Holy Rood - Barnsley at George Street, Barnsley, South Yorksire S70 1AX England UK - Home
Welcome to the Church of the Holy Rood
This is the website of the Catholic Parish of The Holy Rood (which means "Holy Cross",) in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. You will find here lots of pictures of parish events, an occasional item by the Parish Priest, Fr Terry Boyle, articles about church matters from the Vatican Information Service and Catholic World News as well as homilies on the Sunday readings and general information about the Parish. Enjoy your visit.
May Procession 2013
The Parish was blessed with fine weather for our May Procession 2013 and many thanks to everyone for the great turnout with many children and families taking part. Children preparing for their first Holy Communion were given special lilies to present to Our Lady during the Offertory of the Mass. It was a truly joyful occasion for everyone there. Click on the smaller image to see the beautiful photographs...
Easter Flowers 2013
Holy Rood Church looked resplendent for Easter 2013 thanks to the skill, hard work and dedication of our flower arrangers. This is a good opportunity to thank everyone who has worked so hard over Lent and Easter to make the Parish the rich and vibrant life that it is ~ the altar servers, readers, children's liturgy, ministers, musicians and singers, people who put on the refreshments after mass, who meet and greet people, take the collections, clean the church. So much goes on behind the scenese that people may not realise but God knows all the goodness in people's hearts and will never be outdone in generosity. To see the pictures of our Easter flowers just click on the smaller image...
Easter Vigil 2013
Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die and all those who live and believe in me will never die.” Jesus proved that he has power even over death itself. We know that after we die we will rise again into everlasting life and live forever with God in heaven.
Congratulations to those who were newly admitted into the Catholic Church duringt this Mass. We pray that their journey into faith will bring them many blessings, much fulfulment, joy and peace. To see some pictures from this frist Mass of Easter just click on the small image...
Congratulations to those who were newly admitted into the Catholic Church duringt this Mass. We pray that their journey into faith will bring them many blessings, much fulfulment, joy and peace. To see some pictures from this frist Mass of Easter just click on the small image...
Good Friday 2013
‘ Jesus eventually arrived at a place called Golgotha, known as the place of the skull. It was here that the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. Even as they were doing this, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Standing close to the cross were a small group of faithful people including his mother Mary and John, the beloved disciple.
Jesus bows his head and dies. This part of his life is over. Jesus has given his life for all of us. Jesus died on Good Friday which is the day after Holy Thursday. It is called ‘Good’ because Jesus died to take away all of our sins. He died so that each one of us may have life and have it to the full…
Maundy Thursday 2013
Holy Thursday is possibly the most moving and beautiful Mass of the whole year recalling the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his friends. At this special Passover meal, he left us with the great gift of the Eucharistic and the command to 'do this in memory of me.' Jesus also left us with a great example of how important it is for us as Christians to serve one another when he washed the feet of his disciples. At the end of this special Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is carried from the main altar to the Lady Chapel just as Jesus travelled from the last supper room to the garden of Gethsemane…
Palm Sunday 2013
Winter returned with a vengeance for Palm Sunday but that didn't extinguish the devotion of the parish who turned out despite the freezing conditions ~ well done! To see the pictures from this day just click on the smaller image...
Polish Blessing of Food 2013
Click on the small image or link below to see pictures of the Polish blessing of food...
Lent 2013
Very well done to the children from Holy Rood School who introduced the 9.30 Masses for each of the Sundays of Lent followed by hanging Lenten symbols on the cross. A big thank you to the wonderful children's liturgy team who help the children understand at their level the Gospel message each week. To see some of the pictures of our journey through Lent just click on the smaller teaser image...
Christmas Altar and Flowers
The church looks exceptionally beautiful during the Christmas season and we owe a huge thank you to the small and dedicated army of people who make it so. We so appreciate all their talents and efforts and to see some of the pictures just click on the image of the crib...
Carol Concert 2012
The school and Parish was a great success and very well received by parishioners and parentsalike. Having so many children in church really made for a wonderful occasion and Y6 did so well with their readings. It was nice that the children had the opportunity to see the beauty of Holy Rood Church at Christmastide and we certainly got the volume with approx 180 children. Really well done to Mr Barraclough for organising the whole thing so well and to the Friends who served refreshments in the hall afterwards. The event raised £120 for the Church Restoration Fund and thanks to all of you who donated to that as well. Click on the smaller image to see the pictures...
Advent 2012
Many thanks to all the children and families who led the introductions to the Masses throughout the Sundays of Advent. Advent is such a beautiful season and helps us prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. To see the pictures just click on the smaller teaser image...
Christmas Fair 2012
Thank you to all who helped with the Christmas Fair. Donating items, doing the work, taking part on the day and Holy Rood School children providing the beautiful music. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and well done to everybody! The total profit was £1,885 which is a wonderful amount in the current economic climate. Some great pictures from Michael Galvin for you to enjoy by clicking on the teaser image above...
Thanksgiving Mass for 112 years of service
On 25th September 2012 there was a very special occasion in the history of the parish with a special Mass of thanksgiving for the Sisters of Mercy. The sisters have recently left Barnsley after 112 years of dedicated service to the parish, the school and the local community and to say they are greatly missed is an understatement. They are certainly greatly loved and held in the highest esteem and affection as evidenced by a packed church on the night. Bishop John led 18 priests in the celebration of Holy Mass. We all have our own memories of the sisters and will keep them always in our prayers. To see the pictures of this wonderful evening just click on the smaller image...
Flying Statue 2012
The convent has now been sold and the statue of the Sacred Heart moved to the Sacred Heart church at Goldthorpe...
UCM Walsingham Pilgrimage 2012
In July 2012 the 67th annual UCM Pilgrimage to Our Lady's shrine at Walsingham took place. To see the pictures from this year's pilgrimage just click on the smaller image...
Confirmation 2012
Confirmation night was a beautiful, prayerful and reverent occasion. Bishop John came to administer the Sacrament to 16 candidates and we pray that they will always listen to the guiding voice of God’s Holy Spirit in their lives. As Bishop John said, many thanks to everyone who has helped with these young people during their preparation at school, in the parish and especially at home.
Parish Jubilee Day 2012
A wonderful day was had at the UCM Jubilee event to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the queen. red, white and blue were the colors of the day, good food, drink, company and much laughter! Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to organise it all and to all of the parishoners who supported the occasion. To see the pictures just click on the smaller image...
Parish Newsletters Now Available Online
For those of you who regularly visit our website, you will have noticed that the parish newsletters are now available online. They are in PDF format, which means you will need the Adobe Reader installed on your computer in order to open them. If you do't have it, it is a free download from Adobe.com
To read the latest newsletter, just select the date of your choice in the column on the left.
Thermometer reaches £50,000!
Two years ago the parish began the daunting task of trying to raise £50,000 to pay for the much needed restoration work on the altar and lady chapel. This was a huge amount of money at any time but in such difficult economic times filled with doom and gloom it was an even bigger ask still. However the people of Holy Rood are among the finest to be found and thanks to a huge effort by so many people this target has now been reached in just under two years ~ what an incredible achievement this is and really well done to everyone who has made this possible.
Numerous events have been arranged that had the added bonus of bringing people together socially as well as raising funds. Things like the Race Night, Valerienco concert and an evening with Gervase Phinn will live long in the memory. Monthly collections and very generous anonymous donations have helped us reach this seemingly impossible goal ~ it works out an around £500 a week coming in every week for 2 years. Thank you so much to everyone for their kindness, generosity, dedication and hard work.
Click on the smaller image to see some test cleaning for the next area of the church that urgently needs attention ~ but details of that will follow in 2012!
An Evening with Gervase Phinn
The evening with Gervase Phinn at the church hall was simply unforgettable for those lucky enough to be there. Over 190 tickets had been sold and Gervase entertained us all brilliantly with a succession of stories, anecdotes and quips about his life and times as a school inspector. Lots of money raised for the Restoration Fund and and another wonderful social evening for the parish. well done to everybody who organised and supported the event.
After the Celebration ~ Now the Party!
After the celebration of the Jubilee Mass came the opportunity for everyone to get together in the church hall. A wonderful buffet had been laid out and the hall was beautifully decorated for the special occasion. Thanks to so many people who made a huge effort both before and also on the night itself. Can there be a better parish than Holy Rood where people give of their time and talents so freely ~ well done to everyone. Just click on the small picture to see Michael Galvin's great collection of photos!
Golden Jubilee Mass
"I was overwhelmed by the Golden Jubilee celebration. The church looked magnificent, the music was great and it was wonderful to see such a gathering of friends, old and new. Holy Rood is a parish with a big heart. Many thanks for all this and for the very, very generous gifts." Father Boyle on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee celebrating a legacy of 50 golden years in God's service. To see the pictures from the Jubilee Mass on May 27th just click on the smaller image...
May Procession 2011
The Parish was blessed with fine weather for our May Procession 2011 and many thanks to everyone for the great turnout with nearly 70 children taking part! Children preparing for their first Holy Communion were given special lillies to present to Our Lady during the Offertory of the Mass. It was a truly joyful ocasion for everyone there. Click on the smaller image to see the beautiful photographs...
New Plaque and Window 2011
Click on the smaller image to see pictures of the new window in the Lady Chapel in memory of Pope John Paul II and the new plaque in church to commemorate the visit of Pope Benedict to the United Kingdom in 2010.
PARISH BOUNDARIES
Priests brought to their knees.
MASS TIMES
Father Flood Cartoon for The 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
Recycling
Recycling is good for the enviroment. It helps plants and animals.You can recycle lots of things from glass bottles to banana skins.
Francis: Lower Defenses And Open Doors
Dialogue, discernment, and frontier: These were the three words that the Pope suggested to the personnel of the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica (Catholic Civilization), which is published in Italian from Rome, whom he received in audience this ...
Slovenia And Holy See: Safeguarding Religious Freedom Is Key To Harmonious Development Of Society
In the Vatican Apostolic Palace this morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Her Excellency Ms. Alenka Bratusek. Prime Minister Bratusek subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Tarcisio ...
General Audience: The Church, The People Of God, Should Keep Door Open
The Church, defined in Vatican Council II as the People of God, was the topic of Pope Francis' catechesis during the Wednesday general audience. The Holy Father explained the concept of the People of God through a series of questions: “What does it mean to be the People of God? How does ...