31st January 2021 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

http://thewoodlandretreat.com/yoga-with-maitri/creating-a-sacred-space-in-your-home/ 30th January – 7th February the week ahead:-

Svobody Today is the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mass 12 noon (Saturday) Dunsop Bridge

Mass 5pm        (Saturday) Clitheroe

Mass 9.30am   (Sunday)    Clitheroe

Mass 11am      (Sunday)    Sabden

Monday         No Public Mass

Tuesday          Mass 10am  The Presentation of the Lord

Wednesday  No Public Mass

Thursday        Mass 10am

Friday              No Public Mass  St. Agatha


Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mass 12 noon (Saturday) Dunsop Bridge

Mass 5pm        (Saturday) Clitheroe

Mass 9.30am  (Sunday)    Clitheroe

Mass 11am     (Sunday)    Sabden

A Public Mass can only be celebrated on the days that we have stewards who are available. (see above)


Racial Justice Sunday – 31 January 2021
This weekend we celebrate Racial Justice Sunday with this year’s theme is ‘A Time to Act’ and it is perhaps more important than ever for us to actively oppose racism and pursue racial justice with renewed vigour.

 Congratulations  To Peter and Pat Ryan who are celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary this week.


Elizabeth Prout, Mother Mary Joseph C.P. An Englishwoman born in Shrewsbury, who spent most of her time ministering to people around Manchester, in Cheetham Hill, is advancing towards being recognised as a Saint.
Pope Francis has declared Elizabeth Prout to be Venerable, putting her a crucial step closer to final recognition as a Saint.
The Holy Father authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree on January 21 formally recognising that the Servant of God Mother Elizabeth Prout lived a life of heroic virtue.

As Bishop Mark Davies said, “The Church has declared her Christian life and virtues worthy of our veneration.It seems appropriate this announcement came during the pandemic when we can look to Elizabeth’s example and ask the help of her prayers as a woman who helped many during the epidemics which swept the industrial communities of Victorian England.”

Mother Elizabeth earned a reputation for her tireless efforts in teaching, sheltering, feeding and nursing the needy and for establishing a chain of schools and hostels across the other poverty-stricken parts of the North West of England.

She is considered to have been ahead of her time in teaching women skills to earn their own livings. She attracted other women who were motivated by their faith to join her in her work, and more than 20 of them were formed into a religious community by 1852, the Sisters of the Cross and Passion.


Global Healing  On Thursday 18th February, Bishop John will launch a series of speakers, prayers and discussions based on the film-based resource, “Global Healing”. The talks will take place each week from the 18th February throughout Lent, with our Head of Environment Dr Emma Gardner sharing her own knowledge and experiences with us on Thursday 4th March’s event.

We all have our own part to play in responding to the environmental crisis our world is facing and Pope Francis has called each of us to listen to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

The “Global Healing” documentaries will inform and challenge people to respond to Pope Francis’ call to Care for Our Common Home. The films are suitable for all who are concerned about what is happening to our world and who want to take action, or those who want to learn more about the issue.

The films will take place over six Thursdays, from 18th February – 25th March 2021, between 7.30pm – 8.30pm and are hosted by the Global Catholic Climate Movement Laudato Si’ Animators in the UK.

To register to join, please email jane@catholicclimatemovement.global


The Word This Week Where does authority come from? Why is one man regarded as a prophet, and another as a lunatic, and a third as a hypocrite? Jesus startles the crowds with a ‘new teaching’ today, but what amazes them so much is not the message but the authority behind it: they are convinced because what he does somehow adds credibility to what he says. It’s the old situation that we are all familiar with – we look through words to see the actions, which show us the real message. The scribes did not heal or work miracles, but simply talked about God. Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God, but also shows the people what it is – a Kingdom where all that damages human happiness is abolished. The other side to this is that we must listen to a prophet or teacher when they are backed by such authority; we may not “harden our hearts” and ignore the message when we have recognised that the messenger is sent by God. This is the hard part, because it demands that we too show, by our actions, that we have heard.


Caritas Sunday, January 31st, 2021

Last year our Parish donated £692.89 from the collection.  Can we aim to do the same this year by donating on line?

In past years we have had envelopes and perhaps a speaker from the pulpit but this year things are very different.   Things are different for a lot us.  Some are experiencing loss of income from loss of work or reduced hours.  Some have more money through inability to spend on the usual little joys of life.  For some people in our community Inequality suddenly feels more pronounced.   A different form of inequality arises from being confined to our homes.  People react differently and whilst for some it isn’t much of a problem, for others there is the stress of inactivity, isolation or worse.  The stricture is the same but the effect creates another form of inequality.

For the people who rely on Caritas their problems have increased.  Once again the gap between those who have and those have not has grown bigger.

Fr Ged Murphy, Episcopal Vicar for Caritas, speaks for Caritas

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a familiar one: a traveller is beaten by robbers, stripped and left for dead by the road. First a holy man and then another comes by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan happens upon and helps the injured man, showing great compassion, reflecting the lengths to which love will go. He treats the injured man not as an enemy but as a neighbour, as one of his own. Through this parable, Jesus indicates that a person truly acts as a neighbour through love.

“But who is my neighbour?”

Every gift Caritas receives means we can love and support the most vulnerable and marginalised in our communities. We provide a befriending service for older people, preventing loneliness and isolation. We welcome the stranger, teaching English to those seeking asylum and those with refugee status so they can quickly integrate into their new home community. And we continue to love and feed the hungry, and shelter the homeless, across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Pope Francis reminds us that, before we are anything else, we are brothers and sisters sharing a common home, and we are called to become neighbours and friends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen rising inequalities in wealth and new forms of poverty and a disregard for human worth. We have a universal responsibility to act; to accept the obligations we bear to each other, and to find ‘fraternal love’. A willingness to respond to human need wherever it is found. So I ask for your help in responding now. Please choose to help Caritas to continue its life-changing work during 2021 with our brothers and sisters in need. The best way to answer the question ‘Who is my neighbour?’ is to choose to become.

So how do I donate?

It’s quite easy actually.  £10 provides a weekly befriending phone call.  £30 provides one to one case support work for the vulnerable.  £55 pays for groceries for a small family.  Please give what you can by clicking on the link https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/service-view/sunday2021/

Learn more about Caritas

Read the latest Caritas Salford Beacon.

Read the Caritas impact report for 2020


LATELY DEAD:
Gerald Walmsley, Dr Paul McCondie, Kieran Hughes, Catherine (Kitty) Wilson, Paul Bradley, Anna Copsey

MASSES RECEIVED THIS WEEK:
Gertrude Feely & Ann Copsey, Rita & Frank Donvaband, John Snape, David Whitty, Barbara Dewhurst, Keiran Hughes, John Hartley, Special Intention, Harriet Foulker, Chris Carr,  Special Intention x 4, James Hardwick, Dr Paul McCondie, Gerald Walmsley x 2, Ann Wharton

ANNIVERSARIES
Fr Joseph Wareing S.J., Harriet Foulker, Ann Wharton


Live simply thought for the week:

The Environment Agency is warning that the UK could face serious water shortages within the next 25 years.

The Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk) says cutting showering time by one minute will reduce energy bills and reduce water consumption.


CAFOD LENT APPEAL:

Are you ready to change your life and transform someone else’s this Lent? Then please check out the following:

Walk for Water is the only Lent challenge you need: 10,000 steps a day – done your way. Every day for 40 days. Go the distance this Lent and help to end water poverty.

Sign up now, raise money and do something different to fight poverty: https://walk.cafod.org.uk/


CLITHEROE CHURCHES IN PARTNERSHIP

Pray for Refugees in Calais – CCP February 2021 Immigration controls can be a contentious social and political issue. People can be worried about uncontrolled entry to their country, their city or their town. ‘Who is picking up the bill?’, is a common concern. Despite all such things what might be the Christian perspective? One of the main ‘jumping off areas’ for illegal entry to the UK is around Calais and whatever our personal view might be there are undoubtedly men, women, children and families who are desperate for a new future and in a position of great physical, and emotional need. The choices that have driven them to Calais could well be born out of a genuine fear and desperation that we struggle to imagine. Into the New Year Clitheroe

Churches in Partnership (CCP) are looking at the plight of refugees as part of their aim to raise awareness around human rights abuse and the blight of criminal trafficking of vulnerable people. Parishioners from Our Lady of the Valley RC fellowship pledged to send money saved during Covid lockdown to some of the most vulnerable. They have searched for charities where money would go directly to those in need. Sister Bridie Dowd of the Sisters of Mercy of St Vincent de Paul, Salford, one of the Catholic Church Anti-Trafficking networkers, has been to Calais a number of times and put them in touch with Alex Holmes. Alex was to spend a month with Maria Skobtsova House of welcome and relief helping to minister to refugees in Calais over the Christmas period. Alex goes to Calais regularly and is a trusted friend of Sister Bridie. Maria Skobtsova House says: “We are very grateful that we have been able to rely on Alex and Joëlle who have been faithfully supporting the mission of the house over the past four years. Their regular presence in the House assures, beyond the practical help, a solid continuity in nourishing the spirit of Maria Skobtsova House, in all the uncertainties, precariousness and turmoils of the situation and the daily life in Calais.” Our friends at our Lady of the Valley knew they could trust Alex completely and were able to donate directly to the ‘front line’ of the problem. In September Alex wrote: “For the refugee community in Calais, this past year has continued to be shaped by police violence and the building of ever more barriers. Almost daily the refugee communities are confronted with a hostile environment, the constant dismantling of their living spaces, and actions that are an attempt to dissuade them from staying in Calais. Despite the Covid pandemic there has been no letup in the pursuit of a policy of zero tolerance by the authorities towards refugees. “ It was much colder in January when Alex emailed us from Calais with a message of thanks: “HAPPY NEW YEAR from across the Channel in Calais” “We had an amazing Orthodox Christmas celebration two days ago, on January 7th. Thank you for helping make this possible. We were able to use one of the churches in Calais, St Joseph’s…more than 60 Eritreans came for a 3 hour prayer service led by two Eritrean deacons. A fine team of 6 Eritrean refugees prepared a meal for 150 of their community. Because of Covid, this had to be outdoors…and mercifully it was dry all day.” So, Christians in Clitheroe reached across the divide and actively contributed to keeping those people in need, warm, sheltered and well fed over Christmas. Please join us in praying for refugees in Calais:

Lord of the Lost, Calmer of the Waves,
a Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief,
We pray for all refugees in Calais as they seek new life from desperation,
As they seek a place to call home,
As they seek protection from danger, hostility and violence,
As they confront barrier after barrier to simple freedom,
As they are haunted by uncertainty and fear for their loved ones.
Lord in Your Mercy may they see and feel You reaching out to them,
Lord in Your Mercy protect them,
Lord in Your Mercy uplift and empower those who lovingly minister to them,
Lord in Your Mercy show us a way to help.
Lord Jesus, in Your Mercy, Hear Our Prayer


CCP (CLITHEROE CHURCHES IN PARTNERSHIP)

A letter sent from Chris Meyer Outreach/Youth Coordinator at the Grand Clitheroe regarding a Hamper initiative.:

Thank you all for your interest and support of the Hamper initiative.  It was great to share the vision of the project and hear your thoughts and ideas as well.  I’ve set out the details of the project below.

Aim

The aim of the project is to send a message of appreciation, hope and encouragement to those in our community who have been working tirelessly on the ‘front line’ over the last year.

Scope

Due to the scale of the project, it is proposed that the hampers will be delivered in three ‘waves’.  Initially hampers will be delivered to organisations in the medical and care sectors:

  • Castle Medical group
  • Pendleside Medical Group
  • Clitheroe Funeral Services
  • The COVID testing site *
  • The ten care homes in Clitheroe
  • Clitheroe Ambulance Station

* In this group, we will give individual bundles to the COVID Testing site rather than group hampers in order to ensure the safety of individuals working there.

Cost (first phase)

We estimate we will need fifteen group hampers plus individual hampers for COVID testers.

The estimated total cost is therefore about £500.  However, Tesco has already contributed approximately £90 worth of items towards the first phase.

CCP has funds available to make an initial donation of £400 towards the first phase.

The budget for each of the following phases is likely to be approximately the same as the first phase.

Logistics

Each hamper will include six packs of either biscuits or chocolate, a bundle of hot chocolate sachets, and a handwritten card.  We will be sourcing drinks sachets via a bulk order online and buying the other items from local shops.

Clitheroe Community Church will act as the distribution “hub”.  We’ll arrange times when items can be dropped.

Invitation

I would like to invite churches to be involved in various ways:

  • Consider contributing financially towards the cost of the hampers. This could be done corporately or individuals can donate via the giving pace on the CCP website.

  • Consider buying items for the hampers. To ensure items are of consistent quality, covid safe, and to avoid duplication, please contact me at chrischrismeyer@gmail.com beforehand if you would like to donate in this way.  I will provide you with an up to date list of the required items.

  • Invite volunteers to help put the hampers together and distribute them. I will co-ordinate the volunteers.

Timescale

The goal is to make up the hampers during the half-term week of February (15 – 19th February) and deliver the following week.

Evaluation

We’ll evaluate the best way forward after completing the first phase.  If there is sufficient support, it is proposed the following phases will include schools, those in public services, such as refuse collection and school crossing patrols, and various individuals such as child carers.

Thank you all for your support and involvement in the project!

Chris Meyer

Details of how to pay will be given in next weeks newsletter


ARCHIVES – CLITHEROE

1953 Copies of correspondence in response to an application to use rooms in Stanley House for use as a Club.

A letter was sent to The Trustees, Catholic Club, Clitheroe from J.C. Smith & Son, Collectors and Restorers of Antique Furniture,
54-58 Lowergate , Clitheroe Telephone 400 on 15th May 1953.

Dear Sirs,

With reference to your application for rooms in Stanley House for use as Club.

Fr d’Andria is willing to consider this application providing the members of the Girls’ Club will move from their present rooms and take those on the first floor.

The floors of the latter are thought to be insufficiently strong for use such as you would require.

The Leader of the Girls’ Club is being interviewed and it is hoped that a reply to your request will be possible in the next few days.

A reply was sent the following day May 16th from The Trustees:

Dear Sirs,

In view of the fact that members of the Girls’ Club are willing to take rooms on the first floor of Stanley House, Father d’Andria has favourably considered your request for rooms and is prepared to let those on the ground floor, such as are not let to Girls on the following terms:-

Rent 30/- (thirty shillings) per week, payable quarterly.

You as tenants to be responsible for the payment of rates, including  water rates.
The cost of any alterations to the interior for use as Club premises to be borne by you, but it is hoped that if any be found necessary these will prove of minor order and that every care will be taken of  the walls and interior fitments.

Twelve months notice will be given should the premises be required by the Parish Priest for parochial purposes.

As Stanley House is scheduled as a historical building the exterior of the house must not be altered in any way.

A reply sent from The Knights of St Columba  Council 215.  Back York Street, Clitheroe on the 21st May 1953.

RE: PROPOSED GENTLEMENS’ CLUB AT STANLEY HOUSE

Dear Sir,

By kind permission of the Leader of the Girls’ Club our Accommodation Committee have viewed the ground floor rooms of Stanley House now occupied by the Girls.  We have reached the conclusion that these rooms are totally unsuitable and utterly unadaptable for use as a Catholic Gentlemens’ Club.

In spite of this we are still interested in transferring to premises worthy of same.

In your letter of the 15th instant you state that you consider the floors of the now vacant section to be unsafe for our particular requirements.  Three members of the Committee with long experience in the building trade feel certain that this is not so and that the floors in question would quite easily carry.  Further we are agreed that the vacant section viewed by us on Sunday the 10th instant is entirely suitable for our purposes and that no major alterations are either necessary or desirable.
Consequently, should your view concur we shall be pleased to receive and consider your Terms for same.

Yours faithfully,

For & on behalf of

THE ACCOMMODATION COMMITTEE

Convener


ARCHIVES – SABDEN

The following was either in the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times or The Lancashire Evening Telegraph 21st December 1956

JUBILEE

Solemn High Mass was celebrated at St Mary’s R.C. Church on Sunday evening for the first time to mark the golden jubilee of Father Thomas Murray, Sabden’s 75 year old parish priest.

On Saturday before a crowded audience in the schoolroom Fr Murray was presented with a cheque.

Other presents were bestowed on him by the children, the Children of Mary and the Knights of St Columba.

Fr Murray, a native of Glasgow, was ordained in 1906, after which he spent 20 years as a missionary in South Africs.

He was curate for four years at St Anne’s Church, Blackburn, and later at St Michael’s, Ancoats.

He succeeded Fr Meade as parish priest at St Mary’s Sabden, in the year 1933, and in 1938 he was largely instrumental in the building of the village church of St Mary, which he has served so faithfully and well for the past 23 years.


 

Posted in Clitheroe, Dunsop Bridge, Sabden, Weekly View.