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Sunday, May 19th, 2013 — FEAST OF PENTECOST

WEEKLY OFFERING came to £1167.74

REFLECTION 
Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (20:16) and St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (16:8). It is the 50th day after Easter (if we count both Easter and Pentecost), and it supplants the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai. Pentecost is often called "the birthday of the Church." On this day, with the descent of the Holy Spirit,

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit of light and love,
I consecrate to Thee my understanding,
heart, and will, my whole being for time and eternity.
May my understanding be always submissive
to Thy heavenly inspirations, and to the teaching of the Catholic Church,
of which Thou are the infallible guide;
may my heart be ever inflamed with love of God and of my neighbour;
may my will be ever conformed to the divine will;
and may my whole life be a faithful imitation of the life
and virtues of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
to whom with the Father and Thee
be honour and glory forever. Amen.

A couple from St. Andrew’s Parish who have renewed their wedding vows were married in 1984 on St. Patrick’s Day by…Fr. Patrick Day.

Paul and Janet Duffy of Normanby first met at Bennett’s Nightclub, South Bank in 1982. Paul was the club’s bouncer and Janet worked at Reg Boyle’s Betting shop. Paul and Janet were courting for ten months and engaged for six months.

They were married in St. Andrew’s Church on March 17th, 1984, by Fr. Pat Day. Paul’s best man was Robert Hugill and Janet was attended by three bridesmaid with her chief bridesmaid being Sheila Hodgson.

And on Saturday, May 18th Paul and Janet once again stood at the foot of the Altar in St. Andrew’s Church to renew their commitment to each other in a private ceremony conducted by Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins and attended by close family and friends followed by a celebration in their home.

On Sunday, May 19th at the 9.30 am Mass Janet and Paul were presented with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of St. Andrew’s Parish by Fr. Gubbins and Deacon Pat Thomas.

Our photo above shows Paul and Janet Duffy with St. Andrew's Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins and Deacon Patrick Thomas. Photo by Paul Terry.

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF ST ANDREW’S CHURCH 1962-2012

WHAT A WEEK THAT WAS!

2000 VISIT FLOWER FESTIVAL AND
BISHOP CLOSES GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

Twelve months of golden jubilee celebrations ended in a spectacular fashion at St. Andrew’s Church, Teesville, with a week long flower festival and a Mass celebrated by Bishop Terrence Patrick Drainey to close the year of jubilee.

On Wednesday, April 24th Bishop Terence Patrick Drainey visited St. Andrew’s to celebrate a Mass to formally bring to an end 12 months of Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The Mass started at 7.00 pm and was con-celebrated Parish Priest, Canon Edmond Gubbins and some of the clergy who have served in St. Andrew’s Parish over the past half century as well as Frs. Bill Serplus and John Lumley who were ordained from the parish.

In his welcome Fr. Gubbins wrote in the Mass booklet: “We pay tribute to all past and present parishioners whose devotion and faith shaped this community. We salute the many priests and Deacons, Religious and Lay Teachers who worked tirelessly for many years in St. Andrew’s and the local schools. The beautiful crucifix and mosaic which dominate the sanctuary of our church is a reminder of why we are here.”

During his homily, Bishop Terry told the 300 plus congregation: “You have been served by some of the best clergy right up to the present day.”

After Communion a new 15th Station of Cross was blessed by the Bishop and was put into place on the wall above the sacristy door. The station was made and donated by St. Peter’s Catholic College of Maths and Computing.

After the Mass a social evening was held in the parish hall were glasses were raised in a toast to St. Andrew’s Parish and Bishop Terence was given the honour of cutting the jubilee cake.

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE JUBILEE MASS

And earlier in the week all roads had led to St. Andrew's Parish as over 2,000 people from all over the area and beyond visited the Golden Jubilee Flower Festival — and their overwhelming opinion was...BLOOMIN' MARVELOUS!

The festival opened officially on Friday, April 19th and lasted until Wednesday, April 24th. The festival was the final celebration to be organised in our year of jubilee and was formally opened by our three oldest weekly Mass attenders: Eileen Burke (93), Tess McNicholas (92) and Cath Hartley (91).

With the theme 'Golden Moments', there was a total of 27 displays in the church, each one covering a golden moment in the life of our parish or of World events since 1963 to the present day including The Amalgamation of three parishes into one; the London 2012 Olympics; six sacraments of the church; the new millennium 1999 - 2000; England win the World Cup; how we have listened to music over the past 50 years and space travel from 1969.

The arrangements have been created by over 60 ladies from catholic and non-catholic parishes in the area and members of Teesside Flower Club. Young people were also included in the project with displays being created by St. Margaret Clitherow's and St. Mary's Primary Schools sharing the 1966 World Cup win, St. Peter's Catholic College creating the 2012 Olympics display and members and leaders of St. Andrew's Youth Club creating the music from the past 50 years display.

Work started on the arrangements after Mass on Tuesday, April 16th and continued right up until 10.00 pm on Thursday, April 18th, the evening before the opening. But it wasn't just the flower arrangers — everyone had a part to play, including catering teams preparing sustinance at lunchtimes and tea times, not to mention providing tea or coffee for break times, and after the official opening, providing refreshments in the parish hall for visitors; cleaning teams tidying both the outside and inside of the church.

St. Andrew's Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins said: "How wonderful and creative it all is. Many thanks to the ladies of our parish, other parishes, Teesside Flower Club and anyone who helped in anyway. Its been a wonderful team effort".

The flower festival was extended to Wednesday, April 24th, the day of the Bishop's Mass which formally closed our year of Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Our photos above show from top: Photo 1: The floral display depicting the Amalgamation of St. Andrew's, St. Peter's and St. Anne's Parishes with the roots of the area strongly depicted. Photo 2: The display depicting Lourdes. Photo 3: The display depicting the Sacrament of Baptism. Photo 4: The three oldest parishioners of St. Andrew's, Eileen Burke, aged 93, Tess McNicholas, 92 and Cath Hartley 91 with pupils from St. Margaret's and St. Mary's Primary Schools. Photo 5: Eileen, Cath and Tess are first through the doors after formerly opening the festival on Friday, April 19th. Photo 6: Members of Teesside Flower Club Pat Martin, Joyce Gaffney, Pat Chapman and Shirley Raine with their space travel display. Photo 7: Joan Powell and Maisie Chapman from St. John's Church, South Bank, with their creation depicting the Eucharist. Photo 8: Members of St. Andrew's Youth Club preparing some of the flowers for their 'How We Have Listened To Music' display. Photos by Paul Terry

MORE PHOTOS BY PAUL TERRY

JOYCE'S TRIBUTE TO BRICKLAYER HUSBAND

When Joyce French heard that St. Andrew's Parish were going to organise a flower festival, she just had to be involved. For Joyce was married to the bricklayer who built St. Andrew's Church, David (Davy) French, for 48 years.

Joyce, who worships at Normanby Methodist Church, asked permission from the Minister to become involved in the project and after hearing Joyce's story, he was only too pleased to give her his blessing. Joyce got in touch with Teesside Flower Club to volunteer her services as one of the flower arrangers and was given the task of creating floral arrangements to the statue of St. Therese of Lisieux and the icon of Our Lady of Perpectual Help with Sylvia Spencley.

SOME FACTS ABOUT FLOWERS
1. According to the fossil record, flowering plants appeared only about 140 million years ago, although some recently found fossil evidence suggests that they appeared 80 million years before that. (The earliest land plants, blue-green algae, appeared perhaps 1.2 billion years ago.)

2. Modern animals, including humans, and flowering plants are equally dependent upon each other. Most flowering species rely on animals for reproduction. Insects carry pollen from the stamens to the carpels; bats and birds participate in Pollination of some species.

3. Flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, and also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food.

4.  Red roses are a symbol of love, beauty, and passion. Poppies are a symbol of consolation in time of death. In the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, are worn to commemorate soldiers who have died in times of war. Irises/Lily are used in burials as a symbol referring to "resurrection/life". Also associated with stars (sun) and its petals blooming/shining. Daisies are a symbol of innocence.

5. The Roman goddess of flowers, gardens, and the season of Spring is Flora. The Greek goddess of spring, flowers and nature is Chloris. In Hindu mythology, flowers have a significant status. Vishnu, one of the three major gods in the Hindu system, is often depicted standing straight on a lotus flower. The Hindu tradition also considers the lotus to have spiritual significance. eg it figures in the Hindu stories of creation.

THIS WEEK’S HALL DIARY

Mon:    Bingo (6.30 - 9.00 pm) Main Hall
 Tues:   Mother's Prayers (10.00 - 11.30 am) Room 3 & upstairs kitchen
              Meditation Group (7.00 - 8.15 pm) Room 3
             Zumba (7.30 - 8.30 pm) Main Hall
Wed:    Parent & Toddler Group (10.00 am - noon) Main Hall
Thurs:   Legion of Mary (10.00 -11.30 am) Room 6
             Bingo (1.30 pm - 4.00 pm) Main Hall
             Youth Club (6.30 - 8.30 pm) Main Hall
Sat:      Barratt Dancing Competition (All day) Main Hall, Room 2 & Youth Room
Sun:    Barratt Dancing Competition (All day) Main Hall, Room 2 & Youth Room


LOOKING FOR A VENUE? ST ANDREW'S PARISH HALL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE

PRIESTS’ TRAINING FUND
There will be a retiring collection taken up at all Masses this weekend for the Priests’ Training Fund. There are new boxes available at the bock of church to save at home.

DEPARTING MASS FOR LOURDES
Next Friday at 7.00 am at St Andrew’s Church. Bus at 7.30 am.

60TH DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
24-31 May. Two planes depart from Teesside Airport, 8 am and 2 pm. Don’t forget your E111 and yourself! The pastoral theme of Lourdes 2013 is “Lourdes a real doorway of faith” This theme was chosen by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PREPARATION
Today on the feast of Pentecost - the coming of the Holy Spirit

BAPTISM PREPARATION CLASSES
Begin on Wednesday 19 June at 6 pm in the parish hall. Anyone with a child for baptism, please get in touch.

BAPTISMAL CONGRATULATIONS
to Niamh Amelia Wilks baptised of Birchington Avenue, at St Andrew’s on Saturday.

DEANERY SAFEGUARDING MEETING
Tuesday 21 May 2013 commencing 7.00 pm, the meeting will be held at St Mary’s Cathedral, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough.

BACK TO BASIC - RCIA JOURNEY IN FAITH
A chance to explore a very basic approach as to how we welcome and prepare those who wish to become converts, at the Cathedral on Saturday 15 June, 10 am-1 pm. See Poster.

SUPPORTING CATHOLICS IN HEALTHCARE
A new website for Catholics working in Health Care has launched, as part of the work of the Bishops to support the Catholic presence in Health. www.catholicsinhealthcare.wordpress.com is a free site which includes prayer materials, links to Catholic organisations, resources, and prayer material and reflections on health from teaching. Experiences of health workers will be included and will advertise events. You can comment online or email catholicsinhealthcareblog@gmail.com

BONUS BALL DRAW
Wednesday, 8th May: — 34 —
£25 each goes to ANN WALSH & PAT WILSON
Contact Paul Terry (with your ticket) to claim your prize.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CONGRATULATIONS
RUBY WEDDING Congratulations to  Paul and Sue Haley of Ravensworth Avenue who celebrate 40 years of marriage this weekend. And to Paul and Janet Duffy of Holywalk Avenue who celebrate their PEARL WEDDING, 30 years of marriage this weekend.

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION
Will be led by Bishop Drainey at St Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday 2 June. Prayer and silent medication at 2.30 pm and the Procession will begin at 3 pm followed by Benediction. See poster.

PARISH SUMMER DRAW
Packs of tickets are on sale in from this weekend Great prizes: HD TV; Portable DVD Player; Mobile Phone. Please take a moment to buy some and take a few packs of tickets to sell to friends and neighbours.

VATICAN HOSTS PRO LIFE DAY
As the Vatican continues celebrating the Year of Faith, another of the main events in the coming months will be ‘Evangelium Vitae’ an event that brings together pro-life groups, speakers and faithful from all across the world to the Vatican and Rome. The event will take place 15 & 16 June.

CHERNOBYL FUND RAISER
£1041.00 was raised. A big thank you to everyone fromCath Coyle. Barclaycard will match £750. the total will £1790.00 Yippee!!!!!!

a GOLDEN MOMENT FOR MICHAEL AND MARGARET

A golden couple of St. Peter’s church in South Bank, Michael and Margaret Clark, have celebrated fifty years of married recently.

The happy couple first met through Margaret’s school friend and best friend Anne Clarke, who just happened to be Michael’s younger sister. At the time Margaret was 20 and working as a secretary at Cargo Fleet offices and Michael, 24, worked for the chemical giant, ICI as a shift foreman on the Teralene plant.

After being engaged for two years, Michael and Margaret were married on April 15th, 1963 by Fr. Terence Gilgallon in St. Peter’s Church, South Bank. The Best Man was Michael’s good friend Donald Pickering, while Margaret’s Chief Bridesmaid was her best friend, Anne Clark.

And on Sunday, April 14th, Michael and Margaret once again stood at the foot of St. Peter’s Altar to show their commitment to one another by renewing their wedding vows during the 12.15 pm Mass, celebrated by St. Andrew’s Parish Priest, Canon Edmond Gubbins, after which they were presented with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of St. Andrew’s Parish.

Michael and Margaret are the sacristans at St. Peter’s Church and Canon Gubbins publicly thanked them both for “looking after the place so well. Everything is always right”, he told them.

Michael and Margaret have a son, Andrew, who is married to Christine and one grandchild.

And their secret for a long happy marriage?  “Patience and understanding with a lot of give and take.”

Pictured above are Margaret and Michael Clarke with Fr. Edmond Gubbins after renewing their wedding vows. Photo by Paul Terry

REFLECTION — WHY ARE THERE 4 GOSPELS?
They were written at different times for different communities. Each tells in a unique way the revealed truth of salvation through Jesus. The 4 Gospels differ in their accounts. MARK’s Gospel written in 65AD. He skips the birth of Jesus, it begins with Jesus teaching the crowd. MATTHEW ’s Gospel written in Syria 85AD is written for a Jewish community - he emphasises the centrality of the family of Jesus. LUKE’s Gospel was written in 85AD in Antioch for converts from pagan religion. JOHN’s Gospel, written 95AD in Asia Minor presents the human & divine mystery of Jesus. St Luke presents a very human Jesus who is very involved in the life of others.

£3500 RAISED FOR JUBILEE CHARITY

Tremendous! More than £3500 has been raised for the Parish Golden Jubilee Charity Project, Mary's Meals.

Mary's Meals is an international movement that sets up School Feeding Projects in countries where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education. The simple idea works by providing a daily meal in a place of education. Chronically poor children are attracted to the classroom where they can gain a basic education.

Over 700,000 children receive Mary’s Meals every school day. The average cost to feed a child for a whole school year is £10.70 in Africa, Asia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda.

The project started with a hunger lunch in the parish hall on Friday, February 22nd which was attended by more than a hundred people and raised over £450.

The afternoon started with Mass at noon followed by Stations of the Cross before people made their way into the hall for a bowl of soup and a bread roll. People then made a donation towards Mary's Meals. Pans of soup were prepared and served by St. Andrew's parishioners. A tombola and a raffle was also organised to add to the total.

The event was also attended by some parishioners from the parishes of St. Thomas More, Beechwood and The Holy Name of Mary in Linthorpe.

The following weekend a retiring collection was taken at all Masses, which boosted the total still further. Added to that the retiring collections taken from three funerals, numerous individual donations and gift aided donations and it all made that great total.

MORE INFORMATION ON MARY'S MEALS

Our photo above shows some of the parish team who organised, prepared and served soup for the hunger lunch. Photo by Paul Terry

SOME  INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT POPE FRANCIS

His name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, elected  on 13th March 2013.

He is the first Jesuit Pope aged 76 yrs. He is non European, and the 1st Pope to be called Francis, after Francis of Assisi.

He was a teacher, a novice master, a professor of theology, a Jesuit provincial, and Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

He cooked his own meals and he took the bus to work when Archbishop of Buenos Aires and where he stood firmly against human trafficking, abortion, euthanasia.

With Italian parents, he is one of 5 children. His father was a railway worker. His sister Marie Elena is the only living sibling (divorced with 2 adult sons). 2 brothers & a sister are deceased.

His Coat of Arms consists of a shield of bright blue background yellow sun, IHS with 3 nails, a Star representing Mary, a nard flower representing St Joseph.

He washed the feet of a woman on Holy Thursday, the 1st Pope to do so. He bears witness to - love for the poor, simplicity of life, and humble service, a beacon for compassion and justice.

He wears not red slippers but black  laced shoes.

In his first homily as Pope  (Feast of St Joseph)  he said 'like St Joseph, the Pope is to protect all humanity & creation, especially... the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick & prisoners'.

At least 200,000 people with around 500 priests and deacons were at his Inauguration Mass in St. Peters.

His  chosen motto is....''Miserando atque eligendo'', 'by having mercy, by choosing him'. This is taken from a homily by The Venerable St Bede of Jarrow on the call of St. Matthew.

HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY FR. JACK!

Fr. Jack McKeever has celebrated his 80th birthday with the parishioners of St. Andrew's, his adopted parish. Fr. celebrated his birthday on Thursday, March 7th and the parishioners gathered in the hall after the morning Mass for a drink and nibbles. Fr. Jack is pictured above cutting his birthday cake watched by Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins. Below, he takes centre stage with the parishioners of St. Andrew's. Photo's by Paul Terry

MASS ON BOARD SHIP TO REMEMBER SAILOR

The captain and crew of a cargo vessel currently docked in Tees port, have had a memorial Mass said on board ship in memory of one their crew mates.

Aristeo Ongcoy, the third engineer on the MV Nord Hercules, died during the current voyage on board ship after a short illness. He was 51 years old. He leaves a widow and three children at home in the Philippines.

The Mass was celebrated by St. Andrew’s Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins with Deacon Pat Thomas on Monday, March 4th at 6.30 pm and attended by 17 members of the crew, members of the Apostleship of the Sea and members of the Mission to Seafarers. Three members of the 20 strong crew were unable to attend because they were on duty. The reading and the Responsorial Psalm was read by the Captain, Jose D’Ursus D. Tabia.

Before the final Blessing, Fr. Gubbins blessed the ship and crew members. Then after the blessing Captain Tabia took him up to bless the bridge and down to bless the engine room. On the way down to the engine room, Capt. Tabia took him into Aristeo’s sleeping quarters where there was a moment of silence and a short prayer in remembrance of Aristeo and for his family.

When Fr Gubbins had finished blessing the ship and returned to the recreation area where the Mass had taken place, the crew had prepared a buffet supper for their guests.

And on Saturday, March 2 at 6.30 pm and on Sunday morning at 9.30 am some members of the crew were taken to St. Andrew’s Church for Mass by the Apostleship of the Sea Lay Port Chaplain, Tony McAvoy. The 20 strong crew are all Catholic from the Philippines.

The MV Nord Hercules is currently being loaded with 80,000 tonnes of steel slabs at Tees Dock No 2 Berth. The ship left Teesport at 11.30 am on Friday, March 8, bound for Thailand.

Top photo:— The crew of MV Nord Hercules during the Mass to remember their colleague Aristeo Ongcoy, who passed away during the present voyage; middle photos:— (left) The Captain reads from Scripture during the Mass; (middle) The Chief Engineer reflects after receiving Communion; (right) The crew and guests with Fr. Gubbins and Deacon Pat Thomas after the Mass; (below) Fr. Gubbins blesses the engine room. Above: some of the crew of the cargo ship, Nord Hercules after Mass at St. Andrew's Church with Fr. Edmond Gubbins and Tony McAvoy of the AoS. Photos by Paul Terry.

cONGRATULATIONS — THREE TIMES OVER!

Three long serving parishioners from St. Andrew's Parish who have celebrated significant New Year birthdays, have been presented with gifts on behalf of the parish.

Edna Graham, Peter Conway and Helen McArthur were presented with gifts at the 9.30 am Mass on Sunday, January 13th.

Parish organist Edna, celebrated her 90th birthday on January 2nd. She was born in 1923, five years after the end of the Great War and three years before the General Strike of 1926 which lasted nine days. King George V was on the throne. Edna has served as Parish organist since the church opened 50 years ago.

Peter Conway celebrates his 80th birthday on Wednesday, January 16th. Peter was born in 1933 in between the two world wars and three years before the death of King George V. Peter is the son Tom Conway who was a founder member of St. Andrew's Parish and the functions committee. Peter himself served our parish as a Eucharistic Minister for many years before ill health forced him to give it up. He still serves as a member of the counting team with his wife Barbara and Mary Steele.

Helen McArthur has also recently celebrated her 80th birthday. Helen has been a regular parishioner at St. Anne's Church, Eston, for many years and has served the parish as a Eucharistic Minister. Helen had attended the Saturday evening Mass and so Fr. Gubbins asked her husband, Gerald, to collect a bouquet of flowers on her behalf during the 9.30 Mass.

Edna, Peter and Helen have lived through some of the most significant moments in history. They were all in their infant years when 200 men left the town of Jarrow in October 1936 to march 300 miles in protest to the government of the day about high unemployment; the BBC Television service was first launched from Alexandria Palace in November 1936 and King Edward VIII abdicated in December of the same year. They have witnessed the coronation of the Queen in 1953; ten years later in January 1963 saw the celebration of the First Mass in St. Andrew's Church and in 1969 the historic moon landing. In 1989 Tim Berners Lee invented the World Wide Web (Internet) and with its birth the world entered a new digital age.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Our picture above shows Edna Graham and Peter Conway receiving their gifts from Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins. Photo by Paul Terry.

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FOR 2013?

George said to his brother Harry: ‘I don’t know what to get Dad for Christmas; what do you give someone who has everything?’

Harry replied, ‘A burglar alarm.

What do you give God who made everything?

The answer can be found in Micah, the Old Testament prophet who lived 700 years BC:

’To act justly, to love tenderly and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

The Christmas God is looking for is the gift of lives characterised by justice, mercy and humility.

Christ is not just for Christmas. Let us bring Christ into each day of the New Year.

His name will be ‘Emmanuel’ a name which means ‘God is with us’

Fourteen children from St. Andrew's Parish performed their annual Christmas Nativity Scene to a packed church on Christmas Eve.

Almost 400 people attended the First Mass of Christmas in St. Andrew's Church and therefore witnessed the Live Bethlehem performance. The scene was planned and organised by Kath Kelly, Norma Terry and Jenny Burns. The nativity scene was at the end of a carol concert which preceded the Mass which started at 8.00 pm.

The Mass was celebrated by Parish Priest Canon Edmond Gubbins. Fr. Jack McKeever con-celebrated with Parish Deacon Pat Thomas and was served by six altar servers all pictured below.

And on Sunday, December 16th more than three hundred people attended St. Andrew's Parish Carol Concert. The concert was held in St. Peter's Church, South Bank and raised over £600 for the priests retirement fund and the priest training fund through ticket sales.

The organist was twenty-year-old Stephen Terry who returned from universtity especially to play the century old pipe organ for the concert. Stephen played twelve carols plus an instrumental.

The concert was hosted by St. Andrew's Parish Priest, Canon Edmond Gubbins who held the programme together by interspersing the carols with readings and interesting facts about the history of the carols.

Ruth Werbiski also returned to the church from her home in Buckinghamshire to ring the bells. Ruth last rang the bells at the SONGS OF PRAISE evening in June.

Our top two pictures show the children performing their Live Bethlehem Scene and waiting in the sacristy beore their performance. The third picture shows Fr. Edmond Gubbins with Fr. Jack McKeever and parish Deacon Patrick Thomas before the start of the Mass, while the picture above shows the congregation before the start of the carol concert in St. Peter's Church, South Bank. Photos by Paul Terry.

aPOLLO MALE VOICE CHOIR SING FOR CHURCH JUBILEE

The Apollo Male Voice Choir received a well deserved standing ovation from more than 200 people in St. Andrew's Church on Friday, September 14 .

The choir were invited to sing as part of the parish Golden Jubilee celebrations and gave a two hour rousing performance of many familiar songs and some not so familiar, some classics and some modern. Some of the choir sang solos at various points of the evening. The evening ended at 10.00 pm with a medley of songs from the musical Oaklahoma.

The Choir was formed in 1887 following a tragic accident at one of the steelworks in Middlesbrough in which a Welsh worker was killed. A group of friends then decided to get together and arrange a social event at which they sang and raised money for the deceased's family. As a result of this event they agreed to continue their group singing and hence the birth of 'The Apollo Male Voice Choir'.

In 2012 the Apollo Choir is celebrating their 125th anniversary and so to celebrate this milestone are performing a number of their concerts free of charge including St. Andrew's Church. And in its jubilee year the Choir has appointed Mr. Stuart Shields as the new Musical Director and the concert in St. Andrew's was his debut performance.

BELLS RING OUT FOR ORGAN CENTENERY

Over two hundred people from different faith denominations attended a Songs of praise evening in St. Peter's Church on Friday, June 22, to help celebrate 100 years of the installation of the pipe organ.

And a sister and brother who were trained to ring the bells as children, made the journey from Buckinghamshire to help celebrate by once again ringing the bells for 20 minutes before the main event started.

Ruth and John Werbiski were taught to ring the bells 1957 when they were just seven and eight years old by a Mr. Miller.They last played in 1962 when they moved away from the parish. But when they heard of the planned Songs of Praise evening Ruth contacted St. Andrew's Parish Priest, Fr. Edmond Gubbins, to ask permission to come along from her home in Buckinghamshire to have another tug of the ropes.

The Songs of Praise evening was the idea of the Fr. Gubbins to celebrate the centenery of the pipe organ. The organ, which was designed and built by the firm Anneessens of Menin in Belgium and was installed into the church in 1913 for the grand sum of £786.

The original correspondence and specifications sent to the parish priest and signed by Jules Anneessens are still held by St. Andrew's Parish. The organ in St. Peter's was restored to its former glory in 2001 with the help of a National Lottery Grant of £45,000.

It is just one of four still operational in the country, two of which are not only in the Middlesbrough Diocese but in the Redcar and Cleveland area, the other one being in Sacred Heart Church, Lobster Road, Redcar.

The Songs of Praise evening consisted of 17 hymns of which 14 were favourites chosen by parishioners of St. Andrew's Parish. The choir of St. Mary's Primary School in Grangetown sang two hymns which were Follow me and Shine Jesus Shine and Rochelle Nester, a teacher from St. Margaret Clitherow's Primary School led the congregation into the interval and held everyone's attention with a beautiful solo of On Eagles Wings.

The organist for the evening was 20 year old Stephen Terry, a parishioner of St. Andrew's Parish, who played all 17 hymns which included Soul of my Saviour, Be still for the presence of the Lord and Colours of day. The event ended with three rousing favourites — Tell out my soul; Hail Redeemer, King Divine and Thine by the glory.

The evening was hosted by Parish Priest of St. Andrew's, Fr. Edmond Gubbins who kept the evening moving along with his mix of information on the organ and lively patter.

Our pictures show (top) Ruth and John Werbiski with Fr. Gubbins in front of the bell ropes in the tower; (second) some the congregation in full voice; (third) the school choir pictured at the start of the evening; (fourth) Rochelle Nester singing her solo, On Eagles Wings; (bottom) organist Stephen Terry after the Songs of Praise evening. (Photos by Paul Terry) MORE PHOTOS

A MAGICAL NIGHT FOR A MAGICAL HALF A CENTURY

One hundred and ten parishioners and guests gathered for a dinner at the Thistle Hotel, Middlesbrough on Friday, May 11th to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of St. Andrew's Parish, Teesville.

Guests included former clergy and religious who have served the parish since the church was opened in 1962. These included Frs. James Blenkinsop, Pat Day, John Bain, Neil McNicholas, John Lumley, Alan Sheridan and Joe Brennan. Sr. Clare Jopson made the journey from Wales while Sr. Cecilia Wilkinson came from Ministeracres, Durham. On the menu was a choice of lamb, chicken and salmon.

Immediately following the meal church organist, Edna Graham gave a short speech reflecting over the past fifty years. Edna then asked Essie O'Neil, a member of the choir, to join her for a song or two which she promptly did.

A ten minute presentation of 70 photographs from 1962 to the present day followed which obviously brought back a lot of memories to parishioners and guests present. The presentation will be added to over time as more images are scanned in.

The present Parish Priest, Canon Edmond Gubbins thanked everyone for their support and paid tribute to the clergy and religious sisters who have served St. Andrew's over the years. He then proposed a toast to St. Andrew's Parish. A real friendly atmosphere was present throughout the celebration and everyone had a great time.

Pictured above: Who had the salmon? St. Andrew's parishioner Sheila Walsh and Fr. Pat Day disagree over which of them had the salmon. Photo by Paul Terry.

MORE PHOTOS OF THE EVENING

AMAZING IMAGES OF THE DEDICATION SERVICE

ARE THESE THE CHANCY BROTHERS BIGGEST FANS?

Over £2000 has been raised for St. Andrew's Parish Lourdes Fund at a fundraising night held in the parish hall. The event took place on Friday, April 20th with live entertainment provided by singer Janie St. John. And making a special guest appearance were The Chancy Brothers.

The sellout evening was organised by St. Andrew's parishioners Eileen Nugent and Margaret Twohig who are regular visitors to the shrine. The money was raised from ticket sales, a tombola, a bottle tombola, a bingo session and a raffle which had some first class prizes.

And among the audience were two young people from St. Andrew's Parish who had made a poster proclaiming 'We Love The Chancy Brothers' which they displayed while the band were on stage. So today, we ask the question: Are these the Chancy Brothers biggest fans? The Chancy Brothers are Canon Edmond Gubbins, Fr. Pat Keogh, Fr. Dan Speight, Fr. Pat Hartnett and Decon Pat Thomas, all pictured above with the two young fans after they had come off stage.

Together the singing priests have raised thousands of pounds for charity with their tribute to the Irish folk group The Clancy Brothers, and like their famous counterparts their trademark is the Aaron jumpers they wear during their act.

The money raised from the event will be used to send some sick parishioners to Lourdes in June. Photo by Paul Terry.

AMAZING PHOTOS OF 1962 DEDICATION SERVICE

These amazing photos arrived into our office on Tuesday, January 24th. They show the dedication service of St. Andrew's Church, Teesville which was held on April 11th 1962. The foundation stone was blessed by the then Bishop of Middlesbrough George Brunner. It would appear from the top photo that the entrance procession started from a builders hut over the road, while prams were left at the muddy entrance to the building as their occupants were carried into the site.

People were dwarfed in the aperture of the empty shell of the building as they watched the recessional procession. The sign just behind the gentleman in the front of the photo above reads:
'THE PUBLIC ENTER ENTIRELY AT THEIR OWN RISK'.
No need for hard hats or hi-vis jackets or vests in pre health and safety days!

As far as we can tell, some of the priests in the picture above are Fr. Tom Keilty, Fr. Garvin O'Hara, The Rite Reverend George Brunner, Bishop of Middlesbrough, Fr. Seamus Kilbarn, Fr. Tony Bickerstaff, Fr. Terence Gilgallon and our very own Fr. Jack McKeever who supplied the names.

People leave the dedication service and in the photo above we see the very first Parish Priest of St. Andrew's, Fr. Patrick Bluett.
The first Mass was celebrated on Janurary 23, 1963 by Bishop George Brunner when over 600 people packed into the church with over 250 of the congregation taking communion.
All of the photos above were sent into us by the family of St. Andrew's parishioner, Vincent Harrison who took the photos.

HAPPY GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR!

As 2012 dawned over the earth on January 1st, St. Andrew’s Parish entered its Golden Jubilee Year.

12 months of celebration will start in April to mark the blessing of the foundation stone by Bishop George which took place on April 11th, 1962; the celebrations will end in April 2013 so that the date of the first Mass which was celebrated on January 23, 1963, could also be remembered. The first Mass was celebrated by Bishop George when over 600 people packed into the church with over 250 of the congregation taking communion.

The first wedding celebrated was by Fr.Seamus Kilbane on Saturday, February 23, 1963 who married Anthony Paul Whitehead and Kathleen Mead. ALL THE DETAILS OF THE WEDDING

Events planned include a Mass to launch the jubilee year, a parish Gala Dinner at the Thistle Hotel, Middlesbrough, in May, the publication of a book, a photo exhibition featuring images from the last fifty years and a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Middlesbrough, The Very Rev. Terence Drainey in April 2013 and a flower festival for which a date has yet to be arranged.

HISTORIC PHOTO OF FOUNDER MEMBERS OF ST. ANDREW'S PARISH

In April 2012, St. Andrew's Church will begin to celebrate its Golden Jubilee with a year of planned celebrations. The foundation stone was blessed and laid by Bishop George on April 11, 1962 and the first Mass was celebrated on January 23, 1963.

The photo above taken in 1943 shows members of St. Peter's Youth Group otherwise known as 'The Glee Club' at St. Peter's Church, South Bank. When you study the image you realise that it also has significant historic value to St. Andrew's because most of the young people in the picture were founder members of St. Andrew's Parish in 1962, twenty years after the photograph was taken.

People in the picture are:

(Back row): Gerard Murray, Dessie Byrnes, Ron Davies, Tom Conway, Peter Monaghen, Phil Harris, Andrew Walsh, Desie Gollogly.

(Middle row): Len Davies, Mr. Skillen (Head Teacher), Tom Darragh, Mollie Moss, Molly Donnelly, Monica Hughes, Moira Martin, Moira Coughlin, Rita Coates, Jack Hammond, Wally Walker.

(Front Row): Canon Nerney Parish Priest, Hilda Waterfield, Doreen McNulty, Joan Reed, Fr. Murphy, Edna Davies, Mary Davies, Babs Traynor, Bella Murphy.

Thanks to Mary Steele (nee Davies), fourth from right on the front row, who is a Minister of the Word, one of the people who folds the parish newsletters and is also on the cleaning rota for St. Andrew's. She is sat next to her sister Edna who is the organist at St. Andrew's Church.

WE STILL NEED YOUR PHOTOS FOR JUBILEE
We are still looking for photos of St. Andrew's for our Golden Jubilee celebrations. If you have any please write your name on the back with the year taken if possible and put them in an envelope with your name on. Our plan is to compile them all in a book which tells the story of St. Andrew's Parish in pictures and also show them in a photo exhibition.

PARISH TOTE
The Parish Tote is a painless way of raising funds for the parish and at the same time, an opportunity to win some money. Some of our more senior parishioners who used to faithfully support the Tote are no longer with us. We need more parishioners to play the Tote to keep up the winnings. Costs as little as 20p a go. Will you help? See Joe for details.

THE MONTHLY PARISH DANCE

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