stjeannajuganleeds

CELEBRATION OF MARRIED LIFE

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:25:43 GMT

There will be a special Celebration Mass for Married Life, Leeds Cathedral, Saturday 16th May, 12noon for couples and their families celebrating 25th (Silver), 40th (Ruby), 50th (Golden), 60th (Diamond) and 70th (Platinum) wedding anniversaries this year. There will be an opportunity for couples to renew their marriage vows. If you would like to take part in this celebration, please complete the application form, available at the back of church (return details on form).

PARISH SOCIAL EVENT

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:45:13 GMT

PARISH SOCIAL, FRIDAY 15 MAY AT ST URBAN’S SCHOOL : Tickets for our parish social evening are on sale at the back of our churches. It is not always easy for us all to come together as a community across two churches; this is a great opportunity to come together as a community to meet old friends and make new ones.

Please do come along to this important event. Fr Chris

Supporting a good cause

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 20:37:52 GMT

Carmel O’Donovan, one our parishioners will be running the Boston Marathon to raise funds for the Montfort Missionaries in Malawi. The funds raised go towards building a Catholic nursery where Camel’s brother, FR Charles Beirne is currently serving. This is a great cause and Carmel will appreciate your help. Donations can be made at JustGiving

https://justgiving.com/page/carmel-boston-marathon?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=wa

Fr Chris away

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 20:30:13 GMT

TIME OUT: From Monday the 20th of April until Saturday the 2nd of May, I will be on pilgrimage following the footsteps of St Paul in Greece and Turkey.

There will be Mass as usual on Saturday/Sunday during my time away also on Tuesday evenings at St Urbans.

PRAYER AND LIFE WORKSHOPS

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:25:33 GMT

A series of 15 sessions of Prayer and Life Workshops, a program where you “learn to pray and you learn to live”, will be held in the meeting room at St Urban’s every Wednesday from 6.45pm to 8.45pm.

CONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE OF THE DIOCESES OF LEEDS & MIDDLESBROUGH

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 16:54:30 GMT

As part of the consultation currently taking place across our two Dioceses, there is an opportunity for all clergy, religious and members of the lay faithful to contribute by completing an online questionnaire, either individually or as a parish group. Prayerful reflection should be given to the questions so that the Holy Spirit may guide this process of discernment. Prayer resources and a presentation are available on the diocesan website to support this process. Responses should be submitted no later than Friday, 22nd May 2026 .

For more information and to complete the questionnaire, please visit:

https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/leeds-middlesbrough-consultation-2026/

JOIN BISHOP MARCUS IN PRAYING FOR VOCATIONS

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:42:07 GMT

We are invited to join Bishop Marcus with his prayer for vocations for men and women:

“Our Lady of Unfailing Help! Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send labourers into His harvest and that He will grant an abundance of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life within the Diocese of Leeds, and throughout the world. Amen.”

MASS ON TUESDAY EVENING

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:44:53 GMT

This week I am grateful to Fr Paul Moores for celebrating Mass on Tuesday evening.

Whilst I am away daily weekday Masses are celebrated at the Cathedral https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/cathedral/

Baptism Preparation

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:46:41 GMT

Baptism preparation sessions will be held on the 23rd of May at 3.00pm in the meeting room at St Urban’s.

THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL (SVP)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:46:57 GMT

The next SVP meeting will be on the 20th April at 7pm in the Meeting Room at St Urban’s. All are welcome to attend.

200 club

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:24:47 GMT

The winning numbers for the final draw of this session are £100: 130. £50: 121. £50: 46. Congratulations to the winners.

MASS NEXT SUNDAY

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:46:20 GMT

The Comboni Fathers are celebrating Sunday Masses next week. They will also make an appeal for their work in the missions.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 19th April 2026

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:32:07 GMT

Our society seems fascinated by the concept of “the journey”. “Journey” is a term we hear a lot of in popular culture where people talk about “their journey” when talking about life’s events. A journey is about going from one place to another, from the Old French, journée, it is a day's length, a day's work or travel. The secondary school I went to was a place that placed an emphasis on outdoor education expeditions, hikes, camps and the like. For example everybody in the 3 ^rd form (year 9 I think), in small teams over a weekend, had to do what was called the 30 miler which meant what it said on the tin. I know from personal experience how far a person can walk in a day carrying a 30lb backpack! Just one of a number of journey's in my life.

In Sunday's gospel we hear of another journey, undertaken by two disciples, two people not on Jesus’ “top team” of apostles, people we have never heard of before in any of the gospels. Later only one of the two is named, Cleopas. Some traditions say that the second person is perhaps Luke himself, the writer of the gospel, we don’t know.

The setting for this journey is the day of the events of the resurrection itself. The two describe to the stranger how the women had gone to the tomb in the early morning – that morning – and found it empty, they had a vision of angels, others went too, saw the tomb and nothing else. They don’t know what to make of it all. Have you thought about why they are going to Emmaus in the first place? Perhaps one of them has a home there, perhaps they are so confused and frightened that they too could be next for the cross and they are getting out of town.

What is clear is that they did not see Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the saviour, but as a great prophet. Today, not only do they not recognise Jesus in the person of the stranger (though they were probably relieved to discover that their companion was also a follower of Jesus), but for that matter they did not comprehend who Jesus was prior to his crucifixion.

It is by paying attention to what the stranger says they find that he slowly opens their eyes, and the eyes of their minds, hearts and souls.

In Jesus’ time the breaking of the bread would have been done by the host not the guest but unusually the stranger - Jesus - is the one who breaks the bread. Put yourself there, perhaps in that very moment the hands that you see are the pierced wounded hands of the master. In that split second, like Thomas in last week’s gospel, perhaps you say in your heart, or maybe aloud, “My Lord and my God”.

Our own lives are journeys, God willing of many days length. We have all come from somewhere in our experience of life and we are all heading to somewhere. This side of eternity who knows where the journey will end or when. Our destination, your destination, is eternal life. Doing my school expeditions I would have been lost, or even worse, without a map. The map for our journey is the Word of God, Jesus, the gift of the sacraments, and the teaching of the church. The fixed points on the map are love of God and our neighbour. If we keep these in sight we will not go far wrong.

When and how does Jesus come to us? How and where do we recognise him? Through our family and friends? Through members of our church community? Jesus can be hard to see and recognise, sometimes he wears distressing disguises – the person crouched in the doorway, the addict being loud on the street corner, the starving child on the TV. Jesus has many faces. Sometimes the smile of a loved one, sometimes faces of distress and pain.

Pay attention to the course of your life’s journey, its deep valleys and sunlight uplands. Look for Jesus he is always there to be found. Our destination? Eternal happiness and love sheltered in the heart of our risen saviour opened for our sake on the cross.

I am away on pilgrimage for the next couple of weeks following the footsteps of St Paul, but please accept my blessing and the assurance of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

SVP

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 20:22:36 GMT

The next SVP meeting will be on the 13th April at 7pm in the Meeting Room at St Urban’s. All are welcome to attend.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY 12TH APRIL

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:25:05 GMT

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY 12TH OF APRIL : The Second Sunday of Easter, “Divine Mercy Sunday” is a special time of grace and I am keen that our parish community has the opportunity to obtain the plenary indulgence associated with this day. Our Divine Mercy liturgy will commence at 2.00pm at St Urban’s with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament . During Exposition Confession will be available , followed by Divine Mercy devotions concluding with the 3 o’clock prayer. The plenary indulgence is available under the normal conditions – Confession with a detachment from sin, receipt of the Eucharist within a reasonable period (normally 7 days), and prayers for the intentions of our Holy Father Pope Leo.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 12th April 2026

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:12:15 GMT

A number of years ago I was at Mass in Lourdes. I was there as a nurse on the Diocesan pilgrimage. Mgr. Wilson (who is now the Archbishop of Southwark) was the Diocesan Administrator as at the time we did not have a Bishop. To be honest I was not paying too much attention to the gospel, but I heard the words of this Sunday's gospel “as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”. For some reason that phrase seemed to have some kind of particular meaning for me, though I wasn’t sure what. My life was good. I had a nice home and a great job. But I felt unsettled that in some way I was being pulled away from what I knew into something unknown. A feeling that would not go away. I was not happy. I spoke with Father John and over three years later I entered the seminary; from my own home to a small single room, shared bathrooms and toilets, with a group of men I had not met before. Paying attention to God can be a dangerous thing, but a beautiful thing too!

Today we hear of Jesus being with his disciples on the evening of the first day of the week. Last week we heard of people going the tomb in the early morning of the same day. That very morning Peter and the other disciple (most likely the author of the Gospel, John) had seen the empty tomb. Mary Magdalen also said that she had seen Jesus and passed on his message to them. But it is clear that they were all trying to process what had happened only that very morning. You can imagine the mixture of puzzlement, perhaps, for some, doubt (particularly Thomas), also for others belief. But fundamentally are still locked away, physically, out of fear for their lives, but perhaps fear in their hearts, their emotions and their souls too. Maybe a combination of confusion with hope against hope that their friend, master and Lord was alive after his brutal torture and death.

And there is Jesus. His sudden appearance behind a locked door, like his emergence from the tomb, showed them, and shows us today, that the resurrected Jesus is not bound by earthly limitations. Put yourself in the picture. How would you have responded? Perhaps you would be thinking about how you abandoned Jesus in his hour of need, particularly if you were Peter after your denial of the Lord. Perhaps you are deeply ashamed. What would you imagine that Jesus would say to you? Maybe telling you that you are an unbelieving coward, perhaps that he wants nothing to do with you.

And yet, Jesus does two things, he shows that he is alive. He removes any doubt that he is really and truly alive. He turns their sorrow and guilt at this death into joy at his resurrection. Perhaps most importantly, immediately and unconditionally, he restores their fractured relationship with him by four simple words “peace be with you”, simple words from which mercy flow; words of love and mercy that echo across time, offered to you today, here; now; always, particularly on this Divine Mercy Sunday.

Jesus wants us to share the joy of his resurrection, also the mercy he offers, and the peace he brings to our hearts and souls, to others. His divine mercy endlessly overflows into our broken world and broken lives. We are invited to make the profession of faith of Thomas “My Lord and my God!”. Why would we keep this to ourselves? The disciples couldn’t so why should we? Jesus’ mission is for all of us, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”. I invite you to go out spread the good news of salvation and bear fruit, fruit that will last into eternity.

With every blessing and the assurance of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

VOLUNTEERING TO TAKE PART IN OUR HOLY WEEK LITURGIES

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 19:55:23 GMT

Please see the lists at the back of St Urban’s asking for volunteers to help with our Holy Week liturgies . Roles include volunteering to have feet washed on Holy Thursday; people to help carry the canopy to the Alter of Repose on Holy Thursday; readers for the liturgies on Thursday, Friday and the Holy Saturday Vigil. It is a great way to play a part of honouring The Lord’s passion and resurrection.

This week is Holy Week

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 19:22:23 GMT

This is the most holy time of the year recalling the passion, death of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, culminating in his glorious resurrection. Jesus truly died, as we will, but He also truly rose again by which Heaven is opened to us if we choose to accept the invitation to eternal life. Please note the changes to Mass times this week Palm Sunday Masses will be at our usual Sunday Mass times with the First Mass of Palm Sunday on Saturday evening at 6.00pm at St Urbans. There will be Stations of the Cross on Palm Sunday at 3.00pm at Our Lady of Lourdes. There is no Mass in the parish on Wednesday due to the celebration of the Chrism Mass in the Cathedral at 11.00am celebrated by Bishop Marcus where all the priests of the Diocese will renew their promises and the Holy Oils for 2026 will be blessed. All are welcome at the Chrism Mass which is a beautiful occasion. On Holy Thursday the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, including the “Mandatum” the washing of feet, will be celebrated at 8.00pm at St Urban’s followed by watching at the Altar of Repose until 10.00pm. On Good Friday the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be at 3.00pm at Our Lady of Lourdes with Veneration of the Cross at 7.00pm at St Urban’s . On Holy Saturday the Easter Vigil Mass will be at 8.00pm at St Urban’s; this Mass meets the obligation for Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday Masses will be at our normal times.

CELEBRATING EASTER

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:32:30 GMT

After the 10.30 Mass at St Urbans on Easter Sunday we will hold our annual easter egg raffle . It is still not too late to kindly donate an easter egg as a prize. It’s a great way to support our parish family, including enabling the purchase an easter gift for housebound parishioners

Reflection from Fr Chris - 29th March 2026

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:19:11 GMT

There seems to be something attractive about monarchy. Perhaps it’s associated with a monarch being out of the ordinary in some way signified by clothes and regalia. Monarchs are set apart, seen, certainly in the English tradition, as being consecrated, reflected in the type of golden priestly robe worn as part of the ceremony.

All of us like to see ourselves as being special. In children this takes forms, dressing as a king, queen, princes, princesses or a hero of some kind. I certainly did, perhaps you did too. I suspect that our children do. Perhaps this inbuilt desire of specialness is a tiny glimmer of the God given “God-ness” in our souls. Because of our sinfulness it’s often a distorted glimmer that comes out, more often than not, as vanity and pride.

But as God’s children we are all called to greatness, but it is a greatness of heart, a greatness of spirit. The path to this greatness is not clothes, crowns and jewels, but goodness and obedience to the will of God summed up as the love of God and our neighbour.

The price of making this greatness real in our lives is high. For Jesus his goodness to others, and his love and obedience to his Father, led him from ministry and service to others to this Palm Sunday a fleeting moment of triumph as he enters Jerusalem. This rapidly becomes rejection; betrayal by one of his friends - Judas; false accusations; repudiation by his closet associate - Peter, then his cruel torture and death.

One of the most remarkable things about the sequence of events was that Jesus could have avoided the terrible things that led to his death early on. Think about it, he already knew that he had been betrayed; Judas knew that they would go to the garden as they had been there before, Jesus could have simply not gone to Gethsemane after the supper, either they could have simply gone somewhere else or just melted away. Judas and his associates would have turned up to find no Jesus, therefore no trial and no crucifixion, but crucially for us, and for countless generations before and after us, no resurrection either. No redemption. No reconnection with the life of God.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, knows that to reunite humanity with his Father, to free us from the chains of sin, Jesus, the one without sin, needs to offer everything he has, ultimately his life. His death literally coincides with the sacrifice of the Passover lambs in the temple which were to be consumed at the Jewish Passover meal. In the Mass we too consume a lamb, the Lamb of God, in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist. The Lamb that we consume does more than liberate us from slavery, as it did for the Jews in Egypt, but our Lamb liberates us from slavery to sin and eternal death. If we are faithful, our Lamb leads us from the captivity of sin to a new homeland of eternal union within the divine life of the Trinity. Something much, much, greater than anything an earthly crown can offer.

Through our baptism we are all part of a chosen people and royal priesthood. Matthew, the writer of Sunday's Passion gospel, saw the followers of Jesus as already being a “new Israel”. But in this life each of us carry our crosses. For many of us our experience of a crown in this life will be a crown of thorns – illness, broken relationships, loneliness and isolation; our experience of the crowd may not be praise but ridicule and misunderstanding; for some of our brothers and sisters their earthly lives will be taken from them, like Jesus.

But Jesus was in love with humanity to the point of death and beyond to his resurrection, and he still is. Jesus is our King, ever triumphant, ever victorious, who desires to share his throne with each and every one of us. Faithfulness to his teaching and love of the Father, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, makes this possible. There will come a time when we will hear “Look, your king comes to you”, then with the whole of creation we will bend the knee at his name, and acclaim Jesus as Lord to the glory of his Father.

I hope and pray that these final days of Lent will go well for you.

God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

SVP AND CAFOD WORK EXPERIENCE

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:57:21 GMT

The St Vincent de Paul Society and CAFOD are working together to offer a week of free residential work experience for 20 young adults in England and Wales. The experience will run from 21st – 26th June in London. Candidates must be aged 18-25 years old, but priority will be given to those in their first or second year at university. Apply here:

https://svp1.formstack.com/forms/work_experience_application_form_2026 . Applications close on 6th April.

For any queries, please contact KeziaH@svp.org.uk

Reflection from Fr Chris - 22nd March 2026

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:44:46 GMT

Spring is on the way that will, God willing, become summer. In my former home I had the benefit of a seasonal garden with different things in bloom at different times of the year. I wonder how the many daffodil and bluebell bulbs planted there will be getting into full swing. I also loved seeing the buds on the cherry trees thickening. Seeing nature wakening from its sleep was and is magical, almost supernatural.

In these ways we glimpse the perfection of God which he intends for the whole of his creation not just in the seasons but forever. And yet everything in our world and cosmos is effected by something called entropy, the second law of thermodynamics. This is where, over time, there is a tendency in nature for everything to lose order and cohesion; eventually flowers fade, galaxies and stars decay, and we become older; we die.

And yet we are more than cells and atoms. It seems to me that every human being since the dawn of time senses this, including people who do not believe in God, who still have a sense of something greater than themselves.

At our conception in the womb we take on the image and likeness of God in our souls. At our baptism the Spirit of the living and eternal God is given to us. God pours into us more of his very self in the other sacraments. In the Eucharist we become one with Jesus; at Confirmation we all receive the Holy Spirit, as priests and deacons do again in a particular way at their ordination.

Think about it, we are nothing less than the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amazingly, beautifully, by God’s gift, each and every one of us has living within us the living and eternal God. God is not effected by time, is immortal, cannot be killed, and does not decay. What we are called to do is to nurture this divine life in our souls, to turn a spark into a flame by our lives, a flame that lights the way to eternal life.

Concerning this Sunday's gospel, at the time of Jesus the Pharisees too had a sense of the eternal destiny of humanity, they believed in the resurrection from the dead but they were unsure what this meant in practical terms. The other main Jewish sect, the Sadducees, did not hold this belief. We see that Martha, Lazarus’ sister, was a Pharisee as she believes in the resurrection. In the gospel, in a few short phrases, Martha also has a journey of faith from Jesus being a person being favoured by God; to Jesus being much more, the Christ (the anointed one), the Son of God, the Messiah, the long awaited saviour.

As well as in Sunday's gospel elsewhere we see also Jesus raising others from the dead. As in other traditions, Jewish funerals are big events. In Sunday's gospel the people at the tomb argue about Jesus, why he is there and whether he could have prevented the death in the first place. You can imagine how it’s all very public and must have been deeply upsetting for Martha who, despite everything, keeps faith with Jesus and does what he says, though we see that she doesn’t really know what Jesus is going to do. Take a moment to imagine seeing her brother Lazarus emerging from the tomb, how would you have responded, joy, fear, perhaps both. What would you say to Lazarus? What would you say to Jesus?

And yet there more is to come. Sunday's events, stupendous though they are, point towards something far greater. Even though Lazarus was raised from the dead yet he was still mortal – effected by entropy, eventually Lazarus dies again. In a couple of weeks we will hear of another death, this time a very public and humiliating event, the death of Jesus in unimaginable pain and suffering. Again people will think that it is all over; those who hate him rejoice and those who love him hide in grief and fear.

But Jesus does not need anyone to roll away the stone from his tomb, he breaks the chain of death and decay; he is the same human Jesus yet he is somehow different, the difference of a radiant immortality, a radiant sense of peace, an offer to all of us of a life without fear. A life of eternal joy and love. Already he stretches out his wounded hand to hold ours in forgiveness, love and tenderness. We all have the seeds of divinity and immortality planted within us; the spring time of our souls is nearly here.

I hope and pray that Lent is going well for you. God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

GETTING READY FOR EASTER

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:56:12 GMT

GETTING READY FOR EASTER (1) - HOLY WEEK: Please see the lists at the back of the church asking for volunteers to help with our Holy Week liturgies . Roles include volunteering to have feet washed on Holy Thursday; people to help carry the canopy to the Alter of Repose on Holy Thursday; readers for the liturgies on Thursday, Friday and the Holy Saturday Vigil. It is a great way to play a part of honouring The Lord’s passion and resurrection.

GETTING READY FOR EASTER (2): There are Stations of the Cross every Sunday during Lent at Our Lady of Lourdes starting at 3.00pm.

GETTING READY FOR EASTER (3): After the 10.30 Mass at St Urbans on Easter Sunday we will hold our annual easter egg raffle . You are invited to kindly donate an easter egg as a prize. It’s a great way to support our parish family, including enabling the purchase an easter gift for housebound parishioners. Please return contributions to the church as soon as possible. Thank you.

GETTING READY FOR EASTER (4) LENTEN DAY OF RECONCILIATION AT THE CATHEDRAL: Tuesday 24th March, 7.00am – 7.00pm. Confessions available all day with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Reflection from Fr Chris - 15th March 2026

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 21:36:32 GMT

Have you even taken a moment to reflect on the many things in life we take for granted as human beings? We have built into us an astonishing, even miraculous, range of abilities and skills. Other species in the created world have only part of what we are able to do. We are the only species on our planet, and as far as we know the cosmos, with our level of consciousness. The potential of our abilities seems to expand exponentially, they can put someone on the moon, but there is a shadow side which can take us to the verge of annihilation. When we at our best the greatness of humanity and its gifts is a reflection of the wonder and greatness of God, at our worst we imitate the devil.

One of our amazing abilities that many of us have is sight. Think about it for a moment, most of us see in colour, we see in three dimensions, our eyesight adapts to light or dark. The eye itself is an extraordinary construction directly connected to our even more incredible brain. We feel uncomfortable when our sight deteriorates. For those with sight we find the prospect of blindness terrifying. Some of us of us are born without sight as the man in this Sunday's gospel.

At the time of Jesus any type of disability was the result of sin on the part of the person, the parents and even ancestors. Jewish law promoted the welfare of widows and orphans but because of the idea of sin, not disabled people. Disability was a punishment meted out by God. Appalling really. Just before Sunday’s reading Jesus tells His followers that this is not true. Jesus’ response is not to start speculating about rights or wrongs but of helping a person in need, in this case a person who is not asking for help but who Jesus just notices. There’s only one problem with this, it’s the Jewish Sabbath.

In Jesus’ time the Sabbath was strictly observed. There were, and are, 39 forms of work which are forbidden on the Sabbath in Judaism. Healing was one, as was kneading, which is how Jesus creates the paste. Jesus as an observant Jew would have known this. Perhaps it’s not that He does not care about the Sabbath but he wants to help, to give a gift to someone in need that will transform their lives; the gift of sight, not just of the eyes but also to open the eyes of the heart. We see how the man receives his sight but also receives the gift of faith. As his sight returns his understanding of Jesus develops too from “he”, to “prophet” to “Lord” to the worship of God in the person of Jesus.

For the Pharisees, in a sense they just blunder around in their interior darkness. They just see rules being broken and they cannot make up their mind what is going on. This is surprising as they would have known that opening the eyes of the blind was, in scripture, a sign of the dawn of the age of the Messiah and the coming of the kingdom of God. Their blindness is their confusion, but their blindness is not particularly terrifying to them, the more they debate the more blind they become. They are ok with generating a lot of heat but no light.

Where are your blind spots (we all have them)? There are times in our lives when we sit and wait for the Saviour. Times of doubt, times of illness, times of anxiety, times of rejection, times when we do not know where to turn? In our hearts there are times when we sit and wait for Jesus and, in our souls, beg for his presence. There is no need to beg, as with the man today Jesus notices us and, more than this, He looks for us. He always wants to heal us, He wants to shelter our battered and bruised heart in His. Lent is a sacred time to come to Him, particularly in the sacrament of reconciliation, to receive the beauty of His healing grace, where we too can say “Lord, I believe”. Whatever happens in our lives we are always in the light of the Lord.

I hope and pray that Lent is going well for you. God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

SUPPORTING CAFOD IN OUR PARISH

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:26:42 GMT

Parishioners have been very generous in supporting the work of CAFOD. Each Family Fast day the response has be fantastic. We wonder now if we could be supportive in other ways too. There are so many opportunities for volunteering, fundraising and prayer, that we could be involved in throughout the year. This would be an impactful way of putting faith in action. You can find out about the work of CAFOD at www.CAFOD.org.uk Please think about taking up this opportunity. If we can gather a few interested parishioners to start with this would get activities underway and hopefully in time, others will join in. If you are interested or would like more information, please speak to Fr Chris or drop an email to the parish office and we will get back to you.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 8th March 2026

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:31:24 GMT

Most of us have had times in our lives when we feel or experience a sense of alienation or distance from others. Perhaps times when we don’t feel part of the communities in which we live. It can be at any age, at home, school or work. Times perhaps when we sense that others do not approve of us, times when we avoid others because of what we may have done. Perhaps there has never been a time when we have not either been judged by others or when we judge those around us, which, God help us, we all do.

We see something of this in Sunday's gospel. Jesus is taking a journey, most likely on foot that would have taken Him a number of days. Interestingly He is in Samaritan country. There were centuries of animosity, even hatred, between Jews and Samaritans, for example each considered the other as being heretical in their concept and worship of God; interestingly however both believed in the coming of a Messiah. Why is Jesus in hostile territory? In any case He sits at a well, which is still there and is about 100 foot deep, it is midday and He is thirsty. A woman comes to the well and He asks her for a drink. In Jesus’ time men did not normally speak to women in public. Jews certainly did not speak to Samaritans.

The woman is there at the height of the heat of the day. Women would normally come to wells in the cool of the morning not noon. Perhaps she was not welcome to be with other women because, we learn later, of her bad reputation. Maybe the other women did not want to be seen with a woman “like her”; perhaps she knew that if she were there with others she would be judged, harassed and bullied. It is hard to understand the level of stigma she carried due to her being a Samaritan and by the events of her life in the society in which she lived.

And yet she is a thoughtful even compelling person and not without spirit. You get a sense that she is one of those people who despite being looked down on and even despised by others, she had seen and experienced a lot and that she still had some dignity intact, the dignity of a human being given to each and every one of us by God himself.

During the course of her dialogue with this stranger she moves from curiosity to belief, and then to evangelisation (from the Greek evangelion meaning "glad tidings"). Despite her own position of being at the bottom rung of her society she cannot keep this good news to herself; she brings her neighbours to belief that the Messiah is here and his kingdom established, not only for the nation of the Jews but for everyone where the temple of God is not just confined to Jerusalem or, for the Samaritans, Mount Gerizim, but amazingly, beautifully, is found in each and every human heart that has an encounter with God through His son Jesus whose very name means the one who saves.

Through the word and actions of Jesus for the woman at the well, and for us to, we experience the love of the Father for each and every one of us also that the Holy Spirit is lovingly placed in our hearts and souls. The gift given to us by Jesus is the very love at the heart of the life of the Holy Trinity itself. This is a perpetual fountain of divine love what wells up in our souls which, if we are faithful, will gradually transform us where we will share the divine life of God, something that is beautiful and eternal, though it is beyond our description and our imagination.

Like the Samaritan woman today, despite who we are, despite what we have may have done or not done, despite the condition of our lives, Jesus waits for us by the well of salvation, He wants to speak to us in our hearts and our souls, He invites us to change our lives through repentance, He offers us the refreshment of grace, and the nourishment of the sacraments in which He himself is truly present. He wants to be with us and desires us to want to be with Him in every moment of our earthly lives and in eternity. Like the woman at the well, it is up to us to choose life.

I hope and pray that Lent is going well for you. God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 1st March 2026

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:13:17 GMT

A phrase we often hear is “seeing is believing”. Human beings are a complex mix of senses, emotions and perceptions. Normally we are most comfortable to rely on our senses allied to our experience in making sense of the world. We know that an apple is an apple by what we see, what we taste, what we smell and the fact that someone at some point has told us what it is, as distinct from an orange being an orange. However one thing that makes us unique in creation is our ability to step outside the realm of the senses; we are able to look deeper than the things we see and sense around us. The examination of the nature of reality is part of the study of philosophy and its various branches, something that challenged my poor brain in the seminary for two years.

In Sunday's gospel, which features the Transfiguration of Jesus, Peter, John and James have their experience of reality challenged in a fundamental way. In an instant Jesus is transformed, transfigured, from the human Jesus they know into a cosmic force – the cosmic force, the Word though which all things came into being.

This takes place after the episode in Matthew’s gospel where Peter says that Jesus is the messiah. It’s as though Jesus is confirming what Peter has declared by giving his closest associates a glimpse of his divine nature. But it’s not only Jesus and the disciples who are there. The disciples see Moses and Elijah there too – Moses representing the Law and Elijah the prophetic tradition of the Jewish religion both of which are now directly associated with Jesus. But it’s not only about Jesus and the prophets. The medieval philosopher and Saint Thomas Aquinas says that the Holy Trinity is there too – the Father is the voice, the son is obviously Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is the shining cloud.

It is not surprising that Jesus’ friends are overwhelmed by the experience and struggle to know what to say. One account says they were terrified, who wouldn’t be (we would be too), their experience of reality had been totally bent out of shape. They don’t know what to make of it and at the time they keep silence. But they could not forget it. It is no accident that the account of the transfiguration is found in three of the four gospels, it was that significant to Peter, James and John, a truly unforgettable experience.

At every Mass we experience a transfiguration for ourselves. At every Mass, the altar is the mountain, and the bread and wine is "transfigured" into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. At every Mass Heaven is truly joined to earth. At every Mass we have the opportunity to experience the awe of the disciples for ourselves and to offer our very selves as a tent, a dwelling for God in Jesus when we receive the Eucharist. We need to ask ourselves are we in a fit state to be this dwelling place for God, a God who always desires to come to us and to be with us, the voice that says to us in our hearts and souls, this is my child, my chosen one. How prepared are we to be transfigured by God’s grace in our lives not only during Lent but our entire lives?

I hope and pray that Lent is going well for you. God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

FIRST SACRAMENTS

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:38:01 GMT

Preparation of children not in our schools for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (year 3) is well underway. The next session for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is on the 28th of February at 3.00pm at St Urban’s. For First Holy Communion, please look out for a future date after the Reconciliation sessions have concluded. Children must always be accompanied by a parent.

WARM AND WELCOME BEREAVEMENT SPACE

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 18:11:34 GMT

This winter St Urban’s meeting room will be open on the first Wednesday of each month from 7pm to 8.30pm as a warm and welcome space for anyone who has suffered loss, however long ago, and who would like an opportunity to talk about it. This is not counselling, it is just a warm and welcome space where your experience of loss can be shared, if you wish. The dates are: 4th February and the 4th of March . No booking is needed, just turn up. Also we need volunteers to provide cake, to help prepare the room, to welcome people, to make and serve hot drinks and to clean the room afterwards. It is a wonderful ministry to others and if you feel called to offer any help at all please contact Breda on 07858517163.

NEW MEN’S GROUP

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 16:08:12 GMT

The Oratory of St Joseph, for young Catholic or other interested laymen aged between 21 & 35. Monthly meetings at Hinsley Hall LS6 2BX, for prayer, Adoration, talks, social time & free supper. Inaugural meeting Thursday 26th February , 6.30-8.30pm. Contact: benjamin.hilton@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Parish Friendship group

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:06:33 GMT

This continues to meet every Wednesday at 10:30am to 12.00 in the meeting room at St Urban’s and is supported by Catholic Care. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to meet each other over tea, coffee and cake.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 22nd February 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:13:18 GMT

There are many forms of wilderness and different kinds of deserts. I have seen a few; from the mile after mile of rolling sand dunes of Arabia, to the vast empty plains of the desert American states with their shrubs and cacti. On the first Sunday of Lent we hear of Jesus being in the desert for 40 days and his encounter with the devil. We do not know the type of desert Jesus was in but I have seen for myself the blisteringly hot and dry deserts of the Holy Land.

Why does Jesus feel the need to go to the desert? Before what we read in Sunday's gospel there is the baptism of Jesus in the Jorden by John the Baptist. It is in that moment that the Holy Trinity is revealed, the Son being baptised, the voice of the Father is heard, and the Holy Spirit descends. A momentous occasion, a moment of revelation. Jesus takes time out perhaps to reflect on this revelation of His unique identity; what intimacy with the Father and the Holy Spirit means for Him; and what happens next for His mission and ministry, including His death and resurrection. He knows that His life will never be the same again. He has a great deal to reflect on, to pray about. He needs space, He needs his wilderness.

Today we also hear of the temptation of Jesus, but the word used in Matthew is not temptation but “test”, Jesus’ reaction to His vocation as the Messiah is tested. His time in the wilderness is a testing of the clarity of His relationship with God the Father through, and with, the Holy Spirit. The source of the account must have been Jesus Himself as He is on his own and He is the only person who knew what happened. The account is found in Matthew and Luke's gospels. But there is more to this test. The devil, Satan (a word meaning enemy), knows that in the person of Jesus his time of domination is up; he is directly threatened then, as now, by the inauguration of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is tempted. He is tempted to use His divinity for His own ends and then to worship the devil (who was originally created through the Word of God – Jesus himself). The devil offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world. Jesus stays faithful to the Father; He stays true to the Holy Spirit in the bond of love shared between them in the Holy Trinity.

What does this mean for us? There are different wildernesses that we can and do occupy. Not all wildernesses are bad. There is the wilderness of time out for, and with, God. The retreat experience where, for hours or days, when we have time to listen for the still small voice of God; the opportunity to fuel the spark of divinity that we all carry within us, planted by God at the dawn of time. The wilderness that springs into flower with the dewfall of God’s grace.

There is the wilderness of sin and alienation. The empty and lonely parts of our hearts and souls that we all sense are there. The place where our sin, our pain, and the hurt and the damage we have done to ourselves and others, are naked before us. A nakedness that we cannot bear to look at. Like God we have the knowledge of good and evil, but at times we behave less like God and more like the devil, Satan – the enemy. This knowledge is a curse rather than a blessing. We know when doing something is wrong as often as not but we do it anyway.

Time and again we see images in the Bible of how God desires to transform the wilderness into a growing place, of place of rest and beauty. A place called Eden, a word that means “delight”. God desires make our hearts and souls gardens of delight both to Him and to us. Jesus is the gardener of our souls, He nurtures us to make us better people here, and He prepare us for eternal life. Jesus gives us the means for this, He cultivates us through His word and the sacraments. How we choose to live and how we grow is down to us.

God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 15th February 2026

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:28:53 GMT

We are surrounded by laws and rules. On the one hand instinctively we don’t like them, on the other hand we cannot do without them. We know that without them our society simply cannot function and in that sense neither can we as individuals; laws and rules help us to regulate ourselves as well as society. Despite the pull of our free will and individuality (both of which are gifts from God), having a structure makes us feel safe. Framed well laws and rules give us the ability to be free.

Laws go back a long way. For the Jewish people the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament (a word meaning instruction, teaching or law), was put into written form around 450-350 years before the birth of Jesus before which it was passed on by word of mouth. In Jewish law there are 613 commandments. The Pharisees’ whole way of life was dedicated to keeping all of them.

This is something of the setting for Sunday’s Gospel. In the context of Sunday's gospel those listening to Jesus thinking “how does what He says fit in with the laws we know – the law of Moses; is Jesus putting all that in the bin?”. The answer is no he wasn’t and the doesn’t, but the people listening to Jesus did not realise that in himself, as God, Jesus fully embodies the law given by God to Moses, in his very being he is the law. He is the fulfilment of the law given to Moses centuries before.

So what is important to the law of Jesus in Sunday's Gospel? It's about relationships, how we see and treat each other. The love, regard, and respect we have for each other.

Jesus expands the commandment against killing. The act of murder begins in anger, hate, and a lack of regard for the other person. Not killing another person is not enough. Way before the point of violence is reached there is a need to resolve feelings and actions which damage the other person. How can you worship a loving God when you cannot bear those around you? The thing we need to kill in ourselves are the things, often little things, which harm others.

Perhaps the deepest form of relationship is that of marriage. At the dawn of time God bound himself to us in love. Marriage is special because the promises made by the couple mirrors that of God willingly binding himself to us unbreakably and forever. Married couple’s also share with God the ability to create new life in their children. It is not creation in its purest sense, where God creates something from nothing, but it is pro-creation. An amazing and beautiful thing we are reminded of every time we hold a baby or look into the eyes of a child. Marriage is more than a legal contract that can be torn up, it is a covenant, an agreement that brings about a relationship, something which adultery puts in the bin. We know this when we see in people around us just how damaging and devastating an extra marital affair is ultimately for everyone involved in it.

Related to both if these is simple honesty about our feelings and what we commit to others. If you say yes or no simply say it and mean it. We don’t need extravagant and wordy oaths. God knows what is in our hearts, God sees straight through us. God is almighty and all seeing

Today’s gospel fundamentally challenges us. It points us towards a law of love, faithfulness and honesty. How loving are we towards those around us? How often is there malice not love in our hearts? Do we keep the promises we have made, including those made before God and the church? Did we mean them in the first place? Do we always say what we mean and honour our commitments. Big challenges for poor sinners; sinners like me, sinners like you. With God's grace it is possible to live the way of love.

God bless and keep you all with the assurance of my daily prayers for your intentions.

Remember this coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. Details of Mass in the parish are in this week's bulletin.

Fr Chris

LENT 2026

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:12:10 GMT

LENT 2026 begins with Ash Wednesday the 18th of February . Look out for the announcement of Mass times.

You are invited to bring your old palm crosses to church which we will burn from which ashes will be made.

Does anyone have a redundant saucepan which can be used for the burning?

Fr Chris

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES WEDNESDAY 11TH OF JANUARY

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:10:55 GMT

As the 11th is the patronal feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes church, the parish Mass will be celebrated there not St Urban’s . The “Mini Vinnies” at Sacred Heart School will join us on the day. You are also welcome to join the children and staff of the school on the afternoon of the 11th for their school celebration of the special day . See the poster at the back of the church.

GETTING READY FOR LENT

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:39:25 GMT

I have agreed with the Diocese that we will pilot a new Lent course on the theme of our Baptismal Vocation. 'We Dare To Ask' is a resource for small group faith-sharing and for individual meditation. It features five sessions which include scripture, prayers and a reflection with questions. Are you interested in participating? It’s a great way to prepare for Easter.

I am awaiting more information but it you would like to participate please let me know.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 8th February 2026

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 22:46:26 GMT

My grandmother in the west of Ireland, God rest her soul, was just about 5 foot in her wellington boots. Until later in life, her house and farm had no gas, no running water or electricity. For light in the evening we relied on paraffin lamps which at night, and for us children who were used to electric lights, things were at best were dim and sometimes the lamps threw up lots of strange and disturbing shadows. Outside, with no street lighting, the sky was literally filled with a sheet of bright silver stars, a breath-taking and beautiful sight, one that I can still see in my mind’s eye; a sight that filled me with awe and wonder.

The absence of light can have a beauty all of its own but its distortions can provoke anxiety and have their own dangers. Total darkness can be terrifying; something that leaves us directionless and groping in the dark, perhaps that’s why we instinctively prefer to be in the light. That’s perhaps why we light things up when they are dark, even our streets.

People the world over, and over countless centuries, have sensed that things are not as they could and should be in our own lives, between each other, and in the world. People used images for this, including light and dark. We sense and experience the feeling of light and dark in ourselves – virtue and vice; grace and sin. In our lives everyday we experience this struggle of light and dark within is, we see it in the world around us.

In our tradition we hear that the people who walk in darkness see a great light; we speak of the light of Christ; the candles we use are symbolic of this. Jesus describes himself as the light of the world. A light which banishes shadows and cannot be overcome. It is a light that shows us our world in all of its wonder and love, but also its ugliness and pain. A light that illuminates our hearts, our minds and our souls in their beauty but also their pain and sin. But it is a light that the darkness of the Satan and his works cannot and will not overcome.

Jesus, the light of the world, invites us to share his light with him. But it is not only intended for us. He wants us to share it with our brothers and sisters who still live in a land of deep shadow.

How are we to do this? This Sunday Isaiah shows us way in which we can be beacons of the light of Christ in our lives and the world. In Sunday's reading from Isaiah we see an easy list to read but something which is hard to do. The people who live in the shadows can be hard for us to see; we somehow see them but they are invisible to us but they are there in plain sight. The people who sit in the doorways in our town; perhaps our neighbours who we know are there but we seldom see; maybe the image of the child on the charity poster of our little sisters and brothers waiting for their next square meal.

Where do we start? As much as we can by being generous, by being merciful and just. By taking pity on others. By doing what we can in giving to the poor.

Often it is not about the big extravagant gesture (good though that is) but the small acts of kindness, the little smile, acknowledging the person in front of us and by doing what we can. Small acts perhaps but a good way to eternal life. Acts that enable us to salt to the earth and light to the world.

God bless and keep you all with the assurance of my daily prayers for your intentions.

Fr Chris

IRISH NIGHT FUNDRAISER

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 19:33:33 GMT

IRISH NIGHT FUNDRAISER: in aid of the Little sisters of the Poor rebuild fund on February the 27th , Irish Centre, York Road, Leeds commencing at 7.30pm. Irish meal soda bread and Irish dessert, Irish music and dancing. Auction, raffle and football card, tickets on sale in Irish Centre and also contact Sister Christina via email, funds.leeds@lsplondon.co.uk

More information is on the poster in the church porch.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING RECEIVED INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:37:29 GMT

If you feel that God is calling you to become a member of the Catholic family, or if you know someone who is thinking about it, a first meeting will take place on Tuesday 3 February after the evening Mass. This has proved to be an opportunity also for Catholics to come along and learn more about our wonderful faith.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 1st February 2026

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:33:47 GMT

I like order in my life. Like many people of my era and background I was brought up in a very small two up and down terrace. With two small children and space at a premium it must have been very difficult to keep a tidy house. Perhaps that’s why I am by instinct a tidy and ordered type of person, though I can cope with the unpredictable and unexpected. Order is important in our society, that’s why we have laws and rules; without order there is anarchy. A downside to this a risk where everyone knows their place and are expected to stay there, the rich man in his castle and the poor man at his gate.

In every age civilisations have their rules, structures and hierarchies. This was as true for Jesus as it is for us. At the time of Jesus the top of the civic pile were Roman citizens who were relatively few in number (though interestingly St Paul was one) who, among other things, had legal rights, could not be crucified and could insist on being tried by the chief magistrate of the Roman state – the Emperor. At the bottom were slaves who had no rights and were at the total mercy and whim of their owners. In between were those who were neither slaves nor Roman citizens, such as the Jewish people. Jewish society was governed by Mosaic law which was in some ways progressive, with what we would call a social conscience, but with its own strict pecking order, still a pyramid with most of the people firmly and immovably at the bottom.

In Sunday's gospel we hear one of the most famous passages and oft quoted passages of the New Testament, which we know as the beatitudes. Another shorter version of them is found in St Luke’s gospel. What are they about?

Like much of Jesus’ teaching, their beauty is that they are subtle, layered, and stir the imagination. Many people, not only Christians, like them because they somehow feel instinctively right. The beatitudes are statements that find a resonance with us and with others at an emotional level; they set out things that we feel that we can ascent to and in some way are part of. However this was not their only purpose.

In the beatitudes Jesus uses a formula of “blessed” or “happy”, found in the poetical books of the Old Testament, which would have been familiar to many of his listeners. Jesus presents to us the spiritual qualities we all need to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The attitudes of a follower of Jesus is one who accepts these demands as being part of God’s kingdom not as its slave but as a free, honoured and beloved citizen. The requirements of this citizenship is directly associated with the beauty and reward that these commitments bring – comfort in exchange for sorrow, experiencing a kingdom of true justice; a place to find and experience mercy; a place where we experience fellowship with God, where we inherit a new earth; a place where we live in the kingdom of heaven forever. A place where there is no pecking order, everyone has an equal status as a son or daughter of God and a brother or sister to Jesus.

The beatitudes are fundamentally challenging to us individually and our world. They are a map. A map of how through our behaviours we can deepen our relationship with God but also to make the kingdom a reality in our town, our country, and in the world. A place where we move from hate to love; from vengeance and retribution to mercy; from sorrow to joy; where we move from war to peace.

By humanity’s standards this is deeply disruptive, even threatening. The world of God is one where by our norms and standards things are upside down, where first place is given to the least likely people, to those who are foolish by the reckoning of others, to those seen as being nothing at all, to those seen as being common and contemptable, the choosing of the week over the strong.

I don’t normally like disruption but this sounds good to me.

God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

RELICS OF ST GERARD MAJELLA

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 15:40:46 GMT

On Thursday 29th January , Leeds Cathedral will have the privilege of hosting the relics of St Gerard Majella. He is popularly invoked as a patron of mothers, particularly expectant mothers, couples trying to conceive, and those looking for work. Come along to pray in front of his relics, participate in Mass at the Cathedral at 5.30pm, and receive a blessing with his relics.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 25th January 2026

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:26:01 GMT

For some people at particular times of their lives they sense that they cannot stay where they are for reasons such as job or career, they have to move on. I was brought up in a small mining town in north Derbyshire. After my A levels I decided that I wanted to do something different with my life which led me 150 miles south. I sensed that to do what I wanted to do I had to move away.

We see something of this in Sunday’s gospel Jesus leaves Nazareth and goes to Galilee, to Capernaum. With the arrest of John the Baptist he goes from one to the other. Concern for his own safety may have been a factor, a risk that his ministry would be over before it began. After all Jesus’ ministry was identical to that of John’s – a call to repentance and the inauguration of the Kingdom of Heaven - which cost John his life. Perhaps he had also been rejected by his own people in Nazareth who probably thought in a negative way "who does this one think he is".

The gospel is not clear about Jesus’ reasons but Capernaum was an interesting place and an interesting choice of location. The Sea of Galilee is a lake 13 by 7 miles. Its fishing industry was prosperous and its fisherman were not necessarily poor. People went there to share in the prosperity. Capernaum had a mixed culture, for example Simon’s name is Jewish but the name Andrew is Greek; Peter is also Greek but also reflects the Aramaic “keppa” meaning rock. With this cosmopolitan flavour Capernaum was a good place from which to start what became a universal mission – repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.

But every leader needs followers. At the time of Jesus a good rabbi would be expected to have a group of followers who would absorb their master’s teaching, however followers became followers by choice not by the summons that we hear today. Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John follow Jesus. They would not have known where this would lead, but they do it anyway. Perhaps they had heard Jesus’ teaching before the moment in Sunday's gospel, we don’t know. God willing perhaps they will give us the whole story one day in heaven.

And what about you? Being a Christian is in itself a response to something, but a response to what? Is being a Christian primarily a matter of culture, something that you do because that’s what you do on a Sunday, or is it a matter of conviction, of belief? Later on in Matthew’s gospel Simon Peter says “You are the Christ the Son of the living God”, do we say this too? Are you a Christian by culture or conviction? A Christian by habit or by heart?

Being a conviction Catholic Christian calls for a response. We have seen a great light, the light of Christ. We are all called to dispel the deep shadows in our world. All of us have a part to play in bringing others to Jesus, who truly is the way the truth and the life. To show the world by our word and example that reconciliation with each other and with God is possible, that healing the world is possible.

The darkness in people’s hearts and souls, and ours too, can be, and is, lifted by the beauty of God’s kindness, his love and compassion regardless of who we are, regardless of what we have done. The Lord is our light and our help, there is nothing to fear. God does not enmesh or trap us but He sets us free; free to love Him, free to love each other in the free giving of ourselves, and to experience joy in his presence. This is good news, the good news, why keep it to ourselves?

God bless and keep you all and be assured of my daily prayer for your needs and

intentions.

Fr Chris

INFORMATION SESSION ON THE PERMANENT DIACONATE

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 21:55:46 GMT

If you are a man between 30 to 60 years, prayerful, with the desire to love God and God's people, involved within your parish community, and feeling drawn to a closer relationship with Christ and His Church, you might be called to be a Permanent Deacon. An information session will take place on the 24th of January between 10.30am and 12.00pm at Hinsley Hall.

More information is available from Deacon David Arblaster (Director of Deacons) david.arblaster@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

or Deacon Joe Cortis (Assistant Director-Formation) joseph.cortis@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

WEEK OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 18:44:55 GMT

The annual week of Christian Unity this year is the 18th to the 24th of January . Our local Christian Unity service will be on the 21st of January at 7pm at St Columba’s United Reform Church . All are welcome. It is a great opportunity to give witness with our Christian sister and brothers.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 18th January 2026

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 18:40:09 GMT

We have all experienced times of mistaken identity, either when we are recognised as being someone else or when we have mistaken someone for someone else. These are times of embarrassment for everyone concerned. There are quite a few examples of mistaken identity in the Bible, for example, in the New Testament, after the resurrection when Mary goes to the tomb and thinks that the risen Jesus is the gardener, or when the disciples do not recognise Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

This Sunday John the Baptist does recognise Jesus but not especially as his cousin, which he is, but as something much more significant but he does this in very obscure language and imagery which probably left people wondering what he was talking about.

Last Sunday we heard a version of the baptism of Jesus by John. It is in the baptism of Jesus when the Holy Trinity is made manifest – Jesus called the Son, the voice of the Father and the descent of the Holy Spirit.

The baptism of Jesus features in three of the gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke. John’s gospel does not record the baptism of Jesus, but in Sunday's gospel St John the gospel writer implies the baptism has taken place as he refers to the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus which the other gospels tell us happened at the Jesus’ baptism.

John the Baptist is himself inspired by the Holy Spirit as he begins to use the language of prophesy. We have the benefit whole story and we have a good idea of what he was talking about, but the terms and images he uses would have puzzled his listeners at the time. What did he mean by “Lamb of God”? Earlier John the Baptist speaks of the messiah carrying out judgment against sinners casting them into eternal fire. Today he is inspired by and image of a lamb. Lambs were a common sacrifice in the temple. I can imagine that most of the people there would have thought what on earth is he talking about. Perhaps John too could not put together the pieces of what he found himself compelled to say. He was trying to communicate divinity using the language of humanity.

St John, the writer of the gospel, like us by that time had the whole picture, a picture that comes into focus at the time of the resurrection when the pieces of Jesus’ life fall into place. Jesus is not the warrior king who challenges the world in an overt political way. Instead he is the Lamb of God. We all love lambs who are gentle and approachable, we all love to give a lamb a cuddle if we can. Rather than the forbidding warrior king Jesus is the vulnerable, lovable and approachable saviour who dies that we can live and live forever. He invites you towards him, to receive a loving embrace.

Where and how do you recognise the identity of Jesus the Lamb of God in your own life and in the world? Of course he is always here with is in this place, his body, blood soul and divinity is truly present in the Eucharist. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist we are literally, physically and spiritually, united with him. This is so beautiful and wonderful, but Jesus tells is that his is also present in everyone everywhere and in every setting. Do we treat others with as much love and respect as we treat Jesus in the Eucharist? We need to ask that the Holy Spirit comes to us and remains with us to help us to experience the gentle love and compassion of the Lamb of God in ourselves and to see the same Lamb in others. In this way we will experience Jesus in our lives and see him in our brothers and sisters which is a key ingredient for eternal life.

God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 11th January 2026

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 21:55:08 GMT

When I was at school one of my closest friends was probably the brainiest kid there, in fact he is one of the cleverest people I know. In my school there were some groupings; some who spent a lot of time in the art room listening to Pink Floyd being trendy and fashionable, others who were the school sport’s stars. My particular group were interested in things like books and ideas, I guess you would call us geeks, but it didn’t bother us. My friend went on to be a nuclear physicist but at some point he became interested in what motivates people and what makes a great leader. He made it his career and it made him a wealthy man.

During the course of his ministry time and again Jesus shows that he has all of the qualities of a great leader. Like all true leaders there is something attractive about him, people just sense in some way that he is different and today we see an example of this.

In Sunday's gospel John the Baptist somehow knows that Jesus is special. In Jesus’ society older people were more senior to younger people and John was also an established religious leader, and yet John defers to Jesus when it should have been the other way round. Jesus does not demand respect and deference. He is the sinless one and he does not need John’s baptism (which was not a baptism as we understand it) but he not only accepts it but he presses John for it. He puts himself in second place to John.

Jesus wants John’s baptism to set us an example of what he later tells the apostles to do, but Jesus’ baptism is not symbolic like John’s but is the gateway to a relationship with him and the Father through the Holy Spirit, it is full of power and grace.

Even at this, the beginning of his public ministry, in an invisible way, Jesus pulls people towards him – in this case John. It’s as though he has a kind of magnet inside him, but magnets not only attract they also repel. This is true of Jesus where the women and men who follow him just want to be with him. At the same time there are others who want nothing to do with him and even want him dead. For me, it’s less about magnets and more about the Holy Spirit at work silently speaking in His follower’s hearts. This was true for John the Baptist and it is as true for us as Christians. We are Christian by accident of coercion; we are Christians because of the fundamental attraction of Jesus.

Later in the gospels Jesus tells us that he is not “a way” but “the way” and the way by which Jesus leads his people, leads you and me, is by his example, as he does in Sunday’s gospel. Jesus leads as much as by example as by his words. His model of leadership not grand empty loud rhetoric but by grounding what he says in what he does.

All of us are in some way broken reeds or wavering flames. All of us are in one way or another damaged and fragile. Jesus in the fullness of his humanity knows this. He desires to open the blinded eyes of our hearts and souls, he wants to set us free from the prison of sin, he wants to bring us from darkness into the light of his presence.

Jesus wants to lead us towards something that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, something beautiful and eternal a place of love and peace.

Jesus’ way of leadership is something that he calls us to do too, to lead others to belief in him and the assurance of eternal life. Jesus shows us time and again how to do this, to make ourselves bigger by making ourselves smaller; by taking the lesser place; by behaving with modesty and humility; by being tolerant; by being forgiving; by doing our best to be people of love not hate. Doing this, with the help of the Holy Spirit, if you listen with the ears of your heart and see with the eyes of your soul, God your loving Father will say to you “you are my beloved, my favour rests on you”.

God bless and keep you all.

I am away for a few days next week but be assured that you will be in my daily prayers.

Fr Chris

LOURDES NURSES AND CARERS VOLUNTEER APPEAL

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 21:49:43 GMT

Would you like to join the Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes (3-9 July 2026)?

Please contact: lourdes.enquiries@dioceseofleeds.org.uk for further information.

Registered nurses and volunteer carers are desperately needed to join the team to enable assisted pilgrims to travel to Lourdes . This is a wonderful experience and I know from personal experience that some nurses and carers return year after year including some members of our parish. Please consider joining the friendly, happy team of volunteers and enjoy a truly blessed week with the assisted pilgrims.

Fr Chris

WEEK OF THE 12TH OF JANUARY

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:05:42 GMT

Some of you will be aware that priests are permitted to take a break after both Christmas and Easter. I will be away from Monday the 12th to Friday the 16th. I am trying to arrange for at least one Mass to be said in the parish during the week. Please keep an eye on next week’s bulletin in this regard. I managed to get a cheap flight to Rome - £50 each way!

Though I will not be on pilgrimage as such, as is my custom I am always happy to receive any intentions you may have that I can pray for on your behalf at the tombs of the Apostles.

THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL (SVP)

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:05:36 GMT

The SVP would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all who have made monetary and grocery donations throughout 2025. We have been able to provide significant and regular food donations to the SVP foodbank which have been promptly distributed to those in need. Similarly, all monetary donations have been distributed to members of our community who are struggling. We are incredibly grateful for your continued generosity and would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

The next meeting of the SVP is this Monday the 5th of January, 07.00pm at St Urban’s. A wonderful new year’s resolution would be to join the SVP in the parish.

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:02:42 GMT

This Tuesday is the Solemnity of the Epiphany. There will be Mass for the feast at our normal Tuesday evening Mass time of 7pm at St Urbans’s. During the day I will be celebrating a Mass in each of our schools – 11.00am at St Urbans and 02.00pm at Sacred Heart . If you cannot make the evening Mass, and one of the daytime ones is better for you, I am sure that our schools will welcome you as they always welcome parishioners at school Masses.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 4th January 2026

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:59:11 GMT

Everybody loves a baby. One of the most rewarding times of my nursing career was the time spent in maternity services. Particularly in the labour suite witnessing and assisting a new life into the world, a split second in time when the baby emerges and all of a sudden, when it takes its first breath, is filled with life. Then, helping to look after the newborn and their mothers, the gurgles, the smiles and the cuddles of the baby and helping new mothers to grow in confidence. I guess that Our Lady had something of these experiences too both as a mother and with other women.

The Lord Jesus enters the story of humanity in a way which from the start makes him instantly approachable, inviting a smile, an embrace, inviting the feeling and look of love. Everybody loves a baby.

This Sunday we hear from St John. In his gospel and letters he tells us of his direct encounter with Jesus during Jesus’ adult life, his death and His resurrection. His gospel is “part 1” of what he wants to say; his letters in the New Testament are “part 2” where he sets out his understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to be a believer. In his first letter he says, “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands”. In other words Jesus was and is real and tangible just like you. But in Sunday's gospel John reminds us that Jesus is much more. He is more that the baby in the feeding trough, real and beautiful though that is.

St John tells us that Jesus is “the word” and how he is something beyond the grasp our poor intellects and intelligence. He is with God and He is God. All things in the universe were and are made through him, stars and galaxies, you and me. Without him there was and is nothing in creation.

In the gospel we see how John the Baptist, though he is six months older than Jesus, also says that Jesus existed before him. Jesus is yesterday, today and forever.

One of the miracles of Christmas is that God in Jesus directly enters the experiences of each and everyone of us, except sin. He is joined to our joys and sorrows, our laughter and tears, our fears and our hopes. This is more than God somehow having an excursion into the existence and experience of humanity. It is God being human, something that we can encounter and relate to.

In our beginning God planted something of himself in us, what we call our souls. With the first sin the light of God within us was darkened. After that our inheritance was not eternal light but eternal darkness. But that was not the end of the story, as Mary and Joseph loved Jesus as his earthly parents, so God loved and loves us as our Father. At all points in the story of humanity God wants to heal, to redeem and to save. The Father wishes to embrace us, his children, to wipe tears from eyes, to bind up the wounds we bare, and to heal the broken hearted. To heal your brokenness.

To make this a reality the true light, a light that can never be extinguished, comes into the world. The Word becomes flesh. The baby matures, his ministry shines in the world and cannot be overcome, even by death. Jesus holds out his light towards us, through which he gives you the right of becoming nothing less than a child of God, just as much as Jesus is as God’s only begotten son.

Throughout the whole of your life, whether you know it or not, you are called to a greatness and destiny beyond human imagination as the son or daughter of God. How we respond to that call is a lifetimes work. The chance is there for you. How will you respond?

Please accept my best wishes and prayers for a fruitful and blessed 2026.

God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

THE ANNUAL LOURDES DINNER DANCE

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:49:17 GMT

THE ANNUAL LOURDES DINNER DANCE: will take place on Friday 13th February 2026 at the Met hotel in Leeds. Tickets are available from Phil Marshall at £45 or £400 for a table of 10. The ticket price includes reception drink, a 3 course Meal, tea and coffee, DJ and entertainment throughout the evening. To secure your tickets for this popular event, contact Phil on 07766 148375 or email philmarshall49@outlook.com . All profits at the event go to the Diocesan Lourdes fund.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 27th December 2025

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 20:02:02 GMT

As we continue to celebrate Christmas and now enter 2026, I want to extend a sincere thank you to you all for your contribution to the life of our parish and to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. There are so many of you who have a role in supporting parish life in many different ways, including cleaning, flower arranging, music, gardening, the work of the SVP, children’s liturgy, readers, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, altar serving, safeguarding, counting our offertory, hospitality in serving tea and coffee, and many, many other things.

Each are different ways of supporting our community and at the same time a different form of ministry to our Heavenly Father. I also want to take a moment to sincerely thank you all for your support to my ministry as your spiritual father. I have been bowled over by the number of cards, gifts and messages I have received. I know that you know that the life of a priest is not for the fainthearted, and undoubtedly there will have been times when I have made mistakes, perhaps there have been times when I have inadvertently upset people. For all of those occasions please accept my unreserved apology.

Every day I ask God, though the Holy Spirit, to enable me to be the best priest that I can be to serve Him and you to the best of my poor ability. Despite the ups and downs of the complexities of parish life, as we look towards 2026, I renew my unreserved commitment to the Lord and you. Let’s pray over the coming months that our bond as brothers and sisters will be strengthened and that our community may be salt to the earth and light to the world around us.

God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

POINSETTIAS AT CHRISTMAS 2025

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:39:42 GMT

For many years it has been a tradition for parishioners to donate a poinsettia plant as part of the Christmas display in memory of a loved one. If you would like to donate a plant (either red or white) please bring it to church as soon as possible. Thank you.

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK!

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:21:05 GMT

Thank you to people who have come forward but we could still do with having more people to count our parish collection after the 10.30 Sunday Mass . We also need people to sign up to help with refreshments after the 10.30 Sunday Mass and with cleaning St Urban’s on Monday morning . I am genuinely grateful to those who help with this work, and in other areas too such as the Children’s Liturgy, but I am concerned that the work is being done largely by the same small group of people week in and week out, some of whom are not getting any younger (myself included)! After Christmas we will put up a list of activities where we need help and invite you to consider what you can do. We are a wonderful community of over 250 people. What can we do together to better serve each other,

and, of course, the Lord Jesus? Father Chris.

CHRISMAS FLOWERS SECOND COLLECTION THIS WEEKEND

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:38:20 GMT

CHRISMAS FLOWERS SECOND COLLECTION THIS WEEKND: to decorate our beautiful Churches.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated, with a special thank you to Robert for donating and putting up our lovely Christmas trees.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 21st December 2025

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:33:28 GMT

We are very familiar with the story of the Annunciation in Luke’s gospel where the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, informs her of God’s plan for the birth of his son, and seeks her agreement to it. Annunciation literally means the announcement of something, and there is more than the encounter between Mary and Gabriel in the New Testament, there is the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist, and we see another example in Sunday's gospel. The annunciation of Jesus to Joseph by the angel.

Joseph is a silent but critical figure in the early life of Jesus and in the gospel we see his side of the account of the birth of Jesus. It parallels the story in Luke of Mary and the angel. Perhaps you can imagine Mary sharing her side of the story with St Luke, whilst someone seems to have had an opportunity to hear from St Joseph about what happened to him and the encounter between him and an angel.

When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant it put him in an impossible situation. Being betrothed to someone at that time was tantamount to being married; the only thing that remained was for the bride to move into her husband’s house. Betrothal lasted for about a year and was a binding contract. According to the Law of Moses, Mary, being found to be pregnant, was guilty of adultery the penalty for which was being stoned to death together with her unborn child. Joseph could have insisted on this. All of us can imagine how he felt angry, humiliated and betrayed, and yet we get a sense of kindness and compassion where he wants to spare Mary public humiliation and shame. He wants to spare her life and that of the unborn child. Would you or I have done this, or would we have insisted on our legal rights and then taken satisfaction in someone getting just what they deserved?

But Joseph is open hearted, he is also open to the spirit of God in his life when God sends his messenger to ask him for his help, as with Mary at the conception of her son. The message is not a demand but a request with an invitation to trust in God and his plan for the salvation of his people. Joseph could have woken from his dream and decided that it was all nonsense but he decides to cooperate with God’s plan even though he does not fully understand what he is being asked to do.

Think about it. Joseph is a brave man, he must have known that publicly accepting Mary’s child as his, and therefore giving Jesus an earthly lineage from the house of David, would have been seen as being ridiculous, even scandalous with his friends, neighbours and family. They probably thought he was a soft touch. Later Joseph saves the life of his infant son by fleeing as refugees with Mary to Egypt. Most importantly Joseph brings Jesus up well. I like to think that Jesus, in his humanity, got some of his best qualities from his foster dad as well as from his mother, after all we are all a combination of our parents in some way. For Jesus qualities of compassion, acceptance, mercy, and love.

Today is a story of how faith can see us through doubt as it did with St Joseph. During the dark night of the soul, those times of desolation and uncertainty that we all encounter in our lives, we need to remember that we are watched over by angels; that God speaks to us if we have an open ear and an open heart; that we have received the grace of God, and that each and every one of us are called to be saints. Today take into your heart the words of the angel to Joseph, “do not fear”, God is with you.

And don’t forget Joseph, his ear and heart as open to you as it was to Jesus and Mary. In a way, as Mary is our mother, Joseph is our father. Have a word with him when you need to; ask him for his help.

As Christmas approaches pleased be assured of my ongoing daily prayers for your intentions. A very Happy Christmas to you your loved ones.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

SUPPORTING THE LITTLE SISTERS

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:41:50 GMT

join the Little Sisters of the Poor for a designer clothes sale and some festive activities, Saturday the 20th of December from 12 to 4pm at St Urban’s. They are also hosting an Irish Night at the Irish Centre on York Road on Friday the 27th of February beginning at 7.30pm . Tickets are £25 including a meal and desert. All proceeds from both events will go to the rebuilding of Mount St Joseph.

SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS AND BLESSINGS

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:38:04 GMT

To Susan Burns, Maxine Owens, Joanne Brierley, and Chloe Midgley who are to be received into the Catholic Church this Sunday at St Urban’s. Please do keep them in your prayers as they become full members of our parish family.

This calendar year we have welcomed 10 brothers and sisters.

If you know someone who may be interested in hearing the Good News of the Lord Jesus I am very willing to have a conversation.

Father Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 14th December 2025

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:36:21 GMT

As Christians we are used to having Jesus in our lives. His image is very familiar to us and we all have an picture of Jesus in our minds, but we need to move beyond the image in the picture or the statue; so, who is Jesus to you?

This is not an odd question. Who Jesus is comes up time and again in the Gospels, including times when Jesus asks this question of his listeners and followers, and we have an example in Sunday's gospel. “are you the one who is to come”?

The author of today’s gospel, Matthew, is clear about who Jesus is. For Matthew Jesus is the Messiah, long awaited by the Jewish people. Though Matthew’s gospel is good news for all people, at the time of writing Matthew’s primary audience at the time were Jewish Christians. Unlike Luke for example, Matthew was not primarily concerned with a non-Jewish readership. His task as he saw it was to prove that the prophesies about, and the promise of the Messiah to the Jewish people, had come to pass in the person of Jesus (though at the end of Matthew’s gospel the mission of salvation does become universal and is not confined to a particular group). Even so Matthew, even with Jesus in front of him, had to ask the question who Jesus was; in a way you can see him working it out as the story of Jesus unfolds in his Gospel.

One thing we have in common with Matthew is how in our minds, hearts and souls our understanding of Jesus evolves over time. We see in Matthew’s narrative how the life and purpose of Jesus evolves over the course of his ministry. Jesus’ mission of salvation is gradually revealed, it evolves from salvation for the Jewish people to salvation for the whole of humanity. It evolves from an expectation of an earthly kingdom to the kingdom of the new heaven and the new earth. It evolves from having the adulation and respect of hundreds of followers to a solitary death on the cross. A solitary death but followed by a triumphant resurrection.

During Jesus’ life there must have been times for Matthew and, as we see in Sunday's Gospel, for John the Baptist too, that Jesus was difficult to fathom let alone understand. But both John and Matthew stick with Jesus and it moves them to a better and deeper understanding of themselves and of God which in turn gains for them eternal life.

How can we be as confident as Matthew and John about Jesus? In Sunday's gospel Jesus shows how his saving work defines who he is. He connects himself with the ancient signs of the arrival of the Messiah and the kingdom by his saving actions. He connects himself directly to the fragility of humanity, sickness, and pain. Jesus desires to save each and every one of us. He wants to give sight to the blindness of our hearts, he wants to strengthen our weary hands, he wants to gently say to us “courage, do not be afraid”. He invites us to look towards a time of joy and gladness where sorrow and lament be ended. Let us pray for the coming of this kingdom, our God is coming to save us.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

Carol Service

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 20:39:43 GMT

The St Urban’s School Carol Service will be held in St Urban’s Church on Tuesday the 9th of December at 6PM. All are welcome to support one of our great schools.

Parish Christmas Fair - thank you

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 20:36:29 GMT

A SINCERE THANK YOU: To everyone who contributed in whatever way to the success of our parish Christmas Fair. The amount raised was £900 . Thank you for the generosity of time, goods, and money, including Waitrose for their donation of flowers for sale.

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 20:34:59 GMT

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION – is this Monday the 8th of December . There will be Mass at St Urban’s at 10.00am. There is also Mass at 12.30pm, and in the evening at 5.30pm at the Cathedral. It would be good to honour Our Lady on her special day.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 7th December 2025

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 20:23:17 GMT

Over the centuries during which the books of the Bible were written, though they were inspired by the Holy Spirt, the different authors often struggled to explain their understanding of what God, and the promised Kingdom of God, looked it. They were dealing with ideas and concepts which are beyond the limitations of human understanding. That is why so often in the Bible the phrase that something “looked like” something is often used, it’s was often the best they could do.

If I were to ask you what does God’s kingdom look like, what would you say? My earliest imaginings was formed by the holy cards you used to get (some which I still have) which, if set in heaven, had figures standing on a fluffy cloud with a pearl grey backdrop. Nothing else seemed to be happening. It was a kind of a neutral beauty. What does the Kingdom of God look like to you? How would you experience it? How would you know you were there?

Related to this in this Sunday's readings we have a sequence of beautiful images from Isaiah. He first describes the characteristics of the Messiah, what the Messiah is like. The amazing thing is that we too have been given these characteristics; these are the gifts we have received at Confirmation. How often do we pause to reflect on the extraordinary gifts of divine grace we have already received? Do we pause before passing judgement on others, do we act wisely (or rashly), do we act with integrity?

Jesus the Messiah is the perfect embodiment of all of these graces, as we see time and again in the Gospels, but are we mindful of these in our own lives? In our words and our actions? We have been given the ability to be the mirror of God’s grace to the people we meet, and the world in which we live, which in turn will also literally enlightens our own hearts and souls.

And what of the Kingdom? At the very beginning of the universe, which was created through his Divine Word, Jesus the Word made flesh, everything created is meant to be good, not just good but perfect in every aspect of its nature “they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain”. At the full realisation of the Kingdom the entire universe will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, The universe, and we too, will be filled with that knowledge, beauty and love.

In this Sunday's gospel John the Baptist, the last and the greatest of the prophets and the cousin of Jesus though Mary and Elizabeth, shouts out to everyone who will listen – “he’s here”. John has a big following but he always points away from himself towards Jesus – the one who saves; the Christ – the anointed one. Then and now John calls to us to prepare for Jesus; to prepare for Jesus the morning star for Him to arise in our minds and hearts whose light will illuminate our souls. John tells us that the way to do this is by repentance which is something we all need. It is also by faith in Jesus. If we repent we will be better people tomorrow than we are today; we will be salt to the earth and light to the world.

God desires that all people will be saved. We have been invited to share in the new heaven and the new earth at the end of time. Of course ultimately we will decide for ourselves if we wish to accept the invitation, we are God’s children, not His slaves. Do not be afraid to rise to this challenge. With God’s help you are destined for great things.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

Tuesday evening social

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 13:55:31 GMT

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: We meet at the Meanwood Tavern for a drink and some pizza. It's a great opportunity to meet new people in the parish and catch up with others. We walk up after the Tuesday evening Mass, or you can meet us there at around 7.50pm. If you’ve never been before, you’re more than welcome! For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders, please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454 678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416. Look out for future dates.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 30th November 2025

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:24:32 GMT

Arrivals are one of those things that we get excited about. Big or small; a letter from a loved one, that parcel you have been waiting for, or the amazing longed for gift of birth of a child. Arrivals have always been important in our lives.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the first day of the church’s year. So happy new year to you all. During this time we see things are a little different around us. Like during Lent, there are no flowers in the church, there is no Gloria at Sunday Mass, and the vestments are purple. Why is this? Advent is not Lent, though it resembles it in some ways. Some describe it as a “Little Lent”. We are not asked to sacrifice things as in Lent, but we are invited to slow down a little, even to press the pause button on life as much as we can, and to pay attention to one of the key moments of our salvation and the history of the universe – the birth of Our Lord and Saviour.

One of the great things about the church’s calendar are our festivals. Every year our festivals call into the present moment key events in the history of our salvation. This is more than recalling something; for example every time we celebrate the Mass together we literally bring into the present moment the moment when Jesus gave us his very self to help and sustain us. Each year Easter brings literally into the present moment the resurrection of Jesus and shows us, if we are faithful and do our best to stay close to him, that eternal life is our destiny too.

So what of Advent? Advent is a version of the Latin word Adventus which means coming or arrival. At the time of Jesus the Jewish people had waited centuries for the "adventus" of their promised Messiah. They had a sense from whom he would be descended, King David, and where he would be born, Bethlehem. In practical terms that was about it. They expected a political leader who would fix things on earth. And yet the prophets of the Old Testament, though the guidance of the Holy Spirit, somehow sensed that the Messiah would be so much more than a politician or a war leader. The Messiah would be the saviour of all nations who would destroy the very implements of war.

This must have been a difficult message for the Jewish nation. Their Messiah was not just their saviour but everyone’s, including you are me. This act of limitless generosity on the part of God must have been deeply upsetting for some and perhaps still is.

So what are you waiting for this Advent? Jesus has arrived in his church and lives among us. He gives us his very self in the Eucharist, and he comes to us each and every one of us through in word and the other sacraments too. But what about you? Are you ready for the "adventus", the arrival, of Jesus in your heart and soul? At the moment which will be your own end time on earth, are you ready to be stand confidence before him and to be with him forever? Day to day do others experience the the arrival of Jesus through us or do we block the way?

During Advent purple is worn; we are entering a mini Lent with God’s help let is take a step back from things around us perhaps we need a one word prayer, Maranatha (an Aramaic prayer probably familiar to Jesus himself) – “Come O Lord”.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 23rd November 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:27:39 GMT

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church's liturgical year, the feast of Christ the King of the Universe.

Do you remember as children dressing up as queens or princesses, kings or princes? As a child one year, out of a Christmas cracker, there fell a ring with a red stone, that, with a piece of curtain tied over my shoulders, and a flourishing a bamboo cane as a sword, I guess that I saw myself as some kind of knight or prince. It’s still a great pastime for children, and seeing all of the the costumes available for children these days there is a lot of royalty out there! Society also still reinforces a way of looking at royalty as something associated with being rich and powerful, deference, uniforms, jewels, and grand ceremonies. Even republics have their ceremonies and trappings of power. It seems to be something we need in some way.

Yet all of this is the palest imitation of the kingdom, the splendour of a King, the one and only King. The full splendour of this kingdom is something that no eye has seen nor ear has heard – the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

Of course there is something great and glorious beyond us in this life, but we have already encountered our King. We have an opportunity to encounter him every day. We encounter him in his word. We encounter him through the sacraments he has provided for us which are comprised of things that we can see, taste and smell (bread, wine, oil) which also remind us that he is the first principle of every created thing in the world, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth.

Other manifestations of his kingdom are also around us in creation. Despite our weaknesses the kingdom lives in our hearts and souls through the gift to us of the Holy Spirit. A gift that makes it is possible for us join the saints and with them to inherit eternal light.

Our King, Jesus the Christ, is the one who saves, the anointed one. Jesus he will come again. When he comes there will be no more sacraments, because, if we are faithful to his kingdom here and now on earth, we will not need them, we will see and experience Jesus himself in both his humanity and divinity. God willing we will be one with Him, the Father in the Holy Spirit in an embrace of joy, light and love.

However in Sunday's gospel things are very different. Our King is at his most vulnerable. He is pinned to the cross. He is immobile, mocked and derided. Maybe he is literally naked on the cross, which was a common humiliation at the time. Then people often turned up for public executions as a form of sport or pastime and today is no exception. The soldiers mock his kingship by not offering him fine wine but vinegar. The throne is the cross, the crown is of thorns. I invite you to take a moment to think about who you are in this scene. Maybe you are one of his followers in the crowd too terrified to do anything but to be there, perhaps you are one of the leaders who finally feel safe to jeer at him, perhaps you are the thief who wants Jesus to save you but you really do not believe that he can do it. Perhaps there are times when in some way we are all of these.

Personally, I think that a good prayer for the feast day is “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”, the answer of Jesus and his promise of eternal life to the person hanging beside him is meant for us too, hear it in your soul today. Jesus always keeps his promises.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you my King. Your kingdom come.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

NOVEMBER DEAD LIST

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:58:37 GMT

This is being updated and will be displayed in our churches when it is complete. You will notice that November Dead List Masses have commenced and will run through until November 2026.

Parish Christmas Fair

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:19:13 GMT

Our Christmas Fair is on Saturday the 29th of November starting at 1:00pm at St Urbans . A signup sheet is at the back of our churches for people willing to help with stalls etc. A sincere thank you to all those who have already signed up and donated. Donations of items are urgently needed (last year I bought a “retired” statue of the Infant of Prague!). Please be generous with your time and effort to support our parish and build our community.

Fr Chris

DIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE VOLUNTEERS INFORMATION EVENING

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:07:43 GMT

Ever thought of going on the Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes volunteering as a nurse or as part of the hospitality team but want to know more, then you are invited to an information evening about the roles and pilgrimage. Hinsley Hall, Monday 1st December, 7pm .

For more information, please email Phil Marshall on lourdes.enquires@dioceseofleeds.org.uk or 07766 148375.

To register interest please email recruitment.lourdes@dioceseofleeds.org.uk , or simply turn up on the evening. It is a very busy but grace-filled week. Some members of our parish volunteer every year. Feel free to join us.

Fr Chris

CONFIRMATIONS 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:48:35 GMT

CONFIRMATIONS : next Tuesday, the 25th , 38 of our young people, with others from across the North Leeds Deanery, will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Marcus at St Mary’s Horsforth. Because of this there will be no evening Mass on that day but there will be Mass at St Urban’s at 10.00am. There will be no exposition or rosary that day.

Please pray for our wonderful young people receiving the last of the Sacraments of Initiation.

Thank you to the catechists in our schools for their work in preparing for this special occasion.

HELP NEEDED!

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:15:51 GMT

Two people have generously volunteered to count our collection after the 10.30 Sunday Mass, but we need more. The more we have the more the work can be spread out. Please, can you help? Please speak to Father Chris.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR OUR SICK AND HOUSEBOUND

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 18:06:48 GMT

As in previous years we will give a Christmas Gift to our sick and housebound. If you know of a sick or housebound parishioner who would like a gift, please let the parish office know as we always try to keep the list of our brothers and sisters in need up to date.

YOUR VIEWS MATTER!

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 18:04:06 GMT

The Parish Pastoral Council recently discussed how we can get the views of a wider group of parishioners. With this in mind, after the 10.30 Mass at St Urban’s this Sunday, the 16th of November , we will have a discussion over a cuppa about our community. It will be a time to celebrate what works well, also to consider what we can do together in improve. If you cannot be there but have ideas, there is still an opportunity to drop a note at the presbytery, email the parish office, or leave a note in the suggestion box at the back of each church

A thank you from the Little Sisters of the Poor

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:30:56 GMT

“I am happy to tell you we raised around £1,300 which is a great amount. Please would you thank the Parishioners for their help and support. Sister Catherine”

Well done to everyone and thank you for your great generosity.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 16th November 2025

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:28:51 GMT

Are you a “worst case scenario” sort of person? Caution in life is not a bad thing; we are all wired for survival with our inbuilt fight or flight mechanism. Physiologically it’s amazing too how our bodies automatically respond to threats by illness or injury.

Concern about the future and judgements about managing risks is a good thing it enables us to make decisions and plans, this facet of human behaviour is a gift from God.

We constantly do our best to plan for the future in our own lives. How carefully have we planned for our future with God?

The three synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke (synoptic means offering a common view) all offer similar perspectives on the end times. They differ in details, but as Jesus’ view of the end times is presented in all three, this suggests that the account of the end times is based on what Jesus said. We see an aspect of this in this Sunday's gospel.

We see that Jesus is clear that there will be an end time and that he will return to complete his work of salvation, to inaugurate a new heaven and earth that will be united in the kingship of Jesus within the life of the Holy Trinity.

How ready are we for this? When will it be? Surely the signs that Jesus speaks of today are all around us? I suspect that every generation has thought the same. Today people still comb scripture for dates and times, and various cults are built on this.

As always we need to look to Jesus himself where, in both Matthew and Mark’s gospels he says that only the Father knows when this will be. Running around focussing on search for the signs of the end is fruitless and ends up being as distraction from what each and every one of us needs to do to develop our relationship with God.

The truth is that for somewhere, for someone, today is their "end time". This takes many forms, a quiet death in home or hospital; the unexpected death by an accident; the taking of one life by another in its different guises – murder, abortion, execution; a person taking their own life; martyrdom for taking a stand for their faith in Jesus (which is more common in our own time than any Roman persecution). We don’t need to wait for some global catastrophe, a universal end of time; every moment of every day is an end time for someone, somewhere. One day, even ourselves.

I remember as a child a common desire among Catholics not to have an “unprovided for death”. An old idea perhaps but a good one. Without it becoming a morbid preoccupation, we must be prepared to meet God at any time. How often do we reflect on the prospect of meeting God face to face and then do something to be ready for it? The opportunities for grace are all around us, particularly confession and the Eucharist. Do not be afraid. God wants each and every one of us to be saved, he does not want a single hair on our heads to be lost, how beautiful is that? But it comes down to us. He has given us the means of salvation, it is for us decide how to respond.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 9th November 2025

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:09:50 GMT

This weekend is the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Instinctively we all need a place we can call home, even when we leave, perhaps to study, or perhaps marry, having that place of our origin, the place where we were formed is still important to us. Later in life though the physical location may be gone, we like to have things around us that somehow anchor us in a different time and place, perhaps photos, maybe letter, perhaps objects that take us back. Mine include some souvenirs Mum and Dad got on holidays, my small blue infant hairbrush, letters exchanged. What are yours?

The "home" of the Jewish religion was the temple in Jerusalem at the heart of which was the Holy of Holies, a sacred space only accessible by the high priest once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. As Catholics we understand that the home of our church is in Rome, not Jerusalem. The Cathedral of the Catholic Church in Rome is not St Peter’s, but the Lateran Basilica dedicated to St John the Baptist, build in 324 AD and it is the oldest public church in Rome. That is why it has its own feast day.

Why isn’t the heart of the church in Jerusalem, the place of Jesus’ death and resurrection, why Rome? There a number of reasons but Jesus came to break God out of the Holy of Holies (he must have been quite lonely there being visited only once a year), to enable God to be free, to be free to be in, and with, his people.

But all people are physical beings and, as with our homes, we like to locate ourselves in actual places. God is with us in a particular way in our churches. As Christians we are called to come together as a community to strengthen and support each other and to give witness to belief both to each other and to the world. Jesus is truly present to us, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist in every Catholic church where we can come into this actual presence. God also physically comes in the sacraments, which strengthen us and help us grow in the life of faith.

Every church, large or small, is truly the house of God and the gate of heaven. The Lateran Basilica is where the church came out of the shadows of the catacombs and the locked doors of people’s houses. It is the place where the followers of Jesus could, for the first time, literally be seen.

But Sunday's reading from St Paul tells us there is more. Remember when Paul was writing the temple in Jerusalem was still there and functioning. But he tells us something astounding, that each and every one of us is God’s temple. Through your baptism God is actually a living presence within you. This presence is strengthened by receipt of the Eucharist, when you literally become one with Jesus, and if you are one with Jesus you are one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. You, here, today and throughout your life as a Christian, are God’s temple and God’s spirit actually lives in you. If we were always fully conscious of this we would treat ourselves and others very differently, the world would be transformed.

So, treasure two things, the first are the physical places, our churches, where God, in particular Jesus, makes himself available to us. We need to care for God’s home as we would do our own. Secondly, remember that you possess a great treasure, you are a living breathing temple of God, do not be afraid of it, ask God to enlarge your heart and soul so that others can see God; see him in your face, your words and your actions. Ask God to make his home in you.

Finally, please remember that this Sunday is Remembrance Sunday; do your best to offer a prayer for the dead of all wars.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

HOLY SOULS ANNUAL SERVICE AT KILLINGBECK CEMETERY

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:59:57 GMT

Sunday the 9th November at 2.30pm. All are invited to come to the cemetery and pray for deceased loved ones. The service will be in the cemetery chapel with readings, hymns, and rosary.

Weather permitting, we will walk around the clergy circle reciting the rosary.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 2nd November 2025

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:44:50 GMT

This weekend is the feast of All Saints. How do you imagine saints to be? In our catholic tradition we see lots of images of saints. We have statues of Our Blessed Mother, St Joseph, and others in our churches. Many Catholic families have images and statues in their homes. In my childhood home, other than family pictures, virtually all of of our images were pictures of Jesus, Mary and other saints. After the death of my parents I kept some of them. I still have my family’s image of the Sacred Heart, dedicated when I was a two year old. In my missal I still have images of the saints going back to my childhood, all of them looking holy and often floating on a cloud in heaven.

Saints did not have a "pearly heavenly life" on earth. They were all people like us, with our strengths and weaknesses. Some of them had, to put it mildly, chequered histories. As a nurse one of my favourite Saints was, and is, St Camillus de Lellis. Camillus was a soldier, drinker and a gambler. Not the most promising material, but he went on to found a religious order dedicated to care of the sick. The apostles were also a pretty unpromising bunch, Peter had no special training in religion, and Matthew was a tax collector, people who were notorious for theft, and extortion. People at the time must have wondered why on earth Jesus chose them as his closest associates. Therese of Lisieux herself observed that she could have either been a great sinner or a great saint. So saints were and are people like us.

So what made the difference? All of the saints opted for something greater than themselves. Of their own free will, and despite their weaknesses, they opted for belief in God and in salvation through Christ. For many it meant giving up their old ways, drinking, gambling, theft, debauchery, violence. For many others the conversion was less radical, more quiet. But all of them sensed, though the guidance of the Holy Spirit, something greater than themselves. Something that changed their lives for good. Changed their lives for eternity. They decided to live out in their lives being a child of God knowing that they had to change, also knowing that the world would not understand, that it would reject many of them, and for some cost them their lives.

In Sunday's gospel Jesus tells us how to be a child of God in the beatitudes. A manifesto that, if we follow it, will transform our lives and the world around us. It is a manifesto so powerful that it also has meaning for people with no religion at all. The beatitudes are the guide on how to become a saint. It is not something that is risk free; people will not understand us and the choices we make. Some will speak badly of us and persecute us in different ways, but the reward is eternal union with God, eternal light, happiness and peace. We can see this in the saints.

The saints show us the way. The saints show us how sainthood, if we persevere, is the destiny for all of us. We must not be discouraged, after all Oscar Wild commented that "every saint has a past and every sinner has a future".

We are one people with the community of saints; we acknowledge this every time we say the Creed. If you are in difficulty look up a saint who had had that difficulty too (there will be one or more), the saints are our friends, ask them for their help. Which saint’s name do you have? You can ask them for help too. I suspect that there are many saints just waiting to be asked, they are a group so large that they cannot be counted and thank God for that.

I am on leave next week but be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions and the offering of Holy Mass.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris

40 Days 4 Life

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:49:28 GMT

40 DAYS FOR LIFE 2025: Prayer, fasting and (current ‘buffer-zone-law’-compliant) peaceful vigil in support of the un-

born, their mothers, fathers and families. 7am-7pm daily until 2 November. More info here: https://www.di-

oceseofleeds.org.uk/event/40-days-for-life-2025/ Contact Chris via 07815 681343 & 40daysforlife@gmail.com

Priestly Vocations - Discernment

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:34:44 GMT

There are two groups; under 18s and over 18s on Fridays 6.30pm-8.15pm: 17th Octobe r (Hinsley Hall), 14th November (Cathedral Hall), and 19th December (Hinsley Hall). Under 18 participants must complete and return a permission form prior to attending. For information please contact Vocations Promoter, Fr Simon Lodge simon.lodge@dioceseofleeds.org.uk .

Reflection from Fr Chris - 5th October 2025

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:10:07 GMT

All of us are on what some term a “faith journey”. Every journey has a beginning and faith is no exception. The faith journey can start at any time of our lives, even the end of earthly life where I have seen a person re-joining the road of faith even at the very last moment. Like all journeys it can be interrupted. For me my journey seemed to start from the get-go of my life as a small child, the interruption was in my young adulthood, and then later back on the road. What was, or is, your journey like?

In Sunday's Gospel the Apostles are on a literal journey with Jesus who is travelling to Jerusalem for what he knows will lead to his death. Jesus wastes no time on this journey, he spends his time teaching his friends, and this passage is part of a narrative where he tries to tell them what the life of a believer looks like. Today they interrupt him with a request. They ask him to increase their faith; this implies that it is something they already have but they want more of. However, in some translations it is not a request but a statement, “give us faith” which implies that faith is something they do not have. I guess that in a sense both requests are true for them and for us – some people have faith and want it to be strengthened, others have no faith but their heart senses that they want and need it.

What about you? In my life at different times, I have asked for both things. Times in the past where my faith lacked deep foundations and where I sensed that it was something that I needed. Most recently, thanks be to God, the foundations are there but, like you perhaps, my soul needs constant strengthening through prayer and service. So how is your faith today? What can you do to help it grow? It has always been a question for all of the friends of Jesus.

Today Jesus gives us an answer, faith and action go together. This is echoed later in the New Testament in the letter of St James who, with his characteristic bluntness, tells us that faith without works is dead. The life of the Christian is not only about belief and faith but what we do, putting faith into action. It is in acts of service to God and each other that we encounter the Father. Jesus refers to this in Sunday's second parable where he links growing in faith and belief to doing our best to do our duty.

What is this duty that Jesus refers to? For me it is the duty of love, the love of God and each other; a sacrificial self-giving love shown to us by Jesus in his death as a ransom for our life. Love builds up those around us, it is the one thing that cannot harm another person. Love warms the heart of the lover and the one who is loved. Love strengthens the soul and kindles the spark of divinity which is present within us. By works of love we become a source of love for others and a beacon of light in our world. Doing the duty of love will save you, those around you, and help to heal our troubled world. Doing the duty of love will bring you to the eternal banquet of heaven where your faith will be complete.

As St Therese of Lisieux said, "Love is all that counts".

This week's bulletin is attached.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

CAFOD Family Fast Day 3rd Oct

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:55:05 GMT

There will be a collection at the end of each Mass for Family Fast Day envelops and other donations. If you prefer you can donate at www.cafod.org.uk/envelope

Journeys as Older People

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:51:10 GMT

JOURNEYING AS OLDER PEOPLE: Wednesday 8th October 10am-2pm, Wheeler Hall, Leeds . Leeds Diocese older

people’s charity Growing Old Grace-fully is hosting a morning event offering a chance to reflect on our own journey into later

life, as Pilgrims of Hope, and explore finding the God of where in our own life. To book a place or for more information,

please email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Leeds University Catholic Chaplaincy

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:48:08 GMT

LEEDS UNIVERSITIES CATHOLIC CHAPLAINCY : Welcome to new and returning students! There is Mass for students,

and many spiritual and social events. Sunday Mass is at 5pm, 7 St Mark’s Avenue, Leeds, LS2 9BN. There will be a welcome

BBQ for new and returning students after Mass on Sunday 28 September. Pick up a Chaplaincy postcard from the back of the

church, and see linktr.ee/leedscathsoc for links and information.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 28th September 2025

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:35:29 GMT

During my training for the priesthood I volunteered to distribute food to the destitute at a large railway station. It could be distressing and even a bit risky, there were occasional fights, but everybody had their story, some truly amazing, but somehow life just went wrong. Everybody’s life is fragile and my experience of being with these sisters and brothers showed me that life can go wrong for any of us at any time. Western societies are rich and there is more than enough to go round, it just doesn’t seem to work that way. The rich get richer and the poor at best stand still.

It was just the same in the time of Jesus but Judaism at that time was unique among religions. Most religions were concerned with transactions between people and their particular gods - if I did this for my favourite god, then they might just favour me.

Judaism was different with God instructing his people to care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger with an emphasis on justice and right conduct. However, at the same time, material wealth and security was associated with being favoured by God and being poor was associated with being punished for sin, either their own or that of their forebears.

At the same time, paradoxically, people seen as being great sinners also seemed to be doing very nicely, such as Matthew the tax collector. It was totally illogical and Jesus calls it out for what it is. Jesus says that God loves all of his children equally, God calls all of us, without exception, to repentance, reconciliation with him and with each other, and to a loving relationship with him, now and into eternity.

In Sunday's Gospel Jesus shows us two things - how the good things in life are transient and that in the fullness of God’s kingdom our perspective on reality will be turned upside down where the last will be first, where the have nots in our society will process the fullness of God’s kingdom.

There is also in Sunday's gospel a clear warning, it is a warning repeated elsewhere, that those of us that have more than we need will be measured by the extent of our love, generosity and service to our brothers and sisters in need; all of us, priests and people, Popes and Cardinals, everyone. One of the surest ways to hell is indifference to those in need. To favour the rich over the poor. The powerful over the powerless.

So what are we to do? First, all of us in different ways have a responsibility to take action on this teaching. This can take many forms, but at its centre, particularly for those of us who are fortunate to have more than we need, we need to take to heart the warning of Jesus. He could not be clearer about how we will be judged at the end of our earthly lives - we will be judged by how we have judged others; we will be judged by how we have treated others.

Have we noticed the poor around us and what are we doing about it? Sometimes it’s not about the grand gesture of a big donation to charity (good though that is). Maybe it starts with just acknowledging the humanity of people we sometimes shun and prefer to ignore. Perhaps it’s about the smile and the small greeting to the person with the paper cup outside the bus station. It’s about, even in small ways, acknowledging a person’s humanity, that they like us are created in the image and likeness of God and a temple of the Holy Spirit. When you do this to the least of our brothers and sisters you do this for Jesus himself. Remember, Jesus has many disguises.

This week's bulletin is attached.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Getting to know you

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:52:27 GMT

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: We meet at the Meanwood Tavern for a drink and some pizza. It's a great opportunity to meet

new people in the parish and catch up with others. We walk up after Tuesday evening Mass, or you can meet us there at around

7.45pm. For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders, please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454

678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416.

Welcome Back

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 10:30:45 GMT

WELCOME BACK to those of you have been away during the summer break. I hope that you all had a good and relaxing time. Our schools and colleges started their new year last week and I want to assure you of my daily prayer for the needs of their children and young people, also their families and staff. I look forward to catching up with you concerning your summer adventures. God bless you all. Fr Chris

SVP Leeds

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 22:02:35 GMT

THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL (S.V.P.) supports vulnerable people in our parish; it is a wonderful apostolate

and always needs more help. Their next meeting is on Monday the 23rd of September at St Urban’s at 7.00pm . New

members are welcome.

Dementia Support

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:53:28 GMT

DEMENTIA SUPPORT: Carers Leeds provides a host of information and support for carers of those with dementia, and a

wide range of other needs. They are available on 0113 380 4300 or see www.carersleeds.org.uk for further details.

Parish Confirmations

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:33:10 GMT

CONFIRMATIONS 2025: Bishop Marcus will confer the sacrament of Confirmation in our Deanery on the 25th of November with the venue to be confirmed. As usual preparation for the sacrament for year 6 children will take place in our schools. There may be children who do not attend our schools who have already made their first reconciliation and communion who also need confirmation. If you know of anyone in this position, please do get in touch with me this week. Thank you. Fr Chris

Harvest Festival

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:37:48 GMT

HARVEST FESTIVAL: You are invited to our Harvest Festival Shared Lunch on Sunday 14th September in the meeting room at St Urban’s at 12 noon. Everyone is welcome regardless of what Sunday Mass you attend. Those who come are encouraged to bring food to share with others. There is no list of what to bring but it always works out well with a very varied selection of food, and there is no obligation to bring food as there is always more than enough to share both savoury and sweet. If you can bring your own crockery this would be helpful as we only have a small amount. We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to help organise this – even if you can just help setting up or clearing away. There is a sign-up sheet at the back of both churches, thank you to those who have already volunteered.

Supporting Parish Community

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:32:06 GMT

SUPPORTING OUR PARISH COMMUNITY: Our church offertory income consists of monthly standing orders, cash in numbered envelops, and cash handed in at the collection during Mass. All cash received is counted after the 10:30 Sunday Mass and taken to the bank. Cash will always be an available option for making contributions, but it would be very helpful if those who can do so move to setting up a monthly standing order instead of using cash. If you donate using either a standing order or cash in numbered envelopes, and are paying UK income tax, as the church is a charity we are able to claim gift aid income from the government at no cost to you. All that is needed is the completion of a gift aid declaration. Please consider completing a declaration if you haven’t already done so. Standing order and gift aid forms are available at the back of church on your way out and someone will be there to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your support in supporting our wonderful parish. Fr Chris.

SUPPORTING OUR PARISH COMMUNITY

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 20:09:58 GMT

Our church offertory income consists of monthly standing orders, cash in numbered envelopes, and cash handed in at the collection during mass. All cash received is counted after the 10.30 Sunday mass and taken to the bank. Cash will always be an available option for making contributions, but it would be very helpful if those who can do so move to setting up a monthly standing order instead of using cash . If you donate using either a standing order or cash in numbered envelopes, and are paying UK income tax , as the church is a charity we are able to claim gift aid income from the government at no cost to you . All that is needed is the completion of a gift aid declaration. Please consider completing a declaration if you haven't already done so. Standing order and gift aid forms are available at the back of church on your way out and someone will be there to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your support in supporting our wonderful parish.

Fr Chris

HARVEST FESTIVAL

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:49:48 GMT

You are invited to our Harvest Festival Shared Lunch on Sunday 14th September in the meeting room at St Urban’s at 12 noon. Everyone is welcome regardless of what Sunday Mass you attend. Those who come are encouraged to bring food to share with other s. There is no list of what to bring but it always works out well with a very varied selection of food, and there is no obligation to bring food as there is always more than enough to share both savoury and sweet. If you can bring your own crockery this would be helpful as we only have a small amount. We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer to help organise this – even if you can just help setting up or clearing away. There is a sign-up sheet at the back of both churches , thank you to those who have already volunteered.

Welcome back

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:23:08 GMT

WELCOME BACK to those of you have been away during the summer break. I hope that you all had a good and relaxing time.

Our schools and colleges started their new year last week and I want to assure you of my daily prayer for the needs of their children

and young people, also their families and staff. I look forward to catching up with you concerning your summer adventures.

God bless you all.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 7th September 2025

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:19:42 GMT

We are all born with free will through which we make decisions. The life of faith is also the life of reason; free will, faith and reason, all are gifts from God. Throughout history every human being has been invited, in one way or another, to choose, to decide to have a relationship with God. We are the living stones that come together to make God’s house, one people all in different ways sharing the ministry of Jesus of priest, prophet and king. We follow what the ancient Romans called the “cursus honorum”, a way of honour, in our case the way to eternal life.

In inviting people to follow him Jesus is always totally, even painfully, truthful and honest about what this involves. In this Sunday's gospel he cannot be clearer about the price of discipleship. It is a hard and stark message. Discipleship means giving to God our first loyalty. Jesus, as he often does, exaggerates to make a point, to make an impact, to make us stop and think. Today he says that to be a follower we must reject even hate what is closest to us. But Jesus’ way is the way of love, not hatred. There is no place for hatred in his teaching. The term “hate” in the gospel in its original context means to “love less”. Jesus means that the love that his follower will have for God will be so great that all earthly loves will in some way pale by comparison.

This the way of honour is not an easy path, or a triumphal procession as in ancient Rome, but it is the way of the cross. In Jesus’ time the cross was the ultimate in pain, degradation and humiliation. Despite what we see in images of the crucifixion, people were often left literally naked on the cross, which was especially humiliating to Jews. Given this, associating the cross with discipleship would have been deeply shocking to Jesus’ listeners and it still unsettling for us. Very few of us invite the burden of the cross into our lives, but cross-bearing is the essence of discipleship. In my own life I have seen how a cross can positively transform a person in their life of faith and in some mysterious way draw a person, and those around them, into a deeper intimacy with God.

Jesus does not want us to be deceived or for us to deceive ourselves about discipleship. Jesus does not want followers who rush into things without thinking about what is involved. Witnessing to Jesus by our words and actions in the world is not easy, we need God's help. Jesus is always with us he has already saved the world by his life death and resurrection; his very name means “the one who saves” and he will save us, save you, too.

Stay close to Jesus in the life of faith; nothing can separate you from the love of God except yourself.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 31st August 2025

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 20:06:36 GMT

Jesus was a party person.

In Sunday's gospel Jesus is found with others and meals feature an awful lot in the gospels. Sometimes Jesus is with dubious types we would not want to be seen with; at other times he is invited by people who really did not want him to be there but wanted to catch him out. I guess that we have all had people around sometimes that we don’t really want, but hopefully never when we are just deliberately waiting for someone to embarrass themselves when we can take some kind of moral high ground or superior position.

Jesus knows how to behave as a guest; there are times too when he’s direct with people about what they should say and do. He’s very good at "giving feedback" you might say. However somethings never change in human nature, if we are honest all of us are somehow impelled to go for the best seats at events we go to.

At the time of Jesus it was common practice for the most important people at a dinner party to arrive last so it was sound practical advice from Jesus to take a lower place first, particularly when, at that time, the seating was ordered by importance and honour. But of course the skill of Jesus is that the simplest things having a deeper meaning. In the gospel he tells us how to get the best out of a party not by bigging ourselves up, but by taking a bit of a back seat and waiting to be approached by the host. He shows that humility will be rewarded. After all if you choose or are in the lowest place the only way is up. For God the truly humble person will finish up where they ought to be and receive the honour which is due to them.

Humility takes different forms. I was privileged to know someone who had a habit of throwing lavish parties. They were not always for family and friends. Sometimes they would invite people who were never invited anywhere - the sick, elderly and the lonely. They ensured that the guests had a wonderful evening with fine food and drink and great company. They did not expect a reward, and could never expect one, but they simply took pleasure in the experience of making people happy and relieving their burdens for a short while. That same person is now with God and, God willing, they, with some of their onetime earthly guests, are enjoying the hospitality of heaven.

So be like Jesus, be a party person; be a good guest; be a great host; be generous; make your heart larger by making yourself a bit smaller. I promise, you will not go unrewarded.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Altar servers needed

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 15:18:48 GMT

HAS YOUR CHILD MADE THEIR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION? If so they can become a member of our altar server team in either

of our churches. It is a wonderful opportunity to draw nearer (literally) to the Lord Jesus in the Mass and to better understand

what happens in the Mass and other liturgical celebrations. Training will be given.

TRANSPORT TO MASS ON SUNDAY

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 11:46:08 GMT

We have some parishioners who would love to attend Sunday Mass but cannot get there by themselves.

Please consider your own travel arrangements and if you could give someone a lift to Mass please do let me

know via the office email address . Diocesan safeguarding applies.

Thank you. Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 24th August 2025

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:00:25 GMT

When I was training as a nurse we were taught a golden rule “never assume”. An assumption being accepting something as being true without proof.

This principle is important in the context of the medical professions as the wrong assumption can have very serious consequences. But there are times for all of us when we have to make assumptions. There will be times when the information we have is incomplete and we have to use our intuition and prior experiences to fill in the gaps and reach conclusions.

Perhaps assumptions are part and parcel of being a Christian. After all St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says that we see things dimly in a mirror. But St Paul was writing around 53 AD at a time when the gospels were being formulated from people’s recollections of the life of Jesus. On Sunday we hear from Luke’s gospel written between 80 and 90 AD. By the time Luke is putting pen to paper, the time for assumptions about the good news of Jesus has passed. The core of the teaching of Jesus was in place. All of the gospels address, in one way or another, the end of history, both the end of our personal history in this life at our death, and the end of time itself.

Jesus time and time again warns us to be ready for both, are we? Are you? Am I? As part of hospital and hospice ministry I see people who are approaching their personal end time here on earth. It is a grace and joy to be able to offer the sacrament of the anointing of the sick to people, to cleanse them of the spiritual ills alongside their medical treatment.

At the same time there is a feeling in some parts of the Christian world and more generally in society that spiritual interventions and remedies like this are unimportant, irrelevant, not needed. It’s just between the person and God. It’s an assumption that all people are saved and enjoying the eternal beauty of the vision of God. Of course no one can comprehend the scope of the love and mercy of God for us, either in this life or the next, but we need to be careful, the idea that a person can do everything on their own to attain grace and eternal life is an ancient heresy called Pelagianism.

We know from our own experience of life, and what we see in the world, that we cannot simply save ourselves let alone our world, and that the exercise of our will cannot save us. If it could the world would already be a very different and better place. We need God or loving Father; we need Jesus; we need the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Only God’s free gift of grace, mediated in this life through the medicine for our souls, the sacraments, can bring about the personal transformation that we need and that the world desperately seeks. The Mass and the sacraments is the narrow door, narrow but always open, to those with a sincere heart.

So how are your assumptions today about your life as a Christian? How are you today with loving God with your heart mind and soul and the stranger as yourself? How well do you know Jesus? How well does Jesus know the real you? He desperately wants to know you; he wants to work with you to transform you into something beautiful, something eternal. Do not be afraid. He wants to invite you to the feast of eternal joy. Please, please, don’t pass it up.

This week's bulletin is attached.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Baptism preparation

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 18:18:03 GMT

The next baptism preparation session will take place on the 23rd of August at 2.00pm at St Urban’s. Please remember that booking a baptism cannot be happen without first attending a preparation session.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 17th August 2025

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:17:25 GMT

Who or how do you envisage Jesus to be? I still have pictures and images of Jesus from my childhood home, including an image of the Sacred Heart with the names of my Mum and Dad and my sister Maureen on it.

in these images Jesus is static, he looks out in a kind and concerned way. I like the images I have and will always treasure them, but, during his time on earth, and now in heaven, Jesus is far from a static, serene figure and we see something of this in Sunday's gospel.

Sunday's gospel follows immediately on from last Sunday's week’s gospel where Jesus insists that we all need to be ready for the arrival of the kingdom. What does this mean? What are the signs of the kingdom? What will it look like? What is our role in this?

This is where the dynamism of Jesus’ teaching becomes unsettling, even frightening. We are used to the static Jesus, frozen with a smile on the paper of our images. But Jesus was seen as being dangerous in his time, and in a real sense he still is. We see something of why this is in Sunday's gospel. The arrival of the kingdom of God in the world, and into the hearts of believers, is by its nature disruptive and Jesus tells us can be divisive.

The transformation of the heart and soul by Jesus through the Holy Spirit is inescapable in the life of the Christian. Belief in Jesus means that our souls are set alight with divine love, we begin to experience something called “metanoia”, a Greek term meaning a “change of mind” but not only this, the way we see the world and how we behave also changes driven by love of God and of neighbour.

This has consequences for who we are, how we see others and ourselves, how we perceive our relationship with God, and how we interact with the world. Living the the message of Jesus – the message of life and love of God and those around us changes us. Living the way of Jesus transforms us threatening what we may have seen or believed to have been important. It also threatens what underpins so much of our society and its power structures at the heart of which rampant individualism.

Jesus sets the world ablaze by his words and actions, and he invites us to do the same. His words burned in the hearts of his friends, particularly after his resurrection and Pentecost. They wanted to pass the light from the flame of Jesus on to others. That flame has been passed on to us to give to others.

Is the flame of Jesus alive in your heart? Is it a burning fire or wavering flame? The truth of it is that for all of us sometimes the flame of Jesus in us is stronger than others. Bringing the light of Jesus into the world and too others can be a risky, divisive, enterprise and can, seemingly in this life, end badly as we see with the martyrs of our modern age from Nigeria and China to the Middle East.

The question for all of us is how courageous are we prepared to be in bringing the kingdom into the world, the risks are great, but the rewards are eternal.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 10th August 2025

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 18:52:02 GMT

What do you treasure in life? My treasure in this world are letters, many are over 40 years old from loved ones; words of love and encouragement. They are things that I still look at from time to time hearing in my mind’s eye the voices of departed loved ones. A vulnerable and fragile treasure of paper; irreplaceable if lost or damaged.

Attachment to things is part of human nature. Attachment begins early. We form an attachment to our parents immediately at the time of our birth, particularly to our mother. It’s as though we are created to be attached in some way, within our families, to our friends, and to God our loving Father. We are not fully human without being attached in some way.

Jesus in his humanity had his attachments too. In particular an attachment to His friends and His followers, including, of course his mother.

But we need to keep our attachments in perspective if we are not to become a captive, enslaved to the things that we think are our treasure, in particular those material possessions that we convince ourselves that we cannot do without. Without discernment our treasure can and will become our millstone.

But be encouraged. The Father has as a free gift for us, an unimaginable treasure; his kingdom. This kingdom is a kingdom of both “now” and “not yet”. It is here and now through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through Jesus we already participate in the divine life of God through the love of God and our neighbour and the sacraments. The kingdom is also a kingdom of “not yet” as we await the end of time when Jesus will return in glory (as he insists that he will). In this Sunday's gospel Jesus, tells us to be ready for the moment of his promised return, he says that we must remain “dressed for action”. None of us knows when the end time will be, but every day of our existence it is the end time for someone, somewhere, as it will be for us one day too

The treasure of the kingdom is not gold silver and jewels, the treasure is found in the gentleness of heart, the tenderness of embracing a person in distress, a smile and greeting to the homeless and destitute on street corner, the loving caress of parent to child, accompanying people with compassion in the distress of sickness or bereavement. This is a treasure trail that is the path to eternal life, light, peace and joy.

Today ask the Holy Spirit to help you to take a look into your heart, what is your treasure?

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:52:45 GMT

This will take place on Saturday the 27th of September. It’s a great day out and an opportunity to visit Our Blessed Mother in the beautiful “England’s Nazareth”. There is an early start with a return in the evening but it really is worth it. It would be great if we could get enough numbers for a parish coach. I will leave a sign-up sheet at the back of our churches to canvass initial interest.

Fr Chris

WELCOME TO OUR NEW PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 14:39:48 GMT

Catherine Liddle takes up her appointment this week as parish administrator. Many of you will know Catherine from

Our Lady of Lourdes. Catherine will work the equivalent of one day a week based in the St Urban’s office.

I must confess it is a great relief to have some dedicated admin support.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 3rd August 2025

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 14:34:28 GMT

Have you ever received a legacy where someone has left you something? We hear in this week's gospel of dissatisfaction with a legacy.

A little context is useful here. The man rather rudely interrupts Jesus who is teaching at the time demanding that Jesus tell his brother to give him his share of an inheritance. His question is not surprising as he sees Jesus as a rabbi and rabbis were routinely asked for their particular views on aspects of Jewish law and tradition. There is an irony in Jesus’ statement when he says, “who appointed me your judge” when in fact Jesus is the judge, who will be our judge – your judge – too.

Jesus' response is clear in his views about material goods, that life does not consist of the "abundance one one's processions". This view is found in Jewish tradition. Instinctively, particularly for those of us who are older, the caution urged upon us by Jesus rings very true. When someone dies and goes to meet God every aspect of outward show, poverty or prosperity, is stripped away. Today, for someone, somewhere, today is a person’s end time here on earth.

The knowledge of this should give us an insight, a “wisdom of heart” to know what is important. But we are besieged; we are bombarded by a culture and a society where acquisition and ownership seems to be everything – the whole of our society is structured around it. What are we to do?

As Christians we live in the presence of God and we look to a future with Him. We already participate in the divine life of God through the sacraments, also through fellowship with each other, and by being of service to others. But we also live in the world surrounded, as one hymn puts it, by a "thousand snares". Whilst we are in the world Jesus tells us that each and every one of us is called to be salt and light to our brothers and sisters; a point of reference for humanity in a complex and confusing landscape.

Yes, there are things that we need for ourselves and those that we love but, this needs to be kept in balance knowing that for us everything in this world is transient. All of us are our mortal, a mortality that can come to us at any time. Our bodies will die, we just don’t know when. But Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection shows us that our mortality is not our end. Jesus wants us to be where he is, in eternal beauty, light and peace where we are still ourselves but perfected. One with God; eternal life with, God willing, all those that we love.

In the material world you have probably heard the phrase “cape diem “, which is a Latin phrase meaning "seize the day"; perhaps a better term for us is “carpe aeternum”, seize eternity.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

A tin a week

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:39:03 GMT

Our SVP collect food for the hungry, can you spare a tin a week for this also some toiletries? These can be left in the boxes at the back of our churches. The Lord tells us to feed the hungry, so thank you all for your donations which are sincerely appreciated.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 27th July 2025

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:09:29 GMT

How persistent are you? In Sunday's readings we see how it is OK to be persistent with God. We see Abraham’s persistence where he not only talks to God, he challenges him to show how just he is, but he also goes further and bargains with God for the lives of others. God listens and responds. God is a God of justice but, over and above all things, He desires to save us from ourselves and the consequences of our own weakness and sin. Just as we desire to help those we know and love.

In Sunday's Gospel the disciples struggle with knowing how to approach God, how to communicate with him. There were daily sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem but the disciples sensed a need to approach God "one to one", to pray. There are two versions of the Our Father in the Gospels, the other slightly longer version is found in Matthew’s gospel. Its beauty is that it can be said individually or collectively. Jesus says to his disciples and us, “Say this when you pray” in other words he intends the prayer to be used.

Our Father – Abba – in Aramaic is the form of address of a child to their Father, an approach of trust and intimacy. There are 7 petitions or requests in the prayer. If you pray it slowly you will see how it sets out our relationship with our loving father, but also speaks of what we need whilst we are in the world, including the deliverance from evil.

In essence Jesus tells us that prayer is never unheard or unheeded by our Heavenly Father, it is always answered in some way, though there will be times when God’s reply is not obvious at the time. This has been true for me and I suspect that is the same for you too.

So be persistent in prayer. As well as your day to day needs, ask God to come to you. By your baptism you already share the life of God though the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Ultimately God will stretch out His hand and save you. His love for you is eternal.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Back in the Parish

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 19:20:15 GMT

It’s good to be back with you all after two week working as a chaplain in Lourdes, the first week with our own Diocesan pilgrimage, the second week as a chaplain to the Ampleforth pilgrimage. It has been a very busy but grace filled two weeks. I prayed for your intentions every day and I offered Masses for them too. It was particularly good to see our teenagers and, on the second week, young adults caring for the sick and the vulnerable with great compassion, care and concern. God willing their faith has been strengthened too. I want to sincerely apologise for any disruption or inconvenience my absence may have caused, especially due to unexpected illness. I am very grateful to Fr Paddy also Cannons Nunan and Cassidy for their support in covering my time away. At the back of the church you will find a small prayer card for you from me as a token of my prayers for you at the shrine. Hopefully there will be enough for everyone.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 20th July 2025

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 19:14:52 GMT

Generosity is a theme we see time and again in the Bible, not least the first act of generosity, that of God creating the universe in its staggering beauty and complexity culminating in God entering our world, our humanity, and saving us from ourselves in his son Jesus.

This Sunday we see in the Old Testament one of the best remembered stories in the Bible, that of Abraham, Sarah and the three strangers. In some respects it is merely a classic story commonly seen in a desert culture where strangers are treated well and their needs are met. This custom is still practiced in Arabic desert cultures.

But this particular account has much more to it than the observance of hospitality rules being followed by a reward. The setting, the Oak of Mamre, was a holy place. Instinctively Abraham knows that the three strangers are different, more than mere strangers; Abraham prostrates himself before them, which is what you would do before royalty or divinity. There are three people but he addresses them in the singular – “my Lord”. He seems to offer them what little he has but with Sarah they go to great lengths to offer a feast. The gift given in return by the strangers, or is it the stranger, is the gift of life, the gift of a child. In a sense it is the gift of immortality through the life of successive generations. A miraculous gift, an impossible gift – Abraham was probably 99 and Sarah 90 at the time. A gift for them, which becomes a gift for us too – Jesus in his humanity is a descendent of this encounter. Over a thousand years before the birth of Jesus it is also a prophesy, an insight into the existence of, and the life of, the Holy Trinity.

In Sunday's Gospel we see another arrival. This is not the arrival of a stranger but Jesus at the home of his good friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. As we do when our own friends visit there is a desire to make sure that things are just as they should be. It is clear that Jesus does not expect people to rush around making a fuss. Jesus knows that there is a time in all of our lives for doing things, a time for action, but also a time for contemplation. Today we see him, with care and gentleness, reminding Martha, and us too, not to permit ourselves to be preoccupied by external things; only one thing is required, to sit at the feet of our brother, our friend, our master, and our God, the Lord Jesus, and to listen to him with the ears of our heart and our souls and to respond to his good news – which is our redemption and the opportunity to enter into the divine life of God.

The kingdom of God is very near to us. Be generous in making a still and quiet space for God in your mind, your heart, and your soul he will reward you with his presence. Be still in the presence of the Lord.

As always please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

OUR MASSES THIS WEEK

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 14:43:56 GMT

The Mass schedule for this week is as normal with the exception of no exposition during the week or rosary on Tuesday evening. I wish to sincerely thank Father Maurice Pearce for covering the weekday Masses and Canon Eugine McGillycuddy for covering this Sunday.

Fr Chris

GREETINGS FROM LOURDES

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 14:42:40 GMT

At the time of writing our sick brothers and sisters of the Diocese are preparing to leave for home and by the time you read this, God willing, they will all be safely home. Then the Ampleforth Pilgrimage arrive and I will spend the week with them as one of their chaplains. I am so immensely proud of the pupils of Cardinal Heenan High School who have been part of the pilgrimage’s youth section. They have not spared themselves in supporting their designated sick pilgrims. We are so lucky to have three great schools on our parish. As for myself, the task of a clergy chaplain is to provide pastoral and sacramental support to the pilgrims and at times pilgrimage volunteers too. It is an intense couple of weeks for me, but it is an opportunity to help very vulnerable people to find spiritual comfort and grow in grace. I am acutely aware the impact of my absence from the parish, and I want to sincerely apologise for any discomfort and inconvenience that this has caused but be assured that I have offered prayer and Mass for your intentions.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 13th July 2025

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 20:27:11 GMT

How do we get to heaven and “inherit eternal life”? This is the question posed to Jesus in Sunday’s Gospel. Jesus asks the questioner what his answer would be. The reply has two elements, love of God and neighbour both of which are found in Jewish law. The love of neighbour was at the time unique to the Jewish religion; however “neighbour” was seen as the person who lived nearby, or may stretch to the whole of the nation of Israel, there was certainly no thought of a wider community or fellowship. It did not include the love of all humankind.

Jesus, as he so often does, turns to a story to make his point. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is about 17 miles and the road descends more than 3,000 feet, it was a wild country and it still has a desolate feel, just rocks and desert. The two passers-by, the priest and the Levite, obviously see the person left for dead. In fairness perhaps they went on their way because of a reasonable fear they too would meet the same fate as the traveller, also, if he was dead, their religious rules meant that they would be ritually contaminated if they touched him. But Jesus will have deeply shocked is audience by making the hero of his story a Samaritan. The bitterness between Jews and Samaritans was long standing and very deep; it is hard for us to understand just how upsetting this would have been for Jesus’ audience. The hostility between the two peoples was fully reciprocated.

Jesus, as he always does, presses on with his message – the duty we all have of pausing to notice and care for the other regardless of who they are, especially those we would prefer to ignore. A need to reach out with compassion, tenderness, and generosity, just as the Samaritan does, going the extra mile for the other. The Samaritan is closer to inheriting eternal life than the lawyer.

So, what about us? As I don’t use a car, I find that I have moments every day when I walk on by. Times when I avert my eyes or cross the street to avoid an encounter that I don’t want to have. There are times every day when I am the priest in the parable. Lord, have mercy on me a sinner. At my best I pause to offer what I have, and there are times when it’s just a chat with another human being, just taking an interest. It is the movement of generosity of spirit which not only draws me and the other person closer to the heart of Jesus but makes both of us feel a better person. What about you? Do you walk on by too? Who are you on the road to Jericho? Are you on the road to eternal life with God?

Please be assured of my prayers for your needs and intentions in Lourdes.

Fr Chris

HEALING SERVICE

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:47:52 GMT

There will be a Healing Service on Tuesday the 15th July at 7pm in St Mary’s Catholic Church, Horsforth. This is a beautiful opportunity to pray for healing for yourself or others, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. Remember Jesus is alive, and miracles can and do happen! Everyone is welcome, including non-Catholics and those of no faith - all that is needed is an openness to Jesus.

NORTH LEEDS DEANERY EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:45:43 GMT

NORTH LEEDS DEANERY EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION will be in the afternoon of Sunday 13 July 2025 at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Harrogate Road, Leeds. 2pm followed by fun and games and a BYO Picnic.

It promises to be both prayerful and fun and I would strongly encourage you to attend if you can.

OUR MASSES OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:44:22 GMT

A warm welcome to Father Paddy of the Xaverian Order who is kindly saying our Sunday Masses this weekend during my time in Lourdes. There will be a retiring collection for their work. More information about the work of Father Paddy’s order can be found here Xaverian Missionaries UK – "Make Of The World One Family" . Father Maurice Pearce will be covering the weekday Masses

for the next two weeks; next Sunday the Masses will be celebrated by Canon Eugine McGillycuddy.

I am very grateful to my brother priests for their help

CATHOLIC CARE GARDEN PARTY

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 17:36:11 GMT

Please join Catholic Care at their Head Office at Hinsley Hall on Sunday 13th July for their Summer Garden Party.

Enjoy an afternoon of games, delicious refreshments, stalls and more - all in support of our charity.

It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy some sun, connect, and make a difference.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 6th July 2025

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:08:12 GMT

When I was a child there was a great emphasis on overseas missionaries and their work. We were encouraged to contribute pennies from our pocket money to support it. Somehow the work of missionaries was something others did, we really did not get involved other than supporting them with prayer and resources. Of course this is still vitally important and many of us have missionary orders we have supported for some time.

The truth is, however, that all of us live in missionary territory, more so than ever with the secularisation of our society. All of us have a share in the priesthood of Christ in various ways and are therefore called to share the good news of the Gospel and call those around us to conversion to belief in God and the Lord Jesus. For some, such as priests, deacons and religious, it is a calling of total dedication, however every Christian is called to be evangelist. There are many ways of doing this but perhaps in everyday life it is done by the example of a life lived well in the love of God and our neighbour. It is through living good faith filled lives that we attract people to the Lord. In the early church what attracted people to it was they way in which the Christian community lived their lives with each other and in society at large. They demonstrably lived the life of love in Christ.

Do people in our neighbourhoods know that we are Christians? Do we show this in how we live and what we do? Are we the face, words, and actions of Jesus in our world? We have the good news of love and eternal life to share with others who are in desperate need of it. All we need a little bit of courage and faith, the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

This weekend we welcome Father Paddy of the Xaverian Missionaries who will share with us his perspectives on being an ambassador for Christ.

God willing, I leave for Lourdes tomorrow for two weeks serving as a chaplain to the sick. Please be assured of my prayers for your intentions during my time there. If you have a particular intention please feel free to post it to: office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Please be assured of my ongoing prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

MASS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY THIS COMIMG WEEK

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:13:23 GMT

Due to unforeseen circumstances there will be no Mass this coming Tuesday . There will be Mass on Wednesday

but this will be in the Sacred Heart School at 1.30pm. All are welcome to join the school for their Leavers Mass.

There will be no Mass in the parish this coming Friday as I will be travelling to Lourdes.

Fr Chris

LOURDES

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:15:26 GMT

I will be away with effect from the 4th of July retuning on the 18th . I will be working as a chaplain to the sick for the two weeks. As always, I am happy to take with me any prayer intentions you may have, and I will offer Masses for you all. I am grateful to the priests who will cover me during my time away.

Father Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 29th June 2025

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:09:05 GMT

This weekend we celebrate Saints Peter and Paul. Men very different in background and outlook. We tend to focus on the greatness of their sainthood and their particular role in our church as pillars of teaching and authority, but their own journey of faith was fraught with difficulty.

Paul was a persecutor of the church and witnessed the death of St Stephen of which he approved. Peter, who said he would die for Jesus, denies him three times.

At the point of Paul’s conversion the Christians are so scared of him that they think it’s a hoax to enable him to identity, arrest and punish them. For Peter, he is so ashamed of his betrayal that he never brings himself to apologise for it and it is Jesus who forgives him.

Despite of our own instinctive desire to follow the Lord, like Peter and Paul, we are also a collection of weakness and frailty. We betray Jesus as readily as we affirm him as Lord; often in small ways imperceptible to others but known to our hearts.

What unites Peter and Paul is a recognition that simply acknowledging Jesus as Lord, God, and Saviour is insufficient to bring salvation to the world and to transform the believer into the image of Christ; belief is not enough.

We all need the infusion of the power of God into hearts, minds and souls. The seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit - wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and awe of God; gifts we have received through Baptism and Confirmation. Do you pay attention to the amazing gifts that you have really and truly received? Have you considered how to put these gifts to use to bring the kingdom of God into your hearts and our world?

We see how the Holy Spirit transforms Peter and Paul, we can see it in what they write and what happens in their lives. They bring the Word of life, Jesus, to others, by their words and actions; in turn they are rescued from the lions mouth of their own infirmities and weaknesses.

Jesus is the way to eternal life, the life of Peter and Paul, in different ways, through teaching and apostolic succession in the church, illuminate the way, our way, to eternity.

St Peter and St Paul, pray for us.

Next Friday I will be in Lourdes for two weeks serving as a chaplain to the sick. Please be assured of my prayers for your intentions during my time there. If you have a particular intention please feel free to post it to: office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

As always, please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:22:06 GMT

Sincere congratulations to the pupils of Sacred Heart who made their First Holy Communion last Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes.

May God bless you all, your families, and your school.

Fr Chris

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF UNFAILING HELP

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 17:31:04 GMT

The annual Novena to Our Lady of Unfailing Help, the Principal Patron of the Diocese, takes place every evening

until the 27th June 2025 at Leeds Cathedral, Cookridge Street, Leeds LS2 6BE,

Monday to Friday 6:15pm;

Saturdays and Sundays 5:00pm.

Feast of the Sacred Heart

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:44:46 GMT

This coming Friday, the 27th , is the great feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sacred Heart School has requested

that our Friday Mass that day be celebrated in the School. I have happily agreed to this. Therefore our Friday Mass

will be in the school starting at our normal time of 10.00am. All parishioners are warmly invited to join our school

children on their patronal feast day.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 22nd June 2025

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:42:34 GMT

The Sundays after Pentecost feature two important feasts, last week the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, this week the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christie. Each of these great feasts offer to us different aspects of God. Last week the mystery of the three persons in one divine substance. This week is something much more tangible, the Eucharist which, though tangible to us as bread and wine, is nothing less than the body, blood, Soul and Divinity of the Lord Jesus.

How do we know that this is true? At the last supper Jesus directly told his apostles that the bread and wine was his actual body and blood, not some kind of representation. He told them to repeat the action which they did and in turn handed it on to successive generations, we know this as the earliest Christian writing say so as we see in the reading from St Paul in this week's Sunday Mass.

Why did Jesus offer his very self in the bread and wine? We all need food and drink to stay alive. Jesus gives us himself as food and drink to keep our souls alive along life's journey, a journey with a thousand snares that try to trap us in sin which strangles the divine live within us.

Jesus also gives us himself to join us to the divine life of God in this life. Jesus tell us that he is always one with the Father through the Holy Spirit. When we become one with Jesus in receiving the Eucharist, as Jesus is one with the Father, so are we. What a wonderful, beautiful and amazing gift.

Given our frailty and weakness we can never really be worth of this great gift and we acknowledge this during the Mass when we say "Lord I am not worthy", but we can prepare by loving God and our neighbour, coming to the Sacraments, particularly the Mass, but especially by coming to the Sacrament of Penance to be reconciled to God and each other and to experience the God's compassion and the gentle touch of his forgiveness.

As always, please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

CEILDHI EVENING IN AID OF MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:50:10 GMT

This is on the 28th of June starting at 6:50pm, Headingley Golf Club, LS16 8DW. Tickets, Adults £25.00, Children (5-12) £10

(Buffet included). Licenced bar available. Contact: gayleiype3@gmail.com. Payment can be made via bank transfer,

details available on request.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 15th June 2025

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:25:18 GMT

Have you ever thought about the nature of God; what is God like? One answer we have is in the person of Jesus who is both fully human and fully divine.

During His ministry Jesus goes on to tell us more about God. Jesus regularly refers to the Father. Particularly in John's Gospel, He tells us that He and the Father are one. He goes on to refer to the Holy Spirit. Jesus shows us that the three - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - are distinct but they are also one. One in their divinity. One being in three distinct persons. Something we call the Holy Trinity.

How are we to understand this? the truth is that this side of eternity we can never fully comprehend it. We should not be surprised at this as our human minds and our language is always limited in trying to understand and describe the nature of the divine life of God, the totality of which is beyond our human understanding.

However I think that Jesus helps us to understand something of the nature and the life of the Trinity. The first is the principle of unity. Jesus calls us to be one with each other, both in the church and in the world as He is one with the Father through the Holy Spirit.

Second is the principle of love. Love is one of the foundation stones of the Christian life. This points us towards how the Holy Trinity exists in an eternal state of love for each other. Love that overflows out to us, particularly in this month from the pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Another principle is limitless self-giving. Out of nothing but love the Father gives us his Son, Jesus. Jesus and the Father give us the Holy Spirit. These things are pure gift to us, the free sharing of divinity with humanity. An amazing and beautiful thing.

We cannot fully comprehend the Holy Trinity, that is why we describe it as a mystery. However if we are united, loving, and self giving we really do bring the life of the Holy Trinity into our our hearts and souls and into our bruised and damaged world. In this way we share in the life of the Holy Trinity here and now.

As always, please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

RETIRED PRIESTS OF THE DIOCESE

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 19:20:13 GMT

There will be this week a retiring collection to support the retired priests of the Diocese

who have dedicated their lives to the service of God and his holy people.

THURSDAY THE 12TH OF JUNE

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 19:15:25 GMT

There is no Mass in the Parish as there is the annual Mass for the Celebration of Priesthood with

Bishop Marcus at Leeds Cathedral starting at 11.30. All are welcome to attend.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 8th June 2025

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 19:10:45 GMT

During Easter the Disciples, men and women, directly encountered the risen Jesus. We see in scripture that it took a little while for them to come to terms with the resurrection and meeting the risen Lord. This is followed by the experience of Jesus' ascension to heaven. By then there was no room for doubt as to Jesus' divinity but they were probably left with a feeling of uncertainty about what they were going to do next also how to go about it. Jesus left them with a momentous task of bringing all people to belief in Him, but with His seeming departure they again experience doubt as to what was going to happen to them.

Sometimes we encounter this ourselves in the spiritual life, we believe in Jesus, his message, and what he offers to us, but there are times when it can seem to be unobtainable, something beyond us. There is a temptation to believe that we can never attain the promise of eternal life. The fact of the matter is that for us alone the promise of sharing in the divine life of God is unattainable solely by our own efforts. Sometimes our sinfulness and weakness can seemingly overwhelm our faith.

Jesus understood this then as he does now and He sends us help, divine help, through the Holy Spirit. Though our baptism and confirmation the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are told in scripture that we are, amazingly, nothing less than temples of the Holy Spirit. In times of weakness, doubt and uncertainty ask the Holy Spirit for help and guidance; remember he has made His home in your heart and soul. Jesus' followers were transformed by their experience of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost where they began to transform the world. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to transform us too.

As always, please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Update Service

Thu, 29 May 2025 20:38:58 GMT

. Subscribers to the Update Service will be emailed 30 days before their renewal date to ask if they wish to stay subscribed.

The renewal email will ask volunteers to access their Update Service Account and confirm that they wish to continue with the service.

For those who confirm, this request will be repeated annually. If no confirmation is made, their volunteer subscription will automatically be cancelled. Volunteers who do not renew their subscription will not be able to keep their DBS certificate(s) up to date and

organisations will not be able to check them. They will need to reapply for a DBS check if they need one in the future.

WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY

Thu, 29 May 2025 15:30:11 GMT

This Sunday 1st June there will be a retiring collection for Catholic Communications to enable the church in our

country to reach out into our society through various forms of media

Reflection from Fr Chris - 1st June 2025

Thu, 29 May 2025 15:10:19 GMT

The Easter season is already drawing to a close, all around us we see evidence of the advance of the year; days are lengthening, spring blooms are largely gone to be replaced by summer blossoms. Human beings are caught up in this process of change too as our earthly lives change and evolve. However, unlike things in nature, we somehow instinctively feel called to eternity. We sense, or for Christians, we believe, that there is something beyond the limitations of mortality. This is brought into sharp relief by the resurrection of Jesus, a resurrection he invites us to share with him. God willing, in heaven we will not only share in his resurrection and humanity but also in the divine life of Holy Trinity. Jesus calls us to be one with him just as he is one with the Father. The "oneness" that Jesus desires to share with us is eternal life.

What an amazing gift we are being offered by Jesus. Are you ready to accept the invitation? We are the children of God, not His slaves. How we respond to the invitation to step into eternity - heaven or hell - really is up to us. Jesus constantly reaches out to us to show to us, and to share with us, his glory in Heaven. How are we to do this? All we need to do is return to him the love he has for us in what we say and do in our earthly lives starting with loving God and those around us.

As always, please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

AN EVENING OF MUSIC, SONG AND DANCE

Thu, 29 May 2025 15:10:14 GMT

AN EVENING OF MUSIC, SONG AND DANCE: featuring the Leeds Irish Choir, the Mount Brandon Ceilidh Band and other great performers. Leeds Irish Centre, 26th of June , 7.15pm, in aid of the Faith & Light Lourdes Fund.

Tickets £10 from the Irish Centre or call Margaret on 07906116453.

PENTECOST NOVENA FOR VOCATIONS

Thu, 29 May 2025 15:03:33 GMT

Novenas are part of the popular piety of the Church, the oldest Novena being the nine days spent by the Apostles, in company with Our Lady, between the Lord's Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. With this in mind, the Vocations Promotion Team has prepared a Novena to mark this ancient observation, focusing on praying to the Holy Spirit for an increase of priestly vocations in our diocese. It can also be used for our private intentions.

Leaflets are at the back of the church.

ASCENSION THURSDAY

Fri, 23 May 2025 14:54:36 GMT

This coming Thursday 29th May is a Holy Day of Obligation. There will be Mass in the parish at 10.00am at St Urbans. That day there is a Requiem Mass at 12.00 for the repose of the soul of Frank Fennelly, also at St Urbans, therefore no evening Mass. However an evening Mass is available in the Cathedral at 5.30pm.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 25th May 2025

Fri, 23 May 2025 14:45:17 GMT

Peace; it's something we desire and something the world desperately needs. Though we keenly desire it, peace is elusive. When was the last time you can say your were fully and truly at peace? I guess that on this side of eternity the truth is that there is always a restless and unquiet part of of minds, hearts, and souls. In a sense the more that we desire peace and notice its absence the more unsettled we are. For peace to be experienced it has to be more than just the absence of conflict in ourselves, between others, and between nations. Perhaps true and lasting peace was first lost to us when the first sin, original sin, was committed as it decoupled us from God.

And yet at the birth of Jesus the angels announce peace. It is in the incarnation and birth of Jesus, also in his life, death and resurrection that peace once again becomes a possibility in our lives. How do we know this? In Sunday's gospel freely offers to us His peace, a peace the world cannot give, a peace we cannot attain by our own efforts. So how do we attain this peace? By staying close to Jesus in word, prayer and sacrament. By living our lives using our Lord as a model for living. In these ways peace is attainable. In this broken world and our broken lives perhaps we will only experience it from time to time in moments of spiritual consolation. But be absolutely sure that we are invited to experience the fullness of peace in eternity if we choose to accept the invitation of salvation.

For now, Jesus tells us "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid". Be confident that by His cross and resurrection Jesus has opened the path to peace for us. Invite the peace of the risen Jesus into your life.

As always, please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

Vocations

Fri, 23 May 2025 11:34:14 GMT

All of the baptised share in the priesthood of Christ but I earnestly ask you to pray for vocations to the ministerial priesthood, the permanent diaconate, and the religious life (the later for both women and men). From June this year we will have only one man in training. The road to ministry is not easy but believe me it is very worthwhile. Bishop Marcus and the Vocations Promotions Team are offering to personally meet with men 16 upwards thinking about the ministerial priesthood on Pentecost Sunday on the 8th of June at Hinsley Hall at 2pm. Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. If you are even remotely thinking about a vocation to the priesthood, or just curious, why not go along?

More information is available from Fr Simon Lodge ( simon.lodge@dioceseofleeds.org.uk 01274 872984).

Please email Miss Anne Cooke ( bishop.secretary@dioceseofleeds.org.uk ) if you are attending.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 18th May 2025

Fri, 16 May 2025 11:30:25 GMT

Many of you will be aware that I was in Rome for a few days last week. Providentially I happened to be in St Peter's Square when our new Holy Father Pope Leo was announced and was fortunate to receive his first blessing as Pope. During my time there I prayed for, and offered Mass for, your intentions.

In this coming Sunday's gospel we hear the Lord Jesus talk of love. Love is a word much used, often misunderstood, or sometimes abused. What is the nature of love? This is something that has preoccupied people from time immemorial. Our preoccupation with it perhaps suggests that in some way we are "programmed" to love. Without a sense of love in our lives we somehow feel incomplete as a human being.

At its deepest level, as St Paul says, loves gives everything to the other person. I am reminded of this every time I see a person caring for another during times of illness and difficulty. I have seen this in my own family where my dad cared 24/7 for my mum who had a long term debilitating illness. Loving another enlarges the heart and illuminates the soul as it certainly did for both my mum and dad. May they rest in peace.

As Christians we see this too in Jesus whose love was, and is, so deep for each and every one of us that it led to the sacrifice of himself on the cross. But his love for us was and is so strong that it overcame the limitations of death in his resurrection, a resurrection that he offers to us too where he desires to share his love for us in eternal life.

Perhaps take a moment to thank God for the experience of love you have encountered in your life and ask that he will being you to eternal life, light, and love in his kingdom. Be assured that this is something that he greatly desires for you.

Please be assured of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

Fr Chris

PARISH ADMINISTRATOR VACANCY (PART TIME)

Fri, 02 May 2025 19:29:27 GMT

Many of you will be aware that since my arrival I have largely been a oneman band with parish administration. I have worked with the Diocese on shaping a role for a parish administrator. Self-evidently the job will be primarily to assist me with the various administrative tasks involved in running the Parish. What is needed is a good all-rounder with administrative and people skills to work in the Parish Office. The hours are initially 7 per week but subject to review. You may know someone outside our parish community who would be suitable for the role. Please speak to me for more information. The closing date for applications is the Monday the 5th of May2025 .

Father Chris

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Fri, 02 May 2025 18:58:01 GMT

The next dates for the Tuesday evening socials are the 6th of May , the 3rd of June and the and the 1st of July . We meet at the Meanwood Tavern for a drink and some pizza. It's a great opportunity to meet new people in the parish and catch up with others. Don't worry if you've not been before, you're more than welcome! We walk up after Tuesday evening Mass, or you can meet us there at around 7.45pm. For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders,

please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454 678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416.

Pope Francis

Fri, 02 May 2025 15:22:49 GMT

: It was a shock to all of us to hear of the death of Pope Francis. It was amazing to see his fortitude during his last illness. Over the past few weeks personally I have been very moved by moments caught on camera, particularly his list visit to St Peter’s Basilica in his wheelchair devoid of papal robes with a blanket around his shoulders, it reminded me of occasions during my time as a nurse when you do your best to help someone in what they want to do at their end time without being overly concerned with niceties. Even then on that occasion he found the strength to bless a couple’s child. His last appearance in this life on Easter Sunday proved to be his farewell to us as he prepared to meet our risen Lord. May he rest in peace. During Masses we will have prayers for the repose of his dear soul. There are prayer cards available at the back of our churches, please do take one also feel free to gve them to others who may like one.

Father Chris

11th May marathon

Fri, 02 May 2025 14:27:42 GMT

Because of the Marathon on the 11th of May , and difficulty of access, there will be no morning Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, instead there will be a Mass of Sunday at 4.00pm on Saturday the 10th of May.

I have decided for the future to give people an opportunity for confession before Sunday Mass.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 4th May 2025

Fri, 02 May 2025 14:24:58 GMT

It is kind of appropriate that as we await the election of a new Holy Father the gospel this Sunday largely features the Lord Jesus and Peter.

Peter is one of my heroes. He is inspired by the Holy Spirit to be the first who correctly identify who Jesus is. In this Jesus makes Peter first among the Apostles. However he often gets carried away by his enthusiasm. Most notably, before the passion of the Lord, he tells Jesus that he will willingly die for him. Shortly afterwards he denies Jesus three times, and in one gospel it is inferred that Jesus actually hears him do this when he turns and looks at Peter after the third denial. Peter is devastated and we are told that he goes out and weeps bitter tears. Personally, there have been times when I have wept over my sins and weakness, so I can identify with Peter at that moment of shame.

But Peter shows us how to come through weakness and fragility. We see in the Acts of the Apostles that he is transformed from being uncertain and fearful to being a dynamic leader who is absolutely committed to spreading the gospel. He is indeed the key to establishing Christ’s church on earth, just a Jesus said he would be. Peter is a sign to all of us of the transformative power of grace if we let the Holy Spirit into our hearts and souls. Before this, however, we see how this week Jesus mirrors Peter’s three denials with three simple questions, “do you love me”; as Peter denied Jesus three times he confirms his love three times and he is healed of his betrayal. We too are healed when we come to Jesus in confession. The act of going to confession is a deep act of faith in Jesus where just by being there we say “Lord you know everything (about me), you know that I love you”.

In a sense Catholics, with our recognition of the Pope as our Holy Father and the successor of Peter, are the spiritual descendants of Peter. So let us pray that we will have a new chief shepherd on earth soon.

O God, eternal shepherd,

who govern your flock with unfailing care,

grant in your boundless fatherly love

a pastor for your Church

who will please you by his holiness

and to us show watchful care.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Of course, also continue to pray for the repose of our dear Pope Francis.

By total coincidence I am in Rome from Monday to Friday next week. Please be assured of my prayers for your needs and intentions at the holy sites.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 27th April 2025

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:19:06 GMT

Happy Easter, or as they say in Italy "Buona Pasqua"! Thank you all so much for your best wishes. I want you to know that, with the help of God and Our Blessed Mother, and despite my many failings and weaknesses, I willingly recommit myself to do my best to be a good spiritual father to you all.

Christ is risen. Both in his divinity and his humanity he has broken the chains of sin and death and liberated us in order to share in his divine life which is nothing less than the life of the Trinity itself.

This week has proved to be momentous in both our life of faith and in the life of the Church. Who would have thought that on Easter Sunday we would bear farewell to the Holy Father Pope Francis. We all knew that he was very unwell but somehow he kept coming back from the brink. Throughout everything his indomitable spirit shone through. He continued doing God's work right up to the very end, including meeting prisoners on Holy Thursday, and blessing a family in St Peter's in his wheelchair, shorn of all the trappings of the Papacy and covered by a blanket. How did he manage to do this? Well, I think that his conviction about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, his absolute confidence in the promise of eternal life, and his dependence on the divine mercy of Our Lord and Saviour carried him onwards, God willing, to and beyond the gates of heaven. Rest in peace dear Pappa, if anyone deserves it you do.

Please do pray for the repose of his soul. Up until the commencement of the Conclave we are specifically praying for this at every Mass.

Pray also for the Cardinals, including our former Bishop Arthur, as they commence their work on choosing a successor to the Holy Father. May the Holy Spirit guide them.

This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, an extraordinary day for us when we have the opportunity to open our hearts to the Lord and receive his love, mercy and forgiveness. On Sunday I will bless an image of Divine Mercy in St Urban's to complement the one already in Our Lady of Lourdes.

I still wish you all a very happy and blessed Easter and please be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions during this holy time.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 20th April 2025

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 19:08:37 GMT

I am writing this on Good Friday. In the account of the Passion of Our Lord and Saviour we hear of darkness over the land. We all encounter darkness in our lives and it takes many forms, sin, broken relationships, bereavement, isolation, sickness.

There are moments in all of our lives when our hearts and souls cry out using the words of Jesus on the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?". Why does Jesus use these words of anguish? I like to think that they are words of reassurance to us where Jesus shows us that he knows, understands, and joins himself to, the darkest moments of our lives when we feel lost and forsaken. Yet we know that this moment of crisis for Jesus is not the end, a few short days later he bursts the chains of death and despair and rises triumphant. He very much desires and invites us to join us to his victory. His resurrection is our invitation to join him in the glory of the life of the Holy Trinity. In the midst of our lives and difficulties this promise of glory can feel like something far away and distant in the context of our day to day circumstances but it is assured. The light of Christ is with us.

When Jesus is with his friends after his resurrection he says two things "peace be with with you" and "do not be afraid". I offer these words of the Lord to you today. May you always hear the reassurance of Jesus in your hearts and souls.

A very happy and blessed Easter to you all.

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions during this holy time.

Fr Chris

St Vincent’s Centre

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 12:05:00 GMT

St Vincent’s Centre

The Centre always needs supplies of non-perishable foods also toiletries. These can be left in the boxes at the back of our churches and are taken to the Centre by members of our SVP. The Lord tells us to feed the hungry, so thank you all for your donations which are sincerely appreciated.

https://www.svp.org.uk/

Reflection from Fr Chris - 13th April 2025

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:52:21 GMT

Holy Week is almost upon us and we are moving rapidly towards the Sacred Triduum which is Latin for "three days" where we mark the institution of the Eucharist, the betrayal and death of Our Lord Jesus, and His glorious resurrection from the dead. The resurrection that ensures the ultimate victory of good over evil, the conquest of death, and the offer eternal life to humanity across all ages - past, present and future.

It is a complex set of events with a range of characters, from the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, and the response of Mary, the faithful mother who shares her Son's agony as she watches him die on the cross. Imagine yourself into the events, who would you be? I guess the truth is that in our sin and weakness we are all of them. Times when we betray God and/or each other in big and small things; times when we are reluctant to bear witness to our faith in the Lord; other times when we are faithful to him in our love of God and each other.

Perhaps during this week, particularly on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, spend time reflecting on the different accounts of the Passion of our Saviour. Say sorry for times off sin and weakness, Jesus always embraces the one who returns to Him. Then be thankful for the times in your life when, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, you have been faithful to God and to each other, particularly those times when you help others to bear the burden of their own particular cross.

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions during this holy time.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 6th April 2025

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 14:44:30 GMT

You will be familiar with the term "rushing to judgement", something we are all tempted to do at times; something we have all done at different times of our lives.

Time and again in the Gospels Jesus warns us against making judgements concerning other people. He does this in parables but also directly. Making a hasty judgement about another and their circumstances is a temptation from the devil. Those times when we are tempted to take what seems to be the moral high ground from which we can look down on another person. The truth of it is that, given our weakness and sinfulness, we are never in a position to judge another. More than that, Jesus clearly warns us that we will be judged by God by the yardstick of the standards we have visited on others; quite a frightening prospect.

In Sunday's gospel Jesus is invited to be judge and jury on a woman caught in the act of adultery (I always find myself what happened to the man in the case, why is just the woman there?). Jesus tells us in John's gospel that he truly is the just judge. Because of this, unlike us, he is well positioned to judge and pass sentence. Adultery was a capital crime and the penalty for it was death by stoning. But Jesus does not rush to judgement, we see how he pauses and thinks; I like to imagine that Jesus was not thinking but praying. In the event he does not condemn but invites conversion, "from now on sin no more". It is an invitation extended by Jesus to all of us today. How will you respond?

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

Catholic Care

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 21:34:02 GMT

This weekend we have a pastoral letter from Bishop Marcus about the work of Catholic Care. Catholic Care supports a number of our parishioners helping them to stay in their own homes as well as supporting our Wednesday Friendship Group. There will be the annual retiring collection at all Sunday Masses to support their work. I know that there are many calls on people’s money but please be as generous as you can be. It is a good and easy way of Lenten alms giving.

Mothering Sunday

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 21:32:00 GMT

This Sunday is Mothering Sunday. It’s an opportunity to thank our mothers for all that do, or have done, for us either by a gift or, for those who are with the Lord, a spiritual gift of prayer. Also remember that we have a mother in heaven, Mary Mother of Perpetual Help.

Receptions into the Catholic Church

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:37:53 GMT

We have seven wonderful people in the parish who desire to join God's family in the Catholic church at Easter.

Please do keep them in your prayers over the coming weeks.

Easter Egg Tombola

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 19:54:11 GMT

As in previous years we will have our Eater Egg Tombola after the 10.30 Mass on Mothering Sunday next

Sunday the 30th of March . We still need more eggs. Please be as generous as you can be in donating them.

I see that they are all in the shops already with bargains to be had!

SUPPORTING OUR WONDERFUL PARISH

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:00:11 GMT

Revised Sunday readers rota this is now available. Volunteers are still invited to join our readers rotas both at St Urban's and Our Lady of Lourdes . Volunteers are still needed to help with counting the offertory after the 10.30 Sunday Mass at St Urban's and for cleaning on Monday mornings, again at St Urban’s. We also need volunteers to do some additional work at Our Lady of Lourdes , such as cleaning our beautiful tabernacle, candle sticks, the processional cross etc. All of these are important forms of serving God and each other. Please help if you can by speaking to Father Chris or email the parish office. Thank you to all those currently helping and those who have come forward; it is sincerely appreciated.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 30th March 2025

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:15:38 GMT

The 4th Sunday in Lent is "Laetare Sunday", laetare is a Latin word meaning rejoice. In this Sunday we are invited to rejoice in anticipating the victory of the Lord Jesus over sin and death at Easter. In a sense we are also invited to "lighten up" a little from the prayer, fasting and alms giving of Lent. It is reflected in the liturgy too where the priest does not wear deep purple but a lighter colour that looks like pink but is officially the colour rose.

The gospel on Sunday is the familiar story of the prodigal son in it we are in a sense invited to anticipate and celebrate the love and forgiveness of God our father who is constantly on the look out for us to come back to him. It may sound shocking but it does not matter what we have done as long as we come to him with true humility, repentance, and a commitment to the conversion of mind heart and soul.

We do not need to look forward to this beautiful healing as something for the future, it is available to us now in the sacrament of penance - confession.

Why wait for the Lord to heal your soul? Easter is a time of the year when the church asks you to receive this marvellous grace. Personally, I am always willing to hear a confession anytime, anywhere. Be assured that I always treat people with compassion, kindness and love just like the father receives the wayward child in the gospel.

Also Sunday happens to be Mothering Sunday, let us take a moment to thank God in prayer for our mothers, those with us and those who have gone to God. Remember we also have our heavenly mother, Mary, who is always ready to help her children.

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

CAFOD Family Fast Day

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 19:51:16 GMT

AFOD FAMILY FAST DAY: There will be a collection at the end of each Mass for Family Fast Day envelops and other donations. If you prefer you can donate at www.cafod.org.uk/envelop

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 19:48:46 GMT

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION: is this Tuesday the 25th . Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary and Benediction,

followed by Mass will be at the usual time commencing at 6.30pm at St Urban’s. Please do try to come along to thank Our Lady

for her “yes” to being the mother of Our Saviour and our mother too.

Sundays during Lent

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 17:52:56 GMT

There are Stations of the Cross on Sunday afternoons during Lent, this year at St Urban's, commencing at 3.00pm

Reflection from Fr Chris - 23rd March 2025

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 19:21:49 GMT

The Season of Lent is punctuated with some beautiful major feast days known as "Solemnities". Last week St Joseph, this week the Solemnity of the Annunciation. The literal meaning of the the word annunciation is the act of announcing something. We normally only think of the Annunciation to Our Lady, however there are a number of them to be found in the gospels. Others include the annunciation by the angel about conception of John the Baptist to his father Zachariah; the dream of St Joseph where the announces to him the facts of the incarnation of Jesus; and the annunciation of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. All examples of God speaking through his messengers. The greatest annunciation is the life and teaching of Jesus where he announces, among other things, that he has come to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind and liberty to captives.

What about us? How do we encounter God's message in our lives? How attentive are we to the voice of God? In the Bible we see that God comes to his people in many ways, through his messengers, the angels; sometimes directly, as we see in with Moses and the burning bush. But most of the time God is heard in times of quietness and silence, where He gently whispers in our hearts and souls. All he asks is that we create time and space for this. He asks rather than commands, it really is up to us how we respond.

Every day consciously try to make a little space for God in quiet stillness, listen for him with the "ears of your heart". Directly invite the Holy Spirit to be with you and to guide you with His inspiration, after all you have received the gifts of the Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation. Do not be afraid to use them in the life of faith.

As always, be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

Change to Mass time on Tuesday the 18th

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 20:35:59 GMT

There will be no Rosary, Benediction or evening Mass on Tuesday this week.

There will be a Requiem Mass that day for the repose of the soul of Michael Quinlan at St Urban’s commencing at 11.00.

Lent lunches

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 17:54:55 GMT

The next "bring and share" Lent Lunch is on the 21st of March starting at 12:15pm at the Cornerstone Baptist Church, Kirkstall Lane,

LS6 3LF. The speaker is Colic Brackley-Jones, musician and music educator. More information on this year's Lent Lunches programme

can be found at the back of the churches.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 16th March 2025

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 22:52:52 GMT

This week during Lent we celebrate two remarkable people of faith, Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph. Most Catholic Christians of Irish decent are the spiritual children of Patrick. All Christians are the spiritual children of Saint Joseph. Without Patrick, there would be no church in Ireland; without Joseph there would be no Jesus or Mary.

Both are enjoying eternity with our Heavenly Father but only after paying attention to the word of God and by acting on what was being asked of them. In Patrick's case, returning to the land where he had been enslaved to bring people to salvation in Christ. For Joseph, accepting Jesus as his son, regardless of the gossip around the circumstances of Jesus' birth, and saving the life of Jesus and Mary on two occasions, one being the the flight into Egypt.

How receptive are we to the challenges of both faith and action that God may give us? Do we listen and respond, or do we listen and run away? Perhaps our lives are a combination of the two. Remember that the Saints are our friends and are always there to listen to us and to help us. Perhaps during the coming week ask St Patrick and Saint Joseph to help you to understand what God wants from you in life and help you to put it into practice.

As always, be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

Family Fast Day Friday 14th March

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 17:58:35 GMT

By praying, eating simply and giving, you'll be supporting local experts to provide simple, effective solutions

to the toughest problems facing people around the world. Please take an envelop today to make a lent offering.

If you can gift aid your donation, you'll add a free 25%of everything you give. There will be collections in Church

next weekend. You can also donate at cafod.org.uk . Thank you.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 9th March 2025

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 17:46:04 GMT

Ash Wednesday was a great beginning to Lent in our Parish with two very well attended Masses with a service in each of our schools.

This Sunday we read in the gospel the familiar story of how Jesus goes into the desert after his baptism by John the Baptist. We find an account of this in Matthew, Mark and Luke. This shows that it was important and significant to each of the gospel writers and was probably told by Jesus himself to his followers. Why is this?

One reason was that after his baptism perhaps Jesus needed time alone to work out the nature of his mission and how he would go about it. Each temptation shows a different form of kingship involving some extraordinary act. Jesus sets these temptations aside opting instead for a ministry of three years of hard work travelling the length and breadth of Judea and beyond. He brings people to belief as much by who and how he is as well as by miraculous works.

Lent gives us a chance to reflect on who we are in relation to the Father and Jesus, also the mission that we all have as Christians. Like Jesus in the desert we too need time alone with God to reflect on our lives and make the changes that we so often need to bring us closer to God and each other,.

As always, be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

ASH WEDNESDAY

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 20:44:08 GMT

ASH WEDNESDAY marks the beginning of the 40 Days of Lent. Lent is not just about giving things up. Its three elements are prayer, fasting and acts of charity. So yes, you may consider giving something up, but there is also a chance to do more too; more prayer

(perhaps a daily rosary or attending a weekday Mass); more charity (donating food and other things to the SVP box at the back of our churches, or joining the work of the members of our SVP; giving to charity such as CAFOD or St George’s crypt in town); less food or

drink (with the savings to charity). It’s not all doom and gloom, it is intended to be a time of renewal of the soul and preparation for the great festival of Easter. Ash Wednesday is one of the two days of the year of fasting and abstinence – one meal during the day

and abstinence from eating meat. The rules for fasting and abstinence apply to people from the age of 14 to 59. There are the

exemptions you would expect to see for, for example, health reasons. People who are 6o and over are welcome to join with

their younger sisters and brothers they are able to.

CAFOD’S BIG LENT WALK IN THE JUBILEE YEAR

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 15:45:21 GMT

You are invited to join CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk and journey together with Catholics in England, Wales and Scotland as Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year – walking 200km over 40 days during Lent . Journey to one of the churches or shrines designated as places of pilgrimage in our diocese as part of your Big Lent Walk. Every £1 you raise will support communities like Lokho’s in Kenya, experiencing the worst impact of the climate crisis, to rebuild their lives in hope.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 2nd March 2025

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:24:48 GMT

Christmas is barely behind us and all of a sudden its Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. Lent is a season that can feel like a bit “doom and gloom” but its intention is that of renewal of the soul; a time to pause and reflect on our relationship with God and with each other too. We are given three tools to help us with this – prayer, fasting and “alms giving” (acts of charity). Prayer is about turning our hearts and minds to God; fasting is a form of personal purification; but as St James tells us in his letter faith without works is dead, so works of charity enable us to externalise the inner processes of the other two.

Jesus always wanted his followers to improve themselves, particularly their relationship with God, and then to put it into practice in the world. Lent, with its three pillars, provides us with a structure to make this possible in our lives.

I think that we need Lent to have a particular time in the year to reorientate ourselves to God and to focus on how, in practical ways, we can support our brothers and sisters, particularly those in particular need. Lent is springtime for the soul.

As always, be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

Fr Chris

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OLD PALM CROSSES?

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 21:42:17 GMT

Thank you for the crosses already returned. There is still an opportunity to return crosses to church to be burnt with the ashes

being used this Ash Wednesday. It is a very old custom and is a good way to reuse crosses as well as having a symbolic meaning

of the finality of created things, something we are reminded of on Ash Wednesday itself.

COMMUNION UNDER BOTH KINDS

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

Communion under both kinds is available at all of our Sunday Masses. There is absolutely no pressure for people to take the chalice; please do not take the chalice if you think you have any kind of infection. Also dipping a consecrated host into a chalice is not permitted. Please consume the host in front of the priest or minister, if you walk away with a consecrated host you will be stopped. Please remember that, after the consecration in the Mass the bread and wine are no longer bread and wine but the great gift of the body, blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus himself.

LITTLE SISTERS FUNDRAISING EVENT

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 15:52:07 GMT

On Friday 28th February 2025 at the Irish Centre, 7:30pm. Tickets £25.00. Meal of soda bread, Irish stew and dessert, also Irish band dancing, sing-a-long, auction and raffle. Please come along and support the Little Sisters and have a great night of entertainment.

All proceeds to go towards rebuilding of Mount St Jospeh’s. Contact details Sr. Christina, email: funds.leeds@lspondon.co.uk .

The Sisters will be selling tickets after our Sunday Masses this weekend.

REPLACEMENT PA SYSTEM AT ST URBAN’S

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 15:41:08 GMT

Some good news; the replacement PA system for St Urban’s will be fitted on Tuesday, the 25th of February 2025.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 23rd February 2025

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:26:09 GMT

We all have times in our lives when we are badly treated, times when we are hurt by others physically or emotionally. Times when we are let down; times when it seems that others want to do us harm. In times of stress humans are programmed to do one of two things, fight or flight – resist or run away. All of us will have had times either when we have gone into combat mode, and other times when we retreat into our hurt and pain.

In Sunday’s gospel Jesus radically shifts the bias of teaching found in the Old Testament from eye for eye, tooth for tooth to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. This teaching of Jesus has a “feel good” factor about it until we are in situations when we are called to put it into practice; its easy to say but very hard to do. Jesus shows us how to do this, particularly during his betrayal, passion, and death. In the martyrs, including those in our time, we see how they go to their death often with words of faith, love, and forgiveness on their lips and in their hearts. How is this possible? Left to ourselves in our own frailty and fear our negative emotions overwhelm us, but a connection to Jesus in faith and in prayer, with the power of the Holy Spirit, enables us to reach beyond resentment or fears. Being connected to Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, enables us to be more like Him in what we feel, say and do particularly in times of crisis in our lives. I know this through direct experience, and I have also seen it many times in the lives of our brothers and sister. When times are hard pray, “Jesus I trust in you. Jesus help me to be like you.”

With my sincere best wishes for the week ahead.

God bless

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 16th February 2025

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:08:13 GMT

This Sunday is Racial Justice Sunday.

The concept of justice has always been at the heart of the Jewish and Christian faith. In the Old Testament, as well as being described as loving and compassionate, God is also frequently described as being "just". Love, compassion and justice are therefore wrapped up together. The alignment of these can sometimes seem to be in contradiction. We see this in legal cases where a verdict is reached in justice but mitigating factors (in a sense the application of compassion) are taken into account which may result in a sentence seeming to be too lenient.

We all want to be treated in our lives justly but also with understanding and compassion. Jesus tells us that we eventually will be judged by our own standards. It's worth reflecting our own standards of justice, also our own hopes and expectations of love and compassion, and how good we are at applying these standards to others, particularly those who may be seen as being different to us.

Remember, as we have treated others God, in his justice, will treat us.

Be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions every day.

God bless you.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 9th February 2025

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:04:16 GMT

This coming week we see the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of Lourdes has a special place in my heart. I volunteered in Lourdes for a number of years as a nurse on our Diocesan pilgrimage, and it was in Lourdes that I found myself considering if I had a vocation to the priesthood. Shortly after my priestly ordination I was able to celebrate Mass at the shrine. I was a moving experience for me as well as an opportunity to thank our Blessed Mother, and to ask for her intercession and protection. Last spring when Bishop Marcus discussed with me where he wanted to send me as parish priest he smiled when he said that one of the churches was Our Lady of Lourdes as he was well aware of the importance of Our Lady of Lourdes to me. Put yourself under Mary's protection as she truly is our Mother of Unfailing Help.

The feast also coincides with the World Day of Prayer for the Sick and those who care for them. Be assured that everyday I pray for the healing and restoration of all who are experiencing illness in mind or body. I also remember the intentions of all who care for the sick.

May God bless and keep you.

Fr Christopher

Sincere thanks from Fr Chris

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 21:45:11 GMT

I am glad to back with you after my surgery. Thankfully, it went largely to plan and I sincerely appreciated your love,

support and prayers. When I could offer a Mass I offered it for your intentions; either way I certainly prayed for you all every day.

I have resumed all my duties, though I am trying to pace myself.

I certainly cannot do any “heavy lifting” for a few weeks to avoid becoming “unstitched”!

May God bless and keep you all.

Fr Chris

Reflection from Fr Chris - 2nd February 2025

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 21:38:33 GMT

This coming week we keep the memorial of St Paul Miki and his companions. Born in the sixteenth century, he became a Jesuit and was martyred by crucifixion along with his 25 companions in Nagasaki, Japan on the 5th of February 1597. The authorities ruthlessly eliminated the Catholic church through persecution, or so they thought.

Around 250 years later foreigners were able to re-enter Japan and they found that a number of Japanese people had for centuries held on to the faith despite no priests or sacraments, including devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

We live in a society without violent persecution, though people challenge and ridicule our beliefs in different ways. This is not true elsewhere where every day our brothers and sisters give witness to Jesus with their blood. Ask God today for the grace that, when asked or challenged, we too can and will give witness to our faith in the Lord Jesus. Let us also do our best to support our persecuted brothers and sisters.

With the assurance of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

God Bless you.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 26th January 2025

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 16:00:39 GMT

This coming week we see the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. What is it about? The Law of Moses required that 40 days after the birth of a child a mother had to be ritually “purified” (the origin of the old custom of a woman being “churched” after childbirth), and a first born male child had to be dedicated to God. This dedication could be redeemed where the child could be “bought back”. Richer people would offer something like a goat, poorer people would offer turtle doves or pigeons, as in the case of Mary and Joseph. What was the point of this? Well, I guess it reminded people of their dependence on God for the special things in their lives also their duty to him. Perhaps its worth asking ourselves if we are aware of our dependence on God and how dutiful we are to him in loving Him and each other. Maybe take a moment to thank God for what you have and do something to help your bothers and sister in need, such as a contribution to our SVP collection boxes at the back of the church.

God Bless

Fr Chris

Jubilee Holy Year 2025

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 15:52:01 GMT

The Holy Father Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, marking the beginning of the Jubilee Year, the theme for which is Pilgrims of Hope . The Jubilee presents an opportunity for spiritual renewal. One aspect of this is the availability of gaining indulgences either for yourself or the Holy Souls in Purgatory. An indulgence releases the soul of all the residual penalties attached to sin. In the Catholic tradition there are several ways to obtain a partial or a plenary (that is a full) indulgence. In the Jubilee Year one way is to make a journey or “pilgrimage” to one of the designated Jubilee Churches in our Diocese, the nearest one to us is the Cathedral. At the time, or as soon as possible afterwards, go to confession, receive the Eucharist, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. The indulgence is not “magic” in that the person also must have a detachment from sin, or as some of us will remember from the past, have what is called “a firm purpose of amendment”. The Holy See has provided guidance for obtaining these particular spiritual graces and I have left at the back of the church information about this which I hope you find to be helpful. More information will be issued by the Diocese soon concerning Jubilee related activities during the year.

Fr Chris

THIS WEDNESDAY THE 22ND OF JANUARY

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 21:50:39 GMT

I am due to have surgery on this day. It is a relatively straightforward operation, but I have been told that I will need to fully rest up

for a few days afterwards to avoid post-operative complications, not an easy thing for me to hear let alone do! The Mass schedule

will continue without interruption. If you can spare a prayer or two for me on the 22nd I would very much appreciate it.

Fr Chris

Warm & Welcome Space at St Urban's

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 15:11:46 GMT

Every Tuesday morning between 9am and 12 noon (in term time only). Anyone who wants a relaxing place to be for an hour or two with free hot drinks are welcome to come to St Urban’s meeting room.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 12th January 2025

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 17:24:29 GMT

The Christmas season closes this week with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Why was Jesus baptised, after all he was free from all sin, including original sin?

There a number of reasons. One is that Jesus was as much about actions as words. Before his ascension into heaven he asks his apostles to do two things, the first is to bring the world to belief in him, then, secondly, baptising people in the name of the Father, and The Son and The Holy Spirit. Through his own baptism Jesus showed how baptism was to be done. It is something that Christians continue to do over two thousand years later.

In his baptism Jesus shows us his connection to the Father. But there is more, the Holy Spirit is also present. This is the first example in the Gospels where we see the three persons in one God - the Holy Trinity. This was, and is, an important revelation to us.

Jesus' baptism also revealed his connection to the Father through the Holy Spirit. In our own baptism we are also connected to God in the same way which makes us too the adopted children of God. We are as much the daughters and sons of God as Jesus is if we chose to embrace that adoption in our lives. Amazing isn't it?

I am away from Monday to Friday this coming week spending a few days in Rome.

Please be assured of my prayers for your intentions there.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 5th January 2025

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 22:47:16 GMT

The Christmas season is rapidly moving on with this week the Solemnity of the Epiphany on Sunday, however the Christmas season does not close here but with the feast of the baptism of the Lord next Sunday.

The word epiphany is a Greek word with a number of meanings, most commonly that of something, or someone, appearing of being revealed. The birth of Jesus is the start of his revelation to the Jewish nation, the entire world, and to us in our hearts, minds and souls. So how has, or does, Jesus reveal himself to you? At its simplest level perhaps Jesus was revealed to us in pictures and images, such the crib, also images in our homes of the Sacred Heart and the like, but more importantly Jesus desires us to experience him at a much deeper level. Though his words and actions in the gospels He reveals to us what we need to do to become more like Him and, God willing, to be one with Him and the Father, through the Holy Spirit, in eternity.

So perhaps take a moment to ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you ever more deeply; ask Him to help you to become not only like him, but to be one with him both in this earthly life and in eternity.

January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, may the name of Jesus always be a source of inspiration and protection for you and those your love.

Be assured of my prayers for you all over the remaining Christmas period and always.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 29th December 2024

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 16:49:03 GMT

This Sunday is the feast of the Holy Family.

The image of the Holy Family I remember from my childhood was from the holy picture cards which portrayed them in a rather sanitised way. The reality of the life of the Holy Family was one of hardship shared with the community in which they lived. Joseph lived a hand to mouth existence entirely dependent on work coming in (or not sometimes). Mary had to make do with what was available. No doubt that from a young age the expectation was that Jesus would have help out as best he could. I think that the wonderful qualities that Jesus showed in his adult life were formed by Mary and Joseph in their family. From their experience of having lived in our world the Holy Family can identify with, and understand, the joys of family life, also the difficulties and hardships that families encounter. The Holy Family shows us that despite difficulties and hardship, love can bloom within the family and overflow to others.

Be assured of my prayers for you all over the remaining Christmas period and always.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 22nd December 2024

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 21:01:55 GMT

Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, this year is rapidly followed by Christmas. There is hardly any time for the last candle on our Advent wreath to get going! Maybe that is how it will be at the end of time; Jesus time and again tells us to be always ready to meet him. We encounter our Blessed Lord directly in the Sacraments, particularly in the Eucharist, but how ready are we to encounter him face to face as we all will. During Advent we say and sing "maranatha", come Lord Jesus but are we ready ready for that meeting? I suspect that none of us are ever truly ready but Jesus comes to us in love, mercy, and compassion despite our weaknesses. At Christmas he comes to us not as a king in glory but as a baby. Everybody loves a baby, we are instinctively drawn to babies, we like to hold them and make them smile. So do not be afraid, embrace the infant Jesus in your heart and soul. He longs to be close to you, to embrace you too.

Be assured of my prayers for you all over the Christmas period and always.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 15th December 2024

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:54:35 GMT

In preparing the bulletin this week I noticed that Christmas is almost upon us, its funny how it kind of sneaks up on you!

This Sunday is Gaudete Sunday, gaudete is a Latin word meaning "rejoice". We are invited to pause and reflect that the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour is almost here and rejoice that this is so. Jesus, who comes to us in the humility of the stable but who will return in glory when the fullness of his kingship will be revealed. A kingship we are all invited to share, the royal road to which is love of God, each other, and our neighbour

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 8th December 2024

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 14:09:00 GMT

Next week is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception which celebrates the immaculate conception not of the Lord Jesus, but of the Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother Saint Anne. Why was Mary conceived without original sin? Mary was predestined to be the mother of Jesus. Being without original sin (which we all bear before baptism) meant that Mary was fitting to bear the only begotten God, the Lord Jesus. That is why one of her titles is "Ark of the Covenant". The Jewish people believed that the God of the Old Testament lived in the Ark in the Temple in Jerusalem.

How do we know that Mary was conceived immaculately without original sin? Well, she told us herself. St Bernadette asked Mary who she was at Lourdes. Her reply was "I am the Immaculate Conception".

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have resource to thee.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

CAFOD World Gifts for Christmas

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 19:03:45 GMT

This Christmas, give your loved ones something exceptional and life changing. Buying CAFOD’s virtual World Gifts makes a real difference for our sisters and brothers facing the injustice of poverty around the world. Choose from a range of beautifully illustrated cards, each representing a gift of hope, inspired by real people and real needs. Cards can be sent by post, as an eCard, or printed at home. Purchase World Gifts and other gifts such as Advent calendars and jute bags at worldgifts.cafod.org.uk or pick up a catalogue in church.

Pre-Christmas clothes sale and coffee afternons

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 18:56:16 GMT

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR are holding two pre-Christmas Clothes Sale and Coffee Afternoons at St Urbans on the 14th and 21st of December between 12 and 3pm to raise funds for their rebuild. Please do try to support them.

NEW BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY TRAINING

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 18:53:21 GMT

A two-day course for those wishing to learn how to accompany those who are grieving. 10am – 4pm Saturday 11th January and Saturday 18th January 2025 at The Briery. For more information or an application form please contact the Elizabeth Prout Bereavement Care team at epbereavementcare@dioceseofleeds.org.uk .

New Lectionary

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 18:49:28 GMT

We begin to use the new Lectionary with effect from the First Sunday of Advent. The Lectionary uses a different translation of the Bible from what we are used to. Readers are asked to familiarise themselves with the text before the start of Mass. Our bulletin sheets will contain the new translation too. There are also a series of short videos as a concise guide to provide some useful “do’s and don’ts” all involved in reading, clergy included. This is “ Proclaiming the Word from the New Lectionary: a Refresher for Readers ”. Details of the videos are on the noticeboard at the back of the church and also accessible online via YouTube channel www.LeedsCathedralLive.org.uk

Thank you from Fr Chris

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 18:46:09 GMT

A SINCERE THANK YOU for making my induction as parish priest last week such a special occasion. It was a lovely evening with

a good mix of people from across the parish and further afield. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Fr Chris

Masses next week

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 18:44:32 GMT

NEXT WEEK With others relatively recently ordained I am away on retreat next week with Bishop Marcus. Mgr Paul Fisher has kindly agreed to cover the weekday Masses except for Thursday when there will be no Mass in the parish also there will be no Exposition or Rosary on Tuesday evening . Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience but be assured of my prayers for your intentions when I am away.

Fr Chris

Volunteers needed

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 16:20:26 GMT

Volunteers are invited to join our readers rotas both at St Urban's and Our Lady of Lourdes. Volunteers are also needed to help with counting the offertory after the 10.30 Sunday Mass at St Urban’s and for cleaning on Monday mornings, again at St Urban’s. All are important forms of ministry.

If you can help with either speak to Father Chris or email the parish office. Thank you.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 1st December 2024

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:16:33 GMT

The Advent season has begun. A season of waiting and expectation. The waiting reminds me of the Advent calendar we had as a child when we could not wait to open the final window to reveal the baby Jesus in the crib. It can feel that we wait for Jesus in our lives but he is here, present with us particularly in the Eucharist which really is his body, blood, soul and divinity. When we receive the Eucharist he is one with us and we with him.

But Jesus will come again to, God willing, bring us home to the Father and the Holy Spirit. There will will be no more waiting. We will be in the "eternal now" of God forever.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

POSTCARDS ABOUT THE ASISTED SUICIDE VOTE

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 20:14:18 GMT

POSTCARDS ABOUT THE ASSISTED SUICIDE VOTE : from a non-religious disability campaign group called "Not Dead Yet UK" are available at the back of church. These postcards ask MPs to vote against the legalisation of assisted suicide in the parliamentary vote on 29th November. Please do take one and send it to your MP.

Fr Gerard

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 20:25:07 GMT

Fr Gerard will be inducted as Parish Priest of St Aelred’s Harrogate on Wednesday, the 27th November at 7pm, and then St Mary’s Knaresborough on Sunday, the 15th December at 10:30am by Bishop Marcus. All are welcome to attend

November – the month of the Holy Souls

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 16:16:12 GMT

During the whole of the month of November we especially remember the loved ones we have lost and commit them to the care of our loving and compassionate Father in Heaven. Masses for our November Dead List have commenced and our list is being finalised and will be displayed in our churches soon.

Fr Chris

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 15:42:57 GMT

FR CHRIS will be inducted as our Parish Priest at St Urban’s on Tuesday the 26th of November during the 7:00 pm Mass.

It is a great opportunity for our parish to come together and all are welcome

Reflection from Fr Chris - 17th November 2024

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:25:16 GMT

We are approaching the end of the church's year with the feast of Christ the King; Jesus Christ, the king of the universe and the king of our hearts. The feast of Christ the King was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Like now it was a time of turbulence in the world with the emergence of extreme political movements. The feast reminds us that ultimately the kingdom of God is built not on politics but on a foundation of love; love of God and each other. Christ is the the king triumphant now and forever, whatever happens we can be sure that his rule is established and everlasting as long as there are Christians to bear witness to his reign.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

Eucharistic Holy Hour for Life

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 15:38:41 GMT

The Bishops of England and Wales are keeping a Holy Hour next Wednesday the 13th of November to pray that the dignity of the human person and the culture of life be upheld in the face of the proposed assisted suicide legislation.

We are invited to join our Bishops in prayer.

There will be a Holy Hour in our parish at St Urban’s on the 13th between 5:30-6:30pm. Please make every effort to attend.

Burglary at St Urban’s

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 13:54:26 GMT

Many of you will be aware by now that we had a burglary at St Urbans sometime on last Sunday afternoon/evening. Obviously, there was some damage done much of which has been repaired, but live stream camera and our public address system has been stolen and will need to be replaced. In the interim unfortunately in the short term we will have to manage without microphones and there will be no livestreaming of Mass. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 3rd November 2024

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:24:49 GMT

A memorial for the coming week is St Charles Borromeo a 16th century saint. Though appointed a Cardinal by his uncle Pope Pius IV he was a great pastor and teacher to his people in Milan. He would also greet and bless English priests returning to England to the certain risk of martyrdom.

There is an image of St Charles over the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in our Cathedral in Leeds, next time you are there perhaps ask him for this intercession for bishops and priests to be good and holy pastors of souls.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

Dates for your diary

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 13:33:29 GMT

The Parish Christmas Fair will take place on Saturday 16th November, 1pm to 3pm . Please join us for a festive afternoon including, music, cake stall, handmade crafts, tombola, Christmas themed tombola, Mary’s famous bottle stall and much more. Further details will be added over the coming weeks. We would appreciate any donations for the tombola, bottles and home-baked cakes stalls . For further details please contact Mary Murphy

Reflection from Fr Chris - 27th October 2024

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:53:28 GMT

We have an awareness of the work of a number of great saints, this is true of a number of the apostles such as Peter, James and John, but there are a number of apostles who are listed among the twelve about who we know little other than their names. Two of these are Simon and Jude whose memory we celebrate this week. More often than not ministry is conducted silently and quietly, as was probably the case with Simon and Jude, but we are grateful for their faithfulness in serving the Lord.

Perhaps you can spare a prayer this week for those priests, deacons and religious men and women working quietly, without fuss or publicity, in the Lord's vineyard?

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

Reflection from Fr Chris - 20th October 2024

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 16:25:28 GMT

This week we keep the memorial of St Pope John Paul II. Along with a small number of others, such as St Theresa of Kolkata, there are not many Saints who were alive during our own lifetime. The thing that I recall best about St John Paul is the simple phrase "do not be afraid". These are also the words that Jesus used immediately after his resurrection when he appeared to the apostles. Down successive generations we are also invited to have courage, to trust in in the Lord, and to have absolute trust and confidence in his promise of salvation if we are faithful to him and to each other.

I apologise for last week's bulletin not being available due to a glitch in our software.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I assure you that keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

Preparation for the sacraments of initiation

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:16:35 GMT

Preparation for the sacraments of reconciliation, holy communion and confirmation take place in our primary schools. There will

be children who do not go to our schools but who need to be prepared for these sacraments over the coming months. Please let

Father Chris know as soon as possible if your child is not attending one of our schools and requires preparation. This is the final notice

on this for now as we are about to agree timetables for the sacrament of Confirmation with our schools office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

No Mass this Thursday

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:36:38 GMT

– I am sorry to say that there will be no Mass in the parish on Thursday due to my second cataract operation. Thank God the first one seems to have been a success and the vision in my left eye has improved.

Please accept my sincere thanks for your prayers and best wishes. I will, God willing, be back in action on Friday.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 6th October 2024

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:35:45 GMT

This coming week we see two of our Yorkshire Saints in the church's calendar, St Paulinus of York and St Wilfrid.

Paulinus was deeply involved in the conversion of England being sent by Pope St Gregory to England in 601 AD. He dedicated the rest of his life to building the Christian faith in the north until his death in 644 AD.

St Wilfrid was born 10 years before the death of Paulinus. He is most famous for helping the church adopt the customs and practices of the church in Rome.

We often forget the importance of our own saints but both in their own way were critical in establishing the church we know and love. May they intercede for the us, and the church, to help us keep our fidelity to Jesus and our fellowship within the Catholic and Apostolic church.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

International Day of Older People

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:02:23 GMT

Tuesday October 1st is the International Day of Older People. From 11am - 2pm there is a big free event at Leeds Rhino's ground, in the concourse of the South Stand on St Michael's Lane LS6 3BR. There are many events on offer, including entertainment from the Irish Arts Association and Ascendance Dance Group and talks on the importance of social connections and one from a 90 year old who continues to work for Leeds United. Various community associations will be present as well. There is a tour of the rugby ground at 1.30 and there is free parking in the rugby ground car parks E + F on St Michael's Lane.

Weekday Masses this week

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:46:53 GMT

I am sorry to say that there will be no weekday Mass in the parish on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is because I am having eye surgery for cataract removal (one eye this week and another one next). You have probably noticed me peering closely at the missal!

My eyesight in both eyes has suddenly deteriorated and needs urgent attention. Sincere apologies for the unavoidable disruption.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 29th September 2024

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:43:07 GMT

This week there are some great feast days, St Jerome, St Theresa of Lisieux, St Francis of Assisi, and St Faustina. All of whom have played a part in my life in one way or another. Next week is also the feast of the Guardian Angels, remember that we have an angel given to each and everyone of us. One of the first prayers I learnt from my mother was to my Guardian Angel. Remember to ask them for their guidance and help.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

The Parish SVP

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:19:21 GMT

The next meeting will be held at St Urban’s on Monday, 7th October 2024 at 7pm. The SVP do a splendid job in providing help and support to vulnerable people and all are most welcome to join the Society.

Leeds Universities Catholic Chaplaincy

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:13:16 GMT

Welcome to new and returning students! There is Mass for students with other spiritual and social events Sunday Mass is at 5pm, 7 St Mark’s Avenue, Leeds, LS2 9BN. See www.uilcc.org and social media for more information.

Reflection from Fr Chris - 22nd September 2024

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 19:50:21 GMT

On Monday is the memorial of St Pius of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, a great Saint from the Franciscan tradition. During his lifetime the Padre was known for bearing the stigmata, for being a great confessor, and a wonder worker in the Lord's name. The Padre is seen by many, many people as a spiritual patron, myself included. I have been aware of the support of the Padre at different times of my life, particularly at times of challenge and difficulty.

St Pio, pray for us.

As always, God bless and keep you all; I keep your intentions in my prayers every day.

Fr Christopher

EUCHARISTIC HEALING SERVICE

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 16:22:43 GMT

Eucharistic Healing Service will be on Tuesday 24 September at 7pm at Holy Name. A beautiful opportunity to pray for all

types of healing. Remember Jesus is alive, and miracles can and do happen!

Everyone is welcome, including non-Catholics and those of no faith - all that is needed is an openness to Jesus our Lord, saviour,

and dearest friend.

Leed's Childrens Mayoral Elections

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 13:49:08 GMT

The last chance to support Jasmin Tucker a pupil at Sacred Heart. Jasmine is shortlisted to the last 12 of the Leeds children's mayoral elections. The voting closes on the 23rd of September. Children and young people under the age of 18 are eligible to vote.

Your support is asked for Jasmin Tucker a pupil at Sacred Heart. She has been shortlisted to the last 12 of the Leeds' children's mayoral elections. The voting is open and needs your votes. Further information on how to vote can be found here https://www.leeds.gov.uk/children-and-families/leeds-youth-voice/childrens-mayor/childrens-mayor-election

Jasmin attended the 'what to expect' session for the Leeds Children’s Mayor campaign/election and has now received her ballot box. This will be returned to the Civic Hall on the 23rd September by 5pm.

Please see the pictures below from the event including one with the 11 finalists and the current Children’s Mayor.

They were given tips on how to run the campaign including, making flags, posters, attending Breeze events, speaking with their local councillors and moving around with their ballot boxes.

Little Sisters of the Poor: Irish Night

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 11:25:57 GMT

Friday 27th September 2024 , 7.30pm, at Leeds Irish Centre. Tickets £20 including supper and a band.

Tickets can be purchased on the evening or from Sr Christina on 07586 431 012.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:21:00 GMT

As part of the Year of Prayer and Preparation for next year’s Jubilee of Hope there is a a Eucharistic Congress on Saturday 14 September 2024 at Saint Mary’s College, Oscott. Bishop Marcus hopes that all the faithful of our Diocese will have the opportunity to participate spiritually in the Eucharistic Congress. With this in mind there will be a period of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament before the Vigil Mass on the 14th beginning at 3pm. There is a sign up sheet at the back of our churches for people to volunteer. The specific prayer intention for the 40 Hours is for an increase in response to vocations to the priesthood and the religious life.

Please do sign up for an hour (or more) to keep company our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Catholic Care Seaside Trip

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:29:40 GMT

Catholic Care Seaside Trip – to Lytham Saint Annes on Tuesday, 17th September,

leaving church around 9:00am, returing around 6:00pm. There is a fully accessible coach with air conditioning and toilet. The cost of the trip is £30 which includes hot drinks and cake in a seafront hotel. It promises to be a great day out.

To book your place please call Louise Fineberg on 07708485891.

Holy Communion to the housebound

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 12:59:10 GMT

Father Chris is updating the record of those unable to get to church who require holy communion and pastoral support.

If you are visiting someone with Holy Communion, firstly thank you for your support of our brothers and sisters,

but please let Father Chris know so that the parish has an up to date record. Thank you.

Pyxes: "Pyx" is the name of the small metal container for Holy Communion carried for visits to people's homes, nursing homes etc. The parish has previously bought a number of them for Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to use for visits but we are running short of them. If you have one that belongs to the parish but for whatever reason is no longer in use its return would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Rotas: welcomers, also tea and coffee after Sunday Mass at St Urbans

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 13:00:50 GMT

Sincere thanks to all those who have signed up for these important ministries. There are gaps in the rotas so please consider if you can sign up to help. Obviously, there is a commitment involved, but it is a great way of both helping the community and getting

to know your fellow parishioners.

A message from Father Chris

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 19:35:47 GMT

I want to sincerely thank you for the warm welcome you have all extended to me as I become a member of

your great community. I am slowly settling in and I very much look forward to getting to know as many

people as possible over the coming weeks and months, as well as engaging with the different groups

in the parish also our schools. For now I wish to assure you of my daily prayers for your needs and intentions.

God bless and keep you all.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us; St Urban, pray for us.

Diocesan Notices:

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 11:13:40 GMT

See the noticed board at the back of church for all Diocesan notices including:

- Weekly Online Meditations from the Briery: Thursdays 7:15pm zoom

- Lourdes Pilgrimage 2025 – Appeal for GP

- Diocesan Safeguarding Sub-Committee

- Vacancies

DIOCESE OF LEEDS SAFEGUARDING SUB-COMMITTEE

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 14:56:59 GMT

DIOCESE OF LEEDS SAFEGUARDING SUB-COMMITTEE: are recruiting new members. The role is voluntary and unpaid (reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed). The members are drawn from a variety of backgrounds. It is important that candidates can demonstrate an experience, interest and understanding of safeguarding, ensuring that the membership has the appropriate combination of skills, experience and knowledge. For more information and to have an informal conversation prior to making an application, please contact: Mary Kearney-Safeguarding Coordinator Tel: 0113 2618046 or Email: recruiting@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Fr Gerard

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 14:22:55 GMT

Fr Gerard’s last Sunday with us will be Sunday 28th July 2024. Following the 10.30am Mass at St Urban’s there will be a shared tea and cake time (please bring cakes to share on the day). A collection will take place on Sunday 21st July whilst Fr Gerard is on holiday. Envelopes for this are now available for donations (please return them to church) and a tab on the Contactless machine is also available under the title Fr Gerard.

Leeds 10k race

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 11:00:57 GMT

Again, we are going to have to change our weekend Mass time on Sunday 23rd June 2024 as the Leeds 10K race

circulates around both our churches.

To accommodate this, we will hold a 4pm Mass on Saturday 22nd June at OLOL,

6pm Mass at STU and on Sunday 23rd June 11am Mass at STU.

Safeguarding in the Diocese of Leeds - Survey

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:11:22 GMT

Safeguarding in the Diocese of Leeds - Survey: Diocese of Leeds Safeguarding and the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) would like to hear your views on current Safeguarding practice and processes in our Diocese! The Survey is very short – just two questions – and it is anonymous, unless you choose to provide details. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts before 15th July 2024. Survey and more information available at:

https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/safeguardingin-the-diocese-of-leeds-please-tell-us-how-were-doing/

Would you like to get to know others in the parish?

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:04:57 GMT

Would you like to get to know others in the parish? The date for the next Tuesday evening social is on the 2nd of July. Do come along for a chat and a drink/pizza at the Meanwood Tavern. New faces and old are welcome! We will walk up after mass, or you can meet us there at 7.45pm. For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders, please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454 678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416.

The Parish Financial Return

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:03:37 GMT

The Parish Financial Return is available at the back of church. If you have any comments or questions please put them in writing to the Parish Finance Advisory Group via email: office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Wedding Season at St Jeanne Jugan Parish

office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk (Gerard Kearney) — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 17:15:02 GMT

It's Wedding Season here at St. Jeanne Jugan's Parish. We've adorned our Churches in readiness for the occasions.

Little Sisters of the Poor

Sat, 04 May 2024 12:59:02 GMT

The children of St Urbans have collected £3,500 for the Little Sisters of the poor urgent appeal towards the new Munt St Joseph's

Pictured Sr Christina collecting the cheque with children from St Urbans and Canon Gerard Kearney parish priest of St Jeanne Jugan Parish (patron of the Little Sisters)

Art at OLOL

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 16:41:22 GMT

Christine Cheselfine exhibited her showcase of contemporary Christian Art Work at Our Lady of Lourdes last weekend.

The pictures were met with great interest by the many people that came to visit the newly refurbished church

Our Lady of Lourdes - Refurbishments

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 20:37:58 GMT

We now have a dedicated page of the refurbishments of Our Lady of Lourdes

You can view them here

Tuesday evening social - some photos and April date change

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 16:45:52 GMT

Would you like to get to know others in the parish? The dates for the next Tuesday evening socials are the 9th of April and 7th of May. Please note that the April date has changed to the second Tuesday in the month due to its proximity to Easter. Do come along for a chat and a drink/pizza at the Meanwood Tavern. New faces and old are welcome! We will walk up after mass, or you can meet us there at 7.45pm. For any questions, or to join the WhatsApp group for reminders, please get in touch with Joaquim Messa on 07454 678034 or Sarah Messa on 07952723416.

Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 12:09:03 GMT

5-11th July 2024 from Leeds/Bradford Airport: The theme is ‘and that people should come in Procession’. Booking is now open. Please book with Tangney Tours T: 01732 886666 or online:

https://www.tangney-tours.com/tours-and-pilgrimages/diocese-leeds/.

For further information please visit our website at https://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/lourdes-pilgrimage/ .

If you are interested in volunteering, (especially appealing for doctors, particularly GPs and nurses) please contact: lourdes.enquiries@dioceseofleeds.org.uk . Dates for your diary: Sunday 14th April Meet the pilgrims, Hinsley Hall, 2-4pm. Saturday 8th June Pre-departure Mass 11:30am Leeds Cathedral.

Volunteer Church Cleaners

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 12:04:06 GMT

Meet every Monday at 9.30am at St Urban’s. More help is desperately needed.

If you can spare anytime from 9.30 to 11.30am (even half an hour) it will be much appreciated.

St Patrick's Day Parade

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:50:48 GMT

Here are a few photos from St Urbans float from the Leeds St Patrick’s Day parade

Our Lady of Lourdes - Mass with Bishop Marcus

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:16:43 GMT

Bishop Marcus will celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes on Wednesday 28th February at 6.30pm to give thanks for the refurbishment. Light refreshments will be served after Mass.

The Piety stall

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:30:10 GMT

The Piety stall has a large range of cards for St Patrick’s Day, Easter, First Communion and the usual sympathy and Mass cards. They can be paid for on the Dona machine or by Cash at the stall.

Our Lady of Lourdes: Further Update

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 21:12:56 GMT

More images of the refurbishments to Our Lady of Lourdes church

Where Is Your Parish Going? Workshop Days

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 15:16:00 GMT

The Youth and Lifelong Faith Formation Office (Vicariate for Education) invite you to explore the future of our parishes and what it means to be part of a thriving parish! Our input is sourced from the recent Catholic Parish Summit Webinar ‘Thriving or Closing: Where is your parish going?’ ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfO_wAhMv0w ) Saturday 27th January, 10:00am-3:30pm, St Benedict’s, Garforth, LS25 1PX. Session will include Mass, discussion groups and workshops, and is free to attend. Participants are asked to bring a packed lunch. For more information and to book contact

formation@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

Mardi Gras lunch

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 13:18:52 GMT

On Sunday 11th February 2024 we will host a shared Mardi Gras lunch. Please bring a plate of food to share that represents your culture (11.30am to 1pm at St Urbans).

Bishop Marcus at Our Lady of Lourdes

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 13:15:22 GMT

Bishop Marcus will celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes on Wednesday 28th February at 6.30pm to give thanks for the refurbishment. Light refreshments will be served after Mass.

Our Lady of Lourdes: Update

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:42:06 GMT

We managed to get the keys back to OLOL church 3 days before Christmas and celebrated the refurbishment wonderfully.

Photos from the Christmas Fair

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:29:45 GMT

Here are a few photos from our Christmas Fair held last week (2nd Dec):

Bible and prayer group:

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 21:16:56 GMT

Bible and prayer group: reconvening for Advent at St Urban’s church on Tuesday afternoons in December. From 1pm-2pm scripture and prayer and from 2pm-3pm our annual ‘warm and welcome space’ with free hot drinks and snacks, open to all. Please join us on Tuesday 5th , 12th and 19th of December. All welcome!

St Jeanne Jugan Friendship Group

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 23:43:30 GMT

St Jeanne Jugan Friendship Group: Runs every Wednesday 10.30am to 12pm in St Urban’s church meeting room. This is a lovely opportunity to meet new people and catch up with current friends. We enjoy various activities including, games, quizzes, crafts, guest speakers and much more. Everyone is welcome to come along and join us. Refreshments are available. Please contact Gill for further details. 07739975021.

Pregnant and Newborns

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 12:43:58 GMT

Babies’ morning at St Urban’s: Tuesday mornings (during term time) in the meeting room from 9am-12noon. Pregnant mums and mums of infants invited to rest and relax in this warm and welcoming space with light refreshments (free). November dates: Tuesdays 21st and 28th November (please note: no meeting Tuesday 14th November).

Our Lady of Lourdes: Update

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 20:34:27 GMT

Here are this week's update from Our Lady of Lourdes Church, it is really coming along well:

The installation of the new Canons

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 22:55:31 GMT

The instalment to the Cathedral Chapter of Canons of Fr Gerard Kearney took place on Tuesday 31st October 2023 .

Thank you from Canon Gerard: A heartfelt thank you for your prayers, kind words, cards, and gifts. I am very humbled and overwhelmed by the honour bestowed on me and my thanks to you all is not enough for all your support. THANK YOU!

The Mass took place at Leeds Cathedral (St Anne’s) Below are some photos of this very special day.

Our Lady of Lourdes: Update

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 22:50:11 GMT

Here are this weeks update from Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

The new confessional is under construction along with repairing the windows and creating new kitchen space:

St. Urbans Friendship group

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:20:20 GMT

St Urban’s friendship groups talk on healthy living

The group really enjoyed the morning, it was very informative and fun. Feedback from members already are brilliant.

Ingrid will come back very soon to make some healthy snacks.

Also please see the recipe from the day for you

Our Lady of Lourdes: Update

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:01:35 GMT

These are this weeks update from our lady of Lourdes church. The new floor is going in and the new toilet are being prepared

Our Lady of Lourdes: Update

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 12:01:35 GMT

Further refurbishment at our Lady of Lourdes. Update 4th October 2023

Our Lady of Lourdes: Update

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 19:02:42 GMT

Refurbishment at our Lady of Lourdes. Update 20th September2023

Diocesan Notices: Grief Companions

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 20:06:15 GMT

Grief Companions training, a friendly, relaxed and interactive online course, is starting in October. This is suitable for anyone who would like to know more about how best to accompany someone who is grieving. It is not suitable for those who are in the midst of grief. This course is highly recommended by our own parish bereavement minister and is used by our diocesan Elizabeth Prout Bereavement Care service. General information and links to book your place can be found here: https://griefcompanion504627506.wordpress.com/online-training-course/

Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 12:19:07 GMT

Our Lady of Lourdes Church : will close after Mass on Sunday 10 ^th September for approx. 3 months. Mass will be celebrated each Sunday, during this period, at St Urban’s at 8.45am.

If you can offer a lift or need a lift from OLOL to STU please sign up on the flip chart in the entrance hall at OLOL.

Friday 8 ^th September before and after Mass (9 -11.15am) we will fill a skip from the storerooms. Saturday 9 ^th September from 8.30am to 11am furniture moving to the basement and again after 8.45am Mass on Sunday 10 ^th September . Lots of help needed.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the works and photos will appear on our website.

Gift Aid Tax Letters

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 11:22:41 GMT

If you are a taxpayer and hold a gift aid for your offertory collection the parish letters are available in the office

if you need it for your tax return. Please contact the parish office to arrange collection of posting out. Office.stjeannejugan@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

St Urbans summer fair - photo gallery

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 20:02:39 GMT

St Urbans summer fair took place on Saturday 19th August it was a lovely afternoon with good weather!

Thanks to all who attended.

Below are some of the photos from the day

Fountains Abbey Mass

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 12:06:24 GMT

Mass for the Feast of St Bernard, Monday 21st August 2023, 12noon.

Mass Intentions

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:56:39 GMT

If you would like a Mass Intention to be remembered on a specific date –

please give at least 2 weeks’ notice to facilitate this.

Thank you.

Parish Census

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 18:32:59 GMT

It is time for us to update our database. Please fill the census form in as soon as possible and return it to Fr Gerard. If you know anyone at home who isn’t able to get to church, please do take one for them too. Thank you.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 14:36:58 GMT

The Diocesan Finance Sub Committee met last week and approved £418k (including VAT) to refurbish the church. This will include a complete electrical rewire, new plugs and lighting, 2 new accessible toilets, new kitchen area, refurbishment of the front doors, new confessional, repairs to the floors and new flooring and a complete repaint. The start date is 11th September and could take up to 20 weeks.

Parish Census

Sat, 20 May 2023 15:21:58 GMT

It is time for us to update our database. Next Sunday you will receive a census form. Please fill it in as soon as possible and return it to Fr Gerard. If you know anyone at home who isn’t able to get to church, please do take one for them too.

Thank you.

Leeds Safe Places Scheme

Thu, 18 May 2023 21:31:40 GMT

A Safe Place is somewhere a person with a learning disability can go and ask for help if they are lost, frightened or in difficulty. We would like OLOL and St Urban’s churches to be part of the Leeds Safe Places scheme. Google ‘Aspire Leeds safe places video’ for a full explanation and please sign up on the form at the back of church if you would like to take part in a simple training session - date tbc.

Refurbishment of Our Lady of Lourdes

Wed, 10 May 2023 13:57:46 GMT

Work on the refurbishment of Our Lady of Lourdes continues... here are some photos of the progress

Sunday 14th May 2023.

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 20:54:38 GMT

Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon Sunday 14th May 2023.

As the roads around Our Lady of Lourdes will be closed on this day there will be no 8.45am Mass.

Instead, there will be a vigil Mass at 4pm on Saturday 20th May 2023 at Our Lady of Lourdes.

Elizabeth Prout Bereavement Group

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 00:47:30 GMT

Elizabeth Prout Bereavement Group will be holding an Information morning on Saturday, 4th February 2023 at St Urban’s Parish Hall, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2AQ. This meeting is for anyone who may be interested in Bereavement Ministry or setting up a Bereavement Group in their own parish. The morning will begin at 10am with coffee and finish at 12.30pm. For further information and to book a place please contact Admin at The Briery on 01943 607287 or email: briery@btconnect.com

St. Urbans Friendship group

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 12:39:04 GMT

The Parish friendship group runs every Wednesday morning 10.30am to 12pm at St Urbans Church in the meeting room.

We have a gallery of photos of the beautiful flower arranging that recently took place:

View Here

A warm welcome

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 13:06:55 GMT

Welcome to our New Website

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new parish website. The occasion marks the beginning of this new season; as we move closer to the season of advent. A season of anticipation and expectation. Let us hope and pray that we can put COVID-19 behind us, and renew our efforts to bring the "Love of Jesus" both inside and outside the parish.

Please keep the parish in your prayers as we step up our digital evangelisation initiatives.