Steady progress is being made on our bid to start classes in Clitheroe, but we need more volunteers for the following — cooks—washers up—collecting food from supermarkets—to name but a few. If you are interested in this project or are willing to help in any way then why not come along to our next meeting on Monday 17th August at 7.30pm at The United Reformed Church. We would be delighted to see you and whether or not ask that you will hold this project in your prayers
FR FRANKIE’S MEMORY BOOK – a copy of the book that was presented to Fr Frankie is available at the back of church (St Michael & St John’s)—please have a look BUT do not take it home!
PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES. Anyone who wishes a petition to be taken for them, to be placed at the grotto, please use the box at the back of the church. The box will be available until Wednesday 29th July. Boxes are also available both in Sabden and Dunsop Bridge
VACANCY Salford Diocese have a vacancy for a Building Surveyor. This is a full time appointment. See poster in porch or click here to download
Dear Parishioners,
Some time ago the Bishop wrote a letter inviting people to write to him and share ideas on how our diocese should organise itself and move forward as a Christian community in the 21st century. He received a massive response both by letter and email and has consolidated many of the questions and suggestions into a questionnaire to gauge opinion on a wide range of issues such as the appropriate age for First Communion, Confirmation, lay involvement in the management of the diocese, the mission of our schools, a diocesan development plan and, Chris Carr will be delighted to learn, whether we should have permanent deacons. All in all there are 33 questions, most of which require ticking either a Yes or a No box.
The paper questionnaire is available at the back of the church or may be answered online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Salford2015 or by the diocesan website at http://www.salforddiocese.net Please note that you must respond before Friday 7th August.
As the new Parish Priest, last Sunday I celebrated Mass in St Hubert’s Dunsop Bridge and afterwards met and discussed a number of issues with parishioners. Mgr Chaloner is to remain in retirement living in the Presbytery and has kindly agreed to celebrate a 10am Mass on Sundays in St Hubert’s. Midweek I shall celebrate a Mass on Tuesdays at 9.30am and whenever required. Then after the holidays on the 6th September I shall again celebrate the Sunday Mass and afterwards meet with the whole parish in Thorneyholme School to arrange how best we all may contribute to the growth and organisation of the parish within the parish of Our Lady of the Valley.
Teenager Betty Ward, a Dunsop parishioner, writes “My unruly, curly hair is one of my defining features and up until a few years ago I couldn’t bear to think of losing it. However, I met a brave young girl who at the age of 11 was diagnosed with alopecia and began losing her hair. The thing is you don’t just lose your hair; you lose your confidence and feel self-conscious. Please help me support the Little Princess Trust which provides real hair wigs to children with hair loss by sponsoring my hair donation. For me, my hair will grow back but for some children it never will. Help make a little girl feel like a princess again.” So Betty will donate her hair and also hopes to raise money by people sponsoring her. Text BWRD56 followed by £2/£5/£10 to 70070 or go to best place to buy isotretinoin uk www.justgiving.com/bettyward.
Happy Weld Day!
Fr John
Dear Parishioners,
Today I celebrate Sunday Mass in St Hubert’s, Dunsop Bridge, and afterwards shall meet with parishioners to begin the process of shaping our three very different Catholic communities into a cohesive Missionary Parish – as Pope Francis has asked us to become. Thankfully we have behind us the successful amalgamation of St Michael and St John’s Clitheroe with St Mary’s Sabden, in the process of which both communities generously shared, learned and benefited from each other.
Today I have only three aims. The first is to organise a general meeting of St Hubert’s community at which a couple of representatives from Clitheroe and Sabden will be invited to share the stories of their journey to amalgamation and respond to any anxieties which may exist within the Dunsop Bridge community. The second is to arrange for a midweek morning Mass in St Hubert’s (not on Sabden’s Wednesday)! The third is to organise a meeting with a member from the parish finance committee, Mgr Chaloner and a Dunsop representative to discuss finance.
On a different topic, in the 1800’s a Pedlar’s Trunk was discovered at Samlesbury Hall where it had lain hidden in a priest hole for 200 years. The Trunk contained all that was necessary for the celebration of Mass (but disguised as a pedlar’s wares) and is thought to have been used by our martyrs St Edmund Arrowsmith and/or St John Southworth. In 1892 the Trunk was sold at general auction to a local Catholic man who recognised its religious significance. Subsequently it was handed over to the care to Stonyhurst College. The College has loaned it as part of an exhibition at Samlesbury Hall over the coming year. If you would like to visit the exhibition, the Hall is open for visitors Sunday to Friday 11am – 4pm but closed on Saturdays and occasional Fridays. (To check opening times contact 01254 812010). This is a golden opportunity to introduce your children to Lancashire’s Catholic heritage and have a day out.
Finally we celebrate the beginnings of our parish next Sunday on Weld Day, beginning with Sunday Mass at 10.30am in the garden, followed by a parish picnic. A complementary glass of wine, strawberries and ice-cream are provided by kind sponsors – you bring along the family, a picnic and some sunshine.
Fr John
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, 31st 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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