MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK

Saturday    20^th       5.00pm   Jonathan Ainscough RIP
Monday      22^nd     10.00am  Freda, Ernest & Ann Ashton RIP
Thursday   25^th      10.00am  Rodney Cooper RIP
Saturday    27^th       5.00pm   Parishioners

LATEST  UP-DATE
MASS TIMES: SATURDAY VIGIL MASS at 5pm PARISH OFFICE:   The Parish Office is open on Fridays from 10am to 4pm.

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 PARISH NEWSLETTER

MASSES THIS WEEK
Mondays at 10am
Thursdays at 10.00am, followed by Exposition & Benediction

CHURCH OPEN
Fridays, 11am to 1pm for private prayer and reflection before the Blessed Sacrament.

CONFESSIONS: Next confessions: last Saturday of the month –  27 September, 4.15pm to 4.45pm 

READINGS FOR 21 SEPTEMBER
1^st Reading: Amos 8:4-7, Against those who ‘buy the poor for silver’
Psalm 113: Praise the Lord who raises the poor.
2^nd Reading: I Timothy 2:1-8, Prayers should be made for all people to God, who desires all people to be saved.
Gospel Reading: Luke 16:1-13, You cannot serve God and money.
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia. Jeus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sake became poor, so that you, by his poverty, might become rich.  Alleluia.
Communion antiphon: You have laid down your precepts to be carefully kept; may my ways be firm in keeping your statutes.

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER
For our relationship with all of creation
Let us pray that, inspired by St Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.

SAINTS / FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK
23 September – St Pio of Pietrelcina
24 September – Our Lady of Walsingham
26 September – Ss Cosmos & Damian
27 September – St Vincent de Paul

COLLECTION LAST WEEK Catholic Education: £99.66  Thank you

2^nd COLLECTION THIS WEEK (21 September): Evangelii Gaudium (Home Missions)
I believe…
Evangelii Gaudium Sunday is celebrated in our parishes on 21 September 2025. This year, the Church has been celebrating a significant anniversary. It’s 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea. This great gathering of Bishops from around the Church began the work to formulate the creed we proclaim Sunday by Sunday. It is the content of this creed that is our mission, so that we may know and love God in this life, in order to be happy with him forever in the next. The creed begins with a profound proclamation, “I believe…”
This is the theme for Evangelii Gaudium Sunday 2025.

CAFOD HARVEST FAMILY FAST DAY – 3 OCTOBER (2 weeks’ time)
The theme this year is ‘Love of our neighbour’.
The money raised will help to provide water supplies so that women do not need to walk for several hours a day, every day, to find and then carry home water for their families and animals.
Envelopes for your kind donations will be given out at next Saturday’s Mass (27 September).
Please remember that you can gift aid your donations – it makes a huge difference!  Thank you.
(Our parish CAFOD rep, Teresa Culshaw welcomes interest from someone who would also like to help with CAFOD)

MASS ATTENDANCE OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS
The Archdiocese requires us to submit an annual return which, amongst other things, asks for us to do a count of attendees at weekly Mass over four Saturday Vigils / Sundays: 20, 27 September, 4 and 11 October.
Many thanks to Welcomers for doing this.

SSP&P EVENTS & FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE:  Save the Date – 18^th October 2025!
We are running a series of relaxed social events to allow parishioners and church goers to become better acquainted. After the event in June, the feedback was very positive, together some very welcome constructive comments. Thank you to everybody for supporting by their attendance and providing feedback.
The next event will be on Saturday 18^th October after Holy Mass in the Parish Hall. We will be providing a hot meal & a selection of beverages together with much fun & laughter. Please save the date! Further details to follow.
Ged Tyrer (Chairman, SSP&P Fund Raising & Events Committee)

ST CARLO ACUTIS
This extraordinary 15-year old boy was canonised by Pope Leo last Sunday.  St Carlo is the first millennial saint, whose life constantly bore witness to a deep love of the Eucharist and the power of faith. He offered his suffering (when diagnosed with leukaemia) to Pope Benedict and the Church.  St Carlo, please pray for us…
ST PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI
A young campaigner and activist for social reform and social justice.  Humble and committed in everything he did.
St Pier, pray for us and for all those in need…
Please take a prayer leaflet for our two ‘new’ saints.

LOTTERY WINNERS FOR SEPTEMBER
1^st             Mrs J Brown, Leyland                 £50       (72)
2^nd        Miss K Wilkinson, Rufford          £30       (7)
3^rd         Mr S Mercer, Bretherton             £20       (23)
Are you missing out on this monthly lottery draw?  Letters are available in the narthex explaining how the lottery works and also how important this is for the parish.  Please pick one up before you leave church.

HELP REQUIRED!
Can anyone help out with odd jobs that need doing in the sacristy ‘department’?  If you’d like to find out more about this, please have a word with Fr Anders after Mass, or email Diane in the office.
In addition, we also need one or two volunteers to join the Welcomers’ Rota.  Again, please contact Father or Diane.
Many thanks.

APPLICATIONS FOR BISHOP RAWSTORNE ACADEMY
One of the entry requirements of C of E schools requires evidence of the commitment of one of the parents or guardians of the prospective pupil to the Christian faith, ie fortnightly worship for a period of at least one year. Please note that the Church is contacted to verify attendance for the year preceding entry.  So, for pupils hoping to enter in Sept 2027, the period of assessment starts on 1 Sept 2025.
This means that unfortunately, anyone hoping that their child will be admitted to Bishop Rawstorne next September (ie 2026) has missed the deadline.  Please pass this info on to parishioners who may not always manage to see the newsletter – which is on the website every week.  Please check the school’s website for further details: https://bishopr.co.uk/parents/admissions

MESSAGE FROM CAFOD: RESPONSE IN GAZA
Donations to Gaza since the start of the conflict have been a vital lifeline. Right now, CAFOD’s partner, Caritas Jerusalem, is delivering essential medical treatment to displaced people and providing medicines to treat chronic illnesses.
CAFOD has helped 1,400 households with cash to buy supplies in the last month and they are currently feeding 2,000 people with new stocks of flour and rice. Despite the restrictions on aid coming into Gaza, CAFOD’s local partners are working tirelessly to help people. And with ongoing support, they will do all in their power to keep doing so.
You can find out more about how you can make a difference in Gaza at www.cafod.uk/  
Thanks to all parishioners and supporters for backing CAFOD’s work through holding collections for the Family Fast Day appeals and for continuing to pray for peace in the Middle East.

MISSION TODAY MAGAZINES / BOXES
The new editions of Mission Today 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.

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.          

HOW TO DONATE TO THE CHURCH
Standing Orders – Many find this an easier alternative to trying to remember to bring cash along each week.  Forms are available in the porch / from the Parish Office.  You can determine the amount and when it is deducted each month.  Please post compoleted forms to your bank.
Envelopes – easy, because they can be prepared before coming to church.  They afford some ‘privacy’ for the amount donated. Please contact the Parish Office so we can arrange this.
Cash / cheque donations each week and very gratefully received.
Gift Aid If you are a taxpayer then you can easily help the parish to claim 25% extra on top of every donation you make.  Eg: your donation of £10 per week could become £12.25  going to the church. Filling in a simple form to register your name and address means we can claim an additional 25% of your gift
Please collect a form from the narthex on your way out today, complete and return to the Parish Office.
THANK YOU for your continuing support and generosity in these very challenging times.

MUSICAL TREAT FOR THE WEEK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9eCUqz_x5A&list=RDZ9eCUqz_x5A&start_radio=1
The choristers of King’s College Cambridge do great justice to the beautiful hymn by Isaac Watts (1707), ‘When I survey the wond’rous cross’.

WITH EVERY BLESSING  FOR A VERY HAPPY AND PEACE-FILLED WEEK

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