Please check the Diocese section for weekly news of events and news from our diocese. See below the Newsletter for last weekend.

Sunday 15th May –  5th Sunday of Easter       ( C )
MASS TIMES
           Monday                      10.00am      Weekday Mass
           Tuesday                      10.00am      Weekday Mass
           Wednesday                10.00am      Weekday Mass 
           Thursday                     10.00am      Weekday Mass - 6.00pm Service of Reconciliation for children
           Friday                          10.00am      Weekday Mass
           Saturday                     10.00am      Weekday Mass & 5.30pm Vigil of Sunday Mass                                           
           Sunday                        10.30am      6th Sunday of Easter
 
CONFESSIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER 10.00AM MASS ON SATURDAY
Masses and Prayer Intentions This Week
Lately Dead:              Lilian Dalton
Anniversaries:          Charlie Holland, Margaret Holland, Anthony Rea.
Others:                      Sayers & Riley Families and Paul White, Beaumont and Elizabeth Waugh,
                                    John James O’Neill (B’Day), Simon Page, Geo Kemmer (B’Day),
                                    Colin and Sinead Schimmefennig, Tony Quirke,
                                    Our Lady & St Peregrines Care & Prayers to St. Blaise.
                          
  Bidding Prayers:            Reader:                 Jesus said, Love one another                                        
                                          Response:            as I have loved you.
 
Readings:  Fr. Wilson’s comments on today’s Bible Readings:
 
Acts:  Paul and Barnabas continue their mission travelling to pass on the Message of Salvation forming new churches wherever they went.
 
Revelation:  St. John foresees great changes on the earth – Gods dwelling is with his people in a new creation.
 
Gospel – John:  When Judas had gone, Jesus continues his discourse with his disciples; love each other as I have loved you, for in a little while you will see me no longer but I will be recognised in the love you have for each other.
 
DEVOTIONS:  May is the month in which we praise and recall the wisdom of Mary, the ‘Queen of Heaven’.  We venerate her statue as a reminder to us that She is a sign for us.  Through prayer and worship – we will attain the glory of Heaven – even in our daily experience of the Word – Jesus – her son in our life.
 
CORONA VIRUS:  SOCIAL DISTANCING IS LESS STRICTLY OBSERVED, BUT THE WEARING OF MASKS IS STILL ENCOURAGED.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO BE CONSIDERATE TO OTHERS.
WE HAVE NOW REMOVED THE RESTRICTIONS ON ALTERNATE BENCHES AND RE-INTRODUCED 
COLLECTIONS DURING MASS.
This week we pray to Mary the Queen of Peace that she may lead the nations to a new vision of peace and safety for all who are caught up in the horrors of War and Violence 
 
Prayer to Our lady of Peace
O Loving God, your Son, Jesus Christ, came into the world to do your Will and leave us His Peace.  Through the intercession and example of our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Peace, grant us the
wisdom and humility to reflect that peace to the world.  Inspire our thoughts, words and deeds to bear witness to your presence in our hearts. May your Holy Spirit fill us with every grace and blessing so that we may pursue what leads to peace for all humanity.  Amen.
 
Many thanks to all engaged with the Children’s Liturgy Group – not just over the Easter Celebrations, but also at the weekly gatherings for the early part of the Mass.  Fr. B.
 
Memorial Book: The following names are included for MAY. Anthony Lowe, Catherine Dootson, Florence Mary Cowap, Fr. Fallon (B/day Annv), Jane Schofield, Joan Jeffries, John Aspinall, John Saunders, Kevin Bernard Quinn, Lily Whelan, Martin Coates, Mary Ellen Craig, Mary Torkington (B/day), Maureen McCleen nee Smith,
Norman Martin (B/day), Phyllis Hunt, Tony Quirke, Roy Donnelly, Teresa O’Donnell, Thomas Holland, Yolanda Craig (B/day), Harold Fitzpatrick, Charlie Holland.
 
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed
through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen.
 
NOTICES
THURSDAY 19TH MAY  - There will be a special service of reconciliation at 6pm for the children
preparing for First Holy Communion later this year.
 
APF RED BOXES DONATIONS 2021:  Our total contributions last year amounted to £821.95.  Missio and the Mill Hill Missionaries have sent us a letter of thanks (see noticeboard).  They also advise that the founder of the network Pauline Jaricot, will be beatified in May this year.  This remarkable lay-woman’s life was marked by intense suffering and great trust in God.  Pauline’s life helps us to see how every prayer, however short, and every contribution, however small, is valued by God and can transform the world for the better.  Thank you for being part of Pauline’s legacy.  Visit mission.org.uk to find out more about Pauline, and how your support of Missio changes lives for the better.  Please take one of our spare Red Boxes home with you today.  Frank Etchells is the local secretary and Alice Kirwin has kindly agreed to help him.
 
DROYLSDEN FOOD BANK
Many thanks for your continued support, the bank is particularly short of the following items: - Pasta sauces, long life milk, jam and small jars of coffee. Collection box in the entrance porch area.
 
MEMORIAL BOOK:  Thank you for the entry requests received during the week.  Hopefully, we have many more of our relatives we would wish to be remembered at mass and in Our Lady’s Chapel.  The forms for new entries are available at the memorial book, hand them in or post them into the
presbytery.  There is no charge, but a small donation to cover printing cost would be appreciated.
 
PRESBYTERY ALLOTMENT GARDEN:  Gardening can be a benefit to health and a great social occasion when done with others.  If anyone would like to join Linda and Frank growing vegetables and flowers in the walled kitchen garden at the back of the presbytery, you will be most welcome.
 
OFFERINGS:  Have you collected your new box of envelopes?  For those using the loose plate, please consider moving to envelopes.  Better still, why not set up a monthly Standing Order at your bank. 
Name of payee: St Stephen’s Droylsden – Barclays Bank - Account No 30803928   Sort Code 20-55-34.
Forms are available at the back of church for handing into your bank, if you prefer. Thank you.
 
Next Week:  Readers and Eucharistic Ministers as arranged with Linda Edwards

Introduction
Pope Francis has launched a worldwide ‘synodal’ process. Synod simply means ‘journeying together’. The Holy Father is inviting us to listen deeply to one another; to discern what God is saying to the Church, and to enter into a dialogue about how we can journey together into the future. We will have our own synodal pathway, within our parishes and communities in the Diocese of Salford, united with every diocese across the world. Then, after national and continental gatherings, the Synod of Bishops will gather in Rome in 2023 to reflect on what has been heard.
We invite you to reflect on the following questions in a spirit of prayer and discernment. A prayer to the Holy Spirit, and a piece of scripture taken from the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), can be found on the back page of this booklet.
Reflection Questions
1. Your experience during the Covid-19 Pandemic
What has been your experience of your parish/community during the Pandemic?
2. Listening
How can we best listen to each other, in the Church and in the wider world?
3. Speaking Out
How we do we communicate with each other in our groups, parishes, diocese? Do we have the freedom to speak openly in a loving way?
4. Celebrating
In what ways does prayer and the celebration of Mass enable us to encounter Jesus more deeply and empower us in our daily lives?
5. Listening to the Holy Spirit
What do you sense the Holy Spirit asking of the Church?
6. The Journeying Companions
Who walks with us on our journey of faith? What persons or groups are marginalised?

7. Sharing in the Mission
How can we best share the Good News of Jesus with others? What difference are we currently making?
8. Dialogue in Church and Society
In what ways do our parishes/communities speak to each other and the wider society? How could we do this better?
9. With the other Christian Denominations and other faiths
How are we as a community listening to, and enriched by, other Christian denominations and other faiths?
10. Authority and Participation
In what ways do we take collective responsibility (priest and lay faithful collaboration) for our community? What are the fruits of this collaboration, and what are the obstacles and challenges?
11. Discerning and Deciding
How do we discern together the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading us? How can we develop this shared responsibility together?
12. Growing and Journeying Together
What support do we need to help us grow as a Church journeying together, listening to each other and the Spirt?
13. Additional Comments
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Join the Conversation
You can make a response collectively as a parish community or individually via the online form or using the paper form. For more information, please contact us:
Online: Post: Email: Tel:
www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Synod, Cathedral Centre, 3 Ford Street, Salford, M3 6DP synod@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
0161 817 2214
Please send in your response before  Rev. B. Wilson. MA. PP.


Rev. B. Wilson. MA. PP.