This “gem church” will be open each day for private prayer and meditation from 9.30am. until 3.30pm.
3RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
WEEK: JANUARY 22ND – JANUARY 28TH 2012
In Galilee, Jesus proclaimed the Good News from God: “The time has come,” he said, “and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.”
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; Alison McGee; Joseph Philbin; George Thomas.
LATELY DEAD: Andrew Fairfoull; Michael McCarthy; Mary Dillamore; Anne Fleming; Karol Ciborowski.
ANNIVERSARIES: Joe Rimmer; Thomas Dowling; Michael McGladdery (Snr); Terry Mills (Jnr); Catherine & Lewis Laverty; Annie Flanagan; Zoe McCormick; Elizabeth & William Joshua Renshaw. May they rest in peace.
SUNDAY COLLECTION: Envelopes: £502.26; Loose: £324.44; Total: £826.70
Thank you all for your continued generosity.
DONATIONS/COLLECTIONS: many thanks for the following donations:
Bell Tower Fund: Loose: £40.00; £13.51; £9.19 and £5.37
Gift Aided: £50.00
Also, £25.30 for CAFOD: a letter of thanks has been received from CAFOD for your recent donations which totalled £1,869.64. The letter is on the notice board.
THIS WEEK’S SAINTS
St. Francis de Sales: born into a noble family in Annecy in 1597, he was ordained priest and worked strenuously for the Church by distributing printed essays on the Catholic faith, he became Bishop of Geneva, exemplary in his pastoral care.
Ss. Timothy & Titus were disciples and companions of St. Paul who were entrusted with the care of the Christian communities of Ephesus and Crete respectively.
St. Angela Merici: born in Italy about 1470, she entered the Third Order of St. Francis and gathered girls around her to share the work of charity. She founded the Ursulines (who were devoted to the education of poor girls) in Brescia in 1535 and died in 1540.
St. Thomas Aquinas: born in Aquino (Italy) about 1225, he entered the Dominican Order and studied under St. Albert the Great in Cologne. An outstanding writer and teacher of philosophy, he died, aged 49, in 1274.
BITS and PIECES”
- For the last nine years the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has organised Parliamentary and Public Policy Internships for recently graduated Catholics. This year they are offering 8 internships: 5 will be placed with Christian MPs at Westminster; 2 in Public Policy with CAFOD and CARITAS Social Action Network; and 1 in a media internship at Archbishop’s House, Westminster. All will run from September 2012 – July 2013 and include accommodation and subsistence allowances. Full details and an application form can be found on website www.catholicnews.org.uk/interns.
“SMILE – A – WHILE”
The preacher said, “Anyone with ‘special needs’ who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the front by the altar”. With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked, “What do you want me to pray about for you?” Leroy replied, “I need you to pray for help with my hearing”. The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy’s ear, placed his other hand on top of Leroy’s head, and then prayed for a ‘miracle’ and the whole congregation joined in with enthusiasm. After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back and asked, “How is your hearing now?” Leroy answered, “I don’t know. It ain’t ‘til next week!”
CHURCH CLEANING ROTA
This week: Week 4 - Team 4
Next week: Week 1 - Hilary & Ruth Hockenhull
“WHAT’S ON” THIS WEEK
TODAY, we welcome the school children on the Sacramental Programme and their parents. The celebration at the 10.00am Mass in St. Patrick’s church is “We Are People Who Celebrate God’s Word”.
TUESDAY: the Department for Evangelisation and the Council of Christians and Jews invites you to “A Survivor’s Story”. The speaker is a child holocaust survivor, who will share his story. It is at St. Gabriel’s R.C. High School, Bridge Rd., Bury BL9 OTZ, from 7.30 – 9.30pm. There is a suggested donation of £5 per person to meet expenses.
SATURDAY: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Patrick’s church 10.30 – 11.45am.
ALSO, St. Bede’s College & Prep School invites you to a Prep Taster Day for Year 5 entry September 2012 at 9.30am – noon. There are leaflets at the back of church.
PARISH NEWS
Lenten Station Masses will all start at 7.00pm in the following churches:
- Tuesday 28th February at St. Aidan & Oswald’s, Royton, led by Bishop Brain.
- Tuesday 6th March at St. Joseph’s, Shaw.
- Tuesday 13th March at St. Anne’s, Greenacres.
- Tuesday 20th March at St. Joseph’s, Mossley.
- Tuesday 27th March at St. Christopher’s, Ashton-under-Lyne.
- Will St. Patrick’s Readers and Eucharistic Ministers please take a copy of the rota for February – April from the Sacristy after Mass today.
- The newsletter will be printed earlier this week – all names and items that you wish to be included must be handed in by 12 noon on Wednesday (January 25th).
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Please see the church notice board for further details of the following:
- St. Patrick’s Parish Team meeting on Thursday 2nd February at 7.30pm.
- 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.
- Confirmation at 7pm in St. Patrick’s church on Tues. 15th May will be by Bishop Brain.
- 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 JANUARY
- Three Youth Ministers have been trained and there is only one more to be taught
- Fund Raising is in progress and it is hoped to convene the first meeting of the group in February.
- English Heritage Grant: we have received a contribution of £15,000 from Viridor towards the cost of the work. It is a condition of the award that we pay 10% of the sum to Viridor Credits to cover the shortfall in government funding. This has to come from an independent supporter of the work and cannot simply be paid from parish funds. This has been paid from an anonymous source and we are now free to submit contractor’s invoices up to the total sum of £15,000 which will be paid by Viridor. The current estimate of the amount that the parish has to raise for the work is £35,000 to £40,000. An application is being made to English Heritage for an enhanced grant to cover the additional work that has been identified by our architect and substantiated by his English Heritage counterpart.
- Access has now been provided between King St. and the church but the situation could worsen again as the road works progress to the next stage.
- A parishioner has requested permission to provide a named bench for either the narthex or the car park. The narthex is being redesigned as part of the 10 year plan and there will not be any room to accommodate a bench. With regard to placing it in the car park, we do not want to encourage litter and misuse of the car park. Whilst appreciating the offer we cannot afford to set a precedent regarding named furniture in church.
- There was a discrepancy regarding the Mass times between the newsletter and the special leaflet which was issued. This refers to Christmas Eve Mass at 12 noon only, and it was agreed that Mass would be said at that time in future. The serving of coffee after the 10.00am Mass on Christmas Day was poorly attended and it was agreed not to serve coffee next year on Christmas Day.
- Christmas events: the Fayre was a great success and generated more profit than usual. In particular the Christmas stall was very well supported. Once again the Christmas lunch for senior citizens was voted a great success. The Reconciliation Service was not well supported, perhaps due to really bad weather on that day.
- VH, for health reasons, asks that we find someone else to take on the work involved in setting up future events.
- Confirmation in May will be by Bishop Brain.
- The list of Lenten Station Masses appears on the inside page of this newsletter.
A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, the Year of the Dragon, which starts tomorrow, January 23rd.
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