MASS ON WEDNESDAYS – Holy Mass – 6.00pm
Followed by Exposition / Confessions & Benediction

READINGS FOR 14 JANUARY
1^st Reading: Samuel 3:3-10, Speak Lord, your servant is listening
Psalm 39:  Here I am Lord!  I come to do your will.
2^nd Reading: I Corinthians 6:13-20, Your bodies are members, making up the body of Christ
Gospel Reading: John 1:35-42, They saw where he lived and stayed with him.
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! Speak Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life.  Alleluia!
Communion antiphon: The Lord has prepared a feast for me: given wine in plenty for me to drink.

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY
Diversity in the Church
Let us pray that the Spirit help us recognise the gift of different charisms within the Christian community, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions in the heart of the Catholic Church.

SAINTS & FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK
17 January – St Anthony
19 January – St Wulstan
20 January – St Fabian / St Sebastian
21 January – St Agnes

PEACE SUNDAY – 14 January
On this Peace Sunday, we pray for all who work, locally and internationally, for peace and justice; for all who will not be silent in the face of injustice or suffering; for all who take risks for peace. We ask God’s blessing today especially on the work of the international Catholic peace movement, Pax Christi.
Heavenly Father, as the Spirit descended like a dove on your Son at his baptism, so grant that the same Dove of Peace may open up paths to a just peace for all in our world today.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY: 18 – 25 January
This special week provides an opportunity to focus our prayers on Christian unity, as well as speak about and experience Christian unity personally, in our local area, town or county, as well as engage with what happens at a national level.  Resources are available here https://cte.org.uk/wpcu2024/

1^st COMMUNION PROGRAMME
Our 1^st Communion children will be meeting after 10am Mass this Sunday (14 January) for their fourth preparation session, focusing on how Jesus helps and heals people.  Please remember them in your prayers.

COFFEE MORNING LAST WEEK
Thank you to all those who came and enjoyed the wonderful refreshments and home-baking provided so generously by Joanne and Diane last week!  A further £56.81 was raised for the Hall Refurbishment Fund.
Our next Coffee Morning will be after Mass on Sunday 4 February.

SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKES!
If you would like to help plan a Pancake Party at the presbytery for 13 February, please have a word with Fr John or Vivienne after Mass.

ARCHDIOCESAN CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME – YEAR 8 CHILDREN
Information sheets are available in the porch for parents and children interested in receiving this very special sacrament.  Children must be registered (online) at www.liverpoolcalled.co.uk between 15 January and 15 March.  The Confirmations will take place during the summer term this year.

PARISH FOODBANK
Rev Dave wishes to pass on his thanks and blessings to all those who regularly donate foodstuffs.  There is still a need for dried foods eg pasta and rice, breakfast cereals, plus tins of vegetables, meat and fish.  Your generosity is a real help to our local families, especially now that autumn has set in and energy bills are increasing again.  Please ensure that donated items are all well within their Best Before dates – Thank You!
DISUSED GLASSES / SPECTACLES
Please have a rummage at home and bring old prescription glasses along.  They can be used by opticians in Africa to help local communities. 

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES + GIFT AID
If you are a taxpayer then you can easily help the parish to claim 25% extra on top of every donation you make.  Eg: a donation of £5 per week would result in £6.25 going to the church. Filling in a simple form to register your name and address means we can claim an additional 25% of your gift.  If you are able to help, please collect a form from the porch on your way out today, complete and return to the Parish Office.
In addition, you may wish to consider using an offertory envelope (they are free and use re-cycled paper) in which to make your weekly donation.  It’s akin to ‘wrapping up your gift’ for Our Lord!  Again, please contact the Parish Office if you’d like to start using them.

CATHOLIC PICTORIAL
Keeping you up to date with all the news from around the Archdiocese online: www.catholicpic.co.uk
Postal subscriptions are available: 3 issues = £9.50, 6 issues = £19 and 12 issues = £37.50.
Email enquiries@cpmmmedia.com or ring 0151 709 7567.
Digital copies are also available.  Please use the phone number / email address above

DONATIONS FOR IAT – MOSS LANE DEPOT
Please remember that unwanted clothing, bedding, tins of food, packs of dried food will be gratefully received by volunteers at our local depot, to help those thousands of Ukrainians affected by the flooding as a result of the recent bombing.  They are very grateful for all help received.  It really makes a difference.

PLEASE CONSIDER OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED IN YOUR PARISH
We are very grateful for offers of help already, with regards to gardening jobs and keeping the grounds of the church neat and tidy.  Thank you!
However, there are still a number of opportunities for our parishioners to become a bit more involved in parish life and your help is both needed and much appreciated.  Areas where help is needed include with the Little Church group on Sundays, singing with the choir, flower arranging, church cleaning, altar serving and some serious fund-raising.  Help is welcome from all ages, and advice / training will be provided. Please contact the Parish Office by email or ring on Thursdays, in order to find out more.