CHILDREN’S LITURGY
Children’s Liturgy will take place this Sunday (1st June). If you want to find out more or think you can help, please get in touch with Mary Preston on: mary.preston@googlemail.com or on 07759 516386. Thank you.
PAFRAS
The next collection will be this weekend (31st May/1st June) for food items and toiletries for the Refugees and Asylum seekers.
BI-MONTHLY PARISH BRIEFING
This Sunday (1st June). 12.15 till before 1pm.
HOW TO READ THE GOSPELS
“In the sacred books the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them.” Dei Verbum, 18 November 1965, n.21. The Gospels are God’s Gift to us. They teach us, inspire us, challenge us. But, apart from hearing them read at Mass, do we ever read them? This short course, led by Fr Mark Jarmuz, will look at the Gospels and explore what we can learn to help us pray.
Location: SS John Fisher & Thomas More Parish Hall, Bradford Road, Burley in Wharfedale LS29 7PX.
Dates: Wednesdays 7pm-8:30pm: 4 June, 11 June, 18 June, 25 June.
To book a place please speak with Fr Mark or email: mark.jarmuz@dioceseofleeds.org.uk.
CHURCHES TOGETHER “THY KINGDOM COME PRAYER”
Between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday Churches Together in Burley have organised several prayer related events. These include a quiet space at St Mary’s for contemplative prayer, a couple of prayer walks, a midday prayer event, and an evening Prayer and Praise event on Pentecost Sunday. More details are available in the foyer. Prayer journals and Novena Booklets will be left on the desk in our foyer for anyone who would like to participate in any of these initiatives.
Our next meeting will be held on Thursday 5th June at the Anglican Parish Centre in Burley. Lunch will be served at 12 Noon. All are welcome but could anyone wishing to attend please send me an email or text, so we can cater for the right number of people. Joe Czternastek. T: 07976 875099 or E: joe.cz@alpha-nova.com.
PATRONAL FEAST DAY
Sunday 22nd June is our Patronal Saints feast day. Following the St Mary’s School Lourdes fundraising cake sale we will be celebrating by joining together for a light lunch in the Parish grounds. Sign up lists will be available from next weekend. If you are willing to help in any way, please come to the next Parish Briefing meeting next Sunday (1st June) from 12.15 – 1.00pm. If you are unable to attend the meeting but are willing to help at the on the feast day, please contact the Parish Office or Sue direct on 07939 063120.
FAMILY RETREAT DAY
Pentecost Sunday 8th June 12 noon until 3.00pm (following 10.30am Mass) at St Stephen’s, Skipton. To register please email: office.ststephen.skipton@dioceseofleeds.org.uk.
PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES (4th -10th July)
This year’s theme is ‘With Mary, Pilgrims of Hope’, to coincide with the Jubilee year, a year of Grace. Several Parishioners including an assisted pilgrim are travelling with the Diocesan Pilgrimage this year. We look forward to being with our good friends from Sacred Heart parish. The Departure Mass will be held at Leeds Cathedral on Saturday 7th June at 11.30am with refreshments to follow in Wheeler Hall. Disabled parking bays can be pre-booked on-line at Q Park at the Light Car park adjacent to the Cathedral.
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU
Thank you to the Parish Family Bakers of buns, cakes and cookies, your talents never fail to amaze us! Absolutely scrumptious! This very small group help raise £100s every year for Charities. In the last 3 months they have supported Reform Trade/Fairtrade, Nurse Training for an impoverished Indian hospital and the Tree of Life project.
PRIESTLY VOCATIONS MEETING
Following on from the Bishop’s Pastoral letter, this is a reminder that any man who is even remotely thinking about a vocation to the priesthood is invited to meet with Bishop Marcus and members of the Vocations Promotion Team. Hinsley Hall, Pentecost Sunday, 8th June, 2.00pm lasting about an hour, including prayers/talks/Q&A. Under 18s must be accompanied by parent/guardian. Any initial questions to Fr Simon Lodge (simon.lodge@dioceseofleeds.org.uk /01247 872984).
RECYCLING BLISTER PACKS
Boots now accept blister packs for recycling, and we can even get advantage points for bringing them in! Could we all use this facility since it helps with our LiveSimply programme. We will take the ones previously collected to local Boots shops. Please let our LiveSimply team know if you would like to help with this. Thank you.
WE CAN STILL DEFEAT ASSISTED SUICIDE!
There is a clear path toward the assisted suicide Bill being defeated at Third Reading. Early analysis shows that at least 36 MPs supported the Bill but have concerns that mean they may vote NO at later stages. Just 28 MPs switching their stance to NO would ensure it is defeated at Third Reading. We need MPs to know that their constituents want them to vote NO at Third Reading. Please take action now and visit www.righttolife.org.uk/ASvote to find out how your MP voted and ask them to vote against the Bill at Third Reading.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR THE SEASON OF CREATION, September 2024
Bishop Marcus’ pastoral letter can be read here. Our bishop reminds us that, “Care for creation is a subject which has long and rich tradition in the Catholic Church, from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament through to the teachings of successive Popes.” He says:
- our care for the earth should be “motivated not by catastrophic visions but by hope in the future” and a deep love for the God in whom we live and move and have our being.
- in this period of prayer in preparation for the Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope, let us be inspired to take hopeful, but urgent, positive action as stewards of creation.
- these works we cannot just leave to others. We may lack the power to change the whole world, but we do have the ability to make our views known to those who govern our country, and to make changes in our own lives, homes and communities.
LiveSimply social/fundraising event for our new garden project
A big thank you to all for helping to make Sunday 23 June’s LiveSimply social/fundraising event such a success and what a celebration! To everyone who donated bottles/games/cakes/jams & plants and to those who looked after the tombola, cakes (weren’t they beautiful and delicious!) and plant stalls. There are a few plants left, they are in the kitchen at the back of the hall, please take one and give it a home. This was our first Fund Raiser for the new garden project and we received over £500 in donations which was brilliant. We are planning similar celebration events later in July and an autumn harvest Sunday when we will have fruits and veg to bring in and share.
Do join our LiveSimply team, you can leave your details on the form in the church entrance. We are finalising the new garden details; you can help with this, for example choosing new plants or building the paved area. Also if you were away you can support the project by donating LiveSimply via the DONA machine.
Mother’s DayMother’s Day activity at Children’s Liturgy – showing appreciation for mothers everywhere.


The Deanery celebration of Confirmation of 80 candidates at Leeds Trinity University. Such a happy occasion!
Tree of Life
At our parish meeting in October Fr Tim asked us to include Caring for Creation as one of our main priorities. This would mean building on what we did to gain our CAFOD LiveSimply award with new ideas from all our parish families. At our Mass on Sunday 18th October you wrote your suggestions on card leaves, these will be added to the Tree of Life in the foyer. We will be repeating this at a Saturday Mass early in the New Year to give everyone in our parish the opportunity to contribute to this work. In the meantime, you can add your ideas on card leaves in the basket in the church foyer. Please include your name and email/telephone so that we can contact you.
‘The Wednesday Word’ Web Site
This site contains information which you may find helps in preparation for the Mass readings for each Sunday, see http://www.wednesdayword.org
SVP, do you want to join?
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) is very active in Leeds Diocese. Ss John Fisher and Thomas More had a conference in the past. Sacred Heart Ilkley SVP Conference remains active and would like to extend an invitation to any Burley parishioners who might be interested in finding out more about the society and perhaps joining us in our work. The central purpose of the society is to assist those in need whatever form that need takes. Amongst other things members visit people in their own homes or in residential homes. For more information please contact Frank McCrickard, thatcanyon@gmail.com or Krzysia Condliffe krzysiacondliffe@gmail.com