Welcome to Holy Family in Southport...
Please come and pay us a visit, we'd love to see you...
Welcome to Fr Henry Nevin who is with us until mid August...
while Fr Kevin is on his sabbatical .
Mass and service times for this coming week can be seen 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.
Have you got a couple of hours to spare after 09:30 Mass on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday? We have a growing number of people who are housebound, sick or in care homes who really appreciate a visit for prayer or Holy Communion. We need people who would be willing to accompany one of the Eucharistic Ministers as visits are always done in pairs.
There is no requirement for you to become a Eucharistic Minister, although that possibility is open if you might want to consider it. Please email the Parish Office or come and see Karen in the IT Confessional if you might be interested.
Church open afternoon Sunday 13th July at St Elizabeths Scarisbrick from 2-4pm.
The church will be open, and there will be a guided tour at 3pm and will have a display of old photographs, a cakes stall, and a book & jigsaw stall.
Copies of the Church History and the History of St Mary's school will also be on sale Entrance is free and there will be refreshments in the church garden.
New Boiler
We are delighted to let you know that following all your wonderful fund-raising efforts and the securing of a major grant, the installation works for the new boiler began on Monday 30th June. The works will last for approximately 8 weeks and we will keep you updated on progress.
There should be no disruption to normal church activity as the work is taking place largely outside and in the boiler house.
Are you over 16 and good with IT?
We need people to help with projecting the Mass and hymns on Saturday evening and at 11:00 Mass on Sunday. It would lovely to have a rota of keen young adults who would like to help.
To find out more, come and see John & Karen in the IT confessional if you might be interested.
Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes
There are prayer cards at the back of the Church for any petitions you would like taken to Lourdes in July.
Archdiocesan 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. for further details and booking forms.
Family & Social Group Stays at Castlerigg this August
Castlerigg Manor is a Catholic residential youth centre in the Lake District and it’s opening its doors to family groups and social groups this August.
There are single rooms, twin rooms, and large family rooms at very cheap rates.
Guests have access to the grounds, chapel, games room, and lounges, with Keswick and the Lake only a short walk away.
For more info CLICK HERE
Holy Family is hoping to start a Baby and Toddler Group from September 2025
which would be on Wednesday mornings from 10-11.30am. We are looking for volunteers who could give up a bit of their time on a Wednesday 9.45am-11.45 to help set up on the day, make tea/coffees and toast, supervise and help clear away. If you would like to get involved please contact the Parish office.....We would love you to join us! Regular volunteers will need to go through the Archdiocesan DBS safeguarding check. This will be done via the Parish and there is no cost to you. We are also looking for donations of nearly new toys that we could use. A sturdy car garage and some cars, a doll's house, children's books, a small slide, train track etc. We would be so grateful for any donations.
Many thanks Kimberley Mounsey-Iles.
Faith in Action At Holy Family
We are very lucky to have 16 young people between the ages of 11-18 who have been helping in the Parish for the last year. They have been working towards their 'Faith in Action' awards doing many jobs such as serving, greeting, helping with the technology, preparing the music area, playing music, helping with Children's Liturgy, doing the collection, reading, helping with the Fairs and with the teas, coffees and bacon butties. (Phew!)
To complete this year's awards, they have to create a final piece of work that explains what they have been doing and how this has impacted their faith. The pieces are then sent away to the Archdiocese for moderation. We will hold an award ceremony for all our candidates in September, when Father Kevin returns, and we hope to share all the final pieces with everyone then.
Iridium Concert
Sunday 13th July, 3pm, in Holy Family Church. £5 per family, payable on the door. Join us for an afternoon of Vivaldi and Grieg.
Yes, that's right £5 per family, fantastic value!!
New to the Parish?
Emmy's next Arts and Crafts session
is on Monday 28th July from 10am-12pm in the Parish Hall. This is an event for everyone.
Why not come along and bring a friend. No experience is needed. This month we will be designing and painting some items for our gardens or even just to pop in our windows!
Bring along your own terracotta pot or bring a selection of pebbles to paint. We can even leave the stones outside in the community for people to find and take home as a random act of kindness.
Don't forget to sign up on the sheet in the porch to reserve a space.
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.
Piety Stall
There is a wide selection of cards for all occasions in the card racks in the Narthex.
Congratulations to our Scouts
and especially to Laura Healy our Beaver Leader. Following last July's tragic events in Southport, our Group designed a commemorative badge which they then sold to Scout Groups across the country to raise money for the families affected.
They presented a cheque for £5,173 to Southport Hesketh Round Table for their fund. Thanks, must also go to Martin Adamson and George Wright for looking after the online admin and finances.
A fabulous achievement!
DATES for the diary
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- Parish Summer Afternoon Tea with tombola on Saturday August 30th from 1pm-4pm. This is instead of a Summer Fair.
We will soon be asking for offers of help from anyone willing to make some scones and cakes for this event. There will also be a tombola so please begin to put any bottles and new or nearly-new gifts to one side. We already have enough toys to run our children's tombola! - Holy Family will be taking part in the Heritage Open Week on Sunday September 21st. More details to follow.
- Parish Summer Afternoon Tea with tombola on Saturday August 30th from 1pm-4pm. This is instead of a Summer Fair.
Youth 2000 Summer Festival 2025 Taking place in the grounds of Ampleforth College from Friday 22nd - Monday 25th August, the Youth 2000 Summer Festival provides young adults (aged 16-35) from across the UK the opportunity to come together and explore faith.
This four-day festival includes great speakers, social time, break-out sessions, Daily Mass, 24/7 Adoration and much more!
Register your place at: youth2000.org/events/summerfestival2025.
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
Another busy week…starting with a beautiful Mass for St Peter & St Paul, led by Y4 and Fr Henry,
followed by a musical extravaganza from Y4 and then our Oscar winning KS2 play – ‘Porridge!’
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