Every Friday during Lent, the Devotion called Stations of The Cross takes place moving around the Parish.

What is Stations of The Cross?

The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. The object of the stations is to help the Christians faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ.

The style, form, and placement of the stations vary widely. The typical stations are small plaques with reliefs or paintings placed around a church nave.

Future dates of the Devotion:

St Mary’s – 29th March

St Patrick’s – 5th April

The Good Shepherd – 12th April

All at 7:00pm. Please join us if you can!

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Season of Lent.

Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, in English-speaking countries, more often by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross. The words (based on Genesis 3:19) used traditionally to accompany this gesture are, “Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.” (“Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.”) This custom is credited to Pope Gregory I the Great (c. 540–604). In the 1969 revision of the Roman Rite, an alternative formula (based on Mark 1:15) was introduced and given first place “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” and the older formula was translated as “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The old formula, based on the words spoken to Adam and Eve after their sin, reminds worshippers of their sinfulness and mortality and thus, implicitly, of their need to repent in time.

Times and location of Holy Mass on Ash Wednesday (6th March) as follows:

St Patrick’s 10:00am

St Mary’s 12:10pm

The Good Shepherd 7:00pm

Our Parish Schools will also be having Services of the Word with the distribution of the Blessed Ashes.

Following the notice in the newsletter… Holy Mass on Thursday will be at the usual time of 12:10pm St Mary’s. All are welcome!

Cardinal John Henry Newman is close to becoming Britain’s first new saint since St. John Ogilvie was canonized by Pope Saint Paul VI in 1976. The last English saints, 40 martyrs of the Reformation, were canonised in 1970. Cardinal Newman, who was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, was born in 1801. He was ordained as a Church of England priest and went on to found the Oxford Movement but converted to Catholicism in 1845. He was later made a cardinal and, after he died at the age of 89, more than 15,000 people lined the streets for his funeral. The cause for his sainthood was opened in 1958 and he was declared Venerable by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1991 after his life of ‘heroic virtue’ was recognised.


Blessed John Henry Newman – Pray for us!

“Sincere thanks to all who helped clean and prepare the Churches for Christmas and who took part in the Masses by reading, providing the music and serving at the altar. Thanks also to those who decorated the trees and window ledges at St Mary’s and St Patrick’s and for further donations toward the cost of flowers. Once again you have been so very kind in sending me lovely cards, wonderful and generous presents and for the plentiful Christmas collection. For all this I am truly grateful. (I do try to thank people personally but even after all this time in the parish I don’t necessarily know names but only faces – so if I have missed you, it’s down to my poor memory for names!)”  Canon C

There are plenty of Masses to choose from at Christmas in the Parish this year!
CHRISTMAS EVE
St Patrick’s – Carols 4:00pm followed by Family Mass at 4:30pm
St Mary’s – Carols 6:00pm followed by Family Mass 6:30pm (Solemn)
St Patrick’s – Christmas Eve Mass 9:00pm (Polish)
St Patrick’s – Midnight Mass (Missa Brevis) Carols from 11:40pm
CHRISTMAS DAY
The Good Shepherd – 8:30am (Dawn Mass)
St Mary’s – 10:30am (Daytime Mass)
St Patrick’s – Christmas Day Mass (Polish) 12noon

All are most welcome to join us!

Not entirely to do with the Parish but…

Blessing of St Clare’s Foundation Stone 1978. A slightly younger Canon Cooper back in 1978! (Photo courtesy of St Clare’s RC Church Preston)

CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY- the total is £3.370.70 (including the soup day at St Patrick’s of £651.50). A wonderful total for the wonderful and needy people whom it will help.

St Mary’s RC Primary School joined us for Mass this morning and a number of children were commissioned as Mini Vinnies (Childrens SVP) Congratulations!

During the course of the school year the Mini Vinnies will be getting involved with some of the SVP’s work.