Confirmation and Communion

Many thanks to those who have filled the Registration Forms for children for the Preparation Course for Confirmation and Holy Communion which will be celebrated next May. These forms are for those children who do not attend Saint Mary’s School – if you haven’t filled in a form already then please do so TODAY.
The Preparation Sessions will begin in October and the first Session will be held on
- Monday October 8th at 6.30pm  in Saint Anthony’s Church, Onchan
- Wednesday October 10th at 6.30pmin Saint Mary’s Church, Douglas
(please note that these first two sessions take place in the CHURCHES)

You will remember that  earlier this year we had Confirmations for all those children who had already made their First Holy Communion, but it appears that some families were unable to take up this invitation. If there are any children who have already made their First Holy Communion but have not been Confirmed, please make sure that the Presbytery (675509) has your details – arrangements for their Preparation for the Sacrament will be made at a later date.

Don’t forget

Registration Forms: Parents/guardians of children aged eight years (School year 4) attending local schools please pick up a Registration Form from Saint Mary’s Presbytery, Hill Street, Douglas (telephone 675509). Return these completed forms to the Presbytery by Monday, October 1^st

 

Amnesty for Parish Mass Books

We seem to be missing a fair number of copies of the Parish mass Book from the churches – is there one behind the mantelpiece clock or on the back seat in the car waiting to come back to us?

 

St Anthony's Children's Choir

The Saint Anthony's children's choir will begin this Tuesday 25^th September 6.30 - 7.30 p.m.  This choir is open to all children aged 7 and above. New members are always welcome. We meet in Saint Anthony's Church during term time.

 

Family Catechesis - the celebration of Confirmation and First Holy Communion for our children

As you are aware, this year sees the launch of a new sacramental programme in the Archdiocese entitles ‘With your Always’. This of course is the promise of the Lord Jesus to his Church as recorded at the end of Saint Matthew’s Gospel

“I am with you at all times, even to the end of the ages”

Confident that the Lord is faithful to his promise, the Church celebrates His presence through prayer and the Sacraments.

The vision of ‘Family catechesis’ is that it is not only the duty but also the privilege of parents in the parishes to help prepare the next generation for the worthy celebration of the Sacraments. Therefore we invite the Parents/Guardians to also be part of this process by coming along to all the Preparation sessions together with your children, so that as a Family you can prepare for the Sacraments.

The catechists and Clergy will be there to help structure the Sessions, to provide the material which is to be looked at – and to attempt to answer any questions that families might have.

Registration Forms: We invite all parents/guardians of children aged eight years (School year 4 ) attending local schools to please pick up a Registration Form from Saint Mary’s Presbytery, Hill Street, Douglas (telephone 675509). Please return these completed forms to the Presbytery by Monday, October 1^st

Children of Year 4 who attend Saint Mary’s School will automatically be enrolled for these Preparation Sessions, and further information will be sent out to all families in the next days.

Structure of the Preparation Sessions: There will be seven one hour Sessions, spread through the months from October to April. Each session will be held of an evening, from 6.30 to 7.30 pm, but you have a choice of two venues;

Saint Anthony, Onchan on a Monday evening

OR
Saint Mary’s School, Douglas on a Wednesday evening.

Preparation will be for the Sacrament of Confession, which will be celebrated in Advent and Confirmation and Holy Communion (Both Sacraments will be celebrated in the One Mass) which will be celebrated in May.

 
Naturally you need to attend only one venue; we will ask you to state your preference on the Registration Form.

Parents’…. will be the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith. May they also be the best teachers bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do”

Rite of Baptism

These sessions are not only for the Children. Parents/guardians are asked to be an active part of the process and to take part in all the Sessions. This differs from years past, when parents often dropped-off the children and then collected them later in the evening. This is not the intention from this year forward.

Confirmation at Port Erin

Bishop Tom Williams is at Port Erin this weekend —please remember those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at their 11.00 am Mass on Sunday.

 

Day of Prayer for the Nation - Saturday 29th September

Saint Mary’s Church will be open for individual prayer from 8.00am

Guided Holy Hour: from 11.00 am until 12 Noon at Saint Mary’s church in Douglas.

‘Simply Pray’ gathering of all the Christian churches and communities at Tynwald Hill St John’s at 7.00 pm. Please bring a tea light in a jam-jar, a candle or glow-sticks for the children. You may also want to bring a folding chair—and an umbrella !

If you haven’t done so already, please pick up one of the prayer cards at the back of the church, and use the prayer yourselves at home.

 

CAFOD Family Fast – Room for one more?

The Envelopes for the Family Fast Day are available from the benches in church; please take one away with you.

The idea is that on Friday, October 5^th, we deny ourselves some food or a particular ‘luxury’ (perhaps chocolates or a packet of cigarettes, a pint of beer – or a gin and tonic!) and donate the money saved to the work of CAFOD for the needy of the world.

 

God our Father, we give you thanks for the abundance of your creation and the generosity of your gifts.

We are sorry that amongst us are so many people who are excluded from the feast, prepared by you for us all.

May your Spirit inspire and lead us as we seek change, so that hunger and poverty are no longer a scar and a scandal in our world.

May your Spirit guide us as we seek change,                                                                                                      

so everyone has enough food to flourish and a place at the table you spread for all

Survive Miva

Many thanks for your extremely generous response to Mr Goulbourne’s Appeal last weekend – to date, the sum of £1,800 has been collected from our three parishes.

 

Meeting this week

Monday at 7.00 pm: Ladies Over 60 Group at the Columba Catholic Club.

Tuesday at 7.00 pm: Catechists for First Holy Communion and Confirmation in Saint Mary’s Church not at the School! Please note that this meeting is for Catechists.

Wednesday at 2.30 pm: Legion of Mary in the Sacristy at St Mary’s Church. New members welcome.

Wednesday at 7.00 pm: Friends of the Holy Land at The Presbytery, Hill Street, Douglas. All are welcome as we discuss the possibility of holding a ‘Festival of Cribs’ on one of the weekends of Advent.

Friday at 7.45 pm: Bible study and prayer group at the Grotto Hall at St Anthony’s. Everyone made very welcome

 

Lamp Intentions at Saint Mary of the Isle

Sacred Heart: Emma Healy

Our Lady: Premature Twins

Saint Anthony: Amalia Friere-Prado

Please remember these intentions in your prayers this week. Thank you.

 

Autumn Clean

After 9.30 am Mass today at Onchan – tea and coffee as usual – but also the chance to help with the ‘autumn clean’ at the Grotto ! Please bring a pair of stout gloves.

 

Survive Miva

We have an appeal at all our Masses by SURVIVE MIVA, an organisation which provided transport (cars, vans, motorcycles and bicycles) for use in the Missionary Lands. www.survive-miva.org.

 

First Friday

Catholics in England and Wales and here on The Island are invited to pause for a moment of prayer every first Friday of the month as an act of faith and public witness.

The invitation has been made by Rt Rev Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and Chair of the Bishops’ Department for Evangelisation and Catechesis. Speaking ahead of Home Mission Sunday, which falls on 16 September 2012, he said:

‘On Home Mission Sunday we reflect on our role in the mission of the Church. A simple way that we can contribute to this and grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, is to pray publicly during the day. I would like to invite every Catholic, especially during the Year of Faith, to pause for a moment of prayer of praise and thanksgiving at 3pm if possible, or perhaps when you break for lunch, on the first Friday of every month. Whatever you are doing, as your responsibilities allow, stop, perhaps close your eyes, bow your head and prayerfully and silently meditate on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross out of love for you and everyone. You might even want to set your mobile phone to ring at 2.55pm to remind you to pause for prayer.’

Bishop Conry added: ‘You may choose to make up a prayer of your own just thanking the Lord “heart speaking to heart” as was Blessed Cardinal Newman’s motto. Or you might want to say a favourite short prayer such as “We adore you O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” The exact words used are not so important as just pausing to be with Jesus in that moment. In this way you’re not only deepening your relationship with him, but quietly and confidently witnessing to your faith to those around you.'

The practice of pausing for prayer at 3.00 pm on Fridays has been a longstanding Catholic tradition because this is the time when Jesus died on the cross. Additional prayer has been observed specifically on the first Friday of every month since the 17th Century when Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and spoke to her of His Sacred Heart.

The Bishop’s invitation to observe first Friday prayer coincides with preparations for the celebration of Home Mission Sunday on 16 September which is themed ‘Confident in Faith’ and comes shortly before the start of the Year of Faith which Pope Benedict XVI will open on 11 October 2012.

 

 

Meeting this week

Monday at 7.00 pm: Ladies Over 60 Group at the Columba Catholic Club.

Wednesday at 2.30 pm: Legion of Mary in the Sacristy at St Mary’s Church. New members welcome.

Thursday at 7.30 pm: Bingo for Kuro at Grotto Hall at Saint Anthony’s, Onchan. All welcome.

Friday at 7.45 pm: Bible study and prayer group at the Grotto Hall at St Anthony’s. Everyone made very welcome

Saturday at 10.30 am: CWL Coffee Morning in aid of Relief and Refugee in the Columba Catholic Club. All welcome.

 

Social Care

Please be encouraged to respond to this Government consultation on Social Care so that our Catholic Christian voice can be better heard in this public debate on the way ahead for the care of the vulnerable, sick and needy of our society.

www.gov.im/socialcare/debate/

 

Bingo Session

Bingo for Koru at Grotto Hall, Onchan on 13^th September at 7.30pm.

 

Year of Faith

The Year of Faith begins on 21^st October. What do you plan to do with this opportunity to deepen your understanding of what we believe and how we live it?

 

Lourdes Mass

7.00 pm Mass at Onchan this First Friday of September (7^th) will be a thanksgiving Mass for our Lourdes Pilgrims. All are welcome.

 

Coffee Morning

CWL Coffee Morning in aid of Relief and Refugee on Saturday 15^th September at 10.30 am in the Columba Catholic Club. All welcome.

 

Mass Intentions

Mass is always offered for the Glory of God and for the good of all his people, living and dead. The custom of making an offering for the Mass – originally the bread and wine used at the Mass and sufficient to maintain the Priest for the day on which the Mass was Offered, is a praiseworthy means of bringing a particular Intention before the prayer of the whole Community. These are the particular Intentions which are listed in the weekly Bulletin alongside the times of the daily Masses.

When a request is made for Mass to be Offered on a particular day or in one particular church we always do the best we can to respect the request; however there are times when the requested time has already been ‘booked’ -  or indeed there is not Mass on that particular Day in the church requested.

When you fill in a ‘Mass Intention’ Envelope, please include your telephone number so that we can contact you if your original request cannot be fulfilled.

Thank you.

 

Friends of the Holy Land

Our next meeting will be at The Presbytery, Hill Street, Douglas on Wednesday 19th September at 7.00 pm. All are welcome as we discuss the possibility of holding a ‘Festival of Cribs’ on one of the weekends during Advent.

Catechists for First Holy Communion and Confirmation:

Please remember the meeting we are having on Tuesday 18^th September at 7.00 pm in Saint Mary’s Church. This will be to look at the new resources offered to us by the Archdiocese for preparing our young people for their Sacraments in the coming year. Please note that this meeting is for Catechists.

The other side of chaos - Breaking through when life is breaking down.”

Island Spirituality Network: “The other side of chaos - Breaking through when life is breaking down.” Day workshop/retreat next Saturday, 8th September at the Saint John’s Mill with Margaret Silf, Author and Retreat leader. More information from Canon Peter Robinson on 823509 or email pcrobinson@manx.net.

 

Meeting this week

Monday at 7.00 pm: Ladies Over 60 Group at the Columba Catholic Club.

Wednesday at 2.30 pm: Legion of Mary in the Sacristy at St Mary’s Church. New members welcome.

Friday at 7.45 pm: Bible study and prayer group at the Grotto Hall at St Anthony’s. Everyone made very welcome.

 

Survive Miva

We have on the weekend of September 16^th, an appeal by SURVIVE MIVA, an organisation which provided transport (cars, vans, motorcycles and bicycles) for use in the Missionary Lands. Further information about their work can be found at www.survive-miva.org.

 

Government Consultation on Social Care

Please be encouraged to respond to this consultation so that our Catholic Christian voice can be better heard in this public debate on the way ahead for the care of the vulnerable, sick and needy of our society.

www.gov.im/socialcare/debate/

 

 

Lamp Intentions at Saint Mary of the Isle

Sacred Heart: Emma Healy
Our Lady: Premature Twins
Saint Anthony: Amalia Friere-Prado

Please remember these intentions in your prayers this week. Thank you.

 

Tea and Coffee

Volunteers are needed for a rota to prepare and make the teas after the 11.00 am Mass at Saint Mary’s.

If you can spare 3/4 of an hour after Mass a few times a year we would be very grateful. If you can help please contact Sue Magee on 675432 or 460514.

All proceeds go to charity. Donations of biscuits and cakes are always welcome. Just drop them in to the room before Mass.

 

The flicker of candles

Votive lights in our churches; suggested donation 20p.

Lamps at the Sacred Heart, Our Lady and Saint Anthony (at Saint Mary of the Isle Church) – these can be dedicated for a particular intention; suggested donation £5 per week. Please contact the Parish Office (675509). 

The Sanctuary Lamp – the red lamp which burns continuously beside the Tabernacle – burns to honour the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and in a sense represents the intentions of the whole parish community.