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​See below the Order of Mass and an e-mail received from the Bishop

ORDER OF MASS - WEEKEND 1st AND 2nd MAY 2021
MASS OFFERINGS
 Lately Dead:  Joan Gray, Lee Ulett
 Anniversaries: Angela McKenna
 Others: Sayers, Riley Families & Paul White, Tony Quirke, Thanks to the Sacred Heart for prayers answered.
 MASS TIME           
Monday          10:00    Weekday Mass
Tuesday          10:00    Weekday Mass
Wednesday    10:00    Weekday Mass
Thursday        10:00     Requiem Mass for
                                         Joan Gray
Friday             10:00      Weekday Mass
Saturday        10.00      Weekday Mass
Saturday        17:30     Vigil Sunday Mass
Sunday           10:30     Sunday Mass
 
Sunday 2nd May 2021 –   5th Sunday of Easter                
Order of Mass
The Introductory Rites 
+
Liturgy of the Word:
 
The Gloria:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.  We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.  Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.  For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.
 
First Reading:  A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
When Paul got to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not believe he was really a disciple.  Barnabas, however, took charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.  Saul now started to go round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord.  But after he had spoken to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him.  When the brothers knew,
they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.  The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
The word of the Lord
 
Response: Thanks be to God
 
Responsorial Psalm:
R)   You, Lord, are my praise in the great assembly.
 
Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St. John
My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active; only by this can we be certain that we are the children of the truth and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence, whatever accusations it may raise against us, because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.  My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience, we need not be afraid in God’s presence, and whatever we ask him, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants.  His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to.  Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him.  We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.
 
The word of the Lord.
 
Response: Thanks be to God
 
Gospel acclamation:
Alleluia, Alleluia!  Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.  Whoever remains inn me bears fruit in plenty.  Alleluia!
 
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, to make it bear even more.  You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.  Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.  As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it.  It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.’
The Gospel of the Lord
 
Response:  Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
 
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of
all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.  I believe in one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.  I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 
 
Bidding Prayers – Reader:       Lord Jesus, may we love you more dearly,
                               Response:   and follow you more nearly.
 
Liturgy of the Eucharist
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of His holy church.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest. 
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Kneel.
 
Mystery of Faith
Save us Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
 
The Communion Rite
The Lord’s Prayer
 
Breaking of the Bread.
 
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.  Kneel.
 
Invitation to Communion
 
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
 
The Concluding Rites and Communion
 
Fr. Wilson’s comments on Sunday Mass Readings:
 
Acts of the Apostles:  Paul searches out the Apostles in Jerusalem but they were wary – he had been known as a persecutor of the church:  Barnabas believed he had been converted and so the Apostles were ready to accept him.
 
John: – John’s letter confirms the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us in peace and reconciliation.
 
Gospel –  John tells us how closely we are united with Jesus – We belong to the same ‘vine’ we are enriched by being one with him in our faith and in our actions.  John closely links our faith and our actions as a sign of our place in God’s Kingdom; now and in the future.
 
Memorial Book: The following names are included for: May
Alexander Wright Gray, Anthony Lowe, Catherine Dootson, Florence Mary Cowap, Fr. William Fallon, Jane Schofield, Joan Jeffries, John Aspinall, John Saunders, Kevin Bernard Quinn, Lily Whelan, Martin Coates, Mary Ellen Craig, Maureen McClean, Norman Martin, Phyllis Hunt, Roy Donnelly, Teresa O’Donnell, Thomas Holland, Yolanda Craig, Harold Fitzpatrick
May their souls and the souls of all faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen.
 
Notices
 
Joan’s funeral – 6th May – also the day we choose our political/local leaders.
 
As we continue to observe Social Distancing and other restrictions, we look forward to the return of freedom in the near future.  We pray also for the people of India and elsewhere who are suffering greatly from the Virus that kills.  Keep them in your prayers and in your active faith to bring healing wherever possible through our actions.
 
Readers and Eucharistic Ministers.  If you are already a Reader or Eucharistic Minister and wish to continue as one or if you would like to become one, please put your name and contact details on the sheet at the back of Church.  We now have many more people coming to Church and it would be good to be able to make a Rota again.  Thank you.  Linda.

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.