Leigh Pastoral Area

Friday, April 29, 2011

Beatification of Pope John Paul II

The Beatification of Pope John Paul II takes place today (Sunday) in St Peter’s Square, Rome.

God our Father, source of all holiness,
the work of your hands is manifest
in your servant Pope John Paul II,
the beauty of your truth is reflected in his faith.
May we who aspire to have part in his joy
be filled with the Spirit that blessed his life,
so that having shared his faith on earth
we may also know his peace in your kingdom.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayers for Prince William and Catherine Middleton

Both Catholic and Anglican Churches have issued special prayers to be said for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has published the following:

Heavenly Father,
we ask your blessing
upon his Royal Highness, Prince William and Catherine
as they pledge their love for each other in marriage.
May your love unite them through their lives.
Grant them the strength to serve you, our country and the Commonwealth with integrity and faithfulness.
Through Christ our Lord.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams issued these two prayers for Prince William and Catherine Middleton and all couples preparing for their wedding.

God of all grace,
friend and companion,
look in favour on William and Catherine
and all who are made one in marriage.
In your love deepen their love
and strengthen their wills
to keep the promises they will make,
that they may continue
in life-long faithfulness to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for school children praying for the Royal Wedding

Dear Jesus,
we pray for Prince William and Catherine Middleton
as they get ready for their wedding day.
Keep them safe,
make them happy
and help them
to look after each other always. Amen

Source: CBCEW/Archbishop of Canterbury

Living with Dying

Bishop Michael Evans, Bishop of East Anglia, has spoken movingly about living with a terminal illness and his final journey to God.

Bishop Evans: Once I was diagnosed with having cancer, especially in December when I was told that I just had a few weeks to live, I set myself a lot of milestones and one of the key ones was the Chrism Mass. To be able to celebrate this with my diocese, with the priests and people of the diocese will be a wonderfully joyful occasion I hope.

Stewart White: The problem with setting a milestone is that once you’ve reached it there might be a temptation to say, ‘I’ve done it now’ and give up.

Bishop Evans: That would be the temptation but I think I’m going to continue with lots of milestones, some of them won’t be quite as big as the Chrism Mass, some will be little things and I’ve got four or five other things which I’m really prepared for. Once I’ve done those I’ll say ‘Well, I’m still here’, which has been my theme for the last year - ‘I’m still here’ – and then say ‘I want to be there for that as well.’

Steward White: Has having the cancer tested your faith? Have you had those “Why me?” moments?

Bishop Evans: I’ve had those ‘Why me?’ moments but I can’t do anything about it. Once you’re told that you’re dying, you can’t do anything about it and I’ve tended to adopt the motto of ‘Living with Dying’, in other words, not to give up on it but make it a positive thing as far as possible, full of hope and trust in so far as I can. But yes, there are those moments when I think, “Why me and why is this happening to me?” as anyone would I think.

Stewart White: But it hasn’t tested your faith?

Bishop Evans: It hasn’t tested my faith. I’m still very much a believer. I’m not saying that there haven’t been times of doubt, of worry and concern, about what’s going to happen and how it is going to happen and when it’s going to happen because I don’t know yet.

Stewart White: Does it help to talk about it and to use this as a moment when you can give strength and courage to other people as well?

Bishop Evans: I think it does, that’s why I am pleased to have these kinds of interviews… an opportunity to talk about faith because people don’t talk about faith at the moment and death and resurrection play no part in people’s thinking at all and yet at the very heart of our Christian faith is the whole idea of dying and rising of moving through things to something even better.

Stewart White: When the day does come there are going to be lots of people in this region who will be very sad, what will be your message to those people?

Bishop Evans: My message to them is the message of the Good News of the Gospel, that we go through death to resurrection, that if there is pain we go through that to something even better and therefore there is a way forward. We’re not about standing still and just being who we are. We are doing our best to be people on a journey, on a pilgrimage and a joyful one. I’d like to see more smiles.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Holy Week 2011

Holy Week Penance Services
(Services of Reconciliation)
Tuesday 19th April at 7.30 pm
Holy Family, Boothstown & St Joseph’s, Leigh

Chrism Mass
The East Gallery at the Cathedral has again been allocated to our Pastoral Area for the Chrism Mass on Wednesday 20th April at 7.30 pm.  If you would like a place on the coach going from the Pastoral Area, please contact St Joseph’s (01942 673517) as soon as possible.

Good Friday Walk of Witness
Starting 10.00 am St Joseph’s, Leigh, to St Mary’s (Leigh Parish Church) with Short Service on Library Steps.

Good Friday Collection
The collection on Good Friday is the annual collection to support Christians living in the Holy Land.  The collection will be taken as you leave church.

Easter Sunday
On Easter Sunday at 4.00 pm, Radio 3 will broadcast Baptismal Evening Prayer live from the Cathedral. Bishop Vincent Malone will preside and Bishop James Jones, the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, will give the sermon. The Archbishop writes:  “It will be true to the affirmation given by Pope Benedict so notably during his visit here to the ecumenical enterprise, despite all its problems, for the disciples of Merseyside to proclaim together the event which is Easter Day. All are welcome; it is always a very beautiful, exuberant yet gentle end to the Feast of Feasts and Solemnity of Solemnities.”

THE EASTER TRIDUUM 2011

“The Three Days of Easter”
The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, continues with the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday afternoon, reaches its high point in the great Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night, and concludes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.  During these days, we keep one celebration of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection.

Maundy Thursday
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Time: 7.30 pm
Venues: St Ambrose Barlow, St Richard’s & Our Lady’s

At St Ambrose Barlow, there will be ‘Watching’ at the Altar of Repose until 11.00 pm with Night Prayer at 10.45 pm.

Good Friday
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
Time: 3.00 pm
Venues: Holy Family, St Richard’s & St Joseph’s

Holy Saturday
The Easter Vigil
Time: 7.30 pm
Venues: St Gabriel’s & Sacred Heart (Leigh)
Time: 8.00 pm
Venue: St Richard’s

Please note:  the Easter Vigil replaces the usual Saturday evening Masses

Thursday, March 24, 2011

www.madhatterschallenge.org.uk

OPERA GALA
Charity Concert in aid of Leukemia & Lymphona Research
An evening of opera and musical favourites featuring singers studying at the Royal Northern College of Music
Thursday 31st March at 7.30 pm
St Mary’s Catholic High School, Astley
Tickets £7.00 available from 07900 517773

Great Manchester Run

Wilf Dooley, from St Ambrose Barlow, will be running in the Great Manchester 10km Run on May 15th in support of MEDEQUIP4KIDS - a North West based charity assisting hospitals across the region in purchasing medical equipment to help sick children. Please visit their website http://www.medequip4kids.org.uk  to see their work.  Please sponsor Wilf on-line at the address below - your support would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks.
http://www.justgiving.com/WILFRID-DOOLEY0

Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent

At usual times and by appointment with one of the priests.  Also:

Services of Reconciliation
Tuesday 16th March 7.30 pm St Richard’s, Atherton
Tuesday 19th April 7.30 pm St Joseph’s, Leigh
Tuesday 19th April 7.30 pm Holy Family, Boothstown

“Confessathon” (Individual Confession)
Saturday 9th April Sacred Heart, Leigh
10.00 am – 3.00 pm

Lent 2011

Special Lenten Services

Early Morning Mass:
Thursdays at 7.30 am St Ambrose Barlow, Astley
Fridays at 6.30 am Holy Family, Boothstown

Extra Evening Mass:
Wednesdays at 7.30 pm Twelve Apostles, Leigh

Stations of the Cross:
Wednesdays at 7.00 pm Twelve Apostles, Leigh
Fridays at 7.00 pm Holy Family, Boothstown; St Richard’s, Atherton; St Ambrose Barlow, Astley
Fridays at 7.30 pm Sacred Heart, Leigh; St Joseph’s/St Thomas, Leigh
Saturdays at 5.30 pm St Gabriel’s, Higher Folds
Sundays at 3.00 pm Our Lady of the Rosary, Leigh

Lenten Taize Evenings:
Wednesday 30th March 7.00 pm at St Richard’s
Wednesday 6th April 7.00 pm at Holy Family
Wednesday 13th April 7.00 pm at St Ambrose Barlow

Safeguarding Parish Workshop

Parish volunteers working with children or vulnerable adults, and Parish Safeguarding Representatives, are invited to a Training Workshop on Tuesday 5th April, 7.00 - 9.00 pm, at St Joseph’s Hall, Leigh (please use the side entrance).  This event is part of the Church’s ongoing commitment to support parish workers and provide helpful information to assist work undertaken in parishes with children and vulnerable adults. 

Please call or email the Safeguarding Department to register attendance at the meeting:  0151 522 1043 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 

New Translation of the Roman Missal

The Roman Missal contains the texts which are prayed by priest and people every time Catholics come to Mass.  The texts we currently use were introduced after the Second Vatican Council in 1973.  Since 2002, a new translation has been in preparation.  The Bishops of England and Wales have decided that from September 2011 the new translation of the Order of Mass will be used in parishes in England and Wales. The Order of Mass contains those texts of both priest and people which are constant at every celebration of Mass.  For three months, from September until December 2011, there will be catechesis in parishes both on the new translation and on the Mass itself.  This will precede the publication of the new Missal which at the earliest is expected by Advent 2011.

Do you want to know why the texts of the Mass are changing?  Would you like to see some of the texts we will be using from September onwards?  Fr Dave will try to answer these and other questions about the New Translation of the Roman Missal on Thursday 7th April at 7.00 pm at Holy Family, Boothstown.  All are welcome.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Eucharistic Ministers Preparation Course

A reminder to those who have been approached about being Eucharistic Ministers: the training course will take place on Saturday March 26th in the Parish Centre at St. Richards. The course, which will be led by members of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Formation Department, will begin at 10.00am and finish approximately 4.00pm.

Fairtrade

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT
28th February - 13th March 2011
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.
Isaiah 49: 15

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.
Glenn Turner

We live with constant pressure, from without and from within, to see more, consume more, buy more, and drink
in more of life. The pressure to increase the dosage is constant and unrelenting. But this is precisely where a deliberate, wilful, and hard asceticism is demanded of us. To quote Mary Jo Leddy, we must, at some point say this, mean it, and live it: ‘It’s enough. I have enough. I am enough. Life is enough. I need to gratefully enjoy what I have.’
Ron Rolheiser

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mr David Burnett

Mr Burnett, Headteacher of St Mary’s Catholic High School, Astley, has announced his intention to retire in July 2011.  Mr Burnett succeeded Mr Alan Bell as Headteacher in 2002 and has led St Mary’s with a strong, cheerful and caring presence.  His enthusiasm and collaborative leadership, his belief in and care for young people, and his unfailing encouragement of staff and pupils have led the school to be graded Outstanding by Ofsted. 

During his time as Headteacher, Mr Burnett – along with the Governing Body – has refurbished the school, overhauled the curriculum providing new and varied challenges for pupils of all abilities, and developed the Sixth Form to rival any college in the area.  Of particular note is his commitment to the passion, inherent in Catholic Education, that all young people can achieve.  This is evident in the enormous development in the ability of the school to assist and never give up on pupils of all abilities, especially those living in challenging circumstances and situations. 

We owe Mr Burnett an enormous debt of gratitude for his commitment and dedication to the school, and look forward to thanking him in a more formal way at the end of the year.