Dear Parishioners,

Speaking recently about the family Pope Francis offered his unique form of spiritual, common sense guidance.
He told a personal story about an occasion when he was rude to a primary school teacher, who promptly called his mother. When his mother came to school the next day, she made him apologize to the teacher and then disciplined him when he got home. Today, instead, he said, parents reprimand the teacher who tries to discipline their child.
He then said it is obvious that the current situation is “not good” or “harmonious,” since it tends to put families and schools in opposition rather than in collaborative relationships.
Further he claimed that parents today are “puzzled by the new demands made by children” and the complexity of life, so that many are “paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake.”
Another problem is that “Educating children is difficult for parents who see their children only in the evening when they return home tired from work.”
“It is even more difficult for parents who are separated, who are weighed down by their circumstances,” he said. He urged separated parents to “never, never, never take a child hostage” by speaking ill of the other parent. He recognized that being separated is “a trial” but added that “children must not be the ones to carry the weight of this separation or to be used like hostages against the other spouse.”
The advice the apostle Paul gives to both children and parents in his Letter to the Colossians (Col 3, 18-21) that children obey their parents in all things and that parents never drive their children to resentment — is “a wise rule,” he said.
To exasperate a child is to ask them to do things they are not able to do, the pope explained. Rather, children must be accompanied and “grow without being discouraged, step by step,” he said.
He also encouraged families to practice patience. “Even in the best of families, there is the need to put up with each other,” he said. “But that’s life. Life is not lived in a laboratory, it’s lived in reality.”
If families were able to recover their pride in being the primary educators of their children, he said, “many things would change for the better, [both] for uncertain parents and for disappointed children.”

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Today we welcome Fr Joseph Gee to the parish of Our Lady of the Valley and the beautiful Ribble Vale, wishing him a fruitful ministry and happiness over the coming couple of years. Next week Fr Joe will use this page to introduce himself.

At its last meeting, Parish Forum decided to hold a parish celebration in the Social Centre on the last Sunday of this month, 31^st May, to acknowledge Fr Frankie and thank him for all he gave during his time with us and wish him well in his new appointment. The evening will begin at 7pm and will include entertainment, a buffet supper and a presentation.
In preparation Susan White is to compile a “memories” photo album for presentation to him. If you have a suitable photograph please hand it in at either Church or email it to signdesign69@hotmail.com Photos can also be what’s apped to 07791854159. Please include a personal caption; it would be nice to have some handwritten ones, perhaps written on the photo itself. Do make the photos as varied as possible: we don’t want a book full of Fr Frankie in various poses! The absolute cut-off date for entries is 20th May. It will be difficult to return actual pictures.
Maureen Mercer is to organise a Spiritual Bouquet, so start praying today! Carol and Harry Waterworth are to bake and decorate a special presentation cake and Margaret Donnelly is to arrange a financial collection. The event will be coordinated By Sam Smith, Geralyn Lambert, Susan White and Margaret Donnelly.
You may remember that a committee was appointed by the March Forum to look at the future of the Parish Draw. Their conclusion was that if it ain’t broke then don’t mend it! The two problems the Draw faces is the demise of many wonderful and loyal supporters over the past decade or so and that the annual contribution of £10 hadn’t risen over the past 18 years! So, it was decided to recruit new members and increase the annual one off payment to £20. With a membership of only 180 this would realise a monthly prize of £180. Also we require 10 agents to collect the annual fee. Would you like a harmless flutter that would improve the parish finances? Then here is the chance to do so by joining the parish Draw.
Forum also adopted the new structure of future meetings which will begin with tea and biscuits on arrival, a restricted agenda and will last for only one hour.

Finally, we have more of the Bishop Arnold prayer cards which are available in the sacristy.

Fr John

HOLY WEEK

This week we embark on a journey that will take us 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

Lake Stevens 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 prayer) at 10.00pm.

Good Friday

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 Michael & St John’s

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 of three 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.

Easter Sunday

Clitheroe 9.30am Mass & Renewal of Baptismal Promises

Sabden 11am Mass & Renewal of Baptismal Promises

Dear Parishioners,

Two weeks ago I mentioned that the 2011 census revealed that 1 in every four UK citizens claimed to have no religion (a number that has doubled in only 10 years!) You can be certain that many of these are baptised Catholics. I also reported that in response to Pope Frances’ plea that parishes in the West strive to become missionary parishes willing to share the gospel and welcome enquirers our Bishops have launched Proclaim 15, a strategy to help us become just that. Well, two weeks ago we held the first of three Lenten meetings to launch this initiative. Attendance was poor and disappointing but for those who did come it proved to be a most encouraging evening. Perhaps surprisingly the majority were from the younger adult side of the parish. The next meeting is this Wednesday: as Jesus said to Andrew: ‘Come and see’.
For more information go to: www.catholicnews.org.uk/proclaim15

A reality of church life today is that more frequently than not a majority of mourners at a Requiem Mass may not be Catholic or if Catholic have lost contact with the Church and no longer know when to stand, sit or kneel. To save visitors any embarrassment it was decided at Wednesday’s Forum to invite parishioners at Requiems to occupy the left hand benches at the front of the church so that mourners in the benches on the right-hand side are able to easily see and follow the parishioners’ lead. Also, and to avoid embarrassment, parishioners are requested at communion to come smartly forward and not wait for mourners to first approach the altar.

You may remember that a few years ago we started renovating the church benches but following a Forum proposal that we should first cushion the benches we turned attention to this. After much discussion and experimenting with two different designs of cushioning, neither of which was successful, it was decided on Wednesday to forget the cushioning and proceed with stripping and staining the benches. (Neither can we replace the benches with chairs because if the church’s slanting floor)

Family Paschal Candles are now available at the same price as last year, retailing at £10.

We are half way through Lent. Hopefully you are maintaining your Lenten resolutions. If you have slipped then simply start all over again and if you haven’t even started, well begin today.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Pope Francis said last Sunday that Confession is meant to be a sincere moment of conversion, an occasion to demonstrate trust in God’s willingness to forgive his children and to help them back on the path of following Jesus. He then offered this examination of conscience:

•  Do I turn to God only when I’m in need?
•  Do I attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation?
•  Do I begin and end the day with prayer?
•  Am I embarrassed to show that I am a Christian?
•  Do I rebel against God’s plan?
•  Am I envious, hot-tempered, biased?
•  Am I honest and fair with everyone, or do I fuel the “throwaway culture?”
•  In my marital and family relations, do I uphold morality as taught in the Gospels?
•  Do I honour and respect my parents?
•  Have I refused newly conceived life? Have I snuffed out the gift of life? Have I helped do so?
•  Do I respect the environment?
•  Am I part worldly and part believer?
•  Do I overdo it with eating, drinking, smoking, and amusements?
•  Am I overly concerned about my physical well-being, my possessions?
•  How do I use my time? Am I lazy?
•  Do I want to be served?
•  Do I dream of revenge, hold grudges?
•  Am I meek, humble, and a builder of peace?

  He concluded “Whoever says he is without sin is a liar or is blind.”

Fr John

Dear Parishioners

Today you are invited to take two consultation papers.
The first is from Bishop John outlining a number of questions concerning the life and organization of the diocese. If you wish to respond to any of them, then please email the Bishop directly on consultation@dioceseofsalford.org.uk or write to him at Wardley Hall, Wardley Hall Road, Worsley, Manchester M28 2ND.
The second is from the Bishops Conference of England and Wales, seeking your thoughts on Marriage and Family life in 2015, as a part of the preparation for the Meeting (Synod) of Bishops in Rome in October. The parish has produced a questionnaire listing 6 questions posed by our Bishops. If you respond then do so as concisely as possible so that replies may easily be collated and forwarded to Bishop John. Responses must be returned within two weeks, by 15^th March.

Now to another important matter. Did you know that according to the 2011 census around a quarter of the population of England and Wales reported that they have no religion? This represents some 14 million people, a number that has doubled since the 2001 census. Another sobering statistic is that over half the people who self-identify as Catholics have little or no contact with the Church. Surely something must be done to challenge this situation?
Pope Francis took the lead last year when he published Gaudium Evangelii (The joy of the Gospel). It is a wakeup call to the whole Church but particularly to the flagging Church in Western Europe. He proposes that we come together in prayer and in groups to examine how best we may share both the joy that the Gospel brings and our faith that gives meaning and purpose to life.
In response to this call our bishops have launched an initiative called Proclaim 15 which aims to inspire, support and encourage parishes to do just that.
We begin on Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Hall to look at what a relationship with Jesus means. Then on 18^th March: what is a disciple of Jesus? and finally on 25^thMarch: how do we share our story?

Come on: respond to Pope Francis and at the very least do it for Lent!

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Bishop John has sent the following letter to the priests of the diocese:
“As part of the work of the Synod on the family, you may know that Pope Francis has asked us to take time to reflect on marriage and family life, and our own experience. It is all too evident that both marriage and family life have been challenged and, in our generation, they have seen unprecedented breakdown. Despite its many struggles, we know that without the gift of family our society would have lost something fundamentally important and good. Marriage is such a noble vocation and family life must be strengthened and assisted, especially in times of difficulty.
The Bishops of England and Wales have prepared some simple reflections on the Call, the Journey and the Mission of marriage and family life. I am asking that these reflections be made available to all parishes. I ask you to invite your congregations to read these reflections and to share your thoughts with one another, especially in your families. If you would like to share those reflections with me then I would be happy for you to write to me. I cannot promise to answer every reply but I will certainly consider what you write, and will use it as part of my submission to Cardinal Vincent Nichols and to Bishop Peter Doyle, who are to be the representatives from England and Wales at the second Synod on the family next October”.
That is Bishop John’s request but the question I have is: How do we implement this, how do we organize a parish wide consultation?
I propose to take the discussion papers to the Forum on Wednesday for you to discuss and suggest how best we may as a parish tackle this project and produce a report. This raises a slight problem: attendance at Forum isn’t great and when it is held at Sabden even fewer go. So, I appeal to all who are interested in the future of our church and country to share cars and make the short journey to St Mary’s parish hall and join the discussion and help us find a way of responding to the bishop’s request.
Secondly, Last November Pope Francis convened a conference in Rome to tackle the scourge of human trafficking, modern day slavery. It was attended by Ministers and Police Chiefs from many governments. Anthony Brown will tell us briefly of one charity that has heeded the Pope’s call for ordinary people to raise awareness of this problem.

Please do respond to both the Pope’s and our Bishop’s requests for action on these two different but important issues.

Fr John