Jesus  said:  “A  prophet  is  only  despised  in  his  own  country  among  his  own  relations  and  in  his  own  house”; 
He  was  amazed  at  their  lack  of  faith.

YOUR  CHARITABLE  PRAYERS are requested for our parishioners and friends, especially those whose names appear below:
SICK or HOUSEBOUND:   Joanna;  Shirley;  Frank Kearns;  Joan Casey;  Cecilia;   Doris Roscoe; Anne Kilgarriff; Henry Chrisham; baby Luke McSherry;  Alice Abraham;  Barbara & Terrence Bankien;  Seamus Whelan;  Dialdiz Job; baby Jude Michael Harrison;  Fr. Terry McCann;  Regina Wisniewski;  Paul Flaherty;  Audrey English;  Anne Fleming;  Jack Walker;  Kathleen Clegg;  Guenkou Alphonse;  John Kenway;  Tony Martin;  Lawrence Henderson.
LATELY DEAD:  Bernard Grogan;  Gerard Maloney;  Lamberto Latoza;  Annabel Latoza;   Sheila Zapolski;   Maureen Stevens;   Richard Butterworth.
ANNIVERSARIES:  Herbert  Hilton;  Thomas  Crosby;   Alice Hogan.    May they rest in peace.     
                                                                                                                                                                                             
SUNDAY COLLECTION:  Envelopes:  £587.92;   Loose:  £340.62;   Total:  £928.54
Thank you all for your continued generosity.     

DONATIONS/COLLECTIONS:  many thanks for donations of £2.95 for the Church Redevelopment and Heating Fund; £40.88 for CAFOD;  a donation of £20 towards the Summer Gala.

CONGRATULATIONS  to Stirling and Ann Smith who celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary last week. They were married in St. Patrick’s church in 1949, and were members of St. Mary’s parish from 1950-66 but are now in the Sacred Heart parish.

CONGRATULATIONS also to the un-named parishioner who celebrates her big ‘4 0’ this week. “Happy Birthday” and best wishes.

PARISH  MATTERS
Leaflets are available at the back of church about the proposed parish pilgrimage to Walsingham from Mon. 31st Aug. – Friday 4th Sept., to round off our Jubilee Year. Also included will be visits to Lincoln, Newark-upon-Trent, Hunstanton and the shrine of Our Lady of Egmanton. The cost of £195 includes all travel, visits, entrance fees, and half-board accommodation at the RC Pilgrim Centre, Elham House, in Walsingham. At least 24 people will be needed to make it viable – if interested, see or phone Colin Riley (0161 633 2050). This is the last week for you to put your name down – at present, there is not sufficient interest.

Church Cleaning teams – if you are able to help out, please see Sr. Eileen:
Sanctuary and altars:  Barbara Booth, Margaret Emsis, Brian Townley.
Toilets and Link Corridor:  Barbara Booth, Margaret Emsis, Brian Townley.
Narthex and Sacristy:  Pat McGinn
Care of Altar Linen and Candelabra:  Andrew & Win Powell.
The Tuesday Club (light maintenance and overall care): Colin Riley and Team.
Body of Church: a monthly rota is envisaged (it is buffed monthly by the school caretaker);
Week 1:  the Hockenhull family;   Week 2:  Joyce Daka and team (Saturday 10am)
Week 3:  Lena Valencia;                Week 4:  no-one - are you able to help out?
Every week this month, on the table at the back of church, there will be three free copies of the Catholic magazine “The Tablet”.

ANOTHER  CELEBRATION
It is 150 years since the first St. Mary’s Catholic school opened in Oldham and 170 years since the opening of St. Mary’s RC church. To mark the occasions, there will be a “get-together” at the White House, Henshaw St., Oldham, on Friday 24th July. Everyone is invited to meet and reminisce about old times (and maybe tell a few secrets!). See the poster at the back of church.

ST.  PATRICK’S  WEEKLY  SERVICES
 This “gem church” will be open each day for private prayer and meditation from 10.00am. until 3.30pm.
SUNDAY:       10.00am;  12.30pm (Polish  Mass)  and  6.00pm.
MONDAY:          12  noon   Eucharistic  Service
TUESDAY:         12  noon    Mass 
WEDNESDAY:   12  noon   Eucharistic Service
THURSDAY:      12  noon    Mass  (Ss. Augustine Zhao Rong & companions, martyrs)
FRIDAY:             12  noon    Mass  
SATURDAY:      12  noon    Mass   (St. Benedict, abbot & patron of Europe)
CONFESSION:     Saturday:   11.00 – 11.50am  and  12.30 – 12.45pm.
BAPTISM:            By  appointment
MARRIAGE:        6 months notice must be given (Diocesan requirement)

ST.  MARY’S  WEEKLY  SERVICES
SUNDAY:      11.30am.  Mass 
MONDAY:      Mass  at  10.00am  (St. Maria Goretti, martyr)
WEDNESDAY:   Mass  at  12  noon   
CONFESSIONS:    first Saturday of the month:  10.00 – 10.30am.
BAPTISMS and MARRIAGES:   as  for  St.  Patrick’s

“WHAT’S  ON”  THIS  WEEK
TODAY:  the baptism and christening of Maximus Alexander Payne takes place during the 10.00am Mass in St. Patrick’s church. We welcome him into our parish community and wish him many blessings in the future.
ALSO, it is Sea Sunday and there will be a retiring collection after all the Masses for the Apostleship of the Sea, when we remember all those who live and work at sea.
ALSO, it is the day of the Summer Gala which takes place in the parish hall, Lee St., after the 10.00am Mass at St. Patrick’s– let’s pray for fine and sunny weather! This “Family Fun Day” has something for everyone – henna and face painting, bouncy castle, plants, pottery, raffle, refreshments, barbeque, bar – there will also be bottle, cake and tombola stalls. Enjoy a relaxing time and an opportunity to chat with old friends.
NEXT SUNDAY, the 10.00am Mass at St. Patrick’s will be a memorial Mass for Des McMahon (RIP).
ALSO,  at 2.30pm, the Latin Mass Society are holding a pilgrimage at St. Winefride’s Church, Well St., Holywell. There will be a Solemn High Mass celebrated by Fr. Andrew Southwell, plus a Rosary Procession, Veneration of the Relic and Benediction.

HEALING  MASS
The parish Mass for the Sick and Housebound or “Healing Mass” attracted a few more people than usual – it was a  moving spiritual occasion including the Anointing of the Sick with an enjoyable social gathering afterwards. Our thanks go to Fr. Phil, Sr. Eileen and the organisers and helpers, plus the staff and Year 5 pupils of St. Patrick’s school who contributed to the Mass and served refreshments afterwards – their care, politeness and welcoming attitude were a tribute to the school – well done!

FORTHCOMING  EVENTS
Please see the church notice board for further details of the following:
St. Patrick’s Parish Team meeting at 7.30pm on Thurs. 6th August in the parish house.
A Musical Evening – concert in St. Patrick’s on Sat. 12th September.
Relics of St. Therese of Lisieux visit Salford Cathedral 25th  - 27th September.

PARISH  GRAND  SUMMER  DRAW
Many thanks to all those people who supported the draw, those who organised it and those who donated prizes – your efforts helped to raise a healthy £1,311 for the parish. This was a great achievement in these days of recession/credit crunch. There are copies of the list of winners at the back of church. The winners are shown below and the prizes can be claimed from St. Patrick’s piety shop:

“BITS  and  PIECES”
You are invited to a slide show and talk by Margaret Curry “Every Picture Tells a Story” – the history and stories behind the Derbyshire well-dressings. In St. Herbert’s Parish Centre, Broadway, on July 16th at 8.00pm. Admission £1 including refreshments – tel: 652 3930.
The Oldham “Festival of Diversity” starts on July 12th and lasts until August 8th. There are a whole range of events the dates of which are included in a booklet at the back of church. Please take one.

“SMILE – A – WHILE”
A mechanic was working on a car when he saw an eminent cardiologist at the desk. He called him over. “Hey Doc, come and have a look at this.” The surgeon wandered over and the mechanic said, “I take this apart, take it’s heart out, put it  back together and it works fine. How come we both do the same kind of job and I only earn £15,000 a year while you earn nearly six times as much?” The surgeon thought for a minute and then whispered, “Try doing it with the engine running!”
My grand-dad started walking 5 miles a day when he was 60. Now he’s 97 years old and we don’t know where he is.
I joined a health club last year and spent about 250 quid. Haven’t lost a pound. Apparently, you have to go there.
Every time I hear the dirty word “exercise” I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
I do have flabby thighs but fortunately my stomach covers them.

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