15th Sunday of the Year (C)

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, July 13th - 15th Sunday of the Year (C)

Monday, July 14th -  Weekday in Ordinary Time 

Tuesday, July 15th -   St Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor of the Church

Wednesday, July 16th -  Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Thursday, July 17th -   Weekday in Ordinary Time

Friday, July 18th -  Weekday in Ordinary Time

Saturday, July 19th - Weekday in Ordinary Time

Sunday, July 20th - 16th Sunday of the Year (C)

Sunday Readings

15th Sunday of the Year (C)

First Reading – Deut 30:10-14
The Word is very near to you for your observance.

Second Reading – Col 1:15-20
All things were created through Christ and for him.

Gospel Reading – Luke 10:25-37
Who is my neighbour?

Psalter: Week 3

Weekdays:  Ordinary Time Week 15

25yrs Diaconate Ordination Celebration

Deacon Bob celebrated 25 years as a Deacon on Wednesday July 9th. He was joined by Fr Francis Agada, the new parish priest of St Margaret Clitherow Parish, Fr Paul Grady, the former Parish Priest and Fr Kieran, Parish Priest of St Edmund Arrowsmith parish in Leigh who has been a regular visitor at St Ambrose Barlow Church over the years.

Frs Paul and Kieran said it was a joy and privlige to be back celebrating the mass for this occasion.

Deacon Bob stated, 'I would like to thank everyone who attended and especially those who helped to organise the buffet afterwards and for the musicians who played for us. Many thanks for all the cards and well wishes from all who attended. It was a most enjoyable celebration.'

Best regards
Deacon Bob

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.)

News Bites

• THE POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY 2025:
  

  For formation in discernment
  Let us pray that we might again learn how to discern, to know how to choose paths of life, and reject everything that leads us away from Christ and the Gospel.

• Accepting Prayer Requests:
  Fr Francis will be travelling to Lourdes for pilgrimage with the rest of the Archdiocesan pilgrims from the 23rd July to the 31st July. If you would like to send a prayer request to Lourdes through Fr Francis, take the prayer cards provided and write down the intention(s) and leave them in the box provided.
• Congratulations:
  Congratulations to Fr. Anton Madej s.c.j. (former Parish Priest of St Joseph’s Church) who has just celebrated 50 years of priesthood.
  Congratulations to Deacon Bob Hewertson who celebrated 25 years as a Deacon last Wednesday.
• Inaugural Parish Council Meeting:
   We have very recently constituted a parish council. This council shall have its first meeting on Tuesday the 22nd of July at 7.00pm. The venue is Holy Family Presbytery. Any apologies should be sent to Fr Francis.
• Mother’s’ Prayers
  There will be a meeting for Mothers’ Prayers on Monday 14th July at 10.30am, St Joseph’s Presbytery . All mothers and grandmothers are welcome.
• Annual Lourdes Mass – Metropolitan Cathedral
  Traditionally, our diocese pilgrimage family gathers for a ‘Departure Mass’ a few weeks before we travel. This year we will be celebrating as a diocese and ALL are welcome to our Lourdes Mass on Saturday 13th July at 5:00pm. During the Mass, lanterns currently travelling around the deaneries, will be available for parishioners to write and leave petitions, these will be taken to Lourdes on behalf of those asking for prayers from across our diocese. Emeritus Archbishop Malcolm will be celebrating the Mass.
• Holy Family Tea and Coffee after Mass:
  Next Tea and Coffee will be held on Sunday 20th July , after the 9:30am Mass. Please come along, All Welcome
• SVP
  St Margaret Clitherow SVP - Click the link to find out more!
  The weekly meeting of the older men in the parish for lunch and a chat will be at the Boundary Stone at 1.00pm on WednesdaysThe SVP may be able to assist you or someone you know who needs help. We could help by providing people in our parish with supermarket food vouchers, essential furniture and home items and energy top ups where these are needed. For more information contact our dedicated SVP number 07566725590
• Sacred Heart Church – Hindsford
  Parishioners may be aware that after 20 years of being empty, we are now in discussion with the Diocese and The Charity Commission on hopefully being able to sell the site at Sacred Heart Church (Hindsford). This work is complicated and takes time, however, more recently rumours are circulating about the site having already been sold, these rumours are unhelpful and are untrue. As soon as we are able, we will provide information to our parishioners and all involved of any changes that affect the site, in the meantime please don’t listen to gossip that can cause confusion and upset. Thanks for your understanding in regards to this matter. Fr Carl. 

• Read more: News Bites

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.

Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV

Fr Kieran posted these Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV on the St Edmund Arrowsmith newsletter, which I felt were well worth sharing more publicly:

“Brothers, sisters…
I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left.
To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.

I, too, was angry with God.
I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.
And yes...there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.

Read more: Powerful Words from Pope Leo XIV

Live Simply / Laudato Si

Reflect:

Today we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan in which an outcast of society comes to the aid of someone who has been robbed and left for dead.

Pray:
God of love,
May we always see the world through the eyes of the Good Samaritan and be filled
with your deep compassion.
Help us to be merciful neighbours even when it is inconvenient, when we don’t have
time, or when we have other responsibilities to attend to.

Click here to read the rest of a Good Samaritan Prayer

Act:

The readings for today speak of  loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbour as ourselves. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows us how we can fulfil this. For faith should be something that we truly live. Our actions should speak of who we are and what we believe. This week be a Good Samaritan to someone.

Challenge

In the spirit of Laudato Si:

• Water supplies are being depleted once more. Is it really needed to put a machine wash on each day - or could you cut your water usage by using the washing machine every other day?
• Look at the ways in which you can repurpose things rather than simply throwing them away. This week I've seen a pair of old boots transformed into an unusual plant pot, pruned branches reformed into bee and insect hotels and pieces of card packaging repurposed into luggage tags. What can you think of?
• Perhaps we have started to wane in our efforts to protect our earth......On a recent visit to a less populated and unspoilt part of the country I was reminded of how much wildlife has disappeared from my daily life by the abundance I was seeing and hearing whilst out and about. Look for ways in which YOU can nurture and protect all that is precious in our world.
• God nourishes us through the Body & Blood of Our Lord. Through our generosity we can give nourishment to others both spiritually and materially.
• One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that of knowledge. Knowledge helps us to see the world as gift, creation as Sacred and life as a place to encounter God. Show you believe this!

• Read more: Live Simply / Laudato Si

Jubilee Prayer

The official Prayer allows pilgrims from all over the world to use the same words to express 
gratitude to God for the Jubilee experience and request the grace of forgiveness.

Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

Ukraine

Pope Francis
Pope Francis gave us this invitation.... ‘let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing immense cruelty’

A Prayer for Ukraine
Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

(From the CAFOD website. Link opens in new tab.)

Prayer for Peace

World Day of Prayer for Peace.

The theme chosen by Pope Francis this year:
Forgive us our trespasses…grant us your peace
In a world hungry for revenge and where ‘sorry’ really does seem to be the hardest word, Pope Francis has boldly chosen  ‘forgiveness’ as the central theme for World Peace Day 2025. This is in stark contrast to the calls for ‘revenge’ and ‘an eye for an eye’ that are currently played on repeat by our politicians and amplified by the media.
Do we really have the faith to believe that when we choose to forgive then God will grant us peace?
The Pope informs us that it is only from a genuine conversion on all levels - personal, local and international - that true peace will be
able to flourish.

CAFOD News

CAFOD Myanmar Earthquake Appeal
Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, CAFOD is responding through the Catholic Church there to support families affected by the disaster. Your donations will provide essentials like water, food, solar lights, and mosquito nets. Please give to CAFOD’s Myanmar Earthquake Appeal in church or you can donate online at cafod.org.uk/myanmar or by calling 0303 303 3030. You can also text EARTHQUAKE to 70450 to donate £10

CAFOD's Prayer for Peace in the Middle East (Opens in a new tab.)

Children's Liturgy

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 –

• Good News: Thanks to new volunteers, St Ambrose Barlow Children’s Liturgy will be every week at the 11am Mass starting Sunday 8th June 2025. The exception will be when it is school half term or during the summer holidays. Parents please be aware that any children attending the Children’s Liturgy under the age of four, must be accompanied by a responsible adult age 18 or over. We look forward to welcoming the children weekly to their own Liturgy of the Word.’ NB. We would still encourage more volunteers and welcome anyone who would like to observe a session on a Sunday to see what’s involved. Thanks.

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.

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.

Congratulations to all the young people in the area who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation recently. May your lives be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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