Third Sunday of Easter, 23rd April, 2023, Cycle A
St John the Evangelist
128 Bebington Road, New Ferry, CH62 5BJ
Diocese of Shrewsbury (reg. charity 234025)
Parish Priest: Fr Mario Ashuikeka and Fr Emmanuel Chukwujekwu
Deacon: Revd Michael Daly Phone: 0151 645 3314
Email stjohntheevangelist@gmail.com Websites http://www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
Third Sunday of Easter, 23rdh April, 2023, Cycle A
FAITH IN FOCUS: WANT TO HEAR A STORY?
The gospel passage today presents us with a complete turn around. It starts with two men walking along in complete misery. Everything they had hoped for over the past three years has gone up in smoke in the course of the last seven days. Yet by the end of the passage they are elated and are running into Jerusalem to tell the apostles their good news. What happened to make things change so much? Someone listened to them. The world is full of people. And each person has their own story, their own set of events and circumstances that have shaped them into the person that they are. In fact, my story is my history. It's what makes me "me". If someone can't be bothered to listen to my story, especially when I feel the need to tell it, than they can't be bothered to find out what makes me tick. But if they do bother to spend time getting to know my story, then they affirm and validate my experience, and all that I am. That's what Jesus did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He met them "where they were at" and he made sense of their story in the light of the scriptures. When they had thought about their lives in the light of the scriptures and had broken bread with him, all seemed different. Every single person in church on a Sunday morning has his or her story. They need to be allowed to tell it, to share it and to have people who will listen to it. If we are more than just a congregation, if we are the Body of Christ, then we have been given ears to listen and tongues to encourage. So as we gather to celebrate the eucharist each week we bring our own stories with us. We bring them so that God might shed light on them through the words of scripture, as he did on the road to Emmaus. And as we listen to God's word and share the body and blood of his Son, the tangled tales of our complicated lives begin to take a shape that makes more sense. For, at the heart of it all, we each have a role in everyone else's story. And after the events of that first Easter all our stories are intertwined with God's.
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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON: Cry out with joy to God, all the earth; O sing to the glory of his name. O render him glorious praise, Alleluia!
RESPONSE TO THE PSALM: Show us the path of life.
GOSPEL ACCLAIMATION: Alleluia, Alleluia! Lord Jesus, explain the scriptures to us. Make our hearts burst within us as you talk to us. Alleluia!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON: The disciples recognised the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread, Alleluia
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The 9.15am Mass on Wednesday, 26th April is in Honour of St Anne and the intention is to pray for all families.
PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO ROSARY SERVICE ON THE 4TH MAY.
Devotions/Adoration: Saturday Morning Devotions will be prayed in Church (the Rosary, Divine Mercy and Divine Praises) from 10:30am-11:30am. Fr Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation between 10.30 and 11.00am. All most welcome.
If you have any queries or ideas, continue to contact Deacon Mike Daly on 07542463319 or Carol Dalziel on 07808975011 on any Parish matters, or if you wish to arrange a Baptism, Wedding or Funeral. Also use the box at the back of church for your suggestions.
Mike Daly’s Homilies are available on the Parish Website. Log in details are www.stjohntheevangelistnewferry.com
Mass Intentions If you would like to have a Mass said for your own or someone else’s intentions please fill in one of the Mass offering envelopes at the back of Church, place a donation in it & put it through the presbytery letterbox. Thank you.
Please continue to keep all of our sick parishioners in your thoughts and prayers.
Children's Liturgy – is during the 9.30am Mass, all are most welcome.
Tea and Coffee: is still suspended for now.
Last Weeks’ Offertory Collection amounted to £507.08p.
Thank you for your generosity in these difficult times.
In Memoriam- Please keep in your prayers Doreen Fitzgerald who died recently. Doreen’s Funeral will be held at St John’s on Friday, 28th April at 1.30pm followed by Cremation at Landican at 3.00pm. May Doreen, and all the faithful departed, rest in the peace of Christ.
Wirral Foodbank Appeal: Please help support your Foodbank with food and funds. All donations need to be non-perishable, please refer to the list on the notice board of items urgently needed. Please continue to support this as much as you can in these difficult times.
Altar-Servers - Please encourage any child who has made their First Holy Communion to consider becoming an Altar-Server. Please give names to Mike Daly, who will arrange for their training and support.
First Communion Our young children from St John’s Junior School are preparing for their First Holy Communion which will take place here at St John’s on Saturday 20th May at 10am and 12pm. Please keep all the candidates in your prayers as they take this next step on their journey of faith.
MASS SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAYS IN APRIL:
You may have noticed from the Mass Intentions section that some changes to the Thursday evening Mass schedule have taken place; the timetable until the end of April is as follows:
Thursday 27/04: 7pm Mass at St Anne’s only
May & June dates will be in next week’s Newsletter.
The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has given permission for re-introduction of Holy Communion under both kinds from Holy Thursday; however, due to the rising levels of Covid in our area, the use of the Chalice will not be implemented at St John's for the foreseeable future.
THREE PARISH SOCIAL: KING’S CORONATION CELERATION: Will be held at St Anne’s Social Club, Highfield Road, Rock Ferry, 12.30-4pm on Tuesday, 9th May. Tickets £5. Shared Table (details to follow), bar, entertainment and a raffle. This will be our first joint social event .Please come along and have a great time celebrating the Coronation TOGETHER!! VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO HELP DURING THE CELEBRATION. Please contact Diane Baylis if you can help. Tickets from Diane Baylis & Liz McIntosh. Diane Baylis No 07946916338.
Confirmation 2023 for St John’s and St Anne’s will be held at St John’s on Wednesday the 22nd November at 7.00pm. Will all candidates in Years 9 and above (or their parents) please contact Mike Daly as soon as possible to record their interest.
Shrewsbury Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land under the Leadership of Bishop Mark Davies
8th-15th February, 2024. HOLY LAND TOUR COST: Twin Room per person - £1795 Twin Room Share per person - £1795 Single Room per person - £2290. Any questions regarding the pilgrimage should be directed to Father David Long: longdv1@aol.com
Online course on Vatican II: Part III The Church. The first podcast on Lumen Gentium is now available at dioceseofshrewsbury.org. together with 3 handouts for downloading or printing: An Introduction to LG; A visual presentation of its 8 chapters; An outline of issues addressed in it. A leaflet outlining the content of all of the podcasts in the series is available in the parish. Should you have difficulty accessing this material, any questions or reflections, please don't hesitate to call Barbara Davies on 07730 526821.
THE KNIGHTS OF ST COLUMBA are inviting practicing Catholic men to join the Order. Meetings usually take place on a monthly basis. For any further information please contact Tony Paton 07849 610397
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Saturday 22nd 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm Philip White RIP
Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle A 23rd 9 .30am Teresa Young RIP
11.00am Doreen Fitzgerald RIP (St Luke’s)
7.30pm Prayer Meeting
Monday 24th 9.15am For Our School Children
Tuesday 25th 9.15am Int Sanderson Family
Wednesday 26th 9.15am In Honour of St Anne
Thursday 27th 7.00pm MASS AT ST ANNE’S ONLY
Friday 28th 1.30pm Funeral Mass – Doreen Fitzgerald
Saturday 29th 10.30am Devotions – Rosary, Divine Mercy & Divine Praises
5.00pm For all Refugees
Fourth Sunday of 30th 9.30am Ints St John’s SVP Easter, Cycle A 11.00am Stephen Nolan B.Day Annv. (St Luke’s)
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 and quiet devotion.
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ST ANNE’S WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday 22nd 6.30pm Tony Botka
Third Sunday of Easter 23rd 11.15am Doyle Family Intentions
Monday 24th 12 Noon Fr Bernard Forshaw Sp.Int
Tuesday 25th 12 Noon Mary Smith RIP
Wednesday 26th 12 Noon For Families
Thursday 27th 7.00pm All Parishioners of our 3 parishes & young people
Friday 28th 12 Noon Judy Danaher RIP
Saturday 29th 6.30pm Emily Devenport RIP
Fourth Sunday of Easter 30th 11.15am Sr Hillary Fitzgerald Birthday
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