St Mary's with St Patrick's R.C. Churches Oldham

22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)
WEEK: AUGUST 29TH – SEPTEMBER 4TH 2010

“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. ……. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.”

YOUR CHARITABLE PRAYERS are requested for our parishioners and friends, especially those whose names appear below:
SICK or HOUSEBOUND: Joanna; Shirley; Joan Casey; Cecilia; baby Luke McSherry; baby Jude Michael Harrison; Regina Wisniewski; Annie Melia; Terence & Debbie; Jonathan Hutchinson;   Seamus Whelan;   Michael McGee;    Patricia Haines;   Winifred Healey;   Brian Fleming.
LATELY DEAD:   Frank Kearns;   Joan Sammon;   Jim Norbury;   Dorothy.
ANNIVERSARIES:   Samantha Hitchins; Margaret Kennedy;   Edward Wild;   John & Nora Curley;   Jim & Margaret Needham;   Mr. & Mrs. O’Connor;   Edward Wild.
May they rest in peace.

SUNDAY COLLECTION: Envelopes: £520.76; Loose: £292.18; Total: £812.94
Thank you all for your continued generosity.

DONATIONS/COLLECTIONS: many thanks for donations of £4.34 for the Church Redevelopment and Heating Fund; £47.69 for CAFOD; £5 for the Pakistan Appeal.

OUR CONGRATULATIONS go to Regina Wisniewski who on Friday celebrates her 90th birthday. Love and best wishes to you Regina and we pray that your health improves in the near future.

If you wish to contribute to the appeal for victims of the floods in Pakistan, please put your donation in a sealed envelope labelled “Pakistan Appeal” and hand it in to either Fr. Phil, Sr. Eileen, the piety shop or put it in the Offertory basket.
Sunday car parking at St. Patrick’s: in addition to the church car park, the Sixth Form College and its sports centre, it is also possible to park free on the council car park at the side of the church on the site of the now demolished Pennine Way hotel.
St. Patrick’s 10 – Year Development Plan, which was approved at the recent parish AGM, can be viewed in detail on our parish website. The plan covers the next 10 years to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the opening of the present church in 2020. The cost however is still beyond our means but the team are making applications for Grant Aid from various sources in order to fulfil the full plan. It is obvious that a great deal of thought, effort and planning has gone into this and thanks are due to the “development team” especially leader Colin Riley and to Steve Owen who has added it to our parish website (www.smwsp.org.uk). A one-page brief synopsis of the Development Plan has been published – please take a copy home with you today.

“LET’S DANCE”
Our next social event is “Let’s Dance”, an evening of dancing (both old time and modern), in St. Patrick’s Parish Centre on Saturday 18th September from 7.30 – 11.30pm. It falls during the time of the Papal visit and is an opportunity for the parish to celebrate this event. Refreshments will be in the form of a “shared table”. Tickets are now on sale at the back of church - £3 per adult, £7 for a family ticket. Don’t be square - boogie on down. Please take a leaflet from the back of church.

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. Aidan bishop & all saints of Lindisfarne)
This is a Funeral Mass for the late Frank Kearns RIP
There is also an Eritrean funeral at 2.00pm.
WEDNESDAY: 12 noon    Eucharistic Service
THURSDAY:     12 noon    Mass
FRIDAY:             12 noon    Mass (St. Gregory the Great, pope)
SATURDAY:     12 noon     Mass (St. Cuthbert, bishop)
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 (Ss. Margaret Clitherow, Anna Line &   Margaret Ward, martyrs)
WEDNESDAY:    12 noon   Mass (St. Edmund Arrowsmith, priest & martyr)
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:                P. Hilton & P. Bagapuro             K. Brierley                 C. Douglas
NEXT SUNDAY:   C. Riley & L. Nicholls           T. Nakawooya                 C. Dodd

“WHAT’S ON” THIS WEEK
MONDAY: Requiem Masses at 11.00am in St. Joseph’s cemetery, Moston (if raining in St. Dunstan’s church), and in St. Mary’s cemetery, Wardley, (if raining in the cemetery chapel).
SATURDAY: Salford Diocesan Pilgrimage to Ladyewell (the Lancashire shrine of Our Lady) – special prayers for families, for our schools and for vocations to the priesthood and religious life led by Canon Anthony McBride. Mass will be celebrated at 2.00pm in St. Mary’s church. Following Mass, in a Eucharistic Procession, quietly praying the Mysteries of Light of the Holy Rosary, you will walk along the ancient route to the shrine where, after a short reflection, there will be an opportunity for quiet prayer and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and time for Confessions, ending with Benediction. Refreshments will be served at 4.00pm and you depart at 4.30pm.

Chadderton CWL: “Mountain Rescue Team” (discover the background and heroic rescues) – in St. Herbert’s Parish Centre, Broadway, Chadderton, on Thursday 16th September at 8pm. Admission £2 including refreshments. Contact 652 3930.
Corpus Christi church, Oldham: “Jimmy Cricket Laughter Show” at the Polish Club, Chamber Rd., Hollinwood, on Friday 15th October at 7.30pm. Tickets, costing £8 (including refreshments), available from the church.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Please see the church notice board for further details of the following:

Racial Justice Sunday on September 12th.
“Let’s Dance” in the Parish Hall on Saturday 18th September at 7.30pm.
Home Mission Sunday on September 19th.
St. Mary’s Parish Team meeting at 7.30pm on Monday 20th September.
St. Patrick’s Parish Team meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 23rd September.
The Mass for the Recently Deceased will be on Saturday 6th November in St. Patrick’s church and in St. Mary’s church on Sunday 7th November.
Christmas Lunch for Senior Citizens on Sat. 27th Nov. at 2.00pm in the Parish Hall.

“AWAKENING FAITH”
A course that helps inactive Catholics return to the Church. The sessions are based on short, easy to read essays about spirituality, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God’s mercy, the Mass and the Church, which foster reflection, prayer and honest sharing in a setting of hospitality and acceptance.
An Introductory Evening will be held on Thursday 9th September at 7.30pm in Guardian Angels Parish Centre, Leigh Lane, Elton, Bury. BL8 2RD.
“DIVERSITY AND INTERFAITH”
Valuing Difference & Building Communities.
An introduction to Jewish – Christian – Muslim relations
An 8 week course designed to build interfaith skills, beginning on Wednesday 22nd September at the Vincent Farrell Centre, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Burnley BB10 4AU.
The course will explore key issues in Jewish, Christian & Muslim relations, explore what we have in common, examine the major differences between the three faiths and help participants to gain a new understanding of inter-religious encounters.

A PILGRIMAGE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS
Following on from the very successful pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul in June 2009, the Department for Evangelisation has been asked to organise a Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This will be led by Bishop Terence Brain from 13th – 21st June 2011 and will visit sites in Jerusalem (4 nights), Bethlehem, Bethany, Masada, Haifa (1 night), the Dead Sea, Emmaus, Nazareth, Tiberias (2 nights), Cana, Tabgha and Capernaum. The estimated cost is £1,150.00 (based on 2 people sharing a twin room). For a full itinerary and booking form please contact Sharon Beech on 0161 761 0536 or e-mail to Sharon.beech@dioceseofsalford.org.uk.

“SMILE – A – WHILE”
A keyhole surgeon had become fed up with malpractice, insurance and paperwork, and was burned out. Hoping to try another career where skilful hands would be beneficial, he decided to become a mechanic. He went to the local technical college, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could. When the time of the practical exam approached, the keyhole surgeon prepared carefully for weeks, and completed the exam with tremendous skill. When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%. Fearing an error, he called the instructor, saying, “I don’t want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the mark?” The instructor said, “During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark. After a pause, the instructor added, “I gave you an extra 50% because you did it all through the exhaust, which I’ve never seen done in my entire career!”