It is with sadness that I have to announce that Fr Duggan passed away this morning. He will be remembered dearly at St Bernadette's where he was parish priest from 1981 to 2002. When I arrived in Wolverhampton deanery in 2013 he gave me a very warm welcome and was always a pleasure to meet at the deanery meetings which he never missed.
May he rest in peace. As soon as I hear news of the funeral arrangements, I will let you know. Fr Mark The text for Adoration and Vespers and the text of the Archbishops letter can be found on the buttons below.
The Bulletin for this week is now available for download if you are printing it for friends who are not online. The 5 Archbishops of England & Wales have issued a very important joint statement concerning the present situation with coronavirus. It is called "A People who Hope in Christ". Please click the button below to download and read it. This Sunday is Vocations Sunday and at Mass there will be a Pastoral Letter from our Archbishop.
The Holy Father is encouraging us to pray more at home by praying the Rosary each day during the Month of May. We will be live-streaming the Rosary on Tuesday Evenings at 7.00pm so that we can pray the Rosary together across the three parishes. Please note that it is Tony Haden's Funeral on Monday and Mass that evening will be a Requiem Mass for him as only a few will be able to attend the cemetery service. Please also remember in your prayers two of our parishioners who have died this week: Alfonsina Lombardi and Kathleen Bowman. May they rest in peace. VOCATIONS SUNDAY Click the buttons below to download resources to help us all pray during this week for vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life. Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, launched its coronavirus emergency appeal on 30 April. Coronavirus (Covid-19) has now spread worldwide, with confirmed cases in many countries where CAFOD works. The effects of coronavirus on developing countries are likely to be devastating. Many countries have very weak healthcare systems and will not be able to cope. Families without enough to eat and without access to clean water, possibly living with other diseases, will be particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. It is not just a public health emergency. Many of the world’s most vulnerable people will lose their jobs and be unable to support their families. The poorest and most marginalised communities, working hard to transform their lives, will be pushed further into poverty. CAFOD is adapting its programmes to help manage the risk of coronavirus in communities and working with local Church aid agencies on the frontline of this crisis. They are already working to get food to where it is needed most; to improve hygiene, handwashing and sanitation in communities and households; producing radio messages, posters and leaflets in local languages on risks and prevention; and training community volunteers to carry out awareness campaigns. In order to continue protecting and improving the lives of those in poor communities, your prayers and gifts are needed now more than ever. While we are not able to hold collections in our church, you can donate at cafod.org.uk/coronavirusappeal. Cafod are also providing some great resources for children during the week and also for children's liturgy on Sundays. They can be accessed below.
Catholic Social Teaching is often described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ for Catholics. At this time when communities are coming together to act in solidarity to battle the spread of COVID-19, Catholic Social Teaching would seem more relevant than ever.
Churches are closed, friends are separated, the elderly and vulnerable are self-isolating - some away from their families - and the rest of us are on lockdown to protect the herculean efforts of the NHS as the virus reaches its peak in the UK. Professor Jim McManus is Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire and has been helping guide the Catholic Church's response to COVID-19. He talks to us about the vital guiding principles of solidarity, subsidiarity and upholding the common good to protect the most vulnerable in our society. "We often neglect what's called 'horizontal subsidiarity' - the skills of good citizenship. The skills we learn of participating, of helping one another out, of good behaviour, of pro-social behaviour. This is the time when these networks of skills and goodwill are most needed. "The 'soft skills' we need as a society are the things we need to practice. So 'horizontal subsidiarity' absolutely comes in. It is derived, theologically, from a duty we owe one another in justice - as fellow creatures - and we should follow that." You can listen to the podcast by using the 'soundcloud' player above. The UK Government has released a series of videos giving general advice to the public. You can watch these by clicking on each one below. To see these videos in other languages, click the button at the bottom of this post. Essential Advice Spot the Signs Hand Washing The Holy Father is encouraging us to pray the Rosary during the month of May, “when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary”.
In his letter for the month of May, the Pope notes that it is a tradition to pray the Rosary at home with the family during this month. This year, he continues, “the restrictions of the pandemic have made us come to appreciate all the more this 'family' aspect, also from a spiritual point of view”. Pope Francis also proposes two new prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which can be recited at the end of the Rosary. In his letter, he assures the faithful that he too will be reciting those prayers throughout the month of May, “in spiritual union with all of you”. You can read the letter by clicking the button below. We will be crowning the statue of Our Lady at the end of Mass on Friday 1st May 2020 which will remain on the sanctuary throughout the month. The bulletin is now ready if you need to print a copy for friends who do not have the Internet.
At the end of Mass this Sunday I will be giving a special blessing to Betty and George Brown who are celebrating their 45th Wedding Anniversary. You will also see on Sunday that there is an opportunity for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday Evening at 7.00 pm. This consists of 20 minutes silence and then we sing Evening Prayer together. The Text for Evening Prayer can be found by using the link below. CaFE@HOME have put their course on the lives of the saints online. It is one of their older courses so the download definition is not to current TV-quality standard, but the wisdom and teaching of the Saints is as strong as ever and the location filming is very enjoyable. Follow the link here to find out more.
We will be live streaming Adoration and the Divine Mercy Devotions tomorrow at 3pm. Click the button below to download the order of service so that you can pray with us from home.
Please find below the latest edition of the bulletin. If you are printing off a copy for any neighbours, it's best to use the printable version on the Mass Times and Bulletin page.
19th April 2020 DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY Year A 11.00am Mass online pro populo 3.00pm Divine Mercy Devotions 20th April Monday 11.00am Sytch Lane Cemetery Funeral Service Ignatius Kelly RIP 7.00pm Mass online Jim Hearne RIP 21st April Tuesday 9.30am Mass online Tony Burdon RIP 22nd April Wednesday 9.30am Mass online Mary Rowley RIP 23rd April Thursday 7.00pm Mass online Colette Jones RIP 24th April Friday 9.30am Mass online Harry Hedgecox RIP 12.20pm Lower Gornal Crematorium Service Ceclia Sadler RIP 25th April Saturday No Mass online 26th April Third Sunday of Easter 11.00am Mass online pro populo Mass at the Carmelite Convent will be celebrated in private until further notice. The sisters continue to pray for us day and night. Have a look at the pictures below to see all the great work that was done to improve the hall at St Bernadette's last year. We still haven't had the festive opening celebration. This is something we must do when things return to normal!
People have been asking for a copy of the homily from the Easter Vigil. It can be downloaded here.
The Birmingham Diocesan Youth Service asked me to record a 100 second message for Easter, so here it is. Happy Easter Everyone! In addition to the previously mentioned main programme on all BBC local stations at 8 am on Easter Sunday, when the Cardinal will be leading an Easter Service, he will also be giving the following media interviews:
Good Friday 0745 BBC Radio Berkshire 0830 BBC Radio 4 Today Programme 1030 Sky News (TV) – Adam Boulton Easter Sunday 0710 BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme 0730 BBC Radio 2 0800 All 39 BBC Local Radio Stations (as mentioned above) including BBC WM - Main Programme! 0930 BBC Radio London 1300 BBC Radio 4 The World This Weekend Additionally, the Daily Telegraph is publishing a reflection by the Cardinal on Good Friday. And the BBC will be covering Pope Francis’ usual Urbi et Orbi on Easter Sunday on its news bulletins.
Follow the link here to access the latest Diocesan newsletter. There are some great resources available, including a leaflet for a Holy Week retreat that can be printed off and given to parishioners who do not have the internet.
Pope Francis sends this video message to Christians around the world as we prepare to celebrate Holy Week in an unusual manner due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. He prays especially for those suffering and for all the families whose lives have been upset in this difficult time. We will be praying the Stations of the Cross this evening at 7.00pm. Once it has been streamed, you can access it to pray the Stations at any time again during Holy Week. It will be available on our youtube channel which you can access using the button below.
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