St. Joseph’s Newsletter – 6thMay 2018
Bonus Ball Winner: No. 41 – Marie Eden
Offertory - £1613.60 (inc. standing orders)
CAFOD - £38
Sanctuary Lamp
In Loving Memory of Helen Bannon
(Birthday & Anniversary Remembrance)
Marian Candle
Una Redmond
(1st Anniversary Remembrance)
Lately Dead
John Faulkner (90), Michael McDonnell, Bernard Creaghan, Lol McGann, Joan Taylor, Peggie Cagney, Mary Walsh
St. Joseph’s UCM
Wednesday 9th May – Bi-monthly Mass at St. Richard’s, Skelmersdale. Mini-bus will leave St. Joseph’s at 6.30pm.
Monday 14th May – BINGO in the Parish Centre at 1.30pm.
Thursday 17th May – Business Meeting in the Parish Centre at 7.30pm.
Trip to Llandudno
Wednesday 16th May, leaving St. Joseph’s at 10am – returning from Llandudno at 4.30pm. Cost is £10 to be paid at time of booking. Please ring Angela on 728763 for more information.
Anthony Kelly’s Ordination
Fr. Malcolm has received 5 tickets for Anthony’s Ordination at the Cathedral on Saturday, 7th July at 1pm. Some of you will remember Anthony as a student here with Fr. Richard about three years ago. If you would like one of these tickets, please put your name and contact number on the form at the back of church. If there are more than 5 names, they will be entered into a draw.
Responding to the Call
Vocation Discernment Group
To support those exploring Vocations to the Priesthood in our diocese, a monthly day of recollection has been organised for the first Saturday of each month. These days will help men who feel called to ordained ministry to discover more about diocesan priesthood and meet others discerning a call to priesthood. There will be an opportunity to talk with and hear from priests who minister in the diocese, and also a time for prayer and discussion. The next day of recollection will take place on Saturday 5th May at St. Charles’ Presbytery, 224 Aigburth Road, Liverpool. For further information, please contact Fr James Preston, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool, at or telephone: 0151 727 2493. Regular updates will be posted on our Facebook page: Archdiocese of Liverpool Vocations
PRAYER Part of the preparation for ADOREMUS is our prayer. We now have seven Prayer-stations in St. Joseph’s; each Station focuses on the Eucharist. At each station thoughtful prayer can be made, the banner and prayer-card leading to reflect on the Eucharist.
The Archbishop is leading a series of Holy Hours in the Archdiocese, again as part of our preparation; two deaneries are coming together for each Holy Hour. The Warrington and Widnes deaneries are joining together and the Holy Hour will take place at St. Joseph, Penketh, on Tuesday May 22nd at 7.30pm. On the Fridays before (May 11th and 18th) at 7.30pm there will be a Holy Hour at St. Joseph.
St. Wilfrid’s Lourdes Group – Monday 7th May
Will be making their annual sponsored Rosary walk from St. Bede’s Church in Widnes to St. Joseph’s Church where Mass will be celebrated at 12 Noon. All funds raised are in aid of St. Wilfrid’s Lourdes Fund 2018. Bishop John will be with us to celebrate the Mass.
St. Joseph’s Pantomime Group
Would again like to thank everybody who supported us this year. The funds have now been distributed to the following groups:-
- Room at the Inn/Y Project
- The Legion of Mary
- St. Joseph’s Over 60’s Club
- St. Rocco’s Hospice
- Lourdes Group
- SVP Children’s Camp
- St. Joseph’s Family Centre
The Legion of Mary will be hosting a Mass and Blessing for the Sick and Housebound on Wednesday 2.00 pm in St Joseph's Church. All are welcome. The service will be followed by refreshments in the Parish Centre. If you need assistance with transport – or can provide transport on the day - please telephone Patricia on 72 6183, or the parish ofice on 72 2105.
St. Joseph’s Family Centre – Would like to thank the parishioners of St. Joseph’s for their continued support in helping maintain the foodbank supplies. However, they would appreciate more items of tinned meat, tinned vegetables, long life milk, breakfast cereals and also toiletries. Thank you for your kind generosity.
MEDJUGORJE IRISH CENTRE PILGRIMAGES 2018: 7 nights B&B and Airport Shuttle service from €279 per person. Book any flight - any time and we provideguaranteed airport shuttle service. Call us for further info and book the dates that suit you. Tel. 020 3239 8662 or email .
Tony and Margaret Bent would like to thank all their friends and parishioners for the love and support they have received over the past few weeks following the loss of Tony’s dad, John. In particular, they were very moved by your generosity for the Stroke Association for which £240 was raised. Special thanks to Canon Christopher for the beautiful Requiem Mass. A Mass will be offered for your intentions.
Scripture mornings at The Irenaeus Project, 32 Great Georges Road Waterloo Liverpool L22 1RD.
Thursdays 10th, 17th, 24th May, 10.30 am – 12 noon.
‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people’
A look at the Acts of the Apostles led by Fr Chris Thomas
No charge but any donations gratefully received.
To book your place, contact The Irenaeus Project on 0151 949 1199 or email
“Rejoice and Be Glad”
Pope Francis has issued an Apostolic Exhortation, “Rejoice and Be Glad”. The theme is, ‘on the call to holiness in today’s world’. The document is very readable and like Pope Francis himself is very down to earth. It is well worth reading and I would highly recommend the Apostolic Exhortation. The cost of the document is £5; if you would like a copy please put £5 in an envelope, with your name and hand it in to the Church or Parish House between now and next Sunday, 6th May. “My modest goal is to propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities”, (Par 2)
Thy Kingdom Come Prayer Walk – Ascension Day, Thursday 10th May
The day starts at 9.00am at St. James, Hood Manor with the following itinerary:-
11.00amPrayers at St. Philip’s, Westbrook
12.30pm*Lunch at St. Joseph’s, Penketh
2.00pmPrayers at St. Joseph’s
3.30pmShort Holy Communion Service at St. Mary’s, Great Sankey
The walk will begin approximately half an hour after prayers at each Church.
*Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. Please bring a packed lunch.
Gospel Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
Love is the Answer
Young couples in love promise each other that their love for each other will never die. Older onlookers may raise a cynical eyebrow. Of course there are lots of older couples in our community who are still very much in love after years and years of marriage, but for every marriage that succeeds another falls by the wayside. The problem with our love for each other is that subconsciously it can be conditional. We can love a partner who is young and beautiful, but will our love survive when that partner is old and toothless and out of shape? We can love a partner who is successful and dynamic and rich, but will our love stagnate when that same partner is out of work, weary and penniless? We might love a partner who is always cheerful and makes us smile, but will our love fade if that partner becomes clinically depressed or seriously ill? When problems rear their head, does love walk out of the door? We wouldn’t like to admit it at the outset of a relationship, but human love tends to be conditional. God’s love of course is unconditional … or is it? In today’s gospel Jesus says, “If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love…” does that sound like a condition? Are we being told that whilst we are keeping God’s commandments God will love us, but as soon as we are sinful that love will be withdrawn? The important thing for us to understand is that God’s love cannot be fickle in the same way that ours is. Human love, especially if we are a little immature, can be something we simply bestow on each other. God’s love is a state of being. God’s love is simply there and doesn’t go away. It’s us that chooses whether or not to accept or reject God’s love by the way we choose to live our lives. We can choose to live good lives and by doing so we will remain in a loving relationship with God, or we can make poor decisions and step out of that loving relationship. Living by God’s commandments isn’t about following a list of strict rules in return for God’s love, it’s about sharing the joy God plans for us by living in a certain way. Of course, those of us who have fallen out of that loving relationship with God haven’t done so on purpose. Few of us consciously make poor decisions… we are all human after all, and we all make mistakes. For those of us who are in danger of losing their way in life, Jesus give us one important guideline “This I command you … to love one another.” The next time you have a tricky decision to make or a dilemma to solve, ask yourself the all-important question. “Is God’s love for me, and my love for neighbour pointing out the answer?”
Pope Francis Prayer Intention for May 2018
Responding With Creativity
In every era Christians have lived through different challenges, and in every era Christians have been challenged to respond a little differently. One of the biggest challenges facing Christians today is a move towards a more secular society. Our communities are more diverse and our families are more splintered. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in our era is the glut of conflicting information including social media constantly demanding our discernment. However the very same mediums that challenge us as Christians are the mediums we can use to evangelise. There has never been an easier time to spread God's word in terms of free publications and social media. This month Pope Francis invites us to share in his prayer intention." That the lay faithful may fulfil their specific mission, by responding with creativity to the challenges that face the world today."
Peace Actions for May
- Remember that May is traditionally Mary’s month and pray the Rosary for peace.
- Use World Communications Day (13th May) to spread messages of hope on social media
- Remember the work of Fair Trade organisations, their suppliers and workers. Pray for an increased awareness of the need to buy fairly traded goods especially on World Fair Trade Day (12th May).
- Support Christian Aid Week from 13th-19th May.
The Ascension of the Lord
Holyday of Obligation
10th May
On this day Jesus tells us, “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all mankind.” We are reminded that it is our job to make God known to everyone. Making God known to the whole world might feel like a bit of a tall order, but we need only start with our own comer. Like weeding a garden … if we each concentrate on our own patch the garden will soon be a small paradise!
Bitesize
I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things.
Vincent van Gogh
Mass Intentions for week commencing 7th May 2018Monday 7th / 12 Noon / Anne Mooney
Tuesday 8th / 9.30am / Betty Povey
Wednesday 9th / 12.30am / Requiem Mass for Mike McDonnell
Thursday 10th / 9.30am
7.30pm / Fr. Francis Mehan
June Traynor
Friday 11h / 12 Noon / Pastoral Area Mass
2nd Intention – Michael Cullinane
Saturday 12th
Sunday 13th / 8.30am
10.30am
4.00pm / Kitty McGing
Parishioners Intentions
Wendy Harrison
Funerals
There will be a Requiem Mass at St. Joseph’s on Wednesday, 9th May at 12.30pm for Mike McDonnell.
There will be a Funeral Service at St. Joseph’s on Thursday, 10th May at 11am for John Faulkner.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place at St. Joseph’s on Wednesday from 10.00am until 11.30am and on Friday from 8.30am until 11.30am