BULLETIN                             6 APRIL 2008

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER IN
YEAR 1


CHURCH SERVICES

Saturday 5 April

Confession on request from 4.30 to 5.15 pm
Vigil Mass at 5.30 pm

Sunday 6 April
Sunday Mass at 10.00 am
Sunday Mass at 12.00 noon
Monday 7 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Patricia McGuffie
Tuesday 8 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Cecil Tracey
Wednesday 9 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Margaret Sweeney
Thursday 10 April
Mass at 7.00 pm for Archie and Jane McFarlane  
Friday 11 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Bessie Murphy
Saturday 12 April
Mass at 10.00 am for Mary Strain


PARISH CENTRE EVENTS

Saturday 5 April
8.00 pm

Private Party

Sunday 6 April
10.00 am
10.00 am
11.00 am

Children's Liturgy
Sacramental Preparation
Tea and Coffee after Mass

Monday 7 April
7.00 pm
7.00 to 8 00 pm

Saint Vincent de Paul Society  
Weight Watchers

Tuesday 8 April
11.00 am
7.00 pm
7.30 pm
7.30 pm
Legion of Mary
Keep Fit
Saint Anne's Guild
Ignatian Prayer Group
Wednesday 9 April
7.00 pm
7.00 pm to 9.00 pm
Burakudo Karate Club
Special Religious Development (SPRED)  
Thursday 10 April
9.00 to 11.30 am
9.30 to 11.00 am
12.30 to 3.00 pm
1.00 to 4.00 pm
2.00 to 3.00 pm
Nursery
Kindergarten
Nursery
Key Housing
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Friday 11 April
10.00 to 4.00 pmKey Housing

PRAYERS
Please remember in your prayers:
   Jimmy Hamilton, Brenda Simons and Elizabeth Jenkins who died recently;
   Frank Grogan, Mary Tinney 2004, Father Jim Boyd SCJ 2002, Andrew Coldwell 1994,
   Father John Collins 2002, Michael Mulligan 1982, David McLaren 2006
   and Helen Theresa Magee 2000 whose anniversaries occur at this time and
   Alastair Quirk and Laura Bernert who were married recently.

SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection amounted to £618.02 - many thanks. Banker's Orders amount to an average of £4300 per month.

BANKER'S ORDERS
Paying your collection by monthly or quarterly banker's order makes money handling much safer. Banker's Order forms are available in the porch.

PARISH CENTRE COLLECTION
Last weekend's collection for the Parish Centre amounted to £332.27 - many thanks.

LENT SCIAF BOXES
Please return Boxe
s for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) to the stall.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY
Schools are on holiday. Teachers return on Monday 22 April and pupils on Tuesday 23 April.

MUSIC MINISTRY DAY
A Music Ministry day will be held on Saturday 12 April at Saint Margaret's Cathedral, Ayr at 10.00 am for a 10.30 am start to 3.30 pm. The day will be led by Noel Donnelly, who has been actively involved in Catholic music for many years and is well known as a composer and liturgist. The day will be informal with plenty of opportunities for meeting with other musicians. We will be looking at music for the Liturgy of the Word and for the Eucharist and also at plainsong. The day will end with sung Vespers of Our Lady. For further information please contact Michael McCulloch.

INSTALLATION OF THE NEW CANONS
Canon Matt and the other three new Canons will be installed in Saint Margaret's Cathedral, Ayr at Mass on Thursday 24 April at 7.30 pm. A bus will be arranged. Names should be put on the list available soon at the stall by 14 April, please. A celebration party will take place in the Parish Centre on Friday 25 April at 7.30 pm. Tickets, costing £10, will be available from Monday 7 April. The 12 noon Mass on Sunday 27 will mark the celebration and it will be followed by an 'Open House' in the Parish Centre. Soup, rolls on sausage, tea, coffee, snacks will be available till 4 pm.

MÄNNERENSEMBLE UNERHÖRT
Männerensemble Unerhört, a choir from Osterspai in Germany, will sing at the 5.30 pm Vigil Mass on Saturday 3 May then join local artistes in an evening of Scottish and German music and song in the Parish Centre. There will be a bar. Tickets cost £2.50 and are available from Janette McMurdo or the stall.

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY 
We have been asked to assist in the collection of toiletries for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society's Ozanam Centre. A box to receive donations of all kinds of toiletries is available in the porch.

HMS DASHER
The HMS Dasher Memorial Service will take place this Sunday at 11.00 in the Sunken Gardens. Tea and coffee will be served in the Parish Centre afterwards for all those taking part. Tea and coffee will be served after 10.00 am Mass as usual.

FATHER JOHN Maendeleo
Father John Maendeleo has emailed to thank everyone for their Easter greetings and sympathy on the death of his uncle. Father John is well and has not yet received his next appointment.

THE INNOCENTS
A box is available in the porch for donations of baby goods, talcum powder, shampoo and so on. For more information, please contact Josephine.

DIOCESE OF GALLOWAY NEWSLETTER
The Diocese of Galloway Easter Newsletter is available at the stall. Please take one.


SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN
There was a teacher who was helping one of her nursery children put his boots on. He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. When the second boot was finally on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet. He then announced"These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than scream"Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mum made me wear them." The teacher didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She then said "Now, where are your gloves?" He said "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots.".


2007 ACCOUNTS
The accounts show that during 2007 the total income of the parish, less £2738, went straight out again. We met our obligations of £1200 per month to the Diocese; we paid the monthly 'mortgage' of £3000 on the Parish Centre; we paid the wages of the Parish Secretary, the Housekeeper, the contract for financial and book-keeping services as well as the care-taking and cleaning of the Parish Centre and other fees of £4360 per month. In all, that is a total of £8560 per month we have to find before looking at ordinary running costs of the Church, Parish Centre and house. Running costs - heating, lighting, Council Tax, water rates and so on - increased as for everyone else. We met them and have checked and rechecked gas, electricity and phone service providers to get the best deal. We have changed the photocopying contract and continue to look at costs. There is nothing left in the kitty for repairs, renewals and expected rising costs. I have been told that we should think about changing the heating boiler in the Church! We might get more heat and lower running costs. A harsh winter has played havoc with the roof, doors and windows of the Church and Parish Centre but there is no money at present to do more than emergency repairs. These are done as we go along. However, necessary improvements must continue. Health and Safety regulations are constantly changing and we must follow the rules. The Church doors are being renewed. A donation to help with this has been received and some insurance money is being investigated. An induction loop system, for those who use hearing aids, is ordered and being fitted in the Parish Centre within the next few weeks. This provision has been overlooked till now. The Centre heating will need to be looked at soon. The Church windows are badly in need of renewal. Grants from Heritage Funds are being investigated. The Accounts point to your generous support of the Parish but without a one off repayment of £8000 from the Diocese for secretarial services we would be in the red. We are now living beyond our means. Every special collection - and you are generous to them all - decreases our weekly income since they take the place of the second Collection we use for the servicing of the debt. Gift Aid, a very important part of our income, means that every pound you put in the collection, if you have signed a gift aid form, is worth £1.28 to the Parish. The fundraising 50-50 Club is a welcome but essential part of the meeting our Parish expenses. The rental from the Nursery is used to help with the debt repayment but it runs with minimum profit. Expenditure will have to be looked at yet again, as you have to do at home and we will need to find some savings. If a little more income can be found - a bit more in the collections and some more fundraising - we can manage, but only just! The Parish Finance Committee will help me to identify the necessary savings we shall have to make and perhaps some other sources of income.

INCOME
2007
2006
Collections
      £
      £
Sunday Collections   
38349  
39107  
Bankers Orders   
38885  
38747  
Inland Revenue Gift Aid   
12990  
12487  
 
90224  
90341  
Building Fund   
Sunday Collections   
16329  
17058  
Bankers Orders   
12963  
12916  
Donations   
500  
500  
Inland Revenue Gift Aid   
4330  
4162  
 
34122  
34636  
Fees, Stall, Candles and Advertising   
11640  
9144  
Bank Interest   
908  
801  
50/50 Club   
2000  
2000  
Special Collections   
7567  
7047  
Insurance Claims   
153  
43009  
Specified Donations   
0   
0   
Blessed Sacrament Altar   
3940  
2950  
Fund Raising   
12030  
0  
Parish Centre   
18160  
13750  
 
56396  
78671  
TOTAL INCOME
180743  
203648  
EXPENDITURE  
House Management   
17013  
17013  
Church Management   
10837  
10837  
Blessed Sacrament Altar   
 
        0
Parish Centre   
20460  
20146  
Salaries and Supply Costs   
28750  
23270  
Council Tax, Telephone and Insurance   
11405  
10128  
Grounds and Security   
4832  
7106  
Stall   
3346  
2861  
Administration Expenses   
6586  
4603  
Office Equipment   
4849  
9645  
Travelling Expenses   
2199  
3053  
Parish Development and Education   
2400  
4350  
Special Collections   
7565  
7616  
Donation   
     100
 
Diocesan Loan   
36000  
36000  
Diocesan Levy   
12000  
12000  
Fees and Subscriptions   
78  
3735  
Miscellaneous   
0  
0  
Insurance Replacements   
0  
46606  
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
178005  
218969  
DEFICIT / SURPLUS
    2738 
-15321  

BALANCE SHEET
2007
2006
I
      £
      £
Opening Balance 1 January   
25192  
40513  
Income   
180743  
203648  
less Expenditure    
178005  
218969  
 
27930  
25192  
B   
Reonciled Bank Balance   
27930  
25192  
B  
  
Diocesan Loan Balance Outstanding   
216000  
252000  

SAINT PETER'S PARISH CENTRE
Saint Peter's Parish Centre is a valuable part of our assets. It was opened on 24 February 1998, so it is ten years opened. The total cost of the Centre was £606611.51. It was funded by a loan from the Bank of Ireland which was added to an existing debt of £189946.06 for the Church roof. The sale of surplus land behind the centre raised £330000. £383677 was repaid to the Bank of Ireland and £151000 to the Diocese. By the time these sums were repaid and debt management was undertaken, the sum of £360000 was outstanding but over the entire period we paid £226741 in interest payments. Four years ago, Father Lynch negotiated an interest-free arrangement with the Diocese by which the Parish paid a monthly sum of £3000 - £36000 yearly for ten years - towards the repayment of the loan. This arrangement continues and we have never missed a payment. It has about six years to run. This loan is serviced by the Sunday second collection which is so generously given; by the income from Saint Peter's Nursery and a top-up from the Sunday collections. Income from the use of the Centre for Parish events and private functions covers most of the wear and tear and necessary upgrading and repairs but leaves nothing towards the repayment of the loan. Some more fundraising, a legacy or two and some extra income would ease the situation but specific projects for the Church - we could do with fresh carpeting - and the Centre will need to be funded as they arise. The Parish is not in a position to continue to subsidise the Parish Centre so some costs for the use of the Centre will need to be looked at. Of course, we realise that the needs of the parishioners to have use of the Centre is important. Our collections built it and it belongs to the parishioners of Saint Peter in Chains. Once the debt is repaid, things will look up. A suggestion of video screens is being priced as is a pull-down screen. They would be valuable for race nights, film and computer presentations and so on which might make the Centre more attractive to outside lets. If this project goes ahead, it will need to be funded. We should certainly be able to do that. It would be a good way of marking the ten years of very valuable use we have had from our Parish Centre.



  Saints can have a past and sinners can have a future.


READINGS
The readings for this weekend's Masses are shown below in English. They are available in eleven other languages
including French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish by clicking on this link.

First Reading           Acts 2:14.22-33
On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him: I saw the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me. So my heart was glad and my tongue cried out with joy; my body, too, will rest in the hope that you will not abandon my soul to Hades nor allow your holy one to experience corruption. You have made known the way of life to me, you will fill me with gladness through your presence. Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God's right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.

Second Reading           1 Peter 1:17-21
If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no favourites and judges every one according to what he has done, you must be scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home. Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason – so that you would have faith and hope in God.

Gospel
          Luke 24:13-35
Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, "What matters are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped short, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, "You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days." "What things?" he asked. "All about Jesus of Nazareth" they answered "who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing." Then he said to them, "You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?" Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself. When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. "It is nearly evening" they said "and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?' They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, "Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.