God, our loving Father, we thank you for blessing our parish

with all we need to respond to our vocation to be a missionary parish in our community.

We thank you for all our parish members who, in response to your call, give of themselves so freely to enrich our parish life

in ways of love and service. Pour out afresh the gifts of your Spirit upon each of us that we may be inspired

to serve you in new and creative ways as missionary disciples, bringing your Light to the world.

We ask your blessing as we journey together in hope through Christ Our Lord. AMEN

This Week’s Saints:

Mon: St John I, Pope, comes from a strange and dark period of

history at the beginning of the sixth century: the Roman Empire in the

West was in ruins, and was ruled by Theodoric the Goth; meanwhile

the glory of Rome lived on in Con-stantinople. There, the Emperor

(Justin) began a ruthless persecu-tion of the Arians: Theodoric, him-

self an Arian, sent the Pope to re-strain the Emperor, but was furious

when John returned, accusing him of plotting. He was imprisoned at

Ravenna for the rest of his life.

Tue: St Dunstan, born in 909, died in Canterbury in 988. He studied arts and literature before becoming a monk, then ab-

bot, at Glastonbury. He helped to restore English monasticism after the Viking devasta-tions. He became bishop of Worcester, bishop of London, Archbishop of Canterbury. With

many talents, he was renowned as painter, musician, and metal-worker, besides counsel-lor of kings and zealous reforming bishop. Bl. Peter Wright, born in Northamptonshire in

1603, worked for a solicitor, joined the army but deserted to become a Jesuit. He was ar-rested in 1651 and martyred at Tyburn before 20 000 people. St. Peter Celestine, hermit

elected Pope as Celestine V, renounced the Papacy returning to the eremetical life. Wed: St Bernardine of Siena: born near Siena (Italy) in 1380, Bernardine became a

Franciscan and was ordained priest in 1404; he gained a reputation as a great preacher, and propagated devotion to the holy name of Jesus. He died in 1444.

Thu: THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD, St Christopher Magallanes, born to a farm fami-ly, worked as a shepherd and was ordained priest. He founded schools, a newspaper, cate-

chism centres for children and adults, carpentry shops, and an electric plant. Arrested and

shot without trial on 21 May 1927 while going to say Mass, his last words were “I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and ask God that

the shedding of my blood serves toward the peace of our divided Mex-ico.”

Fri: St. Rita of Cascia, despite an early desire to enter religious life, was married at the age of 18; after the violent death of her abusive

husband, and of her children, she joined the Augustinian monastery in Cascia (Italy) aged 36. She lived as a wife, mother, widow, and nun,

buried her family, helped bring peace to her city and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him. St. John Forest, a Francis-

can, was one of the chaplains to Queen Catherine of Aragon. After the King’s Divorce, John was brought before the courts in 1538 and sen-

tenced to be hanged and burned at Smithfield Market’.

WELCOME WITAMY KAABO BEMVINDO ������

THE PARISH OF OUR LADY AND ST. JOSEPH, HEYWOOD,

SUNDAY 17th MAY 2020, partner parish St. Martin’s, Ganye, Nigeria

St Joseph’s Presbytery, Mary St, OL10 1EG Tel: 01706 369777

Fr Paul Daly paul.daly@dioceseofsalford.org.uk

Fr Bob Hayes robert.hayes@dioceseofsalford.org.uk

Parish Office Monday 9am-1pm Please try to come to the parish office during

office hours or email

Nicola.davies@dioceseofsalford.org.uk

Some Masses are live on Our Lady and St. Joseph’s Parish,

Heywood, facebook page. Watch without being a FB mem-ber; google Our Lady and St. Joseph’s Parish, Heywood,

Facebook, and click on the link.

www.catholicheywood.com Twitter @CatholicHeywood

Instagram catholicheywood (Facebook) Our Lady and St. Joseph’s Parish Heywood

www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Mass at 9.30am (not livestreamed)

MONDAY Pope St. John I Church not open Holy Hour 8.30am-Mass 9.30am, not livestreamed (no livestreamed Mass this evening)

TUESDAY St. Dunstan Church not open

Holy Hour 8.30am-Mass 9.30am, not livestreamed Rosary 6.10pm, followed by livestreamed Mass 6.30pm

WEDNESDAY St. Bernadine of Siena Church not open

Holy Hour 8.30am-Mass 9.30am, not livestreamed

Rosary 6.10pm, followed by livestreamed Mass (of Ascension Thursday) 6.30pm Learning more about our Faith, livestreamed on Facebook 7-7.45pm

THURSDAY THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD Church not open

Holy Hour 8.30am-Mass 9.30am, not livestreamed

Livestreamed Mass 11am

FRIDAY St. Rita of Cascia Abstinence from meat

Church not open Holy Hour 8.30am-Mass 9.30am, not livestreamed

Rosary and Novena to the Holy Spirit, 6.10pm, followed by livestreamed Mass 6.30pm

SATURDAY Church not open Mass at 9.30am (not livestreamed)

First Mass of Sunday 6.30pm & Novena to the Holy Spirit, livestreamed on Facebook

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Mass at 9.30am (not livestreamed)

Rosary, Novena to the Holy Spirit, Benediction, livestreamed on Facebook 4pm

At some stage, please God, the lockdown will end and Sunday

Masses and other parish activities will begin again. However, it appears that restrictions will be eased gradually.

Here are some matters we may need to address:

1) As restrictions are lifted, some may still apply to people with underlying health conditions or over a certain age. This

may well mean that many of our parishioners who carry out key roles within the parish, such as visiting the sick,

helping with communion, church cleaning, etc, cannot im-mediately resume their roles. While we welcome them

back, when they are cleared to get back involved, we will also and urgently need the support of other (younger) pa-

rishioners as well. 2) When permission is given to reopen Church, even if only

for private prayer, we will need to give it a thorough clean.

This will require some new church-cleaners to support the faithful group we have already (see above).

3) It may be that, once Sunday Masses are reintroduced, we will be told to wash down every bench after every Sunday

Mass. That also will require some extra help. 4) Obviously we will need to consider when best to celebrate this year’s First Commun-

ions, and how, in the light of whatever restrictions remain in force. 5) Similarly with baptisms.

6) At some staqe, also, it should be possible to arrange Requiem Mass/a Memorial Service in church for anyone who has died over these months of lockdown.

7) If you would be able to help us as a Minister of the Eucharist taking Holy Communion to the housebound when it becomes possible to do so, please contact Fr. Paul as soon

as possible so that the Safer Recruitment and DBS check can be put in place. 8) Most importantly, thank you for your help, practical, financial and spiritual over these

months. Do please note, also, the item below about a safe online link for donations.

Together with time, talent, treasure Many thanks for your generosity last Sunday

£311 (GiftAid) & £124 (Loose) as well as £55 in Standing Orders. Please post your offerings through the Presbytery Door (Hind Hill St). Please take out a Standing Order or ask how to

do it; email the parish office.

Alternatively you can donate via the Diocese of Sal-ford website. Click on the site

www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk and in the top right corner you will see a button marked DONATE. Click

on that, scroll down to where you are asked to enter the parish name and go from there. It takes a matter

of seconds and will help us out tremendously.

In difficult times it is charities that take a severe hit as

people are unable to donate as generously as they usually do. Remember that our parish is part of a charity and re-

lies on the generosity of people like yourselves.

If you wonder if God is calling you into His Catholic

Church, or are open to the possibility, contact Fr. Paul.

We can start to explore this together even in these days of Lockdown.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

cont’d from previous page (CCC1978-

90)

The natural law is a participation in God's wisdom and goodness by man

formed in the image of his Creator. It ex-presses the dignity of the human person

and forms the basis of his fundamental rights and duties.

The natural law is immutable, perma-

nent throughout history. the rules that express it remain substantially valid. It is

a necessary foundation for the erection of moral rules and civil law.

The Old Law is the first stage of re-vealed law. Its moral prescriptions are

summed up in the Ten Commandments. The Law of Moses contains many truths naturally accessible to reason. God has re-

vealed them because men did not read them in their hearts. The Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel.

The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit received by faith in Christ, operating through charity. It finds expression above all in the Lord's Sermon on the Mount and uses

the sacraments to communicate grace to us. The Law of the Gospel fulfills and surpasses the Old Law and brings it to perfection: its

promises, through the Beatitudes of the Kingdom of heaven; its commandments, by reform-

ing the heart, the root of human acts. The New Law is a law of love, a law of grace, a law of freedom.

Besides its precepts the New Law includes the evangelical counsels. "The Church's holi-ness is fostered in a special way by the manifold counsels which the Lord proposes to his

disciples in the Gospel".

The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" and through

Baptism: If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has do-

minion over him. The death he died he died once for all to sin but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit we take part in Christ's Passion by dying to sin, and in

his Resurrection by being born to a new life; we are members of his Body which is the

Church, branches grafted onto the vine which is himself: God gave himself to us through his Spirit. By the participation of the Spirit, we become communicants in the divine nature....

For this reason, those in whom the Spirit dwells are divinized.

The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accord-ance with Jesus' proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: "Repent, for the kingdom of

heaven is at hand." Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accept-ing forgiveness and righteousness from on high. "Justification is not only the remission of

sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.

Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God's merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles

man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1969-77)

The New Law practices the acts of religion: almsgiving, prayer and fasting, directing them

to the "Father who sees in secret," in contrast with the desire to "be seen by men." Its prayer is the Our Father.

The Law of the Gospel requires us to make the decisive choice between "the two ways"

and to put into practice the words of the Lord. It is summed up in the Golden Rule, "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; this is the law and the

prophets." The entire Law of the Gospel is contained in the "new commandment" of Jesus, to love one

another as he has loved us.

To the Lord's Sermon on the Mount it is fitting to add the moral catechesis of the apostolic teachings. This doctrine hands on the Lord's teaching with the authority of the apostles,

particularly in presenting the virtues that flow from faith in Christ and are animated by

charity, the principal gift of the Holy Spirit. "Let charity be genuine. Love one another with brotherly affection. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality." This catechesis also teaches us to deal with cases of conscience in the light of our relationship to Christ and the Church.

The New Law is called a law of love because it makes us act out of the love infused by the

Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free

from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity and, finally, lets us pass from the condition of a servant who

"does not know what his master is doing" to that of a friend of Christ - "For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" - or even to the status of son and heir.

Besides its precepts, the New Law also includes the

evangelical counsels. the traditional distinction be-

tween God's commandments and the evangelical counsels is drawn in relation to charity, the perfec-

tion of Christian life. the precepts are intended to remove whatever is incompatible with charity. the

aim of the counsels is to remove whatever might hinder the development of charity, even if it is not

contrary to it.

The evangelical counsels manifest the living fullness of charity, which is never satisfied with not giving

more. They attest its vitality and call forth our spir-itual readiness. the perfection of the New Law con-

sists essentially in the precepts of love of God and neighbor. the counsels point out the more direct ways, the readier means, and are to be practiced in keeping with the vocation

of each: God does not want each person to keep all the counsels, but only those appropri-

ate to the diversity of persons, times, opportunities, and strengths, as charity requires; for it is charity, as queen of all virtues, all commandments, all counsels, and, in short, of all

laws and all Christian actions that gives to all of them their rank, order, time, and value.

According to Scripture the Law is a fatherly instruction by God which prescribes for man the ways that lead to the promised beatitude, and proscribes the ways of evil.

"Law is an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the one who is in charge of the community".

Christ is the end of the law; only he teaches and bestows the justice of God.

Pope Francis to young people (Christus vivit 175-8)

Filled with the love of Christ, young people are called to be witnesses of the Gospel

wherever they find themselves, by the way they live. St Alberto Hurtado once said that “being an apostle does not mean wearing a lapel pin; it is not about speaking about the

truth but living it, embodying it, being transformed in Christ. Being an apostle does not mean carrying a torch in hand, possessing the light, but being that light… The Gospel,

more than a lesson, is an example. A message that becomes a life fully lived”.

The importance of witness does not mean that we should be silent about the word. Why should we not speak of Jesus, why should we not tell others that he gives us strength in

life, that we enjoy talking with him, that we benefit from meditating on his words? Young people, do not let the world draw you only into things that are wrong and superficial. Learn

to swim against the tide, learn how to share Jesus and the faith he has given you. May you be moved by that same irresistible impulse that led St

Paul to say: “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel”!

“Where does Jesus send us? There are no borders, no

limits: he sends us everywhere. The Gospel is for every-one, not just for some. It is not only for those who seem

closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming. It is for everyone. Do not be afraid to go and bring Christ into

every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away and most indifferent. The Lord

seeks all; he wants everyone to feel the warmth of his mercy and his love”. He invites us to be fearless mission-

aries wherever we are and in whatever company we find ourselves: in our neighbourhoods, in school or sports or

social life, in volunteer service or in the workplace. Wherever we are, we always have an opportunity to share the joy of the Gospel. That is how the Lord goes out to meet every-

one. He loves you, dear young people, for you are the means by which he can spread his light and hope. He is counting on your courage, your boldness and your enthusiasm.

Don’t think that this mission is soft and easy. Some young people have given their lives for the sake of missionary outreach. We hope that we can be grains of wheat and instruments

for the salvation of humanity, following the example of the martyrs. Though our faith is as small as a mustard seed, God will give it growth and use it as an instrument for his work of

salvation. Young friends, don’t wait until tomorrow to contribute your energy, your audaci-ty and your creativity to changing our world. Your youth is not an “in-between time”. You

are the now of God, and he wants you to bear fruit. “It is in giving that we receive”. The best way to prepare a bright future is to experience the present as best we can, with com-

mitment and generosity.

The Pope’s prayer for May: We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word

and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.

Let us pray for the people of the parish of St. John Henry Newman, Urmston, Davyhulme and Flixton, and for Fr. Kieren Mullarkey, their parish priest, and for Fr. David Quiligotti. We

pray for their parish primary schools and for the chaplaincy to the Trafford Hospital.

For all who live on Balmoral Drive, Braemar Close and Banff Grove.

For all with Coronavirus, and John Finn and all the sick

For Fr. Peter Gooden, Mary Williams and all who have died recently together with Kevin Barnes, Joe Hill, Michael and Hilda Clancy and all remembered at this time.

CAFOD CORNER How is CAFOD responding to coronavirus?

We have launched an emergency appeal for funds, because the impact of coronavirus in countries with poor health systems

will be devastating.

Families without enough to eat and without access to clean water, living with HIV or in cramped refugee camps, will be very vulnera-

ble to coronavirus. Our local experts are already in these communities and

ready to help those in need, prevent the spread of the virus and protect lives. Through them, you are already helping to:

Deliver food to where it is needed most. Improve hygiene, handwashing and sanitation at the community and household level.

Produce radio messages, posters, leaflets in local languages on risks and prevention.

Train community volunteers to carry out awareness campaigns.

£6 could buy a hygiene pack for a family. £33 can give a religious leader information about coronavirus, which they can share with

their community. £260 can write, edit and broadcast a 30-second radio advert sharing news about corona-

virus with isolated communities.

Pope Francis to young people, cont’d from previous page

(Christus vivit 178-82)

I have sometimes seen young and beautiful trees, their branches

reaching to the sky, pushing ever higher, and they seemed a song of hope. Later, following a storm, I would find them fallen

and lifeless. They lacked deep roots. They spread their branches without being firmly planted, and so they fell as soon as nature

unleashed her power. That is why it pains me to see young peo-ple sometimes being encouraged to build a future without roots,

as if the world were just starting now. For “it is impossible for us

to grow unless we have strong roots to support us and to keep us firmly grounded. It is easy to drift off, when there is nothing to

clutch onto, to hold onto”.

If we appreciate this, we can distinguish the joy of youth from a false cult of youth that can be used to seduce and manipulate young people.

Think about it: if someone tells young people to ignore their history, to reject the experi-ences of their elders, look down on the past and look forward to a future that he holds

out, doesn’t it become easy to draw them along so they only do what he tells them? He needs the young to be shallow, uprooted and distrustful, so they can trust only in his

promises and act according to his plans. That is how various ideologies operate: destroy (or deconstruct) all differences so that they can reign unopposed. To do so, however, they

need young people who have no use for history, who spurn the spiritual and human riches inherited from past generations, and are ignorant of everything that came before them.

These masters of manipulation also use another tactic: the cult of youth, which dismisses

all that is not young as contemptible and outmoded. The youthful body becomes the sym-

bol of this new cult; everything associated with that body is idolized and lusted after, while whatever is not young is despised. But this cult of youth is simply an expedient that ulti-

mately proves degrading to the young; it strips them of any real value and uses them for personal, financial or political profit.

Pope Francis on the Amazon & Care for our Earth (Querida Amazona 49-52)

It is not enough to be concerned about preserving the most visible species in danger of ex-tinction. There is a crucial need to realize that “the good functioning of ecosystems also re-

quires fungi, algae, worms, insects, reptiles and an innumerable variety of microorgan-isms. Some less numerous species, although generally unseen, nonetheless play a critical

role in maintaining the equilibrium of a particular place.” This is easily overlooked when evaluating the environmental impact of economic projects of extraction, energy, timber

and other industries that destroy and pollute. The water that abounds in the Amazon re-gion is an essential good for human survival, yet sources of pollution are increasing.

Indeed, in addition to the economic interests of local business persons and politicians, there also exist “huge global economic interests”. The answer is not to be found, then, in

“internationalizing” the Amazon region, but rather in a greater sense of responsibility on the part of national governments. In this regard, “we cannot fail to praise the commitment

of international agencies and civil society organizations which draw public attention to these issues and offer critical cooperation, employing legitimate means of pressure, to en-

sure that each government carries out its proper and inalienable responsibility to preserve its country’s environment and natural resources, without capitulating to spurious local or

international interests”.

To protect the Amazon region, it is good to combine ancestral wisdom with contemporary

technical knowledge, always working for a sustainable management of the land while also preserving the lifestyle and value systems of those who live there. They, particularly the

original peoples, have a right to receive, in addition to basic education, thorough and straightforward information about projects, their extent and consequences and risks, in or-

der to be able to relate that information to their own interests and their own knowledge of the place, and thus to give or withhold their consent, or to propose alternatives.

The powerful are never satisfied with the profits they make, and the resources of economic

power greatly increase as a result of scientific and technological advances. For this reason,

all of us should insist on the urgent need to establish “a legal framework which can set clear boundaries and ensure the protection of ecosystems… otherwise, the new power

structures based on the techno-economic paradigm may overwhelm not only our politics, but also freedom and justice”. If God calls us to listen both to the cry of the poor and that

of the earth, then for us, “the cry of the Amazon region to the Creator is similar to the cry of God’s people in Egypt. It is a cry of slavery and abandonment pleading for freedom”.

A Sonnet for Ascension Day by Malcolm Guite

We saw his light break through the cloud of glory

Whilst we were rooted still in time and place

As earth became a part of Heaven’s story

And heaven opened to his human face.

We saw him go and yet we were not parted

He took us with him to the heart of things

The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted

Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,

Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,

Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,

Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness

And sing the waning darkness into light,

His light in us, and ours in him concealed,

Which all creation waits to see revealed .