26.11.08
I have been informed that one of the Salesian Schools which has benefitted from the "Scholarship Sponsorship" Charity, supported by the National Council of Salesian Old Boys, has sent a letter of thanks.
The Shrigley Association has made contributions to this Charity also.
For further details - follow our links to Salesians
of Don Bosco (U.K.) and NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SALESIAN OLD BOYS.
Eric Baggaley (Minutes Sec/IT Coordinator)
25.11.08
From Mike Kilduff
This week is Louise Davenport's last at Shrigley. She has been a good friend to the Shrigley Association. I sent her an e-mail this morning wishing her all the best:
Louise,
I hope that your last week at Shrigley is merely a prelude to better things. You have been a good friend to the Shrigley Association and will be missed.
I hope that the last batch of photos, when displayed, will be regarded by our members as a memento of what you have done for us. I shall certainly remind them of that at the next committee meeting this coming weekend which I will be chairing in Peter's absence - he is still on his trip down under.
Mike
This is her reply:
Hi Michael
Thank you for your kind wishes. It truly has been a great pleasure working with you, Peter and the Association. I have genuinely become interested in the Salesians and their missionary school at Shrigley. The information and photographs you have provided over the years have been fascinating and I will certainly miss being involved with future developments.
By the way: our Night Porter, David has had a sighting of the White Lady. He was in the back car park, probably a couple of weeks ago, and saw her move between the back of the church going towards the cemetery. The path she was taking did not seem to relate to anything that is in existence today. I presume her journey harked back to her time and the way Shrigley would have looked then. Poor David, he seems to be the one that meets up with our ghostly friends. Did I tell you that only last month he was closing the internal doors to the Tilden Suite and heard children laughing and talking? This was at 11pm at night and I think it is happening there because you are near to the steps to the choir and also the bell tower. Anyway it hasn’t put him off working here – yet.
Over the last few years Louise has kept me informed of reported hauntings at Shrigley and 'results' obtained by two different groups that have spent time there investigating. This last report from her is a good one!
Mike
21.11.08
Fr. Walter Gurgul (Shrigley 1947-51) has sent us pictures of his work at The National Shrine Of Divine Mercy, Stockbridge, USA. These are on our Overseas Section
19.11.08
Subject: Prayers please
Dear Friends,
Fr Francis Mageean writes that, in the course of routine ministry in Macclesfield Hospital yesterday, he met Vincent Hall, who, as many will know, was for many years a very active Shrigley and Savio House co-operator.
He would be delighted to have the support of Salesian prayers as he faces tests and treatment.
Please also remember Fr Michael Walsh, a Thornleigh past pupil, whose funeral takes place this morning. May he rest in peace. There are further details on the Past Pupils' web site http://www.donbosco.co.uk/pp/
Fr Patrick Sherlock SDB (GBR Provincial Secretary) Thornleigh Salesian House, Sharples Park, Bolton BL1 6PQ
17.11.08
Dear friends – and how I mean that,
Joe and his family would like to thank all those who helped in any way to celebrate the Life and Achievements of a dear wife and mother.
We will mourn because we will miss such a lovely lively go-ahead lady that God was pleased to give us and I ask you all to pray for the repose of her soul. Your prayers helped to make her passage through the most difficult part of her life as peaceful as it could be made. We must however laud to everyone who knew her what a wonderful person she was and what a full life she led. She worked hard for others and always had a word of encouragement for us all. She never tired of making others happy.
We thank Fr William Byrne, such a wonderful celebrant of the Mass itself and the confrere, Fr Sean Murray, Fr Tansey, Fr Bob Coupe, Fr Provincial, Fr Michael Winstanley, Fr Albert Carette who concelebrated the Mass assisted by the Deacon, Rev Malcolm Cunliffe from Wigan.
We thank the St Thomas of Canterbury Church Choir for the quality and sincerity of their singing.
We thank the Catenians of Bolton and Wigan who turned up in such large numbers and also those who travelled from Salford, Manchester, Oldham, and Rochdale to be with us.
We thank the members of the Shrigley Association who travelled from Scotland, the North East, Tyneside, Yorkshire, South Manchester, Grasmere, Atherton, Middleton and Rishton in honour of Pauline.
We thank the members of the Heaton W.I., of which Pauline was President for several years, who turned up in large numbers bearing with them such delicious cakes.
We thank the members of our extended family who also came from near and far to be with us.
Once again to the value of prayer - we estimate that there were about 400 at the Mass itself, about 200 cards arrived and about 70 Masses are to offered for her.
Finally to our own family – I thank them for their unfailing support over the hard last nineteen months, harder for Pauline than the rest of us. Everyone helped out and there were visits from many distant parts of the country .There were all those offers of help and of course there were the superb meals cooked for us, thank you all. A warm thankyou for the support from my sister Maria and her family.
As a close family I would like to thank our three sons and their families for their continual support. Our daughter Anne deserves a special personal mention as she was the main stay of both Pauline and myself with living and working near but organizing her work so that she could be at Pauline’s side. She made us many meals and sat up with Pauline the night before she died.
If I have missed out anyone please forgive me and let us all pray together that if she is not already there she is soon to receive the reward from Our Lord that she so richly deserves.
Many thanks to all
Joe
15.11.08
Dear Joe,
You were pleased, I hope, yesterday, to see so many of your friends from the Salesians and the Shrigley Association, joining with you, your family and your Parish, to celebrate the life achievements of Pauline R.I.P.
I have listed those I saw, but there may well have been others in the crowded Church and Golf Club!
SDBs = Fr. Albert Carette, Fr. Michael Winstanley, Fr. Robert Coupe, Fr.
Sean Murray, Bro. Donald MacDonald...
SA Representatives = Sean Simpson, Peter Hunter, Jane Murphy, Tom Holden, Mike Egan, Mike Kilduff, Eric Baggaley, John & Marie Burke, Alan & Ena Burns, Kevin & Gail Dean, Tony("Joe") & Jill Maher, Brendan & Rosemarie Gill...
I know also that you must have received so many apologies from those unable to attend, but who were there with you in spirit. **
Peace and Love stay with you, Joe!
Eric
ps ** It is good to know that our friends such as David Murphy, Ted Carless, Paul Barnes, Bernard O'Neill et al are still hard at work, earning a living, paying their taxes - and keeping us more ancient lot in pensions!?!
Mission Appeal 2008/9 Year 2 : Scholarships for Children in Salesian Schools in Africa
Dear Salesian,
These are the faces of some of the 160 children given tuition scholarships from your most generous donation to last year's National Past Pupil Appeal.
Against a target of £13,500 you gave over £16,000, and enabled us to increase the numbers of scholarships from 90 to 160 children in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the academic year starting in September 2008.
We have received an individual report card for each child and will be able to monitor their academic progress each term.
National Council has decided that our 2008/9 Appeal should continue the scholarships for these children for a second year, and our target is to at least match the £16,000 collected last year.
Any donation would be welcome. But could you, or your family and friends donate the annual fee (average cost £100) for one of these young people to receive a full year's education?
You can make your donation (by cheque made out to 'Salesians of Don Bosco') to the Past Pupil Associations in Battersea, Blaisdon, Cowley, Farnborough or Shrigley, or post direct to:-
'Scholarship Appeal 2008/9
c/o Pat Howes : National Treasurer,
3 Wisley Road, Battersea, SW11 6NF'
Yours in Don Bosco
Patrick Morrissey : National President
Salesian
Past Pupils in the United Kingdom
OCTOBER 2008
27 October 2008
From: Patrick Sherlock [mailto:secretary@salesians.org.uk]
Subject: Congratulations to John Lydon
Dear Friends
We have just heard that John Lydon, assistant head at Salesian School Chertsey, and lecturer at St Mary's Strawberry Hill, has been elected to the Executive Council of the World Union of Catholic Teachers. Congratulations to John on this international recognition of his contribution to Catholic Education.
The full story, and a photograph, is now available on the province web
site: http://www.salesians.org.uk/
Wednesday this week is the day we celebrate the memory of Blessed Michael Rua, the first successor of Saint John Bosco. You can see his smiling face, and get links to further information, on the province web site. Don Rua died in 1910 and there are already plans in the pipeline for celebrations of his centenary in less than two years' time.
13 October 2008
From: Bernard O'Neill
Hi
It is so appropiate that Erics fond memeories of Bro Neil are aligned to
mine.
I cannot make it to the funeral tomorrow but will be at the service this
evening and have written this very short poem which I intend to read on
behalf of the Association.
"Like many boys to Shrigley Park College,
We went to pray, play football and enhance our knowledge,
Needed to be fed and what better way,
Than by Bro Neil every day.
He was always kind and caring,
With a smile on his face always sharing,
His Don Bosco spirit, his skills with a ball and general demeanour,
It made us all proud to be
A Shrigley Old Boy and to have known BRO NEIL McElwee."
Regards
Bernard
From: Paul Barnes
Sent: 13 October 2008
Subject: RE: A short appreciation
Thanks for sharing that, Eric. I made sure we prayed for Bro. Neil this weekend at the Cooperators Retreat at Savio. Paul
From: et.baggaley@btinternet.com
From: John Briffa [mailto:briss75@tpg.com.au]
08 October 2008 22:56
To: 'Eric & Tricia'
Subject: RE: Br Neil McElwee RIP
Dear Eric thanks for continuing to send me the info. From the UK.
Bro Neil was an outstanding man....humble, self-sacrificing, prayerful etc. He was there at Shrigley in 1945 and a very impressive person - outstanding in that community. He and Fr Wrangham impressed me more than any others.
May he rest in peace!
God Bless, John
From: Patrick Sherlock [mailto:secretary@salesians.org.uk]
Sent: 07 October 2008 19:30
Subject: Prayers please: Br Neil McElwee RIP
Dear Friends
We have just heard from Farnborough that Br Neil McElwee passed away this evening. He was 89 years old, and in the 69th year of his religious profession. May he rest in peace!
Among his other placements, Br Neil spent 20 years in Shrigley and 26 years in Blaisdon. He has been living in retirement in Farnborough since 1998.
 |
Photos of Br. Neil at Shrigley from collection of Gerry Wright |
The funeral arrangements for Bro Neil at the Church of Our Lady Help of Christians, Queen's Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6JS.
Monday, October 13th at 5.30 pm:
Bro Neil's body will be received into the Church Tuesday, October 14th at 11.30 am:
Mass - followed by burial at Ship Lane (12.30 pm)
Could visiting Priests please bring a white stole.
Depending on numbers, the buffet afterwards will either be in the Church Hall or in St John Bosco House. To help us make a decision on this could Communities and individuals please let Br Joe know who will be coming as soon as possible.
Please contact Br Joe Adams on joeadamssdb@hotmail.com
6th 10.08
4th October 2008 was the 50th Anniversary of Damien Cocksey's death.
He was the last boy to die and be buried at Shrigley.
Present at lunch at the Shrigley Hall Hotel, followed by a brief service in the Shrigley Cemetery, were Damien's brother, Jim and his wife Dorothy, and Damien's sister, Marie and her husband, Tom.
Present on behalf of the Shrigley Association were Fr Albert Carette, who conducted the service and led the prayers, Peter and Fiona Roebuck, Eric and Trish Baggaley, John and Marie Burke, Mike and Helen Kilduff.
Mike Kilduff
Photos of the commemoration can be seen HERE
