COME HOLY GHOST

Please remember in your prayers all the children from St Joseph's who were confirmed on Pentecost Sunday. Also remember their families as they continue their journey of faith. The children will soon receive Our Lord for the first time in Holy Communion.

NEW MAYOR FOR BURY

Congratulations and best wishes to Councillor John Byrne who has been elected Mayor of Bury for the coming municipal year 2010 - 2011. His Worship, the Mayor is a parishioner of St Joseph's and he has kindly asked me to serve as his chaplaain for the coming year.

COME HOLY GHOST

Please keep all the children of St. Marie's and Bury Catholic Prep who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this weekend at the hands of Rev Father Francis C P Wadsworth PP, Rite Delegatus ab Rev.mo Terentius Brain, Ep. Salfordiensis.

DAYS OF PENANCE AND REPARATION

The Bishop's of England and Wales have asked us to keep the Fridays of May as days of penance and reparation for the sins of child abuse. Here at St Marie's Masses of Reparation will be offered on those Fridays together with special prayers for those whohave been victims of abuse and all who are guity of such awful crimes against children.

You may like to use the following prayer on Fridays in May. It comes from the Archdiocese of Westmnister.

Almighty Father
Your Son Jesus Christ
rebuked the disciples when they kept the children from him,
healed the boy possessed of the unclean Spirit
and raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead.
In the Temple children hailed him as the Son of David,
and it is to such as these, that your Kingdom belongs.
As we dedicate ourselves to the care and well being
of the young and vulnerable,
we beg you to grant to your
bishops, priests, deacons, and all the lay faithful,
the grace of welcoming the young as you welcomed them
and of affording them the protection and care
which their rights and dignity demand.
May our sorrow and our tears,
our sincere effort to redress past wrongs,
and our firm purpose of amendment
bear an abundant harvest of grace;
that in our homes, parishes, schools and communities,
our young people may flourish,
realise their potential,
and name you as Father in the midst of the Church.
This we ask through your Son Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED EVENT

I have been asked to publish the following event organised by Aid to the Church in Need. I am happy to do this.

The Light of the World Sunday,

27th June at 2:00pm, followed by Mass at 5:30pm

The Oratory, Hagley Road,Birmingham B16 8UE

An opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of the challengesfacing Christians around the world – and how you are helping.Talks begin at 2:00pm, followed by Mass at 5:30pm.

We hope that Father Samir Khalil Samir SJ will be our guest of honour, speaking on Christianity and Islam in the Middle East. Father Samir is an Islamic scholar, semitologist, orientalist and Catholic theologian based in Lebanon.

Xavier Legorreta, Aid to the Church in Need’s Latin America Projects Head, will report on how your generous support has helped victims of the earthquake which struck Haiti in January.

Fresh from project trips, UK Director Neville Kyrke-Smith will speak about the Faith in Ukraine, while Head of Press and Information John Pontifex will report on Christianity in Pakistan. This event is free, but please reserve your place at www.acnuk.org/birmingham or by calling 020 8642 8668 Refreshments will be provided at this event Many thanks and God bless Michael Cowie (Area Secretaries Coordinator ACN UK)