THE CATHOLIC PARISH

OF OUR LADY

STOWMARKET

R.C. Diocese of East Anglia: 
A Registered Charity (Charity Commission No. 278742)

News-sheet for week beginning
 Sunday, 24th August, 2008
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Weekday Readings for the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
(Year 2)
Psalms for Week 1

Dear Parishioners,

In the Gospel this Sunday, St Peter confesses that Jesus is in fact the Christ, the Father’s Anointed One.  And, in response to St Peter’s faith, Jesus promises that he will be ‘the Rock’ – ‘and on this rock I will build my Church’.  We give thanks today above all for our membership of the Catholic Church and pray for Pope Benedict, the Successor of St Peter.

At 2pm this Sunday at Our Lady’s, Stowmarket: Baptism of Ethan Efui Akpe Yao, infant son of Andrew and Nona-Esi Kwawu (110 Pine Square, Wattisham Airfield)

Please keep in your prayers Bishop Michael and the members of our Diocese and Parish who are currently on pilgrimage at Lourdes.

MONDAY: Mass at 10am (Bank Holiday)

TUESDAY: Scripture Prayer Group 1.30pm in the Centre.
                      Funeral Service for Rod Jones at St Mary’s, Woolpit, followed by burial in St Mary’s Churchyard.

FRIDAY:  Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 2pm – 4pm.

NEXT SUNDAY: ‘Farewell to Father Denys’ at the Cedars Hotel at 11.45pm – buffet and drinks.  I have been asked to say that, whether or not you have indicated in the last couple of weeks that you would be coming, you will be most welcome to attend this event.
 
FORTHCOMING EVENTS IN THE PARISH AND DIOCESE
‘OPEN HOUSE’ at 2 Temple Road, Stowmarket: Saturday, 6th September: There will be ‘Open House’ from 10am – 3pm on Saturday, 6th September at 2 Temple Road, Stowmarket (the home of Eve and Gordon Paton).  It will include Cake and Plant Stalls, Raffle, Tombola and Ploughman’s Lunches.  The proceeds will go towards specialist treatment for Alexander Wass (Pamela and Tony’s grandson) and for the Hardship Fund at the Bobath Centre in London for children with Cerebral Palsy.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 6th/7th SEPTEMBER:  Father David Finegan’s first weekend in the Parish.

MONDAY, 8th SEPTEMBER:  7.30pm at the Centre – Meeting for all those who are willing to help with the Autumn Bazaar, which will take place on 8th November.

SATURDAY, 13th SEPTEMBER:  SUFFOLK HISTORIC CHURCHES SPONSORED BIKE RIDE.   Names are needed as soon as possible, please, of both those who plan to get sponsorship and ride – and also names of those who are able to check in the riders at Our Lady’s from 10am until 4pm. 
Further – and very importantly – we need someone to volunteer to take over from Amanda Arrowsmith, who in recent years has organised the contribution of our parish to this event.  Amanda, as many of you will know, is not well and would like to work with someone this year and then hand over the job for 2009 to whoever has ‘shadowed her’ in the next few weeks.  If you are willing to consider doing this, please telephone Amanda: 01449-672766.

A ‘THANK YOU’ FROM THE FAMILY OF THE LATE CHARMION PEARMAIN
We would like to express our gratitude for all the love and support shown to both of us and to Charmion over the last few months.   It really has helped us all cope with Charmion’s illness and death with greater strength.
Angela and Paul Pearmain

DEANERY CELEBRATION DAY:
This major Deanery event is now only three weeks away.  It will take place in the grounds of Moreton Hall School in Bury St Edmunds – near the Bury branch of Sainsbury’s.  If the weather is wet, the Mass and all that follows will take place in the huge Sports Hall in the School grounds – so all eventualities are catered for!

Bishop Michael will be the Principal Celebrant at the Mass, which will begin at 2.30pm.   All the Deanery Parishes are contributing in different ways to the Mass and to the attractions and displays that will follow.

These attractions and events include a BBQ (with salads) and Drinks Stall (Stowmarket and Clare Parishes); Volleyball and CAFOD Tug-o’War, displays of new church plans (Diss and Haverhill Parishes), Fair Trade Stall, Diocesan Link displays (Cambodia and the Holy Land), S.V.P. display, World Youth Day display, Justice and Peace display and much else besides.

Stop Press Request!  We need a team of counters, please, from Our Lady’s Parish, to help on Monday, 15th September with the counting of the Collection.  Please let Fr Denys know if you are willing to assist.

Please make a note of the Celebration Day in your diary, if you have not already done so – and help to make the Day as great a success as was the Celebration Day in 2005 - and more so!
 
COLLECTIONS LAST WEEKEND
Woolpit: £287; Stowmarket: £503; Collection for the Santal Mission (on the Solemnity of the Assumption): £232.  The Fair Trade Stall took £163 last weekend.

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN STOWMARKET

Working together, ‘Churches Together in Stowmarket’ hope to deliver leaflets to each house on the Cedars Park Estate with basic information about each church and providing assurance of a warm welcome for anyone who visits any of our churches.

We think this will be more effective if we go in person to deliver the leaflets.

Please join us on any – or all – of the following evenings and help us spread something of our faith in this way:

   Monday, 8th September
   Tuesday, 9th September
   Wednesday, 10th September
   Thursday, 11th September
   Friday, 12th September

We shall meet on Tesco Car Park at 6pm on each evening and finish about 7pm.  We shall work in groups of two or three.

Transport can be provided.  

Any questions?  Please contact Mrs. Mary Durrant
Tel: 01449-672608
 
Please sign the list on the table in the porch (back of the church at Woolpit) if you can help with the distribution of the leaflets.

SICK AND HOUSEBOUND:  Bishop Michael Evans, Amanda Arrowsmith, Joe Balfe, Eva Bernsanetti, Alec & Gwen Boyle, Joan Cage, Michael Chilvers, Bridget Conlon, Julie Corrigan, Betty Cytacki, Doreen Davies, Tony and Colleen de Souza, Elaine Devlin,  Fr. John Doman,  Evelyn Donohoe, Tony and Janet Duggan, John and Diane Emeney, Bob and Marra Emmett, Joe Flinter, Helen Forbester, Ian Forbester, Ann Foster, Kathleen French, Louis Gillespie, Fr Michael Griffin, Roy Hayward, Frank Hewitt, Ann Hewlett, Bernadette Kelly, John Laney, Patricia Manners, Canon Edward McBride, Patricia McCoy, Samuel McCoy-Dudman, Terrence Mizzi, Lydia Monai, Bryan Moore-Smith, Catherine Neuman, Ellen O’Sullivan, Barbara Phillips, Lily Preston, Molly Punchard, Moira Reeve, Veronica Ritzema, Ted Scott, Josephine Scrivener, Vicki Simler, Andrew Simler, Ettie Smith, Fr Roger Spencer, Peter Steele, Betty Stephenson, Pat Tierney, John Tomlinson, Mandy Wall, Jack & Sylvia Weston, Anne Wilce, Winifred Winward, Margaret Yates.
ANNIVERSARIES: Helen Duffy, Constance Storrs, Johnnie Johnson, Annie King, Carmen Stutchbury, Grazia Botwright, Kathleen Beckett, Anthony Brooker, Amy Hampton, Patricia Firman, Mary Leary, James Greaves, R.I.P.  Please also remember: Rod Jones, who died on August 11th.

DIOCESE AND PARISH INFORMATION:
The Bishop:  Right Rev. Michael Evans:  Tel:  01508-492202
The Parish Priest:  Rev. Denys Lloyd:   Tel:  01449-612946
P.P.C. Chairman:  Mr. Peter Durbin Tel: 01359-240668
Parish Office (in the Centre):  Tel: 01449-771703
Centre Bookings:  Mrs. Diane Wilson:  Tel:  01449-672527
Marriage Care:  Tel: 0800-389-3801 (Ipswich and Colchester Centre)

Masses this week: TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (Year ‘A’)
Saturday 6pm (Woolpit) R.I.P. John Punchard
Sunday 8.30am People of the Parish;  10.15am R.I.P. Laurence Walton
Monday (Feria):  10am
Tuesday (Feria): 6.30pm
Wednesday (St Monica): 8am
Thursday (St Augustine of Hippo): 10am
Friday (Beheading of St John the Baptist):  8am
Saturday (SS Margaret Clitherow, Ann Line & Margaret Ward): 10am
Masses next weekend: TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (Year ‘A’)
Saturday 6pm (Woolpit) R.I.P. Rod Jones (McSweeney)
Sunday 8.30am Mike and Kate Griffin (In Thanksgiving: Golden Wedding); 10.15am People of the Parish
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament:  Thursday 9.25am – 9.55am; Friday 2pm – 4pm
Sacrament of Reconciliation:  Saturday 10.30am