11 April 2021 – 2nd Sunday of Easter / Divine Mercy Sunday

 

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK

Eileen M Thistlethwaite RIP

Carole Ann Moore RIP

Parishioners

Private Intention

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THE CHURCH IS NOW OPEN.  PLEASE PHONE / EMAIL ON THURSDAYS TO BOOK A PLACE

 

 

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PARISH NEWSLETTER

THIS WEEK’S NOTICES & READINGS / REFLECTIONS

 

OPENING CHURCH FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP
The same Covid-secure measures still need to be in place for some time yet, in order to protect everyone, so please bear with us by…

  • Booking a place(s) on Thursdays, between 10.30am and 3pm ONLY. 
  • Minimal speaking
  • Remembering to dress warmly – the church doors have to remain open throughout the service (regardless of the weather!)
  • Remembering not to block the doors on leaving church after receiving Holy Communion and avoid congregating in groups to talk outside church. Please remember to say a prayer of thanksgiving following your reception of Holy Communion. 

READINGS FOR 11 APRIL – Faith: How we can rise above the trials and tribulations of this world and become closer to God
1st Reading: Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35, United heart and soul
Psalm 117: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end
2nd Reading: 1st Letter of St John 5:1-6, Anyone who had been begotten by God has already overcome the world
Gospel: John 20:19-31, Eight days later, Jesus came
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia!  Jesus said, ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. Alleluia!
Communion antiphon: bring your hand and feel the place of the nails, and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia.

REFLECTION FOR THIS SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY – 11 APRIL
O Jesus, eternal Truth and our Life, I call upon you and I beg your mercy for poor sinners.  O sweetest heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with you for poor sinners.
O Most Sacred Heart, fount of mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of you light for poor sinners.
O Jesus, be mindful of your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of your most precious blood.  O Jesus, when I consider the great price of your blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners.
Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equalled.  Therefore, let every should trust in the Passion of the Lord and place its hope in his mercy.  God will not deny his mercy to anyone.  Heaven and earth may change but God’s mercy will never be exhausted.
Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus!  I desire to bring all sinners to your feet that they may glorify your mercy throughout endless ages.
O my Jesus, despite the deep night that is all around me and the dark clouds which hide the horizon, I know that the sun never goes out.  O Lord, though I cannot comprehend you and do not understand your ways, I nonetheless trust in your mercy.  If it is your will, Lord, that I live always in such darkness, may you be blessed.  I ask only one thing, Jesus:  do not allow me to offend you in any way.
O Jesus, you alone know the longings and sufferings of my heart.  I am glad I can suffer for you, however little.
When I feel that the suffering is more than I can bear, I take refuge in the Lord in the Blessed sacrament, and I speak to him with profound silence.
St Maria Faustina Kowalska (d.1938) – a Polish Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, whose mystical visions of Jesus inspired the Divine Mercy devotion

PRAYER INTENTIONS THIS WEEK
Archbishop Malcolm has asked us to pray the following at this time of crisis:
God Our Father, each person is precious to You.
You are the Giver of life.
Have mercy on us and protect us at this time, as the coronavirus threatens health and life.
You are an ever-present Helper in time of trouble.
Watch over those who are suffering, give strength to those who are aiding the sick and give courage to all in this time of anxiety.
We ask this of you in the name of your Son. Jesus Christ.
Amen.

We join Pope Francis in his prayer intention for April:
We pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.

Let us pray
That all Christians may strive for holiness by repenting of past sins;
That all who doubt or distrust the Gospel message may recognise the risen Christ in the goodness and kindness of others and learn to turn to God in faith and love;
That the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ for all people may teach us that there is no such thing as a worthless life, or a person God does not love;
That as Covid restrictions are lifted and more people receive their vaccinations, may the bonds of our relationships be renewed and strengthened

We pray now in the words Jesus gave us:
Our Father, who art in heaven…

SPECIAL FEASTS THIS WEEK
11 April – 2nd Sunday of Easter & Day of Divine Mercy
13 April – St Martin I – Pope and martyr

PARISH FOODBANK
If you know of any families / individuals living locally, who might benefit from a food parcel, please let us know via email / phone message, so that we can follow this up.

FINAL WEEK 31: ARMCHAIR RETREATS DURING LOCKDOWN: ‘LET ME LOVE YOU’
Denis Blackledge SJ, Jesuit Parish Priest of Saint Francis Xavier’s Church in Liverpool delivers a series of armchair retreats.
​Each week Fr Denis chooses a couple of scripture passages to break open the living word in a homely way to give fresh encouragement, and deepen the daily living of folk as friends and followers of Jesus.
Please use this link: Armchair Retreats | Liverpoolcatholic (liverpoolcatholicresources.com)

GIFT AID SCHEME
A Gift Aid tax reclaim will be submitted shortly to HMRC. Please notify us if you are no longer a taxpayer or you paid insufficient tax during 2020/21 to cover the tax that will be reclaimed on all your donations given under Gift Aid to all charities during the tax year.
At the present standard rate of tax of 20%, 25p is reclaimed for every £1 donated so it’s well-worth considering.  Please contact the parish office if you would like to consider this and we will send you the relevant form.
Also, if you have moved house during the tax year please let us have your new address.

MAKING OFFERTORY DONATIONS
If you’re unable to attend every Mass but wish to continue to make offertory donations, please consider the following options:-

  1. Write a cheque to cover all the weeks missed and end in the cheque with one envelope only
  2. There is no need to use all the envelopes for each week missed. It’s quite alright to use just one envelope for multiple weeks.
  3. Consider taking out a standing order mandate with your bank. We can provide you with the necessary form and bank details
    Thank you!

OUR FACEBOOK PAGE IS NOW ACTIVE!
John O’Hare has kindly re-activated our Facebook page so please encourage friends and family who use social media to follow us on ‘Our Lady Help of Christians Tarleton’.

OUR LITTLE CHURCH GROUP
Our children have continued to meet up regularly via Zoom during the pandemic and our Little Church seems to be happily thriving. If anyone is interested in attending, or knows any children who would like to be involved, you are more than welcome to join in the fun!  Please contact Emma O’Hare on 07813275574.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY – WITH BROTHER FRANCIS
You Tube animated stories and songs each week.  
https://brotherfrancis.com/

CHILDREN’S LITURGY – NEW BOOK!
‘Thank God for Mass!’ is an interactive book to help children understand Mass and it is hoped by the author that, as we return to Church after lockdown, this book can galvanise children to enjoy the whole experience helping them along on their spiritual journey.
A proportion of the profits from sales will go to the SVP Society (England & Wales) to help them with the great work they do with Youth SVP and Mini-Vinnies. If you would like to buy this book for children aged 5 to 10 years, or require more information, contact Sue Ellis on sueellisbooks@btinternet.com  or the publisher Quacks Books, York, Tel: 01904 635967. It can also be purchased from any good bookshop using the ISBN: 978-1-912728-20-6.
Cost £8.50, schools/churches, 10 books for £6 each, or 20 books for £5 each.

LOCAL RESIDENTS’ MONTHLY INFORMATION SHEET: ‘HELPING HANDS’
This week sees the delivery of ‘Helping Hands’ Newsletter 6, which, as with the previous five newsletters – brings residents of Hesketh Bank and Tarleton up-to-date help, advice and information on how to cope during the pandemic.  The small group of volunteers that puts this together each month hopes that residents will find something useful in it, and in order to continue the service, they ask that residents provide feedback on the newsletter, so that improvements can be made in the future.
Please contact Diane at the parish office with your thoughts, or let her know if you would like to receive a printed copy of a very short questionnaire that will help the Group to focus on issues that really matter to you, in their future editions. This is YOUR local newsletter and the Group is keen that it reflects the issues that matter most to YOU, so thank you for your assistance on this!

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE CENTRE COURSES
The Christian Heritage Centre, based at Stonyhurst, offers regular webinars and courses on a variety of topics. For more information, please see www.christianheritagecentre.com  

RECOMMENDED ADULT READING – BY THE ARCHDIOCESE
Seeing the Pandemic with Eyes of Faith – Seven Prophets of Our Time by Fr Ivano Millico
Fr Millico offers a contemplative and faith-filled analysis in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the help of saints who have lived through moments of great personal and societal crisis.
Price £5.95, available at www.ctsbooks.org

“THE CHOSEN” – FILM SERIES
Highly recommended dramatization of the ministry of Christ.  Also available on Google Play and the Apple Store
The Chosen TV Series (angelstudios.com)

BBC4: ‘BROTHERHOOD – THE INNER LIFE OF MONKS’
Available on iPlayer, this one-off programme on the Cistercian brothers of Mount St Bernard in Leicestershire.  A really beautiful and uplifting visit to this unique monastery.
BBC Four – Brotherhood: The Inner Life of Monks

CAFOD & CLIMATE CHANGE 2021 – POPE FRANCIS’ PLEA TO THE WORLD
This year, two very important world conferences will be taking place, against the backdrop of the pandemic and the spiralling crisis of our global environment that is struggling to survive the demands imposed on it by us.
CAFOD is pledging to help us make our voices heard at these conferences, both conferences are being hosted by the UK:
11 – 13 June – the G7 Summit, when heads of government from seven of the world’s richest countries will meet to discuss plans for a global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 
The G7 meeting will be a key moment for world leaders to cancel unjust debts and tackle the climate crisis.
1 – 12 November – The UN Climate Conference or COP26.  A ‘COP’ means ‘conference of parties’.
Governments and negotiators from across the world will travel to the meeting to discuss how to keep temperature rises below dangerous levels and prevent the climate crisis from causing even worse catastrophes for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
What can we do?
Go to the CAFOD website and click on the Latest News links which will take to on-line petitions / letters, urging Boris Johnson and his government to speak up for the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged.
The Pope has urged us not to forget the plight of the poor in our rush to get back to ‘normal’ life after the pandemic.  He wants us to remain focussed on helping our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ, wherever they may be.  We have a duty of care for all of God’s creation.
Why 2021 is a huge year for a green recovery from coronavirus | CAFOD

COVID TESTING IN HESKETH BANK – An important message from West Lancs Borough Council Emergency Planning
West Lancashire Borough Council will now be offering free rapid testing for people without symptoms every Tuesday between 12pm & 6pm at All Saints Church Hall, Station Road, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6SQ, with no need to book.
Don’t run the risk of passing on the virus to your loved ones, your colleagues or other people in your community.
Get tested, be sure.

MUSICAL TREATS FOR THE WEEK
Two versions of the same uplifting Easter hymn: This Joyful Eastertide. The melody comes from Joachim Oudaen’s David’s Psalmen (1685) and was harmonised by Charles Wood in the 19th century.
The first version is a clever piece of technical skills plus a very musical rendition by Josh Turner
This Joyful Eastertide – YouTube
Followed by a more traditional choral version from this talented virtual choir that was filmed last Easter
This Joyful Eastertide (arr Charles Wood) [Virtual Choir] – YouTube

 

 

REGULAR WEEKLY NOTICES

MASS ON SUNDAYS
As you may be aware, our Bishops have lifted the obligation to attend Sunday Mass.
To keep Sundays holy, it might be helpful to spend some time reading the Scriptures.  Besides your Bible, the Magnificat publication can be a wonderful aid to prayer and of course, you also get the readings for Mass for every day of the week!  At a cost of less than £1 a week, you may be interested in subscribing now: tel. 020 7448 3618; email: uk@magnificat.com or visit the website: www.catholic-herald.myshopify.com

Masses will continue to be live-streamed and televised for many months yet, so you can still take part in Sunday worship and the Act of Spiritual Communion will continue to be an important part of people’s worship for the foreseeable future.  
If you have any queries or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

THE ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

MASSES ONLINE WILL CONTINUE TO BE STREAMED INDEFINITELY
Locally, there is St Clare’s, Sharoe Green Lane, Fulwood: www.saintclares.co.uk which streams Mass daily at 9.30am. Please follow the easy links on the website.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en Pope Francis
https://www.churchservices.tv/whats-on-now/ Great selection of Masses and other Church services https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/tv-lourdes/ Mass and daily at 2pm, the Rosary in English
https://www.livemass.org Extraordinary Form (1962 Missal)
Use the website links to EWTN, those who have Sky can tune in on Channel 588, or the Archdiocese to access daily Masses
On the radio: Catholic Radio Sky Channel 0147
Also, you may wish to try the Pray as you Go phone app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.foxcode.prayasyougo&hl=en

PRAYERS from the Archdiocese, for Stations of the Cross etc: https://www.liverpoolcatholicresources.com/

Please email the Parish Office with details of any other online services you know of that may help parishioners at this very difficult time. We will try to include them in next week’s Newsletter.

YEAR OF ST JOSEPH (Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Liverpool): With his apostolic letter, ‘Patris Corde’ (‘With a Father’s heart’), Pope Francis has proclaimed a ‘Year of St Joseph’ running from 8 December 2020 (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception) to December 2021.
At the end of the letter, he asks us to pray the following prayer to St Joseph:
Hail Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you, God entrusted his only Son,
In you, Mary placed her trust,
With you, Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
Show yourself a father
And guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage
And defend us from every evil.
Amen
PRAYER CARDS FOR THE YEAR OF ST JOSEPH: Prayer cards are available – please notify the Parish Office and we will send one out to you so that you can say the prayer to St Joseph during the week.  We know we can rely on his guidance and protection in every difficulty and challenge.  And his intercessions are certainly much-needed by us all at the moment!

CATHOLIC NEWSPAPERS:  These are available to order directly from the publisher (www.thecatholicuniverse.com  or 0161 820 5722). It can be posted to you each week. Introductory offers: printed copies for three months – £25; twelve months – £99; or digital copy £55 for twelve months.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY – SEE THIS NEW INITIATIVE! ‘The Mark 10 Mission’
This is a brand new project created by a small team of young lay people to share the Gospel with children. The video episodes are completely free and have been used in many primary schools across the country each week since September. Please click on the link below to see the latest episodes.
https://www.themark10mission.co.uk/theepisodes/seriestwo
The Mark 10 Mission team is passionate to see the Gospel shared with children and to help them grow in their relationship with Christ. The website is updated each Friday morning with a new episode, so happy viewing!

OFFERTORY DONATIONS DURING THE LOCKDOWN 
Many thanks to generous parishioners who have sent in donations to our churches. Your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated.
Instead of putting money in offertory envelopes each week, those who are able to make an offering are asked to complete a Standing Order Mandate for your bank, from either your parish office. We can email the document to you, if you wish, so that you can print off, complete and send to your bank.
Alternatively, you may still wish to write a  cheque (payable to ‘Our Lady Help of Christians Church’ ) and post to the presbytery with a covering letter and one offertory envelope for gift aid purposes.
Donating by text / online: Please check the May Newsletters and use the links provided

 

HELP DURING THE PANDEMIC

Check out the government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home  to find out what the restrictions (and exceptions) are, and to keep abreast of changes in the future.
The NHS contacts those eligible for a vaccine to arrange an appointment.

Many residents have now received their first dose of the vaccine, but it is important to note that protection doesn’t kick in for a number of weeks after the vaccine, so it is vital that everyone remains vigilant and ensures that they follow all the rules to keep themselves and everyone else safe.
The number of positive cases in W Lancs is now falling, thanks to people observing restrictions more carefully!

COVID VACCINES – IMPORTANT
Many parishioners have already received notification about their vaccine – or have received the first dose.
It is important to wait to be contacted. 
Those over 50: Please contact your local surgery now, if you have not yet been contacted about the vaccine
Please also note that the Catholic Church has given its full support to the vaccine (all three of them) and is keen to assure Catholics that there are no moral issues linked to the science of the vaccines, whatsoever.  The vaccines are safe. The Archbishop of Liverpool is anxious to dispel any myths and urges Catholics to have the vaccines.  Cardinal Vin Nichols has already had his first vaccine.  So has the Pope!  – and hospital chaplains have also received their first doses.
Unfortunately some people are trying to exploit the fears of others, so be on the alert for so-called vaccine scammers, who will try and charge you for a vaccine.  There is NO CHARGE.
The vaccines are free. 
GP surgeries are not paid.  The government is paying for the whole programme.

Please also note that there are some scammers pretending to be the NHS.  There is only one official NHS email address, which is www.nhs.uk

The NHS will never ask for details like family maiden names of bank accounts / credit & debit cards.  Nor will they require you to pay anything for the vaccines.  If you are contacted by a group claiming to be the NHS and they’ve asked for these details, it is a scam and you must ignore it.  Then report it!

It is essential to continue to observe the ‘basics’: hand hygiene, face masks, social-distancing – and lots of good ventilation – at all times.

HELP IS AT HAND! Don’t forget that local volunteers from Hesketh Bank and Tarleton Helpers stand ready to help anyone who needs support – with errands, shopping, collecting prescriptions – and friendly telephone calls for those who are feeling isolated. Please call Diane Mackley (one of the HH Team members) on 01772 815508. 

OTHER HELP AVAILABLE TO US IN WEST LANCS
Citizens Advice Lancashire West – Advice on housing, employment, debt, benefits, consumer problems, energy advice (billing, supply, switching etc.) and much more.
Contact: Guy Simpson – gsimpson@calw.org.uk or Sarah Bennett – sbennett@calw.org.uk Tel. 0344 245 1294

South West Lancashire ICAN [South West Lancashire Independent Community Advice Network]
Provides free independent and confidential advice from specialists regarding redundancy, welfare rights, employment law, disability living allowance, tribunal appeals, personal independence payments, IT and digital support, debt, those in work-low income (including for the self-employed or small business owners during the pandemic), furloughing.
Contact: Paul McConnell or Jan Fitzsimons admin@swlican.org. Tel. 01695 726269

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES OR NEED ANY HELP, PLEASE CONTACT FR ANDERS AT THE PRESBYTERY IN TARLETON ON 01772 812242, OR EMAIL THE OFFICE (olhct@rcaol.org.uk)

WISHING ALL PARISHIONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES EVERY BLESSING FOR THE COMING WEEK