MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK 

Saturday    4^th     5.00pm    Priest’s Intention      
Thursday   9^th    10.00am  Garth Owen RIP
Saturday 11^th      5.00pm   Parishioners

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

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 PARISH NEWSLETTER

MASSES THIS WEEK
Thursday at 10.00am    

CONFESSIONS: Next confessions: last Saturday of the month –   25 April, 4.15pm to 4.45pm 

READINGS FOR 5 APRIL
1^st Reading: Acts 10:3-4, We ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
Psalm 118: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
2^nd Reading: Colossians 3:1-4, Seek the things that are above, where Christ is.
Gospel Reading: John 20:1-9, He must rise from the dead.
Gospel acclamation: 
Communion antiphon: Christ our Passover has been sacrificed, alleluia; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of purity and truth, alleluia, alleluia.

EASTER MESSAGE
‘This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad!’

My thanks to the choir, organist, flower arrangers, servers, welcomers, cleaners and readers for their work in preparing the church and the liturgy, so enabling us to celebrate this special feast.

Happy Easter and God’s blessings on you and your families.

Christ is Risen – alleluia, alleluia!

THE EASTER VIGIL: REFLECTION & PRAYER
Dearest Mother Mary, on that first Holy Saturday, you kept vigil for your Son. You allowed the divine gift of hope to grow within you, and you allowed that hope to be your strength in the midst of the horror of the Cross. Pray for me that I may ponder your beautiful heart this day so that I, too, may be filled with hope as I endure the challenges of this earthly life. Give me a heart of joyful anticipation as I await the grace of new life our loving Lord desires to bestow on me.

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR APRIL
For priests in crisis
For priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that their communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

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

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxGwrNGyyWg&list=RDQxGwrNGyyWg&start_radio=1

A perfect hymn for Easter Sunday, ‘This joyful Eastertide’ – and here performed beautifully by the Gesualdo Six.

WITH EVERY BLESSING  FOR A HAPPY AND PEACE-FILLED EASTER

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