Parish Newsletter

Open for Sunday Morning Mass - with Bubbles!

Four Half-hour Masses at 9.00, 10.00, 11.00 and 12.00. At all times be directed by the Stewards. Face coverings strongly advised and please sanitise your hands on the way in. The big change this week is that, after two very successful Sunday mornings managing the safety aspect, we feel comfortable in allowing bubbles (households that live together) to sit together for Mass. That should significantly increase our capacity. The Queue Stewards will ask bubbles to identify themselves, and the Church Stewards will seat you accordingly. If you have mobility issues, make yourselves known to the Stewards immediately and they’ll seat you in church, if the limit has not been reached for that Mass.

Ordinations to the Diaconate and the Priesthood

Bishop Mark writes: "Rev Robert Dykes will be ordained to the Priesthood at Shrewsbury Cathedral on Tuesday 4th August at 6.00 pm. Please keep Robert and the four men recently ordained to the Diaconate very much in your prayers.”

Car Parking Sunday Mornings: Priority for Stewards

Please DON’T try to park at church if you are coming for one of the four Sunday Morning Masses. Blue Badges: you can park on the main road, as usual.

Handy Plumber in the Parish? You bet!

Cambrian Plumbers - "Service with a Smile” - were superb, and I can strongly recommend them. They did us for mate’s rates, but I’m not sure that would apply to you lot... (Thanks, Geoff & Jill!)

Large Selection of Files and Folders - Free!

We’ve kindly been given a large number of excellent files and folders, ideal for any sixth former or university student. Anyone interested?

Shielding Paused: 1st August 2020

For those 2.2 million who have, on Government advice, been shielding during this Covid-19 pandemic, it is officially "paused” on 1st August. I’m sure this has been a difficult and frustrating time for all of you, many here in our Parish, including our own Fr Neill. Welcome back, everyone!

Message from Bishop Mark - Saturday 1st August

"I wanted to send this short message of encouragement to the clergy of Greater Manchester and will seek to provide whatever guidance may be necessary in the days ahead. I hope you will have a blessed Sunday and please remember Deacon Robert Dykes on Tuesday as he is ordained to the Priesthood on the Feast of our patron Saint John Mary Vianney.
+ Mark Bishop of Shrewsbury.”

FP Hols This August Postponed! Che Peccato!

I won’t be heading off to Italy in the second half of August, as per usual. With everything starting up again here in church, it’s the wrong time to be away. Italy will still be there next year.

Mass Intentions for 2021

I normally start the Diary for next year’s Intentions when I get back from hols, but as I shan’t be away this year, the new 2021 Diary will start receiving requests on Tuesday 1st September. Strictly first come, first served!

Retirements and Appointments: Bishop Mark Writes...

I wish to record on behalf of the whole Diocese, my gratitude for the long years of dedicated service of the priests who will be retiring at the end of the summer. We pray they will enjoy a new and active stage of their priestly life and ministry in retirement:

• Father Chris McCurry will retire in October as Parish Priest of Saint Ann’s Cheadle having reached the canonical age of retirement.
• Father Willie O’Riordan will retire in September as Parish Priest of Saint Benedict’s, Handforth having reached the canonical age of retirement.
• Father John Joyce will retire in September as Parish Priest of Saint Vincent’s Knutsford on health grounds.

I am grateful for all the counsel and generosity which allows me to announce the following appointments to provide for the pastoral care of the parishes and of Wythenshawe General Hospital.

• I wish to record our thanks to Father Sajimon Kuriakose for his faithful years as chaplain as he stands down from his service in the Wythenshawe Hospital Chaplaincy.
• Father Martin Onuoha to Our Lady and Apostles, Saint Ambrose and Saint Vincent de Paul, Stockport as Parochial Administrator from September 2020
• Father Tom Cunnah to Holy Angels, Hale Barns as Parish Priest and to serve as Judicial Vicar and Chancellor of the Diocese from September 2020.
• Father David Long from Our Lady’s Stockport to Saint Vincent’s, Knutsford as Parish Priest from September 2020.
• Father Anthony McGrath to assume pastoral responsibility for Saint Benedict’s Handforth as Parish Priest of Christ Church, Heald Green from September 2020.
• Father Sean Davidson to assume pastoral responsibility for Saint Ann’s Cheadle as Parochial Administrator of Saint Chad’s Cheadle from October 2020.
• Father Fr Kuriakose Madathirampil to Sacred Heart and Saint Peter’s Baguley to serve the Wythenshawe Team Ministry and to continue to serve as Chaplain to the Syro-Malankara community from September 2020.
• Father Owen Gallagher from the Cathedral Parish and Saint George’s, Whitchurch to Sacred Heart and Saint Peter, Baguley to serve the Wythenshawe Team Ministry and the Chaplaincy of Wythenshawe General Hospital from September 2020.
• Deacon Anthony Zidan to serve the Chaplaincy of Wythenshawe General Hospital from September 2020.
• Father Thaddeus Opara from the Wythenshawe Team Ministry to Saint George’s, Whitchurch as Parochial Administrator from September 2020.
• Father John Britto from Saint Vincent’s, Altrincham to Saint Mary’s Shifnal and Saint Joseph’s Albrighton as Parochial Administrator from September 2020.
• Father Robert Dykes (newly ordained) as Assistant Priest to Saint Vincent’s, Altrincham from September 2020.
• Deacon Humphrey O’Connor (newly ordained) to Christ Church, Heald Green and to serve the parishes of Heald Green, Cheadle and Handforth from September 2020.

Photo of the Week: Papua New Guinea

You do get about a bit, some of you, don’t you? Bill Powell has been down in the Southern Seas and snapped this lovely photo of the Church on Mission Hill, Wewak, That’s the capital of the East Sepik province, he tells us, and the Diocese itself is Wewak. (Bury Convent: whetting your appetite for another trip down under?)