Sunday 4th December 2022 - Second Sunday In Advent
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Saturday 3rd December
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, Saint Francis Xavier (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
St. Francis Xavier was a friend of St. Ignatius Loyola, one of the first Jesuits, he preached in India, Japan and China where he died in 1552.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for The Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday 4th December
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for The Second Sunday of Advent
Wednesday 7th December
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, Saint Ambrose, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (Memoria)
St. Ambrose was born in 340A.D. He was a surprising choice as Bishop of Milan. Renowned for his charity and eloquence, a great hymn writer and preacher, he baptised St. Augustine of Hippo. He died in 397 A.D.
6:30pm Parish Family Night: Decorating the church – All welcome.
Thursday 8th December
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)
Friday 9th December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm Advent Mass
Saturday 10th December
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, Our Lady of Loreto (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
The shrine of Our Lady of Loreto recalls the Holy House of Nazareth which, by ancient tradition, was transported there miraculously.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for The Third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday
Sunday 11th December
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for The Third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (3rd December - 10th December), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Nikki Duhan RIP/
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£619.27. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Thank You!!!
I'd like to say thank you to all for the lovely cards, gifts and prayers I've received over the last few days. I turn 40 on Saturday (3rd December) and people have been very kind. At Sacred Heart school on Friday morning the children presented me with a lovely cake and a big birthday card, but what made me smile was that one pupil thought the Advent wreath we were blessing was a special countdown for me turning 40! The school community at St. Oswald's gave me a beautiful presentation on Friday afternoon. There was a musical rendition of all the events that have taken place on the 3rd December throughout history and I was given some wonderful cards and pictures from the children. Thank you to the staff for their generous present. I've been reminded how blessed I am in my life as priest and God's vocation for me. To be able to meet so many engaging young people who are always full of questions about faith and brimming with joy is one of the great gifts I have here as parish priest. Thank you all again and keep praying for me.
The best quote I've heard: "I'm 18 years old, with 22 years of experience!" (Thanks Mrs. Kippax)
Welcome
This weekend we welcome Fr. Noel Wynn SM who will be celebrating the Vigil and Sunday morning Masses. It's always hard to find supply and so I'm very grateful to Father for his support and help.
Family Night – Decorating the church
This year, being free of Covid restrictions, we are able to invite all parishioners, friends and family, to help decorate church in preparation for Christmas on Wednesday 7th December at 6:30pm. Trees need being put up, crib figures dusted down, window ledges and altars buffed up etc. The Good Book tells us that the laborer deserves his wages so I guarantee Irish Coffee, Mulled Wine and a Mince Pie or two for everyone who comes. All parishioners are welcome to come just for the atmosphere and craic. It's a parish family social occasion, so bring neighbors and relations, bring yourselves and your family, decorating or not decorating everyone is welcome.
Cleaners
We are blessed at St. Mary's to have a dedicated number of people, who give up their time on a Tuesday morning to be on a rota and help keep our church clean and tidy. Volunteers are always needed as the more helpers the less pressure and frequency for people to be on the rota. If you could help in anyway please contact the parish housekeeper, Karen Beard via email: jakey9998@aol.com
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.
Easyfundrasing – Helping our parish when doing your Christmas Shopping
Please remember to use easyfundraising when you do your Christmas online shopping this year, see our parish web site for more information www.saintmarysoswaldtwistle.co.uk/easyfundraising.html.
Over 7,000 brands including eBay, John Lewis & Partners, Argos and M&S will donate to St Mary's Oswaldtwistle Community Care Fund for FREE when you use easyfundraising to shop with them. This means you can raise donations for us when you buy anything from decorations and festive food shopping to gifts like toys, jewellery, tech, experiences and more!
These donations really help us and all you have to do is use easyfundraising when you're ordering the things you'll be buying anyway. Follow this link to sign up.
Advent is Here!!!
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during Advent
Take some time each week to be with Our Lord in Adoration. Sacrifice a few minutes each week to pop into church and simply be in His presence before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. No words are required, no actions are asked but to be simply present to Him. To have that silence in church to listen to Him. During each time of Adoration there will be a table of resources at the back of church to help people in prayer. Please feel free to use and read whatever you find useful.
If Jesus stays with us wherever there is a consecrated Host,
what need is there to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit places he lived two
thousand years ago?
If only people visited tabernacles with the same devotion!
Blessed Carlo Acutis
"Know also that you will probably gain more by praying fifteen minutes before the Blessed Sacrament than by all the other spiritual exercises of the day. True, Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere, for He has made the promise, 'Ask, and you shall receive,'
but He has revealed to His servants that those who visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament will obtain a more abundant measure of grace."
St. Alphonsus Liguori
Wednesday 7th December 9:15am – 9:50am
Thursday 8th December 9:15am – 9:50am
Friday 9th December 5pm -5:50pm
Saturday 10th December 9am – 9:50am
Confessions
Over the season of Advent there will be extra opportunities for Confession (See weekly timetable above). Many people still become anxious when they hear the term 'Confession', but as we saw in the Gospel, a few Sundays ago with the Good Thief St. Dismus, the words of Our Lord's forgiveness give us such hope and courage to live and live with joy. Jesus' mercy is boundless and I can tell you as a penitent, to receive his forgiveness is the most freeing and peaceful experience you can ever have.
Friday 9th December 5pm – 5:45pm
Saturday 10th December 9am – 9:45am
Tuesday 13th December 5pm – 5:45pm
Friday 16th December 5pm -5:45pm
Saturday 17th December 9am – 9:45am
Advent Spiritual Reading
Below are a list of book titles that you might find to be interesting reading over Advent and Christmas. All are accessible and are available via the Cathedral Centre Books (Mon – Fri 8:30am – 3:30pm Tel: 0161 817 2208 www.cathedralcentrebooks.com) or www.amazon.co.uk
Jesus of Nazareth, The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI
God With Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Edward Sri
Forming Intentional Disciples, The Path to knowing and following Jesus by Sherry A. Weddell
Into His Likeness, Be transformed as a Disciple of Christ by Edward Sri
Habits for Holiness, Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress by Fr. Mark Mary Ames CFR
Befriending Silence, Discovering the Gifts of Cistercian Spirituality by Carl McColman
Toward God, The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer by Michael Casey
Journeying with Jonah, The struggle to find yourself by Denis McBride CSsR
Appeal: Parish Christmas Raffle Prizes
At the start of Advent (26th/27th November) we are hoping to sell tickets for our St. Mary's Christmas Raffle and are asking parishioners for any items they would be happy to donate. We have at the moment, even before our appeal has started, the following:
£150 voucher for CarpetMarket, Burnley (floorcoverings)
Fortnum & Mason Champagne and Port in presentation box
Do you work for a company/business who would be happy and open to offering vouchers, treatments, meals, or gift tokens etc. as prizes? Any donations that people can generously give, please leave with the stewards at the back of church.
E-Newsletter
When the Covid pandemic started back in early 2020 we were blessed as a parish to have John Hughes facilitate our parish website. With his I.T skills we were able to produce regular parish emails and e-newsletters to keep people updated with news and events. The e-newsletter is looked at by over 300 people each week! Not only in Oswaldtwistle but as far away as a Catholic College in Russia (привет), China (你好), Australia (G'day) and Canada (Hi/Bonjour). The e-newsletter has also allowed us to save up to £250 each month on printing costs and reduced our paper impact on the environment, which the Pope and Bishop will be happy to hear. I've decided to continue with this form of communication because it's proved to be so successful and is read by so many people.
However, I appreciate that a small number of parishioners don't have the support of children and grandchildren to help them with accessing the internet so thanks to one of our kind parishioners, Tracey Beveridge, she will be editing a mini newsletter (20copies each week) for those few people who have no access to the parish e-newsletter. Sadly it would be impossible to fit all the contents of the e-newsletter on to a sheet of paper (even on both sides!) so Tracey will edit the paper copy to show Mass and Liturgy times at church as well as one or two imminent parish announcements. In the past when unforeseeable changes have occurred we have been able to email mid-week e-newsletters to let parishioners know, unfortunately the paper newsletter will only be correct at time of printing and liable to change and mistakes. I would ask the kindness and discernment of parishioners to continue to subscribe to the parish e-newsletter and allow those most vulnerable and isolated in our parish family to take home those limited paper copies. Thanks to Tracey for also producing a weekly timetable sheet that will go on the parish sign/noticeboard on Catlow Hall Street.
On behalf of us all at St. Mary's I would like to thank John and Tracey for volunteering their skills and time to help our parish family stay in touch, both in Oswaldtwistle and beyond. I would also like to thank those parishioners who kindly print off copies of the e-newsletter for neighbors or use it as a social excuse to visit people who are isolated. Thank You.
The Sacrament of Confirmation
If there are any younger members of the parish family who are 12years + and would like to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation or want to know more about it then please see Fr. O'Brien at the end of a weekend Mass. It's a sacrament that is life changing and affirming.
Diocesan Almanac
This weekend the new diocesan almanacs for 2023 will be available at the piety stall for £3.50.
There are also Christmas cards on sale as well other devotional items.
Sacred Heart Memorial Mass
Last weekend a parishioner reminded me that on the 27th June 2023 it will be twenty years since Sacred Heart Church in Accrington closed down and part of the parish was formally amalgamated with St. Mary's, Oswaldtwistle. So many people have fond memories of Sacred Heart. It was part of their family history; that special place where they received Our Lord in the Sacraments; that home where they felt supported and encouraged by fellow 'Sacred Hearters', who have long since died but whose prayers and friendship are still warmly remembered. Next year we will have a Mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate the former parish of Scared Heart and the many blessings people received from it. John Hughes will be producing an exhibition to tell the story of Scared Heart parish that will be open to all in June next year (times and dates to be confirmed). If you have any photos (copies) you would like to pass on for the exhibition or you have some memories/experiences you would like to write down and share then please contact John at: hughes.john.d@gmail.com
Christmas Window Displays
Maureen Mullen with her team of helpers have offered to produce some Christmas window displays (not flower displays) for the nine windows in church. If you would like to sponsor a display for your family/friends or in memory of a loved one then please see one of the stewards this weekend before or at the end of one of the Masses. The donation is £10.
Sacred Heart School
Mrs. Harling and the mini missionaries invited me to school on Friday to bless their Advent Wreath. With music, scripture readings and bidding prayers they helped the school find some reflective time to stop and think about the Advent season and its meaning. Waiting in joyful preparation for the coming of Jesus.
St. Mary's School
On Thursday I was invited to school to bless the Advent Wreath. Mrs. Wolfenden, who has now taken on the role as R.E Co-ordinator, gave a great introduction to the liturgy. She reminded the children how we can best prepare to meet Jesus through prayer and helping others. Thank you to Miss Hanson for all her work she has done since September and our prayers to Mrs. Wolfenden who picks up the baton.
Cost-of-Living Crisis Guidance
Parishes in our diocese have been reaching out and seeking ways to support members of their community through the cost-of-living crisis, and Caritas Salford has created a guidance webpage to signpost a number of ways both parishes and individuals can navigate through the crisis and support others. The information can be viewed here: Cost of Living - Caritas Diocese of Salford (caritassalford.org.uk) and you can also contact Matthew Yates at Caritas on m.yates@caritassalford.org.uk for more information.
Mount Carmel High School
'We are hoping to hold our community Christmas party once again this year, for the senior members of our parishes who would like to come together and join us for a two-course Christmas meal and entertainment.'
Christmas Meal with Entertainment at Mount Carmel High School, Monday 12th December 2022.
Pre-bookings only please, Telephone: 01254 233 458
Arrival time 12:30pm. Expected finish time 2:15pm.
World Youth Day, Lisbon, Portugal 31st July - 7th August 2023
World Youth Day (WYD) is the gathering of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It aims to provide all participants with a universal Church experience, fostering a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. WYD seeks to promote peace, unity and fraternity among peoples and nations around the world.
Cost £980. The price includes Travel (flights), Accommodation (Hotel Empire), WYD Registration Fees, Day Pilgrimage to Fatima, Insurance, and Preparation Days.
For more information: youth@dioceseofsalford.org.uk Tel: 0161 817 2205/ 07436157005
Volunteer Information Evening for Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes
Are you interested in joining our incredible team of volunteers for our 89th diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes? We're hosting an online information session on Wednesday 30th November (7pm – 8pm) for anyone who may be interested in volunteering with us when we travel to Lourdes next summer.
You can sign up to the information session by visiting https://tinyurl.com/SalfordLourdes23
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Lourdes office on: Lourdes.Pilgrimage@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Diverse Communication Awareness and Tactics Training
Have you ever wondered if:
everyone in your parish uses the same mode of communication all the time?
you use different language styles and modes with different people?
everyone you encounter understands language in the same way?
you are always able to make yourself understood?
Join Caritas Salford for a free awareness session on Tuesday 6th December from 1.30pm to 4.30pm at Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP.
The session will aim to increase awareness of:
Modes of communication: Speech, sign languages, sign systems, deafblind-tactile communication, augmented and alternative communication, symbols, body language, lip reading and more
Understanding your audience: Culture, semantics, idioms and metaphors, social cues, context, idiosyncratic language, active listening, turn-taking, and repair tactics
Basic sign language: Finger spelling and basic vocabulary in simple exchanges
Technology and human resources: Communication aids, interpreters, communication support professionals
Organizational barriers: Ways in which organizations operate that create barriers
Adjustments and sustainability of mitigations
To book your place or find out more, please email Minna on m.moffatt-feldman@caritassalford.org.uk
Job Vacancies
Gardener and Well-being Co-ordinator (Replacement Role)
Appointment Type: Full-time, permanent
Working hours: 35 hours per week, Mon-Fri though some evening and weekend work will be required.
Location: Wardley Hall, Wardley Hall Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2ND.
Salary and benefits: £22,660 – £27,855 per annum dependent on skills and experience, 25 holidays, plus statutory bank holidays and 5 Diocesan closure days.
About: The Diocese of Salford seeking to recruit a Gardener and Wellbeing Coordinator to tend to the grounds of the Hall, including the Laudato Si' Centre (in accordance with seasonal needs), and support horticulture, well-being school, and community programs.
For further information and to apply, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Parish Administrator - St Mary and St Philip
Appointment Type: Part-time, permanent
Working hours: 14 hours per week, Tues-Fri 9:30am- 1pm
Location: St Mary, Belgrave Street, Radcliffe, Manchester, M26 4DG
Salary and benefits: £10.23 per hr., 25 holidays, plus statutory bank holidays and 5 Diocesan closure days (subject to pro-rata).
About: The parish of St Mary and St Philip are looking for a Parish Administrator to provide administrative support to the parish including office administration, secretarial and basic accounting duties.
For further information and to apply, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
Jobs with Caritas Salford
Caritas Salford has several varied vacancies due to increased funding and a recent restructure. Please see www.caritassalford.org.uk/careers/ for more information.
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien
