Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle
Lancashire
BB5 3EZ
Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. S D O’Brien
Parish Administrator: Ciara Kelly
Tel: 01254-232433
Email: stmarysoswaldtwistle@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Sunday 21st September 2025
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Masses & Liturgies for the following weeks ...
Friday 19th September
5pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
6pm Weekday Mass (Feria)
Saturday 20th September
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 21st September
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tuesday 23rd September
5pm – 5:45pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Memoria)
St. Pius of Pietrelcina, born 25th May 1887, he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars aged 16 and was ordained priest in 1910. He lived a remarkable devotion to prayer and the sacraments. He committed himself to relieving the pain of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the “House for the Relief of Suffering”. He died in 1968.
Wednesday 24th September
10am Requiem Mass for Margaret Varley. RIP
7pm Parish Bible Study
Thursday 25th September
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Weekday Mass (Feria)
Friday 26th September
5pm – 5:45pm Adoration of Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass Saints Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs (Memoria)
Ss. Cosmas & Damian were doctors who were martyred in Syria around 300 A.D. There is evidence that their tomb was at Cyrrhus, where a basilica was built in their honour.
Saturday 27th September
9am – 10 am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 28th September
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (20th September – 26th September), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Catlow & Simpson Family.
Our Lady’s Lamp
This week (20th September – 26th September), Our Lady’s Lamp is for June McCaffrey.
Last Week’s Offertory Collection
£524.52. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Thank You to Fr. Sampson & Fr. Stephen
Fr. O’Brien, on behalf of the whole parish, would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Fr. Sampson and Fr. Stephen for kindly looking after the parish while he was away on pilgrimage to Medjugorje last week. Your generous support and pastoral care are truly appreciated by all at St Mary’s.
Parish Bible Study – Acts of The Apostles
The next session is Wednesday 24th September from 7pm – 8pm. All are welcome. All you need is a Bible and an openness to come to know Our Lord better. Come and join us.
Evangelii Gaudium Sunday (Home Mission Sunday)
Evangelii Gaudium Sunday - celebrated on Sunday 21st September - calls us to be joyous in proclaiming our faith. It is a Sunday more commonly known as Home Mission Sunday, a day for us as the Catholic community in England and Wales to celebrate the beauty of our faith, and our shared commitment to witness to the fullness of life in Christ. Celebrating 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea, the theme for this year is “I believe…” as the heart of mission. More details about this can be found on the Bishops’ Conference website - https://www.cbcew.org.uk/evangelii-gaudium-sunday.
The second collection on this weekend is to support the work carried out by the Bishops’ Conference Mission Directorate. Through this directorate, we support our Church in a wide field of service and mission here in England and Wales. Please hold this important work in your prayers. There will be a collection basket at the back of church (under the large crucifix) for any donations towards Home Mission Sunday.
Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood – Deacon Theo Shorrocks
We are delighted to share that Deacon Theo Shorrocks will be ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on Saturday 27th September at 12 noon at St Luke’s Roman Catholic Church, Irlam on the Heights, Salford. Although Deacon Theo is currently based at St Mary’s, Burnley, many of us here at St Mary’s, Oswaldtwistle have had the pleasure of meeting him—he joined us for Fr Adam’s First Mass in July and again for our Healing Mass in September. Let us keep Deacon Theo in our prayers as he prepares for this sacred and joyful moment. We also continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood, and for all men currently in formation—discerning, studying, and praying for the ministry to which God may be calling them.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” (Luke 10:2)
Fr. Theo will celebrate his first Mass in the diocese on Monday 29th September, 7pm at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, Ivy Street, Burnley. All are welcome.
Annual Mass Count
The Bishop’s Office has informed us that the Annual Mass Count will take place over the following four weekends:
- 20th–21st September
- 27th–28th September
- 4th–5th October
- 11th–12th October
During these weekends, the number of people attending Mass at both the Saturday Vigil (6:30pm) and Sunday Morning (10:00am) will be recorded and sent to the Bishop.
We thank you for your continued presence and support as these numbers help provide an accurate picture of parish life across the diocese.
Consultation on Changing the Saturday 6:30pm Vigil Mass Time
Over the past three months, parishioners have raised the possibility of bringing the Saturday Vigil Mass forward. This discussion has come from concerns among older members of our community about attending Mass during darker evenings, as well as the practical needs of families with young children. Many parishioners have expressed a preference for an earlier time, with 5:30pm being a commonly suggested option. In order to consider this change, we need to address some practical matters. Specifically, we would need volunteers willing to serve as stewards to open and close the church, particularly if our current stewards are unavailable at the new time. Similarly, we would require parishioners to step forward as readers, in case existing readers are unable to accommodate the change. If you are willing to support this potential change by volunteering as a steward or reader, please email the parish office at stmarysoswaldtwistle@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
during the month of September. If we are unable to meet these practical needs by the end of September, the Vigil Mass will remain at its current time of 6:30pm.
First Confession & First Holy Communion Preparation
Families living in the parish of St. Mary’s with children aged 7 years and above are warmly encouraged to approach Fr. O’Brien regarding preparation for First Confession and First Holy Communion. No child in the parish ever misses out, as Fr. O’Brien runs a continuous sacramental programme throughout the year. If you would like your child to receive these important sacraments, please speak to Fr. O after the weekend Mass you attend—either the 6:30pm Vigil Mass on Saturday or the 10:00am Mass on Sunday.
Let us continue to nurture the faith of our young parishioners as they grow in love for the Lord and His Church.
Marriage Support & Healing
MARRIAGE HELP - Retrouvaille helps couples find hope and healing for their marriage. Next date: 17th-19th Oct. www.retrouvaille.org.uk Tel: 0788 7296983
Jubilee for the Environment
This September, in conjunction with the Season of Creation, the Diocese of Salford is delighted to be continuing our Jubilee of Jubilees series with the Jubilee for the Environment. Our Diocesan Environment Team has a range of resources and events to share with you over the coming weeks. Please stay tuned throughout the month by visiting https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/jubilee-2025/calendar/