2ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
WEEK: JANUARY 15TH – JANUARY 21ST 2012
The Lord then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
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; Terry Mills; Margaret Miller; Michael McGee; Kevin Henry; Nora Henry; Casey Joseph Nkeodi; Jean Hallas; Luke McSherry; John Fogg; Alison McGee; Joseph Philbin.
LATELY DEAD: Mary Dillamore; Anne Fleming; Muriel Cunningham; Anthony Carroll; Helen Bradley.
ANNIVERSARIES: Myron Patra; Frank O’Connor; Elizabeth Taylor; Joseph Taylor. May they rest in peace.
SUNDAY COLLECTION: Envelopes: £808.63; Loose: £312.36; Total: £1,120.99
Thank you all for your continued generosity.
DONATIONS/COLLECTIONS: many thanks for the following donations:
Bell Tower Fund: Loose: £19.52 and £3.50
Gift Aided: £121.00; £116.00; £50.00 and £42.80
Also, £52.50 for CAFOD; £90.00 in memory of Mary Dillamore; special thanks to our Polish community for a Christmas donation £605.00.
THIS WEEK’S SAINTS
St. Anthony: inspired by the words of the Lord “Sell everything you own and give it to the poor”, Anthony retired to the Egyptian desert at the age of 20. He attracted many followers who shared his ascetic life and bequeathed to the Church an example of life spent in solitude and total devotion to prayer. He died in the year 356 aged about 105.
St. Wulstan was born in Warwickshire about 1008 and died in 1095. He became a Benedictine monk of the cathedral priory of Worcester, but in 1062 was appointed bishop, and was one of the few Anglo-Saxons in high office to survive the Norman Conquest. He was renowned as a confessor, and his care for the poor and sick and for the high standards he demanded of his clergy.
St. Fabian was chosen as Pope in 236. He gave a great example of steadfastness in face of the persecution of the Church begun when the Emperor Decius decided to restore pagan worship in 250, even though this meant Fabian died a martyr’s death. He was buried in the catacombs of St. Callistus on the Via Appia.
St. Sebastian: the last great persecution of the Christians in Rome was under the Emperor Diocletian between 303 and 305; it was at this time that Sebastian, a native of Milan, was martyred in Rome. He was buried on the Via Appia, and his tomb attracted great devotion, being the only one of the ancient catacombs visited throughout the centuries.
St. Agnes was martyred at the age of 12 or 13, around the year 300. She was a member of the Roman nobility and was raised in a Christian family.
PARISH NEWS
- Many thanks to all the people who have put their used stamps into the box at the back of church. Two carrier bags full were taken to Dr. Kershaws’ Hospice this week and the staff were very grateful for them.
- Apologies to the people who arrived for noon Mass on Christmas Eve – by mistake, it was shown in the “Weekly Services”, but in the “What’s On This Week” section, it was stated “No Confessions, or Mass at 12 noon”. Sorry for the confusion.
Bought some “rocket salad” yesterday but it went off before I could eat it.
Just got back from my mate’s funeral. He died after being hit on the head with a tennis ball. It was a lovely service.
ST. PATRICK’S WEEKLY SERVICES
This “gem church” will be open each day for private prayer and meditation from 9.30am. until 3.30pm.
SUNDAY: 10.00am; 12.30pm (Polish Mass) and 6.00pm.
MONDAY: 12 noon Eucharistic Service
TUESDAY: 12 noon Mass (St. Anthony, abbot)
WEDNESDAY: 12 noon Eucharistic Service
Funeral Mass for Helen Bradley at 10.00am.
THURSDAY: 12 noon Mass (St. Wulstan, bishop)
FRIDAY: 12 noon Mass (St. Fabian, pope & martyr and St. Sebastian, martyr)
SATURDAY: 12 noon Mass (St. Agnes, virgin & martyr)
CONFESSION: Saturday: 11.00 – 11.50am and 12.30 – 12.45pm.
BAPTISM: By appointment
MARRIAGE: 6 months notice must be given (Diocesan requirement)
ST. MARY’S WEEKLY SERVICES
SUNDAY: 11.30am. Mass
MONDAY: Mass at 10.00am
Tuesday: Funeral Service for Anne Fleming at 10.00am.
WEDNESDAY: Mass at 12 noon
CONFESSIONS: first Saturday of the month: 10.00 – 10.30am.
BAPTISMS and MARRIAGES: as for St. Patrick’s
READERS: 10.00am. Mass 11.30am. Mass 6.00pm. Mass
TODAY: S. Walmsley & M. Chiappi D. Hilton B. Marley
NEXT SUNDAY: A. Auxtero & T. Nufable M. Smith B. Hall
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 “Peace Day”, a day of prayer for peace in the world.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. (St. Francis of Assisi)
WEDNESDAY: is the beginning of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity.
ALSO, Sacramental Programme: parents’ meeting and children’s lesson at 3.15pm in school.
SATURDAY: the “Inter-Church Quiz” will be held this year in the main hall of Honeywell Lane Methodist church commencing promptly at 7.15pm. (the middle Saturday of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity). The parish is invited to send a team of up to 6 players with a cost of £4 per player, including a potato pie supper and tea/coffee/juice. If you would like to go, please put your name on the list which is on the church notice board.
NEXT SUNDAY: Sacramental Programme: celebration “We Are People Who Celebrate God’s Word” at the 10.00am Mass in St. Patrick’s church.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Please see the church notice board for further details of the following:
- 3s – 11s Children’s Liturgy Group meets during the 10.00am Mass on 5th February.
- 3s – 11s Children’s Liturgy Group meets during the 10.00am Mass on 4th March.
- Sacramental Programme: parents’ meeting & children’s lesson in school at 3.15pm on Wednesday 14th March.
- Sacramental Programme: celebration – “We Celebrate God’s Gifts” at the 10.00am Mass in St. Patrick’s church on Sunday 18th March.
- Parish Day of Prayer for Vocations on Monday 30th July.
- School Day of Prayer for Vocations on Monday 5th November.
ITEMS FROM ST. PATRICK’S PARISH TEAM MEETING IN NOVEMBER
- The training of the Youth Ministers is in hand; the Fund Raising ground work has been done; the Parish House repairs are almost complete; in the Team election, there was only one nomination and that was for an existing member of the Team. There will not be an election this year – John Green and Colin Riley will continue as members.
- English Heritage Grant: tenders for the work have now been received and vary in price from £79,485 to £103,309 with the lowest bidder being a company that has carried out work on the Parish House in the past. The architect’s full report is expected shortly. Soon we are meeting with the architect to prepare our application for the balance of the Stage 1 payment. We shall also submit our request for confirmation of the Phase 2 grant together with a claim for additional funding. This is to cover the extra work that has been identified by our architect and confirmed by the English Heritage architect. An application has been submitted to Viridor for a grant of £20,000. If this is approved, we are required to pay an administration charge of 10%, hence we shall only receive £18,000. We also have outstanding an application to the English Churches Trust for a similar amount. We have submitted an application to Garfield Western Foundation. With the completion of the Stage 1 work the architect is entitled to his first payment and his invoice will be received shortly. It was noted that whereas in the past work such as this, for listed buildings, was exempt from VAT, the rules have been changed such that we may, or may not, have it all refunded.
- A suggestion has been received from a parishioner that consideration be given to relocating the War Memorial to a more conspicuous position such as on the grass at the side of the church. Whilst the merit of the suggestion was recognised by the Team, it was considered that to put it in a more prominent position would make it more vulnerable to vandalism and graffiti. Also, with the current expenditure on the work that is being partially funded by English Heritage, we cannot at this time afford the somewhat high cost of moving the memorial.
- The Christmas Services and decorations, Mass for the Deceased, Christmas Fayre, and Senior Citizens, Lunch were all discussed and finalised.
- The Walsingham Association has expressed its appreciation for the use of the church for its recent celebration.
- In accordance with the rules of the Diocese, the church accounts have been externally audited. It has been confirmed that they are in order.
- Youths: we have purchased a second hand Wii machine for the young person’s competition. Other machines are being loaned by parishioners.
The wife was counting all the 1p’s and 2p’s out on the kitchen table when she suddenly got very angry and started shouting and crying for no reason. I thought to myself, “She’s going through the change!”