READINGS FOR 30 AUGUST
1^st Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9,  The word of the Lord has become for me a reproach.
Psalm 63: For you my soul is thirsting O Lord my God.
2^nd Reading: Romans 12:1-2, Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:21-27,If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself.

POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER
For the care of water
For a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

SAINTS / FEAST DAYS THIS WEEK31 August

31 August – St Aiden & the saints of Lindisfarne
3 September – St Gregory
4 September – St Cuthbert
5 September – St Teresa of Calcutta

DEAR DEPARTED: MARY MUSSELL
A Requiem Mass for Mary will take place here at Our Lady’s on Monday 7 September at 10am.  Friends and parishioners are warmly welcome to attend to pray for the soul of dear Mary.  Afterwards, there will be an interment at Ss Peter & Paul’s church in Mawdesley.  Please continue to remember Mary, Maurice and the family in your prayers

1^st COMMUNION REGISTRATION / APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN: LAST CHANCE!
Registration forms are available in the porch for parents of children going in to Yr 4 in September.  This is for the 1^st Communion Mass in June 2027.  The closing date for applications in 31 August.  Please help to spread the word.

ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN UNITY SERVICE: 6 SEPTEMBER
Everyone is warmly invited to an ecumenical service next Sunday afternoon, at Mere Brow & Tarleton Methodist Church, Church Road, Tarleton, beginning at 3.00pm.  Tea and biscuits will be served in the hall afterwards.  Please come along if you can.

LADYEWELL PILGRIMAGE 12 SEPTEMBER: Please sign the list in the porch.
Deadline: 6 September.  Fliers available, with more details, in the porch.

FAMILY OF PARISHES – SCENARIOS & OPEN MEETINGS UPDATE
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 be providing an update on 4 October (in line with our other FoP communities), 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).  Parishioners are warmly invited to attend just one of these open meetings.  Your views are important – no decisions can be made without this consultation – so please make every effort to attend one of these meetings, if you can.

CURRY EVENING – SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER
Tickets, £10 available from any member of the Social Committee.  Please see Vivienne if you have any dietary requirements / queries.

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!

MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE – Wednesdays 9, 16, 23, 30 September 2026,  6.30pm – 8.30pm
The Archdiocese is offering a marriage preparation course for engaged couples. Led by trained lay facilitators, the 4-session course will help the couples develop skills to facilitate good communication within their relationship and an understanding of sacramental marriage within Catholic faith.

Venue: Christ the King Church, Childwall, L15 6YQ.
There is a cost of £50 per couple to help towards materials and other expenses. If you are interested (or know of anyone who might be interested), please book online: forms.cloud.microsoft/e/ASxKS8Cnxp?origin=lprLink

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.

NEW CHOIR MEMBERS WELCOME
Our dedicated and hardworking choir would welcome two or three more voices to help swell the ranks.  Our Lady’s boasts one of the best churches for congregational singing amongst all the FoP, so we know there are some keen and enthusiastic singers amongst us. If you enjoy a ‘good, rousing sing’, then please have a word with Liz Cheetham after Mass, to find out a bit more.  You will be most welcome. 

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.