Sunday 12th January 2025
The Baptism of the Lord
Friday 10th January
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Weekday Mass
Saturday 11th January
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass of The Baptism of the Lord
Sunday 12th January
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass of The Baptism of the Lord
4pm Thanksgiving 'Jacobs Join' for all those who volunteer and give of their time to serve the Lord and our parish of St. Mary's. (See below for more details)
Tuesday 14th January
10am Requiem Mass for Joan Meredith RIP
6pm Reception of the Body of Anne Marie Taylor RIP
followed by the Holy Rosary
Wednesday 15th January 2025
10:45am Requiem Mass for Anne Marie Taylor RIP
Thursday 16th January
10am Requiem Mass for Daniel "Danny" Hogan RIP
3pm Funeral Service for Helena Mary Bell RIP at Accrington Crematorium
Friday 17th January
5pm – 5:50pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
6pm Mass, Saint Anthony, Abbot (Memoria)
St. Anthony, inspired by the words of Jesus which he heard proclaimed in the Gospel at Mass, retired to the Egyptian desert at the age of twenty. He attracted many to the monastic life, dying in the year 356.
Saturday 18th January
9am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Sacrament of Confession
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady (Celebrated in Lady Chapel)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass of the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Sunday 19th January
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass of the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Sanctuary Lamp
This week (11th January – 19th January), the Sanctuary Lamp is a Birthday Thanksgiving for Lynne O'Brien.
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£519.49. Thank you for your kind generosity.
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.
Caritas Sunday
Did you know that on Sunday 26th January, we will be marking Caritas Sunday? This annual occasion is a great opportunity to celebrate work of our diocesan charity, Caritas Diocese of Salford. To find out more about the work of Caritas Salford and how you can get involved, please visit https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/campaign/caritas-sunday/. We invite you to keep our diocesan charity in your prayers over this coming week.
Caritas Collection
On the weekend (25th/26th January) Caritas have their diocesan mandatory collection. There will be a basket at the back of church, under the large crucifix, for anybody who wishes to donate monies to this charity. Caritas Salford Mission Statement: Our mission is to help those across the Diocese of Salford, experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination to transform their lives with dignity. We provide a practical response to those in crisis, suffering hardship or who are at risk. We rebuild lives for the long-term, enabling people to live in a safe, healthy and secure environment. We call for a better, more just world where the voices of the poor are heard and acted upon and positively influence the systems, decisions and resources that affect those in need.
Thanksgiving Jacob's Join for All Parish Volunteers
At 4pm on Sunday 12th January there will be an opportunity for all parish volunteers to come together for a Thanksgiving Prayer followed by a Jacobs Join. This event gives me a chance to formally thank everyone who throughout the past year has and continues to, give up their time and share their skills for our parish family. From readers, gritters & gardeners, stewards, cleaners, singers & musicians, sacristans & flower arrangers, counters and servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and catechists to name but a few of the many, many, many roles that parishioners undertake at St. Mary's. Without all these generous volunteers we would be lost. So again, I warmly invite anyone that volunteers their time and energy to helping our parish family to bring along some food for the Jacob's Join and celebrate in Thanksgiving the extraordinary works of Faith that take place at our church daily. For any volunteer roles that I've not named apologies as there are so many and for those volunteers who can't make it – THANK YOU & GOD BLESS.
Parish Christmas Raffle
The Christmas Raffle was drawn last weekend. All winning ticket numbers have been placed on the noticeboard, in the narthex, by the stewards desk. Thanks to all who supported the raffle.
Buildings Update
The solicitors, Fieldings Porter, who were engaged by the diocese to work on the sale of the former parish buildings on Lock Street have confirmed this week the completion of sale. The new owners, A & D Properties North West Limited, have now taken possession of the buildings.
Parish Bible Study – St. John's Gospel
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!" - St. Jerome
A strong statement from St. Jerome yet true! One of the simplest ways to come close to Our Lord, to know Him better, to discern His will for us is to pick up our bible yet this can be a daunting task. Where do we start? How are we meant to read this or understand that? This New Year there will be the opportunity for scripture study in the parish – open to everyone. No prior knowledge is expected, no biblical or theological training is needed. Simply bring yourself, your bible, and the desire to know God more. We will be journeying through the final chapters of St. John's Gospel that lead up to the Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection. The Parish Bible Study group normally meets every two weeks on a Wednesday from 7pm – 8pm. Even if you can only attend one session it's worth doing: The next meeting will be on Wednesday 5th February– Everyone is welcome.
Confirmation Classes
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 Aimee Martin (parish catechist) or Fr. O'Brien. Sessions will be starting in the next few weeks.
Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee
His Holiness, Pope Francis has declared that the year 2025 will be a Holy Year of Jubilee for the Catholic Church – an event that takes place once every 25 years. The theme for the 2025 Jubilee is "Pilgrims of Hope", an invitation to showcase the hope of our Christian faith to people right across the world at a time when there is so much suffering from the impact of war, poverty, climate change, and the lasting effects of the COVID pandemic. The Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee presents each one of us with an opportunity to reignite the flame of our faith in our own hearts and to share the light of that faith with those in darkness.
What is a Jubilee?
The concept of Jubilee is one rooted in the earliest days of Judeo-Christian tradition. In the Book of Leviticus, we read that the people of Israel celebrated this tradition every 50 years. Its purpose was to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. It involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates this tradition once every 25 years as a year of grace, offering the faithful the opportunity to renew faith through prayer, pilgrimage, acts of charity, and by asking for a plenary indulgence – a special grace that strengthens our wounded souls in the fight against sin.
Over the next few weeks there will be various resources available at church to help us engage with this Jubilee Year. Watch this Space!
Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
May the faith you have given us in
Your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
And the flame of charity enkindled
In our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
Reawaken in us the blessed hope
For the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into
Tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
Both humanity and the whole cosmos
In the sure expectation of a
New heaven and a new earth,
When, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
Reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
A yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
The joy and peace of our Redeemer
Throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
Be glory and praise for ever. Amen
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
Young Adults Pilgrimage to Rome
Young adults across the diocese are invited to join our Diocesan Youth Ministry Team for a rare pilgrimage to Rome this summer. Pope Francis has announced a special Jubilee for Youth in celebration of the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee, which also coincides with the canonisation of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. To find out more about this remarkable opportunity and to register your interest, please visit https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/jubilee-of-youth-rome/
Accessible Prayer Walk
The Diocese of Salford's Laudato Si' Centre is teaming up with diocesan charity Caritas Salford to host an accessible prayer walk. The session offers an opportunity to explore the beautiful, accessible grounds of the Laudato Si' Centre along with a peaceful prayer reflection, taking place between 10 and 11.30am on Friday 31 January. Find out more and register by emailing laudatosi@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Job Vacancies
Parish Administrator - St Mary and St John Fisher
Appointment Type: Part-time, permanent
Working Hours: 9 hours per week, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 9.30am-12.30pm
Location: St Mary's Presbytery, Duke Street, Denton, M34 2AN
Salary: £12.60 per hour.
Find out more and apply at https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies
Parish Administrator - Pope St John XXIII
Appointment Type: Part-time, permanent
Working Hours: 20 hours per week. Working pattern to be agreed with the Parish Priest.
Location: St Patrick's Presbytery, 2 Watts Street, Rochdale, OL12 0HE
Salary: £13.23 per hour
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