Dear Parishioners

First things first. On the last Sunday of 2013, Pope Francis posed a question to the Church: “As the year reaches the end we ask ourselves honestly how we have lived the time that God has given to us. Have we used it above all for ourselves, for our own interests, or have we used it also for others? And what of God? How much time have we set aside to ‘be with Him’ in prayer and in silence?” So, how about giving a little time each evening this week to mull over this question and then perhaps make a belated new year’s resolution?

The front three benches on either side of the church’s centre aisle have been cushioned. In the past Catholic Churches had padded kneelers while non-Catholic churches had padded seats but now we are looking to have both. So, why not try out our padded benches and let me know what you think?

“She was in hospital for a month, I was told, and the priest never visited her.” On investigation I learned that neither the chaplain nor the staff knew that the patient was a Catholic who wished to see the chaplain! So, please note that if you have a relative or friend who is in hospital then the responsibility for requesting a visit from the Catholic chaplain rests squarely on your shoulders. This is particularly important if the patient is admitted through the A&E department. On the ward ask a nurse to notify the chaplain and afterwards check that this was done, or for both Blackburn and Burnley hospitals telephone 01254 733001 and ask for Fr Paul Blackburn. For Clitheroe hospital, please inform me.

If you go to the parish website www.olotv.org.uk you will see that it is woefully out of date with more reports on events in 2012 than last year and many of the group reports haven’t been updated for 5 years!!! So, a request to each parish society, group or association to checkout their entry, then update it and if possible add photos before emailing it to andrewbrown595@btinternet.com or posting written (hard) copy to the Presbytery.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has begun. I urge you to attend this Sunday Evening’s United Service at 6.30pm in Trinity Methodist.

In the Catholic Church today we also observe a day of prayer for World Peace.

Fr John