Weekly Blog: Divine Mercy Sunday

by | Apr 18, 2020 | Parish Newsletter

19 April 2020: Divine Mercy Sunday: Divine Office Week 1

Masses

Please see the calendar for Mass intentions this week.

The great news is, we are now offering the opportunity for you to participate in the Mass with Fr Darren Carden, via Zoom, every day at 9:00 am or on Sunday at 11:00 am. This isn’t a pre-recorded video of a Mass with no participants, this is a live video conference with local parishioners participating from their own homes.

All you have to do is click here about 10 or 15 minutes before the Mass starts, so we can get you sitting comfortably before we begin.

Caveat: there is a lot of stuff on the internet about the security of Zoom meetings.  We set ours up with the help of a tech professional, who works with major educational establishments and several police forces who use Zoom regularly.  Following his advice, we have set ours up to ensure minimal chance of disruption.

There is also some concern about the security of Zoom with some Apple devices, in that it is (or was – Zoom were working on a fix) possible to hack in to some Apple devices via Zoom. We are assured that you’d need to be a military grade hacker to do any real damage, and those people are unlikely to be interested in us. The Government is using Zoom for cabinet discussions and consultations.

Mass Intentions

If you want Mass said for a particular intention, then email it and we’ll publish the intentions in the calendar.

Your Prayers are asked for:

Lately dead:

Peter Higgins, George Gibson, Catherine Watts, Winnie Christopherson, Joe Malt, Arthur Stovold

Those Whose Anniversaries are at this time:

Eric Jakubowski, Matthew Murray, Sophie Gallagher, Thomas Sheridan, Michael Partridge, Edmund Clarkson, James Mason, Herbert Keenan and Mary Armer.

The Sick of the Parishes:

Brian Byrne, Sarah Adam, Veronica Law, Dennis Brown, Graham Jubb, Paul Shuttleworth, Keith and Alexa Wightman, Sarah Mason, Cynthia McPherson, Kevin Casey, Esther Castle, Chris Broadhurst, Joan Randall, Hazel Waring, Eric and Nina Ireland, Frances McKenzie, Sandie Hardy, Elizabeth Ackerley, Pepe Casanova, Karen Parkinson, Margaret Aspin, Bruce Kay, Colette Calveley, Lucy Ball, Maggie Trimble, Pauline O’Toole, Roberta Whiteside, Alan White.

St Joseph’s Choir

Featuring our own Ruth Lowe – here is the choir of St Joseph’s, Skerton, singing As the Deer.

Taking Care of Vulnerable Members of our Communities

Our thoughts have now been drawn to cohorts of people in our community who may be starting to struggle who have perhaps not struggled or needed to ask for help before and maybe don’t know how:

  • Families or individuals who have now been furloughed and are awaiting their 80%.
  • Families or individuals who have been made redundant and are awaiting benefits.
  • Self employed people with no savings.
  • New business owners with no working capital.

These people may now suddenly find themselves in nil income households whilst waiting for central government support.

Lancaster City Council has set up a 7-day telephone and email help line to make sure people can get reliable support:

The phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and every Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 3pm. The hours are being kept under review and they may extend them in the future.

A new website, www.lancasterdistrictcovid19.org.uk has been created for agencies to refer someone for emergency food. If anyone needs help, they can find the contact details of people and organisations who can refer them. If they don’t have access to the internet they can telephone the food hub on 01524 932001.

In addition to the regular Community Offers Bulletin that we are sending out, Lancaster City Council have a dedicated website (link below) where people can find out how to get emergency food, business grants, business rate relief and advice and guidance.

http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/environmental-health/emergency-planning/coronavirus

If you know of any families or individuals that come into the categories above and now find themselves starting to struggle, please encourage them to seek support and advice as detailed above.

 

 

God bless, stay home, stay well.