Dear Parishioners,

In Lent we are asked to prepare for Easter by prayer and sacrifice.  If you haven’t decided yet what you will do for Lent then please consider one of the following (or more than one!).

Give God some silent attention each day.

    Buy (£1) the ‘Walk With Me’ booklet which will help you pray and reflect each day of Lent.

    Join the Stations of the cross in Clitheroe at 7.30pm on Fridays and in Sabden at 7.30pm on Tuesdays.

    Join the Lenten Praise and Prayer Service after Mass on Thursdays at 8.10pm until 9.15pm.

    Spend a little time each day reading the Bible in the quiet of your home.

    Attend daily Mass (details weekly in the newsletter)

    Come to Exposition on Saturday mornings between 11am and 12noon

    Pay a visit to the church, which is open daily during daylight hours.

Encourage someone who has been away from mass to return to practice and accompany them to church.

    Recite the Rosary at home or join the weekday recitation in church at 9.30am.

    Visit someone in need of help or friendship, or perhaps an elderly relative you haven’t visited for a while?

    Make up a longstanding quarrel.

    Help to clean the church on Monday mornings at 9.30

    Give up a favourite treat like sweets, drink, watching too much TV or cigarettes.

    Keep ‘Family Fast day’ on Friday

    Every Friday give up eating meat.

    Make a clean sweep. Go to the Sacrament of Reconsiliation (Confession), available Saturdays in Clitheroe from 11 to 11.45 and during the Stations of the Cross on Fridays.

    Attend the series of ecumenical Lenten talks on Saturday mornings in the Hall at 11am (Coffee from 10.30)

    Attend the Deanery Mass for Vocations on Wednesday 8th March at 7.30pm in St Joseph’s Blackburn.

    Think before you take your car.  Walk in town and fight Global Warming.

Wishing you a fruitful Lent.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Wardley Hall, built in the mid-1500s, after a long and eventful history was given in trust to Salford Diocese in 1930 to become the residence of the Bishops of Salford. Bishop John wishes to make it a resource for the whole diocese. In popular mythology, it is the home of the screaming skull!

On offer are:

http://circleplastics.co.uk/featured/multi-energy-saving-system-one/ Period of reflection on Ambrose Barlow with opening and closing prayer services;

Evangelii Gaudium

1. Reflection time on what does it mean to be a missionary parish, including Ambrose as an inspiration of a missionary disciple
2. Formation experience based on Evangelii Gaudium: 5 sessions, approx… 2 hours per time, discussing the information contained in each chapter and how it can be applied to parishes. This would be open to parish groups, preferably accompanied by the parish priest.

Themed quiet/study days

Forming young Christian leaders; spiritual accompaniment of young people; developing lay leadership in parish ministry; quiet days including a talk and time for individual prayer; Faith in Action (See, judge, act);

Pope Francis’ document: Laudato Si; Ignatian or Franciscan spirituality themes; quiet day based on a Scriptural theme or Mary; discernment process using Ignatian spirituality;

Study day on aging and spirituality, with suggestions on how parishes can address the spiritual needs of older parishioners;

Women Speaking Wisdom:  either a reflection day or a series of talks on women saints or women in the Old Testament.

A tour of the history of Wardley and its connection to St Ambrose Barlow can be included in all visits.

School groups may want to bring their students for a visit, talk on Ambrose Barlow or provide their own programming.

What would you think of a parish visit in the summer or attendance at one of the above? Topic for the next Forum?

Fr John

Hot Springs National Park THE MEDAILLE TRUST

The Medaille Trust is a UK Catholic charity that works to eradicate human trafficking and to offer support to those who have been trafficked. Founded ten years ago by Sister Ann Therese of the Order of St Joseph of Annecy, the charity is named after the founder of her order, Fr Jean Pierre Medaille.

It is impossible to fully comprehend the horrors that trafficked people experience and many of them never recover. An extreme example is of a man who was held captive in enforced labour for 30 years, and no less harrowing are the stories of girls locked up and bought and sold across Europe.

The EU requires countries to fund a 45-day recovery and reflection period for victims of human trafficking.  During this time a victim cannot be removed from the UK.  However, the 45-day period is often not enough to help victims overcome the trauma they have experienced so the average stay in a Medaille safe house is 100 days.  Some stay for two years.

As well as caring for the victims, the Medaille Trust is committed to promoting the eradication of human trafficking by raising awareness of modern day slavery. Pope Francis has said: “Every citizen of every country must be made aware of human trafficking and join the fight against it.”

The Trust has an active programme of education and awareness training that reaches out to schools, churches, community groups and other interested parties.  A teaching pack was provided to 453 Catholic secondary schools in 2015.

The Medaille Trust also works with Police Forces, the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority, the Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency.

Today’s retiring collection at the end of Mass is for the work of the Medaille Trust. The charity has low overheads and almost all the money it raises goes directly to supporting victims in their safe houses. In this country, the work of the Medaille Trust is strongly supported by Cardinal Nichols and most dioceses now have a Diocesan Representative who coordinates a growing number of Medaille volunteers and supporters.

To learn more about the Medaille Trust or about human trafficking please take a copy of the Medaille magazine from the porch or contact your Medaille Diocesan Representative: Anthony Brown at a.brown@medaille-trust.org.uk or  (01200) 422811.

Dear Parishioners,

Following the Bishop’s letter on restructuring our parishes and last week’s celebration of the work of CARITAS with the publication of its annual review (which was an eyeopener to many) the diocese has launched two new projects.

The first is to support the many volunteers in our parishes who work as catechists. Catechists play an important role in this parish and I think this is a rather exciting project. It is a six-week course on Becoming Confident Catechists starting on Monday 27 February at Sts Aidan & Oswald’s Royton. It will provide an introduction to the role and ministry of the catechist, with the hope that it might encourage participants to take part, at a later stage, in further ongoing formation. It is designed to help catechists to approach their role with renewed energy and confidence and is suitable for those working with both adults and children – RCIA, sacramental preparation programmes, children’s liturgy, etc. Don’t let the cost deter you: the £40 course fee will be paid from parish funds. If you are interested or are simply curious to know more, please contact me.

A service which we do not have in the diocese at the moment is that of the Deacon. The ministry of the Permanent Diaconate (as opposed the Diaconate which is a stage in preparation to being ordained a priest) was re-introduced by the Church 50 years ago, following the Vatican Council. We are the only diocese in the country that does not have them! But no longer, for the diocese is to begin selecting candidates who feel called to this ministry. A candidate must be male, baptised and practicing, aged between 35 and 50 years old, married or single,  be recommended by his  parish priest. Successful candidates will follow a part-time five-year course before ordination and service in the diocese. If you are interested, please have a word with me.

I would be grateful if any past Eucharistic Minister who no longer serves on the rota but has a Pyx would return it to me as soon as possible. We need to keep account of these small receptacles which are used to take the Body of the Lord to our many housebound parishioners and residents in care homes.

On Wednesday, the Parish Forum meets in the parish hall at 7.30pm when we shall discuss these, the Parish Hall and a number of other important issues. Tea is served from 7.10; the meeting begins at 7.30 and will end by 9pm.
Please send any agenda items you may have to me before Wednesday morning.

Fr John

CARITAS SUNDAY

Caritas is the Latin word for Christian love and from which the word charity derives.  As the official catholic charity of our Diocese, Caritas Diocese of Salford runs 21 services and centres covering helping the homeless; alleviating poverty; assisting those suffering from benefit sanctions; raising awareness of human trafficking; welcoming the stranger; visiting the elderly and housebound; campaigning for justice; raising awareness in our schools; housing needs; and supporting single mothers and babies.

A particularly important aspect of Caritas’ work this year will be responding to the Refugee crisis.  Bishop John has written: “In view of the continued Refugee Crisis and Pope Francis’ call to ‘Welcome the Stranger’, the Refugee Response will continue to be main focus of awareness raising and fundraising for Caritas for this year.”

Caritas Diocese of Salford has received terrific local response from individuals and groups of people who have come together from individual churches, ecumenical and multi-faith groups to help with the Refugee Crisis.  With the help of volunteers and learning from professionals, Caritas has set up Refugee and Asylum Drop-In Centres to provide casework support, English lessons, and a welcome face.

      Caritas is pioneering a Community Sponsorship Programme, following a Canadian model, where a community group welcomes a refugee family; from meeting them at the airport, to finding local accommodation, helping with schools, medical registration and providing friendship.

Caritas also offers emergency accommodation to those who find themselves destitute, and individual supporters have campaigned for individual asylum seekers and even housing them in their own homes!

Our parish has worked with Caritas and Revive, a Catholic charity in Manchester, to arrange days out in the countryside, and are piloting the Refugee ‘Come Dine with Me’ project for the diocese.

We should also acknowledge the valuable work done in our parish by the SVP group whose work dovetails with that of Caritas.

There are now 70 Caritas Representatives across the Diocese; volunteers in our parishes who promote both awareness of the charity and encourage support of its work.

If you are interested to get involved in social action with Refugees or to help others in need, then please speak to our parish’s Caritas Representative, Anthony Brown at: abrown.boggarts@googlemail.com or ( 01200 422811 or contact Caritas directly on ( 0161 817 2270 or www.caritassalford.org.uk.

Of today’s retiring collection for Caritas’ Refugee Response, Bishop John appeals: “I warmly invite you to take up the opportunities Caritas Sunday offers for prayers, action and donations.”

Pause for Hope—a prayer initiative against cancer

 I am sure that practically all of us have been affected by cancer, whether it be a close relative, friend or acquaintance, or perhaps even yourself.

Professor Ray Donnelly MBE is a retired surgeon who in 1990 founded a cancer charity which became the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation of which he is the current President. In 1999 he brought together many of the cancer charities in Merseyside for a day of prayer for those affected by cancer entitled “Pause for Hope”. They developed the initiative, the highlight of which is an annual service in one of Liverpool’s two cathedrals.

Pause for Hope works:

• to encourage prayer that the day will quickly come when all cancers can be prevented or cured
• to bring together in prayer those affected by all forms of cancer, their loved ones and carers
• to remember dear ones lost to cancer
• to pray for those with responsibility for providing and allocating resources required in the investigation, treatment and care of patients with cancer
• to help those affected to understand the Christian value of suffering and the great power of the prayers of the sick and those who look after them.
• to help those who don’t have cancer but have a great fear of the disease
• to reach out to those who are at home or in hospital as patients or carers and unable to attend the Pause for Hope services.

This service is open to all dominations and faiths as well as those of little or no religious faith.

I attended this annual service in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool.  We were welcomed by Bishop Tom Williams, the auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, then Monsignor Peter Cookson, who has fought cancer for many years, read his own prayer.

This was followed by prayers and readings by various representatives of different organisations involved with cancer. The prayers were intermixed with hymns and songs by the Birkenhead Operatic Society and a family trio.

I would very much like to have a Pause for Hope event in the Ribble Valley, where everyone could attend and take part and maybe find some solace and comfort.  Would it be possible to form a group in the hope of organising such an event?  If you are interested, please contact me, Carol Riley.  Tel. 01200 426769 or e-mail: cariley.t21@btinternet.com