The Parish of "Our Lady Of Furness"

The celebration will now take place on Saturday, 7th June.
Please note the change of date.

It was originally intended to hold the celebration on the Feast of the Visitation (31st May) but, because of Bank Holidays and School Holidays, it was decided, at the meeting on 11th March, to move the celebration to the following weekend.

This will be a Parish Feast Day, a day of celebration for the whole parish, preceded by a 9 day Novena to Our Lady of Furness, culminating on the feast itself.

The Novena will start on Thursday, 29^nd May.  We will gather for prayer in St Mary’s at 7pm every evening.  On 7th June, we will gather at each church:  Sacred Heart, Holy Family, and St Columba’s and process to St Mary’s carrying the image of Our Lady of Furness. There will be a Mass and procession at St Mary’s and a blessing of the statues.  This will be followed by refreshments and a celebration in the Hindpool Centre.

More details will be announced as arrangements are developed

More meetings are planned to follow through the arrangements needed for each of the church communities to take part in this celebration.  Would  anyone able to help with the planning and organisation of the Feast Day please contact Fr Francis or the Parish Office.

The next “Coffee & Chat” session dates for your diary are:

• Tuesday 18^th March at 2.00pm
• Thursday 1st May at 2.00pm

£1 entry – Cake Stall – Bingo – Quiz – Raffle.

Parishioners from all our churches are most welcome.

All couples getting married this year are invited to attend a meeting on Saturday 22^nd March in Holy Family Social Area, Ostley Bank, Barrow, from 2pm-4pm.

Sacred Heart School will be holding an Easter Coffee Morning on Tuesday 8^th April from 9.30am.
There will be music, dance and prayers. Tea, coffee and Easter Cakes will be served. All are welcome.

Preparations for playing and singing the Music of Holy Week began with the first rehearsal for all singers in the parish on Monday 10^th March.  These will continue at 7pm every Monday in Lent in St Mary’s Presbytery.  Existing choir members and anyone who would like to sing are most welcome.

Fr Manny has selected the music: much of it is new to choir members from our four churches.  So, practice we must for our Holy Week and Easter Liturgies. 

There will be a Penitential Service with opportunity for individual confession at St Mary’s on Wednesday 16^th April at 6.00pm.  Priests will be available until 8pm to hear confession.

This is a good opportunity for Reconciliation  during Holy Week, prior to celebrating the Easter Triduum, which commences the following day.

Confessions are available at the usual times, as advertised on the Sacraments page,
but there will be no confessions on Good Friday evening or Holy Saturday.

The Walney-based, Ecumenical Lent Group will meet in St Columba’s Social Area on Wednesday afternoons at 2.00pm on 19^th and 26^th March and 2^nd April.
All are welcome.

If you are a parishioner who would be willing to be a prayer sponsor for children making their First Holy Communion later this year, please contact the Parish Office on 820210.

The Programme for New Catholics has commenced and is meeting in Sacred Heart Social Area on Tuesdays at 6.15pm. Anyone interested in joining us please contact the clergy.