The church is open all day from dawn till dusk. SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30TH 2003 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT S.V.P. MASS AT 10.00 A.M. The Visit of God: Christmas comes commercially earlier and earlier each year. In a devotional sense it only comes onto our horizon with the beginning of Advent. It's a belated preparation for the visit of God perhaps. Indeed, visiting family, friends and neighbours is probably a less practiced art in today's 'we-surf-the world-wide-web-but-don't-know-who-lives-next-door' type of world. Still, for any expected visit, there is preparation. A quick wipe, vacuum and clean and all is ready. It seems a bit strange that we begin preparing for Jesus' birth and a new church year by meeting the adult Jesus reminding us of the second coming at the end of time. In terms of a 'positive Gospel' today's Gospel is not the happiest. And yet, the message to be alert is relevant. After all, leaders of any groups will admit that waiting is the biggest enemy in keeping a group of people focused and alert for the impending task. With the best will, attention and standards will fall. Over the coming weeks, we carry out time-honoured traditions. Customs that link us with our past and our future and reinforces our family's personality. Many are the voices, not least of children, which will remind that we haven't done something yet. Today we listen to the divine voice telling us not to lose sight of what's ultimately important. It's an Advent attitude. |
Rest in Peace: Jim Norton's brother Phil passed away quietly on Wednesday morning after a long struggle with cancer. He leaves Susannah and four children, Hannah aged 16, Matthew 14, and the twins Rosemary and Eleanor aged 11. They have lived in France for quite a while. Jim had a good visit with them three weeks ago. 'I spent time with Phil and prayed with him and he appreciated all the prayers and concerns shown by the people at Holy Cross. He would have suffered more had he carried on and I came away feeling that I had said my goodbye.' Phil is survived by Jim and another brother and sister. The funeral took place at the weekend in France.
Can we also remember in our prayers Simon Brown aged 21 who died on Tuesday. Simon was a pupil at St. Mary's College. He had leukemia whilst still at school and had a bone marrow transplant. Sadly, after a long struggle, he passed away. We remember all his family and especially his mother who would often come to Mass here even though it wasn't her parish.
Counters this week: Anne Tordoff and Sheila Levett.
Next week: Tricia Leach and Mary Chapman.
Hull Lourdes Sick Fund: If you've nothing to do tonight, then why not pop in at the Civic Hall where there will be music and dancing until midnight. There is a 'live band' and a bar! Tickets are £5, payable on the door.
S.V.P. Mass: The 10.00 a.m. Mass is being offered for the deceased members of the Holy Cross St. Vincent de Paul Conference which was founded on December 16th 1923. Just a reminder again of those parishioners who were involved:
H. Hildyard, Dr. Reedman, J.H. Roters, James Geraghty, Rev. A. Wannyn, G.H. Wright, Mr. Lambert, Fr. McEntagert, C.L.Dodds, A. Stephenson, A.B. Moody, Mr. Wilcox, Rev. C. Clifford, Mr. Wilson, N. Walsh, H.J. Wright, P. Dowling, A. Marshall, B.J. Collingwood, R.H. Twoomey, L.V. Ward, S. Watson, J. Sutcliffe, Mr. Head, Mr. Rafferty, Kath Jephcott, John Roe, Gustav Reyes, Charles Taylor, Dermot and Sally McQuillan, and Sheilagh Priest. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Churches Together in Cottingham: We are having a United Service at the Methodist Church at 6.30 p.m. tonight with the theme: "The Return of the King." The village will be packed on Monday night for the switching on of the Christmas Lights. How many will be there on Sunday night as we prepare for the 'real' meaning of Christmas?
The Cottingham Churches are having their annual Carol Singing for Charity outside the Methodist Church on Saturday December 20th from 11.00 12.00 noon. if you've a few minutes or even a full hour to spare, it would be great to have you join us. Wrap up well!
Anniversaries this week:
Sunday Daniel and Sarah McDonald (Sheila Levett's grandparents).
Monday Mary McGuire (Eithne Codd's mother), Maurice Berry (Geoff Land's uncle).
Tuesday Len Lover (Hazel Corcoran's uncle).
Wednesday James Rodgers (Elizabeth's dad) and Laura Thompson (Fred Hodgson's mother).
Friday Irene Elvidge (Mary Pidd's sister) and Martin Murphy (Elsie's husband).
Saturday Donal O'Reilly (Peter's dad), Daniel Devlin (Anne Land's dad), Annie Pike (Chris Pike's grandmother) and Thomas Fowlston (Peter and Lillian's brother).
Sunday Ernest Royce (Jean Jackson's dad) and James Parkhill (Joan William's father).
Birthdays: We had two this past week and both of them on Tuesday. They were Marian Hall and Philip Rawcliffe (with a few years between them!). It was also Vincent Rawcliffe's Birthday last weekend and we forgot! Also Ronan Ward has his on Saturday (today).
Lunch Club: We gather again this Wednesday in the Priory Room at noon. No need to book, just turn up and eat!
Christmas Lunch Club: Wednesday December 17th. For this you do need a ticket, for obvious reasons, but they are free! We have about 19 left but please don't take one if you don't intend to use it! It's important that we have a good idea of the numbers to prepare the correct number of Christmas dinners. See me if you'd like to come along, or Gwen, Elaine or Michelle.
Christmas at Bo Orphanage in Sierra Leone: Some parishioners have suggested giving all our younger parishioners a packet of Smarties this weekend and asking them to return them before Christmas filled with coins. What we raise will be sent to the children at the orphanage at Bo to treat them to some extras for Christmas. A good idea?
Sick Parishioners: In hospital Joan Bottery, Mike Rozenbroeck and Stuart Buchan in HRI. Peter Dyas and Louisa Brierly in Castle Hill. Aralda's sister, John Andrews, Vin McKenna, David Parkinson, John Gavin, Patrick Falvey. Roy and Dominic Caley.
Curse Like an Old Nun: Nuns and priests who curse and rage hold the key to a secret of longer life getting your anger off your chest. A study of 851 priests, nuns and monks has found that those who stringently bottle up their negative emotions are 10% more likely to die in a five-year period than those who most freely let out their anger, according to the American Journal of Epidemiology. But cursing nuns? Robert Wilson, the neuropsychology professor who led the study, says: 'Catholic clergymen and nuns feel the full range of emotion that anybody else feels.' (Did they need a study to find that out? They could have just asked Tony Simmonds!).
Diocesan Women's Commission Meeting: The area gathering will take place here after the 7.00 p.m. Mass on Tuesday and the topic for discussion is "Life in our Parishes?". Male parishioners are most welcome to come along as well. (That's good of them!).
Rotary Carol Concert at St. Mary's College this Thursday at 7.00 p.m. It features the Hull East Salvation Army Band, The North Ferriby Ladies Choir and The Endsleigh Holy Child Primary School Choir. The compere for the evening will be 'yours truly', your very own Fr. Pat!
The proceeds will be split between CAFOD and Rotary Charities. Admission is free but there will be a collection to get out!
"From Gangland to Promised Land." John Pridmore, who made this incredible journey, will be talking about his experiences, at Marist Hall on Cottingham Rd. On Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Fr. John McKeown S.M. RIP: Fr. John died peacefully at St. Catherine's Home in East Hull on Friday November 14th. He entered the Marists in Dublin in 1937 and was ordained priest in Paignton, Devon in 1943. He taught at Marist College, Hull from 1947 to 1953. He was Parish Priest at the Marist parish in Middlesbrough from 1978 till 1987. His final years were spent in Hull, assisting in parish work as far as he was able. May he rest in peace. Amen.
CWL Christmas Appeal: Adrienne writes: "A big thank you to all the parish for your support of our Christmas Appeal. To date we have £1,496.85 which is a huge amount towards the cost of a specialist chair for the Stroke Rehab Unit at Castle Hill."
Autumn Fayre: Half of the proceeds, £722.48, were sent to the St. Charles' Drop-In Centre. Canon Cox wrote to Leo Murphy: "Very many thanks for sending such a generous donation. It will be a great help directly to the Drop-In and also, indirectly, to the parish which subsidises the fund by quite an amount. We are hoping to replace the 'furniture' in the toilets. Because of the vigorous use they get we are replacing pot items with stainless steel ones. I understand that these are now basic equipment in prisons; for some of our customers this should make them feel at home. These will be costing something in the region of £1,500. Apart from the Drop-In, we also give out a fair number of sandwiches and drinks at the front door, sometimes as many as fifty a day. For all these the money has to come from somewhere and it is usually the parish. Your generosity to the Drop-In is much appreciated. Please thank the parish and the good Father Pat on our behalf."
Parish Prayer Intention for this Friday: "We pray for the fruitfulness of the work of John Pridmore, Catholic evangelist, this week in our schools, prisons and in the local press and radio. (You can see him at the Marist Hall on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m.).
Saddest Quote of the Week: (after Roxanne's exit from Pop Idol)
Her mother: "I can't wait to see her. We're going to have a big party. There will be a lot of drunker Coopers, I can tell you."
Amnesty Christmas Cards: Marian encourages us again to send a card to a prisoner of conscience this Christmas. There are addresses and details in the porch. Just add one to your usual list!
Parish Walsingham Pilgrimage: There are 28 of us booked for the weekend of December 12 14. And they are: Myself, Mr. and Mrs. McNicholas, Avery, Brennan, Burgan, Stephenson, Eastoe, Corcoran, Jackson and Clarke. Pauline Carney, Margaret Merrison, Marguerite d'Urban-Jackson, Sheila Levett, Cath Poskitt, Cassie Griffith, Anne Buchan, Olive Gallagher and Tony Quick. We hope to set off around 8.00 a.m. on the Friday and be back home by 10.00 p.m. on the Sunday. If you'd like to stay behind after Mass for a few moments, we can discuss the programme etc.
Found in Church: One black Lacoste bobble hat (door side).
Lost: Three keys on a yellow fob. Please hand into presbytery.
More Birthdays: David Batten had his birthday on Thursday and Annie O'Donnell had hers on Tuesday. Congratulations!
Both the Alpha and Journey in Faith sessions are cancelled this week on account of the John Pridmore talk and the Rotary Carol Concert.
Mass Intentions for the coming week:
Saturday 6.30 Doreen Reekie
Sunday 10.00 Deceased Members of the SVP.
Monday 9 Mohan Family.
Tuesday 7 Bill Loughlin (RIP)
Wednesday 9 James and Elizabeth Rodgers (A).
Thursday 9 The Parishioners.
Friday 9 Simon Brown (RIP)
Saturday 9 Daniel Devlin (A)
Saturday 6.30 Marjorie Jones
Sunday 10.00 Mary Gorman (A)
Parish Council Meeting: Some dates were set for the various parish activities for the coming year. They aren't all set in stone yet!
Autumn Fayre October 16th.
Senior Citizens Party March 28th.
Parish Dinner May 23rd. St. George's Day.
Parish Summer Outing Wednesday June 23rd.
The next meeting will be on February 9th. The AGM will be on March 15th and the next meeting after that will be on April 26th.
We will be looking for two younger members of the parish to take the places of Caroline Rawcliffe and Helen Woodmansey who will be leaving in the new year. They have been a great asset to the council and will be sorely missed!
Sick: please keep in your prayers Dominic Brown who is in Castle Hill.
PARISH OF HOLY CROSS 3 CARRINGTON AVENUE COTTINGHAM E. YORKSHIRE HU16 4DU How comfortable are you with this title we have bestowed on Jesus? Kings are all about privilege and pomp and, even in constitutional monarchies, possessions and power. We have to rush in with the qualifiers and say what we don’t intend. It’s good to remember that Jesus wasn’t terribly happy with the title in his time. In the course of his trial, he showed a nice forensic touch when he pointed out to Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world. And the preface of the feast spells out the details of that kingdom: one of "truth and life", of "holiness and grace", of "justice, love and peace". Father Ray Brady |
Mass intentions this week:
| Saturday, 22nd | 6.30 pm | Leonard Hought |
| Sunday | 10.00 am | The Griffith Family |
| Monday | 9.00 am | Stella Wiles |
| Tuesday | 7.00 pm | Ann Stead (A) |
| Wednesday | 9.00 am | Edna May Holwell |
| Thursday | 9.00 am | Eddie and Gladys Brennan |
| Friday | 9.00 am | Special intention (Anne Land) |
| Saturday | 9.00 am | The Parish |
| 6.30 pm | Doreen Reekie | |
| Sunday | 10.00 am | Deceased members of the Holy Cross SVP Conference |
Our SVP Conference was founded on 16 December 1923, to care for the poor both in, and beyond, this parish. To the best of our knowledge, the deceased members of the Conference since that date are:
H. Hildyard, Dr Reedman, J.H. Roters, James Geraghty, Rev A.P. Wannym, G.H. Wright, Mr Lambert,
Rev T McEntagert, C.L. Dodds, A. Stephenson, A.B. Moody, Mr Wilcox, Rev C. Clifford, Mr Wilson,
N. Walsh, H.J.Wright, P Dowling, A, Marshall, B.J. Collingwood, R.H. Twomey, L.V. Ward, S. Watson,
J. Sutcliffe, Mr Head, Mr Rafferty, Kath Jephcott, John Roe, Gustav Reyes, Charles Taylor, Dermot and Sally McQuillon and Sheilagh Priest.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
| Anniversaries this week: | Sat 22nd | Patrick Day (1923), Brenda Parker (1930), Albert Nixon (1974), Thomas Hirst (1983), Helen Robinson (1989), John Baker (2001), Liz Woods-McConville (1998) |
| Tues 25th | Mary Ann White (1959) | |
| Wed 26th | Ray Cresswell (1989) | |
| Thurs 27th | Robert Griffin Graves (1947) | |
| Fri 28th | Mary Gilson (1933) | |
| Sun 30th | Daniel McDonald (1932), Sarah McDonald (1941) |
For gardeners: "A thing of beauty is a job for ever."
Counters this week: Teresa and Les Ulyatt Next week: Anne Tordoff and Sheila Levett
Community Meeting Room project: The contractor has now given us a building start date in early February, with a likely completion in mid-May.
| Two flower poems: | Roses are reddish | and | Roses are red |
| Violets are blueish | Violets are blue | ||
| If we hadn’t had Christmas | I’m schizophrenic | ||
| We’d all be Jewish | And so am I |
And a definition (still on the flower theme): A cynic is a man who smells lilies and looks round for the coffin.
Prayer Circle Intention Friday 28th We pray for all at Castle Hill Hospital, the patients, the staff, both in diagnosis and in caring and also for all volunteers.
Parish Council Meeting: Monday, November 24th at 7.45 pm in the house.
Don’t attack Iraq, says Mr Bush: "Trying to eliminate Saddam, extending the ground war into an occupation of Iraq … would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible. We had been unable to find Noriega in Panama, which we knew intimately. We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. The coalition would instantly have collapsed, the Arabs deserting it in anger and other allies pulling out as well. There was no viable 'exit strategy' we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-cold war world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations’ mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land. It would have been a dramatically different – and perhaps barren – outcome."
Mr Bush Senior, of course - writing (prophetically!) in 1998 about the risks of invading Iraq.
Community Carol Concert at St Mary’s College on Thursday, 4 December, starting at 7 pm and featuring the Hull East Salvation Army Band, the North Ferriby Ladies Choir and the Endsleigh Primary School Choir. Admission free (retiring collection); supervised car park; light refreshments.
And, as an added attraction, Father Pat is the compere!
Diocesan Women’s Commission Meeting here after evening Mass on Tuesday, 2 December. The topic is "Life in our Parishes?" and even men are welcome to come!
| Lourdes Pilgrimage: | 1. A reminder – fund-raising dance in Cottingham Civic Hall on Saturday, 29 November, 7 till midnight. Tickets £5, obtainable from Gerry Baker (875614). |
| 2. Youth from this parish travel at half-price - £160 instead of £320. If you’re interested, especially if you haven’t been before, see Father Pat. |
Prayers for the sick: Aralda’s sister, Stuart Buchan, John Andrews, Dominic and Roy Caley, John Gavin, Patrick Hanson, John Boland, Louise Brierly, Patrick Falvey, David Parkinson, Vin McKenna, Mike Rozenbroeck, Jean Rowlands, Eileen Dunn and Phil Norton.
Youth Group meeting: Monday, 24 November, 7.30, in the house. 14 – 18 year olds who haven’t been to previous meetings would be most welcome. Any further enquiries to Ella (876628).
| And finally, a flower saying: | A rose, by any other name, as sweet would smell; |
| a roadidendrum, by any other name, would be easier to spell. |
JM
The church is open all day from dawn till dusk. SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16TH 2003 33RD WEEK OF THE YEAR Today's Gospel: The Gospel description of a fading moon, shaking powers and falling stars with the Archangel Michael separating the virtuous from the bad doesn't make for optimism. It sounds very threatening and difficult. It's as foreboding as what the various media routinely bring into today's homes disasters , violence and suffering of the whole world. At which people shake their heads and ask: "What's the world coming to?" A very good question. Still, Jesus reminds people that the timetable of the end of the world is not our concern. What matters is that we make each day count as fully as servants of the Kingdom of God. His focus is not on the impending disaster but on the new life that begins after like the fig tree. As a shrub it does what is required of it sheds leaves in winter and sprouts new fruit in spring. There really are seasons of the human heart. Which one are you in: spring, summer, autumn or winter? There may be many or few reasons for optimism in your life, but with God there is always a space for hope if we but look to the all-too-ordinary signs of new life in our world. "In these times of development everybody is in a hurry and everybody is in a rush, and on the way there are people falling down, who are not able to compete. These are the ones we want to love and serve and take care of." (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta from Something Beautiful for God.) |
Counters this week: David Cook and Barbara Marshall.
Next week: Teresa and Les Ulyatt.
Autumn Fayre Breakdown:
| Auction Hull City Tickets | 50.00 |
| Tombola | 240.40 |
| Bottle Stall | 181.50 |
| White Elephant | 178.77 |
| Preserves | 61.95 |
| Handicraft | 121.36 |
| Cakes | 69.90 |
| Plants | 18.35 |
| Books | 102.96 |
| Toys | 41.94 |
| Indian Food | 142.20 |
| Cards | 56.60 |
| Raffle | 38.36 |
| Ice Cream | 10.10 |
| Refreshments | 60.56 |
| Door | 35.01 |
| Sundry | 5.00 |
| Quiz Night | 35.00 |
|
TOTAL | 1,449.96 |
CAFOD Lecture at Church House, Westminster Cathedral on October 31st given by Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez de Maradiaga, the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa in Honduras (and tipped as a candidate for Pope). "It is at the family level, the parish level, where we can grow in building these small networks of solidarity. I remember a brother bishop from Brazil who told me that in a parish they were always talking about the poor of the parish, and collecting goods for the poor of the parish. But in reality nobody knew how many there were, and they never met them. So the pastor said, 'OK, stop talking in general. How many very poor families live in our parish?' And they found 25 very, very poor families and there were 570 families in the parish. So they got together and said, 'Is it impossible for us to help 25 families to come out of poverty?' And they began to do particular things. There was one family who could give a job to the poorest of the poor, and they did, and immediately there were a lot of initiatives so that as a result there were no more 25 poor families in that parish. Any time we are generalising and we do not know precisely the reality this is the first step we have to take."
"There is so much misery, Lord, and how do I respond? I drown out your cry with the music of my Walkman. When they judge you unjustly, I become absorbed in my favourite sports or sitcoms. When you are imprisoned, I go on vacation or a shopping spree. Sometimes I give a small donation or old clothes to be rid of you and to feel pious without following your path."
Anniversaries this coming week:
Saturday Albert Stephenson (Monica William's father).
Sunday Margaret Woods-McConville (Tony's grandmother), Barbara Watson.
Tuesday Catherine Tatum.
Wednesday Bill Tomlinson (Mary's husband), Alfred Stock, Alfred Shilpey, Walter Cross (Jan Woodmansey's dad).
Thursday Ivy Beavers.
Friday Edward Parker (Ray's dad), Joseph Bell, David Frank.
Saturday Patrick Day, Brenda Parker (Ray's sister),Albert Nixon (Jean Rowland's husband), Thomas Hirst (Chris Clarke's dad), Helen Robinson and Liz Woods-McConville (daughter), John Baker (Sheila Cundy's father).
Cardinal Rodriguez again: "Priestly vocations in Honduras have shot up (when he became a bishop 25 years ago there were just 12 seminarians in Honduras; next year there will be close to 200 in a nation with 400 priests). True, he says, Protestant groups have made large inroads into the ranks of Catholic affiliation; but this reflects far more, he believes, the tenuousness of many Catholics' links with the Church. Those who join sects were never very faithful in the first place; they got baptised but never really committed themselves. One of our tasks is to demand that commitment of those who are confirmed, to invite them to participate, to assume the mission of the faithful. For this committed lay people are really necessary."
Birthdays this week: And there are three today, Sunday! And they are Chris Clarke, Marguerite d'Urban-Jackson and Helen Woodmansey. I don't know how young the first two are but I do know that Helen is celebrating her 18th Birthday today. Vin Rawcliffe celebrates his (is it your 41st Vin?) birthday on Monday. Elsie had a wonderful 90th Birthday celebration on Saturday evening surrounded by many of her friends. If Andrea from Italy is with us this morning ? Can't let Niluk and Tyrone take all the credits last Sunday!
Parish Lunch Club: It's that Wednesday again! We gather in the Priory Room at noon for good food, fun and fellowship! The next ones will be on Wednesday December 3rd and 17th. A big thank you again to all the helpers, those who prepare the food, those who serve it up and those who help with the driving.
C.W.L. Christmas Appeal: This is our major fund-raising event of the year and Elizabeth Rodgers will talk this weekend about it. We hope, with your help, to raise enough for a special wheelchair for the Stroke Unit at Castle Hill Hospital. They specialise in the unit in the rehabilitation of sufferers of strokes.
C.W.L. Deceased Members since the foundation 50 years ago: Ella Stephenson, Ella Collins, Jane Hill, Pat Massey, Ursula Iveson, Mrs. Ford, Helena Rozenbroeck, Rose Lawrenson, Mary Gavin, Mary Conlon, Mary Cummings, Mrs. Kirby, Kath Peacock, Mrs. Wreathall, Nina Culkin, Audrey Taylor, Angela Bottery, Jane Bottery, Dorothy Honeywell, Joan Baughan, Genivieve Burke, Josephine Brunner, Clare Brunner, Peggy Radley, Mrs. Goodyear, Bridget Price, Mrs. Dowling, Clarice Wright, Trish Hardy, Kitty Sutcliffe, Mrs. Parks, Mrs. Barr, Margaret Howdle, Clarice Conlon, Bessie Rodgers, Vera Connor, Lois Burke, Sally McQuillan, Mrs. Danys, Tess Houghton, Kath Wright, Kath Jephcott, Mary Nolan, Win Bainbridge, Dora Tulip, Frances Dawson and Doreen Reekie. May they all rest in peace. Amen.
Birthday Rev. Chad Varah (92 last Wednesday). He founded the Samaritans in 1953. He always remembered his debut in the ministry in 1936 when he had to bury a 14-year-old girl who had been shocked by the onset of puberty and had committed suicide. Years later he wrote a piece of sex advice for Picture Post which he claims 'was the first to usher in the permissive society'. It drew 235 responses; the writers of 14 of them he considered could be suicidal. He started giving advice to callers at his City church but noticed that 'my helpers were doing my clients more good than I was'. He stopped answering the phone and seeing visitors and set up the organisation to train and supervise the people he dubbed 'befrienders'. Today the Samaritans co-ordinate information for a world-wide organisation in 41 countries using 31,000 volunteers.
Hull Lourdes Sick-Fund Dance: This will be held at Cottingham Civic Hall on Saturday November 29th from 7.30 p.m. until midnight. Dancing will be to the band 'Red Square' fronted by Dominic Boyes (parishioner at St. Joseph's and head at Freddy Holmes School). Tickets are £5 and are available from Gerry Baker on 875614. A great night is guaranteed and it's for a very worthy cause. The Committee of the Hull Sick Fund are looking for names of people who might like to travel to Lourdes, and especially those who haven't been before.
Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes: The names are already beginning to come in. We here at Holy Cross have an excellent tradition of young people going to Lourdes and there is the added attraction of travelling at half-price, i.e. £160 instead of £320. Some other parishes are now taking up this idea of sponsoring youngsters. If you're interested, have a word with me.
Blessing of the Graves Service: About twenty-five people came along on Sunday afternoon to Eppleworth cemetery. It was a lovely autumn afternoon and we blessed Maeve's grave to begin and then moved from grave to grave, saying a few prayers at each, ending up as usual at Father McEntegart's grave. We were finished by 4.15 p.m. Some parishioners were unable to attend and they asked us to visit their family graves, and it was lovely to be able to do so for them.
New Meeting Room: The builders hope to begin at the start of February. Peter Dyas has sent off the list of engraved bricks, the first 267 or so. There is still time for you to get yours, but don't leave it too long! They'll take a couple of months to do and once the building begins it'll be too late! p.s. Peter is going into hospital next week for an operation on his knee, so do keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We are very grateful for all he has done so far in the fund-raising for the meeting room.
Remember Jo? The young man from Fiji who came to England to join the Black Watch and who spent some time with us here at Holy Cross. Well, he has recently returned from service in Basra where some of his companions were killed. He is in the UK for a short while and we hope he'll be able to fit in a visit to us. I certainly look forward to seeing him again.
Prayers for the sick: Aralda's sister, Stuart Buchan, John Andrews, Dominic and Roy Caley, John Gavin, Patrick Hanson, John Boland (who this week moved with Marion into Hallgarth), Louise Brierly, Patrick Falvey, David Parkinson, Vin McKenna, Mike Rozenbroeck, Jean Rowlands, Eileen Dunn and Phil Norton who is very ill and who has just been taken into hospital in France. Jim fears for the worst and asks prayers for Phil's wife and children.
Today is 'International Day of Tolerance'. The Refugee Council writes: 'On this special day, we want asylum seekers and refugees to feel welcomed to the UK, not just tolerated. We want to show people who have lost their homes, countries and families, that they can find shelter and compassion here in the UK. We want to show that not everyone feels they are 'scroungers' and 'scum'. Mohammad Akbari was sentenced to death by hanging after being accused by the Taliban of spreading Christianity. Terrified for his life, he managed to escape Afghanistan, arriving in the UK in the back of a lorry, tired, dirty and hungry. Startlingly, Mohammad's story appeared in the newspapers alongside the headline: "Yes, Britain is soft touch on asylum." A soft touch for allowing Mohammad (who otherwise would have been executed by the Taliban) to stay in the UK? The Refugee Council doesn't think so, but so many people do
Parish Council Meeting: Monday November 24th at 7.45 p.m.
Diocesan Women's Commission: The next meeting will be here at Holy Cross on Tuesday December 2nd after the evening Mass. The topic is "Life in our Parishes?" You men are most welcome to come along too!
"Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny." (Charles Reade)
Parish Prayer Circle Intention for Friday: "We pray for the leaders of the Coalition as they meet this week in London that the good of the people in Iraq will be their priority, Iraq, the birthplace of Abraham our father in the faith."
Hull Council of Christians and Jews: You are invited to their AGM at the Guildhall this Tuesday at 7.45 p.m. where the guest speaker will be Dr. David Hope, Archbishop of York.
Frances Shand Kydd (Princess Diana's mother): Explaining why she waited a full six years before becoming a Catholic, she said that she had discovered the faith in 1988 during a 'spiritual tour' of the denominations represented in Oban on the mainland near her home on the Scottish island of Seil. She was about 52 at the time, recovering from the break-up of her marriage to Peter Shand Kydd and struggling to run a large farm on her own. She was also deeply concerned about Diana's marital difficulties. According to her, St. Columba's Cathedral 'seemed to offer sanctuary, a place without fear'. But she hesitated. As the grandmother of the future king, she was very aware of the Establishment's disapproval. She was close to Prince William and her religion was seen as a potentially unwelcome influence on an impressionable young man. Today, however, Shand Kydd is in no doubt that in the Church she found her spiritual home. 'Catholicism, for me, is trying, rather late in life, to live my faith seven days a week. It's the kernal of my living and I love it.'
A parish priest was being honoured at a dinner on the 25th anniversary of his arrival in that parish. A leading local politician, who was a member of the congregation, was chosen to make the presentation and to give a little speech at the dinner, but he was delayed in traffic, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited. 'You will understand,' he said, 'the seal of confession can never be broken, however I got my first impressions of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I can only hint vaguely about this, but when I came here twenty-five years ago I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first chap who entered the confessional told me how he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police, had almost murdered the officer! Further, he told me he had embezzled money from his place of work and had an affair with the boss's wife. I was appalled! But as the days went on, I learned that my people were not all like that, and I had indeed come to a fine parish full of understanding and loving people.' Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk. 'I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived in this parish,' said the politician. 'In fact, I had the honour of being the first one to go to him in confession.'
Mass Intentions:
Saturday 6.30 Rose Nicholson
Sunday 10.00 Elsie Murphy (from the CWL)
Monday to Friday Communion Services at the usual times.
Saturday 9.00 Liz Woods-McConville and Helen Robinson
Saturday 6.30 Leonard Hought
Sunday 10.00 The Griffith Family
Intercessions for those who have died from our families and friends:
We thank you Lord for those dead who were so dear to us, from whom such goodness flowed. We pray that all they held sacred and everything in which they were wonderful will continue to mean much to us and go on living in our hearts and lives.
Let us reach out and pray for all who mourn the death of a child or parent, a brother or sister, a friend or relative. Let us pray for all who have suffered an unspeakable loss, and for those who go on blindly, unable to overcome their sorrow. Let us pray for all who are discouraged that they may not hate the light of life but that they may keep an open heart.
The church is open all day from dawn till dusk. REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9TH 2003 BLESSING OF THE GRAVES SERVICE AT 3.00 P.M. "They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them not the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them." "When you go home, tell them of us and say, 'For your tomorrow, we gave our today'." (Kohima Inscription) Dwight Eisenhower said in 1953, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and who are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its labourers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." |
Rest in Peace: It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Kath Dearing aged 83 in Castle Hill Hospital on Thursday. She had been a resident in Kirkella Mansions Residential Home and prior to that Kath lived at Southfield Close in Cottingham. She was visited regularly by Peter Watts and the S.V.P. I was able to give Kath Holy Communion last Sunday in hospital and she died with her daughter Tricia holding her hand.
Veronica Homan our oldest parishioner celebrates her 96th Birthday on Monday. She is a resident in Raleigh Court on Anlaby Road. Teresa Ulyatt visits and brings her Holy Communion every Sunday along with a copy of the weekly newsletter as Veronica always wants to know what is going on at Holy Cross. We wish her all the best tomorrow.
Elsie Murphy's 90th Birthday: This will be on Thursday coming and I know that she has great celebrations planned. Have a lovely, lovely day, Elsie and we wish you all the best!
Other Birthdays: Jonny Rawcliffe has his 15th Birthday today and Helen Green has her **nd this weekend also. Caroline Rawcliffe had her 16th Birthday recently and complained that she did not get her name in the newsletter! There are two more Rawcliffe Birthdays coming up soon, but more about them next week!
Welcome Back to the fold from a vacation in the desert to Brenda and Fay. We missed you both. Nice to have you back!
Blessing of the Graves Ceremony: This will take place this afternoon at 3.00 p.m. at Eppleworth Cemetery. We will pray at the graves of friends and parishioners and bless the new headstone at Maeve's grave. It shouldn't take more than an hour. Come prepared for cold and wet!
"We give back to you, O God, those whom you gave to us . You did not lose them when you gave them to us, and we do not lose them by their return to you. Your Son has taught us that life is eternal and love cannot die. So death is only a horizon, and a horizon is only the limit of our sight. Open our eyes to see more clearly, and draw us closer to you, so that we may know we are nearer to our loved ones, who are with you. You have told us that you are preparing a place for us: prepare us, that where you are we might be always, O dear Lord of life and death."
C.W.L. News: Mass on Monday will be at the revised time of 7.00 p.m. and it will be offered for the repose of the souls of all the deceased members of the parish Catholic Women's League. You are all invited to join with the League in remembering them.
C.W.L. Cake Stall: From Adrienne: "Dear Fr. Pat, just a note to ask you to thank the parish for their tremendous support for our cake stall last weekend. We made £114.25 for the Derbyshire Autistic Support Group which is helping Rosaria's grandson and parents. This year we have been able to send over £400 to local charities thanks to our parishioners. So please again, a big thank you to everyone."
C.W.L. Christmas Appeal: Elizabeth Rodgers will be speaking at both Masses next weekend and their aim will be for a special wheelchair to aid the work in the Stroke Unit at Castle Hill Hospital.
Counters this week: David Cook and Barbara Marshall.
Next week: Anne and Geoff Land.
Monsignor Philip Purcell's anniversary is on Wednesday. He died in 1995 in Tipperary. He was parish priest here from 1957 until 1982. We will remember him especially at Mass on that day.
Memorial Book: It's exactly one year since the first names were inscribed by Shirley in our Book of Remembrance. If you have more names to add to it please use the forms in the porch and give then to me or to Shirley.
The Bible and Ikea (continued): "Sir, I find Ikea's instructions easier to follow than the Bible's."
"Sir, At least when I choose my fixtures and fittings from an Ikea catalogue I don't have a conclave of primates telling me that my interpretation was wrong."
Pastoral Area Meeting: This will take place on Wednesday at St. Anthony's at 7.30 p.m. Each parish is invited to send about four representatives to look at what we see as the future for our local area when, in the not too distant future, we go from five parishes to four (and which one you ask?). The Vicar General, Mgr. Ricardo Morgan is hoping to visit us soon to look at the various options.
"Paradox of our times." The paradox of our times is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We buy more but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences but less time; we have more advanced degrees but less common sense; more knowledge but less good judgment; more medicine but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We have higher incomes, but lower morals. We have been all the way to the moon and back but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We've conquered outer space but inner space still is a mystery to too many of us. We have cleaned up the air but polluted the soul; split the atom but not our prejudices. We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.
Hull Council of Christians and Jews: You are invited to their Annual General Meeting at The Guildhall on Tuesday, November 18th at 7.45 p.m. where the guest speaker will be Rt. Revd. Dr. David Hope, Archbishop of York.
Adults have learned:
Togetherness:
Death is nothing at all I have only slipped away into the next room. Whatever we were to each, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was; there is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near just around the corner. All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before only better, infinitely happier and forever we will all be one together with Christ.
Anniversaries this coming week:
Saturday Maggie Day, Peter Sandars, Harold Cormthwaite, Franco Ciuffetelli and Eddie Hughes.
Sunday Annie Walker and Anne Fortes.
Tuesday Mary Loughlin and Dorothy Eeles.
Wednesday Monsignor Purcell and Anne Lapinskas.
Thursday Arthur Swallow.
Friday Patricia Dent.
Saturday Albert Stephenson.
Sunday Margaret Woods-McConville (Tony's grandmother) and Barbara Watson (a parish Alpha helper).
| We met under a shower of bird-notes. Fifty years passed, love's moment in a world in servitude to time. She was young; I kissed with my eyes closed and opened them on her wrinkles. "Come," said death, choosing her as his partner for the last dance. And she, who in life had done everything with a bird's grace, opened her bill now for the shedding of one sigh no heavier than a feather. (R.S.Thomas 'A Marriage') |
Looking Ahead: Diocesan Women's Commission (local group). The next meeting will be here at Holy Cross on Tuesday December 2nd commencing with Mass at 7.00 p.m. The topic is: "Life in our Parishes". All (including men) are very welcome, you are invited to come and join in the discussion the topic really does concern us all.
"From Gangland to Promised Land." John Pridmore will share his story 'an extraordinary adventure story of the human spirit, a journey from despair and violence to hope and freedom' (as featured in Bible Alive). It will be at the Marist Hall on Cottingham Rd. on Wednesday, December 3rd at 7.30 p.m.
Parish Prayer Circle Intention for this coming Friday: "We pray for all prisoners, especially those unjustly imprisoned, for all those who work with them and also for all victims of crime."
Prayers for the sick: Stuart Buchan in Hull Royal, Jean Dex's mother also in hospital, John Gavin (out of hospital) but still not too well, Patrick Hanson, Roy and Dominic Caley, John Boland, Eileen Dunn, Phil Norton, Patrick Falvey, John Andrews, Veronica Homan (improving), Louise Brierly, Mary Guazelli, Doreen Fletcher, David Parkinson, Barbara Avery, Jean Rowlands and Vin McKenna.
"A Piece of Cake." A little boy is telling his grandma how everything is going wrong: school, family problems, health problems etc. Meanwhile, grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack, which, of course, he does. 'Here, have some cooking oil.' 'Yuck' says the boy. 'How about a couple of raw eggs?' 'Ugh, grandma!' 'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?' 'Grandma, those are all yucky!' To which grandma replies: 'Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why he would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when he puts these things all in his order, they always work for good! We just have to trust him and , eventually, they will all make something wonderful!' God loves you! He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart. Hope your day is a 'piece of cake!'
"May the Lord support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over; then Lord, in your mercy, grant us a safe lodging and peace at the last. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. (John Henry Newman)
For Elsie: Great truths about growing old!
Perhaps, if we could see the splendour of the land to which our loved are called, from you and me, we'd understand.
Perhaps, if we could hear the welcome they receive from old familiar voices, all so dear, we would not grieve.
Perhaps, if we could know the reason why they went, we'd smile, and wipe away the tears that flow, we'd wait content.
Prayer and Praise Evening: We had a good gathering from all over Hull here at Holy Cross on the last Friday of October for an evening of prayer and praise. Our excellent speaker was Anne Sandars from St. Aelred's parish in York. Our next gathering will be here on Friday November 28th at 7.30 p.m. and the guest speaker will be Fr. Peter Rosser from Leeds Diocese. He has worked in Peru and is also involved with 'Justice and Peace' and also with 'Charismatic Renewal'.
Hero Ella Haswell: She's gathering her 'flock' of younger parishioners (14+) once again this Monday, here in the house at about 7.45 p.m. She certainly deserves a medal for putting up with them! The quicker we get our 'meeting room' up and running the better, then I can turf them out! (Only joking!) ?
When little Kathy went to Mass for the first time, she was fascinated. She peered around in all directions and then tugged at her father's sleeve. "Where's God, Daddy?" Her father pointed towards the altar. Just then the Consecration bell rang. Another tug. "Shouldn't he answer the phone?"
| Persons are Gifts:
Persons are the gifts from God to me. They are already wrapped, some beautifully and others less attractively. Some have been mishandled in the post; others come 'Special Delivery'. Some are loosely wrapped; others very tightly enclosed. But the wrapping is not the gift, and it is an important realisation. It is so easy to make a mistake in this regard, to judge the contents by the cover. Sometimes the gift is opened very easily, sometimes the help of others is needed. Maybe it is because they are afraid. Maybe they have been hurt before and don't want to be hurt again. It could be that they were once opened and then discarded. They may now feel more like 'things' than 'persons'. I am a person; like everyone else I too am a gift. God filled me with goodness that is only mine. And yet sometimes I am afraid to look inside my wrapping. Maybe I am afraid I would be disappointed. Maybe I don't trust my own contents. Or maybe it's that I never really accepted the gift I am. Every meeting and sharing of persons is an exchange of gifts. My gift is me; your gift is you. We are gifts to each other.
Mass Intentions for the coming week: Engraved Bricks: We're having quite a run on them at the moment! It's nearly, but not, too late to have your family remembered on the wall of the new meeting room. As to when it will begin, we are in the hands of the Government's Regulatory body, Entrust. But it will happen, that we are sure of! There are forms in the porch [or on the download page] if you haven't got your brick yet! What is dying? |
The church is open all day from dawn till dusk. Have you seen it, apart from weekends? SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2ND 2003 THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS All Saints Unsung Heroes: Popular opinion has made saints very much removed and remote from us. But we've all encountered saintly people: the parent who copes with a problem child or the adult who by choice or circumstance, or a mixture of both, cares for an ageing parent; the abandoned, separated or deserted who copes with betrayal, yet finds space in the heart to love life and people again. And the many who cope with illness, bereavement, unemployment and so many problems? How about a stutter of praise for the enduring love of parents? They found a 'yes' for continuing in committed love, when there were so many times they could have said 'no' and left. There is no limit to saintly people, they are of every colour, class and creed. As we begin a month marked by a spirit of remembrance, does death make a mockery of them? No like the beatitudes, it reminds that in the end, all will be well. It's worth every effort, for it is the joy of God. |
"Most of us go to our grave with our music still in us."
"Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."
Counters this week: Jean and John Gray.
Next week: David Cook and Barbara Marshall.
C.W.L. News: An advance warning! we shall be making our Annual Christmas Appeal on the weekend of November 15/16 for the Rehabilitation Stroke Unit at Castle Hill Hospital. Come prepared that weekend!
C.W.L. Cake Stall this weekend to help raise funds for "Asperges Syndrome" a type of autism. Rosaria's grandson in Derby suffers from this condition.
Quiz Thanks: Linda, the chair of the parish council, has asked for a special 'thank you' for Mike and Barbara Avery and Sandra and Jenny for all their work in helping with the quiz. Thanks too to all who supported the evening. She says ' the support we get from parishioners for these events makes them worthwhile and a pleasure to organise.'
"Dynamic Prayer Conference": Rev. Jeremy Jennings is coming to Hull on Saturday November 8th to give us teaching, encouragement and direction on prayer. This Conference is one of three to be held in England this year and everyone is welcome to attend. It will be at St. Martin's Church, Anlaby Rd. from 9.30 until 5.00 p.m. If you're at all interested please speak to Diana on 846555 (mobile 07751821002).
Prayer Circle: Over forty parishioners are involved in the Parish Prayer Circle. All that's asked of you is to pray for certain intentions on a Friday at a certain time and only for a few minutes. It's a very powerful ministry in the parish and fulfills a great need. If you'd like to join, have a word with Shirley on 842285.
Prayer Circle Intention for this Friday: "We pray for peace and justice in the world, especially in the Middle East and Northern Ireland where elections will soon be held."
Parish Intercession Book: You can find this near the altar and there's almost always a pen nearby for you to write in your special prayer needs. At the Thursday morning Prayer Group all the intentions are prayed for. Have a look at it when passing.
Today's Psalm: "Such are the people who seek your face, O Lord." What a lovely way of describing the lives of the saints! One of my favourite prayers from the psalms is the plea: "Let your face shed its light upon us." Today we're celebrating all those who set their faces intently towards God. Reflecting divine light, their clean hands were instruments of compassion and kindness. Their pure hearts sought God and God's will in all things. Their desires were not for worthless things as they settled for nothing less than the eternal. Our psalm's portrait of the saint anticipates the beatitudes. St. John tells us that we are already the children of God. Our spiritual genome would show the image of God within us. The challenge is how much of God's likeness do we show in our lives. The saints gave a human face to God's love and a voice to divine wisdom. In heaven they are the perfect reflection of God's glory for they see him as he really is. We call it the beatific vision.
'Caution Men At Work!' Women work all the time men have to put up signs when they work!
Parish Lunch Club: The five Wednesdays of October have thrown us! But we're back and eating this Wednesday at noon in the Priory Room. Come early to be assured of a seat! Remember, it's the first and third Wednesdays of the month that we meet.
Walsingham Pilgrimage: Friday to Sunday, December 12 to 14.
Could all those who have put their names down to go please give me your full addresses as they are needed when confirming the accommodation at Walsingham. There would appear to be twenty-five parishioners booked for the trip. Any last takers? The total cost, including all meals will be £50. And it includes the annual Carol Service at the Shrine on the Sunday afternoon.
Mother Teresa Mass: The Hull Co-Workers of Mother Teresa invite you to a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Bede's on Staveley Road on Saturday November 15th at noon. After the Mass and packed lunch there will be two speakers. You can get more details from Frances Brady on 815723.
"Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live."
"Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you had left open."
"You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person."
"A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour."
Haswell's Heroes: Ella will be gathering her flock of young people once again this Monday, November 3rd in the house at 7.45 p.m. And there will be another get together, by popular demand, next Monday, November 10th at about the same time.
Prayers for the sick: Please remember Louise Brierly and Eileen Dunn, both up in Castle Hill. And also young Dominic Caley who is in Hull Royal. John and Marion Boland, Margaret and Peter Price, Phil Norton, Mary Davidson's brother Chris, John and Pat Mc Nicholas' daughter Jane, Patrick Falvey, John Andrews, Veronica Homan, David Parkinson, Doreen Fletcher, Mary Guazelli, Patrick Hanson, Roy Caley, John Gavin.
Alpha Programme: This is continuing every Wednesday evening in the Priory Room beginning with a meal at 7.00 p.m. and followed by a short video presentation and discussion. Aralda did the catering once again this week and what a banquet she served up! If that wouldn't encourage people to come along, then nothing would! And a word of thanks to Shirley for coming along just to do the washing-up. That is very much appreciated! Each week we have a different volunteer to do that. Now that's real Christian service! There is also a Thursday morning course running at Shirley's. Her telephone number is 842285.
| The priest was sitting one afternoon in his church, just behind the statue of Our Lady, when one of the little girls from the parish primary school came in and approached the statue. "Dear Our Lady, can I bring my friend Susan to the parish picnic next week? She's not a Catholic." The priest heard this. "She can't come!" he boomed. At which the little girl piped up and said, "You keep quiet, God. I'm talking to your mother." |
All Souls Day Monday: Journey's End? A thought on the gospel of the feast of All Souls.
The spirit of those early morning tomb visitors lives on. It isn't hope that led the two Marys and Salome to the tomb, but duty. Naked devotion with no expectation of anything in return. Not even a plan as to how to prise away the tombstone. Anyhow, what could Jesus give? What could a dead man offer? The two women weren't going there to receive, they go to the tomb to give. their wish was to anoint his body, a final chapter to conclude the hurried burial. An act of kindness born of love. A token act of charity in helplessness. There is no motivation more noble. It lives on in countless contemporaries who visit the November graveyard in harsh winter sun or rain. Others just cannot bear to come feelings run too deep. It can all seem like journey's end. The Jerusalem trio travelled more on hunch than on insight. For all our vaunted knowledge and progress, with death, we enter a realm where we just don't know. Faith seeks and gropes in the emotional darkness. Despite our cultural or religious differences, we do much the same things in bereavement; we mourn, gather, bury with rites and words, remember and live on. We continue to give not just in commemorating the dead, but in our contact with the living.
Blessing of the Graves Service: This annual parish event will take place on Sunday afternoon, November 9th which also is Remembrance Sunday. We'll gather at Eppleworth Cemetery at 3.00 p.m. and then bless all the graves of our families and friends and fellow parishioners, especially thinking of those who have no one left to visit them. And maybe someday, someone will do the same for us? The service shouldn't last more than an hour.
"The Gospel of St. Luke." This is the title of a talk to be given at the Endsleigh Centre on Sunday November 16th at 7.30 p.m. by Fr. Jim O'Brien (University Chaplain).
Wheelchairs: There are two of them are 'missing in action'. If you have one of them could you let me know. We've already 'lost' one (£400) a couple of years ago and it's good to be able to keep tabs on them.
"Ikea v The Bible" continued: "Sir, Regarding the relative readership of the Bible and the Ikea catalogue, last year's Bibles are, of course, still current, while last year's Ikea catalogue is not."
Hallowe'en, Trick or Treat? "Trick or treat, Mister?" His mother intervened immediately. Levering his hands out from beneath the blanket that was all that passed for costume, she ordered him to display a plastic bag in which mingled coins and chewing gum. "He's not interested in fruit," she said, demanding a pound. That is what Hallowe'en has become, an annual tithe on the moderately affluent or simply good-natured, perpetrated by gangs that might have been trained by Fagin. It's a long way from its origins. It began as a relic of the ancient festival of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees. In more recent times Scottish superstition decreed it the time when witches, devils, imps and fairies hold their annual holiday. We have benefited from a host of American imports, but not this one. It has usurped November the Fifth, when British children financed their bangers and rockets by making Guys and asking for pennies. But then the safety-fascists put a stop to that. Britain once had a Hallowe'en tradition of its own. Ancient names for the festival, such as Cake Night (Yorkshire) and Nutcrack Night (Northumberland), prove it. The word itself may be a corruption of the Gaelic for 'summer's end'. It was a time when flocks were brought in from the fields and the last crop was celebrated with fairs and festivals (Hull Fair). The American habit is a cultural hybrid. It may reflect remnants of similar customs that exist in Scotland as part of Hogmany, but it has nothing to do with Hallowe'en. The closest England ever came to it was the habit of putting out food for the dead ancestors. That disappeared as soon as the Church condemned attempts to communicate with the dead as evil, and devised All Saints' Day as a sanctified alternative. If we take pride in our traditions, the Americans will love it, make a film about it and their children will compete to imitate ours. What then? Restoration of our Bonfire Night rituals would be charming. If we do not celebrate our own 'high days and holy days' it can only be a matter of time before a generation reared on MTV, South Park and The Simpsons wonders why we do not mark July 4th and eat turkey at Thanksgiving instead of Christmas. (The Times, Friday October 31st 2003).
"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional."
Anniversaries this coming week:
Saturday William McKinney and Terence Baker (Gerry's brother).
Sunday John Roe, Anthony Wood (Brian's brother) and Annie Giblin.
Monday Stephen Falvey (Patrick's dad).
Tuesday John McGuire (Eithne Codd's father)
Wednesday Stella Wiles (Sheila's daughter and our first girl altar-server), Evelyn Sharp.
Thursday Frederick Hodgson (Fred's dad), Rev. J.F. Fitzgerald, Ann Joys (Leo Murphy's grandmother) and Winifred Jarvis.
Friday Richard English, Terence Gilson, Charles Shakespeare (Kath's husband).
Saturday Maggie Day (my grandmother, 1923), Peter Sanders (Sheila Levett's husband), Harold Cornthwaite, Franco Ciufetelli, Eddie Hughes.
Sunday - Annie Walker and Anne Fortes (Jean Dex's sister).
Rugby World Cup: "Our Lady of the Scrum."
It has to be seen to be believed: a finely detailed stained-glass window depicting the Virgin and Child, both looking down on a group of worshippers with their hands raised towards the heavens as Jesus holds a mighty
rugby ball! Sure enough, Notre Dame du Rugby, a small Romanesque chapel made of yellow stone with a red-tile roof, tucked away in the Ardour river valley in south-west France, is dedicated to the great game. And what could be more fitting in an area which locals call "l'Ovalie" the Land of the Oval Ball? Beside the chapel's altar there is a framed prayer petitioning Mary to "be with us in the great scrum of existence
So that we may come out winners in this game of life." Dedicated as they are, we think the French side might need more than prayers to come out on top in their predicted semi-final against England.
Pastoral Area Meeting: This will take place at St. Anthony's on Wednesday, November 12th at 7.30 p.m. The aim of the gathering is for representatives from our five parishes to look at the needs of the area with special reference to how we would serve the area when, in the not too distant future, the Bishop decides to close one of our five parishes. have a word with me if you'd like to attend.
August 31st 1962 September 2nd 1962 April 25th 1971
Still no takers for these dates? If it's a birthday or anniversary or whatever, I have something special for you, for free! If you can't guess what it might be, well
.
Journey in Faith: We resume again this Thursday in the house at 7.30 p.m. It's for those who might be thinking of joining the Catholic Church, but there's no pressure. It's also for those who might want to deepen their understanding of their faith. Everyone is welcome to come along.
When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser, I realised that the world would not change.
And I decided to shorten my sights somewhat and change only my country. But it too seemed immovable.
As I entered my twilight years, in one desperate attempt, I sought only to change my family, those closest to me; but alas they would have none of it.
And now here I lie on my death bed and realise, perhaps for the first time, that if only I had changed myself first, then by example I may have influenced my family and with their encouragement and support I may have bettered my country, and, who knows, I may have changed the world.
(An Anglican Bishop)
Mass Intentions for the coming week:
Saturday 6.30 The Intentions of Rosaria Penna.
Sunday 10.00 Martin Murphy.
Monday 9.00 Frank Booth.
Tuesday 7.00 Communion Service.
Wednesday 9.00 Communion Service.
Thursday 9.00 Tony Coyle.
Friday 9.00 Charlie Shakespeare (A)
Saturday 9.00 The Parishioners.
Saturday 6.30 Ray and Willy Parker.
Sunday 10.00 Robert and Betty Carvlin.
"Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone."