Sunday 8th September 2024
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
St. Mary's Parish Festal Weekend
Happy Feast Day to all parishioners and extended members of our parish family here at St. Mary's, Oswaldtwistle.
Let's continue to ask Our Blessed Mother for her intercession, so that we can grow closer towards her Son and become those saints he has called us to be.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Masses & Liturgies for the Coming Week…
Parish Festal Weekend
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle
Friday 6th September
10am 'Happy Birthday Our Lady!' Children's Liturgy
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 – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Votive Mass of Our Lady
Saturday 7th September
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (In the Lady Chapel)
2pm Healing Service
This will be an opportunity to pray for all those who are ill and struggling with all kinds of health problems in body and mind and asking Our Lady's intercession for them. For those who are struggling the Sacrament of the Sick will be offered.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty Third in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Because of scaffolding around the church, access to the outside grotto is temporarily restricted hence there will be no usual torchlight procession on this occasion.
Sunday 8th September
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Parish Solemnity)
with the procession of the statue of Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle around church.
2pm St. Mary's Celebratory Afternoon Tea
Tuesday 10th September
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Ambrose Barlow, Priest & Martyr (Feast)
St Ambrose Barlow, born in 1585 at the still standing Barlow Hall in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Manchester, became a Benedictine after studies at Douai and Valladolid, before returning to Manchester to work for the many Catholics of this region. He was famed for his preaching and love of the poor, walking long distances in order to fulfill his ministry. He was imprisoned at least four times, before final arrest and execution at Lancaster in 1641. His skull is preserved at Wardley Hall (The residence of the Bishop of Salford), and his jaw-bone at St. Ambrose, Chorlton-Cum-Hardy.
Wednesday 11th September
10am Requiem Mass for Roger Boocock RIP
Thursday 12th September
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Mass, The Most Holy Name of Mary (Memoria)
The Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a day on which the inexpressible love of the Mother of God for her Holy Child is recalled, and the eyes of the faithful are directed to the figure of the Mother of the Redeemer, for them to invoke with devotion.
Friday 13th September
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor (Memoria)
St. John Chrysostom, 'golden mouth', was born in Antioch in 349A.D. He became Bishop of Constantinople in 397 A.D, but because of his steadfast preaching faced opposition from the Empress. He died in exile in 407 A.D.
Saturday 14th September
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Feast) (In the Lady Chapel)
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrates two historical events: the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, in 320AD under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the dedication in 335AD of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion. However the feast, more than anything else, is a celebration and commemoration of God's greatest work: his salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through which death was defeated and the doors to Heaven opened.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sunday 15th September
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (7th September - 14th September), the Sanctuary Lamp is for Irene Bridges.
Last Week's Easter Offertory Collection
£524.64. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Contactless Donations
An overwhelming number of parishioners have asked for the option of financially supporting St. Mary's via the weekly collection through contactless payment. As of this weekend (31st Aug/ 1st Sept) at the back of church you will now see a contactless card reader station. In a few weeks time there will be the opportunity for people who Gift Aid to enter their donations but more details on this will follow. On behalf of the parish I'd like to say Thank You to Eric & Berni Parr for helping to facilitate this method of supporting our church.
Parish Donations
Many people have asked can they donate monies towards the parish via Direct Debit and if so what is the name of the parish account: SRCDTR ST MARY OSWALDTWISTLE.
Thank you for your continued support.
Diocesan Synod: Parish Update
Further to the letter from Bishop Arnold to the parishes across the Diocese of Salford, this month will see the first of four gathering sessions that will take place in St Mary's Church to discuss the 4 key themes that are the pillars of the Synod Big Listen. The 4 themes are:
-
Nurturing Faith for Tomorrow's World.
-
Building Connections.
-
Enabling Access.
-
Fostering Christ-like care.
The themes encompasses a range of topics raised as part of the 30,000 responses received to the original Big Listen workshops that took place during November and December 2023 and January 2024. Over the coming months we will be looking at each theme, where we will all have the opportunity for us all to prayerfully consider and discuss the responses to our Big Listen and suggest proposed actions, whilst developing the practice of synodal listening together.
The first theme we will consider is "Nurturing Faith for Tomorrow's World" where we will be able to consider a range of topics such as the role of women and young people, Church leadership, care for our clergy, Church teaching in the modern world, and more.
The meeting will be led by our parish Synodal representatives, Sharon and Mike, and will take place in our church on Wednesday 18 September between 7.00pm and 8.00pm. We would like to encourage as many parishioners as possible to join the team on the 18 September, as everyone's thoughts and ideas are important and the Synod would like to hear from every parish as to how we think we should take these themes forward. As Bishop Arnold said in his pastoral letter (31 August 2024), he hopes that: "...we all engage in this final period, both in the attendance of parish meetings and in prayer. That combination, of prayer and action, will guide us to the important decisions that need to be made."
If you would like more information about the "Nurturing Faith for Tomorrow's World", you can find it on the Diocese of Salford website at this address: dioceseofsalford.org.uk/synod-theme-1/
Sharon and Mike look forward to seeing you all on the 18 September at 7.00pm
Sacramental Preparation for Young People
If there are any young people, ages 7+. who are baptised Roman Catholics, live in the parish boundaries and would like to begin preparing to receive God's mercy in the Sacrament of Confession and His love in First Holy Communion, then please see Fr. O'Brien at the end of the Mass you usually come to.
Confirmation Preparation
If there are any young parishioners, ages 12 +, who are baptised Roman Catholics, live in the parish boundaries and would like to know more about the Sacrament of Confirmation please see Fr. O'Brien.
Sacred Heart School
On Monday the staff returned to school in preparation for the children beginning the new academic year. I was invited to come and share a reflection about who the centre of our parish school is – Jesus Christ. What a wonderful gift that we are able to give the children who come to our parish schools. Not just the opportunity to engage with Maths, Science, English etc but to offer them the truth of who Jesus Christ is and His unconditional love for each and everyone of them.
Invocation at Adoremus
You can now register to join us at Invocation at Adoremus this September! Taking place at St Mary's College, Oscott, on 15 September, this beautiful day is designed specifically for adults discerning a particular vocation or direction; providing them with an opportunity to pray, to talk about their journey, and to find support and resources to help them along the way. Find out more and register online at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/invocation-adoremus-2024/ If you would like to enquire about transport options, please email youth@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
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
Mount Carmel High School, Accrington
The school has an open evening on 19th September 2024 for prospective students and families.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lindisfarne
Discover the fascinating history of our Northern Saints with this one-off pilgrimage to Lindisfarne, Ripon, and Durham in celebration of our 2025 Year of Jubilee. Led by Bishop John, the pilgrimage will take place between 15th-17th May 2025. Find out more about this and all of our pilgrimages during our Jubilee year at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/jubilee-2025/pilgrimages/
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/.
Caritas Salford Sponsored Walk
Caritas Salford is organising a sponsored walk around beautiful Whalley, Lancashire, on Saturday 14 September. The walk will cover a moderately challenging route of 14km, with a shorter option available for those who prefer. Every step you take will also help local people experiencing homelessness, poverty and discrimination. To sign up to join the walk, visit: www.caritassalford.org.uk/lancswalk
Season of Creation
This September, our diocese joins Christians across the globe in celebrating Season of Creation - a month-long campaign inviting us to renew our relationship with God and His Creation. This year, we will be celebrating by sharing updates on key diocesan projects, as well as top tips to support your efforts at home. Follow our news pages at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news to stay up to date.
Caritas Salford Sponsored Walk
Caritas Salford is organising a sponsored walk around beautiful Whalley, Lancashire, on Saturday 14 September. The walk will cover a moderately challenging route of 14km, with a shorter option available for those who prefer. Every step you take will also help local people experiencing homelessness, poverty and discrimination. To sign up to join the walk, visit: www.caritassalford.org.uk/lancswalk
Manchester-based charity seeks new trustees
Out There - a Manchester-based charity founded by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul - is looking for two new recruits for its board of trustees to help guide the charity's mission to offer support to families affected by the imprisonment of a family member. To find out more about the position or the charity, please visit www.outtherecharity.org/volunteer/
Catholic Association for Racial Justice 40th Anniversary
To mark the important milestone of their 40th anniversary, the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ) is holding a free conference in Oldham on Saturday 21st September.
The 'Agenda for Change' conference will build on the experiences and learning of the past 40 years and put forward a strategy for bringing about greater equality and creating a racially-just Church and society. Find out more at www.carj.org.uk
Job Vacancies
Cleaner - Diocese of Salford
Appointment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Working Hours: 21.15 hours per week to be worked Monday to Friday, 7.45 am – 12 pm.
Location: Cathedral Centre 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP
Salary: £12 per hour
Find out more and apply at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/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
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien