You may not be aware, but we have a Ukrainian Catholic Church here in Wolverhampton where there is Mass once a fortnight. Opposite the church is the Ukrainian Centre at 35 Merridale Street West. They are collecting Medical Equipment (but no medicines) and clothing to support those who are suffering. If you are able to help out with any medical equipment or clothing, please ring Andrew Duda on 07801 950588 and he will be able to arrange to meet you at the centre.
This evening at St Michael's we had the first of our monthly Masses with Blessed Carlo. In each of our three churches we have a shrine to Blessed Carlo with a prayer intention box. These were collected to be laid on the altar with our relic of Blessed Carlo at the special Mass. In the photo above you can see the intentions with the relic of Blessed Carlo which was placed in the Lady Chapel for half an hour for people who came for private prayer before the Mass. Many commented on how special this time of prayer was, and how it felt like Adoration. This is hardly surprising because Blessed Carlo was so devoted to Adoration himself and now he intercedes with Jesus for us to come closer to him in the Blessed Sacrament.
From next Monday there will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Lady Chapel before Mass each week from 5.50pm to 6.25 pm and then Mass will start at 6.30pm. Following President Putin’s decision to recognise the independence of the self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Russian troops launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Church leaders and organisations have issued various statements in response to the crisis throughout the week. A compilation of these, alongside a selection of relevant news articles, can be found here.
For those who wish to make a financial contribution to help the people of Ukraine, please consider giving to the Caritas or Aid to the Church in Need appeals. This week's bulletin is now available to download from the Home Page. The image used in this article was uploaded to Wikipedia by Arikkel under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 Licence. There will be a special Mass tonight in the Lady Chapel at St Michael's to pray for Peace in Ukraine. Please let people know.
There will also be another Mass tomorrow, Saturday at SS Peter & Paul and Online at 10.00am. Sadly someone is sending out email pretending to be Monsignor Mark Crisp. The email even has his photo attached.
If you receive an email from onlinechristparish@gmail.com please do not reply to it and report it immediately. Remember, only deal with an Email coming from the parish if it finishes with rcaob.org.uk This view of Dresden is an example of what war in Europe looked like at the end of World War II.
Let us keep praying for peace in the Ukraine. Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us! Remember to download the weekly bulletin from the home page so that you know all that is going on in the parish. This year’s Racial Justice Sunday falls on 13 February 2022. The theme is "In the Image and Likeness of God" celebrating different presentations of the Holy Family from different countries and cultures. For more information go to Racial Justice Sunday 2022 - Catholic Bishops' Conference (cbcew.org.uk) You can download resources and posters and listen to the Our Father and Hail Mary in many of the languages of the church.
The bulletin is now ready to download from the Home Page. Please be aware the 01902 341343 is out of action at the moment. Please ring 01902 423005 instead. Many thanks.
The First of our Blessed Carlo Intercession Masses will take place at St Michael’s on February 28th, the second will be at SS Peter & Paul’s on April 1st and the third will be at St Bernadette’s on May 11th. There will soon be a collection box in each church next to his image, so that you can leave your prayer intentions. These boxes will be emptied each month and the intentions from all three churches will be placed on the altar at this special Mass with the relic of Blessed Carlo. The bulletin is now ready to download from the Home Page. For those who are still cautious about meeting in person, there is an extra Synodal Path Meeting this Friday 4th February by Zoom.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81262378366?pwd=eFByVlBCOHUrK3hEYU0yeHl3M3BoZz09 Meeting ID: 812 6237 8366 Passcode: 191832 The codes were omitted on the paper copy of the bulletin. So please notify your friends that the codes are now here on the website and indeed on the updated online bulletin. The Bishops’ Conference has released new COVID guidance for churches in England and Wales. Noting that the main form of virus transmission is “via personal oral or nasal aerosol”, the guidance recognises that people may choose to continue wearing a face covering. However, there will be no requirement for formal social distancing in church buildings. Holy water stoups may also be refilled. To see all the changes, click here.
Specific guidance for each church in our parish can be found here: St Bernadette, St Michael, SS Peter & Paul. The Bulletin is now ready to download from the home page. The first of our meetings take place today (Saturday) at 3.00pm in each of our three churches. The second set of meetings will be on Saturday 5th February. Please note that the third meeting has been moved forward to February 19th so that we can collate our comments and feedback to the diocese by the end of February.
The bulletin is now ready to download from the home page. If you are unable to attend any of the meetings, we may be having a zoom meeting in February. You can also give feedback on our new page by clicking on the SYNOD 2021-23 page. If you are coming to SS Peter & Paul for Mass at the moment, you will discover even more road works and extra traffic lights. So please leave more time than usual in order to get there.
Also ignore the sign that says "Road Closed" because it isn't!! The bulletin is now ready to download from the Home Page. As we continue to celebrate the Most Holy Season of Christmas, we now begin the new year of 2022. We are still surrounded by much uncertainty, but the truth we celebrate at Christmas assures us to always look forward to the future with faith, hope and charity. The first reading from the Mass for New Year's Day, the Solemnity of the Mother of God gives us the wonderful ancient blessing of Moses:
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.” The bulletin is now ready to download from the Home Page. Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a very happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas! Fortunately, because there have been no more new restrictions, our Masses for Christmas will be going ahead as normal. The bulletin is now ready to download from the Home Page. Please do be careful and remember to always sanitize your hands and wear a face mask in church and if you have not received your booster jab yet, book it now. May the simple joy of Blessed Carlo be with you in your homes and families so that whatever difficulties you are facing, you may be able to celebrate the wonder of this extraordinary feast of the Incarnation: The Word of God is made flesh in the child of Bethlehem. Emmanuel! God is with us!
In the gospel today we see Elizabeth and Mary sharing their joy at the coming birth of their sons. Once again this year, we face a great deal of uncertainty about our Christmas celebrations next weekend. Elizabeth and Mary had no less uncertainty in their lives but they kept focused on God's promises and they were filled with joy! Let us ask of their prayers that we too might keep our focus on the heart of the celebration ahead: Emmanuel, God is with us!
The bulletin is now ready to download, but please check this page everyday in case there needs to be any change in our Christmas plans. God Bless and Stay Safe! Fr Mark An odd mixture of Latin and Italian for today's title. This Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday because Gaudete is the first word of the entrance antiphon in Latin, meaning Rejoice! We rejoice this Sunday because we are half way through Advent and Christmas is getting very near. Bambinelli is the Italian word for figures of the infant Jesus in the crib. This weekend don't forget to bring your Bambinello from your crib to church to be blessed at the end of Mass. Also if you children have made one at school or at home, invite them to bring it to church to be blessed. In this way we ask the Holy Spirit to come into our homes to prepare us to celebrate this Christmas with real joy. Gaudete!
The bulletin is now ready to download from the Home Page. The Cathsoc and Young Adults Group met in Giffard House last night to celebrate the Advent Feast. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate again one of the key moments in the Cathsoc calendar! Remember the Advent Feast is really easy to do at home and is available to download from the Online Mass & Activities page of the website.
St John the Baptist is the key figure in today's Gospel calling us to prepare the way for the Lord. There is plenty happening in the parish over Advent so please make sure you download the bulletin from the Home page so that you do not miss anything!
Unfortunately, it has been necessary to cancel the SVP Coffee Morning on December 8th. Please pass on this information to those who would be coming. The SVP will give details of the next Coffee morning in the bulletin.
This weekend we begin the New Liturgical Year with the beautiful season of Advent and it is a very appropriate time for us to begin our synodal journey in the parish. To begin to understand what this journey is all about, download this week's bulletin for the Home Page for more details.
Another new beginning is the reopening of the Lady Chapel in St Michael's Church. It is not completed yet but we are using temporary furniture for Adoration and Devotions to Our Lady and Blessed Carlo. See below a couple of photos of the developments. During the pandemic, public worship was suspended for a time and there have been restrictions on parish life. As a result, people have been exploring other ways to practice their faith including Spiritual Communion via live streaming.
As people begin returning to more regular patterns of parish life and following the first face to face meeting of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales in Leeds, the bishops have issued the following statement about the importance of honouring Sunday: Honouring Sunday As the Synodal Pathway of listening and discerning unfolds, we the bishops of England and Wales, are paying particular attention to the hopes and fears, the joys and anxieties of all who are sharing their thoughts and feelings with us. We are attentive to the experience of the last year or so, when we have lived our faith through the limitations of the pandemic. We have heard of the longing which some express as a “homesickness”. We want to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We yearn to celebrate the sacraments together, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We desire to be nourished by our Lord in Holy Communion. The live streaming of the Mass and the remarkable response of our Catholic communities to those in need, have provided comfort, sustenance and resilience. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our spiritual and pastoral life. Many people have said to us that they have appreciated the noble simplicity of the Mass at this time, which has allowed the mystery and majesty of our Lord’s sacrificial love to shine through. The central appeal of the Mass, its beauty and its transcendence, raises our minds and hearts to God in an unambiguous and compelling manner. Our Lord Jesus invites us to receive anew the gift of Sunday as the preeminent day, the day of the Resurrection, when the Church gathers to celebrate the Eucharist. Here we stand together before our heavenly Father, offering our thanksgiving and prayer, through our Saviour in the Holy Spirit. Here we receive Christ in his Word. Here we are nourished by Christ in his precious Body and Blood. This is our primary joy, for which there is no substitute, and from which we draw our strength. The Sunday Eucharist is a gift; as God’s holy people we are called to praise and thank God in the most sublime way possible. When the Church speaks of the Sunday obligation, it reminds us that attending Mass is a personal response to the selfless offering of Christ’s love. At this time, we recognise that for some people there may be certain factors which hinder attendance at Sunday Mass. The pandemic is clearly not over. The risk of infection is still present. For some, there is legitimate fear in gathering together. As your bishops, we recognise that these prevailing circumstances suggest that not everyone is yet in the position to fulfil the absolute duty to attend freely Sunday Mass. We now encourage all Catholics to look again at the patterns which they have formed in recent months with regard to going to Mass on Sundays. This would include consideration and reflection about what we might do on Sundays, such as sports or shopping, or other leisure and social activities. This review, and the decisions which arise from it, fall to every Catholic and we trust this will be done with honesty, motivated by a real love for the Lord whom we encounter in the Mass. The Sunday Mass is the very heartbeat of the Church and of our personal life of faith. We gather on the “first day of the week,” and devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42). The Eucharist sustains us and spurs us on, renewing our gratitude and our hope. When we say “Amen” to Christ in receiving his Body and Blood, we express the love of God which is deep within us, and at the end of Mass, when we are sent forth, we express our love for our neighbour, especially those in need. These two dimensions reveal the full meaning of our faith. We are gathered together and sent out, we pray and are fed, we worship and we adore; these are intrinsic to our lives as those baptised into Christ. Approved at the Plenary Assembly of Bishops in Leeds. November 2021 The bulletin is now ready to download from the Homepage. From This Sunday's gospel: "And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory; then too he will send the angels to gather his chosen from the four winds, from the ends of the world to the ends of heaven."
As we move towards the end of November the liturgy begins to focus on the end of time and the central message that whatever challenges we face, our faith will be our stronghold. As Jesus goes on to say in today's gospel: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." We pray this Sunday for all those who have lost their lives in warfare and pray for all who work to build peace in our world. The bulletin is now ready to download from the home page. Now that covid guidelines are more relaxed, we are able again to bless graves in the cemeteries around Wolverhampton this November. For details, check the bulletin which is now ready to download from the Home Page.
If you have not experienced this before, it is a wonderful ancient custom and opportunity to prayer for your deceased family and friends. Everyone gathers at the entrance, (or in front of the Crematorium at Bushbury) for a short opening prayer and then you go to stand at the grave of your loved ones and wait for the priest to arrive. He will then say prayers with you and bless the grave with Holy Water. This November we are also having a special Mass for all those from the parish who have died in the last year. Again, for more details see this week's bulletin. Don't forget to change your clocks tonight or you may find the church still locked when you come for Mass! The bulletin is now ready to download for the masses this weekend. As the 1st November falls on a Monday this year we are celebrating the Feast of All Saints tonight and tomorrow.
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