Pentecost Sunday

Detail from our Pentecost vestment

"Veni, Sancte Spiritus"
Heal our wounds, our strength renew.

Dear Friends,

I hear often the question, "When will we be able to return to Mass?" The truth I that I do not have any insider information but, reading between the lines, perhaps on 4th July or quite soon afterwards and not necessarily in all churches, as some may not be able to provide the necessary conditions -some of these may be onerous. It's also the case that there are a good number of our clergy who may not be able to come out of self-isolation so soon due to age or underlying conditions. Some parishioners will also not necessarily be able to venture out to such gatherings at that time. Some churches may be open for private prayer before then as well. These are only my tentative guesses.

Come, O Holy Spirit, come! From Your bright and blissful Home Rays of healing light impart. Come, Father of the poor, Source of gifts that will endure Light of ev'ry human heart.

You of all consolers best, Of the soul most kindly Guest, Quick'ning courage do bestow.

In hard labor You are rest, In the heat You refresh best, And solace give in our woe.

O most blessed Light divine, Let Your radiance in us shine, And our inmost being fill.

Nothing good by man is thought, Nothing right by him is wrought, When he spurns Your gracious Will.

Cleanse our souls from sinful stain, Lave our dryness with Your rain, Heal our wounds and mend our way.

Bend the stubborn heart and will, Melt the frozen, warm the chill, Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful who in You, Trust with childlike piety, Deign Your sevenfold gift to send.

Give them virtue's rich increase, Saving grace to die in peace, Give them joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia.

Today is Pentecost Sunday – May 31st 2020

National Rosary Rally 9am to 9pm – England, Wales, Scotland

Pope Francis is encouraging Catholics to pray the Rosary in their family homes during the month of May, especially when the Pandemic is making us aware of the value of our families and making it possible for us to pray together in lockdown at home. He encourages simple Rosaries and joining online Rosary initiatives to pray to Our Lady for deliverance from Covid-19 and he has composed two prayers for this intention.  I invite you to join in an initiative that follows on the Pope’s request, the Pentecost Sunday National Rosary Rally, from 9.00am to 9.00pm across Scotland England and Wales.  

At 9pm the Rosary Rally will end with a Rosary being led by Bishop John Keenan from St. Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley. You can read further here. Although particular times are suggested around the country, I think it would be more important to pray whenever  you can.

Come Holy Spirit; Renew the Face of the Earth
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us 

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Your Mass intentions will still be offered as requested and you may continue to send them in: this week for...

For the people of the parish
Leo Rigby, BR
Fr Taylor & Fr Tobin
For young people and their families
Bill Adamson, RIP
Lottie and Joe Worthington
Special Intention for help
Albert, Winnie and Andrew Watmough, RIP

Your Prayers are asked for all the sick, including: Rita Sarbrick, Rosena Stacey, Vivienne Lee, Tom Miller, Paul Casey, Linda Melling, Tilly Gee, Kathleen Ward, Clare Butler, Maureen MacDonald, Louie Baines, Maureen O'Brien, Margaret McNiff, Elle Miller, Mark Duncan, Hild Gibbons, Bill Sutton, Barbara Fow, Mary Ann Monaghan, Bernard Lawson, Mick Marshall, Carol Parkinson, Margaret Cheston, Eric Neilson, Alan Cottam, Seámus McLoughlin.

We pray for those who are housebound and for those who love  and care for them. 

O Mary conceived without sin - Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

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If you would like to pray through the Mass online or via TV here are some links below. Some people find it a way of preparing in some fitting way to make a Spiritual Communion in these times when the actual Mass is not available:

If you have access to Facebook, the beautiful little church of Corpus Christi on Maiden Lane in London has Mass each day.           https://www.facebook.com/corpuschristimaidenlane

Also on Facebook, the Canons at St Walburge's in Preston stream many Masses and Devotions: https://www.facebook.com/icksp.preston/

If you have Sky TV or you can also access EWTN at: https://www.ewtn.com/

With many other programmes that you might find useful.

The Oratorians at Cardiff: http://cardifforatory.co.uk/live-stream/

 
The Fathers of the Fraternity of St Peter also stream their Masses and devotions from Warrington St Mary's at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/livemass/warrington/index.html 

You can even join in Mass live from Westminster Cathedral: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/index.php

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Please do continue to keep in touch via our Parish Facebook page and my blog. I continue to be in touch with parishioners via phone calls and emails.

May I ask that, if you are able, please continue to put aside your weekly offering each Sunday and bring it with you when things return to some normality. If you would like a Standing Order form, please contact me. 

God keep you,

Fr Simon.

Seventh Sunday of Eastertide

  

"Christ is the Morning Star,

who, when the night of this world is past,
gives to his saints the promise of the light of life,
and opens everlasting day."

St Bede the Venerable: Feastday on Monday 25th May

Dear Friends,

Our exile from the House of God continues and a grievous exile it is. I see that the secular authorities lump the Mass in with "leisure activities" for the prescriptions of when we might open our door again. A sad reflection on these godless times.

Our sufferings come in many forms. I've discovered this week that there are no dental services available anywhere in the country. If your toothache gets too much to endure or dosing yourself up on painkillers for endless days isn't working, then you are to present yourself at A and E for an extraction. I can only hope that my offerings have alleviated much misery in Purgatory. (I've resisted the emergency extraction so far!)

On Monday there falls the feast of a great English Saint - Bede the Venerable. His "History of the English People" is the main source of much of our early knowledge of England. You can read something of him here. He is one of the few pre-reformation saints still buried in their ancient shrines in this country after the ravages of that destructive time. In this case, in the Galilee Chapel of Durham Cathedral, pictured below.

NEXT SUNDAY is Pentecost Sunday – May 31st 2020

National Rosary Rally 9am to 9pm – England, Wales, Scotland

Pope Francis is encouraging Catholics to pray the Rosary in their family homes during the month of May, especially when the Pandemic is making us aware of the value of our families and making it possible for us to pray together in lockdown at home. He encourages simple Rosaries and joining online Rosary initiatives to pray to Our Lady for deliverance from Covid-19 and he has composed two prayers for this intention.  I invite you to join in an initiative that follows on the Pope’s request, the Pentecost Sunday National Rosary Rally, from 9.00am to 9.00pm across Scotland England and Wales.  

At 9pm the Rosary Rally will end with a Rosary being led by Bishop John Keenan from St. Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley. You can read further here. Although particular times are suggested around the country, I think it would be more important to pray whenever  you can.

Come Holy Spirit & Renew the Face of the Earth
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us 

We also pray for the repose of the soul of our retired Auxiliary Bishop, Vincent Malone, who succumbed to Covid 19 earlier this week. You can read an obitury for him here.

 --------------------------------------

Your Mass intentions will still be offered as requested and you may continue to send them in: this week for...

For the people of the parish
Margaret Dickinson, RIP. First Anniversary

For those suffering addictions
Simon Gardner and Family
Pat Leach, RIP
Thanksgiving for prayers answered

Your Prayers are asked for all the sick, including: Rita Sarbrick, Rosena Stacey, Vivienne Lee, Tom Miller, Paul Casey, Linda Melling, Tilly Gee, Kathleen Ward, Clare Butler, Maureen MacDonald, Louie Baines, Maureen O'Brien, Margaret McNiff, Elle Miller, Mark Duncan, Hild Gibbons, Bill Sutton, Barbara Fow, Mary Ann Monaghan, Bernard Lawson, Mick Marshall, Carol Parkinson, Margaret Cheston, Eric Neilson, Alan Cottam, Seámus McLoughlin.

We pray for those who are housebound and for those who love  and care for them. 

O Mary conceived without sin - Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

----------------------------------------

If you would like to pray through the Mass online or via TV here are some links below. Some people find it a way of preparing in some fitting way to make a Spiritual Communion in these times when the actual Mass is not available:

If you have access to Facebook, the beautiful little church of Corpus Christi on Maiden Lane in London has Mass each day.           https://www.facebook.com/corpuschristimaidenlane

Also on Facebook, the Canons at St Walburge's in Preston stream many Masses and Devotions: https://www.facebook.com/icksp.preston/

If you have Sky TV or you can also access EWTN at: https://www.ewtn.com/

With many other programmes that you might find useful.

The Oratorians at Cardiff: http://cardifforatory.co.uk/live-stream/

 
The Fathers of the Fraternity of St Peter also stream their Masses and devotions from Warrington St Mary's at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/livemass/warrington/index.html 

You can even join in Mass live from Westminster Cathedral: http://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/index.php

---------------------------------------------

Please do continue to keep in touch via our Parish Facebook page and my blog. I continue to be in touch with parishioners via phone calls and emails.

May I ask that, if you are able, please continue to put aside your weekly offering each Sunday and bring it with you when things return to some normality. If you would like a Standing Order form, please contact me. 

God keep you,

Fr Simon.