4th Sunday of Easter – 11th May 2014

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend is Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, where the church takes the opportunity to pray in a special way for vocations to the priesthood and religious Life. The Church teaches that there are 4 vocations – Priesthood, Religious life, Marriage and Consecrated Life – and so it is important to pray for those that have not yet found their vocation and true calling in life. But it is with a heightened emphasis that this Good Shepherd Sunday is seen as a great opportunity to pray and promote vocations for the priesthood and religious life. Currently within the Salford Diocese we have 7 students training to be Priests, two of them will be Ordained this July 18^th at Salford Cathedral, they are Alfred Rebello (a former solicitor) and Laurence Gambella (a former R.E. teacher). Please keep them in your prayers along with our other Salford students in Seminary formation, Gavin Landers, Callum Brown at St Mary’s College, Oscott; Michael Deas and Richard Howard at the Venerable English College, Rome; and Kevin Murphy at the Beda College, Rome.

The national director for vocations Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, encourages us to help nurture vocations by becoming a culture of vocation. He talks about how God has a way of inviting us to answer our own prayers. For example if I pray for the housebound, God might put into my mind an elderly lady who lives a few doors down from me who is housebound and would really appreciate a visit. The same is true of today’s intention, as parishes pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life God may invite people to consider what they can do to further develop the culture of vocation in their Parish. A culture of vocation involves talking about all vocations throughout the year and offering active support to people as they seek to discover God’s will in their life. There are a growing number of ways that this service is being offered by dioceses, parishes and colleges, for more information please go to www.ukvocation.org/discernment-groups

Finally I leave you with words of encouragement from Pope Francis on this matter “Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or to the consecrated life there is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father or a community. Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer; and only through prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.”

“God calls each of us to be holy, to live his life, but he has a particular path for each one of us.

Fr Frankie

Palm Sunday – 13 April 2014

Kufstein HOLY WEEK

This week we embark on a journey that leads from the joy of Palm Sunday through the suffering and sorrow of Holy Week to the triumph and celebration of Easter.

Maundy Thursday

Salford Cathedral 10.30am Chrism Mass

Clitheroe 8.00pm Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

We commemorate the last meal that Jesus ate with his disciples in which he washed their feet and instituted the Eucharist. Afterwards he walked to the Garden of Gethsemane where the Apostles were unable to stay awake and pray with him. In darkness he was arrested. We commemorate this by the removal of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose. As a community we respond to Christ’s words, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” by watching with Christ from 9.00pm until Compline (the Church’s night payer) at 10.00pm.

Good Friday

Almonte Today is a day of Fast and Abstinence

Clitheroe 9.00am Stations of the Cross

Sabden 10.00am Stations of the Cross

Clitheroe: 10.00am Ecumenical Service at St Paul’s, Low Moor, followed by procession of the Cross to Castle Gate

Sabden: 11.00am Ecumenical Service at the Village Cross

Clitheroe 3.00pm Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Jesus died at the ninth hour, three o’clock in the afternoon. We gather in mourning to hear St John’s account of Jesus’ Passion; to pray for all for whom Christ died; to venerate the cross on which he died; and to share the fruit of his redeeming death in Holy Communion.

Holy Saturday

Clitheroe 8.00pm Easter Vigil

In darkness, the Easter fire and the blessing of the Paschal Candle celebrate Our Saviour’s resurrection from the dead and the victory of light over darkness. The extended readings recall God’s redeeming acts throughout history that culminated in the Resurrection. The Easter Water is blessed and we are invited to commit ourselves afresh to Christ by renewing our baptismal promises during the baptism and reception of five new members into our community. This Vigil Mass is the most important Service of the whole year and should be attended even in preference to Mass on Easter Sunday itself.