1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

Parish of St Wilfrid, Widnes
Items for inclusion in newsletter (by noon Thursday) to : stwilfridsnews@gmail.com
Contact details
Fr Anthony Reynolds
0151 424 2129
Bishop John Rawsthorne 0151 424 4021
Fr Joseph Bibby
0151 424 6641
Fr Malcolm Prince
0151 424 3841
Fr Matthew Nunes
0151 424 2738
Deacon Terry Fox
0151 424 0277
Parish Office
St Bede’s Presbytery
Appleton Village
Widnes
WA8 6EL
New Opening Hours
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thurs
Fri
9:00am – 5:00pm
9:00am – 5:00pm
9:00am – 8:00pm
9:00am – 5:00pm
9:00am – 5:00pm
T: 0151 422 1772
E: stwilfridswidnes@gmail.com
Website www.catholicchurches-widnes.org.uk
All Saints (CE):
Revd Peter Dawkin T: 0151 420 4963
29th March 2015
PALM SUNDAY
E: allst_hg@hotmail.com
As we enter Holy Week, we accompany our Lord on a
life-changing, life-giving journey. Let us strive to remain
close to him as we live through the events which led to
our salvation – the Passion of Christ and his rising from
the dead. Meditating on the last week of Jesus’ earthly
life, we come to appreciate the length and breadth of
God’s mercy and love, and just what our Saviour was
willing to sacrifice for us.
BAPTISMS
We welcome
Jackson Jamie Tobin,
Georgia-Mai Tobin,
Scarlett Ruby Tobin
& Liam Gale
who will be baptised this weekend
‘Listen! I am standing at
the door knocking.’
Revelation 3:20
CONFESSIONS
There will be no confessions on Holy Saturday
Morning Prayer
Before Mass
Monday – Friday
9:00am
Ecumenical
Morning Prayer
St Basil’s & All Saints
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday
Tuesday & Friday
9:05am
9:45am
Prayer Group
St John Fisher Sacristy
St Bede’s Presbytery
Monday
Monday
The Bible Group
St Michael’s
Thursday morning after Mass
Rosary
St Bede’s
Saturday morning after Mass
7:00pm – 8:00pm
8:00pm – 9:30pm
St Bede’s church is open every day from 9:00am to 3:00pm
NEWS AND EVENTS
ST WILFRID’S PARISH
st
Wednesday 1 April
Thursday 2nd April
Friday 3rd April
th
Saturday 4 April
Sunday 5th April
7.30pm Mass of Chrism
7.30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper
9.30pm Watching
10.30pm
Children’s
10.30am
Stations of the Cross
11.00am Adult’s Stations of the
Cross
Metropolitan Cathedral
St Michael’s
St Bede’s
St John Fisher
St John Fisher
St Bede’s
3.00pm
The Passion of Our Lord
Jesus Christ
St Bede’s
St John Fisher
St Basil’s and All Saints
St Michael’s
7.00pm
Watching at the tomb
St Bede’s
7.45pm
Easter Vigil
St Michael’s
Easter Sunday - Masses at normal Sunday times
Thank you to all who have returned forms to volunteer to help at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and
Easter Vigil. If you have not yet returned your form please do so ASAP. We welcome more helpers.
Extra forms are available at the back of each church.
CHRISM MASS COACH UPDATE
NEW ROTAS
FOR ST WILFRID’S
New Reader and Eucharistic
Minister Rotas will be available
in the sacristy of all the
churches this weekend.
Thank you to all who have booked a place on the coach to the
Mass of Chrism at the Cathedral on Wednesday 1st April.
The first pick up will be at St Bede’s (on the road at the front of
church) at 5.50pm prompt, then St John Fisher at 6pm, St
Basil’s at 6.10pm and St Michael’s at 6.20pm.
The cost is £7. Please write your name and CHRISM MASS on
your envelope. Payment required by Saturday 28th March to
the Parish Office. Thank you.
For Baptism Enquiries and Baptism
Certificates
Please phone the Parish Office on 422 1774.
When someone is ill
If you or someone you know of becomes ill, goes into
hospital, and is no longer able to get to Mass, please
contact 422 1772
The suggested donation for certificates is £5
All Saints CE Baptisms
Please ring 420 4963 or come to the church any
Tuesday evening between 6:45pm – 7:15pm during
vestry time.
The Sick & Anniversaries
Please submit names for our monthly prayer list for
those who are sick or whose anniversaries occur to Carol
on 422 1772 or email cah65@hotmail.com.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
A group of volunteers have started to gather together on Saturday afternoons, at about 1.30pm,
at the Parish Office to fold the newsletters before collection and distribution. It would be
helpful to have a larger group on the rota to enable all newsletters to be folded for across the
whole parish. Could you consider giving up an hour or so once a month to help with this
essential task? If you could help, please contact the parish office by calling 0151 422 1772 or
email stwilfridswidnes@gmail.com. Thank you.
LENT REFLECTIONS AT ST BASIL’S & ALL SAINTS
Monday 30th March
Tuesday 31st March
Wednesday 1st April
- 7.30pm
- 7.30 pm
- 7.30pm
These will follow our Sunday evening Lent reflections, including music, readings & prayer.
Everybody is welcome.
Give It Up For Lent - UPDATE
We’re on the last lap, so let’s make a special effort during Holy
Week! Then next weekend you can bring back your envelopes and
put them into the collections at whichever Mass you attend. Don’t
worry if you are going away for Easter – we’ll leave it open until
the following weekend.
A note to the counters at each church – please don’t open the
envelopes, just send them to the Parish Office intact. Thank you.
CHARITY NIGHT IN AID OF
CATHOLIC
ACTION LOURDES FUND
Come and have a great night and
listen to a great choir and enjoy a
game of bingo and a raffle in the
company of good friends.
Venue: The Bowler
Date: 7th April
Time: 7.30pm
Entrance Fee: £2
Help send a sick person to Lourdes
Featuring
The Knights Community Singers
The prayer group who meet in the sacristy of St John Fisher church, will resume their meetings on
Monday 18th May at 7pm. All are welcome.
HOLY PLACES COLLECTION
There will be a retiring collection at all four churches this Good Friday in Support of Holy Places.
A RETREAT IN DAILY LIFE
A retreat in daily life will take place in St Wilfrid’s Pastoral Centre, Mayfield Avenue, from 27 th April to
14th May 2015. A taster evening of accompanied prayer at the John Dalton Centre is open to all on
Thursday 16th at 7.30pm, then on Sunday 26th April at 3pm there will be an open meeting for all who
are interested in finding out more about the Retreat in Daily Life. This will take place in St Wilfrid’s
Pastoral Centre, Mayfield Rd. Make a note in your diary. All are welcome.
PASSOVER MEAL
A REMINDER to those who have signed up for Passover meal: Please arrive at
7.30pm ready for an 8pm start on Thursday. SORRY but we are fully booked up &
unable to cater for any more.
ST BEDE’S CLUB
Entertainment every Saturday . . .
4th April
BOBBY TAYLOR
Vocalist
11th April
ROY NEVILLE
Entertaining
Vocalist
18th April
PETE LAWSON
Guitar Vocalist
25th April
STEPHEN JAMES Vocalist
ST GEORGE’S SOCIAL EVENING
The Third World Group are having a ST
GEORGE’S SOCIAL EVENING on Friday 17th April
in the church hall. Music will be provided by
JOHN B and THE PROSPECTORS. Come along and
celebrate our country’s patron Saint.
Wear your ‘red and white’ and join in a little bit
of ‘Last Night of the Proms.’ Don’t forget to bring
your own drink. Tickets are £2.50 each and can
be obtained from St John Fisher repository or by
ringing 424 6149.
EASTER BINGO – THANK YOU
St John Fisher UCM would like to thank everyone who supported their recent Easter bingo and raffle. A total of
£330 was raised, which will be added to our charity fund. The winning raffle tickets for the Easter eggs were 691
and 697.
Celebrate the start of spring with flowers. A demonstration is being held in Widnes. You can
sit back, relax and enjoy watching a gifted artist at work. Susan Maddocks will create designs on
the theme ‘Trivial Pursuits’ at Farnworth Methodist Church hall, Derby Road, 7.30pm on
Wednesday 1st April. The event is hosted by Widnes Floral Art Group. All are welcome. Admission is
£5.
Discernment Group
A group supporting those exploring the vocation of priesthood in
our diocese. This is a monthly day of recollection the first Saturday
of each month. There will be an opportunity to talk with and hear
from priests who minister in the diocese, and also a time for prayer
th
and discussion. The next day will take place Saturday 4 April at St
Charles’ Presbytery, 224 Aigburth Road, Liverpool. For further
information, contact Fr James Preston, Vocations Director for the
Archdiocese, at frjamespreston@gmail.com or 0151 727 2493.
Groups meeting this week in our
parish
Thursday 2nd April
UCM
8.00pm
Thursday 2nd April
SVP
6.15pm
HOLY THURSDAY
One of Leonardo de Vinci’s finest paintings is ‘The Last Supper’, showing Jesus and his 12
apostles sitting at a table. The large fresco is painted on a dining room wall in a monastery in
Milan, northern Italy, and show the moment when Jesus says: “one of you will betray me.”
As Leonardo though of how he would give different faces and expressions to each of the 13
figures, a particular person came to mind – someone who was jealous of him, who caused him
a lot of trouble, and influenced others to think less of Leonardo. The idea came to the artist
that he could use this painting to get back at his enemy by painting the face of that man as
Judas, who betrayed Jesus. Leonardo told a few friends what he intended to do and they all
laughed.
It took Leonardo over two years to finish the great painting, and many gathered in the room for
Leonardo to unveil it. As he removed the curtain, everyone saw the painting and also that
Leonardo had included the face of his enemy- but not as Judas. Instead, he had painted his
enemy’s face as that of Jesus. Leonardo’s action had changed an enemy into a friend. Jesus
said, “A new commandment I give you: love one another. When people see this love you have
for one another, they will know that you are my disciples.” [John 13:34]. ‘Commandment’ or
‘rule’ in Latin is ‘mandaum’, giving us the former name for this day, ‘Maundy Thursday’ calling
to mind the new commandment that Jesus gave us, “to love one another”. From the same
source we get our word ‘mandatory’, when we day, for example that a speed limit is
‘mandatory’ – obligatory, the rule. A ‘mandate’ is an official order e.g. a government may talk
of a ‘mandate’ being given by the people in an election.
From the year 600 until 1689 kings and queens washed the feet of some poor people each
Maundy Thursday. The tradition called to mind that Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples
on that day, symbolising his love for them. [Jn 13: 1-20]. Since 1689 the king or queen has
given clothes or money instead. Now it is always money that is given. The ceremony takes
place in a different cathedral each year, with the ‘Maundy Money’ being given to local people
who have been chosen because of lengthy service given to their local church or community.
One man and one woman are chosen each year. The ‘Maundy Money’ is a set of speciallyminted penny coins; the same number again as the age of the monarch.
PRAYER
Father, there are people who have done wrong to me, just as I have done wrong to others. On
this special day, Father, forgive me the wrong I have done. In the same way as I set out to
forgive others and hold no grudges against them. Inspire me to break the cycle of hatred and
evil whenever I come across them, and lead me always to grow in your love. Amen.
This Weekend’s Masses
Saturday 28th March
Sunday 29th March
PALM SUNDAY
5:00pm St Bede’s
Willie Burke (LD)
6:00pm St Basil’s
All the people of the parish area
8:30am St Michael’s
Pat Smith (LD)
9:00am St Bede’s
Francis Joseph Meaden ( A & B)
9.45am All Saints CE
Parish Eucharist
10:00am St John Fisher
Lilian Mills (LD)
10:30am St Michael’s
Special Intention (M.A)
11:15am St Bede’s
Peggy, John and David Lancaster
Lizzie & Tom Nicholls (100th B Rem.)
4:30pm St Basil’s
Weekday Masses
Monday 30th March
Tuesday 31st March
HOLY WEEK
9:15am St Bede’s
Lol Hanrahan (LD)
2.00pm St Basil’s
Parishioners
9:15am St Basil’s
Jim Finney
11.00am Sts Peter & Paul College
Wednesday 1st April
Thursday 2nd April
Holy Thursday
Parishioners
9:15am St John Fisher
Cedric Wycherley (LD)
7:30pm Liverpool Cathedral
CHRISM MASS
7:30pm St Michael’s
MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
St John Fisher
Friday 3rd April
3:00pm
Good Friday
St Bede’s
THE PASSION of Our Lord Jesus
Christ
St Basil’s
St Michael’s
Day of Fasting & Abstinence
Next Weekend’s Masses
EASTER SUNDAY
Saturday 4th April
Holy Saturday
7:45pm St Michael’s
EASTER VIGIL
Sunday 5th April
EASTER SUNDAY
8:30am St Michael’s
Intention of Maureen Morley
9:00am St Bede’s
Sheila Lewis
9.45am All Saints CE
Parish Eucharist
10:00am St John Fisher
Thanksgiving
10:30am St Michael’s
Jean Finn (3rd A)
11:15am St Bede’s
Raymond Norris (B)
4:30pm St Basil’s
Patrick Martin (A)
Funerals – Please pray for those whose funerals take place this week and for their families
Monday 30th March
Wednesday 1st April
Wednesday 1st April
12:30pm
10:00am
1:30pm
St Bede’s
St Bede’s
St Bede’s
Requiem Mass
Requiem Mass
Funeral Service
Sean Anthony O’Connor
Marie Turton
Sheila Noone