Easter Sunday, 31st March, 2024. Cycle B
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Mario Ashuikeka
Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
Easter Sunday, 31st March, 2024. Cycle B
FAITH IN FOCUS: REJOICE!
Enter a Church on Easter Sunday and you’re immediately struck by a different atmosphere. Weeks of purple are replaced by white and gold. The lily takes pride of place among the flowers. A huge paschal candle is prominently on view and the font brims with water. Maybe there’s even a little Easter garden with an empty tomb. Easter is about light, water and life. The fire that was lit last night to illuminate the darkness of night and the paschal candle are eloquent reminders that those who walked in darkness now can journey in the light of Christ. We no longer stumble along, prey to every evil and danger. We see things in a new light. The water symbolises not only the fact that in baptism we are cleansed from our sin but also that our thirst for God is fulfilled by our faith in Jesus. Easter responds to our longing for meaning in our cluttered lives and it points the way to beyond the mundane. Its music fills the hole created by our yearning for something greater than ourselves, for someone who can bring us to fruition, for a saviour and redeemer. So the vital signs of Easter proclaim new life. But it’s not simply the life that our world has become used to; it’s life to the full. Easter raises us up to enjoy a life that stretches us in mind body and spirit and that beckons us to eternity. For Easter life is eternal life and we enjoy it on both sides of the grave. And all of this is because Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection is at the heart of our Christian faith. As St Paul says, if it didn’t happen then we are all wasting our time. An ancient Easter hymn reminds us that sheep are ransomed by a lamb, that an innocent man has served our sentence to reconcile us to the Father and that life’s own champion is slain but only to reign. The resurrection proclaims God’s glory and power. Our alleluias today attest to the fact that life can never be the same for us again. Our human existence is radically transformed by the victory that Jesus won against the powers of darkness in our lives. We have been bought back. We have been saved from ourselves. We have been given the chance to live life to the full. This day was made by the Lord; let us rejoice and be glad.
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: I have risen, and I am with you still, alleluia. You have laid your hand upon me, alleluia. Too wonderful for me, this knowledge, alleluia, alleluia.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: This day was made by the Lord, we rejoice and are glad.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia!, Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast then, in the Lord. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: Christ our Passover has been sacrificed, alleluia; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of purity and truth, alleluia, alleluia.
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Devotions/Adoration: Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises) from 10:30am-11:30am. Fr Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation between 10.30 & 11.00am. All are welcome.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection: amounted to £708.22p.
CAFOD Family Fast Day Collection: between St John’s and St Luke’s amounted to £752.50p. Many thanks for your continued support.
If you have any queries regarding parish matters or if you wish to arrange a Baptism, Wedding or Funeral please contact Fr Mario on 0151-645 3996. You can also get in touch with Carol Dalziel on 07808975011 or Ann Murray on 07745490279 regarding general parish queries.
SJE’s Parish Safeguarding Officer is Celia Daly, who can be contacted on 0151-645 9256 on all safeguarding matters.
Mass Intentions: If you would like to have a Mass said for your own or someone else’s intentions , fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it & put it through the Presbytery letterbox. Please give at least three weeks’ notice as we are receiving a large number of requests for particular dates.
Children's Liturgy – takes place during the 9.30am Mass. All are most welcome
Wirral Foodbank Appeal: Please help to support our local Foodbank as much as you can with both food & funds. All items urgently needed are listed on the notice board at the back of church. Thank you.
Wirral Foodbank. We would like to start a new rota to drop off the donations to the warehouse in Birkenhead. The food is all non perishable & can be dropped off at the Wirral warehouse anytime Monday to Thursday between 10am & 1.30pm. My name is Cecily Sabino; I go to 9.30am Mass on Sunday. If you can help please contact Fr. Mario on 645 3996 or let me know that you are interested my tel no is 07901105591 so we can have a chat . Thank you
Sunday Morning Teas continue on the first Sunday of each month. Come along for tea/coffee & biscuits whilst enjoying a chat with your fellow parishioners. Next date is Sunday 7th April.
Sunday 7th April at St John's at 2:00pm Rosary Service to celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy, speaker is Fr Mario. All welcome.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2024: Brochures & booking forms are now available on the Pilgrimage website: www.shrewsburypilgrimage.co.uk or by ringing 07773 324264, or if you are aged 16 – 22 please email youth@dioceseofshrewsbury.org for an application form to join the youth section of our Pilgrimage. This year our Pilgrimage dates are: by air from Friday 26 July to Thursday 1 August, by coach from Thursday 25/07 to Friday 02/08 & for our young people from Wednesday 24/07 to Friday 02/08. If you are a first-time pilgrim or a returning pilgrim, we look forward to you joining us in Lourdes this year.
PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORIE WITH FR MARIO: 22nd to 26th June £549 pp sharing or £635 for a single room. Flying from Manchester, 4 star hotel including breakfast & evening meal, local guide & we will be in Medjugorie for the 43rd Anniversary. Telephone Maria on 07576243343 if interested.
Readers: New readers are always most welcome - please give your name, tel.no. & email address to Fr Mario, or to me, or post your details through the Presbytery door; I usually attend the 9.30am Sunday Mass.
Pease also advise if you could be available for the 5.00pm weekly Saturday evening Mass as we only have a small pool of readers for this Service. Thank you – Carmel Harrison.
Spring Sing with Warrington Male Voice Choir, plus Special Guests Wirral 3Ls Choir, will be held at St Michael & All Angels,Woodchurch on Saturday 13th April 7.30pm. Doors open 7pm. Tickets £8. See poster at the back of the church for details.
Anointing & Healing Service will be held here at St John’s on Friday, 3rd May at 7.00pm. Speaker: Fr Pat Collins, authour, retreat director and conference speaker. Theme: “What matters is faith that makes its power felt through love” (Gal 5:6). Posters are on display and leaflets are available on the table at the back of church.
St Luke’s SVP will be having a retiring collection on Sunday, 7th April. This is in aid of Wirral SVP Children’s Camp 3rd-10th August. This year there are 51 places at the SVP summer camp and enough volunteers to run the camp safely and effetively. The camp is to provide a week away for children who may have no self-esteem, are bullied, have been bereaved and children who would not normally have a holiday away from home. The cost to attend the camp is £350 pp. Thank you for your support.
Social activities: We would like some volunteers to join our group to help to arrange various social activities this year. Please ring/text Diane Baylis on 07946916338. Thanks.
VACANCY for a school chaplain 3 days per week during term time at Upton Hall School. For information: https://www.uptonhallschool.co.uk/page/?title=School+Chaplain+required&pid=1752
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Saturday Easter Vigil Mass 30th 8.00pm MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Easter Sunday 31st 9.30am Teresa Young B.day Rem
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 1st 12.00 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Tuesday 2nd 9.15am MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY –
Thomas & Mary McLoughlin RIP
7.00pm Novena
Wednesday 3rd 12.00 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Thursday 4th 7.00pm MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY –
Our young People
Friday 5th 12.00 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Saturday 6th 10.00am Cenacle Mass
10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Desmond Capper RIP 4th Annv
Second Sunday of Easter 7th 9.30am Janina Hanczaryk Annv.
2.00pm Divine Mercy Service
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Weekend Masses - Please note that the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed immediately before each Mass. Please use this as a time for prayer & quiet devotion. Please enter the church quietly & remain so. Thank you.
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ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday Easter 30th 8.00pm Daniel Brett Remb. Vigil Mass
Easter Sunday 31st 11.00am Innocent Ashuikeka RIP
Monday 1st 12 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
John Lavin B.day Remb.
Tuesday 2nd 9.15am MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY
Wednesday 3rd 12 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
John McDonough Anniv
Thursday 4th 7.00pm MASS AT ST JOHN’S ONLY
Friday 5th 12 Noon MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
World Peace
Saturday 6th 6.00pm John McGlone Sp. Int
Second Sunday of Easter 7th 11.00am Phil Rooney 4th Anniv
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Pope Francis’ Intentions for April: We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognised in every culture and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.
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