READINGS FOR 11 OCTOBER
1^st Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10, The Lord will make a feast and he will wipe away tears from all faces.
Psalm 23: In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
2^nd Reading: Philippians 4:12-20, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:1-14, Invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR OCTOBER
For mental health ministry
We pray that the mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the discrimination of those with mental illnesses.

SAINTS / FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK
15 October – St Teresa of Avila
16 October – St Margaret Mary Alocoque
17 October – St Ignatius of Antioch
18 October – St Luke, evangelist

BAPTISM WELCOME
We welcome Sebastian David Anthony Buller into our faith community when he was baptised here last Sunday. Please remember him and his family in your prayers.

WORLD MISSIONS COLLECTION NEXT WEEK

ARCHDIOCESAN ANNUAL COUNTING AT MASS
We are required to keep a tally of Mass numbers each Sunday for the next few weeks: 27 September, 4 and 11 October – and submit them to the Archdiocese.  A good turnout each week would look most impressive!
20 September: 67; 27 September: 63; 4 October: 70

CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY COLLECTION: £164.09 Thank you everyone.  And thank you to all who gift aided their donations.  It makes a big difference.

NOVEMBER MASSES FOR HOLY SOULS
Envelopes for all our Holy Soul intentions are available now.  Please return the sealed envelopes, with lists and donations, to the Parish Office, or via the offertory basket by 30 October.

FAMILY OF PARISHES – FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE
Meetings have been on-going within our Family of Parishes since our ‘open meeting’ in church last March, regarding the various future scenarios.  Our parish reps, John O’Hare and Diane Mackley, will provide a brief update after Mass ready for our next phase of consultations with all parishioners. 
These consultations will be on Wednesday 14 October at St Mary’s High School, Leyland (7pm to 9pm) and
Saturday 17 October at All Hallows school (10am to 12 noon).   
PLEASE NOTE: No decision has been made , so we really need to hear from parishioners now.

COFFEE MORNING LAST WEEK
Many thanks to all who came to last week’s Coffee Morning – it was a great turnout!  Thank you to Claire, Joanne and Diane, as always. It was lovely to see such a ‘busy’ social event.  Thank you to everyone who contributed to the £99.00 donated.

CURRY EVENING – THANK YOU!
A big thank you to Vivienne and all the members of our dedicated, hardworking Social Team.  Last night’s Curry Evening went down extremely well and was great fun.  Thank you also to everyone who came and supported.  None of these events can happen without you!

BECOMING A CATHOLIC!
If you, or someone you know, is interested in finding out more about the Catholic faith and perhaps considering becoming a Catholic, then please collect a pack from Diane after Mass today, with details of the next RCIA course run by our Family of Parishes. It will start on 4 November at St Oswald’s in Longton.

1^st COMMUNION PREPARATION SESSION NEXT WEEK
Our children will be meeting after Mass next Sunday, for their second session preparing them for their 1^st Holy Communion next June.  This session will focus on being baptised and being called by Jesus to follow him.

REGISTRATION TO RECEIVE THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION, 2027
Registration forms are available for parents / carers of children in Yr 8 (not attending a Catholic high school), in the porch.  Please complete and return to the Parish Office.

BLISTER PACKS: PILLS & TABLETS RECYCLED
Please use the labelled box in the porch  for your pill / tablet blisters packs, so that we can collect and recycle properly.  Currently, they cannot be recycled in our blue council bins.  Thank you to those who are already donating!

HYMN BOOK AMNESTY
It’s so easy to walk out of church and find you’re still clutching a hymn book!  Please can you have a look at home / in the car and check for any ‘strays’.  No one will be looking when you bring them back to church.  Many thanks!

WELCOMERS NEEDED 
We would love to expand our rota of welcomers, so please don’t be shy!  Have a chat with Father or Diane after Mass, if you’d like to find out a bit more, and see if it’s something that might interest you.

MASS INTENTIONS
Mass intentions are welcome, not just for our dear departed, but for any other occasion eg in thanksgiving, A successful outcome (exams / operation), wedding / anniversary blessings. Please write your name and intention, with the preferred date – if applicable – on a piece of paper and place in an envelope, along with your offering, either in the weekly offertory basket or through the presbytery door.  Every effort will be made to find a date as close as possible.

OFFERTORY ENVELOPES / GIFT AID / STANDING ORDERS!
If you are a taxpayer then you can easily help the parish to claim 25% extra on top of every donation you make – and it won’t cost you a penny!  Eg: a donation of £10 per week would result in £12.50 going to the church. If you are able to use gift aid, please collect a form from the porch on your way out today, and return it to the Parish Office asap. 
If you are a taxpayer who makes regular cash donations, please consider using an offertory envelope instead of just placing your ‘loose’ donations in the basket. This is really important: it can bring in more than £1000 to the church every year, as we’ll be able to claim gift aid directly on every donation you make.  It won’t cost you anything at all, but it will make a huge difference to our finances.
Please contact the Parish Office if you’d like to use envelopes – they are free! 
Even better – you can donate ‘painlessly’ each month by setting up a standing order with your bank.  Forms are available in the porch.

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION BEFORE MASS
Some of our parishioners who like to pray and have a few moments of quiet reflection before the start of Mass.  And of course, we have every opportunity to have a chat and catch-up after Mass. 
Our monthly coffee mornings provide an ideal occasion for this! 

VOTIVE CANDLES
People have been asking how much they should donate for a votive candle.  Fr John is happy to leave it to your discretion, as all donations will be gratefully received – whenever they are made.

GLUTEN FREE SACRAMENT AVAILABLE
Please indicate to Fr John if you need to receive a gf host when you come to receive communion.

ST IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA: The Loving Generosity of Christ
He is generous to exhaustion and what is most wonderful is that he gives himself thus entirely, not once only but every
day, if we wish it.  Every fresh Communion is a new gift, which Jesus Christ makes of himself.