Sunday 27th April 2024
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 26th April
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Easter Weekday Mass
Saturday 27th April
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Easter Weekday Mass (In the Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
Sunday 28th April
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
12noon Blessing of St. Mary's Chapel of Rest at Jenson's Funeral Director's, Accrington
– All Welcome.
Tuesday 30th April
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Easter Mass
Wednesday 1st May
10am Requiem Mass for Martine Rozs RIP
1:30pm Requiem Mass for Dorothy Smith RIP
8:30pm Reception of the Body of Mildred Sweeney RIP followed by the Holy Rosary
Thursday 2nd May
10:15am Requiem Mass for Mildred Sweeney RIP
Saturday 4th May
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Sifth Sunday of Easter -
The Society of African Missions (SMA) Parish Appeal
Sunday 5th May
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Sixth Sunday of Easter -
The Society of African Missions (SMA) Parish Appeal
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (27th April - 4th April), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Sadie & Jim Pickles.
Last Week's Easter Offertory Collection
£617.50. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Ecclesiastical Education Fund
Last weekend we raised £232.62 towards the training of our future priests in Salford Diocese.
The Society of African Missions (SMA) Parish Appeal
Each year the Bishop allows a specific missionary society or religious congregation to share their work with parish communities in the diocese and appeal for help with their work. This year 2024 the Bishop has allowed The Society of African Missions to witness and appeal in our diocese.
"The Society of African Missions (SMA) is committed to preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ chiefly in Africa and to people of African origin. We regard solidarity with the poor and the powerless, commitment to reading the signs of the times, activities for Justice and Peace, dedication to building a better world, including care for the environment, as constitutive dimensions of witnessing to the Good News. We do this through education, health care, development projects and conscientisation for justice. We also help in caring for African immigrants in Europe and the USA and draw attention to those structures that oppress them and other people of the Third World." - https://www.sma-gb.org/
Fr. Rosairo Arputham SMA will be visiting us here at St. Mary's, on the weekend of the 4th/5th May and making his appeal.
Church Building Works: Update
The diocesan property department have awarded Chapelgreen Contracts to undertake the work on the church and presbytery roofs.
Dear Fr O'Brien, Thank you for your recent Application for Tender Stage Approval. Your application was considered by the Diocesan Property Committee and has been approved at a total cost of £119,301.34 including fees and VAT. Your contact in the Diocesan Property Department is Waheed Masters, should you require any further help or assistance.
Let's continue to pray to Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle and St. Joseph that work begins soon and successfully ends the need for buckets in church.
Saint George's Day
Thank you to everyone who made our parish Saint George's Day such a celebratory occasion. From the Afternoon Warm Welcome to the Mass in the evening, many people both contributed their talents, time and prayers. Thank you to everyone involved. St. George, pray for us.
May: Crowning Our Lady
With the SMA Parish Appeal taking place on the first weekend of May we will Crown the statue of our Lady of Oswaldtwistle on the following weekend (11th/12th May). Parishioners and their families are warmly welcome to bring flowers to the 6:30pm Vigil Mass or the 10am Mass and place them before Our Blessed Mother in devotion and thanks for her prayers.
St. Mary's School
On Wednesday morning the juniors joined us for the 10am parish Mass. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Saul and Barnabas, has hands laid on them by the Apostles to go out in Jesus' name and preach the good news. We prayed for more men to hear God calling them so that they too could have hands laid on them and become Jesus' priests, like Saul and Barnabas. In this noise filled world with many distractions let's all pray for more vocations to the priesthood.
St. Mary's School 60 years celebrations
Thursday was the 60th anniversary since St. Mary's School moved to it's present site from Moscow Mill Street. To mark the occasion there was a Mass of Thanksgiving and Mrs Wolstenholme introduced the celebration with these reflective words:
Good evening everyone,
Thank you for joining us at this special celebratory Mass this evening. It is a special occasion, and I am so grateful to see so many familiar faces gathered here to mark this milestone with us.
First and foremost, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you - our dedicated staff, our supportive parish community, and our wonderful pupils and families. Without your hard work, commitment, and belief in our school's mission, we would not be where we are today. Your unwavering support and dedication have helped shape Saint Mary's into the learning environment that it is today.
As I look around Church, I am filled with pride at all that we have accomplished together. Our school has achieved so much over the past 60 years, and it is a testament to the incredible talent and passion that exists within our community. From academic achievements to personal growth and development, each and every one of you has played a vital role in our success.
I want to take this opportunity to praise each and every one of you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to our school's values. Your passion for education, your kindness towards one another, and your willingness to go above and beyond for our pupils is truly inspiring. It is because of you that our school continues to thrive and grow year after year.
As we come together tonight to celebrate this special occasion, let us remember that we are not alone in our journey. We are united in our faith, together with God, and His guidance and love will continue to light our path as we move forward. Let us continue to work together, support one another, and strive for excellence in all that we do.
Thank you once again for being a part of our school community. Here's to the next 60 years of success, growth, and happiness at Saint Mary's RC Primary School.
Thank you, and God bless.
School Governance
At this weekend's Masses (27th/28th April) the schools would like parishioners to think about signing up to become foundation governor. At the end of each Mass there will be current governors from Sacred Heart, St. Mary's, St. Oswald's and Mount Carmel, to answer questions and provide more information.
About School Governors
Governing Boards of Catholic voluntary aided schools are the employers and the admissions body for the school. The board consists of members drawn from a range of backgrounds including parents, staff, the local authority, the parish and wider school community.
Foundation Governors are appointed in the name of the Bishop by the Episcopal Delegate for Education and they form the majority of the Board. They have a legal duty to preserve and develop the Catholic ethos of the school and to ensure that it is conducted in accordance with its Trust Deed. Their responsibility is not only to consider the interests of their individual school or college but also the interests of other schools and colleges and Catholic education in general across the Diocese.
Nominees would not be expected to have a direct knowledge of current education law, of school organisation or governance but should be willing to learn and dedicate reasonable time to their responsibilities. They would be expected to have a genuine commitment to the educational, personal and spiritual development of students and in particular to the wellbeing of the school community as a whole, and to attend all relevant diocesan training. Supportive packs and appropriate training opportunities will be made available.
Red Boxes: Missio
Many of you who have supported Missio (The Red Box) over the years will have been been grateful to Jean Partington, who for the last 9 years, has been the charity's representative to our parish. Jean is now retiring from her voluntary work with Missio and I'm sure many of us would like to say 'Thank You' for her time and efforts in promoting the Red Boxes work. Jean has said that many people now donate via standing orders and direct debit and support the charity directly. For more information about Missio please see their website: www.missio.org.uk
Vocations to the Priesthood
For those who have chosen the ordained ministry, through sacramental ordination, they share in the priesthood of Christ in a special way. Their very beings are changed so that they can represent Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, for God's people and Christ as the Head of the Church. They not only offer their own lives to the Father, as all Christians do, but they also stand before the Church and minister to the faithful as another Christ. Therefore, when they teach with the authority of the Church, Christ teaches; when they absolve sins in the sacrament of Confession, then Christ forgives; when they offer the Sacrifice of the Mass then Christ offers that Sacrifice; when they love, support and care for God's people entrusted to their care, then Christ is present with his people.
To find out more about the priesthood or to explore the idea of a vocation to the priesthood, please contact:
Fr. Mark Paver, Vocations Director
St Winifred's Presbytery, Mauldeth Road, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, SK4 3NB
Tel: 0161 736 2696 or mark.paver@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Mark Chatwood: Book Binding Service
I'm a Catholic bookbinder in Manchester, and I've done a lot of Bible, hand missal, and other book repair work as a result of my details appearing in parish newsletters, including my parish of Holy Family, Boothstown, and repaired a Lectionary for Fr. Bryan Cunningham at St. John Fisher, Kearsley. This made me wonder whether there are people in your parish who would like their irreplaceable books repaired or have custom cases made for them.
If you want a beloved book restored to life, bookbinder Mark Chatwood at My Catholic Library can help. Contact him at mark@mycatholiclibrary.co.uk or 07493292039 (I'm on WhatsApp and Signal) and see more of his work at his website www.mycatholiclibrary.co.uk
Northern Dioceses' Environment Group
The Northern Dioceses' Environment Group (NDEG) invites parishes and individuals to a workshop to find out more about how our food supply system links to our faith. The event, titled "Faith in Food - Thinking and acting both locally and globally about our food system" takes place on Saturday 18th May between 11am and 3:30pm at St Wilfrid's Church, Preston, PR1 8BU. To register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/faith-in-food-tickets-879396337117
Caritas Salford Appeal for Volunteers
Caritas Salford, our diocesan charity, is appealing for volunteers to support its work across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Even a few hours can have a huge impact on the lives of others locally. To find out more about the huge range of opportunities available - from gardening to van driving, supporting their services to becoming a Caritas parish rep or accessibility advocate - visit their website now: www.caritassalford.org.uk/volunteer
Job Vacancies
Chef - Cathedral House (replacement role)
Appointment Type: Part time, permanent
Working Hours: Weekend Hours
Location: Cathedral House, 250 Chapel Street, Salford, M3 5LE
Salary: £21,840 - £24,343 per annum (subject to pro-rata)
Find out more and apply at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Parish Hall Supervisor - Holy Family and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (replacement role)
Appointment Type: Part time, 12 months fixed term
Working Hours: 15 hours per week
Location: St. Joseph's Parish Centre, Audley Range, Blackburn and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish Hall, Highercroft, Blackburn
Salary: £12 per hour
Find out more and apply at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien