WELCOME TO ST MARY’S NEWHOUSE

SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, no public Mass

Sunday 29th, 10am - 11 St Mary’s, Newhouse, open for private prayer only. And 3pm – 3.30,  Our Lady & St Edward’s open

Monday 30th  10 – 11, and 3.00 – 3.30  OLSE open.

Tuesday 1st Dec.     as Monday.

WEDNESDAY:  PUBLIC MASS RESTORED

Wednesday 2nd,  7.00pm Mass at St. Mary, Newhouse (as is usual on Wednesdays.)  In OLSE church, the 5-yearly electrical inspection will be taking place.

Thursday, 3rd. 9.00am   Mass at OLSE  

        Later, at St. Mary Newhouse, funeral for Alison McGowan

Friday, 4th,  9.00am   Mass at OLSE. (First Friday)

Saturday, 5th,  VIGIL of Second Sunday of Advent  Mass 6.00pm at OLSE

Sunday, 6th December.   Second of Advent  (Year B) Mass 8.45am at OLSE                                                          Mass 10.30am at St. Mary, Newhouse

YOUR SEAT AT WEEKEND MASS:

Keep to the same number that you had before. 

If in doubt, ring 860940 for Sunday 10.30 Mass.

If wanting to attend OLSE, ring 863084 (6.00pm) or 860173 (8.45am)

Saints' Days, Mass Times and Intentions

(Mass said privately by Fr. Bob up to

and including Tuesday 1^st December)

On the death of Alison (Ali) McGowan of Sunning-dale, Broughton, we pray for her, and give our condolences to son, John, and all the family.

Funeral on Thursday.  R.I.P.

A GOOD CONFESSION BEFORE CHRISTMAS – (and before First Holy Communion). In Our Lady’s chapel, OLSE, Saturdays 10.00 till 10.30, or any day by private arrangement 862437. Today's Gospel: Stay awake! Stand ready!

CHANGE

It’s been getting harder to attend properly to the needs of the parish, so Bishop Paul has accepted my resignation and suggested I retire to St. Mary’s, Newhouse. That will be in January.

 The priest in charge of St. Mary’s, Newhouse (and of OLSE) will be Fr. Ernest Attah, who will continue to be parish priest of Fernyhalgh parish and administrator of Our Lady’s Shrine at Ladyewell, assisted by Fr. Mario-Benedict Ashuikeka. They are a religious missionary order of priests from Nigeria, on loan to this diocese. They have been here for 6 years. You’ll remember that Fr. Tim hosted them at first.

They are meant to live as a community, so they will remain together at Fernyhalgh, caring for all 3 parishes from there.

To assist them, Sister Shienrose and Sister Maria will come from Ambleside to live in OLSE presbytery, which therefore becomes a convent. They will do much of the parish work, and visit the sick and schools and maybe much else. Their Religious Order is the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres.

Times of change, properly embraced, can be fruitful. Many of you are realising you have key roles to play in maintaining and developing parish and Church life. If you are asked to help in some way,

let your first instinct be: “Yes”.

COLLECTIONS:    

This weekend: help for the poorer parishes, please. Not all parishes can make ends meet. There’s an envelope in your pack. Next weekend (5^th/6t^h Dec.) Collection for Catholic work amongst seafarers. Used to be Apostleship of the Sea, now called STELLA MARIS (Star of the Sea - a title of Our Lady) There’s no envelope. Collection box after Mass. This collection was postponed from July.

CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES here at SMN

Here at St. Mary’s we’ll have Christmas Eve Mass at 5.00pm and at 7.00pm,    and on

Christmas Morning: but which time is better – 9.30 or 10.30 ??

(It can be a question of getting the turkey in the oven after Mass!)

Michaela is waiting to hear the majority preference on 860940. Please let her know a.s.a.p. then we’ll decide, and let you know for definite what the time will be.

The Christmas Masses at OLSE are all full, so we are encouraging new enquirers to try Newhouse.

(Groups are restricted to a maximum of six people who must be in the same household.)

A particular request: If you book, but then cannot come, PLEASE ring us a.s.a.p., to release the seat(s). 

ADVENT. “My Day by Day” is here, only £1. Ring Fr. Bob 862437 to collect, or to have delivered.

Day of Prayer for MIGRANTS - Thursday 3^rd Dec. St. Francis Xavier is their patron saint. He travelled tirelessly around India and the Far East as a missionary. On Thursday let us pray for all those who are on the move (migrants,) many out of necessity, but often encountering danger, squalor, exploitations, separation, death, when they leave their homes.

Mary’s Meals asks: “help feed children at Christmas” www.marysmeals.org.uk/doublethelove 

“YOUR PARISH & YOUR PLANET”

Putting “Laudato Si” into action in the parish.

Laudate Si is the letter from Pope Francis about the Care of Creation.

A Zoom Retreat  22^nd  – 25^th Jan  2021

Led from Boarbank Hall, Cumbria, by Sister Margaret Atkins, author of “Catholics and Our Common Home” (CTS)

Email: margaret@boarbank.org.uk  to find out more.

The Catholic Voice (our diocesan monthly paper) is online for reading (December edition) on: www.catholicvoiceoflancaster.co.uk

ST. MARY’S SUPPORT GROUP: If you’d like help yourself, or just a phone chat, or if you would like to contribute items to the Ingol food bank, but can’t bring it yourself, please ask Michaela, 07802 435561.

FOOD BANK –More heavy bags of goodies came again this week, thank you very much. Suggestions: custard, rice pudding, long-life milk, evaporated milk, Weetabix, biscuits, tins of all sorts, incl meat, peas, baked beans, fruit, sweetcorn, sugar, coffee sachets. 

We can collect.   COVID-19   0777 943  6279   

In the parish at OLSE are various Fair Trade items – organic jams, honey, raisins, and chocolates. Also an Advent booklet (£1).       Inspect without obligation.  

“UNIVERSE” weekly Catholic newspaper. You can have it delivered, post free, £22 for 3 months or £80 for a year, by subscribing direct.  Cheaper still to be an online subscriber.  Details enquire 0161 820 5722, or www.thecatholicuniverse.com/donate   

Keeping up-to-date as a Catholic.

CHRISTMAS FACE MASKS can be ordered now, 07900 542337.  pno.teresa@sky.com

Same price as before, but 50p of each will go to Cafod Christmas Appeal.

Please consider being a Governor in a Catholic school, whether you’re retired or of working age. One or two are needed locally and in Preston. Finance skill? 

Plans are afoot to prepare the church for Christmas. Wanting to help?

Please ring 07900 542 337. We thank Pauline and Pat for work on Advent Wreath etc.

“Saints, Scholars, Spiritual Masters.”         

 Online talks, 3^rd Sept till 8^th Dec.  Free.

To receive a link,  just  register at https://christianheritagecentre.com/event/saints-scholars-spiritual-masters

or email:  events@christianheritagecentre.com

THE JOY OF HOPE:  download a free CaFE online course for Advent.  Ring the CaFE team on 0845 050 9428 or email  tim@faithcafe.org  It’s about a connection between the Greek Island of Patmos and our faith. (CaFE = Catholic Faith Exploration).

Marriage Preparation 2021

St Clare’s parish is ready to run a marriage preparation course, early in 2021, if there is sufficient interest. Social distancing etc. will be observed. We need to know before Wed 2^nd December, to get a sense of numbers before we can go ahead. Couples should attend this course unless serious reasons prevent. So, please will any couple intending to marry in 2021 or 2022 tell Fr. Bob in the next few days (before Wednesday) that they will attend. Thank you. Please spread the word.

Parish SCOUT GROUP (8 Fulwood) virtual AGM via Zoom, 14^th Dec at 7pm. Apply to Ian M.

Help protect babies with cleft lip, cleft palate and club foot

Sadly abortion is currently available in the UK, right up to birth, for babies with cleft lip, cleft palate and club foot. ( All of these conditions can be corrected.) 

A cross-party group of MPs from the three largest parties in the UK Parliament have come together to bring forward the Abortion (Cleft lip, cleft palate and club foot) Bill. The Bill will change the law to clarify that cleft palate, cleft lip, and club foot are not grounds for abortion in the UK.

Can you help with getting your MP to support this Bill? Please visit www.standupandsmile.org.uk to email your MP asking them to support the Bill.

It only takes 30 seconds.

It is good to pray for everyone we hear about in the news, suffering from the virus, in their economy or their health, locally and all round the world, and for leaders. We need unity, harmony, compassion, care for the less able members of society, respectful dialogue amongst us.

A PRAYER FOR DELIVERY FROM THE VIRUS:

Let’s say this daily, for all of humanity,

< Almighty, ever-living God, only support of our human weakness, look with compassion upon the sorrowful condition of your children, who suffer because of this pandemic;  relieve the pain of the sick, give strength to those who care for them, welcome into your peace those who have died, and, through this time of tribulation, grant that we may all find comfort in your merciful love. Through Christ our Lord. >

The Pope’s Prayer intention for DECEMBER 2020

For a life of prayer: “We pray that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ be nourished by the Word of God and a life of prayer.” 

For the latest Diocese information regarding Coronavirus, including details of prayers and special contrition/communion, please visit Lancaster Diocese Coronavirus advice

Visit:- www.CatholicDirectory.org to view all the different diocesan newspapers, incl. the Catholic Voice of Lancaster.  

See Bishop Swarbrick's blog for recent Diocesan news.