!!!HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL & EVERYONE!!!
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 22nd December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
6pm Advent Weekday Mass - O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations)
O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.
Saturday 23rdDecember
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
10am Advent Weekday Mass - O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.of Our Lady (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday 24thDecember
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – O Adonai (O Lord)
O Lord and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
Christmas Eve
5pm Carols around the Crib
5:30pm Christmas Eve Mass
'Teacher of children became himself a child among children, that he might instruct the unwise. The Bread of heaven came down to earth to feed the hungry.'
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386)
Monday 25th December
Christmas Day
9:30am Carols around the Crib
10am Christmas Day Mass & Blessing of Toys
All children are invited to bring the toys that Santa Claus brought and have them blessed as a prayer of thanks-giving at the end of Mass
'Dearly beloved, today our Saviour is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness. No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all.'
- St. Leo the Great (c.400-461)
Wednesday 27th December
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, Saint John the Evangelist, Apostle,
Secondary Patron of the Diocese of Salford (Feast)
St. John's Gospel is another form of witness to the Word made flesh; as we read his Gospel we are once more presented with the mystery of this Christmas Season.
Thursday 28thDecember
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)
A harsh reality of the Incarnation. Christ came into the world precisely to take upon himself such suffering, to share in our human condition even to the point of death. In the midst of Christmas, this feast already points us towards Easter and the mystery of death and resurrection.
Friday 29thDecember
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Bishop & Martyr (Feast)
St. Thomas Becket was born in London in 1118; he became Chancellor of England and in 1162 was chosen as Archbishop of Canterbury. He defended the rights of the Church and King Henry II exiled him to France. On his return the followers of the king murdered him in 1170.
Saturday 30thDecember
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
10am Mass, Sixth Day of the Christmas Octave (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Sunday 31stDecember
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Monday 1st January 2024
9:30am The Holy Rosary
10am Mass, Holy Mary, Mother of God
At the end of Mass there will be, as always, the opportunity for our saint of the year to choose us from the basket.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who have contributed in all different ways to making Christmas unique and prayerful at St. Mary's. My personal thanks for all the cards and gifts that have arrived at the front door and sacristy for myself and Adam. They are much appreciated. May God Bless you and your families this Christmas.
Fr. O'Brien
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (23rd December - 30th December), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Deceased Members of the Duggan Family
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£8590.78. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Blessing Toys
On Christmas Day at the 10am Mass there will be an opportunity for any of our younger parishioners (and older if they want!) to bring the toys they received at Christmas to church and have them blessed at Mass. It's a wonderful prayer that reminds us of God's many blessings through our families. Behind every present is the gift of love.
Parish Christmas Raffle
Thanks to all those who have donated prizes towards the Parish Christmas Raffle. Tickets are on sale at each Mass - £1 ticket. The draw will take place on New Years Day after the 10am Mass.
Rock Salt & Muscle Power!
If your passing a garden centre, petrol station or anywhere that's selling rock salt/grit and are able to donate a bag to church then it would be gratefully accepted. Any bags can be left outside, at the rear of the church building, by the bins. We all so need that precious gift of peoples time and energy in helping spread and scatter the grit on icey and frozen days before Masses and liturgies at church so that everyone is kept safe. If you could help then please contact Navada Keenan keenannavada@gmail.com or Karen Beard the parish Housekeeper jakey9998@aol.com
Saint Monica Relic & Devotion
I've had many comments and feedback from parishioners about the opportunity of venerating the relic of Saint Monica last weekend. People have mentioned the privilege they felt and the strength they received from this wife, mother and grandmother who reminds us of the importance of prayer and witness, especially among our own family and friends. Therefore in the New Year we will have a votive Mass of Saint Monica where we can place the names of family and friends in a prayer boc before her statue and venerate her relic at the end of Mass again.
Prayer to Saint Monica
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Under the weight of my heartful burden, I turn to you, dear Saint Monica and request your assistance and intercession.
From your place in heaven, I beg that you will plead before the Throne of the Holy One, for the sake of my child, [Name], who has wandered from from the faith, and all that we have tried to teach.
I know, dear Monica, that our children belong not to us, but to God, and that God often permits this wandering as part of one's journey toward Him. Your son, Augustine, wandered, too; eventually he found the faith, and came to believe, and in that belief became a true teacher. Help me, therefore, to have patience, and to believe that all things — even this disappointing movement away from the faith — work ultimately to His own good purposes. For the sake of my child's soul, I pray to understand and trust in this.
St. Monica, please teach me to persist in faithful prayer as you did for your son's sake. Inspire me to behave in ways that will not further distance my child from Christ, but only draw [Name] gently towards his marvelous light. Please teach me what you know about this painful mystery of separation, and how it is reconciled in the re-orientation of our children toward heaven.
O Saint Monica, lover of Christ and His Church, pray for me, and for my child [Name], that we may acquire heaven, joining with you, there, in offering constant and thankful
praise to God, Amen.
Diocesan Synod: The Parish "Big Listen"
The next "Big Listen" meetings will start again on the weekend of the 6th January 2024. In the meantime, at the back of the church you will find a questionnaire that poses the questions that the Bishop is looking to us all to answer. If you are unable to attend any of the future workshops, but would still like your voice to be heard, please complete the questionnaire and place it in the box at the back of the church. We will then make sure your answers are inputted onto the diocese database. Thank you.
Contact details for the Synod Team should you have any further questions:
Sharon Siddle - 07917 002663, Sharon.siddle@yahoo.co.uk
Mike Freeman - 07500 952780, Cowleyfreeman@gmail.com
Joel Garrigan - 07875 132568, joelg_01@hotmail.com
Notice about scam email
The Diocese of Salford has shared a warning about a scam email that has been circulated to some parishes in our diocese. The email comes from a "parish priest" Gmail account, features the parish priest's name in the display name, and asks the recipient to purchase gift cards of behalf of the priest. Please be aware that this is not a genuine email. If you come across any such email, please do not engage with it and simply delete it from your inbox. If you are ever unsure about an email from the parish, please call the presbytery. Thank you.
Church Building Update
On the 15th November, John Corrigan the director of the diocesan property department and Mike Briggs, from Bradbury Consulting Chartered Surveyors, came to meet our parish finance & property committee. My thanks to David Neville and Michael Partington who with their professional working backgrounds were able to help facilitate an honest and productive dialogue with John and Mike in regards future work on church property. The result from the November meeting was the following from Mike Briggs:
"I am pleased to confirm that we have re-surveyed the site and are currently finalising the tender documentation with a view to submitting to competitive tender by the close of play this week. Tenders will be returned in the New Year in readiness for reporting to John and the committee meeting in February. We will send a copy of the tender documents to you following issue. This will confirm the tender return dates, tendering contractors etc. We will issue the project to 4 tendering contractors. We will compile a tender list based upon approved contractors that have recently undertaken similar project works for the diocese. Are there any contractors that you would like to invite to tender for the works. They will be required to complete a pre qualification questionnaire to ensure that they have all relevant insurances in place and deemed suitable for this type of work."
If there are any parishioners who would like to put themselves forward for undertaking the work, in line with the diocesan working criteria, then please let me now and I'll forward your contact details to the parish property & finance committee. This will need to be done by the end of the year.
Sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
St. Mary's Warm Welcome
The next warm welcome is on Tuesday 16th December from 1pm – 3pm. Everyone and anyone is welcome! We have some talented parishioners who dispel the winter 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.
Parish Bible Study – St. John's Gospel – Change of Date
The next session is Wednesday 17th January 2024 from 7pm – 8pm. All are welcome. All you need is a Bible and an openness to come to know Our Lord better.
Diocesan Almanac 2024
The new almanacs are now available at the piety stall for £3.50
Sanctuary Lamp
Prayer is so important and it works! One of the traditions at St. Mary's is to sponsor the sanctuary lamp, that burns for seven days continuously, before the Real Presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle. The prayers behind each lamp are varied and different. Sometimes it burns in memory of a loved one, other times its for somebody who is sick or waiting for results and at other times it's a prayer of thanksgiving or help for a particular situation or person. If you would like to sponsor a lamp to burn in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament then please see one of the stewards at the back of church. They will have a list of dates from January until December next year where you can choose to sponsor a £5 lamp for the week. I will bless each lamp and light it before the Vigil Mass on a Saturday and it will burn for the whole week. Please give your £5 to the stewards on duty when you choose your week. The new list is now available
Pilgrimage to Walsingham
The Diocese of Salford is now accepting bookings for our 2024 pilgrimage to Walsingham. If you would like to join next year's pilgrimage, bring along a group, or help as a volunteer, please fill out a booking form, available at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/walsingham-2024. You can get in touch by calling 0161 817 2214 or emailing walsingham@pilgrimage@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Youth Pilgrimage to Walsingham
Salford Youth and Young Adults Ministry is delighted to once again offer a dedicated youth pilgrimage to Walsingham, aimed for students in Years 7,8 and 9. This pilgrimage runs alongside the main diocesan pilgrimage and will leave on Friday 3rd May and return on Saturday 4th May 2024. For further details please contact: youth@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Free energy advice service for local people
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit our communities hard, Caritas Salford, our diocesan charity, has introduced a new service to support people with energy advice. The service includes advice on saving money on utility bills, as well as practical support such as insulation methods, support with condensation and damp, LED bulbs and draught excluders. For more information on the service or to find out when and where sessions will take place, contact energyadvice@caritassalford.org.uk or call 0161 817 2250.
Job Vacancies
Parish Administrator - St James and All Souls
Appointment Type: Part-time, permanent
Working hours: 22 hours per week - worked over four days
Location: Mother of God and St James Presbytery, Heywood Way, Pendleton, Salford, M6 5UJ
Salary: £11.26 per hour
Find out more and apply at https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Childcare Assistant - Early Years Practitioner (St Hubert's)
Appointment Type: Part-time, fixed-term until 31st July 2024
Working hours: 21.5 hours per week - worked Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
Location: Our Lady and St Hubert's Playgroup, Hallfield Road, Great Harwood, Blackburn, BB6 7SN (with some flexibility to work out of St Wulstan's Pre-School, Great Harwood)
Salary: £12 per hour
Find out more and apply at https://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