UCM Advent Quiet Day

Members of the Union of Catholic Mothers enjoy their Advent Quiet Day at the Coolock Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme. December 5th 2009. 

Christmas Fair 2009

Our Christmas Fair is a modest event compared with those of our neighbours, especially those which have schools, but enjoyable none the less! This year, despite the credit crunch we should be able to push the figure up to about £1500, the highest ever.

You can see Fr Peter's (candid) photogallery here.

Shoeboxes

We are still collecting shoeboxes for the Samaritan's Purse 2009 Operation Christmas Child appeal - but here is a photo of some we have collected so far!

Thanks are due to the members of the Union of Catholic Mothers for organising the appeal, and to members of  Sacred Heart, Hanley for their generosity.

More photos can be seen here.

Stephanus and Moesha make their first holy communion

Pictured are Stephanus and Moesha, of our Zimbabwean community. Stephanus was baptised on 2nd August, and together with his sister Moesha they made their First Holy Communion at the monthly Zimbabwean Mass the same day.

Ordination of Fr Paul Johnson

Fr Peter welcomes Fr Paul Johnson into the Presbyterate during the ordination at St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham on 12th July 2009.

First Holy Communions at Sacred Heart, Hanley

Today, the feast of Corpus Christi, nine children of our church family made their Holy Communions for the first time.

The occasion reflected something of the makeup of our diverse community. Our grandaughter, Jessica was the only child whose grandparents were born in the United Kingdom. Of the other eight, two have Ukrainian, Italian and English grandparents, one is the grandson of post-war Italian migrants, another was born in Malawi, another in Kerala (India), and the other three were from Ireland, Sri Lanka and Slovakia. This is Hanley!

The Church was packed (and noisy) and we were especially privileged to welcome Canon David Goodwin, celebrating the Silver Jubilee of his ordination, as principal celebrant of the Mass. The weather also added something very special to the celebration.

We are relying on families to give us their photos for the gallery, so more pictures should be added in the next few days.  The photo gallery lives here.

Salve - Easter 2009 - now available

Salve - the Church magazine - is now available for purchase or download online. Printed copies cost £2, but a download is only 35p. The magazine will be available in Church from Maundy Thursday or earlier, as the printed cost of £2.
In this issue - I found my sister in Australia - Vocations - the History of the Mass - The Year of St Paul - Catholic Mothers - and more ...

2009 Rite of Election

Ajet Ajazi, with wife Ewelina and daughter Olivia met Archbishop Vincent Nichols at St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham today at the annual Rite of Election.
Ajet who was born in Albania and comes from a Muslim background, will be baptised, confirmed and make his first communion at Easter.

Weekday Chapel

http://tinyurl.com/68j65v Our new weekday chapel - for masses from Monday to Thursday each week.

Weekday Chapel

http://tinyurl.com/68j65v Our new weekday chapel - for masses from Monday to Thursday each week.

Parking Ticket Shock!

Christmas worshippers leaving Sacred Heart Church, Jasper
Street, Hanley on Christmas Eve discovered an unexpected present - not
from Fr Christmas, but from traffic wardens who had visited the area
around the Victorian Church and issued up to 50 tickets to worshippers
at the Christmas Mass.

Parish Priest, Fr Peter Weatherby, is livid.

"We
are calling on those issued with tickets not to pay the fines but to
appeal, " he said. "What is especially annoying is that Mass began at
5.45pm, just 15 minutes before surface parking becomes free in the City
Centre, so most tickets must have been issued just minutes before
traffic charges for surface parking in Hanley are lifted at 6pm. All
the shops were shut - clearly the wardens must have known that the cars
belonged to families worshipping in the Church."

Church wardens
reported that a vehicle carrying several traffic wardens arrived after
a complaint had been made about a vehicle which was causing an
obstruction. "The church wardens tell me that the scene appeared like a
raid - fines were being issued to worshippers, just as we were singing
'in the bleak midwinter'! " said Fr Weatherby.

"It is such a
shame that Christmas began for so many people like this," said the
priest. "We had our largest Christmas congregation for many years -
nearly 400 people - and it was wonderful for us to welcome the Bishop
for this celebration. We are the only mainstream Christian Church left
in the City Centre, yet action like this will drive good people away.
This is so sad."

Fr Peter has written a letter of protest to the
City Council. He is also calling upon all those who receiving a ticket
to appeal the fine and to contact the parish so that a full list can be
drawn up of those affected. Worshippers can use the website
www.sacredhearthanley.org.uk or write to Sacred Heart Catholic Church,
1 Eastwood Place, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 3DB.

UCM Christmas Dinner

Members of the Sacred Heart UCM had an enjoyable evening for their Christmas Dinner at the Toby Carvery, Festival Park, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent on the evening of Wednesday December 10th.

More photos here: http://tinyurl.com/68j65v

Journey in Faith - Shirley's studies

Shirley Weatherby - pictured right - leads the Journey in Faith group at Sacred Heart Church on the topic of Our Lady. This is part of a series of three sessions Shirley is leading entitled "Do not be afraid to be saints" which she has planned and is delivering as part of her course for the BA in Applied Theology at Maryvale Institute, Birmingham.

Shirley is in the fourth year of a five year course for the BA and hopes to receive her degree in 2010.

Heavy snow at Sacred Heart!

Snow on Tuesday December 2nd fell heavily in Stoke on Trent. The prayer group was cancelled, but the Journey in Faith carried on despite the weather. Below you can see Journey in Faith hard at work.

Candida at work

Parishioner and UCM member Candida Hitit can be seen on youtube. See the video here: http://tinyurl.com/5bs7t7

It's snowing!

December 2nd, and the snow falls heavy on Sacred Heart, Hanley. The prayer group is cancelled this evening, but the Journey in Faith (on a sled, perhaps) continues as usual.

History of the Diocese now avaiable

A wonderfully illustrated History of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, with extensive photographs of every Church in the Diocese, is now available from Sacred Heart Church, Hanley (or your nearest Catholic Church in the Archdiocese). The book is only £20, and would make a wonderful Christmas Present!! (The History of the Diocese of Birmingham, 1850-200, edited by Professor J Scarisbrick, published by Editions du Signe)

Shirley elected as UCM Secretary

On Wednesday November 12th Sacred Heart hosted the AGM of North Staffordshire Union of Catholic Mothers. Shirley Weatherby from Sacred Heart was elected the Secretary to the Deanery UCM.

More photos can be seen here: http://tinyurl.com/ucmagm

Operation Christmas Child at Hanley

Parishioners of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Hanley collected shoeboxes of toys for children, which will be sent to the Crimea and Romania as Christmas Gifts for children who might otherwise receive no presents.

The shoebox appeal is run by Samaritan's Purse (www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk) and involves groups from all over the country who collect toys, toiletries and other small gifts for children in parts of the world which are in extreme poverty at Christmas time.

The is the third year now that Sacred Heart, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent has taken part in the appeal.

Pictured are Tina Natallelo and Shirley Weatherby, members of the Union of Catholic Mothers at Sacred Heart.

More pictures - at higher resolution - are available at http://tinyurl.com/opxchild

Operation Christmas Child at Hanley

Parishioners of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Hanley collected shoeboxes of toys for children, which will be sent to the Crimea and Romania as Christmas Gifts for children who might otherwise receive no presents.
The shoebox appeal is run by Samaritan's Purse (www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk) and involves groups from all over the country who collect toys, toiletries and other small gifts for children in parts of the world which are in extreme poverty at Christmas time.
The is the third year now that Sacred Heart, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent has taken part in the appeal.
Pictured are Tina Natallelo and Shirley Weatherby, members of the Union of Catholic Mothers at Sacred Heart.

More pictures - at higher resolution - are available at http://tinyurl.com/opxchild