Parish Newsletters
26th Sunday of the Year (A)
27 September 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
From Companion to the Sunday Gospels, Year A by Dom Henry Wansbrough, renowned Biblical Scholar, Monk of Ampleforth Abbey
Sunday’s Gospel – Parable of the two sons.
The writer of Matthew’s Gospel loves giving Parables of Jesus contrasting ‘goodies and baddies’ like these two contrasting sons in the Gospel. Matthew’s parable put everything in black and white terms with no shades of grey (wise and foolish wedding attendants, sheep and goats).
25th Sunday of the Year (A)
20 September 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
Today’s Gospel
The story of the workers in the vineyard is an illustration of the generosity of God.
The labourers are not idlers, they stand in the accustomed place ready to work. Each group in turn is hired and agree a fair reward for their work. Some are hired at the start of the day, some during the day and some just before nightfall.
24th Sunday of the Year (A)
13 September 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
For the Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
This Feast commemorates two separate historical events, the Dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in the Fifth century and the recovery of the Relics of the True Cross from the Persians in the Seventh century.
23rd Sunday of the Year (A)
6 September 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
From Music and Liturgy - Society of St Gregory
In today’s First Reading from the prophet Ezekiel that was written during a time when the southern kingdom of Judah was on the point of being destroyed by the army of Babylon, Ezekiel pictures himself as a watchman on the city walls on the lookout for danger.
The Parish of Haigh, Aspull & Blackrod
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was founded in the mid 1850's and is part of the R.C. Diocese of Salford. The Church was blessed and opened in 1858, the year of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes. The Church was re-ordered in the 1990's and several new stained-glass windows were installed, some made in Blackrod, and are an interesting feature of the Church.
Holy Family Parish, New Springs, was funded from Our Lady's in 1898 and in 2009 clebrated the Golden Jubilee of its Church. The community of Blackrod, Bolton, had a chapel-of-ease from 1960 to 2009 when St. Andrews Church Hall was closed.
All three areas - Haigh & Aspull, Blackrod and New Springs are now served from Our Lady's.
Rev Kevin Foulkes
48 Haigh Road
Aspull
Wigan WN2 1YA
TEL: 01942 516732
Mass Times
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
6.00pm
9.30am
11.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
11.00am
Haigh
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Haigh
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday
11:30 - 12 noon
As announced
Haigh
Holy Family
A Parish History ~ 1858-2018
Mr Livesey & Mr West have worked with local parishioners to produce a book about the history of our parish and school, they have kindly allowed us to reproduce an electronic version of their book, available on the Parish Page, CLICK HERE to read it.
If you would like to purchase a hard copy of the book CLICK HERE
Forward...
It is a privilege and honour to write the forward to the Parish History of Our Lady’s Parish, on its 160th Anniversary.
It has also been a privilege and honour, and a pleasure, to serve as Our Lady’s Parish Priest since 1997 – following in the footsteps of my twenty-six predecessors.
Saint Peter writes ‘He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house.’ (Peter 2:3-5)
We are the living stones of this Christian community – commissioned as ‘missionary disciples’ to be Christ’s ‘ambassadors’ (St. Paul Cor. 5:20) in loving witness, worship and service to our community.
There have been many changes over these 160 years – in the Church, Society, Education and the design of Our Lady’s Church. The priests and people of Our Lady’s Parish have experienced many joyful family and Parish celebrations but also wars, peace, poverty and economic depressions, through twelve Pontificates and six Reigns – and we too are facing a challenging time for the Catholic Church. Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman wrote that ‘To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often’.
And so, building on and celebrating our heritage – the stones of Our Lady’s Church, and the ‘living stones’ of our dedicated, faithful and often courageous priests, parishioners and teachers in our Parish School we can face the future with confidence. We do so knowing that Jesus, Our Risen Lord, has promised to be with his Church forever. (Matthew 28:20)
I commend this publication to be read and enjoyed by everyone.
Many thanks to Phil Livesey and Neil West for their initiative to begin and to bring this book to completion and to all who have collaborated with them, with their own very interesting and often amusing memories! God bless you all.
Fr Kevin C. Foulkes