CHORLEY AND PRESTON HOSPITALS: Please contact St Joseph's Chorley (262713) if any member of your family is admitted into Chorley Hospital and needs a visit. Please make sure that the ward staff understand that you would like the RC St Mary’s , Chorley Chaplain to come and administer the Sacraments to your loved one by making a request for the visit. The ward staff will call the Chaplain on his bleep/phone.

THURSDAYS 20.00 the church bell will be rung in appreciation of all Key Workers. FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

LIVING WATERS FOOD BANK Please send tins of food to the Food Bank. Tues and VOCATIONS SUNDAY Fri 10.00 -14.00. It will be hugely appreciated as demand is high now, after parents have lost their jobs or have not received Universal Credit. Thank you. rd 3 MAY 2020 MASS FOR THE SICK, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRONT-LINE WORKERS

At 19.00 each Thursday, before the applause around the country, one of the of and Wales, will celebrate a Holy Mass Live Streamed for people to join in. It is Jesus said: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone a great way to see our from your armchair. who does not enter the sheepfold through the 7th May Stock, . 14th May Bishop Byrne at Newcastle gate but gets in some other way is a thief and a Cathedral. 21st May Bishop Davies at Cathedral. 28th May Bishop Drainey brigand. The one who enters through the gate is at Cathedral. the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets

MAY IS THE MONTH OF MARY: We started on May 1st with St Joseph the Worker. him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he Please pray for all the people that are worried about the security of their businesses calls his own sheep and leads them out. When and their employment. The Holy Rosary is Live streamed daily from St Gregory’s he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of Chorley at 1pm by Fr Kenny Hyde or Fr Graeme Dunne. Please join them in offering them, and the sheep follow because they know your daily rosary and ask Our Blessed Mother to protect us and put an end to the his voice. They never follow a stranger but run COVID-19 virus. Our Lady was crowned by Fr Marsden and this was shared to the away from him: they do not recognise the voice school for all parents and pupils to see. of strangers.’ Jesus told them this parable but MASS INTENTIONS CELEBRATED they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them. So, Jesus spoke to them Thurs 30th - Joseph and Marie Kenyon. again: ‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of Fri 1st May - Edith and Francis Bleasdale. nd the sheepfold. All others who have come are Sat 2 - John Patrick Valentine. thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Sun 3rd Easter IV - Parishioners. Mon 4th Alcie O’Malley (very poorly) Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be Tues 5th Wladyslaw and Leokadia Gray – Grzeczynski and Paul Creaner sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I Wed 6th Winston Donalds have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.’ John 10:1-10 Thurs 7th Doris Shaw Fri 8th Ann M Philip Sun 3rd Easter IV Sat 9th Lauren Owen Mon 4th Feast of the English Martyrs Sun 10th Easter V Parishioners Tues 5th St Asaph Wed 6th St John of Beverley SCHOOL NURSERY INTAKE: please contact the school for further information 01257 Sun 9th Easter V

262811. Your call will be transferred to a mobile. Thank you. RECENTLY DECEASED: Raymond Beaman (87) from Devonshire Court, who died Priest: Fr. Francis Marsden on 17th April at Royal Preston Hospital. Funeral Service was on 1st May at Charnock Deacon Norman Arrowsmith Richard Crematorium. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord … Tel: 01257 262537 Please pray for the sick and the housebound: Emily Atkins, Kevin Bailey, Brigid E-mail address: [email protected] Cain, Michael Carter, Michael Collins, Hughie Daly, Yvonne Finlayson, Carol Focske, Parish website: www.stmarys-chorley.org Desmond Gorman, Anne Higginson, Jacob Hughes, Eileen Howard, Debbie Parish Office CLOSED – contact by phone or email please. MacFarlane, Fr Malcolm Prince, Molly Redhead, Margaret Rigby, Canon Bert Shaw, Parish Centre: CLOSED Derek Smith, Eileen Snape, Maureen Sweeney, Mgr. Jan Szponar, Terry Tingey,

LIVERPOOL ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESAN TRUSTEES INC. Registered Charity No. 232709 Bridget Trimm, Muriel Wilson, Frank Waring, Ann Woodruff, Agnes Young and Roman people”, you know our needs, and we know that you will provide, so that, as at parishioners in The Adelphi, The Gables, Westwood, Gillibrand Hall. Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial. Help us, Mother

OFFERTORY COLLECTION: As you will realize we have little income at present. of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the will of the Father and to do what Jesus tells Please save up your envelopes until the church is open again. STANDING ORDER us. For he took upon himself our suffering, and burdened himself with our sorrows to MANDATE FORMS AND MASS ENVELOPES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN THE bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We fly to your CHURCH DOOR BOX. Please email the office if you want a SO form sending to you. protection, O Holy Mother of God; Do not despise our petitions This is very important for the parish. in our necessities, but deliver us always from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Please remember your donations for the Priests’ Training Fund. Virgin.

HOLY MASS CAN BE VIEWED BY INTERNET STREAMING: All Masses from St Gregory’s are streamed: Weekend Mass: Sat 18.00, Sun 09.30, 11.00 and 18.30 Second Prayer Weekday Mass Mon - Fri.: 08:30 and 12 noon Sat. 08.30 In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament daily 13.00-16.00 with Rosary 13.00. we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection See www.churchservices.tv/churches/ for very many live streamed services. Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at APPEAL: There are many very poorly patients in Chorley and Preston hospitals. As a times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. sign of love and prayers, if you could knit or crochet some pink or red (or any colour) hearts, about 7cms, and make sure the yarn is clean, the nurses could put the heart Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in into the patient’s hand. You or a family member can put the heart in a small clean order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope sealed plastic bag, please date the bag, and pop it through the presbytery letter box. those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the Nursing staff must let the bag ‘rest’ for 48 hrs, to prevent any infections. Some hearts economy and employment. Mother of God and our Mother pray for us to God, the have been delivered to Chorley and Royal Preston hospitals and Euxton Hall Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope, and peace may hospital who is taking patients from East Lancashire. Thank you very much. dawn anew. Keep them coming in please.

VE AND VJ DAY 75TH ANNIVERSARY will be Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust. Protect those celebrated on Friday 8th May (Bank Holiday). Chorley doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this and District Churches Together will live stream at emergency and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and 15.00 and many of the Chorley Clergy will contribute grant them strength, generosity and continued health. Be close to those who assist the to the Commemoration Service by pre-recorded sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the prayers. Fr Marsden and Deacon Norman, the local Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone. Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of Clergy, Bishop of Burnley and the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to Hoyle MP will also be taking part. You can view the overcome this virus. Service on Facebook or You Tube.

VOCATIONS SUNDAY is today. We remember in our prayers Martin Fyles and his Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to fellow seminarians from Liverpool Archdiocese. Never have priests been more needed the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and in the world then in the last few months, when dying people need the Sacraments as economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity. Mary Most Holy, stir our they depart from their earthly lives. Europe and indeed throughout the world have seen consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms several hundred priests and religious die from the COVID -19 virus. Please offer your will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar daily rosary for men to consider a vocation to the Sacred Priesthood. Thank you. tragedies from occurring in the future. Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a HOLY FATHER’S APPEAL spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer. Pope Francis has requested that all peoples of good will add the following two prayers onto their daily rosaries. Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that First Prayer God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so O Mary, You shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. that life can serenely resume its normal course. To you, who shine on our journey as a We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the foot of the Cross, sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet were united with Jesus’ suffering, and persevered in your faith. “Protectress of the Virgin Mary. Amen.