Lourdes at Home - Friday 27th July

All Lourdes at Home services will take place at Saint Anthony, Onchan.

8.00 am: Mass at Saint Anthony, Onchan

2.30 pm: Anointing of the Sick. We welcome particularly the housebound and ask that if you know of someone who would appreciate coming along to this service that you could give them a lift or help organise transport for them. There will be a cup of tea in Grotto Hall after the Service.

7.00 pm: Evening Devotions.

Weekday Liturgy..

Continues as normal throughout the Summer.

Each Weekday:
There are services at 10.00am at both Saint Joseph’s Willaston and Saint Anthony, Onchan. Willaston has Mass on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Onchan has Mass on Tuesday and Thursday. The other days there are Services of the Word and Holy Communion.

Each weekeday there is lunchtime Mass at Saint Mary, Douglas at 12.10.

Private Prayer
Saint Mary’s is also open for private prayer from 8.30 each morning until around 6.00 pm. If you happen to be in town, don’t walk past but take the opportunity to pop in for a couple of moment’s quiet prayer or to light a candle. Your presence in the church is also a reminder to others that it is a living place of worship each day, not just on a Sunday!

Saturday
There are Confessions at Saint Mary, Douglas from 11.00 am until Midday. During this time there is Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. It is good to see the numbers of people who take this opportunity for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament – but there is always plenty of room for others to co along and join us.

Parish Visitation – September

At the end of September we welcome Bishop Tom Williams who will be making our five-yearly Parish Visitations. Each parish in the Archdiocese is visited by one of the Bishops at least every five years; this is one way in which we strengthen the bonds of care which the Bishops have for each Community that forms part of the Archdiocese.

As part of our preparation for this Visitation, we would ask all Ministers of Holy Communion (‘Eucharistic Ministers’) to provide us with an up-to-date list of those people to whom you take Holy Communion on a regular basis. Please inform us of their name, their address and the frequency with which you take them The Sacrament.

This will not only allow us to make a proper list of our housebound and sick, but may also highlight any duplication (or omissions!) in our Pastoral Care.

Please send your list to the Parish Office at Saint Mary’s, Douglas. Thank you.

Lourdes 2012

We remember in our prayer our pilgrims to Lourdes – the sick, the carers and our young people. There are copies of the ‘Novena of Prayer’ available at the back of the churches; please feel free to take one home with you. We will use these prayers during our Masses each day in the coming week.

Here comes Summer!

The weather may not be playing ball at the moment but the schools have now broken up for the summer and this means that Liturgy of the Word with Children at the 6.00pm Saturday evening Mass at Willaston and the Junior Choir at the 9.30am Sunday Mass at Onchan are taking a well-earned rest until September. As always our thanks to those who maintain the running of these groups through the Year.
In these next weeks some of you may be travelling off-Island to visit friends and family and to enjoy a summer break; we wish you safe journey, re-creation wherever you find yourselves – and we look forward to your return!

How are you coping with the changes?

Believe it or not it is now nine months since we introduced the changes in the Mass responses and prayers! Bit by bit they are ‘bedding down’ in our minds – but if you are like me you still find you need the words in front of you before you are happy to speak them out!

Just one or two things seem to be catching us out:

The Lord be with you; whenever it appears in the Liturgy, our response is: AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT

At the end of the readings it is: THE WORD OF THE LORD

even though the Lectionary says ‘This is the Word of the Lord’ – they haven’t got round to re-printing those yet!

After the Preparation of the Gifts, the dialogue now says "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his HOLY church" – not much of a change, but sufficient to catch us out!

Time will get us more familiar with these slight alterations – but if in doubt follow the Mass Book.

Thank you

The Knights of Saint Columba would like the opportunity to thank everyone for the generous donations received for the two fund raising events held recently.

Lourdes Walk:  This years walk organised by the Knights of St Columba raised a total of £2,048. Thank you to everyone who donated to this event.

Sponsored Cycle Ride: This years cycle ride held at the NSC in aid of St John Ambulance raised a total of £885. The Knights of St Columba congratulate all the cyclists who took part and say thank you to everyone who sponsored the cyclists or donated to this event.

Friends of the Holy Land

Thank you to those who have expressed an interest in the formation of a FHL Group here on the Island. Our first meeting will be at Saint Mary’s Presbytery (Hill Street, Douglas) on Thursday of this week at 7.00 pm.

Anyone who would be interested in the work of this charity please visit:

www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk

The sacraments of initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion - are the three primary sacraments, on which the rest of our life as a Christian depends. Originally tied very closely together, the three sacraments are sometimes, in the Western Church, celebrated at different milestones in our spiritual lives. (In the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, all three sacraments are still administered to infants at the same time.)

The Sacrament of Baptism:

The Sacrament of Baptism, the first of the sacraments of initiation, is our entrance into the Church. Through Baptism, we are cleansed of Original Sin and receive sanctifying grace, the life of God within our souls. That grace prepares us for the reception of the other sacraments and helps us to live our lives as Christians - in other words, to rise about the cardinal virtues, which can be practiced by anyone, to the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which can only be practiced through the grace of God.

The Sacrament of ConfirmationTraditionally, the Sacrament of Confirmation is the second of the sacraments of initiation, and the Eastern Church continues to confirm (or chrismate) infants immediately after Baptism. Even in the West, where Confirmation is often delayed until a person’s teen years, several years after his/her First Communion, the Church has stressed the original order of the sacraments (most recently in Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation Sacramentum caritatis). It is this understanding of the unity of the Sacraments that the recent revision by Archbishop Patrick is intended to highlight.

Confirmation is the perfection of Baptism, and it gives us the grace to live our life as a Christian boldly and without shame.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion:
The final sacrament of initiation is the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it is the only one of the three that we can (and should) receive repeatedly - even daily, if possible. In Holy Communion, we are nourishes by the Body and Blood of Christ, which unites us more closely to Him and helps us to grow in grace by living a more Christian life.

In the East, Holy Communion is administered to infants, immediately after Baptism and Confirmation. In the West, Holy Communion is delayed until the child reaches the age of reason (around seven or eight years old).

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read:
1212
The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."

Lourdes at Home

A Lourdes Departure Mass will be held at Saint Anthony, Onchan on Tuesday evening (17
th July) at 7.30pm. If the weather is kind to us we will use the Grotto itself.

Farewell to our pilgrims to Lourdes who are travelling towards the end of this week – we wish them a safe journey and a time of spiritual nourishment at the Shrine of our Blessed Lady. Renewed thanks to all who have worked so hard to enable our pilgrims to make this journey – I’m sure they will remember us all in their prayer.

For those of us not fortunate enough to be going to Lourdes this year we have the "Lourdes at Home" which this year will be held at Saint Anthony in Onchan on Friday 27th July.

8.00 am: Early Morning Mass.

2.30 pm: Afternoon Service with the Sick to include the Sacrament of the Anointing.

7.00 pm: Evening Devotions and Procession (weather permitting!)

School Celebrations

10.00 am at Saint Anthony Onchan this Friday, 13th July, the whole of Saint Mary’s school will come up to Onchan Park for a fun day, and they begin by gathering for Mass at Saint Anthony’s.

At 7.00 pm on Monday 16th July at Saint Mary’s School – Leavers’ Mass.

Friends of Saint Mary’s AGM

All parents, especially new parents of children starting the school in September are welcome. Wednesday 11th July 7.00 pm in school hall.

Keeping Sunday: A Consultation

“It was the Lord’s Day”

Rev 1:10

In recent years I have been increasingly aware of the ways that the pressures of modern life have eroded the way we keep Sunday, the Lord’s Day, as a special day. Our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters often give us a strong example of a day in the week set aside for prayer, gratitude and re-creation; a day that is different. This year we will introduce “With You Always” to help families in the task of passing on their faith to their children. Living well “The Lord’s Day” is an important part of this faith.

I have asked the Diocesan Assembly this year to reflect on how we, as a Catholic community, are living the commandment to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy”. Each Pastoral will be invited to send five delegates to this Assembly.

As part of our preparation this leaflet* invites you, individually and/or in groups, to reflect on some of the questions that I am asking at this time. Listening to your thoughts and comments will form the first part of our Assembly on Saturday 24th November.

+ Patrick

A leaflet has been prepared for you to take home and is available at the back of church. The main questions are as follows:

Question 1:

How has Sunday changed for you over the years?

What have we gained and what have we lost?

In what ways do you keep Sunday a special day in the week?

Question 2:

Why do you attend Mass on Sunday?

How does it help you?

What positive changes have you noticed in the Church in recent years?

Do you think the introduction of a Vigil Mass on Saturday night has changed the nature of Sunday for many people?

Question 3:

How can we attract more people to join us in worship on Sunday?

How can we reach out to Catholics of all ages, teenagers, young families, older people, who no longer worship with us?

We want the know what you think

You can e-mail your comment to sunday@rcaolp.co.uk or write to “Sunday”, Pastoral Formation Dept, Centre for Evangelization, Croxteth Drive, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17 1AA.

Sea Sunday

The Annual Sea Sunday is the Special Day that Churches around the world come together in spirit to remember merchant seafarers, to pray and give thanks for the important work they do.

The second Sunday of July of each year is designated ‘Sea Sunday’ by the many Maritime Mission Societies of the world.

The occasion provides the opportunity for churches and their congregations to give thanks to God for the 1.2 million merchant seafarers of the world and celebrate their work, reflect upon the issues that they face daily and to be reminded of the ministry that Port Chaplains provide every day visiting ships as they arrive in port and attending to the needs of the crew.

There is a Retiring Collection at our Masses this weekend for the ‘Apostleship of the Sea’.

What is a Sacrament?

A sacrament is a saving act of Jesus Christ. In the celebration of every sacrament it is Jesus Christ who makes the first move in coming to lift up the person in need of salvation - just as he came to lift up his friend Lazarus in the village of Bethany.

It is an act celebrated in and through the Church which unites us with Christ’s worship of his Father. In the celebration of every sacrament of the Church, Jesus Christ lifts up those who believe in order to unite them with the Father - just as he revealed the glory of God when he raised up Lazarus with the words,  “Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer” (John 11:41).

It is an act by which we receive the Spirit of Christ and so are formed in his image, just as Lazarus was formed in the image of Christ when he emerged from the tomb with new life.

“Since the Lord is no longer visible among us,” wrote Saint Leo the Great about the year 450, “everything of him that was visible has passed into the sacraments.”

When we think about it, that really is a startling claim. But startling or not, it is harder to find anywhere a clearer expression of just what the sacraments mean to Catholics.

Our life of faith, of course, revolves around the belief that Jesus Christ, who walked the dusty roads of Palestine all those years ago, is still with us. It is obvious that any faith which rests secure in the belief that Jesus, who died twisted in the agony of torture, is still alive must be a joyous and exuberant affair. But the joy seems to elude us so often; and if our minds turn at all to Christ in the apparent drabness and weariness of the daily round, it is often simply to give way to nostalgia:

“Oh, it would be so much easier if I had actually seen Christ.

 Saint John wrote of the Jesus he saw with his own eyes and touched with his own hands:

 “The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory” (John 1:14).

True, it is only natural to think it must have been so much easier for John. But it is much more to the point to try and discover in his writings the reason for his exuberant and joyful faith. And that can be summed up in one word: love. John saw the love of God revealed in Christ as a love which had no other object than to share its own delight. As St. Athanasius put it, “Christ became man that man might become God.” That belief was the mainspring of John’s life.

Perhaps it seems obvious and rather silly to say that Jesus Christ was the first to live the Christian life. But it does bring home to us that it meaningless to ask about a Christian life which is not an actual sharing and participation in Christ’s life. That is where the sacraments come in. Christ is continually seeking to share his divine life with us, to be born again in each one of us.

And the place of our meeting is in the sacraments. As Saint Ambrose expressed it:  “You have shown yourself to me, Christ, face-to-face. I meet you in your sacraments.”

In our Catholic Tradition there are seven Sacraments - Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist (Communion), Reconciliation (Penance), Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick and over the next weeks we will reflect on each of them to see how they unite us ever more closely to the person of Jesus and to the life of his Church.

Prayer for our country

According to 1 Timothy 2:1-4, the Bible says we should pray for those in Authority that we might live peacefully. The two go together. Without the power of prayer, the nation will not know true peace. As we come to the end of this Manx National Week, we pray for ourselves and for all who are called to lead us in local and civil government.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we praise you holy Name for our Island heritage and we beseech you with your mercy to behold all who dwell here. May your blessing rest upon all the labours of our minds and hands.

Keep we pray in your almighty care all who go down to the sea in ships and all who travel by land and air. Help us to order with grace and dignity our common life in town and sheading that we may live and our children grow in health and godliness.

May your grace be with all who visit our shores that they may find re-creation of body and soul and with us glorify you, the giver of all good things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Did you know...

That the Pope has decreed the celebration of  a Year of Faith which begins on 11th October this year to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th Anniversary of the publication of  The Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Any ideas of how best we can celebrate this through our Parishes?

Apostleship of the Sea

Next Sunday is Sea Sunday when we are invited to remember and pray for seafearers. They are truly strangers on our shores, for their lives and work are hidden from us and yet we depend totally upon them. We will have a collection next weekend for the Apostleship of the Sea who visit, welcome and support Seafarers while they are in Port.

Friends of Saint Mary’s School AGM

All parents, especially new parents of children starting the school in September are welcome to the Friends of Saint Mary's School AGM on Wednesday 11th July at 7.00 pm in school hall.

Tynwald Day Thursday 5th July

The Isle of Man’s unique parliamentary democracy will be celebrated at the Church Service and the  formal open-air proceedings of Tynwald Court on Tynwald Hill, Saint John’s, at 11.00am on Thursday, followed by a packed programme of attractions for all the family where the fun and excitement of the circus will take centre stage, alongside opportunities to showcase Manx heritage expressed through music, song and dance.

Throughout the day professional performance artists from The Play People will be bringing the thrill of the circus to the fair field with clowns, acrobats, unicyclists, ‘stilt men’, balloon modellers and much more. There will also be opportunities for young people to take part in a range of workshops including tightrope walking, plate spinning and juggling.

In addition, more than 50 local artists will come together at the Bunscoill to promote the Island’s rich creative and artistic diversity and will be inviting children to ‘take part in art’, while the iMuseum makes a welcome return, providing a unique opportunity to research Manx family connections.

After what promises to be a memorable day out for all the family the Tynwald Day celebrations will be brought to a close by the Ellan Vannin Pipes and Drums on Tynwald Hill at 10.00pm to be followed by a fire show.

At the conclusion of the festivities, buses will depart for destinations across the Island, including an extra late bus departing at 11.15pm to Castletown and Port Erin.

President of Tynwald, Clare Christian MLC said: ‘Our National Day, July 5th, provides a unique opportunity for the people of the Isle of Man to join together in a spirit of shared national pride; not only to witness the pageantry of our centuries-old parliamentary system but also to experience the Island’s wealth of artistic talent expressed in traditional and contemporary ways. Every year Tynwald Day offers something new and 2012 will be no exception, with the emphasis firmly on presenting young people with exciting opportunities to interact with performers and artists and acquire new skills. The commitment, motivation and hard work of many organisations and individuals assure the success of Tynwald Day and I should like to extend my thanks to all those whose efforts contribute to making our National Day the highlight of the Manx calendar.’

Grandstand seat tickets, priced £4 to include a programme, may be purchased by contacting the Tynwald Administration Office, tel:  685500.

Tynwald Day is central to Manx National Week which this year takes place from July 1st to 8th.

The Tynwald Day leaflet, which features details of Manx National Week events Island-wide, will be distributed in the Isle of Man Courier last week and can be downloaded from www.tynwald.org.im. Copies of the leaflet can be obtained from the Tynwald Library in the Legislative Buildings, Finch Road, Douglas and will also be available on the day at the Tynwald stall on the fair field.