ROSARY ROOM
Refreshments - served after 11.00 am Mass each Sunday. Arts and Crafts for the children.
Pilates - every Monday 1.30-2.30 pm and 6.15-7.15 pm. For booking phone Linda 07900541034.
Reading Group -The FIRST Tuesday of every month at 7.30 pm. List of the books at the back of Church and in the Rosary Room. Contact 01204 469820 for details.
Stretch and Tone Class - every Wednesday 10.00-11.00 am. Please see notice at the back of church for more details. To reserve a place please ring Linda on 07900 541034.
Canasta - every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month 2-4 pm.
Bookings - for weekday meetings please ring Margaret on 01204 693942.
Use of Notice Board - to advertise goods or services, business cards or flyers free of charge. Donations are always welcome for the upkeep of the room.
PLEASE NOTE - THE ROSARY ROOM HOLDS 50 MAXIMUM
(To comply with Fire Regulations)
PARISH SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME 2012
a) Parents' meeting Thursday, 9 February at 6.30 pm
b) Reconciliation Service at St Mary's, Thursday, 16 February at 6.30 pm.
PRAYER GROUP
Will next meet for a prayerful reading of the Sunday Scriptures this coming Wednesday, 18 January at 7.30 in the Rosary Room. Everyone welcome.
DEANERY LENTEN STATION MASSES 2012
There will be Station Masses on each Wednesday of Lent. Masses are at 7.30 pm with confessions from 7 pm:
a) Wednesday, 29th February, Holy Family, New Springs
b) Wednesday, 7th March, St William of York, Great Lever
c) Wednesday, 14th March, St Columba's, Tonge Moor
d) Wednesday, 21st March, Holy Infants, Astley Bridge
e) Wednesday, 28th March, Our Lady of Lourdes, Farnworth.
PARISH MAGAZINE
Our next edition depends on us having a new lay-out editor. There must be talent in the parish. Please do not be afraid to offer your services. Phone or meet Father Jones or Margaret Caton, the editor.
Submissions for the next issue need to be in by Sunday 12th February. If you have not tried being part of this before, why not give it a go? Share your interests, experiences and celebrations with us.
SALFORD DIOCESAN LOURDES PILGIMAGE 2012 - APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEER NURSES
This year's pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place between 31 July and 6 August (by air) or 7 August (overland). If you are a doctor, nurse or health care assistant and interested in volunteering your skills to support sick and disabled pilgrims the Diocesan organisers are eager to hear from you. Financial support to cover the cost of travel may be available to those involved in healthcare through a new bursary fund. Please contact the Pilgrimage Medical and Nursing Co-ordinator, Veronica Hall, at veronica@salfordlourdes.co.uk or telephone the office on 0161 817 2209, www.salfordlourdes.co.uk
ROTA FOR OPENING GATES
The new rota for the next two months is now at the back of church. Those on email should by now have received their copy but there are spare copies at the back of church available for the Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Welcome Team Members and Counters. Once the new rota for the Welcome Team, which begins in March, is ready, the gate rota for the whole year will be sent out to everyone.
PARKING AROUND ST. MARY'S
If you are unable to leave your car in the parish car park, please be considerate when using the roads around the church to park. Please park safely and do not obstruct the drives of nearby residents.
CAR PARK GATES
Volunteers are needed to close the car park gates after the midday Mass on Fridays. This could be shared between several regular Mass-goers. Please contact any Rosary Room Committee member to offer your services.
THURSDAY FILM AFTERNOON
We shall be showing a film on the first Thursday of the month starting at 2.00pm. "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café" will show on February 2nd followed by tea and cake - cost £2.00. The films will be shown during the winter months. Come and spend a pleasant afternoon in the company of friends.
THEATRE TRIPS
Unfortunately I am no longer able to run these trips and I am looking for some person, or persons, to take it over. I am very willing to help to begin with. Please phone me if you would like to take over - Muriel 01257 268646.
SALFORD DIOCESAN ALMANAC
The new edition is now on sale at the repository stall at the back of church price £3.
PARKING AROUND ST MARY'S
If you are unable to leave your car in the parish car park, please be considerate when using the roads around the church to park. Please park safely and do not obstruct the drives of nearby residents.
REVIVE
This is a Diocesan-led charity which supports destitute asylum seekers. They are mainly people who have no access to public funds and no permission to work. Donations of tinned and dried foods may be left at the back of Church. A team from the parish will take them to the Salford base.
FUTURE PAROCHIAL SOCIAL EVENTS
The Social Committee met last week and formalised a future programme of social events in the parish.
a) Coffee morning on Saturday, 10th March in the Rosary Room. It takes place in Fair Trade fortnight (27th Feb - 11th March). Other coffee mornings will take place in other churches in Horwich. They are between 10.00 - 12.00. A Fair Trade stall will be organised and donations will go to a Third World Charity.
b) The usual soup and fruit for Cafod held normally at Family Fast time is now to be transferred to Harvest time.
c) Parish Breakfast on Sunday, 15th April. This year breakfasts in the Rosary Room will be provided after both 8.30 am and 11.00 am Masses.
d) Diamond Jubilee Strawberry Fair on Sunday, 10th June.
e) Parish Trip - during August. The date and venue to be decided at a later meeting.
f) Parish Quiz Night - to be held in the Club during September. Arrangements will be made later.
Next meeting of the Social Committee on Tuesday, 21st February at 7.30 pm in the Rosary Room.
CaFE
There will be a meeting of the CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) team on Tuesday, January 24th at 7.00 pm in the presbytery. This will be to make plans for the next session. New team members are always welcome. This involves becoming acquainted with the material to be used and preparing the room for each session.
THE LAND OF SMILES
The Operetta Company and orchestra are presenting a semi-staged version of this lovely operetta by Franz Lehar, conducted by our own Director of Music, Robert Aston. Full of beautiful melodies, the best-known son is "You are My Heart's Delight", famously sung by Richard Tauber. Performances start at 7.30 pm, Thursday, 9th to Saturday, 11th February 2012 in Trinity Church, Market Street, Farnworth, BL4 8EX and tickets are available from Gordon Bustard (tel 01204 706531) or through Robert Aston (01204 468896).
A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE
Sunday, 12th February - The Game by Harold Brighouse.
£18, which includes a delicious finger buffet. Doors open for buffet at 6.30 pm.
A Lancashire Comedy - The club is on the brink of financial ruin and its pampered star player is having girlfriend problems. Fans are fretful as the Chairman considers a controversial plan to bring in much needed cash to balance the books. This is not an everyday tale from the Premier League, but the plot of an obscure play by one of pre-war Northern England's most respected but neglected playwrights, now due to be performed for the first time in almost a century.
Please contact David Smart for further information and reservation. Home (01204 690044). Mobile (07802 625566) dsmart@greenhalghs.com.
BETHLEHEM ART INC.
- It's a statement introduced by the Christian families in Bethlehem. It is designed to provide income for the few Christian families still living in Bethlehem. There are now very few pilgrims to the Holy Places and so families have no means of selling their work, with the result that many families are facing great poverty and distress.
Bishop Brain has given Bethlehem Art permission to approach parishes in the diocese for an appeal and a sale of their art, at the back of churches. They will visit St. Mary's on Sunday 12th Feb.
The items are produced by local craftsmen of Bethlehem and are individually hand carved from the wood of the olive trees common around the city of Bethlehem. Once carved the wood is sanded and coated with a special varnish to protect it and highlight the texture of the grain. Olive is one of the hardest woods on earth and the carvings will last a lifetime.
TODAY'S RETIRING COLLECTION
Is the monthly SVP collection
BLESSING OF ST. BLAISE
The blessing of St. Blaise, a protection from diseases of the throat will be administered after Mass on Friday
Contact Father Jones for further information on the Newsletter and Parish Magazine or if you would like to join the Newsletter or Parish Magazine Production Team.
