Anderton St Joseph's        
                Newsletter
BAPTISM OF THE LORD 

12th January 2025  

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;1 with you I am well pleased.” 
  Luke 3:15-22

Sat 11th  
17.00Vigil Mass at St Mary’s Chorley 

Sun 12thFEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD   
09.30Mass at St Mary’s
11.00Mass – Mary Fearnhead (F)

Mon 13thSt Hilary of Poitiers 

Tues 14th St Kentigern, Secondary Patron of the Archdiocese
10.00 Mass – Edward and Florence Mary Jackson (A)

Wed. 15th 

Thurs 16th 

Fri 17th St Anthony of Egypt
10.00 Mass - Kathryn Salmon 


Sat. 18th 
17.00Vigil Mass at St Mary’s Chorley 

Sun 19thSECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C) 
09.30Mass at St Mary’s Chorley
11.00Mass – Parishioners

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK AND THE HOUSEBOUND: Joan Bailey, Francis Brennan, 
Anne Byrne, Mary Patricia Case, Gerard Clarke, baby Henry Curtis, Leo Duffy, Clare Edwards, John Fearnhead, Pat Font, Tom Fraser, William Freeman, Bob Gould-ing, Rosemary Hough, 
Cathy Hull, Mary Johnston, Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly, John Kerfoot, Bill King, Emma King, Val McGlade, Janet McGowan, Fintan McPeake, Teresa Martin, Fr Laurence Mayne, Ellen Morris, Irene O'Neil, Heidi O’Neill, Barrie Swift, Josette Walsh, Lorraine Waugh, Jean White, 
all at Grove House & Marley Court. 

FIRST LUMINOUS MYSTERY OF THE ROSARY IS THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 
1.The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
2.The Wedding at Cana
3.The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4.The Transfiguration
5.The Institution of the Eucharist

Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary in 2002. These reflect upon major events in Jesus' public ministry. The Rosary now has 20 Mysteries, the others being the Joyful, the Sorrowful and the Glorious Mysteries.

BAPTISM BOOKINGS DATES: 26th January, 23rd February, 30th March, 27th April . Baptisms on these dates will take place at 12.00 noon. Could those who have returned baptism forms please let me know which date they want for their child’s baptism? 


WEEK OF PRAYER FOR THE UNITY OF CHRISTIANS starts on Sat.18th January until 25th January. We pray for all our churches in Adlington and Chorley. We thank God for the understanding and peace that we share with each other here. 

CATHOLIC PICTORIAL Please take a free copy of the Catholic Pictorial, you can find one in the narthex. This month’s edition tells the story of Jack Traynor, a First World War soldier, 100% invalided out with appalling injuries. He travelled by train as a bedridden patient in the first ever Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1923. His miraculous healing began during the Blessed Sacrament procession. The January edition of the Catholic Pic is also available to download; : https://tinyurl.com/5cksvjda

ARCHBISHOP MALCOLM McMAHON OP has combined the parishes of St Catherine Labouré, Farington with St Mary’s, Euxton. The new parish will be known as “St Mary and St Catherine” and will ‘belong’ to the family of parishes with St Agnes, Eccleston; St Gregory, Chorley; St Oswald, Coppull; and SS Peter & Paul, Mawdesley.

DIACONATE INFORMATION EVENING FOR MEN is being held with the Archbishop. on Thursday 30th January at St John’s in Wigan: St John’s Presbytery, 13 Powell Street, Wigan, WN1 1XD. Wives and fiancées very welcome
If you would like more information, please contact c.fallon@rcaol.org.uk  

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION: REGISTRATION OPEN 13 Jan - 17 March 2025
If you are a baptised Catholic in Year 8 or above and wish to be confirmed, please register with Liverpool Called at liverpoolcalled.co.uk We would be grateful if those 
attending schools other than Holy Cross would also let the parish office know of their registration.

  
QUOTATIONS FROM THE CATECHISM AND THE FATHERS ON BAPTISM: 
CCC 1213: Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." 

CCC 1216 Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift..We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.


THE BAPTISM OF INFANTS  
1250 Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. the Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth.
1251 Christian parents will recognize that this practice also accords with their role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them.
1252 The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole "households" received baptism, infants may also have been baptized.

CCC 1271 Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: "For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.” "Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn." 

“Whoever goes down into these waters of rebirth with faith renounces the devil and pledges himself to Christ.” + St. Hippolytus, priest (170-236 A.D.)
“Our Lord commanded us to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” + St. Hilary, bishop (315-367)  
“We receive the sacrament of baptism only once because there was only one death and one resurrection for the salvation of the world, and baptism is its symbol.” + St. Basil the Great, bishop (329-379)



PEACE SUNDAY 19th Jan. The theme for the 2025 World Day of Peace is "Forgive us our trespasses: Grant us your peace". The message emphasizes the importance of listening to the needs of humanity and seeking justice. It also calls on people to open their hearts to others and forgive those who have wronged them. 

The process is underway for the appointment of a NEW ARCHBISHOP OF LIVERPOOL. 
You are invited to have your voice heard. There will be a meeting, held with the blessing of Archbishop Malcolm, on Thursday 16th January 2025 at St Mary’s Leyland, PR25 1PD (19.00-21.30). Firstly, we will begin by looking at where we are as a diocese and our future development and secondly we will consider the qualities needed in our future Archbishop. This is open to all members of the Archdiocese.. 

“The catechumen believes in the cross of the Lord with which he too is signed, but unless he is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit he cannot receive the forgiveness of sins or the gift of spiritual grace.” “As Moses in his role of prophet threw wood into the spring of Marah, so also the priest sends out into the fountain of baptism the proclamation of the Lord’s cross, and the water becomes sweet, ready for the giving of grace.” + St. Ambrose, bishop (340-397)
“Christ is the first to be baptized, then, so that Christians will follow after him with confidence.” “Someone might ask: Why would a holy man desire baptism?‟ Listen to the answer: Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched.” + St. Maximus of Turin, bishop (380-465)
“Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.” “As we have died with Christ, and have been buried and raised to life with him, so we bear him within us, both in body and in spirit, in everything we do.” + St. Leo the Great, pope (400-461)
“In place of earth the Spirit reopens heaven to us and gladly admits us into paradise, giving us even now greater honour than the angels, and by the holy waters of baptism extinguishing the unquenchable fires of hell.” Didymus of Alexandria, bishop (313-398) 

PUBLIC NOTICE: A red Volkswagen Fox car, Glasgow registered, SH11 CLZ has been left on the church car park for the last two weeks. It has been reported to Police. It will be removed and disposed of after 12th Jan.  


CHORLEY AND PRESTON HOSPITALS: Please contact St Joseph's Chorley (262713) if any member of your family is admitted into Chorley Hospital and needs a visit. In urgent cases or emergency please ask the ward staff to call the duty Chaplain on his bleep/phone. For the chaplaincy service at Royal Preston Hospital Tel: 01772 522435. For the chaplaincy service at Wigan Infirmary Tel: 01942 822324. 


Parish Priest: Fr Francis Marsden
Secretary: Mr Frank Webster 
Parish Office: St Joseph’s Presbytery, 28 Bolton Road, Adlington, PR6 9NA
Wednesdays 10.00-13.00
Tel: all calls now to 01257- 262537 (St Mary’s Chorley)

E-mail: stjosephs.anderton@tiscali.co.uk
Parish Website: www.stjosephsanderton.com

ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL Registered Charity No. 1199714
























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