Sunday 23rd April 2023
Third Sunday of Easter
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Saturday 22nd April
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Easter Weekday Mass (In the Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Third Sunday of Easter
Sunday 23rd April
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Third Sunday of Easter
Thursday 27thApril
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Easter Weekday Mass
Friday 28thApril
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Memoria)
St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort was born in 1673, became a priest after great hardships, and founded the Congregation of Sisters of Divine Wisdom and the Missionary Priests of Mary. He wrote "True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin". He died in 1716.
Saturday 29thApril
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin & Doctor, Feast (In the Lady Chapel)
St. Catherine was born in Sienna (Italy) in 1347, entered the Third Order of Saint Dominic while an adolescent. She was on fire with love of God and neighbour; she brought peace and harmony between her fellow citizens, fought for the rights and liberty of the papacy, and worked to renew religious life. She died in 1380.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter and Crowning Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle
Sunday 30thApril
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter and Crowning Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (22nd April - 29th April), the Sanctuary Lamp is for The Owen Family.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£586.48. Thank you for your kind generosity.
The Easter Weekend Collection (8th/9th April)
£1063.42!!! Thank you and God Bless.
Parish Lenten/Easter Collection Boxes
Many of you over the Lenten period took one of the white boxes from the back of church/ steward's desk and filled them over the six weeks with coins and notes. It's been such a successful way to help raise money for church. The total raised from the boxes: £768.61. Thank you to all those who have contributed and donated their Lenten alms. All monies from this will be going to our church building.
Parish Collection for the Ecclesiastical Education Fund
On the weekend of the 29th/30th April there will be a special collection for the Ecclesiastical Education Fund, which supports the formation of seminarians (trainee priests) and candidates for the permanent diaconate.
Prayers and Blessings
Adam returns back to seminary, Oscott College, this weekend after his Easter break. We wish him well and send him our prayers especially as he prepares to receive candidacy for Holy Orders in May.
Parish Easter Walk
Last Sunday we ventured up Pendle Hill for our latest parish walk. I'd never done it before and when I saw the steep path, I was a little daunted! However, it was worth it especially for the company, the landscapes and the fresh air. Thanks to Adam for facilitating it and to all those who came along. Our next walk with be in May. Watch this space for more information.
"Bring Flowers of the Rarest..." The month of Mary
Next weekend marks the ending of April and beginning of May, the month dedicated to Our Lady. As is our parish custom, parishioners are more than welcome to bring flowers to place at the feet of Mary during the weekend Masses, 29th April 6:30pm Vigil Mass and 30th April10am Sunday Mass. If any young people would like to join the procession at the start of Mass with flowers, please gather at the back of church.
"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship. "The Church rightly honours "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.... This very special devotion ... differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration. "The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary. - Catechism of the Catholic Church #971
Devotions to Our Lady during the month of May
At St. Mary's there will be the opportunity to honour Our Lady during the month of May in a variety of ways:
The Angelus Prayer
Before each of the weekend Masses in May (6:30pm Vigil and 10am Sun) we will pray the Angelus to remind us of Mary's faith filled 'Yes' to God and His great gift to us in the Word becoming flesh.
V. The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary……..
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord: R. Be it done to me according to your word.
Hail Mary……..
V. And the Word was made flesh: R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary……..
V. Pray for us O holy Mother of God. R. That we made be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Hail Mary……..
Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross + be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
The Holy Rosary
Why not come to church a little earlier and join us for the Rosary asking Our Lady's intercession for the struggles and challenges that our world faces.
6pm Saturday evenings
9:30am Sunday mornings
Saturday Morning Mass
The 10am Saturday morning Mass is held each week in the Lady Chapel where we thank God for the gift of Mary and ask her prayers to help us imitate her as a disciple and pray for our parish, families and friends. In this month of May why not come to an extra Mass to honour the Mother of God and come closer to her Son in the Blessed Sacrament.
St. Oswald's School Rosary Rally
At the back of church (under the crucifix) from the weekend of the 6th/7th May the school will have a petition box for any prayers and intentions that parishioners would like to place in it. The box will be taken to school for Friday 26th May when the school will have their Rosary Rally. I've been invited by Miss Collinge to teach the children the Glorious Mysteries over May so that at their Rosary Rally, when we crown Our Lady's statue, the Glorious Mysteries will be prayed for all those parishioners' intentions in the petition box. Everyone is invited on the 26th May to join the school for the Rally, times are to be confirmed soon.
Passing on a message…
Over Easter a neighbour approached me as they were passing the Lych Gate to comment on the grounds around church. They said how the appearance of the gardens and the care that was taken maintaining them made a difference to the area. Many parishioners have noticed the spring flowers over the last few weeks and some mourners at a recent funeral said it made a difference; 'It doesn't feel like an old church building but that you're coming to a warm home that's taken care of and lived in.' What more can I say? Thank you to our volunteer gardeners, it is appreciated.
If other parishioners would like to volunteer their time and help, especially as the weather improves, then do contact Navada via email keenannavada@gmail.com It's a really friendly and open group.
Easter Raffle
The raffle was drawn of Friday 14th April. Please bring your ticket(s) with you to see if you have won a prize – there are a lot of eggs as you will have noticed! You will be able to see the winning ticket numbers on the narthex noticeboard by the steward's desk. Give your ticket to a steward to claim your prize. Thanks again to all those who donated prizes and those who have supported the raffle. All monies will be going to church funds.
Salford Diocesan Synod
The Bishop has announced the launch of a Diocesan Synod to prayerfully discern how we can address the needs of our diocesan community in a post-pandemic world. The Synod was formally decreed at this year's Chrism Mass, which took place on Wednesday 5th March during Holy Week.
In his homily, Bishop John reflected on the considerable changes our Church has witnessed over recent years, remarking that the time has come to envisage a new future for the Church in our diocese.
He said: "So, it's time for us to see a challenge. A challenge as to what we need to be now in a changing world. What our people expect of us and for which they are so grateful to us in our ministry. How might we rethink things?
"Pope Francis is so clear, isn't he, about each and every one of us having our part to play, but we are in a changing world, where we need to think globally.
"We need to see where do the Gospel values fit in this 21st century? How are we best able to promote and encourage people in faith?"
Our diocesan synod seeks to provide an answer to these questions by calling us to prayerfully discern what kind of Church the Spirit is calling us to be, to reflect on the needs of our diocesan community today, and to understand more about the opportunities we have to build up the Church in our part of Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Bishop John is clear that the process is not solely for Church leaders but must be a journey we embark on together to ensure each and every voice is represented in this new generation of our diocesan Church. It will be a collaborative and participatory journey by which the people of Salford, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, can together set the future direction and priorities of the life and mission of our diocese.
Diocesan Synod Information Sessions - Save the Date
Bishop John has recently announced the launch of our own Diocesan Synod, inviting us all to prayerfully discern how we can best address the changing needs of our diocesan community. To help us begin this journey, the Diocese of Salford's Department for Formation will be holding a series of information sessions to help you find out more about the synod and how you can get involved. The programme will be the same across all events and will take place on the following dates:
Thursday 11th May 2023, 7pm-9pm, Salford area – venue TBC
Saturday 13th May 2023, 10am-12pm, Manchester area – venue TBC
Tuesday 16th May 2023, 7pm-9pm, Mount Carmel RC High School, Accrington, BB5 0LU
For more information, please contact: Synod, Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Tel: 0161 817 2214 Email: synod@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Parish Synod Representatives
I contacted the department in the diocese facilitating the Synod to ask about what was expected of each parish. They would like at least two parishioners to represent St. Mary's and help pass on our reflections and thoughts to the larger discussions taking place within the diocesan Synod so that everyone is represented. As you will see above in the last item, there are information sessions taking place to help people understand more fully what the Synod is about and how it will be practically done. If you would like to be one of the parish Synod Representatives for St. Mary's then please contact see me after Mass or email sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Christian Leadership Formation Programme
This is a unique opportunity with respect to anything currently on offer in the UK. The programme offers:
-
a holistic formation in the Catholic philosophy and theology underpinning key themes related to the common good (e.g. human dignity, human rights, civil law, subsidiarity, vision for a human ecology, distribution of public goods and finances, etc)
-
a strong, liturgical framework of Mass, divine office, Eucharistic adoration, rosary, and a 12-hour silent retreat
-
Workshops in public speaking, changing culture, statesmanship
-
Team-building activities and socials
Our previous cohort were all deeply impacted by the programme, regardless of what preconceptions, views and opinions they came with. Amongst their feedback, they said it was the best thing they'd done all year; they noted how it had opened their eyes to the world of theology; how they had transformed their ideas of a synonymity between their professional and spiritual lives; etc. We have bursaries to offer those students who cannot contribute to all or part of the programme's cost. Our partners in delivering the programme include St Mary's University, Twickenham, the Catholic Union of Great Britain, and Alliance Defending Freedom UK.
We are only seeking to recruit 15 participants from amongst the applicants, but we are struggling to get the message through to potential candidates via the usual school channels. Applications close at the end of March (although we will accept forms after this date from those who have advised us of their incoming application).
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham, Saturday 20th May, 2023
The Diocese of Salford's annual pilgrimage to Walsingham will be returning on Saturday 20th May.
This year's pilgrimage has a number of places available to join the Day Pilgrimage and a very limited number of places for the overnight stay. The cost is £45 for the day trip and £134 for an overnight stay in a Standard room, and £150 for an overnight stay in an En-Suite room. For more information, email walsingham.pilgrimage@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or call 0161 817 2214.
Alongside the main pilgrimage, we will also have our Youth Pilgrimage. For more information please email youth@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Register for the Laudato Si' Animators' Course
The Vatican-backed Laudato Si Movement organises an online Laudato Si' Animators' Course which is set up to educate and enable people to inspire others, in parishes, schools and in the world at large, to engage in dialogue and action on the current environmental crises. The course, which starts on 19th April 2023, will educate and empower you to bring the Laudato Si' Encyclical to life. The course is from Wednesday 19th April – May 17th with weekly seminars at 2pm (or you can view the recordings afterwards). For more information and to register see: https://laudatosianimators.org/see or watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy9YGWle8AA
Lourdes Pilgrimage Volunteers
The Diocese of Salford Lourdes Pilgrimage Team is looking for people to join its incredible and committed team of volunteers and to play a vital role in its 2023 Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes.
To find out more, email lourdes.pilgrimage@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or call 0161 817 2209. You can also visit the website at https://www.salfordlourdes.co.uk/volunteers for more information and to apply online. Applications close 30th April 2023.
Coronation of King Charles III
Following the recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, it was decided that our catholic Communities should mark the Coronation of King Charles III by praying for his intentions as he is Crowned on 6th May 2023. On Friday 5th May, the usual 6pm Mass at St. Mary's will be for the intentions of King Charles III as he assumes the fullness of his responsibility as a Christian monarch. On Sunday 7th May, the day after the Coronation, a Prayer of Intercession for the King will be included in the Prayers of the Faithful. It is hoped that prayer cards for this occasion will be printed and distributed from the Secretariat to all churches.
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien