Celebration of Mass
Re-Opening of Churches: Churches are now allowed to open for Mass and other services following guidelines and preparations from the Archdiocese. The number allowed in church will be restricted and may require people to pre- book places.
Instructions to pre book St Margaret Clitherow
Instructions to pre book St Edmund Arrowsmith
The Sunday obligation to attend Mass is still suspended for the time being. Please be patient as our greatest concern is the safety of everyone.
Mass will continue to be livestreamed as below.
Facebook and 
YouTube.
The Redemptorists have Sunday Mass online available from 12pm on Saturdays, celebrated by Fr Denis McBride C.Ss.R.
There are several churches which live stream masses throughout the Archdiocese of Liverpool. These can be accessed here.
Other streamed masses are also available, click below for more
Sunday Readings
30th Sunday of the Year. (A)
First Reading – Exodus 22:20-26.
God tells the people of Israel that there must be no discrimination against or exploitation of the weakest members of society.
Second Reading – 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10.
Paul encourages the people of Thessalonika by telling them that their lives of faith have become known throughout the world.
Gospel Reading – Matthew 22:34-40.
Jesus tells us that the whole of religion can be summed up in the two great commandments of love.
News Bites
- This weekend the Clocks go back 1hr, so an extra lie-in!
- Second collection for APF missions this weekend in some churches
- Synod 2020 – there is now an opportunity for people to respond to and discuss the proposals published last weekend. Zoom meetings will be offered for those who wish to take part. Please email the parish office if you wish to be included in this so our representative can send you the link to join the meeting via email. Dates for these meetings (approx. 30 mins each) will be given next week.
- 40 Hours Devotions – at Holy Family Church. Available online from Friday morning. A timetable will be posted on the house and church window, and on the parish facebook page, and is on the back page of the newsletter.
- Sacred Heart Club (Hindley Green) is now in lockdown for 28 days
Newsletters
There are four newsletters published weekly in the Deanery, you can access current and past editions here:
St Edmund Arrowsmith Newsletters (St Joseph's, Sacred Heart, Twelve Apostle, Our Lady's - Leigh)
St Margaret Clitherow Newsletters (Holy Family, Boothstown; St Ambrose Barlow, Astley; St Gabriel's, Higher Folds)
St Lewis, St Catherine's & All Saints Newsletters (Croft, Lowton & Golborne)
St John Rigby Newsletter (Sacred Heart, Hindley Green; St Richard's, Atherton; Sacred Heart Hindsford)
( Newsletters download as pdf files in a new window.)
Contacts
St Joseph's Centre - 01942 673517
Fr Paul Seddon - 01942 883395 (St Richard's & Sacred Heart.)
Fr Paul Grady - 0161 790 2390 (Holy Family, St Ambrose Barlow & St Gabriel's)
Fr Kieran O'Grady - 01942 673517 (Sacred Heart & St Joseph's)
Fr Gordon Abbs - 01942 273851 (St Lewis, St Catherine's & All Saints)
St Margaret Clitherow Enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Spiritual Communion
In prayerfully being present at a Mass being broadcast to you, obviously physically receiving the Eucharist is not possible. However, Spiritual Communion is.
So what is Spiritual Communion? The common practice of making such a spiritual communion indicate our desire to join with the Lord when in a situation that makes unable to sacramentally receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in Holy Communion at Mass.
The Rosary
October is one of the months traditionally set aside to think of the relationship between Our Lady and her son Jesus. Praying the Rosay reflects on the important events in the life of Jesus and Mary
Inspiration
Various inspiring and heart warming items and pictures to reflect on:
Fratelli Tutti (full version) - In The Pope's latest encyclical, fraternity and social friendship are the ways the Pontiff indicates to build a better, more just and peaceful world, with the contribution of all: people and institutions. With an emphatic confirmation of a ‘no’ to war and to globalized indifference.
Sunday 18th October is World Mission Sunday. Missio, the Holy Father’s charity for world mission, helps Churches too poor or too young to support themselves. Your support will make a difference to struggling communities throughout the world and help missionaries work alongside communities that are poor or in need, regardless of their background or belief. You can donate through the website missio.org.uk.
Archdiocesan Links
There are several items of interest available from the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
New resources now available include:
- Reflection for the Thirtieth Sunday of the Year
- Readings for the Thirtieth Sunday of the Year
- Family Prayer Cards
- Life During Lockdown in the Archdiocese
- Mental Health
- Readings and Reflections for those who are Bereaved
The Liverpool Catholic website also has up to date information on the Church's Policy regarding Coronavirus and lots of other useful information.
LiveSimply
Reflect
Today's Gospel challenges us not only to love God, but to treat all people as our brothers and sisters, by showing love for all.
Pray
Lord, we do not always recognise you in the people we meet as we journey through life.
Open our eyes to your presence in all,
that we may come to appreciate that each of us is unique and special in your eyes.
Act
Can others see Christ in us when we interact with them?
Challenge
An environmental challenge - on an everyday basis we can make a big impact. A few ideas - close doors, turn off lights, don't over fill the kettle, reduce the amount of time spent in the shower...
This Week's Feast Days
Most weeks there may well be a number of feast days. We don’t necessarily celebrate them all. Some saints are more important in certain parts of the country than others and will be celebrated more on a local level, whilst other saints will be celebrated everywhere. So each week we will comment on the feast-days that we should celebrate in our regional Church.
Monday October 26th – St.Chad & St.Cedd.
St.Chad and St.Cedd were brothers and were educated on Lindisfarne, Holy Island, under St.Aidan. Cedd was the founder of many different monasteries. He was sent as a bishop to evangelise the East Saxons. He died of the plague at his monastery in Lastingham. Chad, his brother, was Abbot of Lastingham and was sent as bishop to Mercia, where he founded the See of Lichfield. Holiness of life, outstanding humility and dedication to preaching the Gospel are attributed to Chad. Both saints brought many people to the faith during a difficult time for the Church.
Wednesday October 28th – St.Simon & St.Jude.
Simon, called either the “Canaanite” or the “Zealot” disappears from history after Pentecost. One Eastern source gives Odessa as the place of his death, but Western tradition says that he first preached the Gospel in Egypt then joined Jude in Persia where they suffered martyrdom together. Jude is usually identified as the author of the letter in the News Testament bearing his name.
HCPT Christmas Cards
HCPT Christmas Cards – 9 choices of cards available. Packs £3 (some £2).
Please phone eitherSteve Cooper, Ursula or the parish office to order cards. They will not be sold at the back of church this year but only available via phone. For more details see St Margaret Clitherow newsletter.
Opening of Churches
Times of Masses.
Welcome back to Mass. If you are attending please read and follow all the guidelines in all the churches that are open. Please do take note of the stewards who are there to help. It is for your safety and for everyone else’s safety that we have to do this at this time.
Holy Family, Boothstown – Sunday at 9.30am
St Ambrose Barlow, Astley - Saturday 6pm & 11am. Follow this link for more information about Sunday Masses in St Margaret Clitherow Parish
All Saints, Golborne – Saturday at 5pm & Sunday at 10.30am.
St.Lewis’, Croft – Sunday at 9am.
St.Joseph’s, Leigh – Saturday at 4.30pm & Sunday at 9.30am. Follow this link for more information about Celebrating Mass together again in St Edmund Arrowsmith Parish
Sacred Heart, Leigh - Sunday at 11.00am
Sacred Heart, Hindley Green – Saturday at 5pm & Sunday at 10.30am.
It is great to see so many at the 9.30 Mass at St Joseph's but we are slowly starting to reach our full capacity. There is still plenty of room at the 4.30pm Mass and there is also plenty of room at the weekday Mass on Wednesdays. I know that the Sunday Mass is so precious to us but the miracle of the Mass is the same whichever day we celebrate it on. I ask you to consider this as I would not like to turn anyone away from Mass because we have reached our full capacity. Fr Kieran.
MORE STEWARDS NEEDED!!!! As we are now operating four Masses a week, there is a need for several more volunteers to help with the essential task of stewarding at Mass and a short time of wiping down benches and surfaces after Masses or services. This is especially the case for the Saturday evening Mass. If you are under 70 and have no underlying health issues please volunteer to help. Your parish needs YOU. Many thanks, Fr Paul
We are beginning to look at booking baptisms from September. At this time no decision has been made with regards to First Holy Communion celebrations. Fr Paul will be in touch with these families in the near future to look at potential times to safely and suitably celebrate this special time with our children.
Financial Support
In these difficult times we cannot give financial support as normal. We still need your support, so if it is possible for you, you can bring your donation to Church when we are open, or you can put your offering through the letterbox at Sacred Heart, St Joseph’s, Holy Family or St Richard's (Please remember to put your Gift Aid number on the envelope if you are signed up for Gift Aid), or you may want to set up a standing order, the bank details are as follows:
HSBC 99-101 Lord St, Liverpool, L2 6PG sort code 40-29-12 account No. 51545205.
Online giving website:
The Archdiocesan online giving website is now ready to be used and can receive both one-off and regular monthly donations. Each parish has its own unique link on the website and a church photograph is shown to provide additional reassurance to donors that they are donating to their parish. All donations will go to the parish selected by the donor. There is a Gift Aid option.
There is a detailed guide on how to donate on the website. If any parishioners would like support with this, please contact. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with name and telephone number and we will endeavour to call to assist as quickly as possible.
The links for the various parishes are:
St Margaret Clitherow : https://donate.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/st-margaret-clitherow-boothstown
St John Rigby : https://donate.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/st-john-rigby-atherton
St Edmund Arrowsmith’s: https://donate.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/st-edmund-arrowsmith-leigh
Making an offering to the parish by text message:
Children's Liturgy
Some resources for families who would like to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with their children.
Martin at Ten: Ten is making available for free their daily prayers resources: https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/daily-prayers-for-home/ and their Family Liturgy for Sundays: https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/primary-subscription/prayers-for-home/sunday-liturgy-for-families/
The God who Speaks now have a section on the Word at home: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/the-god-who-speaks/word-at-home/
CAFOD has several useful items to use with children - updated weekly