The Pastoral Area of Southport
On a Journey of Faith
Fourth Sunday of Advent 21st December Year B
FOOD AND DRINK FOR THE JOURNEY
The words the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary in today’s
Gospel are among the best known and most loved in the
history of the world. Many of us have heard them spoken
by children in Nativity plays etc. This is often delightful
- but we run the risk of losing the power of what the
angel was actually announcing! Everything on earth
became transformed because God became human. God
became like us, so that we can become like Him! Mary
was a true hearer and welcomer of the Word of God and
immediately responded with faith and trust, even when
she didn’t fully understand. Mary’s unconditional yes "Let what you have said be done to me" gives us a good
insight of who she is. If everyone trusted and responded
as Mary did, who knows what joy the world would know!
How we praise Him for Mary’s ‘yes’ !
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL:
“Taking to heart the last words of the Lord Jesus, we will go into the world to
proclaim the Good News to the whole of Creation”.
St Marie’s
25 Seabank Road
Southport PR9 0EJ
Parish Priest: Father John Heneghan
Telephone: (01704) 531229
Fax: (01704) 512590
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.stmariessouthport.org.uk
Archdiocesan Website: www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk
Liturgical Week
Today –Fourth Sunday of Advent
Next Sunday –Feast of the Holy Family
****************
The Pastoral Area of Southport
St Marie’s Fr John Heneghan
St Patrick’s Fr Mark Madden
Holy Family Fr Philip Gregory (Dean)
Mgr Peter Fleetwood
St Teresa’s Canon John Gaine
St Joseph & Our Lady of Lourdes
Fr Atli Jonsson
Sacred Heart & St John Stone
Fr Killian O’Mahoney Fr Sean Quinlan
Fr Bernard Rolls
Tel: 531229
Tel: 228943
Tel: 532613
Tel: 566865
Tel: 568313
Tel: 577722
st
rd
Mass in Polish – is celebrated here at St Marie’s on the 1 and 3
Sunday’s of the month at 3pm.
Mass in Indian (Malayalam) – is celebrated here at St Marie’s on the last
Thursday of each month at 6p.m
Marian Centre for Evangelisation – this wonderful resource of our
parish is behind the Church.. For more info.
Tel: 07544768483 email: [email protected],
website: www.mariancentre.org.uk
Please join us for tea/coffee after the 11am Mass. Visitors
welcome!
The New Southport Catholic Youth Service
Group
The first meeting took place on
December 4th. Just as Advent is the
beginning of the Church’s year, preparing us
for the joy of Christmas and the gifts the Lord
will shower on us as the months unfold, we
pray that this new phase in the Church’s
ministry by, with and to our children and
young people may bring hope and peace to
many. Thank you for your prayerful support!
*************
THANK YOU
Thank you for all the cards and gifts you’ve sent
me! May the last days of Advent and the feast of
Christmas fill you and yours with hope and peace
that will lead you, not only through the new year,
but into eternal life! Fr John
*************
FOREVER ANGELS
Emma Grimley flew to Tanzania last Monday to work for 6
months at the Forever Angels Children’s Home. Please
remember her and those she will care for in your prayers. She
is grateful for the support given her which raised £1,300 for
the home and the support given to allow her to fund her keep
for the time she is there. Thank you.
Forever Angels, P.0 Box 2631, Mwanza. Tanzania
Christmas Mass Times
Christmas begins with Midnight
Mass and ends on the Feast of the
Baptism of the Lord
12 Midnight Christmas Eve (with
Service of Word and Carols from
11.30pm)
Christmas Day 25th December 9am
& 11am (with the children acting out the Nativity
for us…a sight to bring everyone Christmas joy)
This year our theme will be Praying for our families
PONDER
Listening is a way of loving
Today, with the pressures of everyday
living, our listening can be impaired. We
need constantly to overcome the
temptation to just ‘hear’ what’s said, and work on
listening with our hearts, eyes and full attention
Walking with Pope Francis
‘Spirit-filled evangelizers
means evangelizers fearlessly
open to the working of the Holy
Spirit…….Jesus wants
evangelizers who proclaim the good
news not only with words, but above all
by a life transfigured by God’s
presence.’ (from his letter to us ‘the Joy of the
Gospel’)
******************************************
ADVENT
As this time of grace and joy brings us closer to
the great feast of Christmas, may our hearts be
open to receive the priceless gifts the Lord
desires to give us this Christmas!
******************************************
R.C.I.A
The next meeting will be on January 13th. at 7pm in
the Parish House. We will explore Channels of Love – The Sacraments
******************************************
Eucharistic Ministers Rota
The new Rota for 2015 is available for collection in the
Sacristy.
Christmas Family Prayer Tree
Take a star as you enter Church and write on
it the name of your family, or your ‘Church
Family’ then place it in the basket near the
Advent candle so we can put them on our
Christmas tree next to the altar to be part of
our prayer throughout Christmastide
*************
CHRISTMAS DAY COLLECTION
The Christmas Day collection will be put into the Parish Funds
to go towards paying the priest’s annual salary of £9,000 (The
Archbishop encouraged all the priests to use this system a few
years ago so that each priest – whether in a poorer or wealthier
parish has the same income).
*************
100 CLUB DECEMBER WINNERS
£25 R Bruce,
£15 J Nixon,
£10 K Bennetton
Congratulations! Please pick up your winnings from the
Parish Office. January subscriptions are now due and can be
placed in the offertory bag or handed in at the Parish Office.
Please make sure your envelope is clearly marked with your
name and 100 Club on.
*************
May you often pause to remember that you
carry a precious gift of Star-Light within
you. May this Star-Light dance in your life
and bring joy to those you meet each day.
COLLECTIONS
Offertory………….£932.59
Last Week’s Retiring Collection… £710.68 SVP
This week’s Retiring Collection…. Marian-Care
Next Week’s Retiring Collection… School Levy
Thank you so much for your kind generosity!
ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THANKS
Marian-Care – £200 (Lottery Scratch Card) £39
(coins), £30, £20, £20, £10, £10, £5
Flowers - £10
Dancers Pennies for Africa - including raffles
and Christmas Party £201.78
We hold in prayer all who are sick in body, mind or
spirit and those who care for them; also those who have
died and gone before us marked with the sign of faith…
Fr Bill Redmond…….
May those who grieve their passing come to
experience the peace of the Risen Christ.
The Parish House is open from 10.00am to 12.00 noon and from
2.00 pm to 4.00 pm Mon- Fri for general enquiries, e.g. Mass
Cards, and to feed the homeless and those in need.
Week Commencing 21st December
First Mass of Sunday
Saturday
6pm
Sunday
9am
Sunday
11am
Monday
12 Noon
Tuesday
Wednesday
Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
Christmas Day
Friday
Saturday
Saturday
12 Noon
12 Noon
mignight
9am
11am
12 Noon
12 Noon
6pm
Sunday
Sunday
9am
11am
Edward Bennetton
People of the Parish
John O’Neil
Service of The Word &
Holy Communion
Barbara Dix
Margaret Callaghan
People of the Parish
World Peace
All Families
Monica Surgeon
Pro -Life
Deceased members of O’Brien
& McCormack Families
People of the Parish
Andrew Nicholson
The Rosary will be prayed Monday
to Saturday after 12 00 Noon Mass
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION:
Tuesday to Saturday 11.30 to 12.00 noon
(or by appointment with Father John)
EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Monday to Saturday 11.30 to 12.00 noon
Liverpool RC Archdiocese Trustees Inc.
Registered Charity No. 232709