THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
(YEAR B)
WEEK: APRIL 14TH - 20TH 2024
“He then opened their minds to understand…that the Christ would suffer…and rise from the dead.”
YOUR CHARITABLE PRAYERS are requested for our parishioners and friends, especially those whose names appear below.
SICK:Vivien Higgins; John and Kath Green, Angela Marshall, Joseph McConnon, Joan Killeen, Eileen Killeen, Therese Passenger, Cyril and Christine Clarke, Nell Eaton, Linda Taylor, Marie Gill, Pat McQuillan, Kathleen Kelly, Irene Cooper, Denis O’Grady. Deana Dobson, Tony Kenny, Luke Burke, Nora Hickey, Denis Guilfoyle, Amy Howard, Dominic Boardman, Joan Healy, Veronica Lees, Debbie Osborne Walker, Alex Standring and Janice Kopacz Standring, Barry Reid, Peter Barlow, Elizabeth Flanagan, Mary Kain, Rita Goodier, Denis O’Grady, Beatrice Tucker. Janet Butterworth
LATELY DEAD: Gordon Lees, Karen Entwistle, Derek Rowe,
ANNIVERSARIES: Joan Walkden, Maureen Sumner, Michael Hywel, Christopher Frankland, Frank Norcliffe, Helen Donovan, William Melia, Jimmy and Jose McParland, Arthur Heatley, Patricia Lynch, Margaret Miller
LAST WEEK'S COLLECTION: £938.23p
Standing Order: £674.00 a month
CHURCH BOXES / DONATIONS
Caritas £20; CAFOD £10. Polish Community (for use of the Church – the Easter and Christmas collections of the Polish community are given to the Parish every year) £530.50p
Many thanks for your kind generosity.
Our Bank: Barclays Bank - Account Name: TSDT, Our Lady and St. Patrick’s, Oldham; Sort Code 20 55 34; Account Number 90652504; Reference: Contr.
Please note that the bank account has changed because a fault was recurring in the old account which meant that direct debits from other companies were sometimes being set up without my authorisation. Thankfully, we noticed each attempt to do so and stopped the payments. The bank has suggested we should have a new account. If you already pay directly into the old account, don’t worry; we will keep both accounts going for a while and simply transfer everything to the new account over time
THIS SUNDAY'S MISSALETTE AND HYMNS
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NOTICES:
All Masses will continue to be live streamed. A link is provided on the Parish website: www.smwsp.org.uk or via the Twitter App (@PhilipSumner13).
NEXT SUNDAY IS VOCATIONS SUNDAY
(GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY)
There will be a visiting seminarian from Oscott College (Birmingham), called Paul Chisnall, who will be preaching at the 10am Mass about his own vocation. I’m sure you will make him feel welcome.
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME |
NEXT PARISH TEAM MEETING
We have had a little break in the calling of Parish Team meetings, because of my own failure to get down to organising a date. Hopefully, now, we will get back to the ordinary run of things. I suggest that the next Parish Team meeting should be a 7.00pm on April 18th.
CEMETERY MASS |
CONFIRMATIONS 2024
Important meetings dates and times: -
- Session 4 ~Wednesday 17th April (6-8pm)
- Session 5 ~ Wednesday 24th April (6-8pm)
- Session 6 ~ Wednesday 1st May (6-8pm)
- Session 7 ~ Wednesday 8th May (6-8pm)
All meetings will take place at St. Edward’s RC Church, Lees.
SPECIAL DAYS THIS WEEK There are no special feast days this week. We are still in the Easter period. |
THIS SUNDAY’S READINGS
Today’s Gospel sees the conclusion of one story and the telling of another, both with similarities. The story being concluded is that of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and takes us back to the first Easter Sunday. One of these disciples is called Cleopas, the other is unnamed. It is argued that ‘Cleopas’ is just another version of the name ‘Clopas’. We are told, in the Gospel of John, that one of the women who remained with Jesus as he was being crucified was Mary the wife of Clopas. It is thought that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were Clopas and his wife, Mary. The fact that this Mary remained at the foot of the cross until Jesus died perhaps was the reason that Jesus appeared to her and her husband very soon after his resurrection. Jesus came upon this couple as they were utterly disenchanted but then, without them recognising him, he explains the scriptures to them which predicted that the Christ would have to suffer. They spoke of their hearts burning within them as they listened. This is a story of re-enchantment.
But the main story in today’s Gospel is that of Jesus’s appearance to the Apostles after his resurrection. This event also takes place on Easter Sunday. The two disciples who’d met Jesus on the road to Emmaus had returned to Jerusalem that night and were just telling the Apostles of what they had witnessed, when Jesus appeared among them. The first thing he does is to say, ‘Peace be with you’ and then shows them his hands and his feet. He is taking them back to the foot of the cross and forgiving them for their desertion. Then, just as he did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he goes through the Scriptures to show how all that he went through was foretold there. It’s the mixture of their experience of mercy and the intellectual recognition of something they had never realised before, even though it was clearly foretold.
I’m reminded of the YouTube video of people being asked to watch a team of players throwing a ball to each other. The one watching is asked to count how many times the ball is passed to another person wearing a white sports kit. People often count the number of passes correctly but fail to notice a man dressed in a gorilla outfit who walks through the circle of players. We can often fail to recognise something that is in plain sight, but, when it’s pointed out, we wonder how we could have missed it.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES IN OUR CENTENARY YEAR |
DIOCESE OF SALFORD'S ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM
This year's diocesan pilgrimage to Walsingham will be taking place on Saturday 4th May. Fr. Callum is organising a Deanery coach from St Edwards to Walsingham for the Diocesan pilgrimage. The coach will leave 7:am, at the latest. It is a long way to go for a day, but, very much worth it. For more details and to register. Please contact Janet; 07989558248.
YCW EVENT – FIFA 24 TOURNAMENT |