedom and to shine a light on the discrimination and violence faced by millions of Christians around the world today – the most oppressed faith group in the world!
With this in mind we are holding retiring collections next weekend for Aid to the Church in Need. This money will go directly to helping to protect our fellow Christians in those parts of the world where they face appalling persecution.
I know you will give generously, and I thank you in advance.
May God bless you, and may the souls of your dear departed ones rest in peace.
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:
A priest and a vicar are standing by the roadside holding up a sign that reads, “The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!” A passing driver yells, “You guys are nuts!” and speeds past them. From around the curve they hear screeching tyres – then a big splash. The priest turns to the vicar and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Collapsed’ instead?”