Sunday 4th August 2024
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 2nd August
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (Memoria)
followed by the veneration of a relic of St. Peter Julian
St. Peter Julian was born in France in 1811 and ordained a priest in 1834. He founded the Priests of the Blessed Sacrament who were dedicated to fostering devotion to the Eucharist. He died in 1868.
Saturday 3rd August
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (in the Lady Chapel)
"Mary means Star of the sea, for as mariners are guided to port by the ocean star, so Christians attain to glory through Mary's maternal intercession." - St. Thomas Aquinas
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 4th August
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Wednesday 7th August
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, Saint Sixtus II, Pope, & Companions, Martyr (Memoria)
St. Sixtus became Pope in 257; celebrating Mass in the catacombs, he and his deacons were arrested and executed there and then.
10:25am – 10:35am Devotions to Saint Joseph
(At the foot of the parish statue of St. Joseph, see below for more details)
Thursday 8th August
9am Requiem Mass for Ann Kerr RIP
Friday 9th August
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Virgin & Martyr, Patron of Europe
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was born in Germany in 1891. She was killed with her sister Rosa in the gas chamber of Auschwitz in 1942. A convert from Judaism, she became a Discalced Carmelite, and embraced in her life the cross of Christ.
Saturday 10th August
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Saint Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr (Feast) (in the Lady Chapel)
St. Lawrence was a Deacon in Rome in the time of Pope Sixtus II. He was responsible for the charitable works of the Roman Church. He was asked, when arrested, for the treasure of the Church to which he responded by pointing to the poor, hungry, lepers and widows he served. Tradition tells that he was killed by being roasted on a grid.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 11thth August
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Ninteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (3rd August - 10th August), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Laura & Andy.
Last Week's Easter Offertory Collection
£598.75. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Holy Day of Obligation...
On Thursday 15th August we celebrate the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a holy day of obligation and all faithful Roman Catholics are obliged to come to Mass that day. At St. Mary's there will be Masses at 10am and 6pm. There will also be opportunity for The Rosary & Adoration.
Devotions to Saint Joseph
On Wednesday 5th June, after the 10am Mass, there will be our first Wednesday devotions to St. Joseph (at the foot of his statue at the back of church). The devotions will include praying the Litany of St. Joseph, the Memorare of St. Joseph and the Prayer of the Holy Cloak Novena. In these devotions our prayer is to ask St. Joseph to pray for our parish family and for those who have wandered away from Church, that they may return and find a warm welcome.
The Feast of Saint Monica
This Feast of St. Monica this year falls on Tuesday 27th August. As we know, St. Monica was a devoted wife and mother who earnestly prayed for her family to return to the Church. Her prayers were expressed in words and tears that came straight from the heart, asking Our Lord to bring her family, especially her son Augustine, back to the Faith. As Brandon Vogt comments:
"St. Monica exemplifies the power of a praying parent. She wasn't able to convince Augustine with words, and in fact, whenever she tried to talk to him about religion, he brushed her away. But through her daily, committed intercession, over more than fifteen years, Augustine was able to journey into the Church."
We all know people, especially loved ones, family and friends, who struggle with the Faith and who have lapsed for all kinds of reasons. Let's come together on Tuesday 27th August to ask St. Monica's intercession to bring them home to the Lord. At 7pm there will be the celebration of Mass followed by the opportunity to venerate a relic of St. Monica and invoke her aid. Her statue, which will be placed on the sanctuary, will have a prayer box before it where people are invited to write the names of family and friends and place them in the box asking for St. Monica's intercession. All are welcome and do spread the word so that others may know and come.
Date for you Diaries…
St. Mary's Parish Feast & Celebration, Friday 6th September – Sunday 8th September 2024.
Friday 6th September: 10am 'Happy Birthday Our Lady!' - All are welcome as the children from our three parish primary schools (Sacred Heart, St. Mary's and St. Oswald's) celebrate a prayer service thanking God for the gift of His Mother Mary.
5pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament followed by 6pm Votive Mass of Our Lady
Saturday 7th September: 9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Confessions,
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady, 2pm Healing Service with the Sacrament of the Sick, 6pm The Holy Rosary, 6:30pm the Vigil Mass
Sunday 8th September: 9:30am The Holy Rosary, 10am Mass beginning with the procession of the statue of Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle around the church, 2pm Celebratory Afternoon Tea (For details about tickets to the Afternoon Tea see below).
If any other parishioners would like to volunteer their time and facilitate an event they are more than welcome to. Please see Fr. O'Brien to share what you would like to do. Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
St. Mary's Celebratory Afternoon Tea
On the afternoon of Sunday 8th September at 2pm there will be a Celebratory Afternoon Tea as part of the parish festal weekend. There will be sumptuous sandwiches, tempting cakes, traditional scones with jam and cream. Tickets will be £15pp on a first come first serve basis and will available from the stewards desk. Numbers are limited and so in fairness people will only be able to put their name down if they have payment with them when booking. The booking sheet will be available this weekend (14th/15th July) at the 6:30pm Vigil Mass and the 10am Sunday Mass.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Rome 2025
The Diocese of Salford is delighted to announce a number of pilgrimages to celebrate the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee, including a pilgrimage to Rome in September. Bookings for the pilgrimage, led by Bishop John, will open on Monday 5th August. Please email info@northernstartravel.com or call 0161 773 2115 to book your place. Please note, places are extremely limited. For more information on our other pilgrimages at home and overseas, please visit https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/jubilee-pilgrimages/.
Salford Lourdes Pilgrimage Centenary Window
Our Salford Lourdes Coordination Team is delighted to announce the commission of a beautiful stained-glass window, which will be installed in our newly-restored cathedral, commemorating the centenary of this much-loved pilgrimage. You can be part of this wonderful legacy by donating in memory of a loved one, as a gift, or in your family name, with names being recorded in a special commemorative book. To find out more, visit https://www.salfordlourdes.co.uk/centenary-window.
Caritas Diocese of Salford Summer Appeal
Our diocesan charity, Caritas Diocese of Salford, has launched its summer appeal as new research reveals child poverty to be at an all-time high across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. To find out more about the appeal and how you can support families across our diocese, please visit www.caritassalford.org.uk/campaign/child-poverty
Accessibility and your parish
Caritas Salford, our diocesan charity, supports people in our diocese to develop their understanding of accessibility, disability and inclusion of people with access needs. Being accessible is important to maximise positive experiences and so everyone has opportunities to participate in ways that suit them. Caritas is looking for people from our parishes to help advocate for positive accessibility with a view to encouraging positive solutions. If you are interested, please email accessibility@caritassalford.org.uk or visit www.caritassalford.org.uk/volunteer to find out more.
Message from John McManus, St. Mary's Clayton
The Knights of St Columba are intending to organise a coach to Ladyewell Shrine, Fernyhalgh one Saturday in September (Date to be Arranged). The coach will pick up at our churches at 8:45am and return at 4:30pm. The cost will be £11 per person. The coach parks in the car park of St Mary's Church, Fernyhalgh and there is a pilgrims walk of 500 yards to the Shrine. Transport is available from the car park to the Shrine if needed. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided on arrival, followed by time to look around Ladyewell House and Gardens. Mass is at 12:00 noon in the Lancashire Martyrs Chapel. Please bring your own lunch – tea and coffee will be provided. Benediction is at 2:15pm, followed by the return coach journey. If you would like to join the visit, please add your name to the sheet at the back of church. Please note that you are not booking a place at this stage. Once there is an idea of numbers, then the Knights of St Columba will be able to finalise the date and then information on how to book will be circulated.
Job Vacancies
Maintenance Operative - Diocese of Salford
Appointment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Working Hours: 35 hours per week to be worked Monday to Friday
Location: Around the diocese
Salary: £21,840 – £24,343 per annum (depending on skills and experience)
Find out more and apply at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies
Skilled Maintenance Operative - Diocese of Salford
Appointment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Working Hours: 35 hours per week to be worked Monday to Friday
Location: Around the diocese
Salary: £29,525 – £32,735 per annum (depending on skills and experience)
Find out more and apply at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies
Grant and Bid Writer - Diocese of Salford (Replacement Role)
Appointment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Working Hours: 35 hours per week to be worked Monday to Friday
Location: Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Salary: £36,338 - £40,289 per annum (depending on skills and experience)
Find out more and apply at https://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