WELCOME WITAMY KAABO BEMVINDO The ’s prayer for March: That the Church in China persevere in faithfulness to the Gospel and grow in unity.

We pray for the people of the parish of St. Mary, Oswaldtwistle, and Fr. Sean O’Brien, their parish priest. We pray for their primary schools and Mount Carmel High School.

For all who live on Argyle Ave, Argyle Crescent & OUR LADY AND ST. ’S Melton St. PARISH NEWSLETTER SUNDAY 29TH MARCH 2020 For all with Coronavirus partner parish St. Martin’s, Ganye, Nigeria and all the sick St Joseph’s Presbytery, Mary St, OL10 1EG Tel: 01706 369777 For Marjorie Norris, the victims of Coronavirus and all who have died re- Fr Paul Daly [email protected] cently and Thomas Irwin, Fr Bob Hayes [email protected] James Patrick Wood, Pat- Parish Office Mon-Fri 9am-1pm Please try to come to the rick O’Reilly and all we re- parish office during office hours member at this time. Parish Secretary [email protected] www.catholicheywood.com www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk

A sonnet by Malcom Guite for today How can you be the final resurrection? That resurrection hasn’t happened yet. Our broken world is still bent on destruction, No sun can rise before that sun has set. Our faith looks back to father And toward to the one who is to come How can you speak as though he knew your name? How can you say: before he was I am?

Begin in me and I will read your riddle And teach you truths my Spirit will defend I am the End who meets you in the middle, The new Beginning hidden in the End. I am the victory, the end of strife I am the resurrection and the life. FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT Rededication of England as Dowry of Mary streamed on Facebook

MONDAY Church not open Holy Hour 7-8am, followed by Mass Mass, livestreamed on Facebook 7pm

TUESDAY Church not open Funeral Service of Marjorie Norris, Blackley Crematorium, 1pm Holy Hour 7-8am, followed by Mass Mass, livestreamed on Facebook 7pm

WEDNESDAY Church not open Holy Hour 7-8am, followed by Mass Mass, livestreamed on Facebook 7pm

THURSDAY St. Francis of Paola Church not open Holy Hour 7-8am, followed by Mass Mass, livestreamed on Facebook 7pm

FRIDAY Abstinence from meat Church not open Holy Hour 7-8am, followed by Mass Mass, livestreamed on Facebook 7pm

SATURDAY St. Isidore Church not open Mass 9am Holy Hour 11am-12noon Service of Reconciliation, without Sacramental Absolution, streamed on Facebook 12.10pm First Mass of PALM Sunday, streamed on facebook, 6.30pm If you are planning to be present at this Mass via Facebook, go into your garden before- hand and gather your own ‘palms.’ The Gospels say that the people took branches from the trees, not just palms. Take a few small branches/larger twigs/fronds etc. Be imagina- tive. They will be blessed at Mass, together with the palms in church. You can use your own ‘palms’ do ordain your house for the rest of Holy Week and beyond.

PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD Church not open Stations of the Cross and Benediction, livestreamed on Facebook 3pm

Each morning Monday—Friday Bishop John celebrates Mass in his chapel at Wardley Hall, followed by a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, offered for us all at this time. Even though church is closed, there will as Holy Hour here at the same time, followed by Mass. Please unite yourself in prayer if you can, maybe by reading the day’s readings (available on the parish website). In addition the evening Mass will be livestreamed at 7pm.

God, our loving Father, we thank you for blessing our parish with all that we need to respond to our vocation to be a missionary parish in our community. We thank you for all our parish members who, in response to your call, give of themselves so freely to enrich our parish life in ways of love and service. We ask you now to pour out afresh the gifts of your Spirit upon each of us CARITAS & that we may be inspired to serve you in new and creative ways as missionary disciples, bringing your Light to the world. CAFOD CORNER We ask your blessing upon us as we journey together in hope, through Christ Our Lord. AMEN

Together with time, talent, treasure Many thanks for your generosity last Sunday £202 (GiftAid), £51.50 (Loose), and £23.50 (Developing World Fund). Please post your of fer ings through the Presbytery Door (Hind Hill St) or the wallbox near St. Anthony’s Statue.Please consider helping us by Standing Order? You can post your monthly payment for the 200 Club through the presbytery door (Hind Hill St).

If you become aware of a parishioner or visitor with confirmed Coronavirus who has been at church within 2 weeks to their illness you should inform one of the priests immediately. We need to make provision for the pastoral care of those who are self-isolating. We hope to be able to arrange for someone to phone them, do shopping or keep in contact in some other appropriate way. If parishioners wish to go on the list of people who will phone those who are self-isolating, please let the parish office know ([email protected]). If parishioners under the age of 70 and without any underlying health condition wish to volunteer to shop, post mail etc on behalf of those unable to go out, could they please let Nicola know. We have to find a way to help those who are self-isolating in a way that is safe for them. Our proposed system, approved by the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, is: 1) Parishioners who can help in dropping off shop- ping, making a friendly phone-call etc, are asked to complete one of these cards which are availa- ble only from the Parish Office. The card will be signed by myself or Fr. Bob and be stamped with the parish seal so that it can be shown to be genuine. Together with the card, the parishioner will receive a short letter with some very basic reminders about hygiene, boundaries etc. 2) Once the card is completed, it should be returned to the parish office, together with a signed copy of the letter about boundaries. 3) As parishioners notify the parish office that they or their neighbours are self-isolating, the parish office will call the self-isolated to see if they need assistance and will pass on the details of the parishioner who will contact them. It is important that we have adequate safeguards for the most vulnerable. Please phone the parish office if you can help or if you know of someone who needs help. Please note that, as people stockpile (unnecessarily) donations to Foodbanks have fallen significantly. Please support those who are particularly vul- nerable at this time.

Mass will be celebrated each day in private but, where possi- ble, streamed live on Facebook. You do not need to be a mem- ber of Facebook to access this free service. Google Our Lady and St. Joseph’s Parish Hey- wood Facebook, clink on the link and scroll down until you find the Livestream (which can be accessed after the event) What are we doing at Mass? Fr. James explains THE LECTIONARY

One of the richest products of the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council was the book we call the “Lectionary.” Literally this simply means “A Book of Readings”, and it describes the arrange- ment of the bible passages that we hear at Mass on Sundays, weekdays and in the celebration of the Sacraments.

There is something very special about the Lectionary: it differs from the Bible as a book because passages are not read in the order found in the Bible, nor are they read at random. There is a very careful structure to the passages we hear!

This is not all a product of Vatican II: the earliest “Lectionaries” date way back into the first millennium of the Church, and consist of lists of bible passages to be read on certain days. So, for example, the different Gospels we read today for the Vigil, Midnight, Dawn and Day Masses of Christmas have been set as such for hundreds of years!

What the Vatican II Lectionary does is extend this, making sure that in the course of a three-year cycle someone coming to Mass every Sunday will hear most of the four Gos- pels, most of the letters of Paul, Peter, James and others, and a very rich selection of passages from the Old Testament.

There is nothing to stop you reading the Bible at home, starting at Genesis and working your way through to the Apocalypse, but the proclamation of the Word of God at Mass we allow the Church to guide our reading, so that we may be helped in our listening to and understanding of the love of God revealed through the Word.

This Week’s Feasts: Mon: St. Osburg was Abbess of Coventry during Saxon times. After her death and the destruction of her monastery by the Vikings, it was Lady Godiva who had it rebuilt in her honour. Tue: Bl Christopher Robinson, from Cumbria, worked as priest til martyrdom in 1598. Wed: St. Cellach, Archbishop of Armagh, played a key part in the transition of the Irish Church from monastic to parish-based. Bl. John Bretton, from Barns- ley, was a devout Catholic. Because of the persecution he suffered for his faith, he was often separated from his wife and family. As an old man, he was falsely ac- cused of making traitorous speeches against the queen and condemned to death. He refused to renounce his faith, and was executed at York on 1 April 1598. Thu: St Francis of Paola : born at Paola in Calabria (Italy) in 1416, founded a congregation of hermits which became the “Order of Minims” and was approved by the Holy See in 1506. He died in France in 1507. St. John Paine, born in Pe- terborough, worked as a priest in Essex where he was martyred on in 1582. Fri: Bl Robert Middleton, born in York, was inspired to become Catholic by wit- nessing the martyrdom of (St) (nee Middleton). He studied at the English Colleges in Rheims, Seville and Rome and was ordained priest. Ministering in Lancaster, he was arrested. Four men including Fr. Hunt, tried to rescue him but Fr. Hunt was arrested. Bl Rob- ert Middleton and Bl Thurston Hunt were hanged in 1601; Bl Robert, being cut down from the gallows alive was promptly beheaded. Sat: St Isidore , born in Spain in 560, succeeded his brother as Bishop, and continued his work of establishing the discipline of the Spanish Church - calling the second Council of Seville in 619 and the fourth Council of Toledo in 633. He was renowned as the greatest teacher in Spain and wrote prolifi- cally. He died peacefully in 636.

From the Catechism of the (1886-96)

Society is essential to the fulfilment of the human vocation. To attain this aim, respect must be accorded to the just hierarchy of values, which "subordinates physical and instinctual dimen- sions to interior and spiritual ones :" Human society must pri- marily be considered something pertaining to the spiritual. Through it, in the bright light of truth, men should share their knowledge, be able to exercise their rights and fulfill their obli- gations, be inspired to seek spiritual values; mutually derive genuine pleasure from the beautiful, of whatever order it be; always be readily disposed to pass on to others the best of their own cultural heritage; and eagerly strive to make their own the spiritual achievements of others. These benefits not only influence, but at the same time give aim and scope to all that has bearing on cultural expressions, economic, and social institutions, political movements and forms, laws, and all other structures by which society is outwardly established and constantly developed. The inversion of means and ends, which results in giving the value of ultimate end to what is only a means for attaining it, or in viewing persons as mere means to that end, engenders unjust structures which "make Christian conduct in keeping with the com- mandments of the divine Law-giver difficult and almost impossible." It is necessary, then, to appeal to the spiritual and moral capacities of the human person and to the permanent need for his inner conversion, so as to obtain social changes that will really serve him. the acknowledged priority of the conversion of heart in no way eliminates but on the contrary imposes the obligation of bringing the appropriate reme- dies to institutions and living conditions when they are an inducement to sin, so that they conform to the norms of justice and advance the good rather than hinder it. Without the help of grace, men would not know how "to discern the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives in to evil, and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse." This is the path of charity, that is, of the love of God and of neighbor. Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice, and it alone makes us capable of it. Chari- ty inspires a life of self-giving: "Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it." There is a certain resemblance between the union of the divine persons and the fraternity that men ought to establish among themselves. The human person needs life in society to develop in accordance with his nature. Certain societies, such as family and state, correspond more directly to the nature of man. The human person is & ought to be principle, subject, object of every social organization. Widespread participation in voluntary associations and institutions is to be encouraged. In accordance with subsidiarity, neither the state nor any larger society should substitute itself for the initiative and responsibility of individuals & intermediary bodies. Society ought to promote the exercise of virtue, not obstruct it. It should be animated by a just hierarchy of values. Where sin has perverted the social climate, it is necessary to call for the conversion of hearts and appeal to the grace of God. Charity urges just reforms. There is no solution to the social question apart from the Gospel In keeping with the social nature of man, the good of each individual is related to the common good, which in turn can be defined only in reference to the human person: Do not live entirely isolated, having retreated into yourselves, as if you were already justi- fied, but gather instead to seek the common good together. Pope Francis: New Paths for the Church & Integral Ecology Querida Amazonia (22-30) Christ redeemed the whole person, and he wishes to restore in each of us the capacity to enter into rela- tionship with others. The Gospel proposes the divine charity welling up in the heart of Christ and generating a pursuit of justice that is at once a hymn of fraternity and of solidarity, an impetus to the culture of encoun- ter. The wisdom of the way of life of the original peo- ples – for all its limitations – encourages us to deepen this desire. In view of this, the bish- ops of Ecuador have appealed for “a new social and cultural system which privileges frater- nal relations within a framework of acknowledgment and esteem for the different cultures and ecosystems, one capable of opposing every form of discrimination and oppression be- tween human beings”.

In the Encyclical Laudato Si’ , I noted that “if everything is related, then the health of the society’s institutions has consequences for the environment and the quality of human life… Within each social stratum, and between them, institutions develop to regulate human re- lationships. Anything which weakens those institutions has negative consequences, such as injustice, violence and loss of freedom. A number of countries have a relatively low level of institutional effectiveness, which results in greater problems for their people”.

Where do the institutions of civil society in the Amazon region stand? The Synod which synthesized contributions made by numerous individuals and groups from the Amazon re- gion, speaks of “a culture that poisons the state and its institutions, permeating all social strata, including the indigenous communities. We are talking about a true moral scourge; as a result, there is a loss of confidence in institutions and their representatives, which to- tally discredits politics and social organizations. The Amazonian peoples are not immune to corruption, and they end up being its principal victims”.

Nor can we exclude the possibility that members of the Church have been part of networks of corruption, at times to the point of agreeing to keep silent in exchange for economic as- sistance for ecclesial works. Precisely for this reason, proposals were made at the Synod to insist that “special attention be paid to the provenance of donations or other kinds of ben- efits, as well as to investments made by ecclesiastical institutions or individual Christians”. The Amazon region ought to be a place of social dialogue, especially between the various original peoples, for the sake of developing forms of fellowship and joint struggle. The rest of us are called to participate as “guests” and to seek out with great respect paths of en- counter that can enrich the Amazon region. If we wish to dialogue, we should do this in the first place with the poor. They are not just another party to be won over, or merely an- other individual seated at a table of equals. They are our principal dialogue partners, those from whom we have the most to learn, to whom we need to listen out of a duty of justice, and from whom we must ask permission before presenting our proposals. Their words, their hopes and their fears should be the most authoritative voice at any table of dialogue on the Amazon region. And the great question is: “What is their idea of ‘good living’ for themselves and for those who will come after them?”

Dialogue must not only favour the preferential option on behalf of the poor, the marginal- ized and the excluded, but also respect them as having a leading role to play. Others must be acknowledged and esteemed precisely as others , each with his or her own feelings, choices and ways of living and working. Otherwise, the result would be, once again, “a plan drawn up by the few for the few”, if not “a consensus on paper or a transient peace for a contented minority”. Should this be the case, “a prophetic voice must be raised”, and we as Christians are called to make it heard.

Pope Francis to young people (Christus Vivit 144-50) While drawn towards the future and its promise, young people also have a powerful desire to experience the present moment, to make the most of the opportunities life offers. Our world is filled with beauty! How can we look down upon God’s many gifts?

Contrary to what many people think, the Lord does not want to stifle these desires for a fulfilling life. We do well to remember the words of an Old Testament sage: “My child, treat yourself well, according to your means, and present your offerings to the Lord; do not deprive yourself of a day’s enjoyment, do not let your share of desired good pass by”. The true God, who loves you, wants you to be happy. For this reason, the Bible also con- tains this piece of advice to young people: “Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth… banish anxiety from your mind” ( Ec 11:9-10). For God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” ( 1 Tim 6:17).

How could God take pleasure in someone incapable of enjoying his small everyday bless- ings, someone blind to the simple pleasures we find all around us? “No one is worse than one who is grudging to himself. Far from obsessively seeking new pleasures, which would keep us from making the most of the present moment, we are asked to open our eyes and take a moment to experience fully and with gratitude every one of life’s little gifts.

Clearly, God’s word asks you to enjoy the present, not simply to prepare for the future: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own; today’s trouble is enough for today” ( Mt 6:34). But this is not the same as embarking irresponsibly on a life of dissipation that can only leave us empty and perpetually dissatisfied. Rather, it is about living the present to the full, spending our energies on good things, cultivating fra- ternity, following Jesus and making the most of life’s little joys as gifts of God’s love.

Cardinal Nguyên Van Thuân, when imprisoned in a concentration camp, re- fused to do nothing but await the day when he would be set free. He chose “to live the present moment, filling it to the brim with love”. He decided: “I will seize the occasions that present themselves every day; I will accomplish ordinary actions in an extraordinary way”. As you work to achieve your dreams, make the most of each day and do your best to let each moment brim with love. This youthful day may well be your last, and so it is worth the effort to live it as enthusiastically and fully as possible.

This can also be applied to times of difficulty, that have to be fully experienced if we are to learn the message they can teach us. In the words of the Swiss Bishops: “God is there where we thought he had abandoned us and there was no further hope of salvation. It is a paradox, but for many Christians, suffering and darkness have become… places of en- counter with God”. The desire to live fully and experience new things is also felt by many young people with physical, mental and sensory disabilities. Even though they may not always be able to have the same experiences as oth- ers, they possess amazing resources and abili- ties that are often far above average. The Lord Jesus grants them other gifts, which the com- munity is called to recognize and appreciate, so that they can discover his plan of love for each of them.

No matter how much you live the experience of these years of your youth, you will never know their deepest and fullest meaning unless you encounter each day your best friend, the friend who is Jesus.

Pope Francis has granted a Plenary (full) Indulgence to the faithful suffering from COVID-19 disease (Coronavirus), and to health care workers, family members and all who in any way, including through prayer, care for them. The Indulgence is granted to those subject to quarantine by order of the health authority in hospitals or their homes if, with a spirit detached from any sin, they unite spiritually through the media to the celebration of Holy Mass, the Rosary, the Way of the Cross or other forms of devotion, or if at least they recite the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and a prayer to Our Lady, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards their brothers and sis- ters, with the will to fulfil the usual conditions (sacramental con- fession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions), as soon as possible. Health care workers, family members and all those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, care for the sick of Coronavirus according to the words of the divine Redeemer: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” ( Jn 15: 13), will obtain the same gift of the Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions.

Pope Farncis grants a Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions on the occasion of the current world epidemic, to those faithful who read the Holy Scriptures for at least half an hour, the Rosary, Way of the Cross, or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to implore from Almighty God the end of the epidemic, relief for those afflicted and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to Himself.

The Church prays for those unable to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum , entrusting each and every one to divine Mercy by virtue of the communion of saints and granting the faithful a Plenary Indulgence on the point of death, provided that they are duly disposed and have recited a few prayers during their lifetime (in this case the Church makes up for the three usual conditions required). Fr. Paul explains: Indulgences are a little known and sadly little used part, these days, of our faith. To get a sense of how they help us, bear the following truths in mind: 1) Sin wounds us. Even when, by the mercy of God, our sins are forgiven, there is still a scar left behind, a weakening of our spirits. It is the same in physical illness. We get over the cold but, for a while we are still weakened.

2 We can pray for each other. Our Lady, St. Joseph and the saints, with our departed loved ones in heaven, are praying for us. To use an economic analogy, their prayers and indeed our prayers and good deeds and even sac- rifices, pour into the Treasury of Grace.

3) The Church, as Body of Christ, under the au- thority of the Successor of St. Peter, applies those powerful prayers and acts of love and sacrifice to those who most need them.

4) In this case the Pope applies those special graces in a focused way on all affected by the Coronavirus.

5) In one sense, don’t try to understand it, but accept it as grace, as gift.