ST. MARY & ST. THOMAS AQUINAS’,
STELLA.
Landline & answering machine: 0191 4142749;
Mobile Number: 07971 354750
Priest in Charge: Rev. Fr. J. G. Rose www.stellachurch.co.uk Facebook: Stella Church
17th Sunday of the Year. 28th July, 2024.
| Saturday 27th July Vigil Mass. | 5.00 p.m. | Living & Deceased Members Madine Family. |
| Sunday 28th July 17th of the Year. | 10.00 a.m. | Tony Saxelby. |
| Monday 29th ( Ss Martha, Mary & Lazarus.) | 9.15 a.m. | The November Book. |
| Tuesday 30th (St. Peter Chrysologus.) | 9.15 a.m. | The Murray Family. |
| Wednesday 31st (St. Ignatius of Loyola.) | 6.00 p.m. | The Holy Souls. |
| Thursday 1st August (St. Alphonsus Liguori.) | 9.15 a.m. | Deceased Members Lawson & Stokoe Family. |
| Friday 2nd (St. Eusebius of Vercelli.) | 6.00 p.m. | Muriel Hirst. |
| Saturday 3rd August (St. Oswald.) Vigil Mass. | 10.00 a.m. 5.00 p.m. | Our Lady’s Intentions. Dorothy Gunson. |
| Sunday 4th August 18th of the Year. | 10.00 a.m. | Connie & George Phillipson & Deceased Hogg F. |
Confessions:- Saturday 4.15 – 4.45 p.m.; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: Saturday, 4.15 – 4.45 p.m..
Please pray for:- the sick – Mark Armstrong; Joyce Madine; Jessica Rich; Annie O’Connor; Natasha Rose; D. C.; Matthew Stewart; Margaret March; Bocis Buiuc; Avril & Paul Kimmitt & Pat Brewster.
Recently deceased:- Fr. Cornelius O’Connor (Requiem at St. Charles’ Gosforth, 1st August) and Doreen Hodgson (Requiem 6th August, 10 a.m.). Requiescant in pace.
200 Club Winner. This week’s winner: A. Phillipson, no. 52. Congratulations Alice!
First Confession & First Holy Communion 2025…
Our parish programme for First Confession and First Holy Communion is already being prepared! Our programme is open to children who will be in year 4 or older in the school year beginning September 2024. The date for applications closed last Sunday.
The parents’ packs will be delivered to home addresses during the summer holidays and the Mass of Commitment and Enrolment will be on the weekend of 7th/8th September.
Annual Parish Summer Draw Winners! Only one prize remains unclaimed. If you are the holder of this ticket, please do approach Fr. Rose to claim your prize!
12 bottles of Leffe 6.6% beer: Yellow 463 Mike Stephenson (Serial No. AD213442).
Parish Monthly Second Collection.
With next weekend being the first in the month of August, there will be our usual monthly second collection. The August collection will be taken for the development fund. Thank You!
We will miss you…! Following many years as both foundation governor and Chair of Governors at our primary school, Sarah Meikle retired at the end of the 2023/24 academic year. On behalf of our parish community, I would like to thank Sarah for her many years of dedicated service, care and support for our school and parish community.
Fr. James’ retirement as Parish Priest of Crawcrook, Chopwell and Rowlands Gill.
Today (Sunday), Fr. James officially retires as parish priest of our neighbouring parishes. Fr. James has faithfully served these communities for over thirteen years, and ill health has precipitated his retirement from full time priestly ministry. Fr. James will continue to be seen, and involved, around the area – he will be retiring into the presbytery at St. Agnes’… …apparently, I will be his landlord… …God help him! I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Fr. James for the tremendous support that he’s given to the people of these parishes over the last decade or so, and also to me personally since my arrival here at Stella. I hope that I will prove to be a trustworthy landlord… …and that Fr. James will be a very good tenant!!!
New Appointment… …and some initial changes to the parishes’ routines.
As mentioned at our parish Masses last weekend, the Bishop’s decree appointing me as the new parish priest of Crawcrook and Stella in succession to Fr. Phillips and Fr. James has arrived. This will take effect from 1st August, 2024. A copy of the decree will be posted on the noticeboards at both St. Agnes’ and Stella, as per the Bishop’s instructions.
It is inevitable that there will be alterations to the routines and practices in both parishes. The parish office at St. Agnes’ will be transferred to Stella and there will be a new telephone number for Fr. James upon his return – this is to enable the former presbytery at St. Agnes’ to truly become his home, rather than a place of work. The parishes’ telephone number will be 0191 4142749. The new weekly newsletter for both parishes will begin next weekend too.
A number of factors will dictate how we proceed in September, first and foremost being Fr. James’ health after his summer holidays. I am grateful to him for arranging for a retired priest to come and celebrate the weekend and holy day Masses until his return towards the end of August. This will enable us to postpone the weekend Mass time changes until September, whilst embarking on new weekday routines. Following on from the 1st August, the date of the Bishop’s appointment, I will be celebrating Mass at St. Agnes’ on Friday morning of this week at 9.15 a.m., then taking Holy Communion to the sick as usual – the sick and housebound of both parishes.
As an interim measure, I will be celebrating Holy Mass at St. Agnes’ during the month of August, on Tuesdays at 10.00 a.m. and Fridays at 9.15 a.m. (funerals permitting).
Many thanks! For donations received totalling £180. This sum will be added to our savings’ pot for the new roof.
Congratulations and Welcome! In the last couple of weeks, we have celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism with Frankie, Heidi, Harry and Alexander. We warmly welcome them into the faith of Christ and our parish community. May they continue to grow in faith, supported by the example of their parents and our parish family.
Changes to Sunday Mass Times at St. Agnes’
& Stella from September 1st 2024.
Following the Bishop’s decree, there will need to be some adjustment to the Sunday Mass times in each of our churches in the autumn to enable me to celebrate both Sunday morning Masses. Fortunately, the adjustment will be slight.
From Sunday, 1st September, the new Sunday Mass times will be:-
St. Agnes’, Crawcrook: Sunday 9.00 a.m.;
Stella:- Saturday 5.00 p.m.; Sunday, 10.15 a.m.
Weekly chuckle…?
In the back woods, Mr. Stewart’s wife went into labour in the middle of the night, and the doctor was called out to assist in the delivery. To keep the nervous father-to-be busy, the doctor handed him a lantern and said, “Here, you hold this high so I can see what I’m doing.” Soon, a wee baby boy was brought into the world.
“Whoa there Scotty!” said the doctor. “Don’t be in a rush to put the lantern down… I think there’s yet another wee one to come.” Sure enough, within minutes he had delivered another little baby.
“No, no, don’t be in a great hurry to be putting down that lantern, young man… It seems there’s yet another one besides!” cried the doctor.
The new father scratched his head in bewilderment, and asked the doctor. “Do ye think it’s the light that’s attractin’ them?”