CROSS

THE PARISH OF OUR LADY AND ST. PATRICK’S
THIS WEEK'S SERVICES

FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

FEBRUARY 9TH - 15TH
2025



WEEKLY SERVICES
SUNDAY: 10.00am.  12.30pm (Polish Mass)
6.00pm
MONDAY: 12 noon Mass
TUESDAY: 12 noon Mass
WEDNESDAY:
12 noon Mass
THURSDAY: 12 noon Mass
FRIDAY: 12 noon Mass
SATURDAY:
12 noon Mass

LIVESTREAMING THIS WEEK

From now on we will be using Twitter to provide online Masses. Either download the Twitter App and search for @PhilipSumner13 or click the pic below

twitter

Then either just watch from there. You can also click Follow if you have a Twitter account.

Weekday Masses and Saturday's 12 noon Mass will continue to be Livestreamed, as will Sunday's 10.00am Mass

Click here for Mass Livestream

The church will normally be open on Mondays to Saturdays from 10.00am for private prayer

Confessions
each Saturday 11.00am-11.50am

Baptisms & Weddings
by arrangement

FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)
WEEK: FEBRUARY 9TH - 15TH 2025 

THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

cross

YOUR  CHARITABLE  PRAYERS are requested for our parishioners and friends, especially those whose names appear below.
SICK: John Green, Joan Killeen, Christine Clarke, Tony Kenny, Luke Burke, Dominic Boardman, Connie Marrone, Alexander Loughlin, Surya Duval, Margaret Lawless, Peter Barlow, Nynna Carpio, Terry Cummins, Elizabeth Flanagan, Margaret Emsis, Nel Eaton
LATELY DEAD: Mateus Manuel Alfredo, Maria Moreno, Eileen Killeen, Graeme Matthew Park, Karolyn Wadsworth, Jacqueline De Almeida, Maria Lourdes De Barros, Nora Hickey, Mary Malone, Gerry McParland
ANNIVERSARIES: Fernando Lopez, Joao Lopez Da Silva, Alvaro Silva, Maria di Jesus, John Donnelly, Alice McConnon, Kathleen McDermott, Monica Gough, Alice Wright, Catherine and Lewis Laverty,

LAST WEEK'S COLLECTION: £858.04

Standing Order: £674.00 a month

CHURCH BOXES / DONATIONS
Greater Manchester Chinese Catholic Community £200.00
Caritas (Homeless) £20.00

Many thanks for your kind generosity.

If anyone needs the Bank account details to set up Direct Debit payments, please contact Father Phil.


CROSS

THIS SUNDAY'S MISSALETTE & HYMNS

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time - Missalette

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time - Hymns


NOTICES:
All Masses will continue to be live streamed. A link is provided on the Parish website: www.smwsp.org.uk or via the Twitter App (@PhilipSumner13). 

WEEK FOCUSSING ON RACIAL JUSTICE
Today, Christians from other denominations will focus on Racial Justice. One of the writers for the resources sent out by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland points out that, in the Prophet Amos, there is the line, “Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites? Declares the Lord” (Amos 9:7). But who were the Cushites? They were the ancient inhabitants of Sudan, South Egypt and Ethiopia, African people. What God is saying through the prophet is that, if the Cushites, like the Hebrews were being oppressed, they also deserved liberation. Whatever the ethnic background, God is committed to liberating people. He was and is involved in the struggles of all oppressed people.
A couple of years ago. In March 2022, a government report, chaired by Tony Sewell, suggested that the Black communities of this country had passed from an age of heroism, through an age of rebellion to an age of participation in British society. So, if the Black communities are now enjoying an age of participation, why do we still need to mark Racial Justice Sunday? But subsequent government reports, one on the state of policing in London and another on the state of policing in Scotland, have shown a very different picture; those reports refer to the continued presence of institutional racism in the police service, and at a serious level. A quick glance at other indicators will also show that there’s still so much racism and injustice in our society. And the racist activity on social media at the beginning of August last year after the dreadful killing of three children in Southport, followed by serious racist protests in the streets of several towns and cities, remind us of the importance of this day.
It’s true that society, in the UK, has changed so much in recent years, but racism has changed too.  Pope Francis, in his Encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti”, said: “Racism is a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting.” (Fratelli Tutti par. 97). Then, in 2021, he ‘Tweeted’: “Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think.”

LENTEN SCHOOL OF PRAYER 2025 - Wardley Hall, Worsley, M28 2ND
Tuesday 4th March 2025 at 11am - 1pm. The series of talks coming to Wardley Hall this Lent will accompany us on our journey towards Easter. The first of the talks will take place on Tuesday, 4th March and will be followed by a series of weekly talks delivered by Mgr Paul Smith, Sr Joan Kerley, and Maria Kidd, and will explore the concept of pilgrimage and journeying through the lens of the Jubilee.
Places are limited to 30 participants. To reserve a place, please contact Sister Joan by emailing: joankfmsj@gmail.com or call: 0161 971 7842.

LENTEN STATION MASSES FOR 2025
The Lenten Station Masses for 2025 will begin on 11th March at St. Jospeh’s, Mossley. Then, on 18th March, we will be in St. Herbert’s, Chadderton. On 25th March, we will be at Ss. Aidan and Oswald’s, Royton. On the 1st April, we will be at St. Anne’s in Ashton. Then, finally, on 8th April, we will be at St Edward’s, Lees. All these Masses will be at 7.00pm.

FIRST COMMUNION PROGRAMME FOR 2024-25
The next session will be on Saturday 8th March at 10.00am.

CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME FOR 2025
Fr. Callum has informed us that it is being carried out this year in St. Edward’s Church, Lees, Newman College and St. Damian’s High School. The programme will begin with a meeting for parents of all the young people who wish to be confirmed, on Wednesday 12th March at 7pm at St. Edward’s Church, Lees. Then the programme begins for the children on 17th March at Newman, 18th March at St Damian’s (both 3.30-5pm) and 19th March at St. Edward’s (at 6.00pm). You can sign up the young people for the programme at the first meeting (the one for parents). There will be seven sessions in all, the last one being a reconciliation service. The confirmations will take place at 7pm on 4th June at St. Mary’s Failsworth, or a 7pm. 5th June at St. Edward’s, Lees. Young people of Year 8 age group and older can register.

SPECIAL DAYS THIS WEEK
Monday, 10th February - St. Scholastica – She was the sister of St. Benedict. She was born in Umbria c 480. Like her brother she devoted her life to God, founding the Benedictine Sisters and dying at Monte Cassino in 547.
Tuesday, 11th February - Our Lady of Lourdes - This is the World Day of the Sick.
Friday, 14th February - Ss Cyril and Methodius – They were brothers and missionaries, who carried the Gospel into the Slavonic countries: they translated the liturgical books into the Slavonic language (inventing a new script, Cyrillic, to do so). Cyril died in 869, Methodius in 885.

THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
In our post-modern world, there’s a tendency to think that science will find a way to sort out every problem. Human knowledge has taken massive strides in the fight against cancer. The problem of global warming, too, is hopefully being addressed by scientists developing machines that will continue to make our lives easier, without consuming too much energy, and developing more renewable sources for that energy. With such a tendency, human knowledge and skill is put on a pedestal and the desire to consume is unabated and insatiable.
But today’s readings speak of the weakness of human ability and, in complete contrast, the awesome power of God at work in our world. All three of our readings speak of individuals becoming aware of that power of God in their lives and at the same time of them realising their own weakness. We started with Isaiah, who had some vision of God in the temple. He immediately realised how wretched he was, a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips. Then we moved on to St. Paul in the second reading speaking of his experience of God on the road to Damascus. He says that, despite all his weaknesses, God chose him to be an Apostle, a title he does not deserve. Finally, in the Gospel, Peter, who was the expert fisherman, who’d decided that there was no point in fishing anymore that day, sees that, with Jesus’ intervention, an amazing haul of fish was to be had. “Leave me, Lord,” he says, “I am a sinful man.”
All three were to be chosen by God despite their weaknesses. Isaiah was to be an amazing prophet, who captured in language some of the truest images of the Messiah who was to come. It was to Isaiah that we heard Jesus turn to discover his own mission. For their parts, Paul and Peter were to be the foremost builders of the early Church. But both continued to have their weaknesses even after they had been chosen. We know that Peter went on to deny Jesus and Paul was to be over harsh towards John Mark, who shared his ministry.
For mission to be effective in the Church, the most important elements are not what we bring to help that mission but how God is active in our lives, and us being aware of that activity. The greatest dynamic for mission is God’s mercy and that has two major elements, realising the forgiveness that I receive from the cross of Christ and being aware of his presence in my life. Is it any wonder that when the concentration of the world is on human capacity to solve problems, as it is in the West, mission is least effective and the Church in that area shrinks? If it is to grow again, we must become more aware of God’s presence in our lives and of his love for us despite our weaknesses. Then we must put out into deep water, away from the comfort of the harbour, or of things familiar and safe. It’s there that we learn to rely more on God and there that we will be fruitful in the ministry given to us.