NEWSLETTER SUNDAY 2nd Dec 2007

Please pray for all the sick in the hospital and in our parish including:

Kitty Stubbs, Bertha Appleton, Flo Mullen, Christopher Brown, Jimmy Carson, Christine McDonald, Dennis Lynch, Joe Donkin, Olive Atkinson, Nora Gallagher, Ethel Fagan, Denise Calvert, Ken Hutchinson, Andrea Saward, Paul Tulloch, Jan Buckley and Peter Davison. 

Please remember in your prayers the following priests of the diocese whose anniversaries occur during the week:

THE CYCLE OF PRAYER– ADVENT & CHRISTMAS

During Advent and Christmastide we are asked to pray for these intentions: Openness to the Word of God, Migrants and Refugees, Expectant Mothers

AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED 

This weekend Mike Collins is making an appeal on behalf of Aid to the Church in Need.  There will be a Retiring Collection and Mike will have various items on sale, the proceeds of which are used to support the Church where it is being persecuted.

ADVENT SERVICES

During Advent there will be a Sunday Evening Service at 4pm.  This week the Children's Ecumenical Gospel Choir will be singing for us and we shall have Advent Readings.  Next Sunday Signed with Love will be presenting the musical “Twelve Stories of Angels”.  There will be a collection in aid of the Grace House Appeal.  More information is at the back of church. On Sunday 16th December our music group will be leading us in readings and hymns for Advent and Christmas.  On Sunday 23rd December we will have our Advent Reconciliation Service.  Please take a little time out from your hectic schedule and spend some time in the presence of the Lord and prepare for what really matters at Christmas.

Benediction and Novena will be celebrated each Wednesday at 6.30pm.

On Monday 3rd December we are hosting West End Churches Together Taizé Hour of Prayer for Advent from 7pm.  Mass will be celebrated at 9.10am.

ADVENT EXTRA

There are copies of “Advent Extra” available at the back of church this weekend.  Use it to help you and your family to prepare for Christmas.  It is packed with good ideas as well as having daily meditations for Advent.  What’s more it’s are free!

CHANGES TO MASS TIMES WITHIN THE DEANERY

Immaculate Heart

No 6pm Mass on Sunday – the last Evening Mass will be on 23^rd December.

St Anne’s

From 30^th December Sunday Evening Mass will be at 5.30pm.

St. Cecilia’s

From 1^st January Mass times will be as follows:-

Saturday Vigil 6.30pm, & Sunday Morning 10am.  There will be no 8.30am Mass on Sunday’s.

DEANERY FORUM  The next Deanery Forum meeting is on Tuesday 4th December at 7.30pm in St. Mary’s Hall.  This is an important meeting to discuss the future of the Church within Sunderland.  Everyone is encouraged to attend this meeting, all are welcome.

VOLUNTEER LISTS

The lists are still up at the back of church for you to sign.

GOOD NEWS FOR SUNDERLAND

Sunderland has been chosen to be the first deanery in the diocese to welcome the Diocesan Evangelisation Programme for Formation and Training.  Bishop Kevin calls evangelisation a “pressing priority” and aims eventually to have an evangelisation team in every deanery in the diocese which will then impact on every parish.  St. Bede’s Deanery is to run the pilot scheme.

The programme will begin on Friday, 7th December, 7—9pm at St. Mary’s where the focus will be on John the Baptist, faith and how we live and act in the power of our Baptism.  On Saturday, 8th December 10am—4pm we will look at Our Lady’s faith and willingness to say “yes” and how everything changed through the “power of one” - a concept growing in importance in these impersonal and global times.  The double event will end with a practical task connected with the Come Home for Christmas Campaign.

It is hoped that every parish in the deanery will send at least 10 people to St Mary’s for the Friday and Saturday event.

For details of this and further events please pick up a leaflet at the back of church.  If you are going please sign the list at the back of church.  Numbers are not limited to 10.

FAIR TRADE

Raffle tickets for two Fair Trade Hampers are still on sale; price 50p each.  It will be drawn next weekend.  The next Fair Trade stall is next weekend 8th and 9th December.  Come along and stock up with those little extra treats for Christmas and New Year.  We take a well earned break in January so there will be no more sales until February.

WORLD GIFTS 

Looking for a Christmas present with a difference?  Why not try CAFOD'S World Gifts.  There’s something to fit everyone’s purse.  World Gift Catalogues are available from back of church.

CAFOD.......THE PROGRESS OF PEOPLES........LIVESIMPLY 

In his Encyclical Letter, The Progress of Peoples (1967), Pope Paul VI continues as follows:

2  PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE CHURCH, AND PROGRESS

What progress do people want to make?  They want freedom from the depths of poverty.  They want security, enough to eat, good health, a steady job, more say in how their lives are run, and no oppression.  They want the chance of better education.  They want to be treated like human beings.  The Church is taught by Christ.  He preaches his Gospel to the poor.  He said that this was a sign that he was sent by God. (Lk.7: 22)  The time has come (1967) for more than local talk, isolated action.  Everyone must act together to tackle every side of this problem of human progress, the great social problem of today.  As an expert on humankind, the Church has much to offer.  Like Christ, she lives to witness to the truth.  She was founded to set up the Kingdom of Heaven right down here on earth.  There is more to human progress than economic growth.  Genuine progress must be complete.  No one can be left out.  No part of anyone can be left out.  As Dominican Fr. Lebret said : '' Progress is part of civilisation.  Economic growth is based on people.  What counts for Christians is the human person, each group of people, everyone.''  In God's plan, every single person is called upon to grow.  Every life is a vocation from birth.  From birth we carry within ourselves the seeds of personal growth.  Each of us can bear the fruit proposed to him or  her by God. Every man and woman is a part of humanity.  All are called to grow.  Each of us can bear the fruit proposed to him or her by God.  This is progress.  ''Thy Kingdom come: Thy Will be done: on earth as in Heaven''

THANK YOU

I wish to thank everyone for their prayers, cards and flowers.  Also to thank Father Ryan and Leonora for their visits with Holy Communion while I have been ill. Thank you.  Marie Liddle.

THANKS

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the Parish Walk—we had a great time in spite of the cold.  Thanks also to sponsors and up to now £206 has been raised for CAFOD, with more sponsorship to come in.  £50 was raised from the sale of apples—divided between Father Joe and Father Daiy. Thanks again.

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

God’s heart for you is the same as it was for Adam in the Garden of Eden.  He wants to bless you with companionship.  If you’ve been thinking and praying for someone special to share your life with, meeting someone by contacting and joining friendsfirst—the UK and Irish Christian friendship organisation—may be God’s answer to your prayers.  For more information about membership call Katharine Gray on ( or write to her at PO Box 8377, Birmingham. B17 9TE.  Information can also be found at www.friends1st.co.uk.

CHILDREN’S PRAYER BOOKS TO BORROW

We have a small selection of Children’s prayer books at the back of church to help the younger members of our community during Mass.  Please help yourself but they MUST be returned to the bookcases at the end of Mass.’’

PALLION PARK RESIDENTS are holding a Ceilidh on 7th December in the Social Centre 7.30—11pm.  Tickets cost £4.00, contact Angela De Cruz on ( for more details.

LOURDES 

On Tuesday 18th December at 7pm Father Peter Stott is going to the Holy Rosary Parish to give a presentation on the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.  All are welcome.

POLISH MASS  

Mass in Polish will be celebrated at 4 pm on the 4th Sunday of every month in St. Benet’s Church Sunderland.  Confessions before at 3.30 pm.  Refreshments after Mass in the Parish Hall.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Today: 1st Sunday of Advent 

Appeal for The Church in Need

4.00p.m. Advent Service-Children’s Ecumenical Gospel Choir

Monday:

7.00p.m. WECT Taizé Hour of Prayer

Tuesday:

7.30pm Deanery Forum at St. Mary’s

Wednesday:

6.30pm Benediction & Novena

Thursday:

5.00p.m.-10.00p.m. Malayalam Retreat

Friday:

5.00p.m.-10.00p.m. Malayalam Retreat

7.00p.m. - 9.00p.m. Evangelisation-St Mary’s

Saturday:

9.00a.m.-2.00p.m. Malayalam Retreat

10.00a.m.-4.00p.m. Evangelisation at St Mary’s

1.00p.m. El Shaddai Prayer Group

5.00p.m. Prayer Meeting

Sunday: 2nd Sunday of Advent

Fairtrade Stall

4.00p.m. Advent Service 12 Stories of Angels.

Rotas week ending 8th/9th Dec 2007