St. Joseph’s Newsletter – 11th February 2018
Bonus Ball Winner: 57 – Christine Hope
Offertory - £1596.34 (inc. standing orders)
CAFOD – (Next week)
Sanctuary Lamp
Margaret Anderson
(Get Well Wishes)
Marian Candle
Joe Glynn
(Remembrance)
Lately Dead
Alban Smith, Damien Wolverson,
If anyone knows of any sick or housebound parishioner who would like to receive communion at home, please let Fr. Malcolm know. Thank you.
The Priests – Live in Concert are singing at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall with guest mezzo soprano Danielle Thomas on Friday 1st June 2018. Tickets are now on sale with good seats (rows B to F) in the stalls at £30.00. I have reserved 28 tickets so if you have signed up, please arrange to let me have your payment as soon as possible. All funds raised from the concert will be split between Nugent and supporting the work and upkeep of the cathedral.
Job References
If you wish to put Fr. Malcolm down as a referee for a job application, please could you ask him in person? Whilst he is happy to be a referee, he has recently received some requests where is doesn’t recognise the name but if he saw you, then he can put the face to the name. Thank you.
St. Joseph’s Toddler Group
Will re-commence on Thursday 11th January from 9.45am to 11.30am at the Loreto Centre. Cost is £1.50. Please contact Angela Meade on 01925 723951 for more information.
Thank You
Many thanks to everyone who supported this year’s panto, “Puss in Boots”, and made our 25th Anniversary show, another big success. Any groups that would like to apply for funding please do so in writing by 5thMarch 2017, giving details of how much you would like and what it would be used for.
Date for your Diary
Saturday 7th July at 8.00pm in St. Joseph’s Parish Centre:-
Josie Blomeley Memorial Concert
Featuring Warrington West Concert Band and the Phoenix Community Choir.
This is a charity event in aid of St. Joseph’s Family Centre. More details nearer the time.
Pilgrimage to Krakow Poland
Would you like to join a pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland from Sunday 29th April to Friday 4th May? The pilgrimage will be accompanied by Frs. Michael Fitzsimons and Bill Murphy fromSt Wilfrid's Parish, Widnes. Flights are from Liverpool airport direct to Krakow, staying at Hotel Campanile in the historic centre of Krakow.Visits to sites in Krakow, and trips to Czestochowa, Wadowice, Auschwitz and the Divine Mercy Centre. Price £650 single room supplement £135. Travel Insurance £46 per person no age limit. For more information contact the Parish Office at St Wilfrid's on 0151 422 1772
Cheltenham 2018---Date for your diary.
This is always a popular afternoon in St Joseph’s Club, watching the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the telly! The date this year is Friday 16th March from 12noon.
Churches Together in West Warrington
Lenten sharing groups will be launches at the Ash Wednesday service at St. Mary’s Church, Great Sankey at 7.30pm. The theme is “Rooted in Glory”.
There are four groups with different times, please sign up at the back of Church. For more information please ring Ron Clucas on 01925 550693.
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon will host an evening for men who may be wondering if they are called to serve as deacons and what the formation involves. Wives, priests and deacons are also welcome. This will take place at St. Michael and All Angels Church, Sydney Powell Avenue, Kirkby, L32 0TP.
Thursday, 15th February 2018 from 7.30pm-9.00pm. (Refreshments available from 7.00pm)
Lenten Masses
The early morning Mass on Thursday mornings at St. Joseph’s will re-commence during Lent. The first one is on Thursday, 15th February at 6.30am. Breakfast will then be served in the Loreto Centre. If anyone would like to come along and help prepare the breakfasts they would be very welcome, please ring Christine at the Parish office (722105)
Music and Laughter in aid of Laughter Africa
An evening of entertainment will take place in St. Joseph’s Parish Centre on Friday 23rd February beginning at 7.00pm. Laughter Africa is a self-funded charity set up by James Tyrell to help street children in Sierra Leone. If you attended the Cafod hamper service at St. Joseph’s in November, you will have heard James’ mum give a wonderful insight into the work being done by this charity. James himself will be present at this entertainment evening. Come and meet him and enjoy a fun evening. Tickets are £5 for adults and £2 for children which include refreshments available from St. Joseph’s Piety or pay at the door.
Stations of the Cross
As in previous years, Stations of the Cross will follow Exposition each Friday during Lent at St. Joseph’s.
Lenten Readings
If anyone wishes to purchase any books with Lenten Readings, he does have a catalogue in the Sacristy that you could have a look at (there is also one in the Piety Shop). Alternatively, the web site is;
Lenten Meditation Course will be held at St. Joseph’s Family Centre in Museum Street over the next six Monday evening, starting on 19th February at 7.30-8.30pm. This is a free course and all our welcome, new and experienced meditators alike.
Gospel Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
The Power of Empathy
In the 1870’s, the idyllic sunny island of Molokai might not have been one of your top holiday destinations. Molokai was a settlement where the government kept segregated all persons afflicted by leprosy. It was here that a young priest named Joseph Damien de Veuster (Fr. Damien), at his own request arrived at the settlement to preside as its resident priest. There were then six hundred lepers many rendered helpless by the disease. For a long time Fr. Damien was the only person to bring them the help they needed, both spiritual and practical. After twelve years of this heroic service he eventually contracted the disease himself. At the age of forty five he stood before his brethren and addressed them, “My dear brethren …. my fellow lepers. … I am one of you now.”
In today’s gospel Jesus is called upon to cure a leper. Jesus could have done this with a few words, but he does more than this … he reaches out and heals the leper not only with words but the touch of his hand. This might seem a small detail, but the simple gesture speaks volumes. The gesture tells us that Jesus was setting aside the stigma that accompanied this terrible disease. Jesus is able to take on the leper’s condition and know his needs. We call it empathy, an empathy essential for true compassion. This is the example that we see Fr Damien live to the letter.
To learn from Jesus’ example we do not have to rush off and find a leper colony as Fr Damien did. There are plenty of social lepers everywhere we look. There are all sorts of social misfits that we stigmatise and push to the edges of our society. If we are to learn by Jesus’ example we have to employ all our powers of empathy before we can even begin to make changes.
That Jesus uses his powers to cure leprosy is amazing, but more important is how we can learn from this miracle in changing the lives around us.
Day of Prayer for the Sick
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
11th February
“To Mary, Mother of tender love, we wish to entrust all those who are ill in body and soul, that she may sustain them in hope. We ask her also to help us to be welcoming to our sick brothers and sisters. The Church knows that she requires a special grace to live up to her evangelical task of serving the sick. May our prayers to the Mother of God see us united in an incessant plea that every member of the Church may live with love the vocation to serve life and health. May the Virgin Mary intercede for this Twenty-sixth World Day of the Sick; may she help the sick to experience their suffering in communion with the Lord Jesus; and may she support all those who care for them. “
From Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of the Sick
Church Action on Poverty Sunday
11th February 2018
“Jesus initiated the act of making visible those who were overlooked.”
Our churches are called to follow Jesus’ example: to listen to voices from the margins and make them heard, so that things can change.
Use today’s initiative and today’s gospel to join a campaign on those who have been marginalised.
Here are some starting points:-
Child Poverty Action Group
Church Action on Poverty
PACT
Day of Prayer for the Unemployed
11th February
On this day we pray for those who are unemployed and for those who are under-employed. Being unemployed is like being locked out of a club where everyone else seemingly has enough money and enough skill to prosper. Not being able to support oneself or one’s family is a horrible place to be. Today we pray that God will open doors for those trapped in poverty.
Ash Wednesday
14th February
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning to the season of soul searching and repentance. On this day we are reminded to change our ways and get our priorities straight. Lent is a season of hope and good intention. On this Ash Wednesday we go about our business wearing the sign of penitence and hope.
Bite Size
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Bonnie Jean Wasmund
Mass Intentions for week commencing 12th February 2018Monday 12th / 7.30pm / John O’Donnell
Tuesday 13th / 9.30am / NO MASS
Wednesday 14th / 9.30am
7.30pm / Edward Lyon
June Traynor
Thursday 15th / 6.30am / Roland Stephenson
Friday 16th / 9.30am / Tom Sephton
Saturday 17th / 4.30-5pm
Sunday 18th / 8.30am
10.30am
4.00pm / Freda Smyth
People of the Parish
Carmelo Vassalo
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Joseph’s will take place this week on Wednesday and Friday from 10.30am until 12 Noon.