Sunday 7th May 2023
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Can anyone Help?
Tomorrow (Saturday 6th May) at 9:30am some of the volunteers who look after the parish gardens are planning to lay turf along the patch of land between the church and presbytery that has been covered with tarpaulin over the last few months. Many hands make light work, as the proverb goes. If your free to help then you would be warmly welcome and your time would be appreciated all you need do is turn up outside church for 9:30am. Please pass on the word and as always thanks to all for continuing to maintain and look after our church grounds.
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Saturday 6th May
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 Fifth Sunday of Easter
Sunday 7th May
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter
Tuesday 9th May
12:20pm Funeral Service for Winnie McKenna RIP at Accrington Crematorium
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Easter Weekday Mass, Day of Prayer for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Wednesday 10thMay
9:15 am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Easter Weekday Mass
Thursday 11thMay
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass
Friday 12th May
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Easter Weekday Mass
Saturday 13th May
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, Our Lady of Fatima (In the Lady Chapel)
'If men knew what eternity is, they would do everything to change their lives.' - Our Lady of Fatima
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Sunday 14th May
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the SixthSunday of Easter
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (6th May - 13th May), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Harold & Mary Duckworth.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£705.76. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Ecclesiastical Education Fund
The collection last week raised £111.20. Thank you for your generous donations that go towards supporting the formation of seminarians (trainee priests) and candidates for the permanent diaconate.
Catholic Communications Network
On the weekend of 20th/21st May the diocese have asked for a collection for the Catholic Communications Network. There will be a donation basket for this at the back of church, under the large crucifix.
Congratulations -First Holy Communion
Congratulations to Michal, Antoni, Milos, Marcel & Tobias who all received Our Lord in Holy Communion for the first time last weekend. Over the last few months these young parishioners have been meeting with me for weekly catechism lessons. As always it's been a joy, as their parish priest, to accompany them and their families on this part of their faith journey. Let's pray for all our young people that they will always appreciate the Sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist which lead them uniquely and personally to Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. For more information regarding catechism and preparation for the sacraments please contact Father O'Brien at the end of a weekend Mass.
Thank You
Thank you to all those parishioners who donated flowers to honour Our Lady last weekend. They truly were fitting for Our Mother. A special thanks to Antonia (and Nicholas the bear) and Isabella who helped crown Our Lady at the Vigil and Sunday Masses – how could anybody not smile at these two! If anybody would like to contribute towards flowers in church, please put any monies in an envelope marked 'FLOWERS' and hand it to a steward or place it in the collection basket. Thank you again, as always, for your generosity.
Holy Day of Obligation: The Ascension
The Ascension of the Lord will be on Thursday 18th May. It is a day that all faithful Roman Catholics are obliged to come to Mass. There will be the opportunity to fulfil the obligation at either 10am Mass or 6pm Mass that day.
Mass for Vocations to the Priesthood
People across the diocese are being invited to pray for the future of the priesthood in our diocese in a series of vocations Masses. The next Mass will take place at 7pm on Thursday 25th May at St Mary's church, Bamber Bridge. All are very welcome to attend. To find out more about our Vocations Masses, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/monthly-vocations-masses/
Salford Diocesan Synod
At the Chrism Mass 2023, Bishop John convoked our Diocesan Synod, inviting us all to prayerfully discern how we can best address the changing needs of our diocesan community. A Diocesan Synod is an opportunity for the bishop, clergy and lay-people of our diocese to come together in a spirit of prayer, discerning what God is asking of His Church in our Diocese.
Each parish is asked to nominate two lay Synod Members. Please prayerfully consider how you can contribute to our Synod and pray to The Holy Spirit for the right people to come forward as prospective Synod Members for our parish.
The following Synod Information Sessions have been arranged:
- Thursday 11th May 2023, 7pm-9pm - St Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Swinton
- Saturday 13th May 2023, 10am-12pm - Newman Catholic College, Chadderton
- Tuesday 16th May 2023, 7pm-9pm - Mount Carmel RC High School, Accrington
Register your place at www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/faith/synod or register on arrival.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email synod@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or by calling 0161 817 2214.
Kind regards,
The Synod Team
The new deadline for submitting the names of your parish Synod Members is Tuesday 30th May 2023. A form to collect this information will be sent out nearer the time.
Parish Synod Representatives
Role of a Synod Member
• To lead/facilitate small discussion groups in the parish with the support of the
other Synod Members and volunteers in the parish.
• Synod Members will be tasked with listening, reflecting and discerning.
• They will be asked to find ways of listening to the concerns, needs and reflections
of their communities and to 're-present' these to the Synod where they will be
gathered together.
• Synod Members will be called to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding the
life and mission of the Church in this place and time.
• Synod Members will be asked, with their communities, to formulate the concrete
proposals upon which the Synod gathering will vote on in February 2025.
• No prior theological knowledge or expertise is required for this role but personal
commitment, preparation, prayer, being open to guidance and enthusiasm are
crucial to it.
• Members must be willing and able to commit to the Synod process for a period of
two years. Members will need to be present for the two Synod gatherings, to
facilitate two/three local listening sessions and attend training sessions.
All Synod Members will need to be nominated with a reference from their parish priest
plus a secondary reference.
A resource for prospective Synod Members is at www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/faith/synod.
You may wish to share this link or print copies of the folded A5 booklet.
Printed copies will be available for attendees of the Information Sessions.
Who might be a Synod Member
A Synod Member is a baptized Catholic who is…
• open to the presence and activity of the Spirit of God in our world, in our Church
and in each person .
• outstanding in firm faith, good morals, and prudence (cf. Canon 512).
• prepared to listen carefully to the needs of the Church in Salford Diocese.
• trying to foster a personal prayer life.
• committed to the Baptismal call to play a part in the Church's mission and to the
Synod journey.
• willing (with guidance and support) to facilitate group discussions.
• willing to put aside personal agendas to listen with respect and without judgment
to the ideas and opinions of others.
• prepared to gather and record people's ideas and to feed them back faithfully to
the diocese.
If you would like to nominate yourself, or a prospective candidate from the parish, to be considered for the opportunity of representing St. Mary's at the Synod please see Fr. O'Brien after the weekend Mass you usually come to or email him sean.obrien@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
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 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.
Survivors Mass
St Patrick's Catholic Church, Livesey Street, Manchester, M4 5HF
This month, we unite with people across the globe in taking part in a worldwide day of prayer for survivors of abuse. We will be marking the day in our diocese with a Mass at St Patrick's in Collyhurst on Tuesday 9th May at 7pm. All are welcome to take part in this celebration of Mass with Bishop John, members of our Diocesan Safeguarding Team, and others.
St. Mary's School
On Wednesday Mrs Wolfenden invited me into school to speak to all the infant classes about what a saint is. They are not just people who do good deeds, but are people who are friends of Jesus. It's in this friendship that the saint, out of love for Christ, tries to imitate the Lord in how they think, act and speak. Through their faith they help make the world a better place. Hopefully every infant at school now knows the story of St. Patrick!
St Oswald's RC Nursery School, Hartley Ave, Accrington
Did you know that St Oswald's is able to offer a free nursery education for your child?
Our nursery is well staffed and resourced, providing a secure, caring learning environment for your child. Our staff are very experienced, friendly and approachable and we can promise you a warm welcome. The school's website, www.stoswaldsromancatholicprimaryschool.com/nursery has more information about what the children learn whilst they are there.
The Nursery has two classes :
* Class 1 - session times run from 8.55 a.m. to 11.55 a.m.
* Class 2 - session times run from 12 noon to 3 p.m.
Everyone is entitled to 15 hours of free education and eligible families are entitled to 30 hours.
Please check the Lancashire County Council website to see if you are eligible for 30hrs.
We offer a Breakfast Club from 8 a.m. which costs only 50p and children receive breakfast and activities. We also have links with childminders in the area who mind children from 3 p.m. onwards if this is required. Please ask for details.
Children must be three years of age to start and out of nappies.
If you would like to visit our nursery and / or put your child's name down on our Admission list for when they have their 3rd birthday, please do not hesitate to call Mrs. Lee on 01254 234924.
Easter Raffle Prizes!!!
After next weekend (13th/14th May) any Easter Raffle prizes that are not claimed will no longer be available.
A Day of Recollection
Fr. Ian Kelly will give a Day of Recollection at St. Joseph's church hall, Belgarth Road, Accrington on Saturday 27th May 2023.
10am Mass in St. Joseph's Church
10:30am to 11:00am Welcome, Tea/Coffee at St. Joseph's church hall
11am – 12noon Fr. Ian Kelly's initial talk
12noon to 1pm Lunch, please bring your own packed lunch
1pm to 3pm Fr. Kelly's afternoon session
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
Coronation of King Charles III
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales have sent out prayer cards, for each parish, in response to the Coronation of King Charles III. Please feel free to take one of these cards from the steward's desk in the Narthex.
The Bishops' Conference has also requested that on Friday 5 May 2023 each parish
celebrates Mass for His Majesty the King to mark his Coronation. At the end of
Mass (after the Prayer after Communion and before the Final Blessing) the Prayer
for the King is said. Our Mass for the King will be the Friday 6pm Mass.
On the Sunday Mass (7th May) an intention in the bidding prayers will be included for the
King and at the end of Mass (after the Prayer after Communion and before the Final Blessing) the Prayer for the King will be said.
You can find the prayer for the King on the prayers cards that the Bishops Conference have sent out.
St. Mary's Church Building: update
As it stands, I have received no formal communication in regards the church roof from the diocesan property department. In the meantime, with the better weather Approved Roofing, Building & Guttering were able to carry out further maintenance on the church guttering and downspouts this week. To be compliant with the directives of the Catholic Insurance Service Ltd the guttering etc. has to be to a good standard and there has to be documented evidence that checks and maintenance are regularly carried out. A number of downspouts had to be replaced that had corroded, the presbytery and church gutters had to be cleared out and a number of slates were safely secured.
"Prep as needed, Unblock downspouts, Clear out gutters as needed, Remove downspouts as stated,
Supply and fit new downspouts (black upvc), Supply and fit new hopper boxes, Supply and fit new shoes, Resecure loose slates, Supply new slates, Remove all debris, Price includes labour & materials. Cost £1,380.00 + VAT £276.00 = Total Cost: £1,656.00"
Thanks again to all those who continually help to financially support the upkeep of St. Mary's.
Afternoon Tea at Cathedral Centre Café
Do you have a special occasion on the horizon? Are you looking for a wonderful way to celebrate? Our Cathedral Centre Cafe is now offering a delicious afternoon tea for two for just £20. With vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available, this mouthwatering treat is the idea way to celebrate a special occasion or simply catch up with a friend. Special offers are also available for groups of eight people or more. Email catering@dioceseofsalford.org.uk for more information or to book now.
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
Society of St Gregory Summer School - Joyful Proclamation of the Gospel
26 - 29 July, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park Campus, Childwall, L16 1JD
Join the Society of St Gregory this July for a fascinating Summer School that delves a little more into the importance of liturgy. The workshops will explore practical ideas for parish ministry, such as how we plan music in our liturgy, how to be more creative in planning our liturgy, how to help young people in liturgical ministry, and how to find deeper meaning in our celebrations. The course will welcome a number of guest speakers to help explore these topics, including Bishop John Arnold.
Find out more and register at www.ssg.org.uk/summer-school-2023
Thank You From Caritas Salford
Thank you to everyone who has supported our diocesan charity Caritas Salford in recent months. The demand for their services has continued to increase as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and all of your prayers, kindness and generosity make a huge difference to the lives of people in our community. Here are a few comments from families who have benefited from their services in recent weeks:
"Thank you so much, this is an absolute God-send as we're all out of food at home."
"Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. It's really appreciated. I have felt safe, secure and blessed to have been here. God bless you all."
"I can't believe how patient you all are here and you didn't rush me once. It's the only time I get to have a shower and I feel so much better. I appreciate the food and I feel so spoiled."
Visit www.caritassalford.org.uk to find out more about their work in our community.
Job Vacancies
Responsible Investment Intern - Diocese of Salford
Appointment type: Full time, fixed term (12 months)
Location: Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Salary: £19,838 - £20,850 (depending on experience)
Closing Date: 12 noon Friday 19th May 2023
To find out more and apply, please visit www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien