Come Lord to me
and fill my emptiness
with your presence.
Come refresh, restore
and renew me.
In my sadness, come as joy.
In my troubles, come as peace.
In my despair, come as hope.
In my darkness, come as light.
In my frailty, come as strength.
In my loneliness, come as love.
Come Lord to me refresh,
restore and renew me.
(Source unknown)
Charity Cabaret in aid of Christie’s & MacMillan Nursing on Friday 5th March at 7.30 pm in Denton Cricket Club, Egerton Street, Denton. Seven acts on stage – ballads, rock & pop, country & western, comedian, raffles & auctions. Tickets £7.50 inc. buffet from Carol (0161 292 8524) or Steve (07756 562149).
Come and hear some of the finest speakers in the world share their wisdom and knowledge about working with young people. This event will be held at the Friends’ Meeting House, Euston Road, London. Bob and Maggie McCarty are at the forefront of Youth Ministry in America, and they will be joined by well known Dominican author and speaker Fr Timothy Radcliffe, Abbot Christopher Jamison (from the BBC series, The Monastery), and Archbishop Vincent Nichols. February 27th 2010, London – full details at http://www.cymfed.org/congress
or John Biggins (01744 740463)
The Gospel for Ash Wednesday suggests three ways to help us keep Lent faithfully: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
PRAYER
Lent is a bit like an ‘annual retreat’ for Christians. We use the season to try and get back into shape as Christians. For example, if we’ve got out of the habit of going to Sunday Mass and the day has got filled with other things, perhaps our Lenten Penance could be to try and come back to Mass. If we already come to Sunday Mass, perhaps trying to come to one of the weekday Masses or services would be a good Lenten Penance. During Lent, there will be some extra Masses and services to help us:
Early Morning Mass
St Ambrose Barlow: To be announced
Holy Family: Friday at 6.30 am
Stations of the Cross
St Ambrose Barlow: To be announced
Holy Family: Fridays at 7.00 pm
St Gabriel’s: Saturdays at 5.30 pm
Services of Reconciliation at 7.30 pm
Friday 19th February: Sacred Heart Leigh
Wed 3rd March: St Richard’s
Tuesday 9th March: XII Apostles, Leigh
Tuesday 23rd March: St Joseph’s, Leigh
Tuesday 30th March: Holy Family
FASTING
There could be two ways to fast. First, fasting can be eating less, drinking less, smoking less, etc., and giving the money you save in this way to CAFOD. Another way of fasting might be this: if you tend to get to Mass at the last minute, why not try and arrive 5 or 10 minutes before Mass is due to begin so that you are there at the beginning of the celebration; you could then use the few minutes beforehand to prepare yourself in prayer. The ‘fasting’ in this instance is fasting from whatever usually makes you late and giving that to the Lord. Similarly, for those who regularly leave after communion before the end of Mass, why not try and give a few extra minutes to the Lord and his people by staying to the end of Mass?
ALMSGIVING
Almsgiving is about sharing what we have with those who have little or nothing. During Lent, you could try to save or raise money for CAFOD – giving money that you need rather than what you have over. CAFOD’s Lent Fast Day is on Friday 26th February. Also, the Second Collection each week will be the usual Lenten Alms which will go to support the many Asylum Seekers in our region.
“Tuesdays in Lent” at Holy Family
Tuesday 16th February
Soup and Pancakes: 12.00 noon – 2.00 pm in the Parish Hall
Tuesday 23rd February
Looking at the texts of the New Missal: 7.00 - 8.00 pm
Tuesday 2nd March
Workshop & Lunch for Weekday Readers: 11.30 am - 2.00 pm
Tuesday 9th March
Taize Prayer around the Cross: 7.00 - 7.45 pm
Tuesday 16th March
Question Time
Tuesday 23rd March
Lenten Celebration of Evening Prayer at 7.00 pm
Atherton Churches Together
Tuesdays during Lent in the Independent Methodist Church, Mealhouse Lane, Atherton.
Leigh Churches Together
Studies for Lent commence the week beginning 22nd February for 5 weeks: Wednesdays at 2.00 pm at St Mary’s and repeated on Thursdays at 7.30 pm at the Baptist Church. All are welcome.
Living Faith
‘Living Faith’ is a course offered by the Archdiocesan Pastoral Formation Department for those who have had little opportunity to reflect on their faith. There will be three sessions: Monday 22nd February & Monday 1st March (7.00 - 9.00 pm), and Saturday 20th March (10.00 am - 2.00 pm). The course will take place at Holy Family Parish Hall and will be led by Maureen Knight and John Biggins. There are only 30 places available. For further information and to book a place, please contact Fr Dave (0161 790 2390 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
Ash Wednesday
Day of Fasting and Abstinence
The Season of Lent begins on Wednesday. Ashes will be blessed and distributed during four Masses/Services in St Margaret Clitherow’s Pastoral Area – one at each church – which we hope will cater for everyone’s needs.
9.15 am Morning Prayer & Mass at Holy Family
12.00 noon Mass at St Richard’s
2.30 pm Service of Ashes at St Gabriel’s
7.00 pm Mass at St Ambrose Barlow
For those who are unable to come to church on Wednesday, Mass will be broadcast from the Cathedral at 4.00 pm on BBC Radio 3. It will also be available on the ‘Listen Again’ feature on the BBC website.
In St Edmund Arrowsmith’s Pastoral Area:
Details to follow