Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle
Lancashire
BB5 3EZ
Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. S D O’Brien
Parish Administrator: Ciara Kelly
Tel: 01254-232433
Email: stmarysoswaldtwistle@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Sunday 28th June 2026
Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul
Friday 26th June
3pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and The Divine Mercy Chaplet
5pm Confessions
5:30pm Mass, Saint John Southworth, Priest & Martyr (Feast)
6:30pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
8:50pm Final Prayers with the Blessed Sacrament
Saturday 27th June
9am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Mass, St Cyril of Alexandria (Memoria)
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul
Sunday 28th June
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul
Tuesday 30th June
7pm Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation & Blessing of the new Parish Statue of
Saint Carlo Acutis with Bishop John Arnold
Wednesday 1st July
9:15am – 9:50am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
10am Votive Mass of St Joseph
10:35am Devotions to Saint Joseph
(At the foot of the parish statue of St. Joseph, see below for more details)
Thursday 2nd July
10am Funeral Service for Ann Power RIP
Friday 3rd July
3pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and The Divine Mercy Chaplet
5pm Confessions
6pm Mass, Saint Thomas (Feast)
6:30pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
8:50pm Benediction
Saturday 4th July
9am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
10am Votive Mass of Our Lady
6pm The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
6:30pm Vigil Mass for Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday 5th July
9:30am The Holy Rosary for Peace in the World
10am Mass for Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Last Week's Offertory Collection
£567.05. Thank you for your kind generosity.
£166.90 Day for Life Collection
The Sanctuary Lamp
This Week (27th June – 3rd July), The Sanctuary Lamp is for John and Emily Boyle.
Our Lady’s Lamp
This Week (27th June – 3rd July), Our Lady’s Lamp is for John and Gladys Boyle.
The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
This weekend the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, two of the greatest apostles and pillars of the early Church. Although they came from very different backgrounds, both men encountered the Risen Jesus, dedicated their lives to proclaiming the Gospel, and ultimately gave their lives as martyrs in Rome out of love for Him. St Peter, the fisherman chosen by Christ to lead His Church and was the first Pope, reminds us of God's mercy and the strength that comes from trusting in the Lord despite our weaknesses. St Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, became one of the Church's greatest missionaries after his dramatic conversion, showing us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. As we celebrate their witness this weekend, we are invited to renew our own faith in Christ and to ask for the courage to proclaim the Gospel by the way we live our daily lives. May the prayers of Saints Peter and Paul strengthen us to be faithful disciples, confident in the hope and joy that come from following the Lord.
First Friday Eucharistic Adoration – Continuing the Invitation
Over the month of June, our church has remained open each Friday from 3.00pm until 9.00pm for Eucharistic Adoration, giving people the opportunity to come into the peace and silence of St Mary's, to pray, to be still, and to encounter the Lord in His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It has been a great blessing to see so many people making use of this opportunity. Many have travelled considerable distances to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, recognising that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find churches that are open for extended periods of Eucharistic Adoration. It has been a privilege for St Mary's to provide this opportunity for prayer, silence and encounter with the Lord. These Fridays have only been possible because of the generosity of our parish volunteers, who have faithfully committed themselves to keeping watch with the Lord throughout the hours of Adoration. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has given of their time in this way. In light of the many graces and blessings we have received during this month, we would like to continue this initiative on the First Friday of each month. However, this will only be possible if we have sufficient volunteers to ensure that the Blessed Sacrament is never left unattended. If you are able to give an hour of your time, or more, please consider signing the volunteer sheet at the back of church (beneath the large crucifix). Sign-up sheets are now available for Friday 3rd July and Friday 7th August, when the church will once again be open from 3.00pm until 9.00pm.
The programme will remain the same:
3.00pm – Divine Mercy Chaplet & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
5.00pm – Confessions
6.00pm – Holy Mass
6.30pm – Continued Adoration
8.50pm – Benediction
If you can help us continue this important ministry of prayer and welcome, please add your name to the rota. In doing so, you will not only be keeping watch with the Lord yourself, but also making it possible for others to come and spend time in the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. "Could you not watch one hour with me?" (Matt. 26:40)
Bishop's Visit, Confirmations & Blessing of the St Carlo Acutis Statue
A reminder that this Tuesday 30th June at 7.00pm, we will be delighted to welcome our Bishop, Rt Rev John Arnold, to St Mary's Church. Bishop John will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation for 10 young people from across the Deanery of St John Vianney, as they receive a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and are strengthened in their Christian faith. During the Liturgy, the Bishop will also bless our new parish statue of St Carlo Acutis, the young Italian Catholic whose love for the Eucharist and inspiring witness to holiness continue to touch the lives of people throughout the world. We are especially grateful that Bishop John has kindly agreed to bring the diocesan relic of St Carlo Acutis, which will be available for veneration following the Liturgy. This promises to be a joyful and grace-filled evening for our parish and deanery. Everyone is warmly invited to attend and support our Confirmation candidates through their prayers and presence. Refreshments will be served after Mass, providing an opportunity to meet the Bishop and celebrate together as a parish community. Please do make every effort to join us for this special occasion.
Devotions to Saint Joseph
On Wednesday 1st July, 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.
Visit Our Parish Piety Stall
This weekend you will notice an expanded selection of items available on our Parish Piety Stall at the back of church as we prepare for the forthcoming visit of the Bishop and the blessing of our new statue of St Carlo Acutis. Among the new items available are devotional candles, prayer plaques, holy water bottles, rosaries and a variety of other devotional gifts. We also have a wide selection of cards for First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Baptism and Sympathy, together with gifts suitable for many special occasions. Whether you are looking for a meaningful gift, something to enrich your own prayer life, or a keepsake to mark the blessing of our statue of St Carlo, we hope you will take a few moments to browse the stall after Mass. There are also Sunday Missals (contain the readings and prayers for each Sunday Mass) available and more copies of the Simple Catholic Prayer Book. Every purchase helps to support the parish.
Prayer Time at Sacred Heart & St. Oswald’s Schools
This week Fr O’Brien was invited to both Sacred Heart School (Wednesday) and St Oswald's School (Friday) as they prepared to celebrate this weekend's Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The children gathered for a time of prayer and reflection, considering the lives of these two great saints. They reflected on how their deep love for Jesus and the courage they received from the Holy Spirit enabled them to accomplish extraordinary things through both their words and their actions. Although Peter and Paul were very different people, each responded generously to God's call and allowed Him to transform their lives. Fr. O’Brien reminded the children that, like Saints Peter and Paul, each one of us is free to choose Jesus and to walk in His ways. That choice is not always the easiest one, and at times it can be challenging to remain faithful. Yet when we choose Christ, He never leaves us to rely on our own strength. Instead, He gives us the grace, courage and perseverance we need to be His faithful disciples through all the joys, difficulties, successes and disappointments of life. May the witness of Saints Peter and Paul inspire us all to renew our own commitment to follow Christ with confidence, trusting that He will always provide us with the strength we need.
Book on the history of the Diocese of Salford presented to Pope Leo
Monsignor John Allen has harnessed his love of the geography and history of our diocese, by penning a special book which is being sold in aid of our diocesan charity Caritas Salford. The book, A Popular History of the Diocese of Salford, was presented to Pope Leo recently, and you can read about it, or get a copy for yourself or someone else, on the Caritas Salford website:
www.caritassalford.org.uk/pope-leo-book
Vacancies - Teaching and Learning Delivery Support
The Diocese of Salford is looking for a friendly, enthusiastic and organised person to support the delivery of environmental learning activities at the Laudato Si’ Centre, based at Wardley Hall. This is a rewarding opportunity to help pupils, school groups, parishes and community visitors connect with nature, explore creation and take part in meaningful outdoor activities. Closing date for applications: 12 noon on Tuesday 30th June 2026. For more information please see https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
New Volunteering Role at Caritas Salford
Our diocesan charity Caritas Salford has a team of almost 200 amazing volunteers, all of whom support their work with people in our parishes who are experiencing poverty, homelessness and discrimination. The team is looking for suitable volunteers who would be interested in giving a little time to work alongside families at their young parent accommodation in Blackburn - supporting and facilitating activities with the babies and their parents. All roles will be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring check. To find out more about this or other volunteering opportunities with the charity, visit www.caritassalford.org.uk/volunteer or contact Matt Yates: m.yates@caritassalford.org.uk
Fancy a Walk?
Caritas Salford is organising a 6-mile scenic, circular sponsored hike in Lancashire, along the delightful Downham Trail. Taking place on 5 September, the walk is an undulating route with the potential for expansive views from the summit of Beacon Fell.
Visit www.caritassalford.org.uk/LancsWalk for more information or to register for your free place.