St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Leyland

12/06/2026

12/06/2026

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
'Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and sent them out'
To view our newsletter, follow the link to the website:
https://www.leylandstmarys.org.uk

12/06/2026

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a beautiful feast that reminds us of Christ's boundless love, mercy and compassion for all people.

The Sacred Heart is a symbol of Jesus' love poured out for humanity—a love that is faithful, forgiving and always welcoming. As we gather in prayer and worship, may we open our hearts to His love and strive to share that same love with those around us.

"Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You."

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus bless our parish, our families and all who are in need of His comfort and peace.

11/06/2026

June 11th: St Barnabas, Apostle

St. Barnabas, originally named Joseph, was a Jewish man from Cyprus who became an early Christian, as mentioned in the New Testament. Demonstrating his generosity, he sold his belongings and gave the money to the Apostles, which led to him being called Barnabas, meaning "son of encouragement." A prominent leader in the early Church, Barnabas played a crucial role in welcoming Saul (later known as Paul) into the Christian community.

Barnabas and Paul traveled together to Antioch in Syria, where they provided aid during a famine. Their missionary work took them to Cyprus and Asia Minor, where they encountered both strong opposition and great support. After returning to Antioch, a discussion about accepting Gentile converts led them to Jerusalem, where it was decided that Gentiles did not need to adhere to Jewish laws to be baptized.

Plans for another missionary journey fell apart when Barnabas wanted to bring his cousin, John Mark, along. Paul opposed this because Mark had previously left them during their mission, resulting in Barnabas and Paul parting ways. Barnabas chose to take Mark and return to Cyprus.

Information about Barnabas' later life comes mainly from tradition and legend. It is believed that he preached in Alexandria and Rome and established the Church in Cyprus. Although he was not the Bishop of Milan, some traditions suggest he was martyred in Salamis around 61 AD.

St. Barnabas is honored for his ability to promote peace, his generosity, and his dedication to spreading the Christian faith.

07/06/2026

St Mary's, Leyland - Summer Fair 2026

What a wonderful day at our Summer Fair! ☀️🎉

Blessed with beautiful weather, we enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of fun, friendship and community. A huge thank you to our music group for providing wonderful entertainment, to everyone who helped serve the tasty BBQ and delicious selection of cakes and refreshments, and to all those who ran and supported the variety of stalls.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the day such a success. It was a wonderful celebration of our parish community, and we are grateful to all who contributed their time, talents and generosity.

07/06/2026

Today we joyfully celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi, giving thanks for the gift of Jesus Christ truly present in the Holy Eucharist.

It was a particularly special celebration as we welcomed Charles into the Catholic Church. During Mass, he received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. We thank God for his faith journey and pray that the Lord will continue to guide and strengthen him in the years ahead.

Please join us in congratulating Charles and keeping him in your prayers.

05/06/2026

Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi.
'My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.' John 6:55.
To view our newsletter, follow the link to the website:
https://www.leylandstmarys.org.uk

05/06/2026

FEAST OF ST BONIFACE, BISHOP

Boniface, who was baptized Winfrid, lived in the eighth century. He was a brilliant monk in a Benedictine monastery in England. He was the head of a school, but he thought God wanted him to be a missionary. He went to Frisia (Northern Netherlands and Germany) to begin his work. A war forced him to return to England for a few years, but he did not give up. Next, he journeyed to Rome to ask the pope to tell him where to serve. Pope Gregory II changed Winfrid’s name to Boniface, which means “a man who does good deeds.” Then he sent Boniface to eastern Germany.

For nearly 35 years, Boniface travelled all over Germany, preaching, teaching, and building schools, monasteries, and convents. He went to Rome to report to the pope about his work. There, the pope ordained him bishop and told him to return to Germany to continue missionary work. Boniface invited monks and sisters from England to come and help him. The monastery at Fulda is probably the most famous one started by Boniface.

As an old man, Boniface returned to Frisia to work among the pagans. One morning, while he was waiting to confirm a group of converts, a band of angry natives rushed into the church and murdered Boniface and about 50 converts. Today Saint Boniface is the patron of Germany.

03/06/2026

Today we commemorate St Charles Lwanga and his companions.
St. Charles Lwanga and his 21 companions were Catholic pages and converts executed between 1885 and 1887 by King Mwanga II of Buganda (modern-day Uganda) for refusing to renounce their faith and resisting sexual abuse. Burned alive at Namugongo on June 3, 1886, they are honored as saints and martyrs.

01/06/2026

Today we remember St Justin, Martyr.

Born in 100 AD in Flavia Neapolis, he studied philosophy in his search for truth before becoming a Christian.

He wrote important works defending Christianity, including the First Apology, Second Apology, and Dialogue with Trypho. His writings provide one of the earliest detailed descriptions of how Christians celebrated the Eucharist and Sunday worship, and he established a school where he taught the Christian faith; however, in 165 AD, he was arrested and refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. He was sentenced to death and beheaded for his faith.