Fr Mario’s 10th Ordination Anniversary
On Friday 6th July 2024, the three parishes of St Anne, John and Luke joined together with Fr Mario to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Following mass the congregations gathered in St Anne’s Parish Centre for cake and refreshments.
Happy anniversary Fr Mario!
First Holy Communion Celebration
On Saturday 22nd June 2024, 21 pupils from St Anne’s Primary School will be making their First Holy Communion. Join us at 12pm to celebrate with them and their families and please keep them all in your prayers.
July Celebrations 2024
We have two special parish events coming up in July.
The first will be on Friday 5th July which is a thanksgiving mass for Father Mario on his 10th year anniversary as an ordained priest. A warm welcome is extended to our three parishes; St Anne’s, St John’s and St Luke’s. Mass will be at 7pm followed by coffee and cake in the presbytery.
On Friday 26th July (Feast of St Anne), there will be mass at 7pm followed by a social celebration in the parish hall. Our evening will include a shared table, raffle, Irish bingo plus entertainment from our talented parishioners. If you can sing, dance, play the spoons or an instrument, do magic tricks etc. please give your name to one of the parish team. All are welcome to our fun evening. Children especially welcome with an adult.
Called to the Priesthood?
Have you considered a vocation to the Diocesan Priesthood in imitation of Jesus the Good Shepherd?
For more information see our website atshrewsburyvocations.org (https://shrewsburyvocations.org/)
If you would like to explore God’s call for your life and learn about other opportunities for discernment, please email the diocesan vocations director at:
vocationsdirector@dioceseofshrewsbury.org (mailto:vocationsdirector@dioceseofshrewsbury.org) For more resources, see the National Office for Vocation at:
www.ukvocation.org (http://www.ukvocation.org/)
and
Recent Papal documents concerning the Declaration of Human Dignity
The Friends of St Eugene need your help!
This Lent, Friends of St Eugene are inviting parishioners of St Anne’s to help with their Lenten project for 2024 , The Charles Thompson Mission.
This is a local charity that helps both men and women in the most need in Birkenhead. This year they are asking for the following items:
Hats, scarves and gloves
Good quality men’s shoes size 8-11
Underwear
Socks
Men’s and ladies jeans
Joggers for men and women
Toiletries for men and women
A notice will be in the Rock on Sundays 3rd and 10th March and items will be collected on MARCH 16th / 17th
There will be large boxes at the back of church to collect the donated items.
“FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS - ON THE PASTORAL MEANING OF BLESSINGS”- here is a of clarification from the Bishop to help us understand what the document is all about:
“A week before Christmas, the Dicastery for Doctrine issued a declaration which has produced some misleading headlines in the media. The declaration far from granting any approval for same sex unions provides a theological reflection on what it means to offer a blessing (see document attached).
The declaration insists we must "avoid any form of confusion or scandal." The Church's teaching is clear and unchanging that sexual relations only
"find their natural, proper, and fully human meaning" in the "exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman." With non-liturgical blessings, the dicastery states, "there is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one's life to God, to ask his help to live better..." People may spontaneously ask for the blessing of a priest and the document states
"even when a person's relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God, as Peter did in the storm when he cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" It suffices to say, as this document indicates, we can only ever act according to the coherence of Catholic teaching as nothing could be a less pastoral than to in any way mislead souls. In times of confusion, we point to Christ who came "to save us from our sins" and so help many to hear and respond to his call to holiness not least in the beauty of holy purity and chaste love.”
If you would like to read the document in full, please click the link below.
Silent Holy Hour
Join us on the First Monday of every month for Silent Holy Hour. Held at St Anne’s Church between 7pm-8pm. All welcome!
Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary-
8th September 2023
Birthdays are great moments of joy and thanksgiving for the gift of the human person. The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Nativity/Birthday is no less a memorable day of great blessing, joy and thanksgiving. Celebrating such a wonderful birthday, the children of the Blessed Virgin Mary gather to sing with Her Her beautiful song of thanksgiving — the Magnificat, to God Who saves us.
It was with great joy to gather together at St. Anne’s Church to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a Rosary Service. The Rosary Services have become a symbol of unity for the three parish communities of Saints Anne, John and Luke in Rock Ferry, New Ferry and Bebington.
The Rosary Service for today’s Feast had people attending not just from the three Catholic parish communities of Saints Anne, John and Luke, but also people from nearby parishes of St. Joseph’s, Birkenhead, and Our Lady and St. John’s, Heswall. It was led by the Regional Dean of Birkenhead and East Wirral, Canon Niall Mullaley. It began at 2pm with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and praying the Holy Rosary for various intentions and needs of our diocese and the church in general.
Canon Niall reflected on the mystery of the Annunciation. Highlight of his reflection was on the simplicity of faith and the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The heart of Mary’s humility is her Fiat: Acceptance of God’s invitation to be the mother of the Saviour, Jesus Christ and her total trust in God Who has invited her to this. The Dean invited us all to accept with Mary God’s invitation to us and to trust with her in the Lord WHO has called us.
The Rosary Serviced ended with Benediction. At the end the Parochial Administrator, Fr. Mario invited all to the presbytery to sing “Happy Birthday” to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and treating all with Mary’s birthday cake. It was, indeed, a joyous celebration of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Rosary service
The next rosary service will be hosted at St John’s on Saturday 7th October at 10.30am to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Full details in the picture opposite. We look forward to seeing you there.
First Holy Communion
On Saturday 17th June we had the pleasure of celebrating the First Holy Communions of nine children from St Anne’s School. Congratulations to all their children who were part of this special occasion.