What’s On & Features

Blessing of Bambinelli

10:30am Sunday 21st December

The Blessing of the Bambinelli (Baby Jesus)
will take place during Holy Mass on
Sunday 21st December.

Christmas Mass Times

Christmas Eve
10:00pm Carols and Readings
10.30pm Christmas Mass in the Night
Christmas Day
10:30am Day Mass of Christmas

For your Diary…
…later in the Year

December Edition
Catholic Pic

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Lourdes
Youth Pilgrimage 2026

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Archdiocese of Liverpool Events

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)

The SVP has been operating at Our Lady and All Saints parish since 1979,  and currently has 13 members who help needy individuals and families, and visit the elderly in their own homes or care homes. Some members help asylum seekers and refugees in Skelmersdale and Wigan. The group also supports the SVP at the ARK at the Ecumenical Centre in Skelmersdale.

There is a flourishing Mini Vinnies group in our primary school, led by one of the teachers. They regularly visit local care homes and have hosted social functions for older members of the parish. More information at Mini Vinnies and our charitable work | Our Lady and All Saints Catholic Primary School. They have instigated an Appeal for the SVP Foodbank in Skelmersdale. This is ongoing and the Mini Vinnies and SVP have placed a box at the back of church for donations. Thank you to all those who are supporting this Appeal and donating to the SVP.

SVP – ever wondered what we SVP do…?

(If you would like to join, please see end of article)

Provision of friendship, emotional and practical support through visiting
Visits to people who are may be isolated, lonely or housebound in their own homes (27 visits), care home visits (7), prison (1 visit), meeting / walking in the community (2)

Keeping in touch with people by phone
59 telephone calls

Provision of transport Transport provided on 13 occasions

Providing practical support and food
Purchase of school uniform and money for bus pass, and meal. Purchase of carpets, washing machine and cooker. Provision of food for street homeless persons x2. Paid for one night B&B for an asylum seeker.

Collection/ delivery of food collected at the back of church to SVP foodbank in Skelmersdale This is ongoing.

Volunteering with other groups and organisations Volunteer at sheltered accommodation (x2), support sessions of the Reader (10), delivery of parish newsletters to homes

The SVP at the ARK at the Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre Provides comprehensive support services to facilitate access to housing, education, training, voluntary work and employment opportunities. They address critical issues like drug and alcohol problems, mental health concerns and debt management (x4visits).

The Ask Club at the Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre is a safe space for people seeking asylum and refugees – 17 visits to ASK Club and Support for English sessions at ASK Club x3

How to get involved….

We always need more members – please consider joining the SVP however minimal you think your contribution might be.
There are lots of roles and potential opportunities for people of any age and with more members, we could do a lot more.
We currently meet each month on a Wednesday afternoon in the Priory but could move this to another time if that suited members better.
If you would like to have a conversation, please speak with one of the SVP members or email the Chairman by clicking the button below.

O Antiphons

The O Antiphons contain images from the Old Testament that give us insight into the new life that we welcome at Christmas, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
They are sung with solemnity at evening prayer in the pre-octave of Christmas from the 17-23 December.
Read backwards, each letter spells the Latin phrase ‘ero cras’ meaning tomorrow I will be here. Hence the expectation of the one who sings the antiphons looking forward to the birth of the Messiah.

Follow the link to view a series of short reflections for each O Antiphon, including an introduction. https://www.cbcew.org.uk/series/o-antiphons
Text and link are taken from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales website.

Adult Faith Formation:
Spiritual Role of Fathers

So the stats confirm the difference a father can make in his family as regards the church going habits of his children in adulthood.
By simply bringing them to church regularly the chances they will be church goers is 33-44% higher than if he didn’t do it.
This confirms what the church has always taught, namely that the father is the spiritual head of the family and is seen so naturally by the children.
What the father deems important, the children do too in matters of faith.
Of course there are always exceptions.

Theologically we get this teaching in the book of Genesis, where God imparts the prohibition on eating the apple to Adam i.e. it is to Adam that God first communicates.

Adam is the first to have a relationship with God and to receive the moral law, thus he is the head of his future family with Eve in spiritual matters.
Adam’s role is to remain in communication with God, to transmit the moral law to Eve and to confirm her in the knowledge of God’s law when in doubt, and thus protect Eve if the garden is to remain a paradise.
Eve was not there when God speaks to Adam of the law.  

Adam does transmit the law to Eve as we see in the story as it develops.
However, when Eve is tempted, Adam although present and standing next to her is silent.
He does not confirm Eve when she is doubting and is under threat by a strange tempting creature in the Garden.
Neither does he call on God to assist him – the beginning of the demise of his relation with God.

Adam is a type of all men.
All men have the primary responsibility in their family of assisting their wives and children to avoid evil and remain happy with God through to eternity.

Jesus is the new Adam, who does not fail to protect Eve (the church).
He leads spiritually and morally, to show us how to protect our families and so enter into eternal happiness.
As an assistance to us, he gives to Peter the primary role of confirming the brethren in the faith (and morals). If fathers and the Pope do not act and speak at opportune moments, their garden is at risk.

For more on this topic see:

Bible Study: The Chosen

The Chosen tells the story of the people in the 1st century who encountered Jesus and how it changed their lives. It has been translated into many languages and seen by millions.
The group meets every Friday to watch and discuss the verses of the bible that this TV Series is based on, on an episode by episode basis.
All are very welcome!
You don’t need to have watched previous episodes to join in and you don’t need to attend every session.
For more information or queries, please click the button below.