Sunday 20th June 2021
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
'Father's Day'
Dear brothers and sisters,
This weekend many dads will be receiving cards, gifts and hopefully a lot of love and attention, however, let's all make sure we don't overlook St. Joseph, the foster father of Our Lord. St. Joseph was entrusted with the care and protection of the Holy Family, Jesus and Mary, who he gave every moment of his life to. He welcomed them not only into his home but into his heart. He protected Mary and her unborn child on the way to Bethlehem; kept vigilant watch over them when shepherds and wise men crowded in to see the new born King; and saved Jesus and Mary's lives from the wickedness of King Herod when they fled to Egypt.
Not only in these dramatic events did St. Joseph show the world that God had chosen the right man but also in the most mundane ordinary domestic moments, hid from public view, he proved his worth. St. Joseph worked tirelessly in his carpenters workshop to earn the money to keep a roof over his family's head. He sweated and toiled to put food on the table and keep hunger away. As our Lord's adoptive father, St. Joseph, helped to nurture Jesus in his full human experience of growing and learning (Luke 2:51-52). Learning to pray, learning to work, learning to treat others around him with dignity and respect, learning to be a real authentic man.
St. Joseph is silent in the Gospels. None of his words have been set down on paper for posterity. None of the wisdom he passed down to Jesus, God the Son in flesh and blood, have been recorded. Yet though he is God's silent servant his prayers speak volumes and his actions are powerful. Pope Francis, in his recent Apostolic Letter 'Patris Corde' written for the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being declared the Patron Saint of the Church, says:
'Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.'
Following the words of Pope Francis I would like to thank all those individuals who have and are still continuing to keep our parish living, breathing and praying. There are so many people whose words are silent but their deeds and actions are very much visible and felt. Without parishioners walking in the footsteps of St. Joseph our church would have struggled to do what it has done over lockdown and the pandemic. Thank you to all the St. Joseph's actively living here in our parish.
If you would like to volunteer or support St. Mary's in anyway then please do get in touch. My email address is sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
If you would like to volunteer as a steward then please contact Jennifer Pickles at jennifer.pickles@virginmedia.com
If you would like volunteer and help in the church grounds please contact Navada Keenan at keenannavada@gmail.com
If you can help support the church cleaning & hygiene please contact Karen Beard at jakey9998@aol.com
The more volunteers we have the lighter the load for all parishioners and the more things we can do as a family of faith moving towards the future.
Memorare to St. Joseph
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory be…
Remember, O Most Chaste Spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, my spiritual father, and beg your protection. O Foster Father of the Redeemer, despise not my petitions, but in your goodness hear and answer me. Amen.
Update: Mass Bookings
Following government procedures and diocesan guidance there IS no longer the need to book for a weekday Mass. However, numbers will still be restricted because of the ongoing pandemic and therefore it will be 'First come, First Serve'. Church will be open 30minutes before each Mass/Liturgy. We are still obliged to continue the Test and Trace system for public health reasons and so stewards will require contact details from those who turn up to church. The dates and times of weekday Masses are:
10am Wednesday 23rd June, Votive Mass of St. Joseph
10am Thursday 24th June, Solemnity of The Nativity of St. John the Baptist
6pm Friday 25th June, Weekday Mass
Weekend Masses
At this current moment booking for a weekend Mass will still continue. This can be done via the parish website www.saintmarysoswaldtwistle.co.uk or by calling Ursula on a Wednesday between 5pm -6pm on (01254) 232 433. Let's pray that as we move on through summer to autumn more restrictions can be safely lifted. As always, on behalf of all parishioners at St. Mary's, we thank those volunteers who have given up their time to keep church open. Thank you and God Bless.
Father Stamp, St. Anne's, Accrington
Last weekend it was publicly announced that Fr. Stamp, our Dean and the parish priest at St. Anne & St. Joseph, has been asked by the Bishop to take up a new appointment at Our Lady & St. John's, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. Fr. Stamp has been in Accrington for just over ten years and will be leaving after the summer. On a personal note I have been very grateful for Father's help, support and friendship especially in the transition from monk to parish priest. Any move is stressful, as I'm sure many of you can testify to, so let's keep Fr. Stamp and his new parish in our prayers.
Welcome
The Bishop has appointed Fr. Francis Wadsworth as the new parish priest of St. Anne & St. Joseph, Accrington. Many parishioners will know Fr. Wadsworth from the diocesan Lourdes pilgrimage. We welcome Father to the deanery and assure him of our prayers especially during his move from Rochdale.
Online Retreat for Married Couples
The organisers of the online prayer resource Pray As You Go, in partnership with the Westminster Diocese's Marriage and Family Life Team, offer an Audio Retreat for Married Couples. It uses as its base ingredients scripture, the Ignatian tradition and other Christian insights to provide a simple recipe, which you can then enjoy blending together to make a tasty, exciting and balanced meal to feed your marriage.
Further information www.pathwaystogod.org/resources/where-two-are-gathered-marriage-retreat
Eco Thought of the Week, Sunday 20th June.
In our first reading at Mass this Sunday, God asks Job:
Who pent up the sea behind closed doors, when it leapt tumultuous out of the womb,
when I wrapped it in a robe of mist
and made black clouds its swaddling bands;
when I marked the bounds it was not to cross
and made it fast with a bolted gate?
Come thus far, I said, and no farther,
here your proud waves shall break.
God is Creator and Lord of Creation. Can we harness the mighty power of the elements for the common good? How do we ensure our energy sources are natural and sustainable?
Salford Interfaith Forum: Faith in the Environment.
Salford interfaith forum is running an event on zoom. Faith in the Environment is an online conference examining the response of faith communities to the climate crisis, the event will take place on Wed, 23 June 2021 18:30 – 20:00. Bishop John will be speaking at the event alongside, Andrea Passe from Eco Synagogue and the Board of Deputies and Zahid Hussain a Manchester City Councillor and Community Activist. To book please visit SIFEnviro.eventbrite.co.uk
The Common Good Events.
There is a new series of four events exploring the common good. The events are a collaboration between the Benedict XVI Centre at St Mary's University, Twickenham; Together for the Common Good; Caritas Social Action Network; and the Centre for Social Justice. They are kindly supported by the CCLA. The first event will be on the subject of "The Common Good: What does it mean?" Philip Booth, Sam Bruce and Jenny Sinclair will be in conversation with Professor Ruth Kelly. It will be held at 6.30-8pm, Tuesday 15 June 2021, online via zoom. For more information visit www.stmarys.ac.uk/events/2021/06/the-common-good-event
Future events will be held on 13th July, and 29th September and the 16th November (at St Mary's, Putney).
Gift Aid and Envelopes
On behalf of the parish I would like to thank Rob Harrison for all his voluntarily work concerning the gift aid scheme and donation envelopes. Over the next few weeks, as people book to come to the Holy Mass, those who have signed up to the gift aid scheme will receive their envelopes from a steward. In line with GDPR, envelopes can only be given to the individual whose name and address is printed on the box. If you do not contribute to the gift aid scheme but would like a box of donation envelopes then please ask a steward when you come to church. For more information about helping the parish through gift aid you can contact Rob: giftaid@stmaryoswaldtwistle.org.uk
New Director Caritas Diocese of Salford
The trustees of Caritas Diocese of Salford are pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick O'Dowd, as its next Director, appointed to succeed Mark Wiggin, who retires after 11 years of service in July. Bishop John said: "I am grateful for the service and leadership of Mark Wiggin who has helped to establish Caritas in the heart of the Diocese. I welcome the appointment of Patrick O'Dowd whose knowledge, commitment and values will take forward the charity's mission in the coming years". All in the diocese wish Mark a happy and blessed retirement and look forward to continuing to support the work of Caritas alongside Patrick.
Miles that Matter
Caritas is proud to have supporters, staff and volunteers who are walking in solidarity and in the 'virtual' footsteps of so many people who have fled war and conflict and seek a new life on these shores and in Greater Manchester and Lancashire in particular. Miles that Matter is running from 1st May until International Refugee Week in June. If you are interested in finding out more, or wish to participate, please call Rachel Taylor 0161 817 2285 or visit the website www.caritassalford.org.uk/miles-that-matter
Caritas Job Vacancy
Caritas is looking to hire a bank counsellor to provide a counselling and family support service in schools across the Diocese of Salford according to each school's formal agreement. The position will require working with pupils referred to the Caritas Schools' Service on a variety of issues, providing a non-judgemental, caring and confidential environment for them to work through their problems and difficulties. For more information visit www.caritassalford.org.uk or contact Rebecca Anderson on 0161 817 2264 or by email r.anderson@caritassalford.org.uk
Christian Heritage Centre Event - Faith & Reason: A Catholic Integration
A short, residential summer course exploring the relationship of faith with philosophy, science and culture. Particularly helpful for catechists and teachers fielding commonly-asked questions around Catholicism, besides anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the Faith. Runs 5th – 8th August. For more info and registration, www.christianheritagecentre.com/events/faith-and-reason
Online Parish Events
Parishioners from different parishes have been organising online rosaries, online sing-a-longs and virtual coffee mornings for their churches. I think this is a wonderful idea as many children and grandchildren have been stepping up to help older family members link up and use computers, mobile phones, i-pads etc. Any parishioner here at St. Mary's who would like to facilitate this has my complete support and I am happy to put them in touch with diocesan safeguarding department so that all correct procedures and online safety protocol can be followed.
Covid-19 Health and Safety Reminder
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Please make sure you are wearing a face mask before you enter the church building. Nobody should be putting a mask on once they are sat down at a pew or in the entrance/foyer near the stewards.
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Please do not remove you mask to speak to a steward or another parishioner in church. This shows a lack of safe respect for others. We all need to care and look out for each other.
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Please wear your mask when you are coming forward to receive Holy Communion. Once, and only once, you are stood before the priest then you can remove your mask. Communion is not a race so please take your time and do not rush. Once you have received the Blessed Sacrament then replace your mask and leave the church building.
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Please do sanitise your hands at the stations provided at both entrances and exits of church.
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Please keep the Two Meter Rule. This new strain of Covid-19 is more easily transmitted therefore it's important that we all keep to this practice.
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Please do not congregate to socialise on church property before or after Mass/Liturgy.
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Please do not come to church if you have Covid-19 symptoms, have tested positive for Covid-19 or are in isolation.
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien