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ORDER OF MASS - WEEKEND 27th AND 28th FEBRUARY 2021
St. Stephen’s Catholic Church - Droylsden
​Parish Priest: Fr. Bernard Wilson MA Tel: 0161 370 1505 Presbertry, 38 Chappell20oad, Droylsden, Manchester. M43 7NA Website; www.st-stephens-droylsden.com Email; parishststephen@outlook.com
​Sunday 28th February 2021 – 2nd Sunday of Lent (Year B)
MASS OFFERINGS
 Lately Dead:    Danny Mason
 Anniversaries: John Denny (B/day) Eveline Haughton (B/day)
Eddie Denham (B/day).
Others:  Sayers, Riley Families & Paul White, Our Lady & St. Peregrines Care, Thanks St. Blaise, Sue Kenyon (S),
Tony Quirke (S)
 
MASS TIMES
Monday          10:00    Weekday Mass
Tuesday          10:00    Weekday Mass
Wednesday    10:00    Weekday Mass
Thursday        10:00     Weekday Mass
Friday             10:00     Weekday Mass
                        19:00     Stations of the Cross
Saturday        10:00     Weekday Mass
Saturday        17:30    Vigil Sunday Mass
Sunday           10:30     Sunday Mass
 Order of Mass
The Introductory Rites
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Liturgy of the Word:
First Reading:  A reading from the book of Genesis
God put Abraham to the test. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he called.  ‘Here I am’ he replied.  ‘Take your son,’ God said ‘your only child Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah.  There you shall offer him as a burnt offering, on a mountain I will point out to you.’  When they arrived at the place God had pointed out to him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood.  Then he stretched out his hand and seized the knife to kill his son.  But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he said.  ‘I am here’ he replied. ‘Do not raise your hand against the boy’ the angel said.  ‘Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God.  You have not refused me your son, your only son.’  Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush.  Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt-offering in place of his son.  The angel of the Lord called Abraham a second time from heaven.  ‘I swear by my own self – it is the Lord who speaks – because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore.  Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies.  All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.’
 The word of the Lord.
 Response: Thanks be to God
 
Responsorial Psalm:
R)   I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.
 
 Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans
With God on our side who can be against us?  Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give.  Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen?  When God acquits, could anyone condemn?  Could Christ Jesus?  No!  He not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.
The word of the Lord.
 Response: Thanks be to God
 
Gospel Acclamation
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
 From the bright cloud the Father’s voice was heard: “This is my Son, the Beloved.  Listen to him!”
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
 
Gospel
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves.  There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them.  Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter spoke to Jesus.  ‘Rabbi’, he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’  He did not know what to say; they were so frightened.  And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved.  Listen to him.’  Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.  As they came down the mountain, he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.
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.  Amen.
 
Bidding Prayers – Reader:       Open our ears, Lord
                               Response:    and help us to listen
 
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:
Genesis - Abraham’s faith is tested, he is promised a great gift by God.
 
Romans – God’s Son suffered for no sin of his own.
 
Gospel – Mark:  Jesus is transfigured – a sign of Glory to come.
 
The discipline of Lenten observance has a special layer of meaning for us during the present pandemic.  It forces us to consider our own mortality and the needs of those around us.  As St. Paul reminds us, the way we live, the way we die, the whole of life and death has its impact on everyone.  So:  have a care – what we do influences those we encounter in our lives.
 
Memorial Book: The following names are included for: March
Ann Fryer, Eveline Haughton (B/day), Irene Winston, Joan Cullen, John McCaugherty, Joseph Edwards, Joyce Moore, Maria Baby (miscarriage), Maureen McCourt, Michelle Jones, Molly Loughman, Norman Fyvie, Patrick Maguire, Paul Jeffries, Peter Burton, Sandra Whelan, Winifred Williams
May their souls and the souls of all faithful departed        through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen.
Notices
Last Sunday:  Despite clear instruction, one family ignored our ‘Rule of Six’ in inviting guests to Baptism and Holy Communion.  Some of those present were clearly not used to Sacramental Celebrations.  I must remind all that SIX guests must be the Maximum.  I apologise to any parishioners who were distressed.  We must observe the Covid Rules.
 
We continue inviting children to make their First Holy Communion, in small family groups of no more than 6 and in ones and twos between Now and Easter.  Please keep them in your prayers.
 
Financial Situation:  Because of Covid, Church money has been greatly reduced.  Unfortunately for us, it has followed two years of high expenditure on building maintenance and improvements.  We are fortunate to have some parishioners who have made sizeable contributions each week and maintained them through the year, some despite not attending Mass.  We are all aware that a £1 goes nowhere these days, therefore I am asking those people who can, to please review your planned giving.  All Tax Payers can sign up for ‘Gift Aid’ on their weekly contributions – at no additional cost!  Last year ‘Gift Aid’ increased our income by about £6,000, but this year we can expect a reduction in this.  On a brighter note, the Church and grounds are looking good and we have a lot to be proud of.  It is our responsibility to improve on what the last generation left us, ready for the next.  Please try to be generous in your giving. 

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

Fathers,  
                                                           
The world’s problems and crises only seem to escalate in these difficult times. The imposition of the security laws in Hong Kong. The reports about genocide of a Muslim minority in China. The demonstrations and multiple arrests in Russia were certainly disturbing and remain unresolved and now another military coup in Myanmar, Burma. I have had some close contacts with the Church in Myanmar over the years and made several visits. I have only encountered a beautiful and gentle people, with a deep sense of religious faith – whichever they embrace. How is it that they have endured such a violent recent history, culminating in the Rohingya tragedy just five years ago? Already there are renewed fears for the Rohingya who remain in the country and for those refugees who have any thoughts of returning, now that the military are again in control. My contact with the Church there has been with seminaries bursting with candidates and novitiates packed with smiling young people, all with the background of the gentle Buddhist monks and nuns. But the military seem to dominate and dictate, even turning a few Buddhist monks into gun-carrying killers.
 
Please remember Barbara Lupton. Barbara had a fall on black ice on Monday but is recovering well. We owe her a great deal for her kindness and expertise in her role of caring for the sick and retired clergy of the Diocese. Because of her fall she may not be able to respond as quickly as usual to any enquiry, for a while.
 
Some of the clergy may remember Fr Alban Crossley OSB, Parish Priest at St Mary’s, Brownedge 1992 – 1996, who died this week. May he rest in peace.
 
 
You will have received the following items by other means but this is just a reminder:
Catholic Voices Survey:
You may be interested in promoting the following survey which is being carried out to help us to understand what has happened to the Church during the pandemic and which might give us a hint of how we might develop some of the initiatives that we have employed during this time. The questionnaire is rather repetitive but I assume that is necessary for the purposes of good analysis.
“Catholic Voices, the University of Birmingham and the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin are running a major online survey of Catholic experience in UK and Eire under lockdown. The first phase last year indicated that people had developed much stronger attachments to liturgy and sacraments. Catholics seemed to value their clergy more than the members of other denominations value theirs. The hope, in this next phase, is that members of every parish will take part, especially clergy. The clergy in England were less well represented last time despite reports of new pastoral efforts, needs  and challenges.  All responses, ordained and lay,  are anonymous and confidential but will provide insights for pastoral planning, giving and support in the future. The survey is here and should take 15-20 minutes https://www.catholicvoices.org.uk/survey  “
 
 
REMINDER - NOTE ABOUT ASH WEDNESDAY
The following is a suggestion for our celebration of Ash Wednesday
from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 12 January 2021
Distribution of Ashes in Time of Pandemic
The Priest says the prayer for blessing the ashes. He sprinkles the ashes with holy water, without saying anything. (It is suggested that the water is used sparingly so as not to causes the ashes to become a paste) Then he addresses all those present and only once says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel”, or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.
The Priest then cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and distributes the ashes to those who come to him or, if appropriate, he goes to those who are standing in their places. The Priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on the head of each one without saying anything.
 
The Blessing of Ashes should take place at the usual point of the Mass. The imposition of ashes may be during the Mass or as people leave church. May I remind you that, in order to keep things simple, there is also the option to celebrate a Liturgy of the Word, rather than Mass? Please remind people that they should put safety of themselves and others first and not attend if they are shielding or are particularly vulnerable with underlying medical concerns.
If the celebrant is shielding he can bless the ashes and ask a layperson (who does not have to be a Minister of the Eucharist) to impose the ashes.  He should explain to the minister about the manner of imposition of ashes this year, the hygiene and distancing and especially about the sprinkling of ashes on the crown of the head rather than the marking on the forehead.
A final reminder about Pastoral Statistics. There are still a good number of parishes that have not completed and returned the statistics report. I must emphasise that this reflects badly on the Diocese. If you are having difficulties with the report, please contact Marie Sartini as soon as possible.
 
Keep safe and well. Hopefully, the claims that the pandemic has peaked will be proven to be true
 
“Stay with us, Lord, on our Journey”
 
+John


+John Arnold
Bishop of Salford

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.