We wish you a very happy Easter, please come and visit us soon...
Jesus is truly risen!..Alleluia, alleluia...
Mass and service times for this coming week can be seen HERE and you can read Fr Kevin's Desk HERE
Missing Persons?
Perhaps you have noticed that someone who is regularly at Mass is not there. Perhaps you know that a parishioner is unwell or unable to get out. We would willingly contact or visit them either at home, in hospital, hospice or care home but cannot do so without their request. Telling us is the first step - please let the office know their name and contact details by telephone or email.
The second step is to ask them to let us know they would like contact in the same way.
Assisted Suicide Legislation – update
The important vote for all MPs on the assisted suicide legislation, known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, is likely to take place on 25th April.
The charity Right to Life UK has a simple online mechanism to allow people to contact their Member of Parliament and it only takes a few moments to submit a message to ask an MP to stop assisted suicide being rushed into law.
It can be accessed here: https://righttolife.org.uk/asvote.
Also, to let you know, Right to Life is distributing postcards to parishes for the lay faithful to send to their MPs on this subject.
A range of further resources on opposing assisted suicide is available https://www.cbcew.org.uk/opposing-assisted-suicide/
Archdiocese Pilgrimage to Rome in November
More places have become available for the Pilgrimage to Rome in November. Dates are Friday 7th - Thursday 13th November.
Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further details and booking forms.
Christ the King School
On Wednesday 7th May Christ The King Catholic High School are raising money for CAFOD and Woodlands Animal Sanctuary by way of a Metric Marathon Relay.
22 CTK pupils will embark on an 11 leg relay starting at Southport Pier and finishing at the CTK gates on Bentham's Way.
Please support our runners and these fantastic charities by visiting our Just Giving Page https://www.justgiving.com/page/jason-oliver-4?newPage=true
Christ the King Leavers Class of 1981.
Those with a 60th Birthday between Sept 2024 and Aug 2025. 31st May 2025 from 7.30pm, The Vincent Hotel, Lord Street. Tickets £15. Poster at back of Church for more details
Arts and Crafts Please sign up for Emmy's next Arts and craft session on Monday 28th April 10am-12pm in the Parish Hall. We will be making sustainable spring wreaths. Basic materials are provided but please feel free to bring along any coloured paper, glue, scissors or any items from the natural environment that you might like to include.
This is a free event but donations for Emmy are welcome.
New to the Parish?
Parish Sale Some beautiful Nao figurines have been donated to the Holy Family to sell for Parish funds.
They will be on sale for between £5 and £10 on Saturday 24th April and Sunday 25th April.
We also have some more religious artefacts which will be available over the same weekend.
You are warmly invited by the Deanery Synodal Council
to the following talk as part of its support for adult faith formation
‘Defending our Faith in Today's World ‘ – The Nature and Role of Apologetics:
What is it? What is it for? What qualities make it effective? Led by John Sullivan
Saturday 10th May, from 2.00pm – 3.30pm at St John Stone hall, Sandbrook Way, Woodvale, Southport, PR8 3RN
All are welcome; no need to book in advance.
Jubilee Year Hymn
We will be learning the Jubilee Year hymn Pilgrims of Hope over the next few weeks and singing it many times this year.
You will also hear it in any of the Jubilee celebrations. If you would like to become familiar with it - please go the Jubilee Year website and search for Jubilee Hymn OR go to YouTube and search for Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee Hymn 2025 where you can listen to it. Or CLICK HERE to listen to a version.
Next Family History session...please note
due to unforeseen circumstances, unfortunately the Family History Sessions will be taking a pause for a while - keep an eye open for a notice which will go into the bulletin when they restart.
Piety Stall
There is now a selection of cards for Mother’s Day, Easter and First Communion in the card racks in the Narthex.
New Missals There are missals which were ordered awaiting collection in the Sacristy. Please pay the £20 to the Office.
There are 3 spare missals on order, due next week. If you would like one, please contact Athena to reserve it.
VE Day celebration
We will be holding a special VE Day coffee morning after both the 9.30am Mass and the 11am Mass on Sunday May 11th.
Come along to the Parish Hall to join in. Please let us know if you are able to bake a cake or make some scones for the occasion. If you have any memorabilia from the Second World War, we would love to display it during the morning. Bring any items along from 9am on the 11th. If you attend the 6pm Mass on Saturday then why not consider coming back to the Hall on Sunday to join in. All welcome.
Swap Shelves
We have been given quite a few more books and jigsaws for our Swap Shelves in the Parish Hall.
It is usually open between the Masses on a Sunday morning. Come along after the 9.30am Mass or before the 11am Mass and take a book, leave a book or pick up a jigsaw. Tea and coffee are served and it is a very sociable time for all.
Holy Family Heritage
Following the success of our Heritage Project Christmas Film and display, we would like to continue this theme by asking parishioners to donate any old photographs, original or copies, that you might have of Holy Family Church or School over the years.
We want to create a Parish photographic archive. Any information that you can provide about the images would make them even more interesting. When was it taken? Who are the people? What was the event?
We would also like to create a Holy Family 'Weddings through the Years' display. Did you get married at Holy Family? Could you donate a photograph of the special day with some information? It will be interesting to see how the interior of the Church has changed and how fashions have changed! Photographs can be left in the sacristy or office.
Please leave your name and contact details but remember that the photographs will not be returned.
Thanks to all who donate to the upkeep of our lovely church, so that everyone can enjoy its healing presence...
you can donate ONLINE to Holy Family...
Bellringers
One way of letting the local community know that the church is active, and a Mass or service is about to take place, is by the ringing of the bell. But it can also help those in earshot, and perhaps housebound, know what is happening at that moment. With the longer ringing before Mass and the two rings of three at the Consecration, it can mean that they can be involved because of this, and feel connected.
We do have some of the Masses covered, but if you would like to volunteer, particularly if you attend a Mass where the bell is not rung, for either before Mass, and/or at the Consecration, please contact the Parish Office and a short instruction, if necessary, can be given, and to help us to know who could ring for each Mass.
News from our Schools
We wish you all a Happy and Holy Easter.
We hope you have enjoyed your holiday.
Volunteers needed
Would you able to join our Parish health and safety team? We need a small group to help carry out regular health
and safety checks in the parish. Would you be interested in taking on a role in Catechesis? We need people to help with our Baptism and First Holy Communion preparation.
Do you have a skill, or knowledge, you would like to share at a Meet up Monday?
Parish Finances
In addition to all our fundraising during 2024, the following cheques have been sent covering July to February 2025.
Peters Pence £195.66
Provision for Priests in Retirement £385.46
Home Missions £40.00
Catholic Education £166.71
APF Missions £279.75
Mary’s Meals £234.90
Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers) £575.32
CAFOD £522.54
LEPRA £307. 45
In addition to this is the regular donations of cash, gift vouchers and food donations to the SVP which is given out as it comes in.
A sincere thank you on behalf of all those people locally and around the world who benefit from your continued generosity.
Support for the divorced and separated
The Restored Lives course is run over six weeks, one evening per week. The talks cover the key issues to help you to move on and highlight the practical steps and tools to enable you to tackle the issues that arise from separation and divorce. For more information contact Maureen 0767753371
Uniform Hub
A reminder that our Uniform Hub is open Tues-Friday 10am to 12noon at 17A Cambridge Walks for all your pre-loved school uniform needs. No appointment or referral is needed and you can bring an item with you to swap, make a small donation or take free items. It is for the whole community as so many of us hate to see waste and find ourselves being stretched to afford the very costly unforms and sports kits. Donations of blazers from Y11 school leavers (good condition only) are welcome at this time of the year.
You may not be able to give financially,
but there are other ways you can help the parish, like donating your time, or your prayers, which are more needed than ever in all sorts of ways. We want to thank all our parishioners for all the ways that they make us a community, looking after each other, and beyond...
SVP notices
I would like to thank everyone involved over the years who have contributed their time and material help in order to improve the lives of so many local people and families in need. Please read the SVP REPORT which shows some of the needs and work done in our area.
Please do keep the vouchers and donations coming in and if anyone would be interested in becoming a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, please contact Athena in the parish office for more details.
May God Bless and reward you all. Fr. Kevin.
- Offertory Envelopes
Thank you to all those who donate via offertory envelopes. Could I also suggest that you give some thought to changing your weekly contributions from cash to standing order. It is a real benefit to the parish and much easier to administer. Please contact the parish office for more information. -
Gift Aid
If you already have a standing order, or are thinking of making one, also please consider the possibility of GiftAiding your donations, if you are able to do so. Kathy and John Bowers have very kindly agreed to administer our Gift Aid scheme on behalf of the Parish, and you can find out more information HERE or by contacting the Parish Office. - There's a Free Job Club being run in conjunction with Christians against Poverty, at St John's church Ainsdale. If you think you could benefit please have a look...
Do you know someone in hospital, or about to go into hospital?
The chaplaincy team are here to help YOU.
CLICK HERE for more information