BEING BODY OF CHRIST- Many congratulations to the Catholic Women’s Ministers for 20th/21st July 2019 CONGREGATIONS TO COMMUNITY League on their recent 50th anniversary. 6.30pm 9.30am 11am Reader F Coates K Walmsley D Doyle THE GOOD SAMARITAN BY MALCOM GUITE Our Lady and St ’s Bereavement Group next meets Reader J Matthews P Bell M Grochowski on Tuesday 6th August at Church Inn Birtle at 1pm. There is a How do we hear again the force of this, EM O Pryba O Pryba O Pryba walk planned for July 19th at 11am meeting at Bird at Birtle EM K Brown M Payne C Shore Car Park going through Ashworth Valley. For details ring Pat Since ‘Good Samaritan’ slips off the tongue EM A Haymes P Hunt L Graham Greenall 07599355924. - As comfortable a phrase as any is, EM R Windle

Worn smooth because we’ve heard it for so long? EM H Sharrocks Witamy w Heywood/ Welcome to Heywood to Oskar Pryba and Marek Grochoski, seminarians from the Dio- WELFARE -Christ in sisters/brothers Who is my neighbour? We don’t need to ask, EM D Sharrocks in need cese of Pelplin, who are with us for this weekend and We know that we already know the answer, in our locality & beyond Together with time, talent, treasure next. We know the duty but we shun the task.

Thank you for your support . Last week you The next meeting of the SVP, which cares Fear of the other grips us like a pincer: You may wish to take a look at the newspaper gave £786.20 (Giftaided), £442.07(loose), for those in material poverty in the local What if they crossed our path, these refugees? article that Fr. Paul has printed on the insert in £75.88 (Developing World Fund) and £196.28 community, is on Wednesday, 24th July, this weekend’s newsletter. Who’d meet the cost when needs just multiply? (Buildings and Maintenance Fund). at 6.30pm in the presbytery. We fear these questions and our spirits freeze, With thanks to the late Maureen and Vincent Donnelly, WORSHIP-MEETING CHRIST IN WORD we have various mementoes of the history of St. Jo- Next Sunday after the 9.30am Mass one It’s easier to turn and walk on by. & SACRAMENT seph’s parish which, together with Our Lady and St. of our younger parishioners, Daniel, and Cross over to us, whose dark paths are crossed, Paul’s parish, makes up our present parish of Our Lady his friend will be selling cupcakes they Samaritan, whose cross defrays all cost. Misa portuguesa 21 de julho 16:00 and St. Joseph. The answer to last have made, in aid of Dementia charities. and on the 3rd Sunday of each month. www.malcolmguite.com week’s question is to the left. Notice the different spelling of Canon Poole’s name. Maybe that’s why he visits us. CARITAS COLUMN Msza Sw w niedziele 7 lipca 16:00 It’s just a year since Mo- The Baptismal and Marriage Registers of St. Joseph’s hamad, Fatima and their chil- The ’s prayer for July: That 1853-1918 are now available online at the Lancashire Online dren flew into Manchester Airport to those who administer justice may Parish Clerk website www.lan-opc.org.uk/bury/heywood/ be greeted by the parishioners of St work with integrity, and that the injus- stjosephs/index.html Mary’s that had come together to cre- tice which prevails in many parts of ate a Community Sponsorship Group the world may not have the last word. Pope Francis writing to young people about the place of to welcome a refugee family to Burn- We pray for the parish of St. young people in the Church (CV 57-63) ley. One year on and the family are Margaret Mary, New Moston, and for thriving, learning English, making Fr. Andrew Starkie, their parish , St Thérèse of the Child Jesus was born in friends and keen to learn and work. and his family. 1873. At 15. after many difficulties, she en- We pray for the Manchester Ordinari- tered the Carmelite convent. She lived the lit- At the First Anniversary Party, held on ate Mission, tle way of complete trust in the Lord’s love and the 29 th June at the Vincent Farrell for the Presentation Sisters determined to fan with her prayers the fire of Centre, friends gathered to celebrate and for the parish primary school. love burning in the heart of the Church. the first year of the resettlement of May the Lord increase our faith in him. the family from Syria and enjoy Fati- We pray for all who live or work Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, a young Argen- ma’s famous cakes and bakes and lis- on Newbury Gr, Shaftesbury Dr and tinian, son of the chief of a remote tribe of in- ten to Mohamad’s speech that Honiton Cl. digenous peoples, became a Salesian seminarian, filled with the desire to return to his tribe, bringing Jesus Christ to them. Ceferino died in 1905. thanked everyone for the welcome For Fr Arthur Neary and all the sick and friendship offered by the peo- For Mary Cairns, Patricia Rose, Don Bl Isidore Bakanja was a layman from the Congo who bore witness to his faith. He was tor- ple of Burnley and in particular by Bosco McCartney, John O’Toole, An- tured at length for having proposed Christianity to other young people. Forgiving his execu- the dedicated group of sponsors. drew Thulborn and all who have died tioner, Isidore died in 1909. recently and Alice and Bill Thornton, Key to the successful resettlement Alice Dodd, Trudi Scholes, Maureen Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died in 1925, “was a young man filled with joy that swept every- has been the family themselves Lucky, Bill Hargreaves and all we re- thing along with it and overcame many difficulties in his life”. Pier Giorgio said that he want- who have embraced every oppor- membered at this time. ed to return the love of Jesus that he received in Holy Communion by visiting and helping the tunity to integrate, learn English GROWING IN FAITH poor. and to drive and make friends. Now Fr Denis McBride CSsR

we look forward to the second year Jesus the Relational Leader Bl Marcel Callo was a young French man who died in 1945. Marcel was im- to hear more about their progress Wednesday 17th July, St ’s prisoned in a concentration camp in , where he strengthened his fel- towards independence. RCHS, Bury. low prisoners in faith amid harsh labours.

Journey in Faith meets in Bl Chiara Badano, who died aged 17 in 1990, experienced pain transfigured September. IF GOD US CLLING by love. The key to her peace and joy was complete trust in the Lord and YOU TO THE CHURCH speak to acceptance of her illness as a mysterious expression of his will for her sake Frs. Paul or . and for others.

The next Baptism m eeting is May these and so many other young people who perhaps in silence and hid- on Sunday 14th July at 6pm denness lived the Gospel to the full, pray for the Church, that she may be at the Presbytery. Contact full of joyous, courageous, committed young people who offer the world Frs. Paul or Michael beforehand. new testimonies of holiness. Pope Francis teaching about Marriage and Family Life in Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) AL 304-9 OUR LADY & ST. JOSEPH, HEYWOOD partner with St. Joseph’s, Numan, Nigeria It is reductive simply to consider whether or not an individual’s actions correspond to a general law or rule, because Fr. Paul Daly, [email protected] that is not enough to discern and ensure full fidelity to God in the concrete life of a human being. I ask us to always recall a teaching of St and incorporate it in our pastoral discernment: “Although there is necessity in Fr. Michael Deas [email protected] general principles, the more we descend to matters of detail, the more frequently we encounter defects. In matters of Oskar Pryba and Marek Grochoski (seminarions on placement) action, truth or practical rectitude is not the same for all, as to matters of detail, but only as to the general principles; Parish Secretary [email protected] St. Joseph’s Presbytery, Mary St, OL10 1EG and where there is the same rectitude in matters of detail, it is not equally known to all. The principle will be found to Tel: 01706369777369777 www.catholicheywood.com www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk fail, according as we descend further into detail”. It is true that general rules set forth a good which can never be disre- SUNDAY 14th July 2019 Mass 9.30am garded or neglected, but in their formulation they cannot provide absolutely for all particular situations. At the same Fifteenth Sunday Mass 11am time what is part of a practical discernment in particular circumstances cannot be elevated to the level of a rule. That in Ordinary Time Baptism of Winter Mary Roberts 12.30pm would not only lead to an intolerable casuistry, but endanger the very values to be preserved with special care. Baptism Preparation Meeting, Presbytery 6pm (Sea Sunday) A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws to those living in “irregular” situations, as if they were MONDAY Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9am stones to throw at people’s lives. This would bespeak the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the Church’s teach- St Mass 9.30am ings, “sitting on the chair of and judging at times with superiority and superficiality difficult cases and wounded families”. The International Theological Commission noted that “natural law could not be presented as an already es- TUESDAY tablished set of rules that impose themselves on the moral subject; it is a source of objective inspiration for the deeply OUR LADY OF MOUNT Requiem Mass for Patricia Rose 10am personal process of making decisions”. Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an CARMEL St. Joseph’s Year 6 Leavers’ Mass, (at church) 2.30pm objective situation of sin (which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully so) a person can be living in God’s grace, can PRINCIPAL PATRON OF love and grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church’s help to this end. (In certain cases, this can SALFORD DIOCESE include the help of the sacraments. “I want to remind that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy”. The “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and Mass at St Joseph’s school 9am WEDNESDAY nourishment for the weak”.) Discernment must help to find possible ways of responding to God and growing in the Requiem Mass for Mary Cairns 11am midst of limits. By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and of growth, and discourage paths of sanctification which give glory to God. “A small step, in the midst of great human limitations, Mass at OLSP school 9am can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order, but moves through the day without confront- THURSDAY Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9am ing great difficulties”. The practical pastoral care of ministers and of communities must not fail to embrace this reality. Mass 9.30am Legion of Mary meeting, Presbytery 6.30pm In every situation, when dealing with those who have difficulties in living God’s law to the full, the invitation to pursue the via caritatis must be clearly heard. Fraternal charity is the first law of Christians. Let us not forget the reassuring FRIDAY Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9am words of Scripture: “Maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins”; “Atone for your sins Abstinence from meat Mass , followed by refreshments 9.30am with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, that your prosperity may be prolonged”; “As water St. John Plessington extinguishes a blazing fire, so almsgiving atones for sins”. St Augustine teaches: “Just as, at the threat of fire, we would run for water to extinguish it, so if the flame of sin rises from our chaff and we are troubled, if the chance to per- SATURDAY NO CONFESSIONS OR 12NOON MASS THIS WEEK DUE TO THE ORDINATIONS AT THE CATHEDRAL form a work of mercy is offered us, let us rejoice in it, as if it were a fountain offered us to extinguish the blaze”. 6pm St. Appollinaris Confessions 6.30pm To avoid all misunderstanding, I point out that in no way must the Church desist from proposing the full ideal of mar- First Mass of Sunday riage, God’s plan in all its grandeur: “Young people who are baptized should be encouraged to understand that the sac- 9.30am rament of marriage can enrich their prospects of love and that they can be sustained by the grace of Christ in the sac- Sixteenth Sunday Mass Mass 11am rament and by the possibility of participating fully in the life of the Church”. A lukewarm attitude, any kind of relativ- in Ordinary Time ism, or an undue reticence in proposing that ideal, would be a lack of fidelity to the Gospel and also of love on the part Misa/Portuguese Mass 4pm of the Church for young people themselves. To show understanding in the face of exceptional situations never implies WELCOME WITAMY BEMVINDO KAABO −ş˚ dimming the light of the fuller ideal, or proposing less than what Jesus offers to the human being. Today, more im- Who are you? portant than the pastoral care of failures is the pastoral effort to strengthen marriages and prevent their breakdown. God Are you struggling financially? our loving Father, At the same time, from our awareness of the weight of mitigating circumstances – psychological, historical and even we thank you for blessing our parish biological – it follows that “without detracting from the evangelical ideal, there is a need to accompany with mercy and Are you unemployed? patience the eventual stages of personal growth as these progressively appear”, making room for “the Lord’s mercy, with all that we need which spurs us on to do our best”. I understand those who prefer a more rigorous pastoral care which leaves no room to respond to our vo- for confusion. But I sincerely believe that Jesus wants a Church attentive to the goodness which the Holy Spirit sows in Are you living with shame? cation to be a mission- the midst of human weakness, a Mother who, while clearly expressing her objective teaching, “always does what good ary parish she can, even if in the process, her shoes get soiled by the mud of the street”. The Church’s pastors, in proposing to Does your life seem flat? in our locality. We thank you for all the faithful the full ideal of the Gospel and the Church’s teaching, must also help them to treat the weak with compas- sion, avoiding aggravation or unduly harsh or hasty judgements. The Gospel itself tells us not to judge or condemn. our parish members Jesus “expects us to stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of hu- Have you been a prisoner? who, in response to man misfortune, and instead to enter into the reality of other people’s lives and to know the power of tenderness. your call, give of them- Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated”. Is your faith on a slow-down? selves so freely to en- rich our parish life in ways of love and ser- It is providential that these reflections take place in the context of a Holy Year devoted to mercy, because also in the Are you homeless or hopeless? variety of situations affecting families “the Church is commissioned to proclaim the mercy of God, beating heart of the vice. Gospel, which must penetrate the mind and heart of every person. The Bride of Christ must pattern her behaviour af- We ask you to pour ter the Son of God who goes out to everyone without exception”. She knows that Jesus is shepherd of the hundred, Whoever you are, you be- out afresh the gifts of not just of the ninety-nine. He loves them all. On this basis, it will become possible for “the balm of mercy to reach long with us and you belong the Spirit upon each one of us that we may be inspired to serve everyone, believers and those far away, as a sign that the kingdom of God is already present in our midst”. here because you belong to you in new and creative ways as missionary disciples, bringing your light to the world. Christ. Christ is the host to- We ask your blessing upon us as we journey together in hope, day and Christ welcomes all. through Christ our Lord, AMEN