Second Sunday of Easter, 7th April, 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
Second Sunday of Easter, 7th April, 2024. Cycle B (Divine Mercy Sunday)
FAITH IN FOCUS: BACK TO THE FUTURE
When we achieve something momentous or finish a task that has taken a lot of effort, we usually want to sit back and admire what we have done, to take stock and rest on our laurels for a while. So after the events of Easter you’d expect the Church to sit back and bask in the glory of it all. But you’d be wrong! Today, just one week after the climax of Easter we’re told that we have to be on the move, witnessing to our faith in Christ. In fact, that’s hardly surprising since in today’s scripture we meet the risen Christ on that first Easter Sunday in John’s gospel. He goes to the disciples and tells them that just as the Father sent him, so now he is sending them out to be witnesses of his resurrection. There’s no time to laze around.
A lot of us have a problem witnessing to our faith. Perhaps we feel awkward or embarrassed about the prospect of talking to others about our beliefs. Maybe we are put off by the thought of being tarred with the same brush as those who knock on people’s doors or stand on high streets or markets in many of our towns and cities. It could be that we think witnessing to our faith is the job of the clergy and is best left to them. Whatever the reason it’s certainly the case that there’s a lot less of it now than there used to be.
Of course, faith is good to have but not good to hold on to. It’s intended to be passed on and it’s the job of every baptised Christian to share in that task of letting others know about Jesus Christ and the promises he has made in his Father’s name. But witnessing to this doesn’t mean that we have to stand on a soapbox in some public place. They say that faith is caught not taught. Most of us catch it from our parents or some person who means a lot to us.
We can witness to Christ by the example of our lives, by the way we treat others, by the way we simply stand up for those less fortunate than ourselves, by the way we encourage our own children in their faith and by the way we are ready to be the first to lend a hand. So as the alleluias of the resurrection begin to sound more distant, this is not the time to press the re-wind button. It’s time for the fast-forward!
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Receive the joy of your glory, giving thanks to God, who has called you into the heavenly kingdom, alleluia.
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: Alleluia, alleluia!, Jesus said, “You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails, and do not be unbelieving but believing. 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 £1014.00p.
Collection for the Holy Places: between St John’s and St Luke’s and St Anne’s amounted to £567.40p. 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 THIS Sunday, 7th April.
THIS 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 Fryer 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.
Please 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 Lukes SVP will be having a retiring collection THIS Sunday, 7th April. This is in aid of Wirral SVP Children’s Camp 3rd-10th August. 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. Thank you.
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 Closing Date 15th April at 4pm.
Women’s Grace Group will be meeting at St John’s in the Day Chapel on Tuesday, 16th April at 7.00pm. All welcome.
Appeal for Missing Sunday Missal: which was left in church over the last weeks. It contains many personal items and the owner is anxious to find it. If you have seen the Missal it can be handed into the Sacristy. Many thanks.
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Saturday 6th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Desmond Capper RIP 4th Annv
Second Sunday 7th 9.30am Janina Hanczaryk Annv. of Easter
2.00pm Divine Mercy Service
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 8th 9.15am Nance Shipman B.day Rem.
Tuesday 9th 9.15am Jose McGree Annv RIP
Wednesday 10th 9.15am Graham Sabino RIP
Thursday 11th 7.00pm MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Friday 12th 9.15am All Refugees
Saturday 13th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Philomena Fletcher RIP
Third Sunday of Easter 14th 9.30am David Dobson RIP
3.00pm Benediction
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 6th 6.00pm John McGlone Sp. Int
Second Sunday of Easter 7th 11.00am Phil Rooney 4th Anniv
Monday 8th 12 Noon UCM
Tuesday 9th 12 Noon Mary Duff Bday Rem
Wednesday 10th 12.Noon Heather Smith RIP
Thursday 11th 7.00pm MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Marie Codd Recovery from illness
Friday 12th 12 Noon Rose Larkin 70th Bday
Saturday 13th 6.00pm Nick Codd 12th Anniv.
Third Sunday of Easter 14th 11.00am Jack McCormick 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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