Sunday 15th December 2024
Gaudete Sunday
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Tomorrow I'll be travelling to Adam's Diaconate Ordination at Oscott. On Sunday morning at the 10am Parish Mass, Deacon Adam, will assist at the Eucharist for the first time since receiving Holy Orders. There will be refreshments afterwards and everyone is welcome. My thanks to Fr. Samson Ojekunle who will celebrate the 6:30pm Vigil Mass.
Masses & Liturgies for the coming week...
Friday 13th December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Lucy, Virgin & Martyr (Memoria)
St. Lucy, a Sicillian martyr who died in the persecution of the fifth century under the Emperor Diocletian. She is an example of faithfulness and innocence and her cult was very popular in the early church.
Saturday 14th December
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) (Year C)
Sunday 15th December
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) (Year C)
Followed by parish celebration for Deacon Adam
Tuesday 17th December
9:40am Funeral Service for Eileen Suchet RIP at Accrington Crematorium
2pm St. Mary's School Advent Concert
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm Advent Weekday Mass - O Sapientia
O Sapientia: O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
Wednesday 18th December
10am Advent Weekday Mass - O Adonai
O Adonai and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
1pm Funeral Service for Damien Bleasdale RIP at Accrington Crematorium
7pm – 8pm Synod Big Listen - Enabling Access and Fostering Christ-like Care (see details below)
Thursday 19th December
10am Advent Weekday Mass - O Radix Iesse
O Root of Jesse, you stand as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will hold their tongues, and you the Gentiles will seek: come to deliver us, and do not delay.
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
Friday 20th December
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm Advent Weekday Mass - O Clavis David
O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
Saturday 21st December
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Advent Weekday Mass - O Oriens (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
O Morning Star, splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C)
Sunday 22nd December
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C)
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (14th December – 21st December), the Sanctuary Lamp is for The Deceased Members of the Henry Family.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£659.81. Thank you for your kind generosity.
Christmas Mass Times
Christmas Eve Tuesday 24th December
5pm Carols Around the Crib
5:30pm Christmas Eve Mass
Christmas Day Mass Wednesday 25th December
9:30am Carols around the Crib
10am Christmas Day Mass
Family Night – Decorating the church for Christmas
A Big Thank You to all those who generously gave their time to come on Thursday evening and helped to decorate church and make it a fun evening. Thank you.
Sanctuary Lamp & Our Lady Lamp
Prayer is so important and it works! One of the traditions at St. Mary's is to sponsor the sanctuary lamp, that burns for seven days continuously, before the Real Presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle. From January 2025 there will also be the opportunity of sponsoring a lamp in the Lady Chapel by the statue of Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle The prayers behind each lamp are varied and different. Sometimes they burn in memory of a loved one, other times for somebody who is sick or waiting for results and at other times it's a prayer of thanksgiving or help for a particular situation or person. If you would like to sponsor a lamp to burn in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament or in the Lady Chapel then please see one of the stewards at the back of church. They will have a list of dates from January until December next year where you can choose to sponsor a £7 lamp for the week. I will bless each lamp and light it before the Vigil Mass on a Saturday and it will burn for the whole week. Please give your £7 to the stewards on duty when you choose your week.
Rock Salt & Muscle Power!
If you're passing a garden centre, petrol station or anywhere that's selling rock salt/grit and are able to donate a bag to church then it would be gratefully accepted. Any bags can be left outside, at the rear of the church building, by the bins. We all so need that precious gift of peoples time and energy in helping spread and scatter the grit on icey and frozen days before Masses and liturgies at church so that everyone is kept safe. If you could help then please contact Navada Keenan keenannavada@gmail.com or Karen Beard the parish Housekeeper jakey9998@aol.com
Synod Big Listen - Enabling Access and Fostering Christ-like Care
We are rapidly approaching the end of this stage of the Big Listen, and we have one more workshop to go. Due to the poor weather, we were unable to hold session 3 which was on Enabling Access. However, there is some information at the back of the Church, which includes a question sheet for you to put forward your ideas on this topic. We would be very grateful if you could complete the questionnaire and put your answer in the box at the back of the Church. Session 4 (Fostering Christ-like Care) will take place between 7.00pm and 8.00pm on Wednesday 18 December at the Church. We know that this is just a week before Christmas Day, and we would appreciate the chance to discuss this final topic and ask you to put forward your thoughts and ideas. This will be the last time we ask you to join us. We will have the kettle on and will have loads of biscuits ready to dish out. All we ask in return is for you to spend an hour with us and to let us know what you think. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the 18th.
Advice as energy bills continue to rise
If you, anyone you know, or someone in your wider parish community is in need of support around rising energy bills, Caritas Salford has put together some helpful advice on their website. You can find out more by visiting https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/fuel-poverty-challenges/ and can also find details on the website page on how to arrange a session with their energy advice service team.
Diocesan Almanac 2024
The new Diocesan 2025 Year Book is now available from the piety stall for £5.
New Pilgrims of Hope book launched
Monsignor John Allen has harnessed his love of the geography and history of our diocese, penning a very special book which is being sold in aid of Caritas Salford. The book, Pilgrims of Hope, has been published in time for the start of the 2025 Jubilee Year which is also focussed on the theme of Pilgrims of Hope, and is available to purchase by visiting the Caritas website: www.caritassalford.org.uk/pilgrimbook
In the Footsteps of Mary: An Advent Prayer Walk
Join the Diocese of Salford's Laudato Si' Centre team this December for a reflective prayer walk around the Centre's beautiful woodland. This self-guided trail invites us to focus on Mary's journey to Bethlehem and the example she sets us as we continue our own spiritual journey in this season of Advent. A number of sessions will be taking place on Wednesday 18 December. Find out more at https://laudatosicentre.org.uk/events/advent-retreat/
Appeal: Parish Christmas Raffle Prizes
At the start of Advent (30th Nov/1st Dec) we are hoping to sell tickets for our annual St. Mary's Christmas Raffle and are asking parishioners for any items they would be happy to donate. Do you work for a company/business who would be happy and open to offering vouchers, treatments, meals, or gift tokens etc. as prizes? Any donations that people can generously give, please leave with the stewards at the back of church.
Caritas driver
Caritas Salford, our diocesan charity that supports people across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, is in urgent need of the support of a volunteer van driver. Van drivers are vital to Caritas services and are essential to their day-to-day running. If you can drive, have a few hours to spare each week, and want to help Caritas to support people across the diocese, then please contact their volunteer coordinator Matt on m.yates@caritassalford.org.uk or visit www.caritassalford.org.uk/volunteer
A Call to Lead - A Post-Confirmation Programme
A new post-confirmation programme has been developed by Salford Youth Ministry and the Young Christian Workers Movement to bridge the gap between confirmation and adult formation, with the aim of helping young people to grow in faith and become active leaders of the parish community. For more information about the programme, please visit https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/a-call-to-lead
God Bless and keep praying.
Our Lady of Oswaldtwistle, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Fr. O'Brien