Sunday 10th September 2023
Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Mary's Parish Festal Weekend
HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL PARISHIONERS AT ST MARY'S,
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES,
AND MAY YOU EVER FEEL THE INTERCESSSION OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER MARY.
GOD BLESS
Fr. O'Brien
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 8thSeptember
9:10am St. Oswald's School 'New School Year' Liturgy – Everyone is welcome
2:45pm St. Mary's School, 'New School Year' Liturgy – Everyone is welcome
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Parish Patronal Mass – The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)
followed by the Altar Servers Pizza Night
Saturday 9th September
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (In the Lady Chapel)
'Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.' - St. Maximilian Kolbe
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time followed by Torchlight procession to the Grotto (Weather permitting)
Sunday 10thSeptember
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time and Procession of the Statue of Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle (Weather permitting)
2pm St. Mary's Celebratory Afternoon Tea (Tickets All Sold Out)
Tuesday 12th September
9:15am Sacred Heart School 'New School Year' Liturgy – Everyone is welcome
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, The Most Holy Name of Mary (Memoria)
'Mary means Star of the sea, for as mariners are guided to port by the ocean star, so Christians attain to glory through Mary's maternal intercession.' - St. Thomas Aquinas
Wednesday 13thSeptember
10am Mass, Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor (Memoria)
St. John Chrysostom, 'golden mouth', was born in Antioch in 349A.D. He became Bishop of Constantinople in 397 A.D, but because of his steadfast preaching faced opposition from the Empress. He died in exile in 407 A.D.
Friday 15thSeptember
6pm Mass Our Lady of Sorrows (Memoria)
'Turn your eyes incessantly to the Blessed Virgin; she, who is the Mother of Sorrows and also the Mother of Consolation, can understand you completely and help you. Looking to her, praying to her, you will obtain that your tedium will become serenity, your anguish change into hope, and your grief into love.' - St. Pope John Paul II
Saturday 16thSeptember
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 17thSeptember
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twenty FourthSunday in Ordinary Time
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (9th September - 16th September), the Sanctuary Lamp is for The Owen Family
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£689.23. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Note of Thanks
I think it's fair to say we have all been so blessed to have a great number or priests looking after us at St. Mary's and making sure that during the first part of my holidays there has been the opportunity for Mass and prayer. I'd like to thank Frs. Ethelbert Arua, Peter Ezekpeazu, Stephen Adedji from the religious congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph, based at St. Wulstan's, Great Harwood. Their generosity by offering to cover weekend and Wednesday Masses has allowed me to go for a proper holiday. Thank you to Fr. Laurence Gambella who was resident in the presbytery for the week and thoroughly felt at home thanks to you all. Father has offered to do the same arrangement in the future and would like to pass on his thanks for making him feel so welcome back in Lancashire. Thank you to Fr. Stamp, who we all know here at St. Mary's. His pastoral care and being available to parishioners in cases of emergency has been reassuring to all of us. Thank you to Adam, who with the support of the stewards, has kept everything ticking over. We wish him well at the start of the academic year with his continued studies for the priesthood. It won't be long until our parish trip in October when we visit him at Oscott. I'm off to Ireland for the last part of my holidays in a week and when I visit the Shrine at Knock I'll pray for you all.
God Bless Fr. O
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle
The 8th September (which is the feast of Our Lady's Birthday), in 1948 St. Mary's was formally consecrated because the parish was finally debt free for the first time since 1897! By the side entrance to the church (Hawthorn Ave), there is a memorial stone to commemorate this event. This is our parish feast and so from Friday 8th September – Sunday 10th September this year there will be different opportunities for both prayer and celebration. Please feel free to invite family, friends and neighbours to any of the Masses and Liturgies and let them know they'll be warmly welcomed. It's a great time to witness that St. Mary's is a Catholic community of prayer who are proud of our faith in Jesus Christ and want others to know about the blessings that Our Lady gives.
Friday 8th September
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Parish Feast Day Mass, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
7pm Altar Servers Pizza Night
Saturday 9th September
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass (In the Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary
6:30pm Vigil Mass followed by Torchlight Procession to the Grotto of Our Lady (weather permitting)
Sunday 10th September
9:30am The Holy Rosary
10am Mass beginning with the procession of the statue of Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle
2pm St. Mary's Celebratory Afternoon Tea (All Tickets Sold Out)
Parish Summer Raffle
Tickets for the Parish Summer Raffle are available – £1 at ticket. The Raffle will be drawn after Sunday 10th September and the winning numbers will be placed on the noticeboard in the church narthex (by the stewards desk). Thanks as always for your help and generosity towards church.
St. Oswald's School
On Friday morning I was invited to the school's formal Opening Liturgy and blessing for the New Academic Year. Through hymns, scripture readings, the children's reflections and prayers we asked the Lord to help be our guiding light throughout the year. At the end of the liturgy, I went to each classroom to bless both the children, teachers and the study rooms, asking for God's protection and help. A great prayerful start for the beginning of the new school year.
You will also notice the beautiful flowers made by the children for the Chapel of Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle. The wall has come alive with such vibrant colours. What a wonderful present for Mary on her birthday weekend.
St. Mary's School
On Friday afternoon the whole school community came together to celebrate a twofold liturgy. The first was to give thanks to God for the gift of Mary on her birthday and the second part was to ask God for his blessing at the start of the new school year. From hymns to Our Lady all the way through to Happy Birthday – the singing was fantastic. This weekend you'll notice a large birthday card in the Lady Chapel to Mary. It contains every name, of every pupil, in St. Mary's school wishing Our Lady a Happy Birthday.
St. Mary's Warm Welcome
Back by popular demand... The next warm welcome is on Tuesday 19th September from 1pm – 3pm. Everyone and anyone are welcome! We have some talented parishioners who will dispel the coming autumn blues with live upbeat music that everyone can sing along to. Plus, there's unlimited brews and fantastic homemade cake in a warm space. Why not come along and experience something different. Dates for the Warm Welcome: 19th Sept, 3rd Oct, 17th Oct, 31st Oct, 14th Nov, 28th Nov
12th Dec
Parish Bible Study – St. John's Gospel
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!" - St. Jerome
A strong statement from St. Jerome yet true. One of the simplest ways to come close to Our Lord, to know him better, is to pick up our bible yet this can be a daunting thing. Where do we start? How are we meant to read this or understand that? This autumn/winter there will be the opportunity for scripture study in the parish – open to everyone. No prior knowledge is expected, no biblical or theological training is needed. Simply bring yourself, your bible, and the desire to know God more. I thought we could begin journeying through St. John's Gospel. I'll be using a CTS (Catholic Truth Society) Bible. You can order these from Amazon or ask me.
The Parish Bible Study group will meet every two weeks on a Wednesday from 7pm – 8pm. Even if you can only make one session it's worth doing:
4th Oct, 18th Oct, 1st Nov, 15th Nov, 29th Nov, 13th Dec – Everyone is welcome.
Oscott Trip
The trip to the seminary at Oscott has proved very popular and I have now confirmed the booking with the local coach company Moving People Ltd for 12 noon on Sunday 15th October. There are some places available if people still want to go. Please see Fr. O'Brien. Watch this space for further details.
Parish Social: Franco's
We are blessed to have a group of parishioners who are busy organising a parish social at Franco's for 22nd October. Watch this space with more details to follow.
Sacramental Preparation for Young People
If there are any young people, ages 7+. who are baptised Roman Catholics, live in the parish boundaries and would like to begin preparing to receive God's mercy in the Sacrament of Confession and His love in First Holy Communion, then please see Fr. O'Brien at the end of the Mass you usually come to.
Confirmation Preparation
If there are any young parishioners, ages 12 +, who are baptised Roman Catholics, live in the parish boundaries and would like to know more about the Sacrament of Confirmation please see Fr. O'Brien.
National Relic Tour
An exciting opportunity to pray before the relics of three inspiring saints is heading to our diocese this month. The Knights of St Columba are proud to be accompanying the sacred relics of Saints Andrew, Margaret, and Columba on a tour of churches across the country, including a number of parishes in our diocese. Bishop John Arnold will be celebrating a special Mass in honour of the visit at St Mary's, Chorley New Road, Horwich, at 7pm on Monday 11th September. Find out more about the tour and where you can join in prayer at www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/knights-of-saint-columba-relics-tour/
Hope in the Future Celebration Event
Join the Diocese of Salford's Formation Department for a special event celebrating our six-year Hope in the Future journey. The event will include inspiring talks from Bishop John Arnold and lay missionary Pippa Baker, music from One Hope Project, opportunities for small-group discussions and idea sharing, and a quiet time of prayer led by the Bishop. The event is free of charge and open to all and is ideal for those who have been involved in Hope in the Future in their parish, deanery, or school, those who would like to learn more about it or begin their own journey, and for individuals seeking to grow as Missionary Disciples. Tuesday 3rd October 2023, 6:30pm – 9pm The Edge, Riveredge, Wigan WN3 5AB
Register your place at www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/hope-in-the-future-celebration-event/
Season of Creation
Season of Creation returns for another year, inviting Christians across the globe to come together in prayer and action for the good of our common home. Running from 1st September (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) to the feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4th October, this month-long celebration offers us time to reflect on the needs of our planet and what we can do in our communities to make a difference. For further information, resources, and prayers, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/season-of-creation-2023/
Mount Carmel High School
The School's Annual Open Evening takes place on Thursday 21st September from 4.00pm – 7.30pm. It is an opportunity for parents of pupils currently in Yr 5 and Yr 6 to visit school and have a good look around, but the opportunity is open to all the community. Other dates for your diaries are our very popular annual Christmas Fayre which takes place on Friday 1st December and Community Christmas Party that will take place on Monday 11th December, where we will once again look forward to welcoming the sick and housebound from the parishes for a Christmas lunch and an afternoon of festive entertainment.
Caritas Diocese of Salford's Big Sleep Out
The annual Caritas Big Sleep Out is back! This autumn, people across the diocese are being challenged to sleep out under the stars for one night only to raise funds and awareness of people experiencing homelessness in our diocese. Taking place on Friday 13th October, this is one of the most important events in the Caritas annual calendar, helping our diocesan charity make a very real impact on the lives of local people. Find out more and register at www.caritassalford.org.uk/big-sleep-out-2023/
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham - Save the date
The Diocese of Salford is delighted to announce the date for our next annual pilgrimage to Walsingham. Next year's day pilgrimage will take place on Saturday 4th May. We are also pleased to once again offer an overnight option, following the popularity of this year's two-day pilgrimage. To register your interest, please email walsingham.pilgrimage@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Job Vacancies
Diocese of Salford - Safeguarding Administrator (replacement role)
Appointment Type: Part-time, 12-month fixed-term contract
Working hours: 28 hours per week, with some flexible working required
Location: Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Salary: £19,838 - £21,279 FTE, depending on skills and experience
Find out more and apply at www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Diocese of Salford - Communications Assistant
Appointment Type: Full time, 12-month fixed-term contract
Working hours: 35 hours per week - normally worked weekdays though will include one Sunday per month
Location: Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Salary: £19,838 - £23,936, depending on skills and experience
Find out more and apply at www.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