As the Assisted Suicide Bill progresses through the Lords, Peers have made it clear that receiving physical letters will have the most influence at this stage of the process. Please take action now using the Right to Life UK tool to send a letter…

Doors open at midday. Mass with Bishop Paul will be at 2pm. Come and see the place, take part in some activities, and enjoy afternoon tea.

Holy Mass at St Mary’s, Fernyhalgh, Preston, PR2 5ST at 11am followed by a Blessed Sacrament Procession down the lanes to Ladyewell for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The Principal Celebrant is Bishop Paul Swarbrick.

All welcome.

St John Boste Parish Pastoral Council AGM on Thurs 25 Sept at 7.30pm in the Haydock Centre, Penrith. All welcome!

Afterwards, there is the usual PPC meeting for PPC members.

26-28th Sept at Castlerigg Manor. £65 all inc. or £40 for students/unwaged. This is the first in a new series of dedicated training weekends for young adults (18-30).

Weather permitting, there will be a family walk, games in the park at Lowther. Read more for details …

Will you help your neighbours today? A better world needs all of us. This Family Fast Day, you can make a difference.

There will be a short talk after Mass and envelopes will be distributed on 28 September or you can give online here: https://cafod.org.uk/give/appeals/family-fast-day-appeal

A Curry Aid evening in aid of two schools in India - see March blog post.

Tickets are selling fast …

There are still spaces on the Youth Ministry team at Castlerigg Manor for the coming year. You should be aged 18-25, able to commit for a year, and be open to growing in your faith. It’s a great chance to learn some new skills, make some friends, and be part of a dynamic team based in the Lake District.

Come to the day of recollection and discernment! The day is for single men 16 years or over who are considering priesthood: Saturday 22 November 10am – 4pm at the Cathedral in Lancaster. To book email Heather.Watts@lrcd.org.uk or Tel: 01524 841190. There is no charge.

Christ the Good Shepherd Parish in Workington are organising a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2026 which is also open to any interested parishioners from our churches.

Two young saints will be canonised by Pope Leo XIV this Sunday. You can watch the canonisation on the Vatican You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxIsefyl9g9A5SGWA4FvGIA

We ask for their prayers.

May the lives of Carlo and Giorgio inspire us, especially the young, to draw ever closer to Christ.

The programme of preparation begins with an introductory meeting for those who have registered with Deacon David, at 6pm on Tues 16 Sept in the Haydock Centre.

Your donations to Gaza since the start of the conflict have been a vital lifeline. Despite the restrictions on aid coming into Gaza, CAFOD's local partners are working tirelessly to help people. You can find out more about how you can make a difference in Gaza at cafod.org.uk.

A huge thank you to everyone for their very kind donations over the last 12 months. Your donations have enabled the Monze Mission Hospital in Zambia to buy a much-needed blood gas analyser for the neo natal unit. This will hugely improve the diagnosis and treatment of vulnerable newborns, especially premature babies….

The wooden font has now been removed. Richardson’s have cleaned and made good the old stone font that had been out in the garden and placed it in the baptistery area. Mike Slessor has repainted the IHS symbol. Read more to learn the significance of this symbol …

We have found woodworm in our church benches again. Sadly, it has also been found in the font & the wooden plaque on the wall beside it. All the church benches will require a complete strip down to bare wood, chemical treatment and then resealing. Over the coming weeks, you will see more benches removed, with chairs in place instead. The font will be removed soon to assess possible treatment and reduce the potential for the woodworm spreading. We are investigating a proposal to renovate the old stone font and install it in place of the wooden font.

Many thanks to all those who helped in any way with the fair, to those who brought items to sell and raffle, and to those who came and spent their hard-earned cash. Your hard work and generosity raised £846.09 for parish funds.