St James Bootle
Christmas
Christmas
St James Bootle
4th Sunday of Advent
4th Sunday of Advent
St James Bootle
3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
St James Bootle
2nd Sunday of Advent
2nd Sunday of Advent
St James Bootle
1st Sunday of Advent
1st Sunday of Advent

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

A father had three sons. One day he said to them. “Go and work in the vineyard today.” The first said, “Sure, Dad.” But didn’t go. The second said, “I won’t go.” However, later in the day he changed his mind and went grudgingly. The third said, “Sure , Dad.” And he went immediately and willingly. Which of the sons will feel closest to the father at the end of the day? The third, of course. The more we do the will of God out of love, the more we will appreciate his love for us. Lord, save us from the darkness of broken promises, and help us to walk in the light of faithfulness.


Family Fast Day

Next Friday, 6th October, is Harvest Family Fast Day. As we have not received any donation envelopes, we will have a simple second collection on Sunday 8th October for the work of CAFOD.


Thank you 

Ann Kirby and the Lourdes group would like to thank you all for your generosity and prayers in helping us get to Lourdes. We remembered you all in our prayers and lit candles for your intentions.


St James' at World Youth Day 

Among the 1.5 million young who gathered in Lisbon for this year’s World Youth Day were Jack and Harry from our parish church of St. James’ Bootle. Click the link below to learn more about St James' visit to the largest event for young people organized by the Catholic Church.

Appeal for Altar Servers 

We would like to recruit more Altar servers for our weekend Masses. This is open to boys and girls who have made their First Communion. Training will be provided. If interested, give your name to Fr Jakub.

Centenary Mass at St Monica's 

The Parish of St Monica will celebrate Centenary Mass to commemorate 100 years since opening in October 1923. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon will celebrate Mass at St. Monica's - 7:00pm on Friday, 6th October 2023, followed by refreshments in the Parish Centre.
All are invited and welcome to join for this great parish celebration.

St James' at World Youth Day

Every occasion of World Youth Day is special. It is not only because it offers a platform for young people from different nations to meet and interact. But most importantly, it offers young people an opportunity to grow and appreciate the beauty of their Catholic faith. This includes participation in prayers and liturgies (the Eucharist), Catechesis, and the sacrament of reconciliation. Among the 1.5 million young who gathered in Lisbon for this year’s World Youth Day were Jack and Harry from our parish church of St. James’ Bootle. They were happy, overwhelmed, and inspired by what they experienced. Their testimony shows there is a glimpse of hope for the Church! According to Jack and Harry, this year’s World Youth Day in Lisbon was unique and special.

It was the most populated event in the Catholic Church since the pandemic. After its postponement from 2022 to 2023 due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an opportunity for young people to hear the word hope. Coincidentally, the theme “Mary arose with haste” encompassed the message of hope and courage. Pope Francis in all his addresses to the young people kept re-echoing the words, “Do not be afraid.” He invites the young people to imitate Mary who did not focus on herself and her own worries and fears about her new condition, but entrusted herself completely to God and even went with haste to help Elizabeth. In his homily on the Feast Day of the Transfiguration in Parque Tejo, Pope Francis concluded, “Dear young people… it is no longer I, but Jesus himself who is now looking at you. He knows each of your hearts, each of your lives; he knows your joys, your sorrows, your successes, and failures…today, he says to you, here in Lisbon, at this World Youth Day: “Have no fear, take heart, do not be afraid.” For the young people who are leaving the tough reality of today’s world; the effect of the pandemic, series of wars, forced migration, climate change, and poverty, these words became like an oasis in the desert. They become a source of hope and courage to face these tough times with their gaze on God.

It is also important to know that, providentially, this year’s World Youth Day countered the contemporary opinion that the Church is dying. The myriads of about 1.5 million young people gathering together in the name of God show that the Church is still alive or perhaps in the process of rejuvenation.

To conclude, while this occasion reflects a ray of hope that the Church is still alive, it also presents a challenge. The challenge is that this reality calls for more work from the Church and her leadership toward listening to these young people, accompanying them in the various places they can be found on the journey of faith and finding meaning in life.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways.
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts,” says the Lord.
How small our thoughts can be and how poor our ways of seeing and judging. We think miserly thoughts and act in miserly ways. Why?
Because we have small minds and small hearts.
Lord, open our minds and enlarge our hearts so that we think more like you and act more like you. Let us not begrudge your goodness to others, knowing that we too are undeserving of your favours and stand more in need of your mercy than of your justice.
Amen


First Communion

The chance to make First Communion is being offered to pupils in Year 5 in Primary school. The Parish programme takes place in All Saints school. If your child attends a different school please get in touch with us to make arrangements for Catechesis.

Funeral 

The Funeral service for John Garrett will take place here in St James’ on Tuesday, 26th September at 11:45am. Please remember John and her family in your prayers.

Appeal for Altar Servers 

If anybody would like to become an altar server please see Fr Jakub

Centenary Mass at St Monica's 

The Parish of St Monica will celebrate Centenary Mass to commemmorate 100 years since opening in October 1923.
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon will celebrate Mass at St. Monica's - 7:00pm on Friday, 6th October 2023, followed by refreshments in the Parish Centre.
All are invited and welcome to join for this great parish celebration.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

Forgiveness of another is difficult. It’s much easier to remain angry. Let us reflect, today, upon the calling God has given to us to forgive to the fullest extent. If we still sense anger in our heart toward another, let us keep working at it. Let us forgive over and over.

My forgiving Lord, I thank You for Your willingness to forgive me over and over again. Please help me to forgive all people to the same extent that You have forgiven me. I forgive all who have sinned against me, dear Lord. Help me to continue to do so from the depths of my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.


Home Mission Sunday

This year’s theme: Evangelisation ‘in the heart of the family’. Many children and young people will never see their parents receive the sacraments. Every Catholic who goes to Mass knows someone who currently is distant from the family of the faith - the parish community. On 21 September 2014 the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales ask that Home Mission Sunday is celebrated in every parish to invite prayer and support for the work of evangelisation.

Please pray for and help the Bishops to develop new ways to reach out to non churchgoing (lapsed) Catholics by supporting the second collection. For more information, free resources and to donate online click the link below. The Bishops of England and Wales ask that every parish prays for the work of Home Mission (evangelisation) today. The second collection is to support the development of new ways of reaching out to the estimated 4 million non churchgoing (lapsed) Catholics.


Funeral 

The Funeral service for Tracy Naylor will take place here in St James’ on Thursday 21st September at 12 noon.

Please remember Tracy and her family in your prayers.


Lourdes 

Prayers and best wishes to our small Parish group who are off to Lourdes on Monday.
We wish them a safe journey and prayerful time.
Say one for us!

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

The great desire of Jesus is to be with us and to invite us to enter into a personal relationship with Him, a relationship of love. When a person knows they are truly loved, a new confidence abounds. St John Bosco, the great patron saint of young people and of education, once said: “Without confidence and love, there can be no true education. If you want to be loved you must love yourselves, and make your children feel that you love them.”


Reminder

The Relics of the Scottish Saints will be visiting the Cathedral on Monday 18th to Thursday 21st September. Welcome Mass on Monday 18th at 5pm, and closing Mass on Thursday 21st at 12.15pm.

All are welcome to visit the Relics in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the Cathedral.



Education Sunday 

Today we celebrate Education Sunday. Education Sunday, at the start of the new academic year, offers us an opportunity to pray to Almighty God for all people involved in Catholic education, to celebrate the achievements of the past and to ask Our Lord to bless the work of the year ahead.

The mission of our Catholic schools, colleges and universities is to provide a holistic education which enables the lives of children and young people to flourish and for them to be formed into the men and women that God the Father has created them to be.



The Sick List 

About six months ago, I asked if any of the names could be removed from the sick list, but got no response. As we are rapidly running out of room on the list, I’m appealing to you again to let me know if any names can be taken from the list. For instance, are there any babies who are no longer babies or no longer sick?

Please let me know. Thank you!

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

There is a way of losing by gaining. You can win an argument but lose a friend. Through competition and promotion I may advance in my profession but in terms of relationships I am impoverished. My energies are so focused on efficiency and success that I haven’t time to grow emotionally and to develop my capacity for relationships. In one’s drive to attain power, a person may sacrifice friendship and loyalty, so much so that one ends up alone. Lord, let me never forget your haunting words: “What good will it do you to gain the whole world if you lose your soul?”



The Relics of the Scottish Saints

As part of their tour, the Relics of the Scottish Saints (St Andrew, St Margaret and St Columba) will be hosted at the Metropolitan Cathedral from Monday 18 – Thursday 21 September. 

A welcome Mass will be held on  Monday at 5pm - 7pm, and a closing Mass will be held on Thursday at 12:15pm - 1pm.

During their time at the Cathedral, all are welcome to visit the Relics in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

New community members 

A warm welcome to the two new community members at St James' - Bro David Maric from Croatia and Bro Solomon Tivlumum from Nigeria. The two Salesian brothers will stay with us for the year and will be involved in the chaplaincy at Saint John Bosco Academy and in our parish.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

Peter has been called a stumbling saint. He is a great consolation to us because courage fails us all. All of us are mere mortals who are inconstant in our beliefs. We must learn to forgive ourselves momentary weaknesses and failures. We need to surmount these things and see the world in less rigid terms. We must not judge ourselves, or others, by momentary inconsistencies but rather by commitment given over a long time. Jesus was well aware of Peter’s faults but he saw that, in spite of everything, his heart was sound. Which meant he had the ability to love and in the long run, love is what counts.


Lourdes Reunion Mass  

St Mary's Church in St Helens will be holding a Lourdes Reunion Mass on Sunday 10th September. The Mass is open to everyone and all are welcome, but it is aimed at those who went to Lourdes this year. Please share the details with your congregation: It's on Sunday 10th September 2023 at St Mary’s Church, Lowe House, St Helens WA10 2BE at 5pm.


RCIA

All RCIA coordinators are invited to a meeting with the RCIA core group for training, updates and a general catch-up. Dates and locations:

  • 18 September: 6.45pm - 8pm - St Joseph’s Church, Wrightington, WN6 9PA

  • 25 September 6.45pm - 8pm - St Bede’s Guild Hall, Widnes, WA8 6EL

  • 30 September 11am -12.30pm - Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, L3 5TQ

Please email rcia@rcaol.org.uk to sign up for the event. We have 5 candidates for this year’s course. There is still time to join if you wish to. See Rita or Fr Duggan for details  

Two new community members 

Fr Provincial sent word today that two new brothers will join our community in the next few weeks. Bro David Maric from Croatia and Bro Solomon Tivlumum from Nigeria.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net cast into the sea which catches all kinds of fish. When it is full, the fisherman hauls it ashore. Then he sits down and sorts out the good fish from the bad. The good he keeps, the worthless he throws away. In a sense all of us are fishers. Each day we cast our net into the sea of life and at the end of the day we have a catch, sometimes small, sometimes large. May we take time to sift through that catch and may you, Lord, give us the wisdom to know shat to keep and what to throw away.


Farewell  

Farewell to Brother Nhan and Brother Reuben who are soon to leave our Salesian community. After the summer holidays they will be in London to continue their priestly studies. We wish them all the best and thank them for all their work while they’ve been here.

St Margaret Clitheroe Centre 

At the Centre, our officers are here to support all of our parishes and clergy. We welcome any questions or ideas from anyone. Please send any questions or ideas to communications@rcaol.org.uk and we will collate all submissions and share them in our communications to you. We can’t guarantee to implement all ideas, but we will discuss all at our monthly SMT meetings.

Salesian magazine 

The latest copy of the Salesian magazine is available, free, from the back of church. Please help yourselves to a copy.

Summer Parish Camp at St James’, Bootle

Summer holidays lift the spirits. There is time to relax, explore new places, and meet with friends. It can also be a time of spiritual renewal, as we now have more time to pray. Ideally, the two things could be put together. And what better way to do that than a parish camp? In July a group of young people from Bootle did just that, as they joined the parish summer camp organised by St James’, Bootle.

Each day of the camp was different but had a common start. We would always start with a moment of prayer led by Bro Nhan and Bro Reuben. The Salesian brothers led the reflection and invited us to raise our minds and hearts to God. This was followed by a catechism session from Fr Jacob. We have spent some time reflecting about questions such us: why did God make us, how can we serve Him and how can we show our love for neighbour. Catechism finished, we headed to the church to assist at the parish Mass.

The Eucharist was without a doubt the most important part of each day. It was an opportunity to meet with Our Lord in the moment of quiet and prayer and to unite with Him. Don Bosco used to say: “If you want many graces, pay many visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament; if you want few graces, pay him few”. Our daily visits during Mass were certainly rewarded, because what followed was a time of joy, friendship and great happiness felt by all.

After Mass there was a trip, a different place each day. On Wednesday we went to Southport. We have started with a game of bowling. It’s true, you don’t need rippling muscles, or to run fast, or to be able to do a handstand to enjoy bowling. But it’s very exciting, nevertheless. Before long, a new talent was discovered - Bro Reuben beat everyone by 50 points! What followed was a game of laser tag. And this time the young people were definitely at an advantage. After thirty minutes of jumping, moving and ducking it was clear that they are unbeatable, and the team of staff had no chance. We all had a great time and it was a great bonding experience.

After the games we headed to Nandos for lunch. This is a South African chain that specialises in Portuguese flame-grilled chicken. The food can be very spicy, but most of us went for a mild option. There was a great atmosphere. We were still talking about bro Reuben’s bowling achievements when our chicken arrived. Great time, lots of laughter, a great way to end the day.

The following day we headed to Speke, an area in the far south of Liverpool. This is the home of Ninja Warriors obstacle assault course, as seen on the popular TV show. The young people spent the whole afternoon exploring the inflatable park and tackling the huge selection of obstacles and challenges. The course had varied difficulty levels so everyone found something that helped them master their inner Ninja. We have finished the day with a meal, full of excitement and grateful for the time spent together.

The final day of our camp had something very unique to offer – a Virtual Reality experience. This involves wearing a head-set that allows you to see and experience different places as if you were there.  While different rides were available, our personal favourite was the Rollercoaster Simulator. This brought us virtually 400ft above the beautiful Liverpool City centre. The experience was very believable and immersive. People held tight to the moving chairs, while taking in the views before plummeting down vertical drops, loops and corkscrews. A very unique experience, indeed! Other rides included Star Wars, diving under the ocean and a ghost train. A lot of fun!

We finished the day with a meal from McDonalds, the camp was now complete. We are very grateful to all those who supported us and made it possible to run all the activities we have planned. In a particular way we want to thank the Salesian Youth Ministry Office. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Salesian Academy of St John Bosco and the Parish of St James’. Thank you also to our local Youth Active Team for their presence and support throughout the camp and of course to our Salesian Brothers - Nhan and Reuben. Our young people had a fabulous time and it wouldn’t be possible without you, may God bless you!

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reflection

Reflecting on the years he spent in labour camps, Alexander Solzhenitzyn has this to say: I learnt one great lesson from my years in prison camps. I learnt how a person becomes evil and how he becomes good. Gradually I came to realise that the line which separates good from evil passes not between states, or between classes, or between political parties but right through every human heart. Even in hearts that are overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained and in the best of all hearts, there remains an unuprooted small corner of evil.

St James' Parish Camp  

Congratulations to the 16 young people who have completed our summer parish camp last week. It was lovely to see them in church and out and about going on different trips for the last few days. Each day they had an opportunity to pray together, assist at Mass, do catechism lessons as well as have a lot of fun at the trips and games organised by our team. We hope that it was an opportunity to grow in Christian faith and build new friendships. A big thank you also to our Youth Active Team for their support and presence!

Thank you

Many people congratulated and thanked us for the brilliant way we prepared for, and staged, the Ordination and First Mass last weekend. This was the result of some very hard work over a period of months, as well as more sustained work in the days leading up to the events. I would like to thank all those involved in the preparation. You did a marvellous job and I thank you for your generosity. For fear of leaving anyone out, I won’t name names. But you know who you are, and you should be proud of yourselves. The Parish of Saint James is now firmly on the map!

Click the link below to watch Fr Ste's first Mass.