Newsletter

Prayer Intercessors - (Please ring Ann Purtill with prayer intentions) The prayer intentions for this week are for

	·All priests, those preparing for the priesthood and for vocations
	The sick and the elderly, at home and in hospital, those in residential care and those who care for them.
	Those who have lost their faith
	For all people suffering with addictions and their families
	Womens World Day of Prayer Friday 5th March
	World Economy
	Churches in Africa
	Christopher Wilcox who is serving in Afghanistan.
	Those suffering the effects of family breakdown
	Please keep in your prayers Eileen Mary Walker, Wilf Bailey, Lisa Roper, May Doran, Amelia Hilton   all the lately departed and those whose anniversaries occur at this time, and all souls in Purgatory

Lent Fast Day
CAFOD Lent Fast Day: not just a day, but throughout Lent in 2010! This year is the 50th anniversary of Lent Fast Day and we’re asking you to give it up!   Most of us usually give up something for Lent like biscuits, wine, a big dinner on a Friday. This year why not create some amazing changes for people who live in the developing world by giving the money saved to CAFOD?
The money you save by missing out on your favourite biscuits each day, for example, could go towards a bicycle to help a health volunteer take food to orphaned children.

You can read more about the impact our Lenten sacrifices could have in the CAFOD Fast Day leaflets that are available in church.  And if you’d like to know more about the history of Fast Day, pick up one of the leaflets - “50 years of giving at Lent”.

Fri 4th Lenten Mass @ 7pm ‘Not on your wavelength

• DEANERY  LENTEN  STATION  MASSES
  The Deanery Station Masses during Lent this year are all on a Tuesday commencing at 7.30pm (please note change of time from previous years) – they are at the following churches:
  Tuesday 23rd February   -   Ss. Aidan & Oswald’s, Royton;
  Tuesday 2nd March         -   St. Joseph’s, Shaw;
  Tuesday 9th March          -   St. Michael’s, Abbeyhills;
  Tuesday 16th March        -   St. Joseph’s, Mossley   (a new church in the deanery)
• Tues. 23rd March        -   St. Ann’s, Ashton-under-Lyne (a new church in the deanery)

See Deanery Pages for other events in the diocese

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY (Mon 8th March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

CHURCH CLEANING

ABC Thursday About Being Catholic meetings Thursdays , 7pm ‘till 8pm in the Church Porch.  If you are thinking of becoming a Catholic or would like to know more please come along, everyone very welcome.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME - YEAR 4 CHILDREN  
FIRST EUCHARIST: Meeting will take place on Sunday 21st March.
FIRST EUCHARIST: Celebration will take place over the week-end 3/4th April (Easter weekend).

Can You Help? We need people to help prepare children for the Sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist if you think you can spare some time and are interested please telephone Gemma 01457810669/Michaela 01612845627

PENTECOST 2010 Please remember that this will fall during the Summer Half Term holiday on Sunday 23rd May 2010.  If your child is being Confirmed this will affect YOU!

SUNDAY SCHOOL during 11. 30 mass on the third Sunday of every month (except for the long school holidays). It is open to children aged 3-8 i.e those who haven’t completed the Sacramental Programme. The next Sunday School is on the 21/ 2/10.  
Please could all Sunday School teams check the rota- this months team is Group C.  Anyone wishing to join one of our three teams to help plan and teach at Sunday School, please contact Geraldine Chapman on 01616210479  No experience necessary.

ST EDWARD’S PRIMARY SCHOOL is now collecting Tesco & Sainsbury vouchers.  Next week on March 8th, 9th and 10th Tesco for Schools has teamed up exclusively with the Daily Mirror to give readers the opportunity to collect additional vouchers for their local schools and clubs to help them save for equipment! Each voucher featured in the paper is worth three times the value of a voucher obtained in store! Please leave vouchers at the back of church.  Thank you. 

ST EDWARD’S PRIMARY SCHOOL is once again collecting the ‘Times for Books’ tokens, there is one token in each day and more at weekends.  Please leave at the back of church.  Thank you.

ST. EDWARDS 100 CLUB DRAW

took place following 11.30am Mass in the Church Hall.  The Numbers were drawn by Emma.
First Prize of £75.00  Nicola Aylett on 29.
Second Prize of £35.00  Terry Doyle on 15.
Third Prize of £15.00  Gwen Postlethwaite on 34.

OLDHAM LOURDES GROUP/SALFORD DIOCESE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE. 30th July-6th August 2010.  Youth volunteers needed or people wishing to join our group very welcome.  We haven’t got the exact cost yet but looking approximately at £500/£600.  For more details please ring David on 01706843433 or email djwalker87@yahoo.co.uk

The 78th Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, led by Bishop Terence Brain, will take place from Friday 30th July to Friday 6th August. Travelling by air, prices start at £601 for travel and 7 nights full-board accommodation; prices for coach travel are available from the pilgrimage office. For further details contact the Lourdes Pilgrimage Office on 0161 817 2209      or visit website www.salfordlourdes.co.uk.

World Youth Day 2011….in Madrid.  An opportunity for young adults (aged 18 and over) to come together from all over the world to share their youth, culture, friendship and faith. Dates: August 9th – 24th  2011.  Cost:  £950, including flight and accommodation. If interested, contact Lorraine (Salford Diocese Youth Ministry Co-ordinator) on 0161 817 2205 or email salfordwyd@hotmail..co.uk.

About Being Catholic ABC Thursday About Being Catholic meetings will resume on Thursday 24th Sept 7-8pm.  Anyone interested in becoming a catholic or wanting to know more please come along and bring a friend.

About Being Catholic meetings on Thursday evening, 7.00 to 8.00pm, in Church . Is there a God? What happens when I die? Why do bad things happen to good people? How do I pray? Not a Catholic, but there are a few things you would like to find out? These and many more questions will be discussed over the coming weeks on Thursday evenings 7-8pm in Church. All are very welcome.

www.caseresources.org.uk and www.comehomeforchristmas.co.uk for more information (the latter, for lapsed Catholics, will be launched at the beginning of November). CASE also runs the Catholic Enquiry Office, offering free and confidential information about the Catholic faith to enquirers - if you know someone who has questions about the Catholic faith, you could ask them to look at www.life4seekers.co.uk

INVITATION:  If you would like to volunteer your talents/time it may be as much or as little as you can spare.  Please take a form from the back of church.  There are many opportunities to get involved in the Parish.  Please hand in your form to Father Dolan or leave at the back of church

READERS & EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION Volunteers needed for all Masses – particularly 12 noon Mass on Saturday. Please contact Eileen O’Toole on 01457 834659 or e_otoole2@yahoo.com if you are able to help.

NEW ROTAS are available on the table in the church porch.  New volunteers always very welcome.  Please ring Eileen O’Toole on

SATURDAY COFFEE ROTA Volunteers needed to join the rota.  Your turn comes along once every five weeks.  This is a vital and rewarding group as some of the parishioners only get to meet their friends after this Saturday Mass which becomes a social event.  If you would like to join the rota please contact Father Dolan.

Emergency Food Distribution for Refugees (See J&P pages)

Oldham Unity Refugee Support continues to offer food every week to destitute refugees. . See Justice & Peace pages for details and note that the list of items required has changed slightly.No perishables please.

Piety Shop. New Stock now in.  Mass cards, gifts and much more.  Come and browse.  Open after each mass.

St Vincent de Paul Society The SVP hold their meetings every Monday evening at 8pm in the Church Porch. Anyone wishing to contact us or join the society will be warmly welcomed

ITEMS FOR THE NEWSLETTER can be left at the Presbytery or contact Ann Jamshed on 0161 626 7940 or annjamshed@btinternet.com before 6pm Thursday evening please.

Function Room (Upstairs Parish Hall CHURCH HALL : Newly refurbished Church Hall available for parties, weddings, christenings,events etc. Bar and staff included. Enquiries to Hugh Chrystal 620 3481

St .Edward's Lending Library Checkout the bookrack in the Church Porch (just outside the Piety Shop). If you have any Christian books you no longer require, please consider donating them to our library for other people to enjoy. Books may be freely borrowed but please remember to return them!

Catholic newspapers are also on sale in the porch - please pay at the Piety Shop

Links pages Several new links have been added to our links page

EWTN - This 24 hour catholic television channel is now available on Sky channel 589 . Programme Schedule can be downloaded from http://www.ewtn.co.uk/

Today's readings