Parish Newsletters
15th Sunday of the Year (B)
13 July 2024
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEK
One of France’s greatest scientist was Louis Pasteur who lent his name to the process of pasteurising milk. He became well known in his lifetime receiving National Honours in recognition for his scientific achievements.
One day he was travelling by train and was reading the Bible to himself. The man who happened to be sitting next to Louis Pasteur did not know who he was but saw that he was reading about Jesus feeding 5000 with five loaves and two fish...
14th Sunday of the Year (B)
7 July 2024
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
In 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot dead while he was celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel in the capital city of the Central American country of El Salvador. He was killed because he complained about the treatment of the poor by the government and the army of that country.
On 8th July in 1979, nine months before he was killed, the Archbishop talked about the witness of Christians, and he even used the phrase “if they kill your Bishop”.
Saints Peter & Paul
29 June 2024
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
In celebrating Saints Peter and Paul together this weekend rather than on separate Feast Days we are reminded that discipleship of the Risen Lord Jesus is something we do together.
Christianity is never simply a ‘me’ and ‘Jesus’ relationship.
Peter, who had spent three years with Jesus and Paul, someone who never met Jesus in the flesh, and was only called to the Faith after the Ascension has occurred. Paul was a highly educated Pharisee and Peter a humble, ordinary fisherman running the family business.
12th Sunday of the Year (B)
22 June 2024
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
In the Liturgy of the Word for this Sunday we will hear God’s power over storms.
The Lord addresses Job out of a storm (First Reading). Jesus is in a boat with his disciples during a storm (Gospel) and in Psalm 106 sailors “cried to the Lord in their need.”
The Word of God hushes the storm and stills the sea. In the midst of the storm Job, the sailors and the disciples all receive, at least, a glimpse of who God is and experience God’s kindness and wondrous deeds.
The Parish of Haigh, Aspull & Blackrod
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was founded in the mid 1850's and is part of the R.C. Diocese of Salford. The Church was blessed and opened in 1858, the year of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes. The Church was re-ordered in the 1990's and several new stained-glass windows were installed, some made in Blackrod, and are an interesting feature of the Church.
Holy Family Parish, New Springs, was funded from Our Lady's in 1898 and in 2009 clebrated the Golden Jubilee of its Church. The community of Blackrod, Bolton, had a chapel-of-ease from 1960 to 2009 when St. Andrews Church Hall was closed.
All three areas - Haigh & Aspull, Blackrod and New Springs are now served from Our Lady's.
Rev Kevin Foulkes
48 Haigh Road
Aspull
Wigan WN2 1YA
TEL: 01942 516732
Mass Times
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
6.00pm
9.30am
11.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
11.00am
Haigh
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Haigh
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday
11:30 - 12 noon
As announced
Haigh
Holy Family
A Parish History ~ 1858-2018
Mr Livesey & Mr West have worked with local parishioners to produce a book about the history of our parish and school, they have kindly allowed us to reproduce an electronic version of their book, available on the Parish Page, CLICK HERE to read it.
If you would like to purchase a hard copy of the book CLICK HERE
Forward...
It is a privilege and honour to write the forward to the Parish History of Our Lady’s Parish, on its 160th Anniversary.
It has also been a privilege and honour, and a pleasure, to serve as Our Lady’s Parish Priest since 1997 – following in the footsteps of my twenty-six predecessors.
Saint Peter writes ‘He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house.’ (Peter 2:3-5)
We are the living stones of this Christian community – commissioned as ‘missionary disciples’ to be Christ’s ‘ambassadors’ (St. Paul Cor. 5:20) in loving witness, worship and service to our community.
There have been many changes over these 160 years – in the Church, Society, Education and the design of Our Lady’s Church. The priests and people of Our Lady’s Parish have experienced many joyful family and Parish celebrations but also wars, peace, poverty and economic depressions, through twelve Pontificates and six Reigns – and we too are facing a challenging time for the Catholic Church. Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman wrote that ‘To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often’.
And so, building on and celebrating our heritage – the stones of Our Lady’s Church, and the ‘living stones’ of our dedicated, faithful and often courageous priests, parishioners and teachers in our Parish School we can face the future with confidence. We do so knowing that Jesus, Our Risen Lord, has promised to be with his Church forever. (Matthew 28:20)
I commend this publication to be read and enjoyed by everyone.
Many thanks to Phil Livesey and Neil West for their initiative to begin and to bring this book to completion and to all who have collaborated with them, with their own very interesting and often amusing memories! God bless you all.
Fr Kevin C. Foulkes