4 April 2021 – Easter Sunday

 

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK

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Eileen M Thistlethwaite RIP

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PARISH NEWSLETTER

THIS WEEK’S NOTICES & READINGS / REFLECTIONS

CHRIST IS RISEN – ALLELUIA!
A VERY HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE!

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. No other time / day.
  • 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 4 APRIL
1st Reading: Acts 10:34-43, We have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection
Psalm 117: This day was made by the Lord; we rejoice and are glad
2nd Reading: Colossians 3:1-4, You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is
Gospel: John 20:1-9, He must rise from the dead
Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia!  Christ our Passover has been sacrificed: let us celebrate the feast then, in the Lord.  Alleluia!
Communion antiphon: Christ our Passover has been sacrificed, alleluia; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of purity and truth, alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: OUR FAITH ON SUNDAY
Jesus is risen!  During his years of teaching and preaching, Jesus had raised three people to life from death: Jairus’ daughter, the widow’s son and Lazarus.  They were raised to earthly life, possibly a new beginning, but not to a new way of existing.
Surely the return of life to Jairus’ daughter, and of the widow’s son must have awakened in the hearts of the parents and the widow – and of all those who witnessed the miracles – a great awe and faith in a power beyond themselves, beyond their experience.
Jesus said of the little girl, “The child is not dead, but asleep.”  His words had a deep meaning: death is not an end, but an entrance in to a new life for every dying person, whether good or bad, believer or pagan.
Jesus, however, entered that promised new life a completely new way of being human, a ‘spiritual’ way: witness his mysterious appearance in locked rooms.
St Mark says that the women went to Jesus’ tomb ‘just as the sun was rising’.  A beautiful sunrise can awaken our hearts to delight and hope for the day ahead.  How much greater the ‘sunrise’ of new hope for life after death, for those who witnessed Christ’s resurrection.
For those who believe in Jesus’ resurrection and follow his way, there is hope of a different life, a glorious life; a life without death!

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 embrace the joy of Easter with a commitment to repent of past sins and strive for holiness;
That all involved in ministry may proclaim with courage and conviction the Gospel of Christ crucified;
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 INTENTIONS DURING EASTER SEASON
25 April – World Day of Prayer for Vocations
1 May – St Joseph the Worker
16 May – World Communications Day
23 May – The Church, on Pentecost Sunday

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 WEEKS 29-31: 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)

OUR Ist HOLY COMMUNION CHILDREN
Three of our delightful children: Niall, Natally and Alexander were able to make their 1st Holy Communion just before the recent Lockdown, which means that our remaining children will now be celebrating this special sacrament during April, in weekday Masses.  Please remember Charlie, Soraia, Jessica, William and Natasha in your prayers and ask for God’s special blessings on them and their families.  This has been a particularly difficult time for them.  They should all have been making their 1st Communion last June!

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/

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!

MUSICAL TREATS FOR EASTER
This first offering is a very reflective rendition of Leonard Cohen’s popular ‘Hallelujah’, performed by two very talented sisters.
An Easter Hallelujah – Cassandra Star & her sister Callahan – YouTube
And this second is a much more traditional performance of a very traditional and well-loved hymn, ‘Thine Be the Glory’ – perfect for Easter Sunday.  There are two versions here (Hereford and Coventry Cathedrals) so choose which one you want to sing along to.  Or sing both!
Thine be the glory (from BBC Songs of Praise in Hereford Cathedral – YouTube

NEW! 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.

 

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
It is important that we all follow the rules for the Tier 5 National Lockdown in order to protect all age groups, but especially the most vulnerable.
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 has increased over the last 2 weeks: 12 more cases this week than last week.

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!

QUICK GUIDE
• Only essential food shops remain open (and post offices)
• Leave home to exercise once a day only
• No meeting of groups, even outside
• No mixing of households
• Travel allowed for key / essential workers only
• Follow instructions to self-isolate if alerted by Track and Trace
• Take regular Covid tests (whenever possible), especially if you’re not displaying symptoms.
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