Parish Stewardship Initiative Part 3

The Children's Film show was postponed last Friday. This will now be held on Friday 14th February at 6.00pm in the Parish Hall – Disney’s ‘Elemental’. Tickets £5 each including party food, available from John McGowan in February. Tickets already purchased remain valid or can be refunded if you cannot make the new date.

RECEIVING THE SYNOD: What happens in our parish? The 3-year 'Synod on Synodality', one of the most important events in the life of the modern Church, has concluded at the end of October with a big assembly of bishops and others in Rome. It was an important event in the life of the church, but we might wonder what difference it makes, and if it matters to us at all. One of the ‘experts’ at the assembly, Dr Austen Ivereigh, will help our parishes receive the fruits of the synod in two separate sessions at Hedley Lodge, Belmont Abbey. The first session held on Saturday, 23rd November explained the reason for the synod and what it means for our future. For those unable to attend, a recording of the talk is available below. https://youtu.be/claRVlSqFpA The next session will be aimed at discussing how to implement the Synod in our parishes. It will be held on Saturday 18th January 2025, from 10.00am to 4.00pm in Hedley Lodge, Belmont Abbey. Please bring a packed lunch - tea and coffee will be available.

The Holy Father has decided that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. The theme is “Pilgrims of Hope” We are all on a pilgrimage towards Heaven, towards ‘sharing the glory of God’, as St Paul puts it. Any pilgrimage or journey is sustained by hope: hope in the destination. We are currently preparing for the Jubilee Year 2025, which Pope Francis has given the theme, Pilgrims of Hope. We might say that this Jubilee Year, and our preparations for it, are another pilgrimage within that great pilgrimage of our faith, one in which we seek to deepen our sense of hope in God’s promises, in ‘sharing the glory of God’. As we look at the world around us, hope is something that is very much needed in these times. We need it, too, in our personal lives, in the lives of our families, and as a virtue cultivated in all of our relationships. It is important that we share the hope we gain in faith, with others, a hope borne of the knowledge of God’s love and the experience of knowing Jesus Christ. Our Year of Preparation for the Jubilee Year is to be a year of prayer, focusing, in particular, on the Lord’s Prayer, in order to foster our relationship with God our Father. This will open us up to receiving the graces and blessings that He wishes to bestow on us during the Jubilee Year…Archbishop Mark O’Toole.

Our small team of volunteers needs more help with the soup lunches on Saturdays from 11.30am to 1.30pm. We serve tea, coffee, soup, bread & butter and biscuits to a small group of regular visitors. It is easy to do, no qualifications are needed except a willingness to be on a flexible rota and chat to those we support. Contact Denise, John or pop along one Saturday to see how it works. Thank you!

The Sunday evening Mass has been re-introduced at Our Lady’s. This Mass resumed on Sunday, 6th October at 6.30pm. The morning Mass at 10.00am remains unchanged.

Would you like to have a birthday or special occasion celebrated for a friend or family member or Sympathy for the loss of a cherished person? You can have a Mass said for that person on these special occasions or for any other special intention. Grab a Mass Intention envelope and enter the name and date for the Mass you require. Envelopes are available at the rear of the church. You can call or email the parish office at the Presbytery. This is a beautiful and special way to pay tribute to our loved ones. There is no better gift that we can that offer, none more supreme than the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

Our parish piety shop is now open for you to browse the wide selection of religious items and cards on offer. Please go and have a look what is on offer and if there is something you want but isn’t there let us know and we can try and order it for you.

We urgently need People to help with those parts of parish life that happen all the time but are rarely seen. If you can help count the collection (training will be given); cleaning the church, or to act as a welcomer please have a word with Father Andrew. Remember this is your parish family so if you can help in any way please do

Thank you for your continued financial support during these incredibly difficult and challenging times. Every Parish is struggling financially at the moment, and we are no different. We are especially grateful to all those who have signed up to new Standing Orders, posted their envelopes through the Presbytery door, and who have sent in cash and cheques. All your offerings are gratefully received. However, even during a cost of living crisis the bills still keep coming, and without your help we could go from a lockdown to a shutdown. Our Lady’s parish is running at a deficit this year. With this in mind I encourage you to think about: + Might you be able to Gift Aid your donations? If you area UK taxpayer, we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give at no extra cost to you! + Why not sign up to a Standing Order rather than using the envelopes or cash? Mandate forms are available. + We are also looking into the possibility of contactless giving Our Lady’s is a small church with a big hearted congregation who know how important it is to support the church both spiritually and practically. Thank you for all your help, big or small.