15 March – 4th Sunday in Lent
MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK
Saturday 14th 5.00pm Parishioners
Monday 16th 10.00am Rosemary Davies RIP
Saturday 21st 5.00pm Winifred, Thomas & Michael Watkinson RIP
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MASS TIMES: SATURDAY VIGIL MASS at 5pm PARISH OFFICE: The Parish Office will be open on Friday 20 March from 9.00am to 12 noon only |
PARISH NEWSLETTER
MASSES THIS WEEK
Monday at 10am
CONFESSIONS: Next confessions: last Saturday of the month – 28 March, 4.15pm to 4.45pm
READINGS FOR 15 MARCH
1st Reading: I Samuel 16:1-13, David is anointed king of Israel.
Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.
2nd Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14, Arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.
Gospel Reading: John 9:1-41, He went and washed and received his sight.
Gospel acclamation: Peace and honour to you, Lord Jesus. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. Peace and honour to you, Lord Jesus
Communion antiphon: The Lord anointed my eyes: I went, I washed, I saw and I believed in God.
POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MARCH
For disarmament and peace
That nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.
SAINTS / FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK
17 March – St Patrick, Patron of Ireland
18 March – St Cyril of Jerusalem
19 March – St Joseph – Solemnity
NUGENT APPEAL: 15 MARCH
This year’s appeal invites us to put into action Jesus’ call to love our neighbour by supporting those within our communities who are most in need. Each year, Nugent is able to continue offering practical support to people facing homelessness, young care leavers, families experiencing poverty, and those escaping domestic violence. Every prayer, every donation, and every act of kindness helps in serving those struggling in our archdiocese.
LENT: A TIME OF PRAYER, FASTING & ALMSGIVING
Our Lenten Alms box will be available in the narthex throughout Lent for your almsgiving donations. Lenten almsgiving is one of the three traditional pillars of Lent – along with prayer and fasting. It focuses on giving to those in need – especially the poor – as an expression of our love, our sense of justice, and our repentance during this special season.
4th SUNDAY IN LENT: LAETARE SUNDAY
Laetare is the first word — meaning “rejoice” — in the Latin text. On Laetare Sunday (as similarly with the Third Sunday of Advent’s Gaudete Sunday) the Church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts and penances. The purple of Lent can be replaced by rose – a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Easter, just before we enter into the darker period of the Passion.
A PRAYER FOR MOTHERING SUNDAY
Dear Lord, we thank you for all those who care for us. We thank you for giving them compassion, grace and love. We pray for new mums, for mums who struggle to bring children up in uncertain times, for mums in war zones – where safety and protection are not a constant. We pray for mums who have lost children or who couldn’t look after their own. We pray that those who have lost mums or care givers will have fond memories of the love they shared. We give thanks for those who have stepped up to take on the role of a mother, for grandparents, fathers, friends, step-families, those who care by fostering and adopting. And we pray for families and communities who struggle to feel and share love, that they may be brought together on this day and experience the peace and unity with which your all-embracing love surrounds us.
Amen.
MISSION TODAY MAGAZINES / BOXES
The new Spring edition of Mission Today booklets are now available in the narthex. Please return (red) Mission boxes to church for counting. If you need someone to collect them, please contact Sandra Cobham on 01704 821609 and she will arrange collection. Thank you.
CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST – PRAY FOR PEACE
God of peace, bearer of hope, we seek your help for the peoples of the Middle East. Quiet the clamour of war, and guide us towards peace. Where there is hatred and division, sow seeds of calm and openness. Where there is destruction, help us to rebuild. Where children are crying, bring an end to tears. Shelter your peoples and protect them. Guide them and keep them from harm. Show us how to break down the barriers of history and fear and breathe whispers of hope. Amen.
Linda Jones/CAFOD
ST PATRICK’S DAY CÉILIDH – 21 MARCH, 7.30pm
At St Mary & St Catherine’s Social Centre, Wigan Road, Euxton PR7 6JW – a traditional Irish celebration, with Irish stew and live music to dance to – suitable for all the family. Tickets: £10 adults / £3 children, which includes the price of the stew, but please bring your own drinks. “Dia dhuit!” All are most welcome to this lovely, fun night out. Please email stmary.euxton@rcaol.org.uk to reserve your tickets.
OFFERTORY ENVELOPES / GIFT AID / STANDING ORDERS!
If you are a taxpayer then you can easily help the parish to claim 25% extra on top of every donation you make – and it won’t cost you a penny! Eg: a donation of £10 per week would result in £12.50 going to the church. If you are able to use gift aid, please collect a form from the porch on your way out today, and return it to the Parish Office asap.
If you are a taxpayer who makes regular cash donations, please consider using an offertory envelope instead of just placing your ‘loose’ donations in the basket. This is really important: it can bring in more than £1000 to the church every year, as we’ll be able to claim gift aid directly on every donation you make. It won’t cost you anything at all, but it will make a huge difference to our finances.
Please contact the Parish Office if you’d like to use envelopes – they are free!
Even better – you can donate ‘painlessly’ each month by setting up a standing order with your bank. Forms are available in the porch.
DON’T FORGET! PARISH FOODBANK – DONATIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
Thank you for donations already received, which have been taken to the foodbank centre at St Mary’s in Leyland. They are particularly short of tinned pasta, tinned meat / fish and puddings.
Please check that donations are well before their BB date!
Thank you all for your kind-hearted generosity. It makes such a big difference.
CATHOLIC PICTORIAL
Keeping you up to date with all the news from around the Archdiocese online: www.catholicpic.co.uk
Postal subscriptions are available: 3 issues = £9.50, 6 issues = £19 and 12 issues = £37.50.
Email enquiries@cpmmmedia.com or ring 0151 709 7567.
Digital copies are also available. Please use the phone number / email address above.
MASS INTENTONS
Mass intentions are welcome, not just for our dear departed, but for any other occasion eg in thanksgiving, successful outcome (exams / operation), wedding / anniversary blessings. Please write your name and intention, with the preferred date – if applicable – on a piece of paper and place in an envelope, along with your offering, either in the weekly offertory basket or through the presbytery door. It may not be possible to guarantee the specific date requested, for various reasons, however, every effort will be made to find a date as near as possible.
THE UNIVERSE CATHOLIC WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS
These are available to order directly from the publisher (www.thecatholicuniverse.com or call Michelle on 0743 661 7650. It can be posted to you each week. A 3 months print subscription is £42.00 – 6 months is £75.00 and the year at £140.00.
MAGNIFICAT
Now is a good time to buy a yearly subscription to Magnificat. It works out at less than £1 per week at £65 pa.
The Magnificat is published monthly. For each day, it contains the readings and prayers for Mass, with a meditation from the great spiritual writers of the Church throughout history and prayers for morning and evening inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours. You will also find the lives of the saints, articles on spiritual topics by contemporary writers, prayers at night, hymns, reflections and essay on a great example of Christian art in each issue.
Please order online at www.magnificat.com or phone Margaret Hiscock on 020 3882 9432.
MUSICAL TREAT FOR THE WEEK
WITH EVERY BLESSING FOR A HAPPY AND PEACE-FILLED WEEK