FIRST COMMUNION AT SAINT JOSEPH'S

Here are the first pictures of our First Holy Communion Celebrations on Sunday. More will follow shortly.

MORE FIRST COMMUNION PICTURES

Some more pictures from our First Holy Communion celebration at St Marie's yesterday.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS

The First of many pictures to follow from our First Holy Communion celebrations to-day at St Marie's. My thanks go to the staff from both St Marie's and Bury Catholic Prep who have supported me and worked so hard to prepared the children for their special day. Please remember them all in your prayers.

CONFIRMATION AT SAINT JOSEPH'S

It's that time of year in a parish. The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, closely followed by First Holy Communion. Here is a picture of two children from the St Joseph's end of our parish who were confirmed recently. Many thanks to their parents for sending me the photo. Photos of First Holy Communion will follow in due course.

FEAST OF SACRED HEART

Here are a few pictures from the Mass last Friday night.

HOLD UP YOUR LILIES!!!

On the Feast of St Anthony (13th June) there is a tradition of blessing lilies in his hnour. Here is the prayer of blessing.

O God, Who art the Creator and Preserver of all mankind,

the Lover of spotless purity,

the Giver of all grace and everlasting life,

sanctify by Thy holy benediction these lilies,

which in thanksgiving, and in honour of St. Anthony,

Thy Confessor, we present for Thy blessing.

Pour down upon them, by the sacred sign of the holy Cross,

Thy heavenly dew,

Thou Who didst so kindly create them

to gladden man by their beauty and fragrance;

enrich them with such power,

that to whatsoever disease they may be applied,

or in whatsoever home they may be kept,

or on whatsoever person they may be borne with devotion,

through the intercession of Thy servant, Anthony,

they may cure every sickness,

repel the attacks of Satan,

preserve holy chastity,

and bring peace and grace to all who serve Thee.

Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

AND ANOTHER BYRD

A LITTLE BYRD SAID TO ME

Here are some photos of a Mass I offered in the St Charles Borromeo chapel of Ushaw College.
The choir sang Byrd's Mass for three voices. it was a wonderful experience and one that without doubt brought priest and people closer to God.

HOMILY FOR FATHER ALOSZA

Homily for the First Mass of Fr. Alosza Micinski
Given at St Marie’s Church, Bury, England

[At our Mass we united ourselves in prayer with Father Alosza as he begins his priestly ministry. As I preached this homily we imagined that Father was here with us once again in Bury].

There is a story told of a Bishop preaching at the Ordination of a Priest. The Bishop said that when a man is first ordained to the priesthood he should immediately be given the title Monsignor and dressed in a purple cassock, with purple buttons and purple sash.

Then after about 5 years as a Monsignor he should be given the title Canon and dressed in a black cassock but still retaining the purple buttons but exchanging his purple sash for a black one.

Then after a he’s been ordained about 20 or 30 years he could be appointed a Parish Priest. With this appointment he wears a simple black cassock, black buttons and black sash. Then and only then when he has taken a few knocks, his faith has been tested, the square corners have been rounded down… then and only then could he possibly claim the title Father. According to that Bishop’s homily I reckon I’m still at the Monsignor stage with the purple cassock!!!

To-day we united ourselves with the Marian Fathers and the people of Kazakhstan in giving thanks to God for the ordination of our new priest Fr. Alosza Micinski.

If you were anything like me, Father, when you woke up the day after your ordination the thought may have surprised you at first. Because our new priest, Father Alosza, must now say to-day and everyday ‘I am a priest’ For the priesthood is not a job we get (though priests will never be short of jobs), it is not a profession we qualify for – a priest is simply what you are – what God has called and made you to be. From the moment Archbishop Lengi laid hands on Alosza in the Cathedral Church of his home town in Karaganda – that’s something that can never be doubted. My dearest brother Alosza, you have been called, chosen and anointed to be a priest. Nothing more and nothing less.

It is appropriate that we remember and join in prayer today for our new priest, Fr Alosza on what is normally the Feast of St Anthony of Padua, that great Franciscan preacher. For the priest by his preaching is to help people find their lost treasure, to find what they are searching for in their lives. The priest is called to lead people to Christ – the only treasure – the pearl beyond all price. That is this our task, dear brother.

Alosza, the Lord sees clearly to-day what he calls you to be – in all your living, all your praying, all your suffering, all your loving – to be a priest: nothing more and nothing less.

St John Vianney, said that the priest will not fully understand the greatness of his office till he is in Heaven. If he understood it on earth, he would die, not of fear, but of love.

My dear Alosza, so great is our calling but like the apostles in whose footsteps we erringly follow we are weak men – all of us – and so I commend you to the protection of Her in whom sin never formed, never diverted – Our Lady – the Immaculate Conception whom the Polish Nation has always cherished.

May she help you through her prayers to become – humbly and faithfully – all that you Alosza Micinski, have been called to be. A priest of her Son - nothing more and nothing less.

Niech bezdie pochalowny Jezus Chrystus

FATHER ALOSZA

I am delightewd to share with you a photo I received this morning via e mail from Kazakhstan where Father Alosza was ordained on Saturday. The picture shows him celebrating his Frist Mass.

A NEW CHRISTIAN

Please pray for Bibi Matilda who was baptised at St. Marie's this Sunday. Please also keep her parents Sven and April in your prayers.

FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI

Here are a few picures of the procession that we held at St Marie's at the end of Mass today to mark the Feast of Corpus Christi.

FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART

SUNG MASS

IN THE EXTRA ORDINARY FORM

FRIDAY 11th JUNE 7:30pm

This coming Friday is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Some 8,000 priests will gather with our Holy Father in Rome on this day to mark the end of the Year of the Priest.

Here at St Marie's there will be a Missa Cantata (Sung Mass) in the Extraordinary Form to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart. It is also an opportunity for us to unite in prayer with all the priests gathered in Rome with the Holy Father.