NEWSLETTER SUNDAY 24th Feb 2008

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, Lucy Mole, James Chapman, Bishop Kevin, Metropolitan Mar Makarios, and Brian McBain.  Also remember in your prayers Shaun Metcalfe who died last week.



 

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

THE CYCLE OF PRAYER– Lent  During Lent we are asked to pray for these intentions: Candidates for the Sacraments; Women; The Needy and Hungry of the World; Penitents and Wanderers.

LENT

On Tuesday afternoons during Lent St Cuthbert’s Chapel will be open  from 1.30p.m. - 3.30p.m. for private reflection and Stations of the Cross which start at 2p.m.  Stations will also be celebrated at 3.00p.m. every Friday afternoon.  On Sundays there will be a Lenten devotion at 4.00 p.m.  Today there is the Stations of the Cross.  Next week there will be a Lenten Service at 4.00p.m.

LENTEN ALMS

Next weekend there is a Retiring Collection for Lenten Alms in aid of St. Cuthbert’s Care our Diocesan Charity.

Parish Pastoral Council

There will be an Extraordinary Meeting of the Parish Pastoral Council on Monday 25th February at 7.30 p.m.  All members, including a representative from each parish group please attend.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS

Our First Communion children take a break this week for half term and will continue  their preparation on Wednesday 27th February at 6.30pm  in the Social Centre Quiet Room.    Please note the change of time and venue. Next week the children will be looking for individual parishioners to be their prayer sponsors as they prepare for First Holy Communion.   Please remember to pray for the children and their families.

SILOAM  -  GO AND EVANGELISE

The next stage of the Deanery Evangelisation Training Programme is being held at St. Cecilia’s on Friday 29th February from 7.00p.m. - 9.00 p.m. and Saturday 1st March 10.00a.m. - 4.00 p.m.  If you are attending on Saturday please bring a packed lunch. 

PASTORAL CARE OF IMMIGRANT PEOPLES IN THE N. E.

RESEARCH WORKER (3 MONTHS FULL TIME)

The Diocese is advertising for a Research Worker looking at the Pastoral Care of Immigrants in the North East.  The position will be based at St. Mary’s Sunderland and is for three months.  For more information please see the advert at the back of church.  Application forms, etc. are available from the Human Resource Officer at the Diocesan Offices in Newcastle.  The closing date is Friday. 

DONATION OR MASS INTENTION

Two weeks ago a plain envelope with a sum of money was found in the offertory basket.  If you know anything about this whether it was a donation to the parish or a Mass intention can you please contact us.

AFRICAN MASS

There will be an African Mass in St. Joseph’s Church Gateshead this weekend on Sunday 24th February at 2:00 p.m.  This is an opportunity for Africans in our community to celebrate Mass together and then to socialise in the Centre afterwards. Everyone is welcome. The Metro stops just outside of St. Joseph’s church at the Gateshead Interchange.

St. Joseph’s REPOSITORY

We have a wide selection of gifts, Cards, etc for all occasions, and goods that have just arrived are Mother’s Day Cards, Easter Cards and also First Holy Communion Cards and Gifts.  Why not come and see what we are selling after Mass?

CHILDREN’S LITURGY ROTA

The new Sunday Children's’ Liturgy Rota is available from St. Cuthbert’s Chapel  The new rota includes everyone who volunteered to help.  Please take one and if you can’t take your turn organise a swap.

EXTRACTS TAKEN FROM CHURCH NEWSLETTERS.

• Is worry killing you?  let the church help.

• Thursday night - Potluck Supper.  Prayer and medication to follow.

• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

• For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a crèche downstairs.

• This afternoon there will be services in the North and South ends of the Church.  Children will be baptised at both ends.

• Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet.  All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and do so.

• The service will close with "Little Drops of Water".  One of the ladies will start, and the rest of the congregation will join in.

• This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

• At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be ‘What is Hell?’  Come early and listen to our choir practice.

• Low self-esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door.

• The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience.

• The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy."

• During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.

• Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service.  The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."

• Due to the Rector's illness, Wednesday's healing services will be discontinued until further notice.

• The music for today's service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth.

• The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

• The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success.  Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who laboured the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

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: 3rd Sunday of Lent:

4.00 p.m. Lenten Service

Tuesday:

1.30p.m. - 3.30p.m. Stations of the Cross in Chapel

Wednesday:

6.30pm  Benediction & Stations  & Novena

6.30pm First Holy Communions

Friday:

3.00 p.m. Stations of the Cross 

7.00 p.m. Indian Prayer Group

Saturday:

1.00pm El Shaddai

5.00pm. Prayer Meeting

Sunday: 4th Sunday of Lent:

4.00 p.m. Lenten Service

Rotas week ending 1st/2nd Mar 2008