7th Sunday of Easter (Year B)


 

Fr Paul's Sunday Reflection may now be found on the St John Rigby Newsletter for the week (see link below)

 

Churches are open again for public Mass. The Sunday 9.30am Mass at Holy Family and the 11.00am Mass at St Ambrose Barlow will be broadcast on the internet and, for those who can access it, the video will remain to be watched anytime afterwards if you miss it live. (Click on the links below)
Where possible daily Masses will be broadcast and other prayer services which can also be watched and participated in at any time later.
Facebook and  YouTube.

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.

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

7th Sunday of Easter (B)

First Reading – Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26.
The disciples met to choose a successor to Judas. They chose Matthias who became a great apostle who gave his life for his faith in Jesus.

Second Reading – First letter of St.John 4:11-16.
Since God has loved us, we too must love one another in Jesus’ name.

Gospel Reading – John 17:11-19.
Jesus prays for his disciples and, through them, prays for all those who will go on to follow him one day in the future. He tells them to spread the Good news of the coming of God’s Kingdom.


Psalter: Week 3
Readings for Weekdays: Easter Week 7

 

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.

There are several items of interest available from the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

New resources now available include:

 The Liverpool Catholic website also has up to date information on the Church's Policy regarding Coronavirus and lots of other useful information.

Justice and Peace

National Justice and Peace Conference 2021
Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick
23rd – 25th July 2021

Google njpn conference 2021 where you can download a booking form.
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for details and Just Fair
enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • World Communications Day
    Please pray for all communicators on this day. The Communications Office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales supports the mission of the bishops to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ.
    You can also sign up for all the latest news, events, resources and spiritual content from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales:
    https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/news-and-media/catholic-news-newsletter-signup/
  • Our Lady of the Rosary Church and Presbytery
    In the coming weeks work will begin to demolish the church and presbytery. This will be a very difficult and sad time for those parishioners who have worshiped at this church all their lives.
    St. Paul reminds us, when one part of the body hurts it affects the rest of the body. I ask you to keep all those parishioners in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
  • White Flower Appeal 2021
    The Society for the Protection of Unborn children (SPUC) will be holding its annual appeal over the weekends 22/23rd May and 29/30th May.
    SPUC is currently campaigning to stop home abortion, which gives women abortion pills to take at home without medical supervision. This is one of the most dangerous threats to unborn children and their mothers in decades. Please be as generous as you can to help us defeat this latest attack on unborn babies and help protect mothers from increased risk of coercion and serious health risks. Donations can also be made online at www.spuc.org.uk/donate.
  • First Holy Communions
    Y4 & Y5 Letters have gone out to children who should have made their First Communion last May. Applications for the children in Y4 who would normally have made their first Communion this May have also been sent to our schools. If your child is not in a parish school please contact the parish office to collect an application form.
  • Gardening at St Joseph’s
    We are looking for volunteers to look after the gardens at St Joseph’s Church on Tuesday mornings from 9.30. If you have any spare time please come along. Thank you.
  • Church Envelopes
    For those people who support through Gift Aid your new box of envelopes is now available at the back of church. If you have not already done so, please collect your box which should be marked with your name.
    Covid 19 restrictions have made the collection of weekly offerings very difficult. It would be a great help and much appreciated if more people gave their donation by Standing Order. This applies whether you Gift Aid or not. Standing Order Forms are available at the back of church. Please take one and once you have completed it post it through the presbytery door. This will allow your weekly contributions to be automatically sent from your bank to the Parish account. Thank you for your continued support.
  • Mass on the Phone - Parishioners who have no access to the internet and so are unable to watch online Mass may hear Mass at Middlesbrough Cathedral. The Mass is provided free of charge, except for the local phone charge. Phone: 01642 130 120 to be connected to the Mass for that week. You can listen at any time of day or night.
    If you are aware of anyone who may benefit from this service, please let them know.
  • FOOD COLLECTION, St Margaret Clitherow – We continue to support the local food banks, including the bank operating in St Gabriel’s school for the  families in need there. Non-perishable food such as tinned or dried food may be left at church or dropped off at Holy Family Presbytery.

Any of the Synod helpers are invited to the third online reflection meeting with the Synod Team this Wednesday May 19th between 7pm-8.30pm. If you would like to join the reflection evening please contact Fr. Paul on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will send you the link. Please join us on Wednesday and for any other meetings we may have very soon.

The final Synod Recommendations have been published and the Synod members will vote on these in June. There are 19 Recommendations and these have been grouped into 6 themes. If you haven't seen them yet, there are three places you can find them:

1. Printed in the edition of the Catholic Pic (www.catholicpic.co.uk)
2. On our Synod Recommendations Website (www.synod2020recommendations.org.uk) alongside theological re-flections on the topics
3. Printed in our Synod book 'Together on the Road' which also includes resources for discernment and the theological reflections (available for £3 from Pauline Books and Media, and the Synod Office, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel: 0151 486 1206).

Please continue to keep the Synod in your prayers. 

We are holding 30 minute zoom sessions over the next few weeks for members and anyone interested to look at each theme separately.
These will be held on:
● Tuesdays at 10.00am on April 27th, May 4th,11th,18th and 25th
● Wednesdays at 6.00pm on April 28th, May 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th
If you would like to take part in these sessions you would be very welcome. Please could you register on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so you can receive the zoom link and any further information.

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Please refer to the individual Parish Newsletters for Mass and Service times.

The previous model of booking places with the parish office is being continued and bookings will be taken each week from Tuesday. Face masks will continue to be required to be worn unless medically exempt, and recent changes in government guidelines  state that visors do not offer any protection unless worn with a face mask so face masks are what is stated to be worn in places of worship.

From 12th April
● Funerals with up to 30 attendees
● Weddings with up to 12 attendees
● Single household baptisms with proxy Godparents

No earlier than 17th May
● Funerals no change
● Weddings with up to 30 attendees
● Baptisms with up to 30 attendees

No earlier than 21st June
● Funeral and wedding restrictions lifted
● First Communions may take place in traditional way but likely to be limited by ongoing social distancing requirements.

With regard to singing in church, no advice has yet been given about a change in regulations already made.

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.)

 

Some resources for families who would like to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with their children.


The Redemptorists have created an Advent and Christmas time resource for children. Access it by clicking on the picture

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

Reflect
In today's Gospel, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to guide his disciples in their mission to spread th Good News. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit acting within each of us that makes the Church a living, dynamic entitybased on Jesus's teachings rather than an inactive community locked in the past.

Pray

Lord,
may the presence of your Holy Spirit in our lives 
fill us with the courage and wisdom
to share the love and joy we have received
through your son, Jesus, the Lord
Amen

Act
Today is Communications Sunday. How can you communicate with others the Good News that God loves us so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to save each of us through His Death and Resurrection?

Monthly Challenge

An interesting challenge for May which I read recently is to forego cutting your grass at home in a 'No Mow May'. This will allow wild flowers (some may call them weeds!) to grow and help to support our native bee population which is at risk. If the thought of this fills you with horror, an alternative compromise would be to just cut some areas and leave other areas of grass to grow at will.

About LiveSimply

LiveSimply Resources

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.

Sunday May 23rd - Pentecost Sunday


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.

St John Rigby Enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

St Catherine of Sienna and All Saints, Golborne & St Lewis, Croft: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.