Category Archives: Clitheroe

15th March 2020 – Third Sunday of Lent

Coronavirus update – guidance from Salford Diocese

  • Cease the use of shared hymn books etc
  • Collect a newsletter and service sheet as you enter church and take both of these home with you
  • The collection plate will not be passed around—please put your offering in the basket provided as you leave church
  • If you have cold or flu symptoms please refrain from coming to church
  • Suspend distribution of Communion under both kinds. The host to be given on the hand only
  • Suspension of the Sign of Peace
  • Holy Water stoops to be removed
  • Eucharistic Ministers to sanitize their hands before distributing communion—please do this in the sacristy before Mass
  • Tea and Coffee will still be served after Mass—it is up to the discretion of individual whether they partake

    Hope in the Future

     

  • Our next meeting will be in the Presbytery on Thursday 19 March at 7.30 when we will discuss ‘Living the Sunday Eucharist.’ The meetings last approximately one hour and there is much thoughtful discussion which will help our reflections in Lent.Discussion and reflection will be based on the following questions
    • How do we prepare to listen to God’s Word each Sunday?
    • Do we ever look at the Scripture readings in the week before Mass?
    • What aids help us listen attentively? Are ‘missalettes’ a distraction?
    • Is there a real atmosphere of listening in the Liturgy of the Word there a real atmosphere of listening in the Liturgy of the Word?
    • How effective is the Homily in “nurturing Christian life”?
    • Is the Creed a powerful proclamation of faith or just words to be recited?
    • Do we have enough readers to give variety in voices?
    • Would introductions to the readings help our understanding?
    • Do we have cantors to sing the Psalm? If not, how can we make the Psalm a reflective prayer?
    • Are our microphones and amplification system effective? Is there a working loop system?
    • How could our celebration of the Liturgy of the Word give us a better awareness of the presence of Jesus?
    • Who writes the intercessions? Are they prayerful and universal?

    Michael Hargreaves will be leading the session and we hope that you will find time to think about the questions before the 19th.

    Refreshments will be served at the start of the session!

     

 

Coronavirus – guidance from Salford Diocese

Corona Virus update—guidance from Salford Diocese

  • Cease the use of shared hymn books etc
  • Collect a newsletter and service sheet as you enter church and take both of these home with you
  • The collection plate will not be passed around—please put your offering in the basket provided as you leave church
  • If you have cold or flu symptoms please refrain from coming to church
  • Suspend distribution of Communion under both kinds. The host to be given on the hand only
  • Suspension of the Sign of Peace
  • Holy Water stoops to be removed
  • Eucharistic Ministers to sanitize their hands before distributing communion – please do this in the sacristy before Mass
  • Tea and Coffee will still be served after Mass—it is up to the discretion of individuals whether they partake

 

8th March 2020 – Second Sunday of Lent

REFUGEE DAY OUT: JUNE 13 2020

Our hearts have gone out to people forced from their homes by floods but when the misery is further afield, an emotional response may hardly register. In the world today there are around 70 million displaced persons who have fled their homes due to violent conflict. As the problem stretches out its tentacles the world responds not with sympathy but with fear and rejection. We can turn our heads but the early church fathers were clear about Jesus’ message. Giving to the poor is not an act of generosity but a repayment of resources that God had bestowed on all. Hanging on to what we’ve worked hard for comes naturally in a world where structural sin is endemic. We see no reason to blame ourselves for the circumstances of others. But when no-one is responsible everyone is.
From 2016 to 2018 we held a Refugee Day Out but in 2019 our leaders were unable to continue the work they had done with such devotion for three years. For 2020 we have a date of June 13 Giving a hundred or more refugees a day out does nothing to tackle a global problem but it does give a little something to those who desperately need a break from the routine of a life without work or money.
If you feel you can volunteer or perhaps even be part of the planning team please be in touch with Anthony Brown on 01200 422811 or at abrown.boggarts@gmail.com

Hope in the Future

Our next meeting will be in the Presbytery on 19 March at 7.30 when we will discuss ‘Living the Sunday Eucharist.’ A reminder of the questions posed by Bishop John will be printed in the newsletter next week. The meetings last approximately one hour and there is much thoughtful discussion which will help our reflections in Lent. Light refreshments will be served.

1st March 2020 – First Sunday of Lent

BACK IN TIME – 1874

An entry in one of our old log book reads:

‘Owing to the kindness of Captain Trappes & his brother Charles, about 1250 trees were planted in our Cemetery, some likewise round the kitchen and also a wooden railing put up round the kitchen & the back premises. A large wooden Cross was erected in the Cemetery, the walks widened and a house built of wood for tools etc.  Wooden railings were also put in front of the church.  Before the end of the year Gas Standards were put up in the Church at a cost of a little more than £44 and 4 additional windows were put into the Schools.

SLAIDBURN SILVER BAND

…have kindly offered their services free to St Michael & St John’s Church in an Afternoon Band Concert in The Assembly Hall (formerly SMSJ Parish Hall) on

Sunday 15th March at 2.30pm. 

Entrance £3 (including light refreshments) payable on the door.  All profit from this event will be donated to Mary’s Meals, a charity that works in countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean, by providing one good meal a day in a place of learning.  Mary’s meals is named after Mary, mother of Jesus.

For every pound raised they spend a minimum of 93p on their charitable activities.

Come along and enjoy an entertaining programme of popular music

Back in Time: 1874

An entry in one of our old log books reads:

‘Owing to the kindness of Captain Trappes & his brother Charles, about 1250 trees were planted in our Cemetery, some likewise round the kitchen and also a wooden railing put up round the kitchen & the back premises. A large wooden Cross was erected in the Cemetery, the walks widened and a house built of wood for tools etc.  Wooden railings were also put in front of the church.  Before the end of the year Gas Standards were put up in the Church at a cost of a little more than £44 and 4 additional windows were put into the Schools.’

Fairtrade Fortnight – 24 February to 8 March

CLITHEROE OLOTV CAFOD GROUP will sell fair-trade goods after Mass in the Assembly Hall 1st & 8th March.  When you buy Fairtrade you know farmers get a better deal.
There will also be a Fairtrade stall at St Mary’s Sabden in the hall after Mass on 8th March.

16th February 2020 – 6th Sunday in Ordinary time

HOLY WATER

In Christianity Holy Water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy and is used in baptism and to bless individuals, churches, homes and articles of devotion. The Holy Water fonts known as stoups can be found at the back of churches as you enter, and in Clitheroe on two of the pillars situated in the side aisles.

Fr Paul has blessed some water this week, and filled Holy Water bottles are now available for sale at the back of church for 50p (for the bottle not the water), in all of our three churches
Why not take one home with you to use to bless your house and family

9th February 2020 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time

HOLY WATER

In Christianity Holy Water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy and is used in baptism and to bless individuals, churches, homes and articles of devotion. The Holy Water fonts known as stoups can be found at the back of churches as you enter, and in Clitheroe on two of the pillars situated in the side aisles.

Fr Paul has blessed some water this week, and filled Holy Water bottles are now available for sale at the back of church for 50p (for the bottle not the water), in all of our three churches
Why not take one home with you to use to bless your house and family

Clitheroe Churches in Partnership (CCP) – Lent

CCP—CLITHEROE CHURCHES IN PARTNERSHIP There will not be any Saturday Lent talks this year but instead CCP will promote the Live Lent course which will be run during the day and in the evenings at St Paul’s and Christ Church, Chatburn. The focus on the course is “Care for God’s Creation”’ and will take place every Tuesday from 3—31st March at 10.45am at Christ Church Chatburn and every Thursday from 5 March—2nd April at 7.15pm at St Paul’s, Low Moor. More info is on the Christ Church welcome page https://www.christchurchchatburn.org.uk/welcome.htm

2nd February 2020 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary time

At the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon him and the voice was heard from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in him I am well pleased”. Jesus then began his public ministry. We too received that same Spirit at our baptism, and so we to are  called and sent out to continue the mission of Jesus, as we walk in his ways and preach the Good News in the way we live, and the way we love.

Last week, I returned the parish Pastoral Statistics to the Diocese giving all the information about Our Lady of the Valley Parish, and in doing so I was reminded of all the good that goes on here, and that we are alive and well, as we continue to spread the Good News in so many different ways.
Thank you for all that you do, and for all that you share, sometimes in very obvious ways, but a lot of the time in ways known only to God, and to yourself. Thank you.

  • During 2019: we welcomed 23 children into God’s family at their Baptism.
  • We journeyed with 27 of our children and their families, who made their First Reconciliation and received their First Holy Communion.
  • We welcomed 6 adults into Full Communion with the Catholic Church.
  • We rejoiced with 8 couples who were united in the sacrament of Marriage.
  • We ministered to over 60 parishioners who regularly receive Holy Communion in their own home, and in several nursing homes too.We also visit everyone in Clitheroe hospital every week.
  • We mourned with 32 families at the death of a loved one, and supported them with  our prayers.

So much good done by so many, for which we rightly give thanks to God.

As we thank God for all his blessings, and for gracing our parish with so much good will and hard work, we look forward with hope, continuing to journey in faith, confident that God is always with us, as he calls us all and sends us out in his name.
Let us all do our own little bit to help build up God’s Kingdom here in Our Lady of the Valley Parish, so that God may continue to look down on us and say “In you, I am well pleased”.

On Thursday 6th February pupils from Bowland School will be coming to visit our church from 9.30am—2pm, and we need volunteers to show them around.  The pupils will be split into groups and each tour would take around half an hour.  There will be a short meeting after Mass tomorrow morning (Monday) for anyone  who is willing to help, when Fr Paul will explain in more detail what is required.