Praying Together...

 

The Holy Family

CLICK HERE for the Holy Father's prayer for peace...

2025 – The Jubilee year of Hope

As Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica, the evening of 24 December 2024, he ushered in the widely-anticipated 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
With the liturgical gesture of the Door's opening at the start of the Christmas Mass during the Night, as explained in the papal bull for the Jubilee Spes non confundit, the Pope inaugurated the Ordinary Jubilee, a historic event taking place every 25 years.

The Ordinary Jubilee will conclude with the closing of the same Holy Door on 6 January 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Pope Francis Prayer intention for January 2025: For the right to an education 

Let us pray for migrants, refugees, and those affected by war, that their right to an education, which is necessary to build a better world, might always be respected.

from Fr Kevin's Desk - a weekly reflection, and more.. 

Fr Kevin McLoughlin

(18th Jan 2025)

Next weekend as I will be taking my post-Christmas break, Fr. Peter Otuonkpaikhan who is a Spiritan Priest formerly known as the Holy Ghost Fathers, will be here to celebrate the Masses and make an Appeal on behalf of their community. I know you will make him very welcome.

I also want to share with you that in line with the Synod and an emphasis on care for priests, that on Sunday 11th. of May, the week of my 69th birthday, I will begin a three-month Sabbatical. Sabbatical, in reference to priesthood and religious life, is a period of time away for reflection, rest and renewal of mind, body and spirit. Sabbaticals should be taken every 10/15 years and can range from a few months up to an entire year and often include the opportunity to travel. I had hoped to have taken a sabbatical prior to arriving at Holy Family but Covid prevented this. In July, during my Sabbatical, I will celebrate 28 years of priesthood and as this will be my first, I am sure you will agree that it is overdue.

I hope to be spending much of this time with the Redemptorist community at St. Mary’s Monastery in Kinnoull Scotland. They have a well-established Sabbatical program which I feel is ideal for me at this stage of ministry. There is also the opportunity for a retreat. During my short absence, I am pleased to say that there will be a resident priest at Holy Family to take my place, and I will share more details of this closer to the time.

I am extremely grateful to Archbishop Malcolm and equally grateful that the life of the Parish is both fruitful and stable, thanks to everyone’s involvement and support. And it is in large part due to this level of stability and support that the time felt right to take a Sabbatical, not to mention my getting older!

‘Gracious God, we praise you that day by day you are at work in our lives, transforming them beyond all our expectations. We praise you for the way that despite ourselves you have called us to faith, breaking through our doubts, our stubbornness, our selfishness, and pride, drawing us to Christ.

Help us to keep a firm hold of the conviction that you can continue to change us, that whoever we are, whatever we do, whatever we face, nothing is outside the scope of your renewing power. Amen.’ (N. Fawcett, Prayers for all seasons)

God Bless, Fr Kevin

We have a Deanery Patron, Carlo Acutis Carlo Acutis.

Born in London in 1991 and raised in Milan, to parents who were not particularly religious. From an early age, Carlo displayed a keen interest in Catholic religious practice requesting First Holy Communion at 7, frequently attending Mass each week and making a weekly confession. He lived a fairly routine life, but maintaining a keen interest to use media to evangelize and proclaim the Gospel, setting up a website for this purpose. When he developed leukaemia, he offered his suffering to the Pope for the Catholic Church. You can read more about our Deanery journey HERE.

Please read and pray about what we can all do in response to the urgent needs of some of our local people.

We are blessed that Southport North SVP which covers the parishes of St Marie’s, St Patricks and Holy Family is very active enabling us to support those in need in Southport in countless ways. 

Last year we regularly visited and/or maintained telephone contact with over 80 parishioners who were self-isolating and/or lonely.

We helped more than 140 families and individuals in financial need, making over 1300 visits and supplying 550 food parcels/ food vouchers, 50 fuel top ups as well as well as numerous items of furniture, bedding, electrical and household goods. 

We continue to deliver good quality adult clothes to Asylum Link who are now supporting Ukrainian families as well as other refugees.

The “cost of living” crisis is having a significant impact on everyone but is particularly hard for those who have to choose between eating or keeping warm. In each of the last 4 months we have supplied 10 food parcels and 45 food vouchers/fueltop ups (an increase of around 30% compared to last year) at a cost of over £1000 per month and we expect demand to continue to increase. 

We are very grateful to those who have supported us over the last year, financially, by food donations and by prayer, however if we are to continue supporting current demand we need your help –

There are several ways in which you can assist

  • Donations (or standing order) direct to our Nat West account: Sort Code: 60-60-04 Account Number: 46084509
    Account Name: D100907 SVP Southport North

  • Vouchers (Preferably £10 or £20) from Farmfoods, Asda, Morrisons or Aldi

  • Cash or cheques in an envelope clearly marked “SVP”  

  • Please place cash/cheques/vouchers in the collection plate/SVP wallbox or hand into St Marie’s/Holy Family Office

  • Food:  We welcome non-perishable food donations which can be collected by prior arrangement (please see list at back of St Patrick’s)

  • Adult Clothing: We collect good quality adult clothing and shoes for delivery to Asylum Link in Liverpool 

  • Please pray for the work we do and those in need – never underestimate the value of your prayer, it can make a real difference.

  • If you wish to speak to a Southport North SVP member we can be contacted on 07562378873 or through the St Marie’s/Holy Family Office. All requests are treated in strict confidence.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Please pray and let the Holy Spirit lead you! 

Please don't forget to pray for our schools

We pray for protection for all teachers, staff, pupils and their families as they attend and work in school, and look after our younger members as they start their life journeys.

We especially pray for our own schools of Holy Family and Christ the King.

Adopt a Care/Nursing Home

We all have a calling, and have been given gifts and talents to use in service to others in our daily lives.

"But I'm not special, I can't do much."

If that's what you're thinking, think again. The most powerful thing we can do, with the help and strength of the Holy Spirit, is to pray, and hold up in prayer those in need throughout our parish and beyond. This is the very meaning of community, we pray for them, visit them and keep in touch as much as we can, and they pray for us, as parish even though they might not be able to actually get to church. So we feel part of their lives, and they feel part of ours

With this in mind we have compiled a list of care and nursing homes in our parish, and ask you to adopt one.

Those residents, carers and their families especially need our prayers at this time.

Could you adopt one to protect with a prayer each day? Perhaps one near your own home or with a special meaning to you? 
If you can, please let us know so we can make sure no one is left out. 

  • Acacia Court (Roe Lane)
  • Ascot Lodge (Chambres Rd.)
  • Blair House (Roe Lane)
  • Cedar Grange (Pilkington Rd.)
  • Dale Park (Meols Cop Rd. )
  • Good Companions (Roe Lane )
  • Hampton Court (Scarisbrick New Rd.)
  • Peacehaven House (Roe Lane)
  • Thomas Henshaw (Norwood Rd.)
  • Woodlands Manor (Chambres Rd.)
  • Lyndale (Rawlinson Road)
  • Poulton Court (Wennington Road)
  • Southport Hospital
  • Queenscourt Hospice