Greetings from St Chrysostom’s Church. We are in the process of making two prayer trees for church – one inside, one outside. The outside one, probably short term, will be a sign of prayer to passers by. Anyone, of any faith, will be able to take a ribbon, hold it as they say a prayer pr express a hope and then tie there ribbon to the tree. The inside tree which is in ‘skeleton’ form at present around a pillar at the back, uses the pillar as the tree trunk. Here prayer requests will be able to be written on a leaf and pegged on the tree to form the leaves of the tree. We are having an inauguration of the trees on Wednesday February 1st at 2pm. Please come if you are able.

Worship this week: Monday 10am Mass 5pm Vespers, Tuesday (St Francis de Sales) 5pm Mass, Wednesday (Feast of Conversion of St Paul) 5pm Mass, Thursday (Ss Timothy and Titus) 5pm Mass, Friday 5pm Vespers. Friday is Holocaust Memorial Day.

Next Sunday (29th) at 11am we will celebrate our Mission, with a Mass of Praise. 5pm Vespers (for Homelessness Sunday).

News from the last few days:

73 different people attended church on Sunday. We’re aiming to have an average of 70 for Sunday attendance this year.

We had a lovely Rosary group on Monday evening at Church. Sixteen people gathered to pray and share food together – we were all ages and backgrounds. A special thanks you to Ayham, Lisa, Sonia, Kyle and Vera who prepared food. It was a splendid feast after our prayers.

Looking forward into February

Feb 1st 2-2.30pm Prayer trees ‘launch’

Feb 4th 5.30pm LGBT Communion

Feb 5th Education Sunday 11am Miss Isobel Booler, Head Teacher, St John’s School speaks at Mass

5pm Vespers with laying on of hands for healing and peace

February 12th Book Reading Group after Vespers: This time’s book is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

February 13th, 14th 9am to 3pm Children’s Days at Church – Big Hearts, Loving Hearts

February 15th 7pm Games evening at Church

February 22nd Ash Wednesday, Lent begins. Mass at 12.10pm and at 7pm

March 2-4th Church Away weekend at the Convent at Derby

WWMD – What would Mary do? Have a look at the Church blog! Click here: www.stchrysostoms.wordpress.com

Greetings from St Chrysostom’s Church, on a cold Manchester morning. (Still at freezing point at 11am) Miss Michael, St Chrysostom’s School head teacher was up and about before Daybreak at 4am this morning – why? Find out on the church blog, click here!

Worship this week: Monday 10am Mass at the Sisters, 5pm Vespers, Tuesday (St Anthony and Martin Luther King Day), 5pm Mass, Wednesday 5pm Mass, Fridat (St Sebastian) 5pm Vespers.

Last Sunday Fr John celebrated Mass and preached (Fr Chris was at St Luke’s, Lomgsight, and Fr Ian at St Cuthbert’s, Miles Platting). In the evening we had a lovely little baptism service as we welcomed Aham by baptism as well as Losanka his partner and Nicholas their son. (Photo here. ) Aham is a chef at Petra (Middle Eastern) restaurant, just up the road and has already promised us a special Mousaka! 79 different people attended worship on Sunday at Church.

Next Sunday at 11am Mass we are celebrating our Unity – giving thanks to God who draws us together at St Chrysostom’s from many diverse places and outlooks into the unity of our Christian family meal, the Mass. The preacher is Penny King, our parish ordinand, in training for the priesthood at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. At 5pm on Sunday we will have a special candlelit Vespers, at which we will pray for the peace and unity of all God’s church – an act of worship for Christian Unity week. Why not make a special effort to come to Vespers as well as Mass on Sunday?

Sister Catherine CHN who lived and worked among us until the summer last year is taking life vows in the Community of the Holy Name on February 3rd. Please pray for Catherine as she prepares for this important step. Pray too for the Community of the Holy Name – both in the work of Sr Julie and Sr Lucie, here among us, and also in the whole Community.

Our Rosary group is a relaxed and welcoming group. We are guided in how to say the rosary and we pray it together. This lasts about 20 minutes then we have a time together of chat, and often food. Rosary Group next meets on Monday 23rd at 7.30pm at Church. This time it is followed by food in church together – a Vegetarian Curry. Lisa and Jack would welcome help to prepare the curry on Monday afternoon if you are free – just has a word with them. So far 10 people have said they are coming along – you’d be welcome to join, just put your name on the list in church.

Did you chalk your door with the chalk blessed at Mass at Epiphany? Our blessed chalk has travelled as far as Kensington and Knowsley. (For photographic evidence click here ). There is still time to ask for your home to be blessed – just speak to Father Ian.

Some advance dates: Sunday 29th 11am Mass of Praise on the theme ‘Our Mission.’ Thursday 2nd February (Candlemass) Church lunch at Hollings Training Restaurant (American Diner theme) – sign up for a place. 5pm Mass with Ceremonies.

Thought and Bible text to use in prayer this week: In the Gospel Andrew invites his brother Peter to meet the Lord Jesus, and Philip invites his friend Nathanael. (John 1. 40-end). Philip invites Nathanael to ‘Come and See.’ Similarly we are encouraged to be missionaries to our families and friends to share our faith and to invite them to ‘Come and See’.

We enjoyed lovely worship yesterday at Church as together we celebrated the Epiphany. Our Mass was a High Mass and it was good to see the children join in fully in the procession of the Three Kings. 69 different people attended church for the Epiphany (we include those who didn’t come to Mass but came to other worship). One short of our target this year of an average Sunday attendance of 70 different people!

At Mass yesterday everyone was invited to take home prayers for the blessing of their homes, and to use chalk, blessed at Mass, to mark their home doorway. There are details of how you can do this this – with an example of a doorway already done for you to better! – and the prayers on our church blog, click here.

Fr Ian spoke about the Wise Men in his sermon at Mass and encouraged us to read carefully Matthew 2. 10,11 The wise men were ‘overjoyed,’ they ‘worshipped’ and they were ‘generous’ with what they had. They encourage Christians to be the same. Fr Ian suggested these were good themes for us with which to enter 2012 at St Chrysostom’s – to be joyful, to be worshipful and to have a spirit of generosity.

Benediction was a lovely act of worship yesterday. We prayed peacefully before the Blessed Sacrament, reflected on the meaning of Epiphany and Fliss sang a lovely solo “Silver Star” to music of Borodin. We had special treats afterwards. Jack, Lisa and Yvonne had made different types of Epiphany cake for us to try. All were simply delicious! And there was lots of laughter too. Have a look at the blog for more details – and the recipes.

Worship this week: Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Holy Mass for the feast at 5pm. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (St Aelred) 5pm Holy Mass. Friday 5pm Vespers.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: (18th to 25th January) During this week we are inviting members of the congregation to visit one of the other places of Christian worship in our parish for weekday worship. We’ll put up a list in Church on Sunday asking for volunteers to join one of our ministry team in going along. On Sunday 22nd at 5pm we will have candlelit Vespers and prayers for unity.

Our next Church lunch is on Candlemass, February 2nd, at the Hollings Training Restrant – full details in Church, and you can sign up if you are coming.

Book reading: We’re inviting you to read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Amazon link here) – we’ll meet after Vespers on 12th February to discuss it. Then the book for Lent is Live Unknown by Ruth Burrows (Amazon link here),

Church Blog Church website

Happy New Year! Fr Ian has written a New Year message on our church blog do go and read it, and join the people of St Chrysostom’s in saying the prayer at the end.

Despite Sunday being also New Year’s Day there were over 50 at Mass. We welcomed Bishop Mark to concelebrate the Mass. His diary had allowed him a Sunday off and he asked if he could join us. It was a pleasure to have him concelebrate and to give a special New Year’s Day blessing.

Weekday worship resumes today with Mass at 5pm. This week Mass is at 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and on Saturday at 5.30pm,Vespers at 5pm on Friday. Morning Prayer is said in church each day (except Saturday) at 9.30am. We encourage you to attend a weekday Mass, especially if you have been unable to attend on Sunday.

On Thursday evening those involved in ministry at St Chrysostom’s – clergy, sisters, lay assistants – are meeting to look at the year ahead. The meeting will be looking especially at:

• The worship Calendar for 2012, and developing monthly themes around church life
• Areas of work and responsibility for ministry including pastoral care
• Matters arising from Posada contacts
• Encouraging faith development and vocations
• Schools and Confirmation preparation

The meeting will finish with Compline (Night Prayer) in church at 9pm, and anyone is very welcome to come along to Compline.

Sunday (8th) is the Feast of the Epiphany – a great day of worship and praise. We celebrate the journey of the wise men to Bethlehem, and Christ revealed to the world as Son of God. Our worship at Epiphany is especially beautiful, do come if you can.

Here are the worship times:

Saturday 7th January: 5.30pm Vigil Mass of the Epiphany (LGBT Communion: Celebrant Fr Ian, Preacher Trish Lindsay)

SUNDAY 8th JANUARY: 9.30am Morning Prayer in the Anson Chapel

11am HIGH MASS OF THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD

5pm SOLEMN BENEDICTION – followed by Epiphany cake

After Mass and Benediction on Sunday as well as tea and coffee red wine will be offered. Why? To start the year as we mean to go on at feast days! (See Fr Ian’s comments on the blog!)

Free Will Offering envelopes will be available from Sunday. Please collect your set. If you don’t receive envelopes to give regularly to Church please ask for a set. The new year is a good time to review your regular giving to the work of God through the church.

Fr Ian writes: I am hoping in 2012 that we will consolidate our attendance at worship on a Sunday. I am setting a target of an average of 70 different people at worship on a Sunday. There were 52 last Sunday so we need to get some Sundays over 70 to attain the average! How can you help? Simple – be at worship each Sunday as much as possible, and secondly encourage others to be there. St Chrysostom’s is a church worth let’s take pride in inviting people to come.

A Bible text to use in your prayers this week:

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1.7)

29th December 2011

We hope you are enjoying a few days of peace and rest in these Christmas holidays. Please remember in your prayers at this time Christians in the north of Nigeria who have been suffering attacks from muslim fundamentalists.

We’ve enjoyed worship at Church this Christmas. Our Posada figures of Mary, Joseph and the donkey arrived safely in Church on Christmas Eve for the Crib Service. You can read about their journey and all the places they have visited by visiting here: www.posada2011.wordpress.com

At the Christmas Eve Mass Fr Ian read the ‘Nativity Sermon of St John Chrysostom.’ It was a splendid piece for Christmas, allowing the voice of our patron saint to be heard. It is well worth reading and you will find it on our church blog: www.stchrysostoms.wordpress.com

There is no weekday worship at Church this week. Weekday worship resumes on January 3rd.

This coming Sunday, January 1st is the Feast of Mary, Mother of God.

This is a feast at Christmastime which helps us recall the human and divine nature of Our Lord. For more information on the feast here: http://www.churchyear.net/motherofgod.html

On Sunday, New Year’s Day, we will also pray for ourselves at the beginning of the New Year. At the Angelus after Mass we will use the following prayer, which you may like to us privately also:

God of all times and places, in your love you have brought us safely to the beginning of another year: Accept our thanks for the blessings of the past, renew our strength and courage in the present, and direct all our ways in the future. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Two thoughts to reflect upon:

What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God fourteen hundred years ago and I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and in my culture? We are all meant to be Mothers of God. – Meister Eckhart (15th Century German mystic).

If you ever feel distressed during your day – call upon our Lady – just say this simple prayer: ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus please be a mother to me now.’ I must admit this prayer has never failed me – Blessed Mother Teresa

Looking ahead: The Feast of the Epiphany is on Sunday January 8th. Worship as follows:

Saturday 7th January 5.30pm Vigil Mass of the Epiphany (LGBT Communion)

Sunday 8th January: 11am High Mass of the Epiphany 5pm Benediction

St Chrysostoms send you best wishes

for a HAPPY CHRISTMAS and for 2012

We invite you to join us for worship

Christmas Eve

4pm Crib Service, a half hour service for all ages

7.30pm First Mass of Christmas - an early ‘Midnight Mass’

Christmas Day

11am First Mass of Christmas

There is no weekday worship from Christmas Day until 3rd January.

New Year’s Day (Feast of Mary, Mother of God)

11am Mass

5pm Vespers

Epiphany (Sunday 8th January)

11am Mass of Epiphany

5pm Solemn Benediction followed by Epiphany refreshments!

Our Posada figures of Mary, Joseph and the donkey (pictured above) have had a wonderful journey of outreach and prayer around our parish and community this Advent.

Have a look at www.posada2011.wordpress.com to see their journey.

Today, 17th December is the Feast of St Olympias of Constantinople. A candle burns today in Church in thanksgiving for her.

St Olympias was a great friend and supporter of St John Chrysostom. She was a strong women who was prepared to defy authority, and who also battled courageously with depression. She was renowned for her generosity and hospitality. Earlier this year Penny, when she finished her time as Parish Assistant, gave to church an icon of St Olympias which is in the north aisle of Church.

You can read more about Olympias, and see a reproduction of the Church icon on our church blog: click here.

Please pray today in thanksgiving for the life, witness and prayers of St Olympias. Pray for women of the church. Pray that St Chrysostom’s Church may always be a place of welcome and generosity.

St Olympias of Constantinople, Pray for us.

Worship tomorrow: Sunday 18th December: 11am Parish Mass 5pm ‘Blue’ Christmas Vespers, when we pray especially for those for whom Christmas is a difficult time (all welcome)

Don’t forget to keep an eye on Mary, Joseph and the donkey’s travels on our 2011 Church Posada blog.

Our Advent journey continues. Yesterday Trish Lindsay was officially licensed as a reader in our parish. More details on the church blog – click here. In the evening we had the Parish Carol service which was a lovely event. Many people have already said how special it was, and how good the choir were. Once again we had wide ranging representation from the whole community and over 160 people attended.

Another journey continues. Mary and Joseph, and Bilhah their donkey are continuing their varied journey around our wonderful community. They have been to so many different places and joined differing sections of the community with their story. Have a look at their own online blog click here to follow their journey – it shows in a lovely way the huge variety in our parish.

This week: Monday 5pm Vespers followed by Carol singing at the ‘Limes’. 7.30pm Concert of Christmas Orchestral music given by Manchester Medics Orchestra, including The Nutcracker Suite, Holst’s Someret Rhapsody and Bizet’s Habenera … all welcome.

Tuesday 13th: 5pm Holy Mass, 7.30pm Book Reading Group at Church.

Wednesday 14th: 9.30am St Chrysostom’s School Christingle Service. 12.30pm Short Community Carol Service followed by mince pies and coffee. 7.30pm Rosary by Candlelight followed relaxed evening of seasonal refreshments, hosted by Lisa and Jack.

Thursday 15th: Holy Mass Friday 5pm Vespers

Next Sunday 11am Mass, 5pm ‘Blue Christmas’ service – a quiet reflective service at which we pray also for those for whom Christmas is a difficult time.

VICTORIA PARK CAROL SERVICE

Carols and Readings for Christmas
for all the community

on Sunday 11th December 2011 at 6pm
at St Chrysostom’s Church,

Oxford Place, M14 5BG

Followed by Mince Pies and Mulled wine in Dalton Ellis Hall

The invitation is an open one – you are welcome to invite friends and family- do forward this invitation

We are well into the season of Advent, and our Posada figures are continuing their journey around our community. They have had some splendid visits so far, and those from church who have accompanied them have enjoyed the visits too. Why not read about their journey so far on their own Posada blog: click here the blog shows the wide range of our parish and our contacts.

Worship in the week: Monday 10am Mass at the Sisters’ House, 5pm Vespers.

Tuesday to Thursday 5pm Mass, Friday 5pm Vespers.

Morning Prayer is usually said daily (except Saturdays) at 9.30am, and anyone is welcome to come.

St Chrysostom’s School celebration: Wednesday 2pm. The school received an amazing OFSTED (School Inspection) report – ranking it among the top 5% primary schools in the country. (See the entry on the church blog here. The school are coming to Church on Wednesday at 2pm to celebrate their achievement. Why not come to and congratulate them! The children are learning some special celebration songs. All are welcome.

In Advent it is our custom to have a special Rorate Mass, this is a custom from the continent of celebrating a Mass in Advent by candlelight with some palinsong singing. It is a special Mass for this special season of Advent. By tradition the Mass is a Mass of Our Lady, as we recall how Mary is one of the great figures of Advent, joureying to Bethlehem and waiting to give birth. This year our Rorate Mass is on Thursday (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception) at 5pm. All welcome.

On Sunday (11th) at 11am Mass we welcome Canon Chris Bracegirdle, Warden of Readers for Manchester Diocese, as preacher. He will also license Trish Lindsay as a Reader in our parish. Trish will have a special ministry in preaching and pastoral work among us.

Its the Carol Service at 6pm next Sunday (11th). At Mass today Fr Ian encouraged us to invite people to this, its a special act of worship which helps us to focus on the meaning of Christmas, and it is always a joyful and special service. We’ve formed a choir to sing at the service, and they sounded great as they practised after Mass today.

Church calendars for 2012 are for sale in Church. Why not have one at home, and why not buy one for a friend or family member for Christmas. The photos in it are all of Church activities, and appropriate to the month of the year. They are only £2.50 and as well as giving a space next to each day to note down appointments etc the Church’s calendar is included too.

Looking further ahead. We’re booking a Christmastime meal at the Toby Carvery, Heaton Chapel, for Wednesday 28th December at 7.30pm and everyone is invited. It’s a four course Christmas meal, with many alternatives, including a vegetarian option, for only £14. We’ve always enjoyed meals we have gone to there. Have a look at the notice in church and sign up if you’d like to come. The restaurant are asking us for a £5 non-returnable deposit per person.

Our Hymn book appeal is going well – it lasts until the end of December. We’ve already had several promises of new hymn books and one missal too. If you’d like to make a gift towards the appeal – you could see it as a Christmas present to Church, simply take a form at the back of church and complete it, or if you are not able to come to church simply get in touch with us through replying to this e mail. Thank you.