Sunday 18th August 2024
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Friday 16th August
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Weekday Mass (Feria)
Saturday 17th August
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (In the Lady Chapel)
"Mary, give me your Heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor."- Saint Teresa of Kolkata
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 18th August
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Tuesday 20th August
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Memoria)
St. Bernard was born near Citeaux in 1090. He joined the monastery there in 1111. His presence revitalised the Cistercian house and he became abbot of nearby Clairvaux; much in demand for his advice, he worked to overcome the divisions in the Church.
Wednesday 21st August
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, Saint Pius X, Pope (Memoria)
St. Pius X was born in Riese (Italy) into a poor family in 1835, he was ordained and worked as parish priest for 17 years before bring made spiritual director at the seminary, then bishop of Mantua, patriarch of Venice and finally Pope in 1903. He sought to renew Christian life, by emphasising charity and the Eucharist; he worked to avoid war in 1914, but died shortly after its outbreak.
1:40pm Funeral Service for Doreen Ashworth RIP at Accrington Crematorium
Thursday 22nd August
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Memoria)
'This is why the Blessed Virgin is called Powerful—nay, sometimes, All-powerful, because she has, more than anyone else, more than all Angels and Saints, this great, prevailing gift of prayer. No one has access to the Almighty as His Mother has; none has merit such as hers. Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks; and herein lies her power. While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us; for human life is short, but Mary reigns above, a Queen for ever.' - St. John Henry Newman
Friday 23rd August
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Weekday Mass (Feria)
Saturday 24th August
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (Feast) (In the Lady Chapel)
St. Bartholomew, born at Cana, was led to Jesus by Philip and after the Ascension, tradition has it that he preached the Gospel in India and suffered martyrdom.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 25th August
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (17th August - 24th August), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Michael Salmon.
Last Week's Easter Offertory Collection
£594.07. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Update on our Diocesan Synod
Following on from the first gathering of the diocesan journey, we are now able to share the
'Big Listen' Report. This report shares the responses and themes identified from the diocesan
wide listening exercise. You can access the full report via the diocesan website code below. The four principal themes that emerged from the Big Listen stage of the process, which took place between October 2023 and January 2024 are:
- Nurturing Faith in Tomorrow's World
- Building Connections
- Enabling Access
- Fostering Christ-like Care
As well as the full report, four summary leaflets and other related resources will be made
available in monthly stages on a theme by theme basis, starting in September with Theme
One: Nurturing Faith in Tomorrow's World. You will be able to access these via the same link.
Please look out for more details on how you can get involved in the next stage of our parish's
involvement in the Synod. To find out more about the latest updates, what's next for our diocesan synod, or how you can get involved, please visit https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/faith/synod/
We will be holding 4 meetings at St Mary's Church where we will be looking at each theme individually. As soon as we have the dates and times for these meetings, we will let you know.
Sharon and Mike - St Mary's Synod representatives.
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.
Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) Campaign
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children is leading a campaign calling on the government to end the two-child credit cap. To find out more about this campaign and to sign the petition, please visit https://www.spuc.org.uk/end-benefit-cap
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/.
World Youth Day Rome 2025
Are you aged 16-35? Are you looking for an unforgettable opportunity to share your faith with other young Catholics? Pope Francis has announced a special World Youth Day in Rome next summer to celebrate the Church's Year of Jubilee and our diocesan Youth Ministry team invites you to be part of this once-in-a-25-year event! The pilgrimage will take place between 28 July and 3 August. For more information and to register your interest, please email youth@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
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