Newsletter: 10th September 2023

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

16.30 Confession
17.30 VIGIL MASS

09.00 MASS
10.30 MASS

No Masses or Eucharistic Services this week.

MONDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER –
FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER

Fr. Brady and the Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers are away.

16.30 NO Confessions
17.30 VIGIL MASS – Fr. Gavin Landers

09.00 MASS – Fr. Gavin Landers
10.30 MASS – Fr. Gavin Landers

READERS, EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS & MUSIC
Please could you make yourself known to Father Brady before every Mass in order to clarify the liturgy. Thank you

VOLUNTEERS FOR CHURCH CLEANING
Cleaning takes place on Tuesday after the Coffee Morning and alternate Saturdays. Please contact the Parish Office if you are able to assist in any way

PIETY STALL NEW STOCK
Please have a look at The Piety Stall which has cards, candles, votives and religious goods from Bethlehem. Religious Christmas cards and calendars will soon be available. If anybody is willing to assist in selling items to Parishioners after Masses please see Father Brady.

TUESDAY COFFEE MORNING
Thank you for your continued support and for the £100 donation for Parish Funds.

SVP SUMMER RAFFLE
Thank you to those who purchased tickets for the raffle and raised £250.00 for this worthy cause.

WALSINGHAM
No dates set yet but we need an idea of how many people would like to go next year to Walsingham in order to determine whether we go alone as a Parish or join with another Parish to keep the costs down. Please sign the list in the Atrium if interested.

CHRISTMAS FAIR
It’s that time of year to start planning for the Christmas Fair and raising money for Parish Funds. Planning Meeting will go ahead at the end of the month. Date to be confirmed.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME 2023/2024
Commencing in October 2024. Letters and registration forms will be sent out via St Mary’s Primary school for children who attend the school. Any other baptised Roman Catholic children who are in Year 3 or above who attend any other school please see Fr Brady after weekend Mass, if they wish to register. The first meeting will take place in church on Tuesday 10th October 2023 at 6.00pm.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CATHOLIC
If you are interested in becoming Roman Catholic there will be an initial (short) meeting on 26th September at 7 p.m. in the Atrium to register your interest. It is envisaged that we will have a fortnightly session prior to being received into church in Eastertide.

WEEKLY FOOD DONATIONS
Thank you for your generosity. Please continue to support this worthy cause by placing any items of food in the basket under the table in the atrium. Food donations are taken weekly by the U.C.M to the Trinity Food Bank.

OUR FAITH, OUR PLANET, OUR COMMITMENTS
Thursday 14th September 2023, 6.30pm – 9.30pm Manchester Museum. An annual conference on climate change is set to take place next month to discuss ways people can work together to reduce our carbon footprint. Our Faith, Our Planet, Our Commitment takes place on Thursday 14th September and will include a series of workshops and networking opportunities to help communities work together for the good of our common home. Find out more and register>

PARISH OFFICE HOURS THIS WEEK ARE WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY – 9.00AM to 12.00PM.

PLEASE RING PRIOR TO CALLING OUTSIDE THESE HOURS.

PLEASE NOTE MASS TIMES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DURING THE WEEK FOR FUNERALS OR UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE NEWSLETTER ON THIS WEBSITE AND NOTICEBOARD WILL BE UPDATED TO INFORM OF ANY CHANGES.

Lourdes TV

Please click on the red ‘Play’ button to watch Lourdes TV.

STAY WITH US, LORD, ON OUR JOURNEY

THIS WEEK’S GOSPEL

The Church has had to be selective as we work through the Gospel of Matthew for this year’s readings. In this eighteenth chapter of Matthew on relationships within the community it is striking that the Church has chosen this passage to put before us. The first part is all about sorting out disputes and about forgiveness. Despite the presence of Christ in the Christian community there are going to be disagreements and misunderstandings in every church and every family. The vital thing is to sort them out and not to let them fester. So here we are given a safe process to do this. Just after today’s passage, Jesus underlines his teaching here when he says that we have to forgive not just seven times (the perfect number) but seventy-seven times. That means again and again and again, without limit. Christ also reminds us that he is present always in his community. The same promise is given at the beginning (the name Emmanuel means ‘God with us’) and at the end of the gospel (‘I am with you to the end of time’). Therefore the decisions of the community will be considered binding in the sight of God. It is especially striking that the same pledge (of binding and loosing) is made with the Church here as had earlier been made with Peter himself; Peter on his own exercises the authority of the Church. How may we best put this process of reconciliation described by Jesus into practice?

BAPTISMS Please see Fr. Brady after Mass if you would like your child to be baptised. A baptismal certificate for one of the parents must be provided as evidence of baptism in a Roman Catholic Church before a baptism date can be given. We welcome parents and children and by attending Masses at the weekend on Saturday at 5.30pm, Sunday at 9.00am or 10.00am which fulfil the Sunday obligation. All Catholics are OBLIGED to celebrate Mass on EVERY Sunday.

SICK AND HOUSEBOUND If you know of anybody who would like Fr Brady to visit, could you please give him their name and address with postcode and a contact telephone number. Thank you.

MASS INTENTIONS AND NEWSLETTER INCLUSIONS The practice of requesting a Mass to be offered for loved ones, living or deceased, is a beautiful and wonderful part of our Catholic Tradition. Continuing this long-standing practice, you can remember someone who has died recently or many years ago. The Mass can also make beautiful gifts for any special occasion: birthdays, anniversaries, in thanksgiving for a prayer answered etc. You can offer an intention for anybody who is struggling with a serious illness or other difficulties of life. Please hand in any Mass Intentions and items for the bulletin before Thursday as the newsletter is printed on Friday Morning. There are Mass Intention Envelopes provided on the table in the Atrium. Please provide a contact number with Mass Intentions so that any discrepancies can be resolved. Thank you.

MASSES AND PRAYERS RECEIVED THIS WEEK

Lately Dead
Fr. Dennis Clinch, Brian Sandiford, Frank Kenny.

Anniversary
Lawrence Gaffney, Margaret Fawcett,
Veronica Brady,
Lucy Severs.

Birthday Memories
Teresa Molyneux.

Sick
Jane Stokes, Sian Fletcher, Natalie Thomas.

Other
The Intentions of the Dougal and Anigbo Families.

This week the Sanctuary Lamp burns for:

Sian Fletcher
Veronica Brady

This week Our Lady’s Lamp burns for:

Chris Langstone
Peter Lapton