Pastoral team summary
Here is the summary from our last Pastoral team meeting for you to read.
Click here to open the summary
If you have any questions please email the pastoral team at theholyspiritcouncil@gmail.com
Holy Week Programme
Here is our programme for Holy Week in our Parish. We hope that you will all come along to join in the different services of Holy Week to make it a holy and prosperous Holy Week.
Lenten programme
Stations of the cross
St Willibrords Monday evening at 6.00pm followed by Mass.
St Anne's Saturday morning after 9.30am Mass.
Lenten Masses
Wednesday 21st February - St Clare's Higher Blackley, M9 0RR
Wednesday 28th February - St Anne's Fairfield - M11 1GR
Wednesday 6th March - Mount Carmel Blackley, M9 8BG
Wednesday 13th March - St Brigid's, Grey Mare Lane, M11 3DR
All Masses are at 7.30pm with light refreshments served after the Mass.
We hope as many people will join us on our Lenten journey and take on the mission to pray more during Lent.
Parish Registration form
We are beginning to register members within our Parish. Here is the registration form which you will be able to complete online and send back to us on the parish email or Facebook Messenger.
The parish email is parishholyspirit@gmail.com to return your completed form through email.
The parish Facebook page click here to send the information through Messenger.
Click to take you to the Parish registration form in Word format
Click to take you to the Parish registration form in PDF format
Thank You
Pastoral Team feedback:
Our Pastoral Team met on 19th January. This is the summary from the meeting to show how the team are working to help to develop our Parish. This is the information for you to read.
Click here for the Pastoral team feedback.
Bishop’s Pastoral Letter - October 2023
This weekend we had a Pastoral letter from Bishop John Arnold.
You can read it online by clicking here.
You can listen to the Bishop’s letter by clicking here.
Pastoral Team feedback:
Our Pastoral Team met on 13th September. This is the feedback from the meeting to show how the team are working to help to develop our Parish. This is the information for you to read.
Click here for the Pastoral team feedback.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Upcoming events to put into your diaries.
¨ Season of Creation - 1st September to 4th October
¨ MacMillan coffee morning/celebrations will take place on Sunday 1st October
¨ Harvest Festival - Sunday October 1st - Sunday October 22nd.
**Altar Server Retreat day - Saturday 28th October
**Christmas Fayre - Saturday 9th December
ROSARY PRAYER:
The Rosary Prayer is an essential spiritual exercise for us Catholics. We shall begin to pray the rosary before the Sunday Masses in our three churches beginning from Sunday the 1st of October 2023. Let us please endeavour to be part of this.
YOUTH SCRIPTURE GROUP:
Are you a young member of our Parish and would like to deepen your faith and knowledge of scripture? We are in the process of planning to set up a Youth Scripture Group which will take place in our Parish. If you are interested please take a registration form from the back of church, fill it in and return it to church. If you would like an electronic copy please email theholyspiritcouncil@gmail.com.
HARVEST:
Next Sunday we are celebrating our Harvest Masses to give thanks for the Harvest, something which is even more important this year when there is a shortage of some foodstuffs and poor harvests of some key crops because of the war in Ukraine and the drought and floods in different parts of the world.
CORNERSTONE & REVIVE: During the month of the Harvest we collect non-perishable food items (such as biscuits, chickpeas, tinned vegetables, tinned meat, tinned fruit, etc). The collection will remain open until Sunday 22nd October. Please bring your offerings and place them before the altar in any of our parish churches. The food collected will taken to Cornerstone and Revive in the week beginning 23rd October.
MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING:
Next Sunday we shall be holding our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning in each of our churches. Please stay for coffee and cake to support this most worthwhile charity.
SUNDAY MASS AT ST BRIGID’S: Due to the Macmillan coffee morning next Sunday we shall have only one Mass of the French and English Communities at 11am.
IMPORTANT NOTICE—SCAM—FRAUDULENT WEBSITE ASKING FOR MONEY:
The Parish has been alerted to a scam which has been reported to the Diocese. There has been a fake website set up as St Anne’s Catholic Church in Manchester which is asking people for a large sum of money. Please Note—if you are approached for money for St Anne’s Church in Manchester this request is not coming from the Parish! Please if you are approached by the church inform us straightaway so that we can report it.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: Upcoming events to put into your diaries.
¨ Season of Creation - 1st September to 4th October
¨ Spiritan Annual General Meeting and Celebration Mass Friday 8th September
¨ Farewell Mass and reception for Father Eamonn and Brother Francis Friday 15th September
¨ MacMillan coffee morning/celebrations will take place on Sunday 1st October
¨ Harvest Festival - Sunday October 1st - Sunday October 22nd.
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME AND RCIA:
In the coming weeks, we will begin the registration process for our sacramental groups in our Parish for this year. Do you have a child who attends a non-Catholic Primary school in Year 3 and above who would like to make their First Communion, a child in Secondary school who would like to be confirmed or if you are an adult who is wanting to know more about their faith and wanting to be received into the church through the RCIA programme? More information and registration forms will be available in the coming weeks.
GIFT AID OFFERTORY ENVELOPES:
The Parish is looking for people who are willing to Gift Aid their weekly offerings. Are you a UK Tax payer and want to make a extra weekly contribution to our Parish with no extra cost to you? Did you know the Parish can claim back Gift Aid from your offerings? If you would like to become a Gift Aider, there is a form for you to fill out at the back of church and envelopes will be provided or send an email or message to the Parish to find out more information.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
We would like to inform you of upcoming events to put into your diaries. Further information will be given closer to the time.
¨ Season of Creation - 1st September to 4th October
¨ Our Annual Spiritan meeting will take place on Friday 8th September. Everyone is welcome to attend the Mass and celebration afterwards.
¨ MacMillan coffee morning/celebrations will take place on Sunday 1st October, to raise money for this worthy cause which has touched the lives of so many people.
¨ Harvest festival - October
CHANGES IN PARISH PERSONNEL
Fr Matthias has been appointed our Parish Priest effective from 1st September, to be assisted by Fr Solomon and Fr Joseph. Fr Joseph will continue as Manager of Revive. Fr Eamonn will be leaving our Community to join a parish in Stoke on Trent. Keep them in your prayers as they take on their new roles.
COLLECTIONS FOR FAREWELL OF FR EAMONN AND BR FRANCIS
In September Fr Eamonn will be leaving us to join a Parish in Stoke on Trent and Br Francis is moving to London as part of his Seminarian programme. From this weekend at all our churches, we will be having a collection to gather contributions from our Parish. Please pass your money to Adele at St Willibrord’s and Julie at St Anne’s and Winnie at St Brigid’s. We are planning to have their farewell gathering on 15th September 2023 at St Brigid’s beginning with Mass at 6.00pm. We will appreciate if you bring something to share with others. We thank everyone in advance for your support.
Parish Registration form
We are beginning to register members within our Parish. Here is the registration form which you will be able to complete online and send back to us on the parish email or Facebook Messenger.
The parish email is parishholyspirit@gmail.com to return your completed form through email.
The parish Facebook page click here to send the information through Messenger.
Click to take you to the Parish registration form in Word format
Click to take you to the Parish registration form in PDF format
Thank You
ONLINE SYNOD INFORMATION SESSION:
Bishop John Arnold has recently announce the launch of our own Diocesan Synod, inviting us all to prayerfully discern how we can best address the changing needs of our diocesan community. There is an information session being held to find out more about the Synod and how you an get involved. This will be held on Tuesday 6th June from 7.00pm—9.00pm on zoom. To register your attendance by emailing formation@dioceseofsalfrod.org.uk or by calling 0161 817 2214.
St Anne’s 175th Anniversary:
This year St Anne’s is celebrating its 175th anniversary of its foundation as a parish. Do you have any ideas about how we can celebrate this great milestone? Do you have any photographs of the old church or events or occasions which you would be willing to share? Please pass this message on to former parishioners.
MADONNA DEL ROSARIO PROCESSION: 2nd July 2023
This year’s procession will take place on Sunday 2nd July. In the coming weeks we shall be asking for volunteers to help with carrying the banners, holding a rope or ribbon or simply walking together as part of the parish group. Will you take part in this magnificent procession—this great act of faith. Please think about volunteering to take part.
NHS - GM Cancer at The Christie Hospital’s Prostate Cancer Outreach Project.
NHS VAN AT ST ANNE’S: On Friday 26th May the NHS are holding a day at St Anne’s for the GM Cancer at The Christie Hospital’s Prostate Cancer Outreach Project. There will be a van on site. The project will operate between 11.00am and 3.00pm. The van is aimed at males who are aged 45 and over. You can pre-book an appointment by calling 07974074111 or by emailing millie.wadley1@nhs.net. A small number of drop in appointments will be available on the day.
Pentecost Sunday - 28th May 2023
Pentecost Sunday is on 28th May. Let us join together as a Parish to celebrate the birthday of the Church and the feast day of our Parish. On this day Masses at St Willibrord’s and St Brigid’s will take place at their usual times.
The joint Pentecost celebration Mass with the French and Nigerian communities will be at St Anne’s at 12 noon. There will be no evening Mass that day.
After Mass we will be having a Parish celebration where we are all invited to come and share food and drink together. It would be great for people to bring food to be shared from the different communities of the Parish. Let us make this Pentecost a happy parish celebration!
Diocesan Synod Information Sessions
To help us begin this journey, the Diocese of Salford's Department for Formation will be holding a series of information sessions to help you find out more about the synod and how you can get involved. The programme will be the same across all events and will take place on the following dates:
Thursday 11th May 2023, 7pm-9pm
St Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Swinton, M27 9QP
Register at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/621695878107
Bishop launches Diocesan Synod in response to a changing world
Friday 14th April 2023
Bishop John has announced the launch of a Diocesan Synod to prayerfully discern how we can address the needs of our diocesan community in a post-pandemic world.
The Synod was formally decreed at this year’s Chrism Mass, which took place on Wednesday 5th March during Holy Week.
In his homily, Bishop John reflected on the considerable changes our Church has witnessed over recent years, remarking that the time has come to envisage a new future for the Church in our diocese.
He said: “So, it’s time for us to see a challenge. A challenge as to what we need to be now in a changing world. What our people expect of us and for which they are so grateful to us in our ministry. How might we rethink things?
“Pope Francis is so clear, isn’t he, about each and every one of us having our part to play, but we are in a changing world, where we need to think globally.
“We need to see where do the Gospel values fit in this 21st century? How are we best able to promote and encourage people in faith?”
Our diocesan synod seeks to provide an answer to these questions by calling us to prayerfully discern what kind of Church the Spirit is calling us to be, to reflect on the needs of our diocesan community today, and to understand more about the opportunities we have to build up the Church in our part of Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
Bishop John is clear that the process is not solely for Church leaders but must be a journey we embark on together to ensure each and every voice is represented in this new generation of our diocesan Church.
It will be a collaborative and participatory journey by which the people of Salford, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, can together set the future direction and priorities of the life and mission of our diocese.
As such, we invite you to join us on this journey. You can find out more about our diocesan synod by clicking here and further updates will be shared in parishes, on our website, and social media channels very soon.
We also ask that you keep our diocesan synod in your prayers as we work together to live out our call to be missionary disciples.
King Charles III Coronation Parish Celebration
KING CHARLES III’s CORONATION: Come and celebrate the coronation of our new king as a parish! The new king would like people to celebrate with The Coronation Big Lunch over the Bank Holiday Weekend. So, on Monday 8th May we are having a shared lunch at St Anne’s. The celebration will start with Mass at 12 noon, followed by the shared lunch.
There are forms at all three churches for you to book places, let us know how many people will be attending and the food you will be bringing to share. This is to ensure that we have enough plates, napkins, cutlery, cups and drinks for everyone who wishes to attend. Please return the forms by Sunday 30th April.
Don’t forget to pray for fine weather!
Easter Holy Week Services for the Parish
Tuesday 4th April - Penitential Service for the Parish - 6pm - St Willibrord’s
At the beginning of Holy Week there will be a penitential service on Tuesday 4th April at 6pm at St Willibrord’s Church. This is a great way to prepare for the Easter Triduum.
Thursday 6th April - Holy Thursday
The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper with the Washing of the Feet will be celebrated at
7.00pm in St Willibrord’s Church
8.00pm in Anne’s Church.
During this Mass all the current Eucharistic Ministers in the Parish will be re-commissioned to continue their ministry for the year ahead. After Mass we watch and wait in prayer with Jesus remembering how he began his Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane, and we will end with night prayer.
Friday 7th April - Good Friday
stations of the cross
St Brigid’s 10.00am
St Willibrord’s 11.00am
St Anne’s 12 noon
Good friday service
All churches at 3pm
Easter vigil
The Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday Night will be at
7pm in St Brigid’s Church and St Willibrord’s Church.
8pm St Anne’s Church.
We hope everyone will attend. Please note that there will be no 6pm Mass at St Willibrord’s.
Easter Sunday
St Willibrord’s 10.00am
St Brigid’s 10.30am and 12.15pm (French Mass)
St Anne’s 12 noon
There is no evening Mass.
Lenten Deanery Masses
Click here to download the poster.
This year our Lenten Deanery Masses will take place on a Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm.
The Masses will take place at:
Wednesday 1st March - St Brigid’s Beswick
Wednesday 8th March - St Margaret Mary’s - Moston
Wednesday 15th March - St Patrick’s - Collyhurst
Wednesday 22nd March - St Clare’s - Blackley
Wednesday 29th March - St John Bosco - Blackley
Masses will begin at 7.30pm and refreshments will be provided after the Mass.
Let us try to fulfil our Lenten promise to pray more by trying to attend the Lenten Masses in particular in our Parish on 1st March at St Brigid’s.
Pastoral letter from Bishop John Arnold
Click here to read the Pastoral letter which Bishop John Arnold has sent to us for the Advent season.
Parish Registration form
We are beginning to register members within our Parish. Here is the registration form which you will be able to complete online and send back to us on the parish email or Facebook Messenger.
The parish email is parishholyspirit@gmail.com to return your completed form through email.
The parish facebook page click here to send the information through the Messenger.
Click to take you to the Parish registration form in Word format
Click to take you to the Parish registration form in PDF format
Thank You
Hope in the Future Stage 5
Click below to read all about the evening which began Stage 5 of Hope in the Future. The Bishop came together with the Parishes around the Diocese to look at how we can continue to develop our Parish, School and Community links. This year is the fifth and final year of Hope in the Future.
Click here to see the Celebration book for Stage 4 of Hope and the Future.
Click here to see the resources for Stage 5 for Parishes.
Click here to see the resources for Stage 5 for Schools.
Click on the button below to find out information about Stage 5 of Hope in the Future - Sharing the Hope.
Learn more Faith, Hope and Charity at the heart of School Life this Half Term.
Click below to read all the information to show what our schools in the Diocese have been up to over this half term. They have worked hard to develop their Faith in different ways and to take part in activities across the Diocese.
Bishop John’s Call for Action
Click below to read the latest information from Bishop John Arnold on his call for action to us all to help to look after the environment and what we can all do. The smallest thing can help to save the world.
Latest COVID information from the Bishops of England and Wales
Parish Guidance for Lent and Easter 2022
Tuesday, March 1st, 2022 @ 11:14 am
Guidance for parishes to limit viral infection and transmission as we move towards normal patterns of life and worship.
Introduction
As the Government has now lifted most of the Covid-19 restrictions and exhorted all people to adopt the recommendations of the “Covid Response: Living with Covid-19” document, the principal means of protecting people who attend Catholic Churches in England and Wales is through participation in the Government vaccination programme. Those who are fully vaccinated (i.e. two routine vaccinations plus booster) will have significant personal resilience against major illness from the Covid-19 virus and its variants. The Catholic Church has promoted the participation of all in the vaccination programme as part of its mitigation of virus transmission in church and ancillary buildings.
Alongside the positive effects of covid vaccination, it should be stressed that any people displaying symptoms of Covid-19 should stay at home and not participate in acts of worship in church. This is good practice for any transmissible illness. Medical advice should be sought as appropriate for those who are ill.
The following points are suggested as methods of good practice against the transmission of the virus in our churches:
Hand sanitiser should be available for all to use at places of entry and exit to our churches.
The necessity for social distancing is removed so churches should operate up to their normal capacity figures.
Those who wish to wear a face covering may do so during the celebration of Mass.
The use of hymn books and other worship aids are permitted as part of the liturgy. Servers and their various ministries (acolyte, book-bearer, incense) are to be encouraged to return.
The vessels containing the altar breads for consecration at Mass should remain covered until the moment of distribution of Holy Communion to the faithful.
Holy Communion is to be distributed to the faithful under one kind only (i.e. the Sacred Host). At concelebrations involving a number of priests, communion for them should be by intinction of the Sacred Host in the Precious Blood.
Those who distribute Holy Communion should wear a face covering and sanitise their hands before doing so.
Singing can occur and there is a general encouragement to wear face coverings while singing. However, it is recognised that not everyone will feel able to do this.
Contact tracing ended on 24 February and so there is no need for track and trace QR codes or other means (e.g. Mass booking systems) in our churches from now on.
Conclusion
Whilst the circulation of the virus continues in society, the clear direction of the UK Government is that after two years of restrictions and following the successful roll-out of the vaccination programme, the usual patterns of life should return. This is true for the life of the Church in England in Wales in all of its activities. Whilst recognising this principle, there should be vigilance at the local level in terms of viral infection and transmission and local adaptations should be put in place.
Rev. Canon Christopher Thomas
28 February 2022
Diocese Wisdom Group: Home Celebration: Corpus Christi: The Body and Blood of Christ.
Bishop’s Pentecost Pastoral Letter
This is the link to listen to Bishop John’s Pentecost Pastoral letter.
Donations
The Coronavirus pandemic has complicated things for us all in so many different ways. Whilst we do not wish to pressure you in any way, if you are able and willing to help support us financially, you can do so here.