Weekly Information
Urgent Meetings
Merging of the Parishes of St Joseph's, Burslem and Sacred Heart, Tunstall.
Fr George announced after both Masses this weekend (7th and 8th June) a proposal to merge the parishes of St Joseph's, Burslem and Sacred Heart, Tunstall. We have to prepare ourselves for the future of the area. The Diocese does not have enough Priests to cover the number of churches and masses the Diocese currently has. A lot of the current Priests are currently of an age where they are looking towards retirement. Most of the Churches in this deanery are in debt and attendance at most of the churches are well below capacity.
With this in mind the Diocese is looking for viable solutions for the future. The Diocese cannot afford to maintain empty churches as they are mostly listed buildings. Where there has been an interest to purchase one of the churches in this area it is regularly from non-catholic, non-christian organisations.
The diocese has been approached by the Syro-Malabar Catholic community, to take over the running and expenses of St Joseph's, Burslem. The initial proposal would involve the Saturday Vigil mass moving to Sacred Heart, Tunstall (exact time may vary). The Syro-Malabar are happy for the Wednesday evening mass to continue for as long as parishioners attend. Future funerals can also take place at St Joseph's , Burslem.
The proposed timeline would include the Saturday vigil mass continuing at St Joseph's until the completion of the Centenary celebrations (June 2027). Any Catholic groups currently using the Presbytery for meetings will be welcome to continue under their current agreements.
Bulletin
Mass Schedule
Weekday masses will be cancelled this week.
Condolences to our Parish Priest Fr George, his dad Kurian George passed away this week
Notices
Photos from Easter 2025
Booked Mass Intentions
Hospital Chaplaincy Team
The Royal Stoke Chaplaincy team can be reached on 01782 676400. You will need to specify that it is the Catholic Chaplain that you want.
Sacrament preparation
Over the next few weeks Carol will be preparing a programme for anyone interested in getting their child or themselves through a sacrament. Please make sure you email the office with your contact details if:
- you have a child you wish to be Baptised.
- you have a child in a non-Catholic school or homeschooled who is about to enter year 3 and wish to enrol them into preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.
- you have a child entering year 6, and again is not in a catholic school or homeschooled and wishes to prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation.
- you are an adult considering joining the Catholic faith
From the Archdiocese
Keep up to date with all the latest news, information and events across the Archdiocese by signing up to the weekly e-newsletter. It is issued every Thursday afternoon straight to your inbox. Sign up here: https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/e-news
The Season of Creation 2025: Peace With Creation
We wish to encourage all our Catholic family - parishes, schools, communities and individuals to join in prayer to mark the Season of Creation from 1 September to 4 October - the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to pray and respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world unites to listen and care for our common home. The “Celebration” begins 1 September, the Feast of Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Our Biblical text for this year is Isaiah 32:14-18. The prophet Isaiah pictured the desolated Creation without peace because of the lack of justice and the broken relationship between God and humankind. This description of devastated cities and wastelands eloquently stresses the fact that human destructive behaviours have a negative impact on the Earth.
Our hope: Creation will find peace when justice is restored.
There is still hope and the expectation for a peaceful Earth.
To hope in a biblical context does not mean to stand still and quiet, but to act, pray, change, and reconcile with Creation and the Creator in unity, metanoia (repentance), and solidarity.
This year let us ACT in our parishes: include Creation in our liturgy, pray for Creation, take up challenges like the LiveSimply Award, host screenings of The Letter and more.
Pope Leo's Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, September 1 "Now is the time to follow words with deeds. “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (Laudato Si’, 217). "By working with love and perseverance, we can sow many seeds of justice and thus contribute to the growth of peace and the renewal of hope. It may well take years for this plant to bear its first fruits, years that, for their part, involve an entire ecosystem made up of continuity, fidelity, cooperation and love, especially if that love mirrors the Lord’s own self-sacrificing Love." Pope Leo XIV made this appeal in his Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be held on September 1, 2024, which was published Monday 30 June.
Financial Support for your parish
If you do not have a standing order in place, it is by far the best way of being able to give to the parish, as it attracts the lowest bank charges. You can set this up by contacting your bank or using your bank’s online functions or banking app
Sacred Heart
Account Name: The Sacred Heart Parish
Account No: 75270870
Sort code: 010138
Finance Update
Sacred Heart
1st Jan to 31st March total offertory income £5395.87. Total Expenditure £12,511.30.
Latest account balance -£20779.70 (In our overdraft)
Offertory Collection 29th June, £341.95 Direct giving/Standing Orders 5th April to 2nd May £585
St Joseph
1st Jan to 31st March, total offertory income £2474.90. Total Expenditure £10,772.91.
Latest account balance -£4332.82 (In our overdraft)
Offertory Collection 29th June, £97.78 Direct giving/standing orders 5th April to 2nd May £215
The Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’
The Jubilee of Hope will begin in December 2024 with Pope Francis opening the ‘Holy Door’ in St. Peter’s Basilica, offering the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence and a year of special graces. The Jubilee of Hope will end on the feast of the Epiphany in 2026.
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us Into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos In the sure expectation Of a new heaven and a new earth,
When, with the powers of Evil vanquished, Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee Reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, A yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread The joy and peace of our Redeemer Throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed,
Be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
From ‘The Jubilee Companion Booklet’, available from the back of church minimum donation £1.50
Appeal for the Churches
Sacred Heart, Tunstall
Tea and Coffee mornings after mass. Could you spare some time to help prepare tea and coffee after mass. It is a great opportunity to socialise after Mass and for us all to get to know one another.
Could you spare some time to help with the gardening?
Sacred Heart and St Joseph’s
Are you a driver, with access to a car that regularly comes to mass? Would you be willing to take communion to housebound and ill parishioners (subject to successful DBS check and training)?
Fundraising – both Churches require funds. If you have any ideas and are willing to help on any of our fundraising opportunities, please let us know. Both churches are trying raffles, tombola’s, car boot sales, day trips and anything else we can think of. For these to work, we need volunteers to help organise, donations of items we can use and parishioners willing to play and spend. Please do support as many of these initiatives as possible.
“Volunteers aren’t free, they are priceless!”
This Parish is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Registered Charity 235216.