Statement regarding the publication of the IICSA report
The
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), has published its
investigation report
into the Catholic Church in England and Wales
today. This is based on the main public
hearings
held in
October and November 2019.
to read the report go to www.rcdhn.org.uk
Gift Aid and Donations
During the current COVID-19 pandemic, if anyone would
like to pay
their Gift Aid, sign up to Gift Aid or make a Donation
through
their bank, please
contact Roisin on 01665 798945
Very many thanks to all those who have supported the
Gift Aid Donations
Scheme. The scheme continues to make
a significant contribution to parish funds.
If you are not already signed up, please consider
joining.
The only requirement is that you should be a UK taxpayer.
Thank You.
Diocese Information
Please use the RCDHN link on the top right of the page.
The Vicariate for Faith & Mission
Pope Francis – Prayer to Mary for Protection
during the COVID–19
Pandemic.
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign
of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick.
At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain,
with steadfast faith.
You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need.
We are certain that you will provide, so that,
as you did at Cana of Galilee,
joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the Father’s will
and to do what Jesus tells us:
He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us,
through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God.
Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test –
and deliver us from every danger,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Peoples Kitchen and Alnwick Food Bank
-please
could all food donations for People's Kitchen and
Alnwick Food
Bank have lids on where necessary.
Thank You.
Nights of Light- December
Saturday
4th Arthur Carroll—In Thanksgiving
Saturday 11th
—Arthur Carroll—In Thanksgiving
If you would like the Church to be lit up for
a special occasion or
remembrance of a
loved one, download the form on the
Nights of Light
page on the parish website.
Minimum donation £1 per date!
Thank
You.
Feasts of the Week
Tues
7th—St Ambrose Bp, D
Wed 8th—The
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patron of the Diocese
USED POSTAGE STAMPS
Please continue to
save your used stamps until the church re-opens.
Thank You
The Peoples Kitchen
My thanks as
always to all who give so generously throughout the year.
The kitchen are
constantly feeding and clothing the many needy people on a
daily basis, the numbers are ever increasing.
Well done to you
very kind hearted people.
DRIVEWAY
When driving within the church grounds PLEASE
keep to the 5mph speed limit.
Expensive gravel
is being displaced by overzealous drivers.
Thank You.
PLEASE let us know
if a relative or
neighbour has been taken to any of our hospitals,
otherwise we will not be able to visit them.
Offertory Collection
Did you know you
can pay your weekly offertory donation
via standing order or direct debit.
In these days of internet banking it is so
easy to make
a regular payment to St Paul’s RC Church,
Alnwick.
You can still gift aid your donation by
filling in the form at the back of church.
ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL
The website is
http://www.stpaulsalnwick.co.uk/
containing lots
of information about our schools and a
chance to keep up to date with what is
happening.
Please visit our website.
Memoriam Book
The Memoriam
Book placed on the Sanctuary and
contains the
names of family and friends of parishioners,
each written under the date of their death.
If you would like the names of your loved ones
included,
please fill in the form at the back of Church
and place it in
the box provided.
Fill in a separate form for each name, please.
Security
Please be
vigilant when you are in and about the Church.
Do not leave
your valuables unattended in the church.
Nights of Light
Our Church looks
particularly attractive at present with the flood lighting.
We depend on the
Nights of Lights scheme to fund the lighting of the church.
If you would
like to celebrate a important occasion,
please consider
lighting up our church
If you would
like the Church to be lit up for a special occasion,
please obtain a
form from the back of the Church and hand it with your donation
to Tim Sewell,
any of the Parish Council,
drop it through
the letterbox at the Parish House
or download the
form on the Nights of Light page
Minimum donation
£1 per date!
Being Admitted to Hospital
If you, a friend or relative are admitted to hospital, a
visit/Holy Communion/the
Sacraments can be arranged by the chaplaincy team.
You can contact
the chaplaincy via the hospital switchboard on 03448118111 and ask to be put
through to the chaplaincy department.
If the call is urgent,
please ask the nurse to contact the Roman Catholic Priest on call.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of St Paul’s Parish
Council
held on Sunday 7th
November 2021 in the Church.
Background
Due to
Covid 19 restrictions, meetings of the Parish Council were suspended, and the
last meeting held in the Parish Room
took place on 3rd March 2020. The
next Meeting did not take place until 15th September 2020 and then
it was held via Zoom.
This was
also Fr Oliver’s last meeting due to a reshuffle with Fr Stephen Watson joining
the Parish in November.
The Parish Council continued to meet via Zoom
during 2021 publishing Minutes on the Parish website Bulletin. Due to continued
restrictions,
we were unable to hold the AGM in July.
However, the AGM has now taken place and the Parish Council were able to
welcome members of the congregation to the
first AGM since 2019.
Present
Fr
Stephen (President/Chair), Mary Donaghey (secretary/minutes) June Etterley,
Edith Humphries,
Ed Sweeney, Mary Frater (co-opted member/ Events)
Martin O’Hanlon (co-opted member/Grounds and Maintenance).
1.Opening
Prayer led by Fr Stephen
2 Apologies
for absence received from Michelle Burgress (Parish Administrator)
3 Minutes of
previous AGM. The last AGM was held on 2nd July 2019. The Minutes
had previously been circulated
and
agreed so there was no need for further consideration. A copy of the Minutes is
available at the back of Church.
4 Welcome
new members to the Parish Council. There had previously been three
self-nominations to the Council.
One being Sally Williams was present at the
AGM and was invited by Fr Stephen to introduce herself to the Meeting.
Her nomination seconded by June Etterley she
was welcomed to the Council as a member.
5 Financial
Report from Parish administrator. The Financial report for the year
2020-2021 was given at the Meeting held on 7th September
and full details can be found in the Minutes from
that meeting, Fr Stephen provided an update financial report on behalf of
Michelle.
Current
account - £57,316.34 (this includes money raised for the roof fund of
£21,287.70)
Deposit
account - £50,428.56 [Michelle has since told me that this is lower than our
last meeting due a payment of £925 for a bat survey].
The cost
of repair to the Parish house was £29,684 with a final bill of £16, 668 which
has been paid. Unfortunately,
the
shower is still leaking and will need further attention but other than that
work on the house has been completed.
Having
successfully secured grants totalling £133,976 work is now underway on the
Church oof. Fr Stephen explained that the
Welsh slate tiles previously purchased cannot
now be used under the terms of the grant from Northumbria Historic Churches
Trust.
However, arrangements have been made to sell
the tiles to be used by another church.
The
Church clock is undergoing repair thanks to a generous bequest. This will
include work to allow the clock chimes to be silenced during the night.
6 Building
repair and maintenance report. Martin O’Hanlon provided a full update at the
last meeting on 7th September
for the proposed AGM and this can be found on
the Minutes for that meeting.
Fr Stephen thanked Martin for his continued
hard work over the past year.
7 Review of
the year 2020-2021 and plans for future. A review is due to take place of
the continuing Covid restrictions. At present face masks
are still to be worn inside the Church and the
booking system to monitor numbers attending services is still in place.
First
Communions and Confessions are going ahead this year and Fr Stephen spoke about
the options
offered
under the First Communion/Confession Programme.
Option 1 Friendship
with Jesus – This is open to any child with the support of their parents who
wishes to learn more
about Jesus and the Christian way of life.
Parents who choose Option 1 for their child make a general
commitment to support their child as they learn
about Jesus at school.
Option 2
Two Walking with Jesus – This is open to all children Baptised in any Christian
denomination who,
with the support of their parents wish to
renew the promises first made at their Baptism.
Parents
who choose Option 2 for their child made a general commitment to support the
child as they learn more about Jesus at school.
Option 3
Meeting Jesus – This is open to all Roman catholic children who, with the
active support of their parent(s)
wish to become a full member of the parish
family. This involves making a formal commitment
on the part of the parent(s) to attend all
meetings of the programme.
Any
parents approaching Fr Stephen for information about the programme will receive
a pack.
Fr
Stephen is building up contacts with nursing/care homes in the area and has
made a number of visits to residents.
The
Church choir has reformed under the direction of a new leader Colette Boushell.
Synod
2021-2023 – discussion needs to take place around our repose to the Synod. Pope
Francis and the Synod office
in Rome are inviting the whole Church to take
part. The whole ‘Synod’ will be a two–year process beginning in every
diocese
in October 2021 and moving on to a national then international listening
exercise. Bishop Robert Byrne
has produced a video introducing the Synod and
Year of the Eucharist which can be viewed on the Diocesan Website.
Once the roof is fixed it is hoped the Church
can be opened more during the week.
8 Christians
Together in Alnwick update given by Mary Frater. Last year the theme for
Christmas was angels.
This year it is stars, and everyone is invited
to join in by making stars in whatever material or way they wish.
They can
be knitted, crotched, made from paper or wood. The stars will be put into bags
and placed in trees around the Town
for people to pick up. All stars need to be
completed by 4th December to allow time for them to be put in place.
Percy Lion will be on display in shops and
local shops will again be asked to place a crib in their window.
The Cribs were an enormous success last year.
The
Christmas lights will be switched on in Alnwick on Friday 19th
November. This will include a projection of the Three Wise men
making
their way up Narrowgate.
9 Parishioners’
concerns, queries and/or questions. Open to the floor.
Can a
list of the members of the Parish Council be placed at the rear of the Church?
This had previously done prior to Covid but
the list now needs updating.
Concerns
have been raised over the lack of social distancing when going up for
Communion.
People
are no longer standing apart. It is difficult to pass down the side of the
Church due to the building work and the temporary altar.
Also having two Eucharistic ministers means
people are crossing in front of each other as they make their way back to their
bench.
Action
point – reduce to one Eucharistic minister and reintroduce stewards to direct
people from their benches.
Does the
parish intend to give a gift / card to care home residents? Last year they were
given a small plant and Christmas card.
Is there
a way that the sign of the peace can be given during Mass that is Covid safe?
How are
priest distributed around the Diocese? Fr Stephen replied that most are based
in Newcastle.
Once the
pandemic is over could parishes consider spreading their Mass times out during
the week?
This would allow people to attend Mass more
often as they could chose a time and day that was convenient.
Mass time
– can Fr consider changing the Mass time on Sunday to 10am? This would benefit
older people and those
with young children and may encourage people
to travel over from Rothbury.
10 Any other
Business there was no other business
11 Closing
Prayer given by Fr Stephen
