We have a pastoral letter from the Archbishop which will be read out at all our Masses this weekend. The text of the letter can be found by clicking here. The bulletin is now ready to download from the Online activities and Bulletin page.

We begin a great week this weekend with the celebration of Corpus Christi where we give thanks for the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Blessed Carlo Acutis used to remind people how lucky they are because in the time of Jesus, the only people who could come close to him were his disciples and the individuals he met in his ministry. Today, however, any of can come close to him, juts by visiting the nearest Catholic Church  where Jesus Christ its truly present in the tabernacle. Moreover, when we receive Holy Communion he enters into our deepest being because he is passionate to be close to us. We are reminded of the passion of the love of Jesus in this Friday's Feast of the Sacred Heart. Nothing can come between us and the love of God poured out in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Next Sunday we are going to hear a pastoral letter from the Archbishop where he lays out the plan for our Archdiocese over the net few years. This is an exciting time of renewal as we come out of lockdown and begin to share our faith once more with each other and with the world around us.

The bulletin is now ready to download with all the events of the coming week.

 ​"We are sorry to share the sad news, regarding the passing of Alice Mary Stevens (nee Loydon), formerly of Bilston, but resident in Castlecroft, Wolverhampton, for the past ~40 years. She passed peacefully on the 3rd May 2021, in the care of Highcroft Hall, Bushbury. The arrangements for the funeral are:
 
Alice received into St Peter & St Paul’s on Monday 14th June 2021 at 4:30pm.
Requiem Mass to take place at 1:30pm on Tuesday 15th June 2021
Followed by committal service at Bushbury Crematorium at approx. 3pm
 
Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, the family are having to restrict numbers and track attendees at the funeral. To that end, if anyone would like to enquire if they might be able to attend, then please contact Alice's nephew, Neil at either neil.loydon@gmail.com or 07985 735639, who would be very pleased to hear from you.
 
Additionally, please note, it is requested that it is family flowers only, but if anyone wanted to make a donation, the family have asked that these go to the Brothers of the Good Shepherd, Wolverhampton (https://www.gsmwolverhampton.org.uk/about-us/), which was a cause dear to Alice, where she put in many hours of valuable volunteering, over the years."

We celebrate the full mystery of life, the universe and everything created and uncreated in today's feast!
The bulletin is now ready to download on the Online Activities and Bulletin page.

Download the latest edition of The Sower by clicking the button below:

The Bulletin is now ready to download.  This Sunday we have a Pastoral Letter from the Bishops of England and Wales praying for the renewal of our earthly home. The full text of this letter is given below:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
The Solemnity of Pentecost reminds us that everything which exists, every person and the whole of creation, is a gift of “God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” God our loving Father creates and continues to give life to the world through His Word, Jesus Christ, in the power of His Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, which we celebrate at Pentecost, is not something separate from Creation. God’s revelation of himself in Creation is inseparable from the revelation of his love for us in Christ and in his desire to live in us through his Holy Spirit.
 
‘God’s Spirit is always and everywhere “the Lord, the Giver of Life”, and the voice of Pentecost is echoed in the voice of creation being transformed into the glorious liberty of God’s children.’  In this liberty, as God’s children, we call on the Spirit to ‘renew the face of the Earth’, and as his children, we are called, in turn, to use this liberty for the good of creation and for the good of all that brings life. Our world, God’s creation, is a precious gift to us. It is our common home entrusted to each generation. But how have we used that glorious liberty? How do we honour this precious gift? Are we really demonstrating love, care and respect for our common home?
 
As we celebrate Pentecost this year, we are acutely aware of the damage that continues to be inflicted on the Earth, and the repercussions for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, both here in our own countries and, more especially, in the poorest countries of our world. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have both taught us that everything is interconnected and interdependent. The way we live our everyday lives has an impact on everyone and on the earth.
The urgency of the situation, and the enormity of the challenges we face, have spurred us to speak out together this Pentecost Sunday, as bishops of England, Wales and Scotland, about the role that the Catholic Church and our faith must play in our shared care for God’s gift to us.
 
For all too long we have either been ignorant of, or ignored, the systematic exploitation of our planet and the unsustainable consumption of its resources. While accepting the crucial need and demand for energy for the benefit of the poorest of our brothers and sisters, the provision of our energy must, nonetheless, be by means which radically reduce the use of carbon-based fuels.
 
In our political thinking, there must be a new global understanding of our world, where nations recognise our common responsibility for the dignity of all people and their rights to sustainable livelihoods, in authentic freedom. Pope Francis speaks of a global politics that looks beyond our own needs to the needs of all, most especially the poor and the marginalised.
 
But we cannot leave the healing of our common home and the wellbeing and care of our brothers and sisters merely to a response from industry and governments. Our own local concern and action is necessary and has far-reaching consequences. We all have a part to play, each and every one of us, in the routines, choices and decisions of our everyday lives and our aspirations for the future. The actions of parishes, families, schools, and individuals will have a significant impact on our efforts to restore our common home. There are now many resources, freely available, to advise us on our choice of food, saving of water and electricity, suggestions about travel, waste, and re-use. These are measures that everyone can employ, in some degree, with minimal inconvenience and change. They are effective ways in which we can each reaffirm our personal vocation to be stewards of creation.
 
This Pentecost comes at a time of remarkable challenge and opportunity. We are gradually emerging from the tragedies and restrictions of the pandemic. We have the ability to make changes. Our countries are also hosting two most important meetings this year, the G7 in June and COP26 in November. These meetings will gather together men and women who have the power to make defining choices and policies which will help us build back better, provide for our brothers and sisters, and take care of our common home.
 
In all our human endeavours, we need the presence of the Holy Spirit, “the Lord, the Giver of Life”, whose gift to the Church and the world we celebrate again at Pentecost. Let us keep this Feast with that enduring hope that we can begin to repair the damage we have done and provide a healthy home for future generations. Our hope will be strengthened by our prayer. May our constant request be that the Holy Spirit guide us, strengthen our resolve and ‘renew the face of the earth’.

As we continue our Pentecost Novena please note that from Pentecost Sunday, there will be an extra Mass at SS Peter & Paul at 6.00 pm. For more details, the bulletin is now ready to download from the "Online activities and Bulletin" page.

A message from Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am very happy to announce to you that the annual Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians will take place on the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Sunday, 9th May 2021), with the participation of Christians from all over Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa and India.

This Day of Prayer – promoted by the French charitable organization, L’Oeuvre d’Orient and its UK counterpart, Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE) in partnership with the Congregation for Oriental Churches – will offer Eastern and Western Christians an opportunity to be united in prayer during the time of Easter.

It will offer us in the West an opportunity to think of the Eastern Churches and to give thanks to God for all that we owe them: the first preaching of the Gospel, the origins of the monastic tradition, the early Church Fathers, and above all the witness of the Eastern Christians down the centuries, which has been, and still is, an inspiration to our faith. This Day could also be an occasion to give thanks for the recent pilgrimage of Pope Francis to Iraq and to draw inspiration from its message of solidarity, fraternity and hope.

Today, the Eastern Christians, many of whom are suffering from the effects of war and from discrimination, now face the added crisis of the Covid epidemic, with its threat to their livelihood, health and well-being. This is a crisis within an already existing crisis! They deserve our prayerful support.

In commending this Day of Prayer to you, may I suggest that you bring it to the attention of your family and friends, perhaps sharing with them the following prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray today for peace in the world, especially in the Middle East. By your heavenly grace, strengthen the faith and hope of Eastern Christians. May they be blessed with peace and prosperity in their countries. May we be inspired by their devotion and witness to the Gospel, by their love and compassion for all in their communities, and by their courage, their endurance and self-sacrifice. Through their charity, tolerance and friendship, bring peace and reconciliation to those troubled lands, where Christianity was born and first spread. This we ask of you through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I trust that this Day of Prayer, despite the restrictions caused by the current pandemic, will bring comfort and assurance to Eastern Christians. In our solidarity and communion, may we all be renewed by the hope we place in the Risen Christ.
With the assurance of my prayers and with my warmest wishes for a joyful celebration of Easter,

​Yours in Christ
Michael Cardinal Fitzgerald M.Afr

If you would like to join each shrine online, go to the link of Vatican YouTube Channel below. 

Today is Vocations Sunday
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Vocations Sunday or Good Shepherd Sunday and is marked as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The purpose of this day is to fulfil Jesus' instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38). While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates her attention today on raising up shepherds for God's people - vocations to Holy Orders (the priesthood and diaconate) and to the Consecrated life (religious life, secular institutes and various forms of consecrated single life.) - while encouraging all who are discerning their vocation to pray more earnestly that they may hear and respond to God's call.
Our Diocesan Vocations Office produces materials for our parishes, schools and universities to mark this day. Physical copies of posters and prayer cards are sent to parishes and schools in the diocese and digital copies can be downloaded from  
https://www.vocations.org.uk/vocations-sunday

​ The Clergy Training Fund
On Vocations Sunday we are not only asked to pray for vocations but also to financially support the training of Priests and Deacons in our diocese. Today’s second collection will therefore support our seminarians- men in formation to be our future priests of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. It will also contribute towards the formation of deacons who serve in parishes across our diocese.
As well as the second collection today, there are also leaflets (featuring our own Fr Sean on the front!) which show you how you can support the Clergy Training fund by Standing Order and Gift Aid. Full details are in the leaflet. Please take one to find out more.
 
 
Prayer for Vocations Sunday
God our Father,
you call each of us to follow Jesus, your Son,
on the path he has marked out for us -
the way of charity, service and fulfilment.
May the homes and parishes
of the Archdiocese of Birmingham
be blessed with ever-renewed dedication
to the work of building up your kingdom here on earth.
May those whom you call
to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life
faithfully give themselves
to the service of your Church.
Prompted and strengthened by your Holy Spirit,
may I respond generously to the call
to follow you each day and live out my vocation,
to give you glory, for the good of those around me
and for my own happiness.​
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
​Amen.
 
The bulletin is now ready to download from the ONLINE ACTIVITES AND BULLETIN page.