Sunday July 8th 2012 Fourteenth Week of the Year

THE FAMILY OF HOLY CROSS
3 CARRINGTON AVENUE, COTTINGHAM, EAST YORKSHIRE HU16 4DU
Twinned with Star of the Sea Parish: Juba, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Tel: 01482 847763 Fax: 01482 845225 email: fatherpat@holycrosscottingham.org.uk Website: holycrosscottingham.org.uk
Parish Priest: Father Pat Day BA BD
Masses: Vigil Mass: Sat 6.30 pm; Sun: 10 am; Sat: 9 am Communion Service: Mon to Fri: 9 am, except Tues: 7 pm
Holy Cross is open all day from dawn till dusk. Tea and coffee are served in the Garden Room after the 10 am Mass on Sunday.
​ Sunday July 8th 2012 Fourteenth Week of the Year

Today’s Readings: In the ancient world the job of messenger was a precarious one. Those who had the good fortune to be bearers of welcome news were rewarded, while their unluckier counterparts did well if they escaped with their lives. Our readings today are about sharing a message, specifically with people who are less than inclined to hear it. It is a message that speaks of God’s desire to enter into a relationship with his people, regardless of how they have strayed in the past. It reflects his infinite compassion and faithfulness for those he has chosen as his own. In our First Reading from Ezekiel we are told of the defiant and obstinate nature of the exiles and it is for this reason he is called by God. The role of prophet has never been an easy one, revealing God’s will to his people in a message that is often unwelcome. Throughout the story of salvation God has called unusual and extraordinary people to guide his people. More often than not they would have been the last to have been chosen by conventional wisdom. Abraham, Moses, David, Paul – the list goes on, but we are told that while man looks at appearances God looks at the heart. This is the challenge of our readings today. We are invited to look at our world with new eyes, opening ourselves to seeing God today. It is too easy to have hearts that are obstinate and defiant; it is too simple to see Jesus just as the son of a carpenter or a teacher of wisdom or a worker of miracles. We need to recognise the saving power of our God in word and in sacrament. We need to see Jesus working in and through the people and world around us and in ourselves.

Masses for the coming week: Sat 7th 6.30 pm Anne Bridget Birkinshaw (12th Ann); Sun 8th 10 am Gerry Doherty (RIP); Sat 14th 9 am The Parishioners; 6.30 pm David Hughes (1st A); Sun 15th 10 am Paola Delfino
Service of the Word and Holy Communion: Mon to Fri: 9 am, except Tues: 7 pm

Anniversaries: Sat 7th : Caroline Eagan, Richard John Spradbery; Sun: Elizabeth McLoughlin, Mary Skelton; Mon: Frank Lewis;
Tues: Gerard de Vries, Edith Alice Williams, Joyce Muriel Cross; Wed: Doris Buchan, Gustav Reyes; Thurs: John McNicholas;
Fri: Stephen P Browne, Norah Mary Mary Merivale; Sat: Hilda Parkhill; Sun: Paola Delfino.

Counters this weekend: Pat and John McNicholas; and next: Teresa Ulyatt and Thérèse Turpin
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _From Father Pat_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
“We welcome Canon Davern to Holy Cross once again this weekend. I’m over in Ireland for the wedding of one of my nieces, Justine. The wedding is taking place in Ballintubber Abbey and the reception is in Cong where ‘The Quiet Man’ was made. I’m then having a few days up in Belfast with Mammy. But don’t worry, I’ll be back next weekend. So enjoy the Canon whilst you have him, but don’t get too used to his speed! Normal service will be resumed!

First Holy Communion Day next Sunday: It’s the Big Day for Ellie Green, Oliver Penna and Joseph Cooper and their families. If you’ve any spare prayers this week, say one for them. And again, a word of thanks to Chris, Pat and Marion for all their help preparing the children for this wonderful occasion.

Found in Church Porch: A Car Tax Disc – FH07 UOX (Vauxhall PC): valid till 30/06/13. It’s in the sacristy if it belongs to you.

Teddy Bears’ Picnic: It was a great success last Sunday. The rain stayed away, the Bouncy Castle was kept busy, the games for the children were a success, boules, croquet, giant Snakes and Ladders etc. Great food and lots of it! And great socialising and getting to know one another better. It certainly will be repeated! The oldest Teddy Bear was brought along by Chris Howlett, one he’s had since he was about two, and like himself, all the hair worn away! (Chris won’t see 60 again!).

Parishioners in the news: Congratulations to twins Declan and Owen who celebrated their 6th. Birthdays last week. Also to Genieveve who had her 6th birthday! Carol came back from a short week’s break in Bulgaria, brought three jars of local honey for me and others, had it in her hand luggage and had to dump it at the airport! Chris Abel has finally retired; we are indebted to him for setting up the CCTV cameras in the church. Thankfully we haven’t needed them, yet! Congratulations to Ben Anderson who made his First Holy Communion at Beverley last week and he was first in the queue on Sunday! Doctor Alex, the other half of Dr Margaret (who spoke on Sunday about causes of death!) has returned after spending a few weeks volunteering his gynaecological skills in Nigeria. Jeremy and Sophie are their children. Having heard of Alafair’s escapade with her sister Phoebe at the pond in Swanland, Cornelia ‘confessed’ to an even more serious event in Holland when she was about eight years of age. It involved a dyke full of water and a little boy who harassed Catholics. I’ll leave it to her to tell you the gory details! The Catalan visitors: Back for the second time were the friends of Carmen from Catalunia, about 22 of them from her local village and surrounding area. They sang for us at the end of Mass and left saying ‘Hasta la proxima’ (baby). Till next year! Carmen was working them hard, rushing from here to there, staying at The Lawns, eating at The Fair Maid and The King Billy ( and also at Elizabeth Powell’s with a huge paella!). They were such a happy bunch and did all the readings for us at Mass in Catalan. Can’t wait till next year!
Florence May Cleary’s 1st Anniversary was on July 4th. She was Tom’s wife. Her daughter, Jennie, lives on the far side of the world but she avidly reads the newsletter every week. It would do her good to read about her Mum’s anniversary.
Cottingham Churches Together: The group will be meeting here in the house on Tuesday evening. Observers are always welcome.

“When Love beckons you to follow, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep. And when his winds enfold you, yield to him, though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth, so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, so shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.” [Kahlil Gibran – The Prophet]

“Back to Church Sunday”: Our Deanery is the ‘guinea pig’ for this programme and Rev Nick Devenish from the Church of England’s national team for this project is coming to Our Lady of Lourdes in Hessle on Wednesday July 25, from 10.15 till 1pm to give us some encouragement. It would be lovely to get half a dozen or so people from here who might like to come with me and see what we can do here in Cottingham. If interested, put your name in an envelope and drop it into the house.

More Euro Trash: The better the football at Euro 2012, the worse the commentators’ puns – and the more gruesomely obvious the premeditation. A random sampling: “Greece have wiped the debt out!” (on their equalising against Germany). “Diamante… sparkling” (on the Italian’s completing a pass). “It must be murder on the Gdansk floor” (Gary Lineker after a Poland loss). As for Mark Lawrenson’s comment that one Italian’s ballerina wife would be hoping for 2 – 2 … well, best not to intrude into private grief.

Ladies of the Week: And it must be Jean Dex and Anne Tordoff who have finally reached the end of their teaching careers. They both have given a lifetime’s service to our young people and certainly deserve a long rest! “Old teachers never die, they simply lose their class.” Not true about either of you two, for sure! Enjoy your retirement, and remember, there are plenty of jobs to do around the church, not that you don’t do your fair share already!

Rest in peace: We learned of the sudden death of Andrea Gardham in Magnolia House on Tuesday night. It was quite unexpected. Andrea had been admitted to HRI at the weekend with what appeared to be some minor problem. She returned ‘home’ and passed away quite suddenly. A Dutch lady, Andrea was a Saturday evening Mass-goer along with her husband John Gardham OBE. They have one son, also called John. Andrea was most faithful to her husband’s memory and regularly had Mass said for him here. I am most grateful to Jim Norton and other Ministers of the Eucharist who faithfully brought her Holy Communion every Sunday for years.

Birthday Girl last Wednesday! Congratulations to Dorothy Hood who reached the grand old age of ?. We serenaded her with ‘Happy Birthday’ at Wednesday’s Lunch Club! I wonder, and so does she, who told me?

Gwen’s Book Sales for June realised £41.13; the proceeds go to the Education Fund in Sierra Leone in Fr Tony’s memory.”
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Please pray for those who are not well: Mary Davidson, Gwyneth Thomson, Rita Plaxton, Barbara’s friend Elena in Argentina, Ben Mellon (leukaemia), Pat Whincop, Pauline’s friend Joe Buckley, Chris and Pauline’s granddaughter Amelia (8 months), Julie Rath, David Langley, Edward Peacock, Helen Malone, Peter Dyas, Regina Ofoegbu, Jean Campbell, Joe Rawcliffe, Dorothy Hought, Anthony Stokoe, Joan Williams, Tony Tordoff, Win Murphy, Nick Norton, Kathleen & Arthur Burgan, Joan & Peter Watts, Margaret Price, Shirley and Tony Woods-McConville, Mrs Scrivener, Peter Fowlston and Jean Longhaorn.

The Garden Room We are permanently leaving three tables there, for the use of hirers during the week who need them. They should be left on their sides against the front door wall, please, with chairs in front of them.

Catholic Women’s League Would members please collect their newsletters from the box in the church porch.
There is the general meeting this Monday, the 9th at 7.30 pm in the Garden Room. Gordon Acaster will give an illustrated talk on ‘Walking the Beat.’ All are welcome. Next weekend, the 14th/15th, there will be a cake stall in aid of SVP needs.

The sink tap in the porch wc is occasionally left running. If you use it, especially on Sunday, will you see that it is turned off firmly.

Endsleigh Mercy Centre Summer Fayre Sat July 14th, 10 am to 4 pm. Book a stall/space or just come and join in the fun. Donations are welcome for their tombola stall.
Finally, here is a letter to Mr Cameron: “Dear Sir, How about putting all the pensioners in jail and all the criminals in nursing homes?
This way the pensioners would have access to showers, hobbies and walks. They’d get unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs, etc and they’d receive money instead of paying it out. They’d have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly if they needed it Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be washed, ironed and returned to them. A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring meals and snacks to their cells. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose. They would have access to a library, spiritual counselling, a pool and education. Clothing, shoes, slippers and legal aid would be free on request. There would be private, secure rooms for all of them, with an exercise outdoor yard and gardens. Each pensioner would have a TV, radio, a computer and daily phone calls. A board of directors would hear any complaints they might have and the guards would have a code of contact that would be strictly adhered to.
The criminals would get cold food, be left alone and unsupervised. Lights would go off at 8 pm and there’d be showers just once a week. They would live in a tiny room and pay £600 a week. They’d have no hope of ever getting out. Think about it.”

Items for next weekend’s newsletter to me by Thursday, please john@mcnicholas.karoo.co.uk 876812