Roman Catholic Church

ISLE OF MAN

Welcome to the official website of the
Roman Catholic Church on the Isle of Man.

 The Isle of Man is one of the 18 pastoral areas which make up the Archdiocese of Liverpool,
and on the Island there are 7 Roman Catholic churches

For details of PUBLIC WEEKDAY AND SUNDAY MASSES at a church near you, please CLICK THE ‘READ PARISH NEWSLETTERS’ BUTTON BELOW, and select the LATEST NEWSLETTER for your area, or SCROLL DOWN and look at the GREEN BOXES where you’ll find NEWS HEADLINES from our churches around the Island, for the coming week.

Our Lady Star of the Sea
and St Maughold, Ramsey
St Patrick’s, Peel
Parish Priest
Father Brian O Mahony CSSp
T: (01624) 813181
E: ourladystarofthesea@rcaol.org.uk

St Mary of the Isle and St Joseph, Douglas
St Anthony’s, Onchan
Parish Priest and Area Dean:
Monsignor John Devine
T: (01624) 675509
E: saintmaryiom@rcaolp.co.uk

St Mary’s, Castletown
&  St Columba’s, Port Erin
Parish Priest
Fr Joseph Kiganda CSSp
Deacon – Rev’d Alan Molloy
T: (01624) 822272
E: saintmarycastletown@rcaolp.co.uk

READ PARISH NEWSLETTERS

THANK YOU FOR VISITING US!

YOU’VE REACHED THE INFORMATION HUB
FOR ALL OUR ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES

MASSES  IN St MARY & St JOSEPH,  DOUGLAS
Saturday at 5pm   Sunday at 11am

NO MASS on Monday 27 September
Mass – Tuesday to Friday at 12.10pm
7pm – Start of Novena to Mary Untier of Knots
to be led by Bishop Tom Neylon

MASS IN St ANTHONY’S, ONCHAN
Sunday Mass at 9.30am
Friday 1 October  – Requiem Mass at 10am

MASS TIMES in the NORTH and WEST
Sunday Masses
St Patrick’s, Peel at 9am   
Our Lady Star of the Sea, Ramsey at 11am

Weekday Mass in St Patrick’s, Peel
Monday & Tuesday at 12noon
Thursday & Friday at 12noon

Weekday Mass in Our Lady’s, Ramsey
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday at 10am
Wednesday at 7.30pm
Saturday at 12.30pm & 6.30pm

COVID NOTES:
PLEASE sanitise your hands on entering and leaving the church and practise reasonable social distancing.  Wear a mask if you wish –  a mask not only protects the wearer but also reduces the spread of infection to others

ALL MASSES IN St MARY & St JOSEPH, DOUGLAS
are live-streamed, at the following times:

SATURDAY EVENING AT 5pm

SUNDAY AT 11am

MONDAY TO FRIDAY AT 12:10pm

VIEW LIVE STREAM

WE WELCOME our ‘Live Stream’ church family
Thank you for joining us – we are pleased to receive your prayer requests, or just to have an email chat.
Email direct to our Parish Office,
using the CONTACT tab 

MASS TIMES in the SOUTH
Sunday Masses 
St Mary’s, Castletown at 9am
St Columba’s, Port Erin at 11am

Weekday Mass in St Mary’s, Castletown
10am on Wednesday,Friday  & Saturday

Weekday Mass in St Columba’s, Port Erin
 10am on Tuesday & Thursday 

NOTE – The Novena to Mary Untier of Knots
is an all-Island call to prayer – we look forward to seeing
as many of our churches represented,  as possible.

 


Greetings
from Monsignor John

26th September  2021
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Day of Special Prayer in Thanksgiving for Harvest and Fruits of Human Work
World Day for Migrants and Refugees
Year B for Sundays – Cycle I for Weekdays

Dear Parishioners,

Bishop Tom Neylon, our newly ordained Auxiliary Bishop, is currently visiting the Island. On Thursday afternoon he enjoyed meeting senior parishioners at a special Afternoon Tea for the over eighties at St Anthony’s Pastoral Centre. He described how he only ever knew one of his grandparents and she lived a long way away in Ireland. Quoting Pope Francis he said that grandparents now live longer and healthier lives and play an important role in bringing up their grandchildren. It was a really enjoyable afternoon. Canon Brendan and Fr Brian were also present.

During his visit Bishop Tom has attended the formal re-opening of St Mary’s Primary School after a major remodel. The following is an official press release from the Manx Government and the Archdiocese: 
– An Isle of Man primary school has been officially reopened after a £4.5m project to transform its aging and cramped facilities into an environment fit for 21st century learning. The work at St Mary’s school in Douglas has seen five new classrooms built with modern breakout areas, the main hall extended and access improved across the split-level site. Other improvements to the 60-year-old school building included a new roof covering, windows and disabled toilet blocks. Headteacher Donna Martin, said: “Children are at the heart of everything we do at St Mary’s and it is fantastic that they can now be taught in such a high quality and inclusive learning environment – fit for the 21st century. The improvements enable staff and pupils to work in a more creative and collaborative way and we are proud to be able to use them daily for the benefit of all our pupils and staff.” Before the work was completed the multi-level school was difficult to navigate and some classes were taught in an outdated mobile classroom. A Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) spokesperson said: “The major investment has transformed once inadequate facilities into a bright and modern learning environment. It also means the school can accommodate more children in future years – increasing the learning opportunities on offer.”

The school on Somerset Road, is under the trusteeship of the Archdiocese of Liverpool but is maintained by the DESC.

Bishop Tom Neylon, who attended the opening, said: “It was a pleasure to be at the reopening of St Mary’s school. The redevelopment will provide an incredible amount of benefits for both pupils and staff to develop in their studies and faith. The increase in capacity at the school is a positive step forward for education on the Isle of Man, and particularly Catholic education.” Currently 229 children are attending the Roman Catholic school although the works mean it can comfortably accommodate up to 350 going forwards.

On Friday evening Bishop Tom visited the South of the Island to celebrate 7.00pm Mass at St Columba’s followed by supper with parishioners from Castletown and Port Erin. On Saturday evening Bishop Tom is due to celebrate the 5.00pm Mass at St Mary’s to dedicate a plaque in memory of Fr Leslie Daley and the parishioners of St Joseph’s Willaston. This event is to be followed by drinks and nibbles when Bishop Tom hopes to chat with those present.

On Sunday morning he will celebrate the 9.30am Mass at St Anthony’s, Onchan before travelling to Our Lady of Star of the Sea, Ramsey.

On Tuesday at 7.00pm at St Mary’s he will lead the first day of our Novena to Mary Untier of Knots.
Bishop Tom has had additional official appointments during his stay on the Island and is hoping to snatch some free time for himself before returning to a hectic diary in his new role as Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool.

To read the rest of this week’s news CLICK HERE

Fr John 

Monsignor John Devine OBE MA VF
Saint Mary of the Isle   Hill Street       Douglas      Isle of Man     IM1 1EG

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A MESSAGE FROM CAFOD LIVERPOOL:

CAFOD’s Family Fast Day is on Friday 1 October.

This Harvest the focus is on the climate crisis which is affecting us all.
Last week Archbishop Malcolm met school children at the Cathedral to send out a message to the World Leaders ahead of COP26.

The short video clips can be seen here:
EYES OF THE WORLD
SHARING THE MESSAGE

CAFOD is helping people all over the world to adapt to climate change and protect our common home. This Family Fast Day, if you can, please donate using a CAFOD climate crisis appeal envelope or online at cafod.org.uk/climatecrisis to help communities affected by the worst impacts of the climate crisis. You can also add your voice to our online petition calling for the British Prime Minister to show leadership in tackling the climate crisis at cafod.org.uk/Campaign.

We are so grateful that the Catholic community on the Island has supported CAFOD’s work throughout the difficult circumstances of the pandemic. Thank you too for your generosity for our emergency appeals to support our sisters and brothers in crisis in Afghanistan and Haiti. You can read more about CAFOD’s response at cafod.org.uk/emergencies. 

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Pope Francis has designated 1 September 2021 to 4 October 2021 as the Season of Creation.

Fr Dave Heywood of the Archdiocese Environmental Task Group shares his thoughts on CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day:

As we enter the last week of the Season of Creation, we are invited to give thanks to God for the gift of creation and the fruits of the earth which sustain us. In the UK, for the last sixty years, the Catholic Church has marked harvest time by observing CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day on the first Friday in October. So, this coming Friday, 1 October, we are invited to give thanks by going without a meal or some form of amusement and giving what we save in this way to CAFOD. CAFOD uses our offerings to help those across the world who don’t have access to the fruits of the earth because of extreme poverty, food shortages, conflicts and natural disasters.

You can find out more about this Friday’s Fast Day BY CLICKING HERE

Prayer for CAFOD’S Harvest Fast Day
Walk beside us, Lord,
in the cool of the day,
in the garden you have created as our common home.
Walk beside us, Lord,
as the cries of the forest pierce the dawn,
and flames rip through our common home.
Grant us courage, Lord,
as we walk beside all those who struggle to protect our common home.
Grant us hope, Lord,
and the vision to walk dark paths in the light of a single sunbeam.
Grant us grace, Lord,
to put the flourishing of all people and the wonder of your creation
at the heart of all we do,
as we strive to be guardians of our common home.
St Francis, pray for us.

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COVID REMINDERS

Our volunteer stewards continue be present at each Mass to remind you to sanitise your hands on entering and leaving the church and to practise reasonable social distancing.  You are also encouraged to wear a mask if you would like do so, bearing in mind that a mask not only protects the wearer but also reduces the spread of infection to others.  The obligation to attend Sunday Mass is still suspended.

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In January this year, Pope Francis instituted a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
This special day took place this Sunday 25 July,
close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
The chosen theme is “I am with you always”.
You can read and/or download Pope Francis’ message for the first ever World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
BY CLICKING HERE

PRAYER FOR THE FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

I thank You, Lord, for the comfort of Your presence: even in times of loneliness,
You are my hope and my confidence; You have been my rock and my fortress since my youth!
I thank You for having given me a family and for having blessed me with a long life.
I thank You for moments of joy and difficulty,
for the dreams that have already come true in my life and for those that are still ahead of me.
I thank You for this time of renewed fruitfulness to which You call me.
Increase, O Lord, my faith, make me a channel of your peace,
teach me to embrace those who suffer more than me,
to never stop dreaming and to tell of your wonders to new generations.
Protect and guide Pope Francis and the Church,
that the light of the Gospel might reach the ends of the earth.
Send Your Spirit, O Lord, to renew the world,
that the storm of the pandemic might be calmed,
the poor consoled and wars ended.
Sustain me in weakness and help me to live life to the full
in each moment that You give me, in the certainty that you are with me every day,
even until the end of the age.
Amen.

A Friendship Blessing – from Anam Cara:
A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’Donohue

May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul
where there is great love, warmth, feeling and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant or cold in you.
May you be brought into the real passion,
kinship and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
May they bring you all the blessing, challenges,
truth and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging
with your anam ċara.

“PEACE” – A SONNET BY MALCOLM GUITE
Not as the world gives, not the victor’s peace,
Not to be fought for, hard-won, or achieved,
Just grace and mercy, gratefully received:
An undeserved and unforeseen release,
As the cold chains of memory and wrath
Fall from our hearts before we are aware,
Their rusty locks all picked by patient prayer,

Till closed doors open, and we see a path
Descending from a source we cannot see;
A path that must be taken, hand in hand,
Only by those, forgiving and forgiven,
Who see their saviour in their enemy.
So reach for me. We’ll cross our broken land,
And make each other bridges back to Heaven.

A PRAYER FOR ALL WHO ARE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

It steals upon our loved ones,
it steals when we do not understand what is happening;
why it is happening?
The happening is that slow dying
The taking away of a precious loved one.
We see someone we loved and treasured,
someone who won our respect,
we see that person denied of dignity and slowing;
losing an awareness of life and living.
It hurts…oh, how it hurts.
Let prayer be our help;
let prayer be our strength;
let prayer rise like a fountain of love.
May we come together in prayer for our cherished one.
Dear God, we pray, may your will be done.

 

A Poem on the Death of His Mother….. by Seamus Heaney
When all the others were away at Mass
I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.
They broke the silence, let fall one by one
Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:
Cold comforts set between us, things to share
Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.
And again let fall.
Little pleasant splashes
From each other’s work would bring us to our senses.

So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying
And some were responding and some crying
I remembered her head bent towards my head,
Her breath in mine, our fluent dipping knives–
Never closer the whole rest of our lives.

Pope Francis Prayer Intention for June:

 We pray for young people who are preparing for marriage with the support of a Christian community: may they grow in love, with generosity, faithfulness and patience.

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From EPISTOLA AD DAKYNS by T.E. Brown

… The next is where God keeps for me
A little island in the sea
A body for my needs, that so
I may not all unclothed go
A vital instrument whereby
I still may commune with the sky
Even now between its simple poles
It has the soul of all my souls
But then – whatever I have been
Whatever felt, whatever seen
The loves, the hates, the hopes, the fears,
The gathered strength of all my years
All that my life in one was wrought
Of complex essence shall be brought
And wedded to those primal forms
That have their scope in calms and storms
And I shall be the living heart
And I shall live in every part.
(T.E.Brown)


HOLDING AND LETTING GO

We have a call to live, and oh
A common call to die.
I watched you and my father go
To bid a friend goodbye.
I watched you hold my father’s hand,
How could it not be so?
The gentleness of holding on
Helps in the letting go.


For when we feel our frailty
How can we not respond?
And reach to hold another’s hand
And feel the common bond?
For then we touch the heights above
And every depth below,
We touch the very quick of love;
Holding and letting go.

(Malcolm Guite from The Singing Bowl)

WHEN ATTENDING MASS, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING :

We are really grateful to our stewards who have given so much of their time throughout the crisis. As we gradually return to normality, we must be ready to perform U-turns. With their experience of monitoring social distancing and sanitising surfaces, they are prepared should the situation change.
Some dismiss our vigilance as unnecessary. Younger and more robust members of our community may opt for a casual approach to protective measures. For the sake of our vulnerable parishioners, we unapologetically err on the side of caution. Please, continue to sanitise your hands on arrival and on leaving our churches and maintain reasonable social distancing. Thank you 

• The Sunday obligation is still suspended.
• Please adhere to social distancing guidelines in place. Any children accompanying you must do the same.
• Please sanitise your hands when you enter and leave the church. Holy water fonts are not in use .
• There will be no hymns books, Mass books or newsletters.
• You will be guided to a bench by a volunteer steward. It may not be where you usually sit.
• Toilets will remain closed at all times except for a genuine emergency.
• Only the priest will be on the sanctuary – without deacons, servers, readers etc. 
• There will be no children’s liturgy or choir and no live singing.
• There will be no Sign of Peace.
• Holy Communion will now be distributed at the normal place in the Mass.
• You may only receive the Sacred Host in your hand and not on your tongue. Communicants must avoid skin to skin contact with the minister’s hands.
• People receiving Communion are instructed to approach the altar with their arms outstretched so as to maintain a reasonable distance from the minister.
• Please do not gather at the back of church to chat.
• Baskets will be available at the entrance (and exit) for your weekly Offertory collection.

This year is the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical ‘Laudato si’
Its message is just as prophetic today as it was in 2015.
The encyclical can provide the moral and spiritual compass for the journey
to create a more caring, fraternal, peaceful and sustainable world.
Catholics around the world are being encouraged to pause, wherever we are,
and say this prayer at noon each day:-

Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them,
you created us in your own image and made us stewards of creation.
You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished.
Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation.
Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us,
but to all of your creatures and to all future generations,
and that it is our responsibility to preserve it.

May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need.
Be present to those in need in these trying times,
especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind.
Transform our fear and feelings of isolation into hope and fraternity,
so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart.

Help us to show creative solidarity
in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic.
Make us courageous to embrace the changes
that are needed in search of the common good.

Now more than ever may we feel that we are all
interconnected and interdependent.
Enable us to listen and respond to the cry of the earth
and the cry of the poor.

May the present sufferings be the birth pangs
of a more fraternal and sustainable world.
Under the loving gaze of Mary Help of Christians,
we make this prayer through Christ Our Lord.   Amen.

Prayer of Spiritual Communion used at live-streamed Masses
Lord Jesus Christ,
You promise to be with us when two or three are gathered together in your name.
You promise to be with us until the end of time.
You are with us when we hear your Word in the Sacred Scriptures.
You are with us in those who are hungry and thirsty, sick or in prison and in the face of the stranger.
You are with us in our beautiful world and in the very stuff of the entire Universe.
You are with me in the very depths of my being;
And you are with us in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist.
Today I am unable to receive you in this Sacrament of your Body and Blood.
Lord Jesus, strengthen my belief that you are always with us until you come again.
I believe that one day I will see you face to face
when there will be no more suffering, no more tears and no more sadness.
Lord Jesus, stay with me and with those I love throughout this day and for the rest of my life.
You who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen

Pope St John Paul II – on his visit to England in 1982 – had this to say about
the place of sickness and suffering in the life of the church:

‘Today I make an urgent plea to this nation. Do not neglect your sick and elderly. Do not turn away from the handicapped and the dying. Do not push them to the margins of society. For, if you do, you will fail to understand that they represent an important truth. The sick, the elderly, the handicapped and the dying teach us that weakness is a creative part of human living, and that suffering can be embraced with no loss of dignity. Without the presence of these people in your midst you might be tempted to think of health, strength and power as the only important values to be pursued in life. But the wisdom of Christ and the power of Christ are to be seen in the weakness of those who share his sufferings.
Let us keep the sick and the handicapped at the centre of our lives.
Let us treasure them and recognise with gratitude the debt we owe them.
We begin by imagining that we are giving to them;
we end by realising that they have enriched us.’              (Southwark Cathedral, 28 May 1982)


CLICK HERE TO FIND DAVID CRYSTAL’S DAILY READINGS ON LINE


SOME WORDS FROM POPE FRANCIS

SOME OF THE POPE’S TWEETS ON THE PANDEMIC:
‘Today in the tragedy of a pandemic, in the face of the many false securities that have now crumbled,
in the face of so many hopes betrayed, in the sense of abandonment that weighs upon hearts, Jesus says to each one of us :”‘Courage, open your heart to my love”.’

‘The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence: we are all linked to each other, for better or for worse. Therefore, to come out of this crisis better than before, we have to do so together, all of us, in solidarity’

The official website of the Roman Catholic Pastoral Area of St Maughold, Isle of Man in the Archdiocese of Liverpool

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