Sunday 9th October 2022 - Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Saturday 8th October
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 9th October
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tuesday 11th October
11am Requiem Mass for Michael Murphy RIP
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Votive Mass of The Holy Angels
'Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.' -St. Basil
Wednesday 12th October
9:30am Mass, Saint Wilfrid, Bishop (Memoria)
St. Wilfrid was born in Northumbria 634 A.D. and died in 709 A.D. As Bishop of York he was the first English bishop to appeal to the Pope. Although reinstated in York, he fell out again with the King and other bishops, and ministered in the East Midlands and finally at Hexham.
Thursday 13th October
10am Mass, Saint Edward the Confessor (Memoria)
St. Edward the Confessor became King of England in 1042; he was remarkable for his help to the poor. He died on 5th January 1066.
Friday 14th October
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
'Oh, how good and pleasing a thing it is to dwell in the Heart of Jesus! Who is there that does not love a heart so wounded? Who can refuse a return of love to a heart so loving?' - St. Bernard
Saturday 15th October
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin & Doctor (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
St. Teresa was born in 1515, entered the Carmelite Order, making progress in the way of perfection and receiving mystical revelations. She undertook the reform of the Order, against great opposition. She died in 1582.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 16th October
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (8th October - 15th October), the Sanctuary Lamp burning in prayer before the Tabernacle is for Sadie, Jim & Peter Pickles.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£673.90 Thank you for your kind generosity.
St. John Vianney Deanery Strung, Sung, Supper
Friday 21st October at 7:00pm, St Joseph's Hall, Accrington. Tickets: £5, which includes a live band and a pie and pea supper on sale from Siobhan Wood: 01254 232920 between the following hours: Monday 8:30-12:30 and Tuesday & Thursday 8:30-1:30 Or Siobhan.wood@dioceseofsalford.org.uk. Proceeds to Lourdes Pilgrimage fund
Parish Grounds
The drop in temperature and the darker nights can only mean one thing – autumn has arrived! This also means that trees begin to shed their leaves and as we all know we have plenty of trees on the parish grounds. Volunteers are always greatly appreciated with this yearly task and all help is gratefully accepted. Maintaining the paths and keeping them free from leaf debris isn't the most glamorous of jobs but it's an important one for health and safety reasons. If there is a day you are free, or a time you can pop down to church, which is convenient for you, please contact Navada Keenan who helps to facilitate all our parish garden volunteers – email: keenannavada@gmail.com
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who do so much to keep our church gardens looking pristine and tidy. It is much appreciated. Thank you.
October: The Month of the Holy Rosary
The month of October is traditionally dedicated to the Rosary because the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary falls on the 7th October. Throughout this month there will be plenty of opportunity to pray the Rosary and spend time in prayer with Our Lady.
The Holy Rosary prayed publicly in church:
Friday 7th October 6:30pm
Saturday 8th October 6pm
Sunday 9th October 9:30am
Saturday 15th October 6pm
Sunday 16th October 9:30am
Parish Schools Rosary
During much of October I'll be going to all the classes in Sacred Heart school, St. Mary's school and St. Oswald's school to teach the children the Luminous Mysteries. At the end of the month each school will hold a Rosary Rally where classes will present the Mystery they have been particularly focusing on and join, with the rest of the school community, praying the Rosary.
Sacred Heart School Rosary Rally: 11am Wednesday 19th October
St. Oswald's School Rosary Rally: 9:10am Friday 21st October
St. Mary's School Rosary Rally: 1:15pm Friday 21st October
Books to help with praying the Rosary
Praying The Rosary Like Never Before by Edward Sri
Pocket Guide to the Rosary: Reflections from the Bible and the Saints by Matt Fradd
The Holy Rosary through the visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
edited by Fr. Mark Higgins
10 Wonders of the Rosary by Donald H. Calloway
Of Men and Mary. How Six Men Won The Greatest Battle Of Their Lives by Christine Watkins
Pause for thought…
My thanks to one of our parishioners, Sian Owen, who has written these wonderful words which remind us that Our Lady is not some distant character in heaven, but a woman, mother and wife who fully understands our struggles and frustrations in life. By picking up our rosaries we not only come close to Mary but she always leads us to Jesus her Son and Our Lord.
"Recently I have been spending my Sunday afternoons batch cooking (thank you Cost of Living Crisis). Curries, soups and spag bol sauce are prepared and placed straight into the freezer for the weeks ahead. My house smells amazing on Sundays. The best part is baking bread. I love how a rough, sticky mix of five simple ingredients – flour, yeast, salt, butter and water – comes together in your hands to make an elastic, stretchy dough and then morphs into something completely delicious. It's a miracle! And as I knead the dough, my mind wanders…
I think of Our Lady preparing food in her kitchen whilst Jesus plays with his friends outside. Perhaps they are running in and out of the house, a noisy whirlwind rushing through the kitchen into the yard as she kneads the bread. Even though Mary was living at the epicenter of major, universal events, it is comforting to think that she was still content with the ordinariness of domestic life. It makes Our Lady, Queen of Heaven very relatable.
So, as we enter October, the month of the Holy Rosary, we should meditate on Mother Mary and through the Rosary ask her to pray for us. Remember, Our Lady is not a remote, lofty figure in the sky. We believe she, like Jesus, has lived experience common to us all, and as such she has boundless empathy for our situations. Likewise, the Mysteries of the Rosary help us to relate to Jesus' and Mary's lives.
We try to juggle spiraling heating bills, food budgets, childcare, petrol costs, debt, mortgages and the rest. The cost of living crisis revs up with no end in sight. Our Lady knew poverty, she did not live a life of luxury, and there may have been times when she worried about how to make ends meet… Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel, Pray for Us.
The war in Ukraine shows no sign of abating; Putin threatens nuclear war; China eyes Taiwan; meanwhile the Far Right is gaining power across Europe sowing discord and division. Our Lady lived through years of Roman occupation and political turmoil, she experienced the same uncertainties we feel… Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Pray for us.
Across the world politics are polarizing. Social media fuels hatred, which spills into real life. Vicious anti-immigrant sentiments drive ever more cruel government policies. The world is becoming an angry place, with little empathy for outsiders. Our Lady, St Joseph and Jesus had to flee their home and live as refugees in Egypt for years. They knew persecution… Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, Pray for us.
The World faces challenge upon challenge, and it is frightening. But no matter what you are going through, Mother Mary gets it. Whatever worries you, bring it to Our Lady. She loves us and wants to help bring us closer to Jesus. Every single one of us. All we need to do is ask.
October is the Month of the Holy Rosary. Please come and join us on Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings, before Mass at 6pm or 9:30am to say the Rosary and connect with Our Lady. Wonderful things will happen when you do!"
Sian Owen
St. Oswald's School
On behalf of the parish I would like to welcome Eva, who many of you will have see grow over these last 4 years at the Saturday Vigil, to full communion into the Church. I received Eva formally on Friday morning where the school community helped to create a beautiful and prayerful Liturgy. One of the readings was from Genesis and reminded us how Abraham and Sarah left everything to follow God. Once they had heard God's voice they thought nothing of leaving behind their home and community to go out into the wilderness. They saw it not so much as loosing anything, but gaining everything, because they were following the God of Life and Blessing.
A letter to the parishioners of St. Mary's from St. Oswald's School
Dear Parishioners,
Throughout the month of October the children will be learning to pray the rosary. Our special month of prayer will finish with our 'Rosary Rally' on 21st October.
If you would like us to pray for you, your loved ones, your worries or hopes, please place your petitions in the box at the back of church and at our Rosary Rally on Friday 21st October at 9:10am, our whole school will pray together for those intentions in the box.
From all at St. Oswald's R.C Primary School
The 89th Salford Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes - Come here in procession
July 28th - August 3rd 2023
We invite you to register your interest for information about travelling on pilgrimage with us to Lourdes next summer, as an individual or as part of a parish / school / college group. We can also help organise an information meeting in your area.
Please visit www.salfordlourdes.co.uk or call the pilgrimage office on 0161 817 2209. Thank you.
Family is Sacred course
The Department of Formation for the Diocese of Salford is introducing the second course of 'Family is Sacred', where you are invited to join us on a course offered to families interested in enrichment in married and family life. The first session takes place on Wednesday 12th October and can be attended via Zoom or in person at St John Fisher Parish, Manchester Road, Kearsley, Bolton, BL4 8QQ. Find out more by visiting www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/family-is-sacred-course/
Women Saints and Spirituality
Every third Friday of each month, 10am – 12.30pm, Wardley Hall, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2ND
Join us for a new series of talks exploring the life and spirituality of women in the Church throughout history. The monthly talks help us discover more about these inspirational women, their relevance for us today, and builds in time for prayer and discussion. Our next session takes place on Friday 21 October and has a special focus on St Teresa of Avila. Contact Sister Joan Kerley at joankfmsj@gmail.com or 07934 816 796 to reserve a place.
Find out more at www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/women-saints-and-spirituality/
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien