This “gem church” will be open each day for private prayer and meditation from 9.30am. until 3.30pm.
THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (YEAR B)
WEEK: MAY 20TH – MAY 26TH 2012
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Alleluia, alleluia! Go, make disciples of all the nations; I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. Alleluia!
YOUR CHARITABLE PRAYERS are requested for our parishioners and friends, especially those whose names appear below:
SICK or HOUSEBOUND: Joanna; Shirley; Joan Casey; Cecilia; Jude Michael Harrison; Regina Wisniewski; Terence & Debbie; Seamus Whelan; Catherine McCarthy; Terry Hulley; Margaret Miller; Luke McSherry; Michael; a sick child.
LATELY DEAD: Peter Philbin; Terry Mills; Nicholas Dodd; Wayne McNulty; Robert Hendrik.
ANNIVERSARIES: Robert Lomax; Mary Barratt; Stirling Smith.
May they rest in peace.
SUNDAY COLLECTION: Envelopes: £640.16; Loose: £289.31; Total: £929.47
Thank you all for your continued generosity.
DONATIONS/COLLECTIONS: many thanks for the following donations:
Bell Tower Fund: Loose: £17.91 and £4.70.
Gift Aided: £00.00.
Also, £29.10 for CAFOD; £200.00 bequest in memory of Mary Hunt (RIP) for the church Redevelopment Fund.
PARISH NEWS
- Covenants: End of year Gift-aid donation statements are available from Colin Riley after Mass.
- The Filipino dinner realised an amazing total of £1,452.00 for the Redevelopment Fund and stained glass window – many thanks to all concerned.
- Tickets for the annual Parish Grand Summer Draw are now on sale, with the proceeds going to the Bell Tower appeal, and the draw will take place on Sunday 10th June. The first three prizes are cash to the value of £250, £100 and £50 and there are other prizes of spirits, wines, etc. A book of 5 tickets is still £1. Parishioners are politely asked to take extra books to sell to your family and friends.
THIS WEEK’S SAINTS
St. Christopher of Magallanes was born to a Mexican farm family and worked as a shepherd in his youth. He was ordained priest and helped to found schools, a newspaper, catechism centres for children and adults, carpentry shops and an electric plant. Arrested and shot without trial in 1927 while en route to celebrate Mass, his final words were, “I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and I ask God that the shedding of my blood serves toward the peace of our divided Mexico”. He was canonised by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.
St. Rita of Cascia: despite an early desire to enter religious life, Rita was married at the age of 18. After the violent death of her abusive husband, and the death of her children, she joined the Augustine monastery in Cascia (Italy) at the age of 36. She lived as a wife, mother, widow and nun, buried her family, helped bring peace to her city – and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him.
St. Bede the Venerable was born in 673 in Jarrow, England, and was educated by the Benedictines. He eventually joined the monastery there and began a life of great erudition, producing many writings; he particularly worked on the interpretation of the Scriptures and the History of the Church in Britain. He died in the year 735.
St. Philip Neri was renowned for his prayerfulness, and sense of fun and humour. He was born in Florence in 1515 and after his arrival in Rome he had a mystical experience in the catacombs, then gathered a community of friends to look after the sick, which eventually became the Oratory which ministered to pilgrims who went to Rome without food or shelter. He died in 1595.
READERS: 10.00am. Mass 11.30am. Mass 6.00pm. Mass
TODAY: W. Powell & P. Hilton M. Smith P. Haines
NEXT SUNDAY: C. Riley & L. Nicholls M. Howell C. Dodd
CHURCH CLEANING ROTA
This week: Week 3 - Mary & Francis Fernandez and friends (Indian)
Next week: Week 4 - Team 4
“WHAT’S ON” THIS WEEK
TODAY is the feast of The Ascension of the Lord. Masses are at the usual times.
ALSO, the baptisms and christenings of Graceme and Kerene Ngambuami take place during the 10.00am Mass at St. Patrick’s church. We welcome them into our parish community and wish them many blessings in the future.
ALSO, it is World Communications Day when we are asked to keep those who work in the media in our prayers. Donations can be placed in an envelope labelled CCN.
WEDNESDAY: Sacramental Programme: parents’ meeting and children’s lesson at 3.30pm in St. Patricks church.
THURSDAY: inaugural meeting of the Blue Sky Vision and Development Forum.
SATURDAY: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Patrick’s church 10-30 – 11.45am., including the closure of the May Devotions at 11-30am.
ALSO, the wedding of Mark Rehman Boothroyd and Lynn Angela Dunne takes place in St. Mary’s church at 1.00pm. We congratulate them and wish them many happy years of married life together.
NEXT SUNDAY: the children on the Sacramental Programme make their First Holy Communion in St. Patrick’s church during a Mass at 2.30pm.
The following hand-written letter has been received from the Bishop: “A note to acknowledge the stipend you provided after my visit for Confirmations. Your children were well prepared: I don’t often get every child who answers correctly and in the right places. But yours did. It is very nice to see how integrated the community has become: ‘see how these Christians love one another’ all over again. Thank you.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Please see the church notice board for further details of the following:
- Collection for the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Education Fund in June.
- 3s-11s Children’s Liturgy Group meet during the 10.00am Mass on Sunday 3rd June.
- St. Patrick’s Parish Team meeting on Thursday 7th June at 7.30pm.
- Caritas annual Garden Party on Saturday 9th June at Barlow RC school 1.00 – 4.00pm.
- Parish “shared table” celebration to mark the 60th birthday of Fr. Phil in the Parish Centre on Saturday 16th June from 7.30pm.
ITEMS FROM ST. PATRICK’S PARISH TEAM MEETING IN MAY
- The fund-raising Vision and Development Forum will have its inaugural meeting on Thursday 24th May.
- English Heritage Grant: work will commence as soon as we receive written confirmation of the Stage 2 grant. This is expected within the next 2 weeks.
- A volunteer from St. Mary’s has offered to help with ground maintenance.
- Fr Phil has received a verbal quotation of £9,000 for solar panels. The written proposal is awaited.
- Steel lockers for the altar servers have been purchased and are being used.
- The date of June 21st for the Mass for the Sick and Housebound has been agreed with the school.
- The Filipinos have agreed to organise the Family Fun Day.
- Confirmation: preparation for the visit of the Bishop are in hand. It was agreed to keep the refreshments simple. We hope that as many people as possible will attend the ceremony and a note of invitation is to be put in the newsletter.
- There is a lot of rubbish behind the bar in the Parish Centre which needs sorting and, if appropriate, disposed of. In particular there is a WII console which clearly needs to be in a safer place.
- Friendship First: Phil Rawlings, the C of E Interfaith Director, has prepared a proposed course on this subject, which could be used by a variety of groups. Fr. Phil is to study it for discussion at the next meeting.
- The Filipinos are having a stall at the Oldham Carnival to raise money towards the cost of the planned work in the church.
“SMILE – A – WHILE” (“how Adam got Eve”)
- Adam was hanging around the garden of Eden feeling very lonely. So, God asked him, 'What's wrong with you?' Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to. God said that He was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman. He said, 'This pretty lady will gather food for you, she will cook for you, and when you discover clothing, she will wash them for you. She will always agree with every decision you make and she will not nag you, and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will praise you! She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion whenever you need it.' Adam asked God, 'What will a woman like this cost?' 'An arm and a leg.' Then Adam asked, 'What can I get for a rib?’ Of course the rest is history............!!!!
- A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says: 'A beer please, and one for the road.'
- 'Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.' “That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome.'' “Is it common ?” “Well, It's Not Unusual”.