Dear brothers and sisters,
This week we reflect on the Third Luminous Mystery – The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
‘After John had been
arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God.
‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent,
and believe the Good News.’
(Mark 1:14-15)
The Kingdom of God is not a geographical state or a political reality but quite simply a person. The person of Jesus Christ. He, Our Lord, is the Good News! The Good News that God dwells among us. God who reaches out to heal us. God who lays down His life on the Cross to forgive us and save us from our sins. God who rose from the dead on the third day to destroy deaths eternal grip over us. This isn’t just Good News this is Life Saving News!
However, as John the Baptist proclaimed and Jesus
affirmed, ‘Repent’. To be able to receive the Good News, to be able
to let Jesus into our hearts, we have to make changes, we have to repent. If
our hearts are full of distractions then we have to begin to clear them, sweep
them away to make a straight path which leads to our inner being. Relationships
that bring us down; habits and vices that lead us away from holiness; false
gods like status, ego and power that prevent us from moving forwards and
materialism that weigh us down. If our hearts are full and bursting with these
things then we cannot truly receive Jesus who is the Kingdom of God.
As we meditate on this third luminous mystery let’s ask the Lord to help us prepare a way for Him into our hearts. Let’s ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to break the chains that hold us back from fully receiving Him because of fear about what others may think. Let’s be eager to repent and make the changes to receive Jesus completely and totally into our lives. For when the Lord sees that there is room at the Inn of our hearts, then He can begin to make the world a better place with us as His faithful and willing disciples. With Jesus in our lives there is something worth proclaiming!
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Wednesday 25th
August
10am Votive Mass of Saint Joseph
‘Joseph can tell us many
things about Jesus. Therefore, never neglect devotion to him.’
St. Josemaria Escriva
Thursday 26th
August
10am Mass, Blessed
Dominic of the Mother of God (Memoria)
Blessed Dominic Barberi was born in Viterbo, Italy 1792; he became a priest in the Passionist Order and travelled to England in 1841. Here he worked tirelessly, establishing four Passionist houses and bringing many people into the Church by his preaching and writing; he received St. John Henry Newman into the Church. He died at Reading in 1849.
Friday 27th
August
10:15am Requiem Mass for Evelyn Boros RIP
6pm Mass, Saint Monica
(Memoria)
St. Monica was born in North Africa in 333A.D. She was the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. Thanks to her patience and prayer, her husband was baptized. She also prayed for Augustine, who was living a wild life and he eventually was baptized in Milan in 387A.D, but she fell ill and died at Ostia while going home to Africa.
Saturday 27th August
6:30pmVigil Mass for The Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 28th
August
10am Mass for The Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Following guidance from the diocese, we are still strongly encouraged to wear face masks in church and continue with the NHS Test & Trace system. Thank you for continuing to make St. Mary’s a safe and prayerful place for the Glory of God.
Welcome
This weekend we welcome back Fr. Michael Doody, Pastoral Director of the Venerable English College in Rome. Many of you will remember Father as he led our parish Lenten Retreat in March 2020, days before the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown came into force. He’s kindly offered to preach at the weekend Masses. We pray for him and all those seminary staff involved in forming our future priests.
Future Masses & Liturgies
Thanks to many good parishioners who are offering up their time and gifts we are able to have more opportunity for prayer at St. Mary’s. Come the autumn there will be a Holy Hour (Exposition) before the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesday’s and Friday’s (5pm – 6pm) and Saturday’s (9am -10am). There will also be two extra Masses on Tuesday evenings at 6pm and Saturday mornings at 10am. Again all this is possible because of volunteer parishioners. If you would like to help then please contact Jennifer Pickles at jennifer.pickles@virginmedia.com
The Holy Mass in Spanish
Invitation to Spanish Mass:
Salford Cathedral, 250 Chapel Street, M3 5LE.
Every third Sunday of each month at 2pm
Next mass on Sunday 19th September 2021.
All are welcome to join. Refreshments will be
served after Mass for sharing.
Information: salfordcathedralenespanolmisa@gmail.com / Mobile: 07475468128
Invitacion a Misa en Español
Catedral de Salford, 250 Chapel Street, M3 5LE
Todos los terceros Domingos de cada mes a las 2pm.
Próxima misa: Domingo 19 de Septiembre 2021.
Todos están bienvenidos a la Misa, Refrigerio
compartir siempre al final de la Misa.
Información: salfordcathedralenespanolmisa@gmail.com / Mobil: 0747546812
ABC (About Becoming Catholic)
During the last year of lockdowns, social
distancing, furloughs and daily life being interrupted many people have found
themselves with time to think. To think about the direction of their own lives,
to think about the fragility of this world, to think about what happens after
death and even daring to contemplate the person of Jesus Christ! If you or
somebody you know is contemplating such things then tell them to email me at
sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or call the presbytery 01254 232 433
(leaving a voicemail if I don’t answer straight away). We are made for the Lord
and we will only find real happiness, true purpose and total completeness in
adoring and loving Him.
‘You have made us for
Yourself, O Lord,
and our hearts are
restless until they rest in You.’
(St. Augustine of Hippo)
The Covid Vaccine
“Bishop John is urging all adults, who are able to do so, to be vaccinated. Pope Francis has reminded people of the duty to be vaccinated if they are able. The Church is clear that all Catholics can take any of the vaccines on offer with a clear conscience. Even if you are at a low risk of becoming seriously ill, being vaccinated will lower the risk of transmitting the virus to somebody else who might then have a severe reaction or even die. It is particularly important that those in our parishes, clergy and lay-people who visit those who are housebound or otherwise vulnerable are vaccinated.
Parish Readers
As restrictions are now being eased and parishes around the diocese are adapting to new circumstances I would like to invite both existing readers and potential new readers to contact me. The Word of God is so vital and life giving! It’s through the Scriptures that we encounter the Lord and He is able to speak, guide, direct, challenge, affirm and heal us. Readers are so important because through their clarity and voices they transmit the message that God wants us to hear at the Liturgy.
Covid has disturbed many peoples routines and personal circumstances which has meant that one or two existing readers have said they can no longer continue. That is perfectly understandable and I think it is so important nobody feels pressure to continue. The world has changed. If parishioners would like to volunteer to be readers or any existing readers would like to continue then please email me at sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk and we can talk about the practicalities.
Extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion
We have been blessed over the years with dedicated parishioners who have been chosen by the various parish priests of St. Mary’s to be Extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Their chief and first role is to support the parish priest by visiting the sick who genuinely cannot attend the Holy Mass and bring the Blessed Sacrament to them. That time of praying together in the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Communion brings such healing and consolation to those who are suffering and housebound.
I am aware that many of our existing Extra-ordinary
ministers of Holy Communion have found that personal circumstances and routines
have changed since the start of the Covid Pandemic last year. Therefore,
without anybody feeling pressure, if those existing parish Extra-ordinary
ministers of Holy Communion would like to continue then please do contact me
and we can work out safely and correctly the sick visits that need to be undertaken.
Email sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Similarly, if people would like to stand down I fully understand and appreciate that things have changed in parish life and nobody should feel under any pressure to continue. Thank you for what you have done for our sick and housebound in the past and may God Bless you.
I’ll personally meet with those who wish to continue and go through the new format of safely distributing the Blessed Sacrament to those who are sick. At present there is no need for Extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion to assist me at the Mass.
Reopening of Salford Cathedral Centre Facilities
We are delighted to announce that Cathedral Centre Books has now reopened. The shop is open 8.30am - 3.30pm Monday to Friday. Orders can be also placed via the shop website or over the phone on 0161 817 2208. The Cathedral Centre Café has also reopened and is open to the public 8.30am - 1.30pm Monday to Friday.
Job Vacancies
PA/Senior Administrator - Chief Operating Officer's
Office (replacement role)
Appointment Type: Full-time, permanent
Location: Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford,
M3 6DP
Salary: £26,000 – £28,000 per annum
Cemetery Worker at St Mary's Cemetery, Worsley
Appointment Type: Full-time, permanent
Location: St Mary’s Cemetery, Wardley Hall Road,
Worsley, Manchester, M28
Salary: £19,760-£20,074.97 per annum
For further information and how to apply please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is seeking eight
Community Fundraisers to work with parishes, schools, special interest groups,
and individual benefactors to raise awareness, generate prayer, and fundraise
to support persecuted Christian communities around the world. Please visit the
website at:
www.charismarecruitment.co.uk/job/community-fundraisers-aid-to-the-church-in-need
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O’Brien