05/06/2020
Thought for the day Friday 5 th June
Today is the feast of St Boniface. He was born ca 675 in Devon and was originally known as Wynfrith. He was educated at the monastery at Exeter and then joined the Benedictine monastery at Nursling, near Southampton. He was a teacher and preacher but had missionary zeal inside of him, desiring to preach the Gospel in a foreign land. It was when he was commissioned to do so by Pope Gregory II that he changed his name to Boniface. Boniface left England, never to return, and took the Gospels to Germany and achieved great success there. He became Bishop of Mainz and restored or founded other dioceses. In later years he worked to reform the Frankish Church. In his 70’s he set out to evangelise Friesland (in modern day Holland) but was murdered there on this day in 754. This martyr of English origin is honoured as an apostle of Germany.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is speaking of himself in relation to David. We believe that Jesus is Lord and Son of God. Through Joseph, He is an ancestor of King David. He is therefore the fulfilment of the prophecy made to David, that one of his relatives would have an eternal kingdom. Jesus Christ eternal king is therefore also able to be called Son of David. So Jesus is the one who can bring alive the words of the psalm “The Lord, said: “sit on my right, your foes, I have put beneath your feet”.
Let us like St Boniface desire to make known the Son of God and Son of David to those who do not yet know him.
Fr David
Click Here for Previous Days' Thoughts
04/06/2020
02/06/2020
Family service video for the Feast of Corpus Christi
Luke Bradbury and Fr David would like to put together a video for families and involving families in order to mark the forthcoming Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ). This is the feast whereby we celebrate the great gift to the Church of the Eucharist. If any families would like to take part in this service, please contact Fr David by Friday 5th June. We will let you know how you can specifically get involved when you get in touch. Thank you. Tel 422007 or email; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
02/06/2020
The Chocolate Quiz
Here is a delicious quiz for you to enjoy, the first in a short series of two.
Guaranteed non-fattening - have a go!
The answers, and a new quiz, will be posted in a week's time, on Tuesday 9th June.
1. A well-loved cuddly toy might go to one of these
2. An upper class address
3. A Triangular prism
4. Fasteners
5. To spin round and round
6. Tricks in the dark
7. A feline with the latest gear
8. Nine
9. Useless for carrying anything
10. Sounds like a quiet voice
11. Two minus zero plus nine
12. The King of the Jungle might have a tipple here
13. Clever people
14. Red v White at war
15. A subject
16. Rebellion at sea on this ship
17. Plop a stone into a pond to make one
18. I’m forever blowing bubbles
19. Chocolate marbles
20. Rhymes twice with early
21. Street that can melt in your hand
22. Not made of snow as expected
23. No silver
24. Fodder mixed for children
25. Two tiered transport
26. Scrambled boots is a tonic
27. Brave people
28. You’ll go a long way for this one
29. Internet dating sites
30. From Eboracum
31. Festive occasions
32. Old Singers and musicians
33. With fruity segments
34. A cluster of stars
With thanks to parishioner Stephanie Balko
31/05/2020
31/05/2020
The recording of this morning's Pentecost Sunday Mass
is now available - hover your mouse pointer over 'View Mass'
then click on 'Recorded' from the drop-down menu
31/05/2020
31/05/2020
For Today, Pentecost Sunday 31st May 2020
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church,
and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, Pentecost Sunday
(to catch up with any previous issue of 
please click here)
30/05/2020
The Funeral Service for Michael Long
The funeral service for Michael Long will take place on Friday, 5th of June at 2.30 pm for family only at the Crematorium.
At 2.10pm the funeral cortege will drive around Todmorden Road and Yorkshire Street around St Mary’s church.
The family would welcome parishioners, and has requested the Knights of St Columba to form a Guard of Honour by lining Yorkshire Street and Todmorden Road around St Mary’s to pay their respects to Michael – ESSENTIALLY keeping 2 meters apart at all times.
Knights are asked to wear their collars and to arrive at 1.50pm.
30/05/2020
Pentecost at Home, Day 3
This is the third and final edition of three short videos produced by our seminarian Luke Bradbury, currently based at St Mary's, and Fr David to help us prepare for Pentecost. We are grateful to the support from Miss R Wilkinson from Blessed Trinity Catholic College with Year 11 students Ashwin, Cara, Raffy and Jake who all appear with parental permission. Each video comprises: a welcome, prayers, Scripture, Reflection, Music and Hymns and a Blessing . We hope you have found these reflections helpful and enjoyable.
30/05/2020
Thought for the day Saturday 30th May 2020
One of the important things that we need to do as friends of Jesus is to be people who pray. Prayer is about both speaking and listening to God. Like any friendship that we value we need to invest time into it, in order for it to flourish. Prayer is the way we build up a personal relationship with Jesus.
St Paul tells us that the Spirit is given to help us in many ways. The Spirit will help us overcome the things that we struggle with. Paul also tells us that the Spirit will be the one who gives us that desire for God. It is the Spirit who will urge us to want to pray and to overcome the things that prevent us from wanting to pray. The Spirit will even be the one who gives us the right words that we need to use in our time of prayer. The Spirit helps us to question our priorities and makes changes where needed and to get our priorities right.
The Spirit always leads us to Jesus. On this eve of Pentecost, may we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us closer to Christ and be grateful to him for being part of the universal Church.
Fr David
Click Here for Previous Days' Thoughts
29/05/2020
The next live Mass will be this coming Sunday Morning Mass
Pentecost Sunday
live streamed from 9:30am on Sunday 31st May 2020.
29/05/2020
Pentecost at Home, Day 2
Today sees the second of three short videos produced by our seminarian Luke Bradbury, currently based at St Mary's, and Fr David to help us prepare for Pentecost. We are grateful to the support from Miss R Wilkinson from Blessed Trinity Catholic College with Year 11 students Ashwin, Cara, Raffy and Jake who all appear with parental permission. Each video comprises: a welcome, prayers, Scripture, Reflection, Music and Hymns and a Blessing . We hope you find these reflections helpful and enjoyable. There will be another video tomorrow.
28/05/2020
Pentecost at Home, Day 1
As promised Luke Bradbury our seminarian currently based at St Mary's, and Fr David have produced three short videos to help us prepare for Pentecost. We are grateful to the support from Miss R Wilkinson from Blessed Trinity Catholic College with Year 11 students Ashwin, Cara, Raffy and Jake who all appear with parental permission. Each video comprises: a welcome, prayers, Scripture, Reflection, Music and Hymns and a Blessing .
There will be a video reflection for each of the three days leading up to Pentecost, starting on Thursday 28th May. We hope you find these reflections helpful and enjoyable.
28/05/2020
Lights!
Camera!
Action!
???
Nah, we don't do any of that, but what we do do is we live stream the Mass every Sunday. If you'd like to find out more about what we do & maybe join our small team and help live stream the Mass yourelf, get in touch with Mike on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ring/text 07929 451 566. Full training & support given, together with a step-by-step illustrated guide. Go on, give it a try!
26/05/2020
Prayer Petals
What a Good Idea – Protect Our Priests!
We know that even in these lockdown days, people often have busy lives but please take just 5 minutes of your day to watch this video from Sister Emmanuel (click here).
As she says, priests are often subject to spiritual battle. But our priests are precious and need the protection of our prayers. In this parish we have four priests who we see regularly, (in alphabetical order) Fathers Benneth, David, Emmanuel & Kevin, plus two others you may not know so well but who help out from time to time, Fr Jennings & Mgr Challoner, so that’s six in all who need our prayers.
If by now you've watched the video you may wish to make a prayer flower by joining with others, maybe some others in your parish group such as the Legion of Mary, SVP, etc, or maybe you can call on six friends, perhaps fellow parishioners, with whom you can join in prayer as the video suggests.
On the other hand, if you nearly have a full flower but are maybe seeking another petal or two, or perhaps you’re looking for a prayer flower to join, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will try to put you in touch.
When you're ready, choose a priest to pray for, maybe one who celebrates Mass at your church, or one of the above priests chosen at random, or perhaps pray for all 6 as a group.
Finally, if you'd find it useful to download an A4 sized copy of the blank prayer flower above on the left, please click here
(With grateful thanks to parishioner Veronica Gonzalez for bringing the video to our attention and suggesting this article)
24/05/2020
24/05/2020
We are greatly saddened to announce the sudden, unexpected and untimely death of one of St Mary's organists, Michael Long.
Please pray for Michael and for his parents.
May God rest his soul.
24/05/2020
A recording of this morning's Mass, Sunday, 24th May,
Seventh Sunday of Easter
is now available
Point to 'View Mass' on the blue menu bar above then click on 'Recorded'
24/05/2020
For Today, Sunday 24th May 2020
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church,
and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, 7th Sunday of Easter
(to catch up with any previous issue of please click here)
24/05/2020
22/05/2020
The next live Mass will be this coming Sunday Morning Mass
Seventh Sunday of Easter
live streamed from 9:30am on Sunday 24th May 2020.
22/05/2020
We are very pleased to publish these delightful prayers from our youngest-ever contributors, Imogen & Reuben (with mum Lisa's permission). Enjoy!
Imogen:
21/05/2020
21/05/2020
The Ascension of the Lord,
Watch the recording of this morning's Mass
Point your mouse at 'View Mass' on the blue menu bar above
then select 'Recorded' from the drop-down menu
Also, here is
sheet for Ascension Day: click here.
20/05/2020
The next live Mass will be tomorrow morning's Mass
The Ascension of the Lord
live streamed from 9:30am on Thursday 21st May 2020.
If you can't join us to view the Mass live, here is
sheet for Ascension Day: click here.
20/05/2020
Good Samaritan CAFOD Coronavirus Appeal
Our local branch of CAFOD has set up a “Good Samaritan CAFOD Coronavirus Appeal” JustGiving page, allowing people to donate online direct to CAFOD as we’re unable to hold the usual after-Mass collections. Please click below to give:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/good-samaritan-burnley
(NB this is a different appeal from the 'Support Your Parish - Donate’ button - intended to help reduce the shortfall of Offertory collections while under lockdown - that you’ll see on the right-hand side of your screen)
Also, the current online CAFOD Coronavirus Campaign is asking us out of love for our sisters and brothers overseas to sign a petition asking the Prime Minister to ensure that the most vulnerable people are the priority in the UK’s international efforts as well as at home:
Thank you.
20/05/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful... 
Today it is Frank's welcome contribution.
My 5 reasons to be cheerful are:-
- So much unseasonal sunshine.
- People smiling because you are deliberately avoiding them.
- The fresh green of the springtime trees.
- Towneley Park.
- Unexpected meetings and chats.
Many thanks Frank for your contribution!
We love hearing your contributions so if you too would like to help cheer us up with your contribution, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.org
18/05/2020
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For the time being we can't physically place our offertory contributions in the collection basket but would you still like to make donations to support your parish? Now you can - online! Just click on the DONATE button to the right and take it from there (don't forget to Gift Aid your donation). |
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NB we realise that under the circumstances many folk are no longer in a postition to give as they used to - if this applies to you, please do NOT feel obliged to give until you are once more in a postion to do so. Thank you, God Bless and take care! |
18/05/2020
We are pleased to say that the recording of yesterday's Mass is now uploaded!
Go to 'View Mass' above then select 'Recorded' from the drop-down menu
We hope you enjoy and take great spiritual comfort from it.
17/05/2020
We regret that due to factors beyond our present control we have been unable so far to publish a recording of today's Mass as we would normally do. However, it is hoped we will be able to rectify the problem by tomorrow morning. We are extremely sorry to disappoint those of you who were unable to view the live Mass and who were hoping to catch up via the usual recording. We hope to have more positive news in the morning.
Update 18/4/20: now uploaded.
17/05/2020
17/05/2020
For today, Sunday 17th May 2020
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church,
and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, 6th Sunday of Easter
(to catch up with any previous issue of please click here)
16/05/2020
To catch up with any previous issue of please click here
16/05/2020
Web Site Story...
Since its beginnings a little over a year ago, our parish website has steadily grown and is updated regularly by a small team of dedicated volunteers, several from each of our 3 churches. During lockdown our remit has extended to cover live streaming of Sunday Mass, all the while increasing the number of items posted to the website on a daily basis.
For example, during these days of isolation we post Fr David's daily Thought For The Day and other regular items have included the Blessed Trinity College weekly readings video, as well as the Lord’s Day At Home Sunday prayer sheets, to name but a few. As ever, the weekly newsletter is a very popular feature, especially welcome as we cannot attend Mass right now.
As you might expect, during the crisis our ‘readership’ has also grown considerably, especially on a Sunday. Statistics are collected completely anonymously and interestingly last Sunday, May 10th we had 410 visitors who between them viewed a record 2,157 web pages. Most of our visitors came from Burnley of course but people from all parts of the country and abroad have visited the site, many on a regular basis, and many of them take the opportunity to view the Mass live.
It’s gratifying and encouraging for those of us who maintain the website week in, week out, to know that we are providing a vehicle for Fr David & others to continue to communicate to the parish and beyond during these troubled times. Finally, thank you to those who have sent messages expressing appreciation of the website and the live streaming of Masses – we are very grateful for your kind thoughts and take encouragement to continue.
15/05/2020
The next live Mass will be this coming Sunday Morning Mass
Sixth Sunday of Easter
live streamed from 9:30am on Sunday 17th May 2020.
15/05/2020
THANK YOU TOM, CONGRATULATIONS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Parishioner and D-Day hero Tom Edmondson featured in a brilliant appearance on the BBC 1 VE Day celebration programme on Friday 8th May. He and Cecilia had a very warm congratulatory chat with David Dimbleby, when the full extent of Tom’s brave war service was outlined and emphasised with his great medal collection – topped off with the illustrious Legion D’Honneur, France’s very top military award. It was a lovely cameo about a very modest hero, an unsung hero until now, who recently celebrated his 100th Birthday! The feature finished with a personal rendition of 'Happy Birthday to You’ sung by Alfie Boe no less! And we're given to understand that the birthday cake was sent by the BBC - a nice touch! Well done Tom, thank you for your contribution to our freedom, and Happy Birthday. We’re all proud to know you!
Watch it on BBC iPlayer for the programme 'VE Day 75 - The People's Celebration'. Tom and Cecilia's chat with David Dimbleby starts 21 minutes and 43 seconds into the video. Go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hyw2/ve-day-75-the-peoples-celebration (we think it's only available until about Sun 7th June 2020 - but do check)
Also, Tom & Cecilia's son John has sent in a few photos taken down the years in celebration of their long life together - to see them Click Here
15/05/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Today it is Frank's welcome contribution.
My 5 reasons to be cheerful are:-
- My wife of 50 years.
- The weekly Zoom hour with the whole "clan"!
- Our kids frequently phoning to make sure we are OK.
- Chats with our kids and grandchildren from the front door to the end of the drive.
- Our kids telling their kids "Keep away from Grandad".
Many thanks Frank for your contribution!
We love hearing your contributions so if you too would like to help cheer us up with your contribution, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.org
13/05/2020
Strung Sung, Live from Burnley
Ladies and Gentlemen, for your delight and delectation -
In Music and Song; Fr David (guitar) with seminarian Luke (keyboard)
12/05/2020
After quite a lengthy struggle, we eventually managed to repair the recording of last Sunday's Mass -
There is an unavoidable gap of a few seconds but otherwise you can now see the Mass in its entirety.
Hover your mouse pointer over 'View Mass' on the menu bar above then click 'Recorded' on the drop-down menu
11/05/2020
Update re Recorded Mass 10/5/20:
Now repaired & avaiable in its entirety!
10/05/2020
10/05/2020
Watch a recording of this morning's live Mass -
Hover your mouse poineter over the 'View Mass' item on the blue menu bar above,
then click 'Recorded' from the drop-down menu.
Also:
Today, Sunday 10th May 2020
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church,
and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, 5th Sunday of Easter
(to catch up with any previous issue of please click here)
10/05/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Today it is David Ross' welcome contribution.
My 5 reasons to be cheerful are:-
A friend made me a fasemask (though I look more fearful than cheerful wearing it!).
The beautiful weather on Saturday out on my bike.
Mary dressed very smartly on her 94th birthday and delivered wrapped slices of her cake around our neighbourhood.
From a distance, the delight of seeing one grandchild, and some friends' children. How they have grown in six weeks!
My hair is becoming curly again, like when I was little.
Many thanks David for your contribution!
If you too would like to help cheer us up with your contribution, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
09/05/2020
For tomorrow, Sunday 10th May 2020
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church,
and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, 5th Sunday of Easter
(to catch up with any previous issue of please click here)
08/05/2020
The next live Mass will be this coming Sunday Morning Mass,
Fifth Sunday of Easter
live streamed from 9:30am on Sunday 10th May 2020.
08/05/2020
The Lord’s Day At Home sheets, which we can use to unite with the Universal church and our own parish of the Good Samaritan each Sunday has proved to be very popular indeed. If you’ve missed one, or would simply like to re-visit a particular sheet, we have gathered the links together all in one place to save you searching. We hope you continue to enjoy and take comfort in this lovely series.
Click here to view all the Lord’s Day At Home sheets
08/05/2020
It’s Been a Strange Year So Far…
… and today Bank Holiday Monday falls on a Friday! But as the nation celebrates the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, maybe we can pause for a moment to give Him thanks for 75 years of peace in Western Europe, and to reflect on & remember the sacrifices that made that possible. Even amidst the pain & hardship we can have something to be glad for.
07/05/2020
Supporting Our Parish Financially
It’s fully recognised that some people will now be in a worse financial position and less able to give at the moment, though others less financially effected have asked how they might contribute to the weekly offertory collection now that churches are closed?
This is a diocese-wide problem as parishes have seen their income drastically reduced and so the diocese has set up a web page where you may donate to your local parish if you are in a position to do so.
It’s planned that some time next week you would be able to fill in a Standing Order to the parish. Although that option is not available yet (and we’ll let you know when it is) you can still make a single contribution by going to
https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/supporting-your-parish-financially/
Click on the ‘Make a Donation’ button near the bottom of the page, towards the bottom of the next page enter "The Good Samaritan, Burnley" and follow the instructions from there (don't forget to Gift Aid It if you can). Note that for legal reasons the Cathedral Centre address is given but the diocese will transfer any money you donate to The Good Samaritan Parish, Burnley.
Thank you in advance if you are in a position to help.
07/05/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Today it is Margaret Orrell's welcome contribution.
My 5 reasons to be cheerful are:-
1. Being able to keep in touch with my family on the internet.
2. Appreciate my family and friends and what I have.
3. My faith.
4. Being able to watch the live streaming of Mass with Fr David each Sunday.
5. Appreciate my church friends.
Many thanks Margaret for your contribution. If you too would like to help cheer us up with your contribution, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
06/05/2020
During the present situation we've been putting on this page items about relevant information & announcements, help offered and donations requested. As more items are added daily, these important notices 'slip down' the page & are in danger of getting lost. You may find it helpful to know that we are now also placing these relevant COVID-ralated items & their links on the Links Page where you might find them again more easily - just click on the word 'Links' on the blue menu bar above.
06/05/2020
Here is a link to a letter from the Archbishops of England and Wales, in which they recognise the pain of Catholics who cannot pray in church or receive the sacraments but the archbishops add that they are in discussion with the Government about how they might re-open churches once the lockdown is eased. That is probably quite some way off yet but, to paraphrase something from our own Bishop John, it does give us hope for the future! Please click on the link below:
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/bishops-recognise-pain-of-catholics-who-cannot-pray-in-church-or-receive-the-sacraments/
05/05/2020
From Rebecca Wilkinson of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, who produces the videos of the wonderful readings we publish here weekly:
We have been trying to decide for a while how best to support the local community during this crisis, given that many families (now more than ever) will be in desperate need of help. With this in mind, we have teamed up with Burnley Food Bank, who have seen quadruple the number of people (now stands at over 2000 per week!) coming to them for help and support.
As you know, these are tough times for us all, and for some, everyday life could be made near impossible if it wasn't for the amazing work of charities like this. So please, donate if you can, spread the word to those around you and support us in our efforts to help those most in need in our local community.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/blessedtrinitysupportingburnleytogether?fbclid=IwAR0ywZGm2N4Wn_MZaJE5el8RSxTLCbpg3ZEhIZa7IaEZ-AizvDvpGnvoJSk
Thank you,
Miss R Wilkinson
(Faith Life Coordinator, Blessed Trinity R.C College)
05/05/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Today it's David Ross' welcome contribution:
As requested, here's 5 that cheer me:
1. Childrens' rainbow pictures in house windows
2. The bluebells in Goit and Scroggs woods
3. All the hilarious, silly, and moving videos from friends and family on WhatsApp
4. Noticing that my brain is still working
5. Sainsbury's not running out of my vegan dark chocolate
P.S. 4 and 5 are inseparable
Many thanks David. If you too would like to help cheer us up with your contribution, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(please note the change of email address)
04/05/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Janet Beddows writes, my reasons to be cheerful are:
Family & grandchildren
Staying safe and healthy
My husband Kevin
Walking our dog
Having my faith
Many thanks Janet! To add your Reasons to be Cheerful please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Rosie Balwin writes: "I've just asked Connie and Gabriel this question. Here are their responses - "
Gabriel aged 7:
1. I'm alive
2. Mummy, Daddy, Fran and Connie
3. Playing in my den in the back garden
4. Jesus
5. NHS and my teacher Mrs Neill
Connie aged 12:
1. Family
2. Cooking
3. WhatsApping my friends
4. Sunshine
5. Netflix
Rosie Baldwin
03/05/2020
03/05/2020
Watch a recording of this morning's live Mass -
with the introduction of a never-before heard hymn composed by our very own organist, Dr Francis Ashworth
Hover your mouse poineter over the 'View Mass' item on the blue menu bar above,
then click 'Recorded' from the drop-down menu.
(Also see The Lord's Day at Home, 4th Sunday of Easter)
2/5/2020
The Lord's Day at Home for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
3rd May 2020
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church,
and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, 4th Sunday of Easter
2/5/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
This has just been sent in by Sarah McLaughlin:
Seamus McLaughlin’s reasons to be cheerful:
1) Walking our dog Rosie
2) Daily mass at Knock Shrine
3) My wife, Maureen
4) Gardening
5) Irish music
6) Telling jokes
Many thanks Sarah & Seamus. Anyone else like to contribute?
02/05/2020
01/05/2020
The next live Mass will be this coming Sunday Morning Mass,
The Fourth Sunday in Easter
("Good Shepherd" Sunday)
live streamed from 9:30am on Sunday 3rd May 2020.
29/04/2020
Reasons To Be Cheerful...
Parishioner Tony Waters, who many of you may know from St Mary’s, has contacted us with a brilliant idea – in the current climate, why not have a series of items on reasons to be cheerful? … we reckon that anything that lightens up some of the doom & gloom has got to be good!
Tony starts the ball rolling with his top 5 suggestions (and asks other parishioners for theirs):
1. Our Lady
2. The NHS
3. Grandchildren
4. Ice Cream
5. Songs of Praise on the telly
What would YOUR top 5 Reasons to be Cheerful be?
Just email us with your suggestions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
28/04/2020
Last Sunday's newsletter dated 26/4/20 featured an item on a really interesting local project, Burnley Together. We've been asked to point out that in fact the service is open 7 days a week.
Well worth taking a look at the item, second page of the newsletter.
27/04/2020
Queen's Awards for Voluntary Service
Last year we featured an item seeking nominations for the Queen's Awards for Voluntary Service. It’s now time to invite nominations again this year. Parishioner Terry Hephrun, who many of you will know, writes,
“The support of a variety of organisations in Lancashire helped us to generate 29 nominations (including seven from Burnley) for the 2020 Awards by the closing date of 13 September 2019. This figure is a record for Lancashire and we have our fingers crossed for a number of successes when the Awards are announced in early June.
“In spite of the difficult circumstances in which we are currently finding ourselves, we are now looking ahead to the 2021 Awards. Nominations can now be made and the nominations "window" will again remain open until mid-September.
“We are seeing close at hand that thousands of volunteers across Lancashire serve unselfishly and have given hours of time and expertise to improve the lives of others, but we are anxious to see more Groups recognised for the work they do.”
Click here for more information
26/04/2020
26/04/2020
If you were able to join us for live streamed Mass this morning we hope you enjoyed it & took some comfort from your (virtual) paricipation and were able to join in with the responses.
Unlike Thursday morning's Mass, which suffered from problems beyond our control to do with internet connectivity, this morning's Mass went seamlessly and was a joy to watch. We are still learning & we have implemented measures that would greatly reduce the chances of us suffering from connectiveity problems in future. In addition, we are exploring possiblities of implementing a backup system, which may result in a temporary disconnection but would hopefully mean we don't lose the whole Mass. We'll let you know how our tests go.
Meanwhile, click here for a recording of today's Mass.
25/04/2020
Parishioner Matthew Morris, a former pupil of St Theodore's, is 3D printing PPE for NHS & Care Home staff. He's part of a national initiative and sends the completed visors off to a regional distribution centre in Liverpool. Even though he's not in work at present, he's been funding the materials etc out of his own pocket but could do with some assistance if he's to continue. His sister Catherine has started a crowdfunding page to help him. Pictured on the page is his beautiful son age 3 (who gets his good looks from his paternal grandfather :-) ) modelling one of the visors Matt has printed off. Please click on the link below & give if you can. Every little helps in this difficult time. Thank you.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cat-morris-nhs-ppe?utm_id=106&utm_term=mkNg3AraM
25/04/2020
The next live Mass will be this coming Sunday Morning Mass,
The Third Sunday in Easter,
live streamed from 9:30am on Sunday 26th April 2020.
23/04/2020:
Sorry for the very poor quality live streaming of this morning's Mass. The upload speeds we were getting from the presbytery's Internet Service Provider were far short of what we needed to live stream sucessfully. We can only imagine that with so many people working from home, many were videoconferencing at the same time! We're looking into whether we can get round the difficulty but we reckon it shouldn't be a problem this coming Sunday morning.
19/4/20:
View recording of this morning's Mass from St Mary's Burnley,
2nd Sunday of Easter (Devine Mercy Sunday)
19/4/20:
Here's the next instalment in the series of readings from Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College filmed by Rebecca Wilkinson (with parental permission).
Our special thanks today goes to Rossi of Year 8 and of course to Fr. David for his 'Thought of the Day'.
19/4/20:
We hope that those of you who were able to join us for this morning's live streamed Mass enjoyed it and took some comfort from participating, albeit virtually
The next live Mass will be this coming Thursday Morning Mass,
Celebrating the Feast Day of our English Patron Saint, St George,
live streamed from 9:30am on Thursday 23rd April 2020.
18/4/20:
The Lord's Day at Home for the Second Sunday of Easter
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, 2nd Sunday of Easter
13/4/20:
Fr David's Got Talent - From Sermons to Serenades!
At the end of Easter Sunday Mass, Fr David encouraged us to do something we particularly enjoy doing that day. Fr David himself enjoys singing and playing the guitar and so, leading by example, on Easter Sunday afternoon he recorded himself doing just that, playing & singing some of his favourite songs!
We hope you enjoy!
13/4/20:
The recording of Easter Sunday Mass is now uploaded
(contrary to earlier rumours :-) )
Click on "View Mass" on the blue menu bar above
13/4/20:
For those of you who have lost track of time since the lockdown began, today is the 97th of March :-)
Easter Sunday ~ Alleluia
We cannot have Easter Sunday and all its joys without first having Good Friday with all its drama, pain, horror, trauma and sorrow. When we are experiencing Good Friday moments, of suffering, feeling alone, lost and struggling we should remember Easter Sunday. Easter is massive for us. It is the most important aspect of our Catholic faith. It simply tells us that the Lord has once and for all conquered sin and death. We have had over six weeks of Lent to prepare for Easter and now we will spend a futher 7 weeks celebrating Easter. We also celebrate the Easter event every Sunday, which is the reason why it is our Sabbath Day and why we normally come to Mass.
On that first Easter Sunday, we hear in the Gospel that John and Peter go down to the empty tomb. They do this in order to see with their own eyes what they have told by the women who were the first witnesses to this momentous event. They see the clothes rolled up, where the Lord had been lain and the penny drops! Until that moment they had not really understood what Jesus meant when He said that he would suffer, die but rise again on the third day. Jesus had tried to tell them, but they had failed to fully understand until that day arrived. They would not look back from this moment on Easter Sunday.
This year, there is a danger that our Easter celebrations are overshadowed by our isolation because of the virus. Let us ensure that we do mark Easter and despite the restrictions still make it special in some way. Let us perhaps make more time today to just be with our family or those we live with and enjoy who they are. We thank God for this greatest feast that gives us hope
and joy, even in the midst of worry, fear and anxiety. He Is Risen. Alleluia.
Happy Easter.
Fr David
12/4/20:
We hope that those of you who were able to join us this morning for the live streaming of the Easter Sunday Mass enjoyed it!
The next live Mass will be next Sunday's Morning Mass,
live from 9:30am on 19th April.
12/4/20:
The Lord's Day at Home for Easter Sunday - Beautiful!
Please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
The Lord's Day at Home, Easter Sunday
12/4/20:
Easter Sunday in the series of daily readings for Holy Week from Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College.
Our special thanks today goes to our Head / Deputy Head Boys & Girls - Cara, Ashwin, Raffy and Jake for their readings, and last but not least Fr. David (our Parish Priest) for his 'Thought of the Day'.
12/4/20:
Holy Week and Easter Quiz from Fr David - see the questions & answers!
(for the answers, follow the link at the top of the questions page)
11/4/20:
We've sorted the audio looping problem that marred yesterday's Commemoration and so the live streaming of this evening's Easter Vigil Mass at 8:00pm will go ahead.
In these troubled times we hope you will enjoy and find comfort in participating in tonight's Mass.
Click on "View Mass" in the blue menu bar above.
11/4/20:
We reach the seventh day of the series of daily readings for Holy Week from Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College - Holy Saturday.
Today's special thanks to Fr. David for his 'Thought of the Day'. Video filmed by Rebecca Wilkinson.
10/4/20:
Day 6 of the series of daily readings for Holy Week from Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College - Good Friday. Today's special thanks to Maisie (Year 9) for her reading and of course Fr. David for his 'Thought of the Day'. Video filmed by Rebecca Wilkinson with parental permission.
Click here to view
10/4/20:
Don't forget!
Holy Week and Easter Quiz from Fr David - how many can you get right?
Answers will appear here on Easter Sunday, about an hour after Mass
10/4/20:
Apologies for the poor quality audio of today's live stream. Hopefully we will have fixed the problem in good time for the Easter Saturday Vigil Mass at 8pm 11/4/20.
10/4/20:
Live Streaming: still to come this Holy Week - Easter Vigil Mass at 8.00pm on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Morning Mass at 9.30am
9/4/20:
We aim to stream this evening's Maundy Thursday Mass at 7:30pm live from St Mary's - click on "View Mass" on the blue menu bar above.
NB Further live Masses are scheduled to be streamed for Good Friday at 3:00pm & Easter Vigil 8:00pm on Saturday.
9/4/20:
Installment 5 of the series of daily readings for Holy Week from Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College. Our special thanks today goes to Sebastion (Year 8) for his beautiful reading, and once again Fr. David for his 'Thought of the Day'. Video filmed by Rebecca Wilkinson with parental permission.
Click here to view today's reading
8/4/20:
The 4th in the series of daily readings for Holy Week from Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College. Our special thanks today goes to Jacob (Year 8) for his beautiful reading, and once again Fr. David for his 'Thought of the Day'. Video filmed by Rebecca Wilkinson with parental permission.
7/4/20:
The third of our daily readings for Holy Week, recorded by Miss R Wilkinson of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, today featuring Mia of Year 8 (all children appearing during the course of the week do so with their parents' permission) and of course our very own Father David.
Yet again a really nice, well put-together video for you to enjoy.
6/4/20:
This is the second of our daily readings for Holy Week, recorded by Miss R Wilkinson of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, this time featuring Lily-Mae of Year 7 (all children appearing during the course of the week do so with their parents' permission) and of course our very own Father David.
Again a really nice, well put-together video for you to enjoy.
6/4/20:
Thanks to Terry Hephrun for sending in the Holy Week Poster, which many of you will recognise.
If you have access to a printer, you can print it off and put it in your window, as in previous years.
Palm Sunday, 5/4/20:
Palm Sunday readings, recorded by Miss R Wilkinson of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, featuring William Black of Year 7 (appearing with his parents' permission) and our very own Father David.
A really nice, well put-together video - do enjoy!
Palm Sunday, 5/4/20:
4/4/20:
In keeping with the 'Beautiful Idea for Palm Sunday' item below (see entry dated 1/4/20), this is how the front door at St Mary's prebytery is looking right now:
The St John's Flower Ladies had better look to their laurels (pun intended!)
PS after witing that, I've been severely admonished - it WAS the St John's Flower Ladies who did it, and donated it to St Mary's!! So that's me put in my place then :-)
4/4/20:
Here's a link to Holy Week at Home - adaptations of the Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday Rituals for Family and Household Prayer.
In the absence of public worship we hope you find it useful.
The Angelus
Leader: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary
R: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit
“Hail Mary…”
Leader: Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R: Be it done unto me according to thy Word.
“Hail Mary…”
Leader: And the Word was made Flesh.
R: And dwelt amongst us.
“Hail Mary…”
Leader: Pray for us, Most Holy Mother of God.
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Leader: Let us Pray.
Pour forth, we beseech you O Lord, Thy grace unto our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
R: Amen.
1/4/20:
As I post this it's only lunchtime and, no joke, it's been a busy day already! See below:
Holy Week and Easter Quiz from Fr David - how many can you get right?
Dominic Aunger sent this in for the website & newsletter via Fr David:
"We have been sharing jokes, prayers and ideas for coping in the “lockdown” situation. We saw this & wondered if we could share it with the rest of the parish through the newsletter or website. It regards attaching a green branch of any sort to one’s front door to visually celebrate Palm Sunday, see the link below."
https://thedeaconsbench.com/a-beautiful-idea-for-palm-sunday/
Dominic concludes by saying, "Please God we’ll all safely come through this pandemic stronger, kinder and more faithful to the Lord’s mission."
Just had this in too - click on the message:
Bishop John has recorded a message for all clergy,
religious and parish volunteers which you can find here.
31/3/20:
Many thanks to Mick Armfield for bringing this to our attention:
The Burnley Community Hub has been set up by Burnley Council and other partner organisations to help the most vulnerable in our community who may be facing difficulties as a result of Covid 19.
There may be some of our older/sick or single Parishioners who may be struggling for whatever reason who could benefit from the services they aim to provide.
For more information for you access to further information is available at www.burnleytogether.org.uk
On the other hand, if you want to volutneer they would be glad to hear from you...
31/3/20:
If you have any news or thoughts you'd like to share, or some words of hope and encouragement in these difficult times, please send them to us via
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thank you - we hope to hear from you soon.
29/3/20:
Lovely readings for Sunday 29th March; please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and our own Parish of the Good Samaritan. Click on the link below:
28/3/20:
A Cheerful, Hopeful Message -
sent by Barbara Grime
My cousin sent this to me. It is supposed to be from Pope Francis. Whether it is or not, I think it is worth sharing!
So beautiful. Tonight before falling asleep, think about when we will return to the street.
When we hug again, when all the shopping together will seem like a party.
Let's think about when the coffees will return to the bar, the small talk, the photos close to each other.
We think about when it will all be a memory, but normalcy will seem an unexpected and beautiful gift.
We will love everything that has so far seemed futile to us. Every second will be precious.
Swims at the sea, the sun until late, sunsets, toasts, laughter.
We will go back to laughing together.
Strength and courage. See you soon.
Papa Francesco
27/3/20:
In case you were unable to watch the Pope's live Urbi et Orbi broadcast, here's a link to the full text of his meditation:
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/urbi-et-orbi-pope-coronavirus-prayer-blessing.html
26/3/20:
We received this splendid idea from Mick Armfield of Burnley Catenians:
Just an idea. The Government have rightly asked us to thoroughly wash our hands, on a regular basis, for a period of around 20 seconds. Rather than sing 'Happy Birthday to you' twice, as suggested, why not say the Lord's Prayer which also takes approximately 20 seconds to recite.
23/3/20:
Pope Francis has made a statement this morning (23/3/20) at Mass.....
Reconciliation for Easter
“I know that many of you go to confession before Easter … many will say to me: ‘But Father ….. I cannot leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me ….. How can I do that unless I find a priest?’ Do what the catechism says. It is very clear. If you don’t find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He is your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord, I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’ You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand.”
21/3/20:
We aim to provide a video of each Sunday's Mass celebrated at St Mary's, Burnley, for the duration.
Click on "View Mass" on the menu bar above to watch this week-end's Mass, celebrated by Fr David.
19/3/20 (since updated):
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
News Updates, Further Information & Links
Latest update: 22/3/20
If you are housebound or self-isolating at this time, please use these prayers to unite yourself with the worship of the Universal Church, and your own Parish, this Sunday, either by yourself or with your family. Click on the link below to download a PDF file.
Link 20/3/20 - Further resources for you:
https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/covid-19-online-resources/
Even more Parish News in our latest Newsletter, 22/3/20: Click here.
18/3/20:
Public Masses Closed
The following announcement has been made by the Catholic Archbishops of England and Wales:
Here are some links to relevant announcements on the Salford Diocesan website:
https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/latest-updates-on-covid-19/
WELCOME!
Three Churches
Three Communities
Serving One Lord.
Welcome to the website for the brand-new Parish of The Good Samaritan, Burnley, incorporating the churches of Christ the King, St John the Baptist and St Mary of the Assumption. Each of the three churches has its own special character, comprised of, and helping meet the needs of, its own community. We are part of the Diocese of Salford. The parish covers a wide area, encompassing Central Burnley and the semi rural areas of Worsthorne and Cliviger. The oldest church is St Mary's, which has a long history dating back to the nineteenth century, the current church being opened in 1849. St John's church opened in 1881 and the youngster of the three, Christ the King, came into being in 1936. Together the three make a rich and vibrant community, working together to celebrate our Catholic faith and put our relationship with Jesus Christ into action by sharing together in many different ways.
I am delighted at our new three church, one parish website and I trust you will find it easy to move around the site and hopefully find it to be a big help to you. Like all new ventures, a lot of hard work has gone into this new project by a small but dedicated team, to whom I am very grateful. I am also grateful that they have pledged to ensure our web site is kept current and updated regularly, which of course is so imperative. I must also give thanks to the many parishioners who contributed articles large and small for the website – without their articles the website would have little to show our visitors so a big thank you to them!
As well as the team of those involved in running and contributing to the website, there is also a team of clergy who serve the three churches by also working together. In addition to myself, as the Parish Priest based at St Mary’s, there is also Fr Kevin Tierney who is the Assistant Priest, also resident at St Mary’s. The rest of the team comprises Fr Emmanuel Ugwuoke and Fr Benneth Okonkwo, who are Vincentian priests, resident at St John the Baptist presbytery. We meet regularly in order to ensure that things run smoothly.
Much work and thought had gone into the idea of bringing our three parishes together as one, as part of Bishop John’s plan for the reorganisation of all the parishes in the Diocese of Salford published in early 2017. When I arrived in Burnley in July 2018 to begin my role in bringing the three parishes together, I spoke in each of the three churches of the need to move forward at the right pace in order to ensure that everyone is on board with us. I used the phrase: “Festina Lente”, which means “make haste, slowly”. I genuinely feel with this website, our recently launched joint three church Newsletter, as well as many of the other ways that we are finding to collaborate and work together, are all signs that we are making progress, without rushing.
Despite all the responsibilities, I genuinely love being in Burnley; the people here are really appreciative of what we are trying to do and I speak for the clergy team in saying how supported we each feel by the people we serve. There are a lot of very good things going on in each of our three churches, and a good many new things that we are keen to establish as we go forward. Thank you for your interest in our parish communities and please enjoy your visit to this website.
Fr David
Quick Guide 
Mass Times: Christ the King | St Mary's | St John's | All Three Churches
Find Us: Christ the King | St Mary's | St John's
Contact Us: Contact Details
Also on This Page: Dates For Your Diary | Regular Events | Related External Events | New Parish Prayer and Church Prayer Cards
Other Pages in this Section:
Weekly Reflection | Parish Clergy | Sacraments | How do I...? | Further Announcement Details | Local Martyrs | Inspirational Quotes | Celebration Photos
Hope in the Future - Click here
Don't Miss Our New Prayer Cards! - click here to view
After several months of pretty intense behind-the-scenes activity, the St Mary's Parish War Dead section has been completely redeveloped, with a comprehensive list of St Mary's War Dead (which also covers men who lived in what was to become the Christ the King parish, by the way) and the cemeteries which became their final resting places.
Make our efforts worthwhile - take a look and browse at your leisure. If you're related to any of the parish war dead then we'd particularly like to hear from you if you have any corrections, additional info or photos you can share with us.
We hope you enjoy you visit to the new part of our parish website and that you find it interesting and informative!
The first Sing for Water North took place in Manchester in June 2011 and is one of a number of regional events in support of Sing for Water
Whether you are here as someone who would like to take part, or as a supporter, we hope that you will find something of interest. You can take a look at our Previous Events, Get Involved or Donate!
In 2020 Sing for Water North will, it is hoped, take place in Preston City Centre, on Saturday June 13th. The event will be hosted by Preston People’s Choir with their Musical Director Moira Hill and supported by colleagues from the Natural Voice Practitioners’ Network.
Contact Karen Smith 431723 if not internet active or just want to chat about it.
Dates for Your Diary
and Forthcoming Events
REGULAR EVENTS:
ALL THREE CHURCHES
Given the current state of uncertainty, notifications of regular events have been removed (hopefully temporarily!) for the time being.
Have an item or notice
for the website?
Our email addresses -
General: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For Christ the King - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For St Mary’s - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For St John’s - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For all sections - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
General Comments and Suggestions - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NB: these addresses are just for website matters -
if you have a church-related question or issue please see church addresses/phone numbers here
Other Events/Announcements of Interest
Queen's Awards for Voluntary Service
Last year we featured an item seeking nominations for the Queens Awards for Voluntary Service. It’s now time to invite nominations again this year. Parishioner Terry Hephrun, who many of you will know, writes,
“The support of a variety of organisations in Lancashire helped us to generate 29 nominations (including seven from Burnley) for the 2020 Awards by the closing date of 13 September 2019. This figure is a record for Lancashire and we have our fingers crossed for a number of successes when the Awards are announced in early June.
“In spite of the difficult circumstances in which we are currently finding ourselves, we are now looking ahead to the 2021 Awards. Nominations can now be made and the nominations "window" will again remain open until mid-September.
“We are seeing close at hand that thousands of volunteers across Lancashire serve unselfishly and have given hours of time and expertise to improve the lives of others, but we are anxious to see more Groups recognised for the work they do.”
Click here for more information
Help us Celebrate our Centenary!
Burnley Catenian Circle will be 100 in November 2020 and there will be some celebrations!
As part of the build up, we are seeking to gather a record of the Circle's history and are appealing for old photos, articles, memorabilia and memories of Circle events, members and families.
Can you help?
material can be sent to a special email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cyclone Idai Disaster
What CAFOD is doing about it:
Mission Possible, Nairobi:
read all about it - click here!
Volunteering Opportunities!
Here's your chance to volunteer for any voluntary posts which may appear from time to time in any or all of our three parishes.
Occasionally we may feature some opportunities for voluntary work with worthy causes in the wider community too!
Our first featured advertisement is for a good cause you may not have thought about...
To mark the very special occasion of our three churches coming together as one new parish, on Saturday 28th September we held a Celebration Mass at St Mary's followed by a Reception at Turf Moor, attended by 250 parishioners from all 3 churches.
To view some great photos taken of the occasion by Denise Foulds, click here
The Parish of the Good Samaritan logo design by Lucy in Year 8, BTCC
Other images, given freely & used with grateful thanks are by
OpenClipart-Vectors, Gerd Altman, Alexas_Fotos & Jo_Lanta,
all from Pixabay.com
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