Please check the Diocese section for weekly news of events and news from our diocese.
See below the Order of Mass for last weekend and a Pastoral letter received from the Bishop

NEWSLETTER WEEKEND 14TH AND 15TH AUGUST 2021
MASS TIMES this week
           Monday                        10.00am        Weekday Mass     
           Tuesday                        10.00am        Weekday Mass
           Wednesday                  10.00am        Weekday Mass   
           Thursday                      10.00am        Weekday Mass
           Friday                            10.00am        Weekday Mass
           Saturday                       10.00am        Weekday Mass  & 5.30pm Vigil Mass of Sunday                                                   
           Sunday                          10.30am        Sunday Mass       
Confessions after Saturday Morning Mass 
        
 Readers: Saturday 14th August – Joan S  Sunday 15th August – Ronnie   Weekdays - John                      
         Eucharistic Ministers:  Saturday 14th August – Peter & Linda
                                                  Sunday 15th August – David & Joan

Sunday 15th August – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary                                        
 

Masses and Prayer Intentions This Week:
     Lately Dead:            Tony Quirke, William Casey, Macarius Olatunjki
     Anniversaries:         Fransziska Domanska, Alan Doyle
     Others:                     Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thanksgiving for prayers answered, Sayers & Riley               
                                        Families & Paul White, Our Lady & St. Peregrines Care, Arthur Ward.
                           

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Bidding Prayers: - Reader:           “My soul magnifies the Lord”
                                 Response:      “and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”                                          
 
Confessions
Fr. John is pleased to hold Confessions after the 10.00 Mass on Saturdays. In order to ensure good ventilation to comply with the Covid restrictions he will hold the sessions at the left-hand side of the Sanctuary behind Our Lady’s Chapel.
 
Fr. John’s comments on Mass Readings:
Revelation:  The woman in the first reading today could stand for Mary, since the woman ‘gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod’. Today’s psalm commemorates a regal fitting for this day that we celebrate the Queen of Heaven, Mother of God.
 
Corinthians:  St. Paul in the second reading, describes Jesus as the ‘first fruits of those who have fallen asleep’.  Elizabeth greets Mary with the words ‘Blessed is the fruit of your womb’.
 
Gospel – John:   The Gospel today presents us with confirmation that Mary would bear a son.  This proclamation came through the angel Gabriel and gave Mary the double joy of sharing the Good News with Elizabeth.
 
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven is not described in the bible, but has nevertheless been part of the tradition of the Church since the 5th Century and was promulgated a dogma by Pope Pius X11 on the 1st November 1950.
 
Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, Pray for Us.
 

Memorial Book: The following names are included for August.  Please remember them in your prayers. Alice Brook (B/d), Angela McMahon, Ken Hunt, Maureen Prendergast, Mike Roscoe, Margaret Higgins (B/d), James & Eveline Haughton, Thomas Schofield, Rev Canon Ansbro, Joseph Aspinall, Esther McDonnell, Carmon Frezza, Colin D Beckett, Thomas Sneyd, Margaret Adoyi, Tessie (Ester) Butterworth.
 
May their souls and the souls of all faithful departed
through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen.
 
Notices
 
CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED THE ‘A’ LEVEL RESULTS THAT THEY HAVE WORKED HARD FOR THIS YEAR AND VERY BEST WISHES FOR THE
FUTURE.
 
CATHEDRAL CENTRE:  The Centre Book Store has now re-opened and the shop is open from 8.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday.  Orders can also be placed via the Shop website or by calling 0161-817 2208
The Café has also re-opened and is open from 8.30am to 1.30pm Monday to Friday.
 
CATHEDRAL JOB VACANCIES:  The Cathedral are looking for a full-time PA/Senior Administrator based at the Cathedral Centre in Salford.  Salary 26/28k p.a.  They also need a full-time Cemetery Worker at St. Mary’s Cemetery Worsley.  Salary approx. 20k p.a. For further information regarding the above 2 vacancies see https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies/
 
CARITAS VACANCIES:  The vacancies are: Senior Manager, Homeless & Supported Accommodation & Senior Manager, Social Action Projects. For further information regarding these vacancies see
https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/careers/
 
Readers & Eucharistic Ministers Rota:  We will print details each week.  If you find you cannot attend, please make arrangements for somebody to deputise for you.  You can use the WhatsApp Group to do this, or contact persons yourself.  Linda Edwards will continue to co-ordinate.  If not already done so, please let her know your contact
details.
 
Next Week:
Readers – Saturday 21st August – Joe    Sunday 22nd August – Catherine   Weekdays – John 
Eucharistic Ministers:     Saturday 21st August – Mary & Catherine
                                            Sunday 22nd August – Samantha & Kay
 
PLEASE CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER IN OBSERVING THE PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONS AS WELL AS YOU CAN, EVEN THOUGH THE OFFICIAL RULES ARE REDUCED. PLEASE ALSO TAKE THE MASS SHEET AND NEWSLETTER HOME WITH YOU.
​

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES
​Pastoral Letter for Pentecost 2021 It was the decision of the Bishops of England, Wales and Scotland to unite in promoting a Pastoral Letter for Pentecost Sunday which reads as follows: Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Solemnity of Pentecost reminds us that everything which exists, every person and the whole of creation, is a gift of “God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” God our loving Father creates and continues to give life to the world through His Word, Jesus Christ, in the power of His Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, which we celebrate at Pentecost, is not something separate from Creation. God’s revelation of himself in Creation is inseparable from the revelation of his love for us in Christ and in his desire to live in us through his Holy Spirit. ‘God’s Spirit is always and everywhere “the Lord, the Giver of Life”, and the voice of Pentecost is echoed in the voice of creation being transformed into the glorious liberty of God’s children.’ In this liberty, as God’s children, we call on the Spirit to ‘renew the face of the Earth’, and as his children, we are called, in turn, to use this liberty for the good of creation and for the good of all that brings life. Our world, God’s creation, is a precious gift to us. It is our common home entrusted to each generation. But how have we used that glorious liberty? How do we honour this precious gift? Are we really demonstrating love, care and respect for our common home? As we celebrate Pentecost this year, we are acutely aware of the damage that continues to be inflicted on the Earth, and the repercussions for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, both here in our own countries and, more especially, in the poorest countries of our world. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have both taught us that everything is interconnected and interdependent. The way we live our everyday lives has an impact on everyone and on the earth. The urgency of the situation, and the enormity of the challenges we face, have spurred us to speak out together this Pentecost Sunday, as bishops of England, Wales and Scotland, about the role that the Catholic Church and our faith must play in our shared care for God’s gift to us. For all too long we have either been ignorant of, or ignored, the systematic exploitation of our planet and the unsustainable consumption of its resources. While accepting the crucial need and demand for energy for the benefit of the poorest of our brothers and sisters, the provision of our energy must, nonetheless, be by means which radically reduce the use of carbon-based fuels.In our political thinking, there must be a new global understanding of our world, where nations recognise our common responsibility for the dignity of all people and their rights to sustainable livelihoods, in authentic freedom. Pope Francis speaks of a global politics that looks beyond our own needs to the needs of all, most especially the poor and the marginalised. But we cannot leave the healing of our common home and the wellbeing and care of our brothers and sisters merely to a response from industry and governments. Our own local concern and action is necessary and has far-reaching consequences. We all have a part to play, each and every one of us, in the routines, choices and decisions of our everyday lives and our aspirations for the future. The actions of parishes, families, schools, and individuals will have a significant impact on our efforts to restore our common home. There are now many resources, freely available, to advise us on our choice of food, saving of water and electricity, suggestions about travel, waste, and re-use. These are measures that everyone can employ, in some degree, with minimal inconvenience and change. They are effective ways in which we can each reaffirm our personal vocation to be stewards of creation. This Pentecost comes at a time of remarkable challenge and opportunity. We are gradually emerging from the tragedies and restrictions of the pandemic. We have the ability to make changes. Our countries are also hosting two most important meetings this year, the G7 in June and COP26 in November. These meetings will gather together men and women who have the power to make defining choices and policies which will help us build back better, provide for our brothers and sisters, and take care of our common home. In all our human endeavours, we need the presence of the Holy Spirit, “the Lord, the Giver of Life”, whose gift to the Church and the world we celebrate again at Pentecost. Let us keep this Feast with that enduring hope that we can begin to repair the damage we have done and provide a healthy home for future generations. Our hope will be strengthened by our prayer. May our constant request be that the Holy Spirit guide us, strengthen our resolve and ‘renew the face of the earth’. I am sure that we will all understand the importance of what the Bishops have addressed to us. Stay with us, Lord, on our journey. Yours devotedly, +John Arnold Bishop of Salford

Dear all,
Please find a message from the Bishop below.

Dear Fathers,
One thing that I regularly recognise is that time is passing so quickly. The weeks come and go in a breath. I think that lockdown would have been so much more difficult if time was dragging but there seems to be no question of sitting about getting bored.  
  
I suppose we could have predicted the amount of coverage about the Royals this week. How sad. Without any judgement on what may or may not actually have happened or been said, I am saddened by the media coverage, the language used and that there should have been an opinion poll even before any response from the Royal Household about a statement made by an unnamed person in unknown circumstances. All I would say is that I do not think that an interview with Oprah was the right thing to do. Family quarrels, disputes and disagreements are best settled within the family. I am very sad to think that there was apparently such unhappiness over a period of time but the Royal family is unique in the role it plays and that must be reflected in some ways by unique events that occur. There needs to be a respectful dialogue around mental health whatever the status of the individual. My hope is that it can be resolved without too much more media spotlight but I doubt that will happen.


Not far removed from that. I mentioned that I had signed up for the Mental Health First Aid course, again online in four sessions. I think the biggest surprise so far has been to know just how many people are affected at some stage in their lives with some form of mental illness. There has been a lot of information about the contributory causes of stress and depression and the different ways in which a person may manifest mental illness. I suspect that, in our priestly ministry, we have all seen many forms of stress and depression in the communities we have served.


The conflict in Myanmar seems to escalate with police officers fleeing to India rather than impose the military orders, and wholesale arrests in cordoned off neighbourhoods. The military do not even seem to be justifying their actions nor claiming compliance with any sense of the rule of law. And that country is just one among many in particularly distressing times, in addition to the impact of the pandemic. At least the papal visit to Iraq seems to be bearing fruit and the courage and determination of Pope Francis has been applauded by so many political and Faith leaders.


This week has been a week of zoom interviews for CAFOD and elsewhere. There is no doubt that Zoom is a wonderful invention and a technological leap forward but it has its demands and limitations. It is not easy to create the atmosphere of an interview when everyone is on screen. However, we managed several hours of conversation and hopefully we got to know something of the candidates, their abilities and their suitability.


The continuing workshop webinar on “Let us Dream” was a success on Wednesday evening and the various working groups seem to benefit from the time spent in conversation. It is a large gathering. Unfortunately, Austen Ivereigh could not be present this week but we still managed a good reporting on the discussions of the various groups and a useful question and answer session.




Private notes: I hope that your plans for Holy Week are taking shape. If you have doubts or questions about what may be allowed and possible, please ask. I am sure that we can manage a worthy celebration of the Triduum, even for those who will live-stream liturgies or use home resources. You may like to advertise the Cathedral liturgies, which are all live-streamed:
Palm Sunday – Sunday, 28th March at 11am
Chrism Mass – Wednesday, 31st March at 11am
Mass of The Lord’s Supper – Thursday, 1st April at 7.30pm
Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion – Friday, 2nd April at 3.00pm
Easter Vigil – Saturday 3rd April at 8.30pm


The Year of St Joseph. Although there was little publicity at the time of the announcement, largely due to all the news concerning the pandemic, Pope Francis has dedicated this year to St. Joseph, a patron of our Diocese. Resources for parishes, schools and families will be published next week for your use and distribution. Please mark the Feast of St Joseph on 19th March in whatever way you are able within the parish.


Holidays. As we begin to emerge from lockdown, you will probably be thinking about holidays. Certainly, we will need holidays after all the stresses and strains of the last year but they will need to be managed in the sense that not everyone can be away at the same time. Can I ask you please to be sure to confirm a supply priest’s availability before your confirm travel arrangements? Please also confirm your plans with your dean?


We continue our journey through Lent and ask the Lord to stay with us.


Thank you for all you are achieving in this difficult time


+John




+John Arnold
Bishop of Salford
Wardley Hall |Worsley |M28 2ND
0161 794 2825
E: john.arnold@dioceseofsalford.org.uk

Dear Father
We are looking at ways that we can help parishes deal with some of the impact of the pandemic and ways to help parishes function more effectively with any longer-term impacts.
One of our immediate priorities was to make online donations easier for those who wish to continue to support our parishes and their work. We have done this by putting a ‘donate’ button on the Diocesan Website, anybody will be able to donate to their own parish or a number of the other funds we have.
You can access the diocesan website via this link:
https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/
The donate button is found in the right-hand corner of the main page when on a desktop and it directs you this this page.
https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/supporting-your-parish-financially/
On a mobile device the donate button is listed in the main menu. We are currently working on improving the access and making the button more prominent when on a mobile device.
Visitors to the donations page will find two options:

1. Setting up a standing order
2. Make a donation

Setting up a standing order
This button takes you to a page on the website where parishioners can access a standing order form for each parish. This page is currently being populated and will be ready next week.
To help with this work please send a copy of your current standing order form to communications@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
Make a donation
This button is already live and accepting donations.
Visitors to this page with see five options.
 
Four picture options for specific diocesan funds and the ability to search for a specific parish and make a donation to that parish.
 
Details of transactions for every parish will be recorded and on a monthly basis the relevant funds from online donations will be transferred into parish accounts.
Each online transaction will have a small fee attached and there is also an opportunity to gift aid every donation.
You will notice when searching for your own parish that the address listed on the forms is the Cathedral Centre. This is for administrative purposes to meet the requirements of the financial services authority.
How can you share in your parish?  
The best way to promote is to do so by sharing this link https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/supporting-your-parish-financially/
You can send this directly to any parishioner who has asked how they can continue to give their offertory donation, add the link to your website or mention (if you feel appropriate) during your live streams.  
When promoting the donation function, we must remain mindful of the changing financial position many of our parishioners find themselves in during this time. You may make the decision that circumstances in your parish mean you do not want to actively promote this option.
If you would like to discuss the options for having a button integrated into your parish website please email communications@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
If you would like to discuss anything to do with your parish finances please email finance@dioceseofsalford.org.uk
If you have any further questions please let me know.

​Fathers,
Despite the current low risk to the public from coronavirus, Bishops’ Conference have issued guidelines to enable Catholic churches and organisations to find the relevant information in one place. The complete document – which will be amended in the future if necessary – is attached but please note the following key messages:
 

• At the time of writing there is no need to take special measures on suspending the Chalice or Sign of Peace. Should that become necessary, more detailed pastoral care guidance will be issued.

 

• Ask anyone with cold or flu symptoms to refrain from taking communion from the Chalice and receive the host on the hand only. (We should be doing this anyway, every ‘flu season.)

 

• Ensuring ministers of the Eucharist wash their hands before distributing communion or sanitise them is a good practice to encourage always.

 

• The best way of protecting us from spread is for everyone to use universal good hygiene, which will effectively disrupt spread of the virus. We should be doing this all the time for ‘flu:

§ Catch it - sneeze into a tissue
§ Bin it - bin the tissue
§ Kill it - wash your hands with soap and water
§ Do not touch your face unless you’ve washed your hands
§ Ensure good regular cleaning of surfaces lots of people touch regularly

• There is a government campaign on hygiene and posters can be downloaded and placed in parishes. It would be sensible to place these in churches and premises and alert people to this in newsletters and bulletins. The link can be found in the further materials section in the document.

 

• Pastoral care remains important

 
o Chaplains and others working in institutions where people with coronavirus are being cared for should seek and follow hygiene guidance from that institution
 
o Those who have been asked to self-isolate in the community as a precaution by medical staff will understandably be anxious but equally it is important not to breach this isolation. “In person care” should be kept to a minimum and advice taken from NHS 111 or call NHS Direct Wales on 0845 4647 on any precautions needed.