FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
10th March 2024
Sun 10th FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (p.163)
10.00 Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
11.30 Mass – Parishioners
Mon 11th
Tues 12th
10.00 Mass –
10.30 Meditation Group
Wed 13th
Thurs 14th
Fri 15th
10.00 Mass – Paddie, John and Willie Phalen
10.30 Stations of the Cross
Sat 16th
16.15 Confessions at St Mary’s
17.00 Vigil Mass of Sunday at St Mary’s
Sun 17th
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (p.170) St Patrick
10.00 Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
11.30 Mass – Norah Dougan (A)
12.30 Baptisms -
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK AND THE HOUSEBOUND: Joan Bailey, Francis
Brennan, Anne Byrne, Mary Patricia Case, Gerard Clarke, Leo Duffy,
Clare Edwards, John Fearnhead, Pat Font, Tom Fraser, William Freeman, Jane
Gilbertson, Bob Goulding, Rosemary Hough, Cathy Hull, Mary Johnston, Archbishop
Emeritus Patrick Kelly, John Kerfoot, Bill King, Emma King, Fr Barry McAllister, Val
McGlade, Janet McGowan, Fintan McPeake, Fr Laurence Mayne, Fr Roman Mirchuk,
Ellen Morris, Irene O'Neil, Heidi O’Neill, Barrie Swift, Sylvia Walsh, Jean White, Betty
Wignall, all at Grove House & Marley Court.
RETIRING COLLECTIONS: This weekend SVP. 17th March Nugent Care.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Canon Vincent Burrows (97) in the 71st year of his priesthood, died on Friday 1st March. Funeral arrangements to follow. Denise Price, wife of
Colin, previously of Sacred Heart parish, died in Ireland on 31st January. Denise
touched the lives of many families in Chorley through her work with the SVP group and
at Holy Cross.
LENT – STATIONS OF THE CROSS at St Joseph’s is on Friday mornings after the
10.00 Mass at about 10.25. Please make the effort to attend.
There will be a Holy Hour each Sunday afternoon at St Mary’s at 15.00, with
Evening Prayer and Benediction about 15.40
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS 2024
St Joseph: Tues 19th March – Annual Exposition
Palm Sunday and start of Holy Week: 24th March
Easter Sunday: 31st March
Ascension of the Lord: 9th May Pentecost: 19th May
Corpus Christi: 2nd June First Holy Communions: Sat. 8th June
BAPTISM DATES: 17 March, 28 April, 26 May, 30 June, 28 July
FOR PARISHIONERS WHO HOLD A RED APF MISSION BOX:
Over the next few weeks, we will be distributing the Spring magazines to you,
and at the same time emptying your red boxes. You can either empty your
red box into a bag or envelope along with your name on it, or you can bring
your red box to church for us to empty. If you need us to call at your home
please contact Kath Heald on 07584 575025 or Jen Turner 07527 356356 and
we will visit you at a time convenient for you.
Thank you so much in advance ~ we are so very grateful for your generosity,
Kath & Jen.
BIG LENT WALK: Parish sponsored walk for CAFOD next Sunday, 17th March, starting from the front door of the church at 13.45. Will take a route past Horrobin Lane The
Street and Nickleton Brow. About 5 km. Sponsorship forms at the back of church.
LAST CALL FOR CANDIDATES (YEAR 8 and upwards) FOR CONFIRMATION THIS
YEAR: If you did not receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in your youth or you are
joining the Catholic Family and would like to be confirmed, please register on the Animate website, or adults contact the Parish Office. 01257 480237. Applications must be in
for 15th March. Thank you.
CATHOLIC BOOKSHOP at Salford Cathedral has sadly closed. The trustees have decided it is not viable anymore, many people see it as a great loss. Therefore, if you are
looking for a well-stocked Catholic bookshop, the nearest one is in Liverpool, the Pauline shop with the Sisters of the Daughters of St Paul. It is very well supplied and you
can have some time with the Blessed Sacrament in a special room; 84 Church Street,
Liverpool L1 3AY (Liverpool ONE). Tel: 0151 709 1328. liverpool@pauline-uk.org
MARCH IS THE MONTH OF ST JOSEPH: Copies of the Litany to St Joseph can be
found near his statue: Each of us can discover in Joseph – the just man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in
times of trouble. The national Novena starts on 10th – 18th March:. “O God, who in
your inexpressible providence were pleased to choose Saint Joseph as spouse
of the most holy Mother of your Son, grant, we pray, that we who revere him as
our protector on earth, may be worthy of his heavenly intercession. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY: to the ladies who are mothers
and to those who love and care for someone and fulfil the
role of a mother. We also pray for the mothers that have
joined the Good Lord and are seeing Him face to face. We
pray for mothers who have lost their child through death.
Mothers love their little ones even when they are adults and
parents themselves. A mother’s love is unconditional, and it
means more than flowers or chocolates. It means the words
– I love you Mum, thank you for all that you do for me.
OFFERTORY ENVELOPES FOR 2024/25 year
will be distributed over the next 2 or 3 weeks . You will notice a difference
as we are trying out a new system of ONE offertory envelope per month
rather weekly ones. The idea is to put all your offerings for the month in
just one envelope and hand it in at any Sunday Mass during the month
as convenient for you.
Other collections using envelopes e.g. Restoration, Peter’s Pence are included in the set of envelopes in the usual way.
This change is saving the parish money on the cost of envelopes and will
also make the job of counting easier. For any queries please contact Jennifer Turner on 07527 356365.
God be in my head And in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes And in my looking;
God be in my mouth And in my speaking;
God be in my heart And in my thinking;
God be at mine end, And at my departing.
"Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God? Make for it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.
CHORLEY AND PRESTON HOSPITALS: Please contact St Joseph's Chorley
(262713) if any member of your family is admitted into Chorley Hospital and needs a
visit. In urgent situations or emergency please ask the ward staff to call the duty
Chaplain on his bleep/phone. For the chaplaincy at Royal Preston Hospital please ring
01772 522435. For the chaplaincy service at Wigan Infirmary T. 01942 822324.
POSSIBLE CHANGE IN ABORTION LAWS: Support an amendment to reduce our
abortion time limit from 24 weeks to 22 weeks. Research indicates that a significant
number of babies born at 22 or 23 weeks can now survive outside the womb, leaving a
contradiction in our abortion law. Take action: Collect a postcard today from the back of
the church and post it to our MP urgently in support of this amendment! Post cards may
be found on the round table in the narthex. Thank you.
DRAWING US CLOSE TO CHRIST AND THE SAINTS: RELICS AND THEIR MEANING FOR US TODAY St Oscar Romero Mass 19.00 March 21. A special Mass at
St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith, Liverpool Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield WN4 9NP,
with an opportunity to venerate the relics of St Oscar Romero.
20.00-21.00 Following the Romero Mass, Dr Jan Graffius will speak about relics and
their significance for Catholics. Dr Graffius has been instrumental in conserving the relics of St Oscar Romero, including the relic gifted to the Archdiocese. She will share with
us about the life and enduring legacy of St Oscar Romero, and how relics can continue
to inspire us in our faith, and to work for justice and reconciliation in our world today. Dr
Graffius is the Curator of Collections for the College Museum, Library and Archives at
Stonyhurst College, and Trustee of the Romero Trust.
LENTEN THOUGHTS:
"Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may go to heaven." St Rose
"Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself." St Francis de Sales
God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy."
"During Lent, let us find concrete ways to overcome our indifference." Pope Francis
"Seek a relationship when you pray, not answers. You won't always find answers, but
you will always find Jesus." Father Mike Schmitz
There is more mercy in Christ, than sin in us.
There is a watershed in the human heart. You have to decide if there is a God. We don’t
get to decide if there is a God. He is, whether we think He is or not. But every human
heart has to decide. Because if there is a God, and He is anything like the God we meet
in the Bible, a God of smoke and fire, a God of power and holiness. If He is this God,
then we would be utterly foolish, and it would be extremely reckless, were we to form
our own moral code from the submissions of popular opinion.” Kevin deYoung
Parish Priest: Fr Francis Marsden
Secretary: Mr Frank Webster
Parish Office: St Joseph’s Presbytery, 28 Bolton Road, Adlington, Chorley PR6 9NA
Wednesdays 10.00-13.00
Tel: 01257- 480237 or 01257- 262537 (St Mary’s Chorley)
E-mail: stjosephs.anderton@tiscali.co.uk
Parish Website: www.stjosephsanderton.com
ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL Registered Charity No. 1199714