Leigh Pastoral Area

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Funeral Arrangements for Fr Arthur

Fr Arthur will be received into Ince Blundell for Mass at 7.00pm on Wednesday 3rd December. 

His Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St Ambrose Barlow, Astley, at 11.00am on Thursday 4th December prior to interment in the family grave at Kirkdale Cemetery.

Arthur John Mulcahey was born in Croydon on 4th September 1927, the son of John and Catherine.  His early education was spent at Walton RC Primary School, and his ecclesiastical studies were undertaken at Upholland College.  He was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in 1980, serving at Blessed Sacrament, Aintree, and went on to study for the priesthood, receiving ordination at Blessed Sacrament on 31st March 1984.

His first appointment after his priestly ordination was to Blessed Sacrament, Aintree, where he remained until February 1988, when he moved to St Mary, Wigan.  In August 1989 he was appointed to St Sylvester, Liverpool.  His final appointment, in October 1992, was to St Ambrose Barlow, Astley, as Parish Priest.  He retired from active service in 2002 and moved to Holmechase House, Southport.  Following a period of poor health, he had recently moved to Ince Blundell where he remained until his death on Thursday evening, 27th November.  He was 81 years of age.

May he know the Joy of the Lord.

Friday, November 28, 2008

FR ARTHUR MULCAHEY

Last night, we received the sad news that Fr Arthur, former Parish Priest of St Ambrose Barlow, has died.  He will be greatly missed, especially by his many friends and the parishioners of St Ambrose Barlow. 

Fr Arthur’s Funeral Mass will be at St Ambrose Barlow.  Details have yet to be arranged, but will be posted on the website and announced in all the parishes as soon as they are finalised. 

Please pray for Fr Arthur and for the parishioners of St Ambrose Barlow.  As Arthur is welcomed by God our Father into the new life of heaven, may hear our Lord say:  “Well done, good and faithful servant, come and share the joy of the Lord”.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

ADVENT 2008

Blessing of the Advent Wreath

Lord our God,
we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:
he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,
he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,
he is the Savior of every nation.

Lord God,
let your blessing come upon us
as we light the candles of this wreath.
May the wreath and its light
be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.
May he come quickly and not delay.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

What is Advent?

Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year. While it expresses the deep longing of all humanity for God, it celebrates the three-fold coming of the Lord:
remembering the events that surrounded the Lord’s coming long ago,
celebrating his coming among us today,
and looking forward to his final coming in glory.

The first part of Advent looks forward to the Lord’s glorious return at the end of time and reflects on his presence among us today.
The second part - from December 17th to 24th - prepares us for the yearly commemoration of Jesus’ coming among us in human flesh.

Each Advent Sunday takes on a particular character as suggested by the Gospel reading.

I             The Lord’s coming in glory at the end of time
II and III     John the Baptist and his message of repentance
IV           Events that immediately preceeded the Lord’s birth

Come, Lord Jesus!

Liverpool Music

News from the Music Department of the Archdiocesan Liturgy Commission

Website:  http://livmus.blogspot.com

Here you’ll find news and information about forthcoming events organised by the music department. If you have any queries or comments, click on the “Comment” button at the end of any post. We’ll do our best to help.

Praying Advent

We often miss Advent’s power because these weeks are full of parties, panic and other preparations for Christmas.  The busyness at this time of year can distract us from having an Advent season that truly prepares us for the celebration of Christmas, with all its meaning. This site, ‘Praying Advent’ offers simple ways to enter into the Advent season, week by week, in the midst of our everyday lives.

Website:  http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent

HOMELESS THIS CHRISTMAS

Two charities in Manchester, who undertake a wonderful and holy ministry to the homeless, are deserving of our support this Christmas:

The Windsor Drop-In Centre
Website:  http://www.manchestercitymission.com  (click on ‘Projects’ on the left-hand menu)

The Barnabas Project
Website:  http://www.barnabus-manchester.org.uk

Resource Pack for Homes, Schools & Parishes

HOME IS A HOLY PLACE

A brand new resource for raising awareness of the holiness of our homes is now available. 
Website:  http://www.homeisaholyplace.org.uk

A reflection by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster

Our common bond:  a fragile global financial system -  Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor

Within a few weeks what began as a “credit crunch” turned into a financial crisis and has now become a global recession. Religious leaders are not normally economists.  However, they cannot ignore the damaging human consequences of the rise and fall of economic indicators. Behind the gloomy headlines are cities, neighbourhoods, families, individuals deeply affected by the economic breakdown; and the hardest hit will be the poor:  those already struggling to survive.

Christians have a paramount concern for the poor. This “preferential option for the poor” is a constant theme in Catholic social teaching. The biblical concept of justice implies that the justice of a community is measured by how it treats the powerless. And a “globalised” world, must consider not only the poor and marginalised in the West, but also the eight hundred million people outside it who are living in absolute poverty, together with the half a billion who are chronically hungry. It is right for religious leaders to insist that in formulating our economic and commercial policies we must take full account of their implications for the poor, both at home and in the rest of the world. Any new dispensation of world economy which does not address the extreme marginalisation of rich and poor does not merit consideration.

The Church neither condemns the market economy nor canonises it. Christians recognise that the market, like money itself, is an essential element in the conduct of human affairs. But the laws by which it operates are not blind. They follow from and can be moderated by human actions and decisions. So those who operate the market have an obligation to promote the common good and to safeguard against those most adept at exploiting it. Governments and regulators have a part in this, but all of us not only bankers, business leaders and financiers must consider the moral implications of what we are doing and whether we are contributing, in however small a way, to promoting the common good and not to the perpetration of injustice. There is nothing immoral in wanting to be prosperous. But are economic growth and ever-increasing material prosperity the sole criteria of a healthy or successful society? Although the majority of people in the developed world are better off financially than they were 40 years ago, has this brought social, emotional and spiritual well-being?

Today’s common bond appears to be a shared uneasiness with the present state of society, which clearly is a society not at ease with itself since no-one can escape the consequences of a fragile global financial system that binds us all together.
It seems that the present crisis may be a kairos:  an opportunity for stocktaking about what we understand by the common good; about what national or social success means; about what it means to be human. It is an opportunity to recognise that ensuring social justice cannot be left to governments, politicians and the market, but depends on our day to day decisions and on the goals we set.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Journey of Faith

May the sacred space within each of us
be filled with God’s presence.

“By the pouring over of the Holy Spirit…the soul is saturated with innermost holiness, for people are surrounded by their Saviour”.
(Hildegard de Bingen)

Through darkness and pain,
through light and joy,
in turmoil or at peace,
the tender hand of the unseen God
is guiding you.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46)

Quiet prayer is a matter of being:
being in stillness, being in God;
not having to achieve anything
or needing to find words,
but simply being.

I am here, Lord,
hiding nothing from you,
holding back nothing from you.
I simply wait in your presence:
for when I wait for you, I am found by you.

(Adapted from Angela Ashwin)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

YOUTH SVP

The Youth SVP Swimathon has raised the magnificent sum of £1132.09.  Thank you so much to everyone who has supported them.  This money will be used to support the charitable work the young people will undertake locally over the next twelve months.

The Youth SVP is for young people (Years 8-13 in High School).  The group meets every Monday during term time at Holy Family Presbytery:  6.30 - 7.30 pm.  New members are always welcome.  Contact Fr Dave for further details. 

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

There will be a special service of carols, prayers and readings in the grounds of Sacred Heart Church, Hindsford, on Tuesday 9th December at 7.00 pm. Please come along and join us in singing carols and praying together as we prepare for the season of Christmas. If the weather is too bad, we will hold the service in the Sacred Heart Parish Centre. All welcome.

CHRISTINGLE SERVICE

Sunday 7th December at 4.00 pm
Holy Family, Boothstown

‘Christingle’ is an ancient Service of Light celebrated during Advent to welcome Jesus, the Light of the World. The service lasts about 40 minutes and is especially suitable for children, who will be invited to lead a procession of candlelight around the church.

SCRIPTURE GROUPS

Leigh Churches Autumn Scripture Group
7.30 - 9.00pm at Sacred Heart, Leigh

A course on the Beatitudes: 
19th November - Living Openly
26th November - Living Purposefully
3rd December - Living Lovingly
10th December - Living Differently.

Scripture for Advent & Christmas
Tuesday 2nd December at 7.30 pm at Holy Family Church
An evening which aims to provide a foretaste of the Scriptures we will be hearing during Advent and at the Feast of Christmas with time to study and also reflect on them. Also there will be the opportunity, for anyone who wishes, to practise reading at the lectern.  This is an invitation for everyone.