What's On

Diary Dates

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CAFE AND WARM SPACE every Tuesday 10am-12 pm - EVERYONE IS WELCOME, PARISH ROOMS: SMALL HALL. ​​

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SCHOOL ADMISSION APPLICATION FORMS:- The usual deadline for returning such forms to admission clerks is the end of October! Fr. Ian is hoping to have a holiday at that time, so PLEASE circulate to people that they need to get his signature before the 6th October. Thank you.

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First Holy Communion and Confirmation programmes 2024 /2025, application forms to join these programmes are now available at the entrances to the church. The deadline for returning applications to Fr. Ian, in person, is Sunday 6th October, no further applications for the year 2024/ 2025 will be accepted after this date. If your child is in year 3 or above they are eligible to join the First Holy Communion programme. For the Confirmation programme candidates must be 14 years of age or over by the end of June 2025. To join the programmes weekly attendance at Sunday Mass is a requirement.

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Going into hospital? Please remember if you or a member of your family is taken into hospital you need to inform the ward staff that you are a Catholic and would like to see the Catholic chaplain. Under data protection law chaplains do not have automatic access to patients so please inform us at the earliest opportunity or any such situation.  This also applies if you have a relative or friend in a nursing home or going into a residential home , let us know!.  

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ROSARY CIRCLE FOR PRIESTLY VOCATIONS:- Given the not insignificant decline in priestly vocations and to encourage us all to pray for such vocations, we will continue our ‘Rosary Circle’ for September. This is a very simple spiritual exercise many of us could join in with at least 20 people praying one decade of the Rosary each day, so the whole of the Rosary is prayed for this particular intention, thus creating a circle. Each month a new ‘Rosary Circle Chart’ would be on the church noticeboard consisting of the 20 decades of the Rosary and a number of columns for people to put their initial or a tick in the box to indicate they
will pray the particular decade each day.  The chart for September is now available in the church.
To keep this spiritual exercise in our minds and hearts, the first Sunday of each month would be a ‘sign up’ weekend, when people can recommit to this by 'signing up again' or indeed take up this prayerful activity. Let it be said, however, that anyone can join the Rosary Circles at any time. Details of how to be involved will be along side the ‘sign up’ chart on the noticeboard.​

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Sunday 29th September 2024 - PARISH SOCIAL:- it is proposed that we have a lunchtime international food festival! Given the not insignificant number of nationalities in the parish, the proposal is that people bring along a local dish from their home country, sufficient for 6 or 7 people to have a ‘taste’, not the feeding of the millions. Further details to follow.​

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WANTED As we come to the close of the pastoral year and the summer break, there are a number of parish ministries and roles which need to be taken on, particularly given, for the present, we do not have as parish secretary / administrator.

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Liturgical Rotas:- our thanks to Bernie who has offered to take on this role to co-ordinate the rotas for readers at Mass, Special Ministers of Holy Communion and Welcomers.  Could all Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Welcomers, coffee makers etc email Bernie - bmsmith2204@gmail.com - to let her know what ministry/ies you do and at which Mass, also a list of any dates you are not available as soon as possible, to enable her to set rotas up ready for September.  Thanks.

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Sacristy work:- A couple of people are needed to get things ready for Mass on two separate mornings each week, ideally, one on Tuesday and another on Thursday, as the existing team have other responsibilities to take on.

Readers for weekend Masses:- If you would like to assist with the Ministry of the Word and would be willing to be a reader at Mass, please contact Fr. Ian directly; perhaps some of the younger parishioners could be especially encouraged in such regard.

Altar Servers:- If any of the children who recently made their First Holy Communion would like to become servers, if they come to the sacristy 15 minutes before Mass begins, then we can begin to organise them for this ministry.

Music:- It would be good to get some of the younger parishioners involved in the liturgical music, to this end, a discussion and meeting with interested parties would be advantageous.

Ministry of Welcome:- We are very short of welcomers at weekend Masses. A smile and a warm word of welcome as you hand out a newsletter / hymn book is essentially the requirement for this ministry. Welcomers need to arrive about 15minutes before Mass begins, ideally a person at each entrance would be best. Please get in touch if you would be willing to help.

Children’s liturgy:- as people's circumstances have changed the Children’s Liturgy has fallen into abeyance; so our thanks to all those who have led and been involved in the children's liturgy. If this primary work of the church is to continue and young families are to be encouraged in the practise of their faith, WE, as a parish, need to be supportive of them. Can we ask then, that others will take on the responsibility for children's liturgy, this will require DBS checks and some training to assist and in due time to lead the occasional children's liturgy. Again, our thanks to all those who have assisted in this work as we look forward to others helping from September.

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Youth Provision:- Following on from the supper a couple of weeks ago, if parents could give some thought to assisting with future provision for the youth, then we can have a discussion about availability to help in the future, with an eye to date, time and frequency. Again, many thanks.

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