24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

This Week's Feast Days

Most weeks there may well be a number of feast days. We don’t necessarily celebrate them all. Some saints are more important in certain parts of the country than others and will be celebrated more on a local level, whilst other saints will be celebrated everywhere. So each week we will comment on the feast-days that we should celebrate in our regional Church.

Sunday, September 13th - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Monday September 14th - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Tuesday, September 15th - Our Lady of Sorrows

Wednesday, September 16th - Ss Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Thursday, September 17th - St Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin, Doctor of the Church

Friday, September 18th - Weekday in Ordinary Time

Saturday, September 19th - St Theodore of Canterbury, Bishop

Sunday, September 20th - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Sunday Readings

24th Sunday of the Year (A)

First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7
Forgive your neighbour the hurt that he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 102
The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy.

Second Reading: Rom 14: 7-9
Alive or dead we belong to the Lord

Gospel Reading – Matt 18:21-35
I do not tell you to forgive seven times, but seventy seven times.

Psalter: Week 4
Weekdays:   Week 24 of Ordinary Time

Holy Family School, Gaza

During recent years we have sent greetings at Easter and Christmas, with personal messages from very many parishioners, to four or five churches / communities in the Holy Land.
Since 2023, one of these parishes, Holy Family in Gaza, has sheltered several hundred refugees in the church, the school and adjacent convents, and we have reported on the situation there, with some damage to buildings and, very sadly, some loss of life and injuries.  Pope Francis took the time to phone the parish priest on a daily basis.
Now we have some more encouraging news as the school at Holy Family Parish reopens for the first time since the start of the military campaign. 
Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali, patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine, said “Reopening the school is itself a form of care. The situation in Gaza remains far from normal — the conflict is ongoing, and we would not suggest otherwise. But precisely within that reality, giving children a safe place with familiar routines and trusted teachers offers them something dependable to hold onto for a few hours each day.”
The resumption of classes at the parish compound offers a small but significant step toward normalcy for dozens of children living amid ongoing conflict and destruction. This September the school at the only Catholic parish in Gaza will welcome approximately 1,000 students at the start of the school year, with 180 enrolled in the patriarchate’s kindergarten and the remaining 820 in the primary school, Bishop Shomali noted.
He added that while the parish continues to shelter displaced civilians, some families have been able to return to their homes, even though many of these homes remain damaged and in poor condition. Despite severe challenges, he added, Father Romanelli and parish staff have gradually repaired the school buildings.
“This process has been carefully organized to ensure that the needs of both students and displaced families are addressed,” Bishop Shomali said. “The spaces required for teaching have been made available while continuing to accommodate those families who still have no safe place to return to.”
 “We deeply appreciate their commitment to their students and their willingness to continue serving despite the hardships they themselves face,” Bishop Shomali said. “Their perseverance is a powerful testimony to the importance of education.”
Despite the difficulties and challenges, for Bishop Shomali the reopening of the school in Gaza serves as a powerful message of hope, resilience and solidarity.

A fairly straightforward BBC article about the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine may be read here 

Season of Creation 2026

Sept 13th - Second Sunday in Creation Time
‘If we scan the regions of our planet, we immediately see that humanity has disappointed God’s expectations.’
Laudato Si 61

Sept 6th - First Sunday in Creation Time

'The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.’
Laudato Si 84 

Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
                                                               
Pope Francis established 1st September as the World Day of Prayer for the care of Creation, encouraging the Catholic community around the world to pray for our common home.           

Read more: Season of Creation 2026

News Bites

THE POPE’S INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER:
For the care of water                                     
Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

Please also refer to the Events page and individual newsletter pages for more information

Newsletters

There are four newsletters published weekly in the Leigh area, you can access current and past editions here:

St Edmund Arrowsmith Newsletters (St Joseph's and Sacred Heart, Leigh)

St Margaret Clitherow Newsletters (Holy Family, Boothstown; St Ambrose Barlow, Astley)

St John Rigby Newsletter (Sacred Heart, Hindley Green; St Richard's, Atherton)

St Lewis, St Catherine's & All Saints Newsletters (Croft, Lowton & Golborne) (opens in new window)

( Newsletters download as pdf files in a new window.)

Live Simply / Laudato Si

Reflect:
In today's Gospel Jesus teaches us that Forgiveness, whether received or given, should be a vital part of our mission and community.

Act: 
We can find it difficult to forgive someone who has hurt us badly through word or action and yet this is how Jesus tells us we should live. This week, pluck up courage and speak to someone who has offended you, or whom you have offended. Speak to them with words of forgiveness and love, for as the second reading says ' Love is the answer to every one of the commandments.

Pray:

Lord, sometimes we need to be challenged, corrected, or asked to change.
Most of us know how difficult that can be.
It is easy to keep quiet than to face an issue head on.
But sometimes silence is not love.
Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.”
Give me the gentleness that is required to face such challenges.
Make me humble and aware of the feelings of others.
Make me realise that I have not won an argument.
I've not proved myself right.
But I have gained my brother.
Lord, give me the courage to speak when required
 and the humility to listen when it is needed..
Amen

Challenge

In the spirit of Laudato Si:

• All Saint's, Golborne are holding and Ecumenical Prayer Service for the Season of Creation on Tuesday 22nd September at 3.00pm. Can you make time to be a part of this?
• The Pope's prayer for September is for the care of water. This year we have had water shortages, but these are nothing compared to other areas of the earth, e.g. the African states. Make renewed efforts to conserve the water we have by being mindful of what you use and how you use it.
• It's easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of the multiple climate emergencies the world is currently facing. Don't Give Up - what YOU do, the efforts each of us make gradually combine into something much bigger than ones own individual action.
• Look for ways in which you can reach out and help someone who is struggling this week.
• Be aware of the needs of others during our climate crisis. What steps can YOU take to reduce the impact in our daily lives?
• As we travel during the summer holiday be aware of the lives of others, in particular those who live in the places we visit. Treat their homes with the respect and care that your treat your own.
• As the heatwave continues be aware of how much water you are consuming. Be mindful of how dry everything is and be sensible regarding barbecues and fires.

• Read more: Live Simply / Laudato Si

Mass Times In The Area

Below are the normal mass times for the churches in the area, but please check the newsletters for any changes which may occur during certain periods, e.g. funerals, holidays, feast days.

CAFOD News

End settlement trade
Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo once again called for an end “to the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population of the West Bank.”
One of the greatest obstacles to building peace is the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements across occupied Palestinian territory. 
As settlements expand, Palestinian families are driven from their homes, often amid repeated violent attacks, and are forced to watch while settlers take over. The result is widespread poverty and suffering.
That is why CAFOD are calling on the Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, to ban trade with settlements, including ending the import of produce grown on illegally occupied land.

Find out more about this action by clicking this link to the CAFOD website

Cancel the Debt

Call for urgent action on the global debt crisis. 

The UK government must ensure private lenders can't make huge profits from countries in debt crisis and use the UK's G20 presidency to fix the debt system. 
Find out more by clicking https://cafod.org.uk/campaign/the-global-debt-crisisSt Edmund Arrowsmith churches will also be signing a petition today requesting that the government to takes action.

Message from CAFOD
We are deeply grateful to all the parishioners at St Edmund Arrowsmith Parish, for your faithful support this year and your recent generous donation of £1,429.18 received on the 21st May 2026. Thank you for standing in solidarity with our global family and living out Christ’s call to love your neighbour in such a powerful way this Lent. Your generosity during this season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving is truly inspiring!

CAFOD: Stand with Sudan. 
Give monthly. On the third anniversary of the war in Sudan, Kayode Akintola, CAFOD’s Head of Region for Africa, asks for your help:
“So many of our sisters and brothers in Sudan are facing increasing violence, hunger, and disease. That is why today, I’m asking you to consider setting up a regular gift to support families who are fleeing the violence – with food, safe water and other vital support. Monthly gifts are an act of steady love for our 
neighbours, a way of saying: we will not abandon you, we will stand with you until peace is restored.”
Donate at: cafod.org.uk/StandWithSudan

CAFOD: Response in Gaza
Your donations to Gaza since the start of the conflict have been a vital lifeline. Right now, CAFOD's partner, Caritas Jerusalem, is delivering essential medical treatment to displaced people and providing medicines to treat chronic illnesses. We have helped 1,400 households with cash to buy supplies in the last month and we are currently feeding 2,000 people with new stocks of flour and rice. Despite the restrictions on aid coming into Gaza, CAFOD's local partners are working tirelessly to help people. And with your ongoing support, they will do all in their  power to keep doing so. You can find out more about how you can make a difference in Gaza at cafod.org.uk. Thank you for backing our work through holding collections for our Family Fast Day appeals and for continuing to pray for peace in the Middle East.

Prayers

A selection of prayers covering various subjects. Each prayer opens on a new page.

Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV

Prayer for Peace

Ukraine

Jubilee Prayer

The Rosary

Season of Creation Prayer

Remembrance Sunday

Links to prayer based websites:

Pray As You Go

Sacred Space

Universalis

Wellsprings - this site hasn't been updated for sometime, but the content has a useful selection of prayers.

Celebrating the Sacraments

Baptism

Please contact your Parish Office to make an appointment to meet with the Priest or Deacon. Baptisms usually take place on Sundays.

Holy Communion

Children in Year 4 at Primary Schools are invited to make their First Communion during that year. Preparation for the Sacrament may take place in school or by attending a series of meetings with parents or guardians.

Reconciliation

Children in Year 5 or 6 will be invited to make their First Act of Reconciliation (Confession). For continuing celebration of the sacrament, please refer to your local church. Quite often Reconciliation is available before Mass or by contacting the priest to make an appointment.

Confirmation

Preparation for this sacrament is usually arranged through the Archdiocesan Youth Ministry Team ' Animate' for young people in Year 8 or older who attend Catholic Secondary Schools. 

Marriage

If you would like to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage, please contact your  Parish Priest either directly or through the Parish Office to discuss. He will provide you with the necessary paperwork. Please remember to make arrangements well in advance.

Anointing the Sick

If you would like your Parish Priest to visit a family member who is sick and housebound, please speak to him or contact the Parish Office and a visit will be arranged.

Read more: Celebrating the Sacraments

Children's Liturgy

Please note Children's Liturgy will be taking a break over the Summer Holidays.
Sessions will resume again in September

St Richard's  - Children's Liturgy takes place every Sunday at the 9.30am Mass 

Sacred Heart - Children's Liturgy takes place every Sunday at the 11.00am Mass 

St Ambrose Barlow – Children's Liturgy takes place on Sundays during the 11.00am Mass

St Edmund Arrowsmith Churches - Little Church/Children’s Liturgy takes place at all three Masses of St Edmund Arrowsmith Churches.

Holy Family – We have a few volunteers but need several more to be able to run a rota in a similar way to St Ambrose. If you would like to volunteer, please speak to either Fr Francis or to Liz in the parish office as soon as possible.

Please note that all volunteers must complete a DBS form with the Archdiocese to comply with safeguarding which is paramount in all parish activities.