Dates for your diary:
Fr Conor will celebrate his 25th anniversary of his ordination on Wednesday 15th June. Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday 7pm in St Matthew’s. The celebrations will continue on Friday night with a party in St Paul’s Club. Tickets available now.
Queens Jubilee:
St Matthew’s school are inviting you to come along and celebrate the Queens Jubilee with them on Thursday 26th June, 10am in the school hall with a Morning Tea. All welcome, if you would like to attend please let the school office know on 228 1871.
The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ:
Are celebrating their Silver Jubilee of their Missionary presence in the UK. Mass will take place on Saturday 2nd July at 10am in Sacred Heart Parish, Hanley, Stoke on Trent, ST1 3DB. If you would like to go please give your name to Jimmy or Pat in St Cecilia’s or Ann Carter in St Matthew’s.
Link to Hope Appeal:
After sending the £917.40, we received another £45.00. So, the overall total sent from our parishioners has increased to £962.40. Thank you!
Recruitment Boy & Girl Choristers 2022:
Do you know a child who would like to be a chorister at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King here in Liverpool?
The search is now on for our next generation of Boy and Girl choristers. We are recruiting: Boys currently in year 2 & 3 Girls currently in year 5 All choristers are educated at Runnymede St Edward's Catholic Primary School (boys, yr 3-6). St Edward's College (boys & girls, yr 7-10) meaning that a first-class Catholic chorister education for boys and girls in Liverpool is available at no cost. If you know of a Catholic family who might be interested in this wonderful opportunity, please share this information with them. Full details of choristerships at the Metropolitan Cathedral can be found at: https://www.liverpoolmetrocathedral. org.uk/music/joining-the-choirs
The Universe Catholic Weekly:
is thrilled to announce that we have launched our new online newspaper with the full support of our first subscriber none other than His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Order your Digital 4 weeks FREE trial supply by calling Michelle on 0743 661 7650 or email: michelle.jones@ universecatholicweekly.co.uk
CAFOD: The paradox of abundance:
Over 800 million people go hungry each day. Yet the world produces over 4 billion tonnes of food and we only need 3.7 billion tonnes to feed everyone. From all this food produced, a third is wasted. St John Paul II called this ‘the paradox of abundance.’ Clearly the current global food system is not working. But as Pope Francis said, "Each of us has a role to play in transforming food systems for the benefit of people and the planet." Let’s respond to his call! CAFOD’s new campaign is called Fix the Food System. See www.cafod.org.uk/food for more information, including an invitation for parish groups to learn about the impact of our food with our Fix the Food System: a 7-station journey resource.
Pray in May with Mary’s Meals :
In this month dedicated to Our Lady we invite you to join us in praying for the work of Mary’s Meals, a mission carried out in Our Lady’s name to feed children a daily school meal in some of the world’s poorest communities. This meal brings children into the classroom where they can get an education, offering hope of a better future. Our work began with prayer, and prayer has sustained our rapid growth - from feeding 200 children in 2002 to feeding over 2.2 million children today. Please join us in praying for:
all the children who receive Mary’s Meals
all those who have grown up eating Mary’s Meals and gone out into the world as adults
all the children still waiting for Mary’s meals, that we will be able to reach them soon.
Mary, our Mother, we entrust to your intercession this work carried out in your name; that children throughout this world will see their lives transformed through the promise of a daily meal at school; that the Mary’s Meals volunteers
Knitted Squares:
Thanks to the parishioners for the squares they have knitted to make into blankets for vulnerable children in South Africa and to assure you that we are still collecting them and sending them on. To date we have received over 33,000 squares from parishes in and around Liverpool which have been made into 937 blankets as well as knitted toys hats etc. I can also assure you they have been very well received. If you can help Many thanks, Cath Riley
Gift Aid:
Would you like to be part of our Gift Aid scheme?
You are under no obligation to pay a certain amount or even pay every week, but we can claim 25% back on all your donations each year. You just have to be a tax payer.
For more information or to request a form please contact the Parish office on 228 1310 for a form.
UKRAINE APPEAL
HOW CAN I HELP?
As the ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to occupy our thoughts and prayers, we are publishing various ways you can help:
DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee):
The DEC brings together 15 leading aid charities at times of humanitarian crisis overseas.
Donations to the DEC go to our members to spend directly or through trusted partners in the field. Members include: CAFOD, British Red Cross, Save the Children, Action Aid plus many more.
There are many ways to donate:
Call : 0370606900
Visit: www.dec.org.uk
Cheque: Can be sent to DEC, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA
Text: Text Help to 70150 to donate £10
(plus 1 standard network message)
Ukrainian Community:
based in St Sebastian’s Parish. If you can offer help or support contact Fr. Taras on 07784634136 or by emailing:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
First Holy Communion:
Will take place on:
Saturday 7th May (4M) & Sunday 8th May (4R) - St Matthew
Saturday 21st May (4.1) & Sunday 22nd May (4.2) - St Cecilia
The Archbishops council have updated their advice for parishes with immediate effect:
- Face coverings are strongly recommended for all those who come into church for all services.
- There should be the opportunity offered to sanitise hand before and after entry to church.
- There should be a return to the normal mode of celebrating Mass and other liturgies. Holy Communion will remain under one kind only.
- There is no need for any social distancing in churches, but if a section can be offered that would be a sensitive gesture.
- Good ventilation should continue (balancing the need for church heating at this time.)
St Joseph’s Prayer Centre:
Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, St. Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Freshfield, is again open for visitors. We offer a warm welcome for people to enjoy a place of peace, harmony, and hospitality. We provide accommodation for residential retreats (for weekends or longer), meeting rooms for day groups, and we also welcome individuals seeking a quiet space for prayer and reflection. The Prayer Centre is located within the beautiful National Trust Nature Reserve at Freshfield, Merseyside. Further information is available on our website: www.stjosephsprayercentre.com
Tinned Potatoes, Toms, Carrots, Peas, Sweetcorn
Mashed Potato
Fruit Juice
Coffee
Curry and Pasta Sauce
Custard
Cup a Soups
Noodles
Jam
Please donate items to North Liverpool Foodbank, Clubmoor Community Centre, 16 Larkhill Lane, Liverpool, L13 9BR. Alternatively, a number of local supermarkets have a collection point / trolley near the exit were donations can be left.
Polite reminder:
Face coverings remain mandatory for all those coming into Church.
Lourdes Youth Pilgrimage 2022:
If you are aged between 15 and 22 and would like to be a part of the Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes in July 2022, applications will be available online from 4th October. The cost of the pilgrimage is £540. For more information visit www.liverpoollourdesyouth.co.uk
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Liverpool:
Are looking for volunteers to assist at the hospital. Duties will include way-finding and general assistance around the wards. If you would like to become a volunteer or for more information, please contact David Lee, the Volunteer
Co-Ordinator on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Standing Order:
HSBC are going through some changes which effects us in the way we deposit our weekly offerings.
Have you considered setting up a Standing Order? Your offering can be made weekly or monthly on a date that suits you and can be cancelled at any time. If you would like a form please contact Lyndsey on 228 1310.
Job Vacancies:
The archdiocese have numerous job vacancies available. For more information please visit www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/jobs
St Cecilia’s Parish Club:
If you would like to book the function room contact 228 1679.
YouTube:
If you still feel unable to attend Mass, you can watch Mass each Sunday on our YouTube channel ‘Cecilia Matthews’
Gift Aid:
If you do not already gift aid your weekly offerings could we ask that you please consider signing up for Gift Aid. This enables the parish to receive an extra 25% on top of your offering. If you would like more information please contact the office for a form.
Archbishop Charles Heerey (Caring Aid) Online Prayer Group:
We, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary would like to invite all our interested Parishioners to a group prayer meeting.
Initially this will be an online group meeting via Zoom. If you would like to know more, please register with a mobile number & email address.
God bless, Sr Mary Priscilla Ohawuchi, IHM
07368 155 194 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please visit our website to read more about our projects: www.caringaid.org
Fundraising
The Sisters are also fundraising for their charity Caring aid, which helps different project worldwide.
Pens: Please take a pen and make a free donation to support our work for the vulnerable people around the world.
Boxes: If you would like to take a box home to support poor families.
Or you could become a regular supporter of our education fund for children from poor and less privileged families in Nigeria. £10 a month can support a child in nursey or primary school.
For more information on our charity work & projects please visit our website www.caringaid.org
Mary’s Meals:
Since our humble beginnings, Mary’s Meals, named after Mary the Mother of Jesus, has been built on a foundation of prayer and the many little acts of love from those who support us. This May, the month traditionally dedicated to Our Lady, we invite you to join us in prayer to celebrate the wonderful work of Mary’s Meals and give thanks that we are now reaching more than 1.8 million children with a nutritious meal in 19 countries every school day. We also pray for God’s continued blessing on our beautiful mission, that through His providence it will always flourish, enabling us to reach more hungry children. You will find inspirational resources for our Pray In May campaign, including our prayer card, on our website: www.marysmeals.org.uk
Thank you:
A big thank you to our stewards and volunteers, thank you for helping our Churches to stay open and keeping us safe.