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Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph
15 February 2015
6th Sunday Year B in Ordinary Time
Mass Schedule
Saturday
Vigil Mass for Sunday
Sunday
Our Lady of Lourdes
St Joseph
5.30pm Int. Pat Stoneman
7pm John Cunningham
+ Year A +
9.30am Parishioners
11am Int of Mr and Mrs Howarth
Mon
Tue
Ash Wednesday
Thurs
Fri – Family Fast Day
Saturday
Vigil Mass for Sunday
First Sunday of Lent
10am
10am Int of N Place
7pm Special Intention
10am Requiem Mass
Doreen Jean Cooper
5.30pm Kehoe Family
11am Int of J Whitaker
10 am Alice and Robert Clarke (A)
10am Peter des Landes
7pm John Cunningham LD
9.30am Parishioners
3.30pm Evening Prayer and
Benediction
We pray for the sick Mary Teresa Millington, Mia King, Louise Booth, Patricia Cosgrove, Renee Sproat,
Vera Robinson, Hilda Stoker, Andrew McFayden, Phil Irlam, Patricia Taylor, Ian Dalton, Maureen Driscoll,
Paul Bagshaw, Anita Meadows, Isabel Kelly, Kate Todd, Leo O’Reilly, May and Henry Kennedy-Skipton
Lately Dead Jim O’Brien, Doreen Jean Cooper, Rev Tim Hall minister at Liverpool Road Methodist
Church, Fr Martin Haigh OSB We pray for the Children preparing for the Sacrament of reconciliation,
all ‘love birds’, ourselves as on Ash Wednesday begin our Easter preparations.
Rosary 9.40am Mon, Wed, Fri at St Joseph
Confessions St Joseph after 10am Mass Friday,
Our Lady of Lourdes 5pm Saturday
Church Cleaning Friday10.30am St Joseph Thursday 9am OLOL – Many hands make light
work. Perhaps you can spare an hour a week, a
month, occasionally?
To hire the Meeting Rooms call Sheila Ball
567788
Tea and Coffee after 11am Mass on Sunday
Collections: Envelopes £918.63 Loose Plate
£380.12 Total £ 1,298.75 Received with thanks
Art Group Thursdays 1pm – 3pm in the meeting
rooms. Phone Marie 550706.
Little Church at both Sunday Masses. Thanks to
the parents who bring their children to Mass.
Fourth Preface for Sundays
Third Eucharistic Prayer
Sacramental Preparation
First Forgiveness will be
celebrated: on two Saturdays in
Lent. Next Session is Tuesday 21
April at 6.30pm.
The Funeral for Jim O’Brien will be 25th
February at 11am.
Praying with the Pope in February
For Prisoners That prisoners,
especially the young, may be able
to rebuild lives of dignity.
For Separated Spouses
That married people who are
separated may find welcome and
support in the Christian
community.
CAFOD Family Fast Day this coming Friday 20th
February. The envelopes are available in Church.
Brenda Jones will explain briefly at each Mass
how our contributions will be doubled by a
government initiative.
CAFOD COFFEE MORNING Thursday 26
February after the 10am Mass.
Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes Three of our young
parishioners Emilie Crew, Emma Seaton and
Annie Hart will be joining coach 7 for Lourdes this
year on the Archdiocesean Pilgrimage. They ask
us to help them raise some of the monies they
need for the trip during which they and the other
young people will assist the sick and disabled
pilgrims. The Pilgrimage is a great opportunity for
them to grow in the faith and meet other young
people .
Contact Details: Parish Priest Fr Atli Jonsson, 40 York Road, Southport PR8 2AY,
Tel 01704 568313, ajonsson@btinternet.com Parish Deacon Rev Bill Ball, Tel 567788
http://birkdalecatholics.com
In 2017 it will be 150 years since the Church
was opened for worship. We should mark this
occasion. Suggestions are welcomed.
Talks in Lent
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
(2 Corinthians 12: 10)
How can our vulnerability and weakness be a
positive influence on our life and faith?
Prayer, reflection, talk and discussion with
Professor John Sullivan,Saturday 21st February, 2
– 4 pm Sacred Heart Hall.
“The Passover of Jesus: the Gospel accounts
of Jesus’ journey to the Cross and the Risen
LIfe”
Given by Fr Tom Cullinan, on Tuesdays in Lent at
St John Stone Parish Centre.
7.30pm to 9.00pm Starting Tuesday 24th February
Something to think and pray about this week
Lent originally meant ‘springtime’ and so we can
view it as a spring-time for the spirit. It is a time
also to spring-clean the cave of our hearts!
Whatever the variations in the practice of Lent over
the last 2000 years, the main issue is whether Lent
helps me to become more aware how I stand in
relation to God and my neighbour.
The practices designed to achieve these goals
were fasting, almsgiving and prayer. The call to
fast makes me focus on the affairs of the spirit
rather than of the body. The call to almsgiving
makes me more alert to my needy neighbour. The
call to prayer nourishes my relationship with God,
and especially with Jesus in his Passion.
Why forty days for Lent? This period called to
mind the time Jesus spent in the desert. For some
it was also a reminder of the forty hours he spent
on the Cross.
Why Easter eggs? In the ‘good old days’ fasting
was more serious than now. Dry food, bread, salt
and vegetables were allowed. No eggs! Therefore
eggs were blessed at the Easter Vigil and
distributed as gifts to hungry friends. Eggs thus
came to be associated with the Resurrection of
Jesus from the tomb. Likewise, pancakes on
Shrove Tuesday hinted that there would be no
more food made of eggs till Easter.
What about fasting? There are many little things
I can perhaps do without and one may discover
how little one needs. The point is that the shock to
the system should lead to a deeper sense of what
God may want of me!
Finally Jesus warns us against trying to attract
notice when we fast or pray or give alms (Matthew
chapter 6). The simple act of washing off the
ashes on Ash Wednesday is understood in some
Christian circles as a reminder of Jesus’
admonition to look joyous! In the Roman liturgy,
Lent is a ‘joyful season’.
House Groups in Lent using the Sunday
readings as the basis for prayer and reflection.
Each group is open but please make contact with
the hosts beforehand so that they know you are
coming.
MONDAYS (2nd,9th and 16th March) 7.OOpm
start. Alan & Stella Todd 560024
21 Vivian Drive, off Bedford Rd Birkdale.
TUESDAYS (3rd,10th,17th and 24th) 7-30pm.
start. David & Hilary Barton 562868
6 The Swallows, 42 York Rd Birkdale.
WEDNESDAY (4th 11th 18th and 25th ) 7.30pm
Sister Goldie, 569072, 71 Sandon Rd Hillside.
Update on the Book Sale - Book Sale after the
next Family Mass. All hardbacks and none fiction
We have also decided to only sell paperback
novels so all none fiction and hard back only 10p
pr. item. (Last Sunday raised £21)
Books from the bookcases in the meeting rooms
at 50 pence each. (£81)
Further suggestions for the sale of books would be
welcomed. Call Brenda Jones on Tel 568000
This years 4 day pilgrimage to Walsingham will
take place from Thursday June 18th to Sunday
June 21st. The all inclusive price will be £200. An
excursion will also be included visiting a local
attraction. For further details please contact Ann
Davies on Southport 543113.
From the Piety Stall It would be helpful if anyone
who comes to Mass at Our Lady's could help
cover the Piety stall at the weekend Masses. The
more volunteers we have for the rota, the fewer
times they would be needed to cover. If you can
help please either contact Janice Cooper on
567133, or leave your details with the person on
duty in the shop."
Congratulations Last Sunday Baby Jonah Patrick
Bruce Jones was baptised at St Joseph. We thank
his family and their friends for all the food items
they donated to our food bank.