Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) 2021-2022
The
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies is managed and awarded by the
Board of
Religious Studies on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The
programme seeks to ensure that participants have a basic understanding of the
central beliefs of the Catholic faith .
This programme is available for catechists,
lay leaders and other adults wishing to deepen their understanding
of the Catholic faith and Catholic education,
serving teachers in Catholic and other schools,
and
teachers in training preparing to take up posts in Catholic schools.
The CCRS course programme is now available for
2021-2022 and there is a short presentation shown on the
Diocesan website: www.edurcdhn.org.uk/courses/courses_ccrs.php
If
anyone would like further information, they can contact Eamonn Diffley at the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle,
Department for Education on 0191 243 3313 or
email education@diocesehn.org.uk
Where is the best Catholic shop you've ever imagined?
Answer -
on your laptop.
Visit our online shop on our website,
www.thecatholicuniverse.com, for a huge selection of gifts and cards.
St Patricks Day is coming. Easter is coming.
Order your gifts and cards online now!
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
The Diocese
is not sending out Gift Aid Donation Statements for 2019/20.
However, due to the churches not being fully opened
because of COVID19, it was decided that
this year they
would only supply this information if specifically requested.
If like this information, please contact Roisin on 01665
798945.
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.
The Alnwick District Food Bank
This is to confirm
we continue to operate from our base at Lindisfarne Adult Learning Centre and
will do so with
the goodwill and
cooperation of Northumberland County Council throughout this latest lockdown.
Our website www.alnwickdistrictfoodbank.co.uk is
kept updated with regard to opening times as is our FaceBook
page.
Both also detail where donations can be dropped off and
items needed.
Our team of
volunteers have committed to "keeping the show on the road".
We are here to serve our local community to the best of
our ability.
Kind regards
From us all at ADFB
The Prayer
Group
pray in their homes at 7 o’clock every Tuesday
we would like to share with you one of the
prayers we use
Bring
me now into the deep silence of your presence.
I give you my body and ask that it may become your dwelling place
This moment may every part of my being be at peace
Let my heartbeat
Be in harmony with your heartbeat
Let every part of my body be filled with your Spirit
Take each blood vessel
Take every part of my nervous system
Take each muscle ,each organ ,each cell
Fill me now
With your stillness
With the reality of you living presence
This is part of the Shalom Prayer from
the Maranatha Community
I hope it helps, Barbara Dawson, SHALOM
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-May/June
Saturday 17th---Arthur
Carroll---In Thanksgiving
Saturday 18th
July---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
Thursday 22nd
July----St Mary Magdalene
Friday 23rd-----St
Bridget of Sweden, Rel. Patron of Europe
Saturday 24th-----The
Martyrs 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.
Bereavement Support
If you, or
someone you know, has recently been bereaved Hospice Care
now provide support either in your own home or
in a mutually convenient place.
For more information see the leaflets in the
back of church
or phone
the hospice on 01665 606512.
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 or any
family member are admitted to hospital and you would like the chaplain to
visit,
please speak to
the ward staff who will make a referral.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minutes of the meeting of St Paul’s Parish Council held
on Tuesday 6th July 2021 at 4 pm via Zoom.
Present – Fr Stephen Watson, Mary Donaghey
(Chair /Minutes) June Etterley, Edith Humphries
Opening
Prayer – The opening prayer was
given by Fr Stephen.
Apologies
for absence
Apologies
received from Co-opt members Martin O’Hanlon and Mary Frater,
Michelle Burgress,
Parish Administrator (updates provided by them in their absence. No other apologies received.
Review of
the Agenda.
The Agenda as
it stood was accepted with additional item regards Tabernacle area in church
under other business.
Minutes
of previous meeting and Matters Arising:
The minutes of the previous meeting held on 4th May 2021 were
agreed. There was then a review of
Action points from the meeting as follows: -
(a) Action
Point. Mary Donaghey
as secretary will send out letters on behalf of the Council to Yvonne Douglas
and Elsie Doherty – completed.
(b) Action
Point. to contact Tim Sewell to discuss
a review of items on the Bulletin – completed.
(c) Action
point to contact Stanley Trafford to see if he is aware of the procedure for
returning funds raised to Christian Aid – completed.
Parish
Administrator’s Report
Report from
Michelle Burgess given on her behalf by Fr Stephen on the Church’s current
financial position: -
Current account
£32,161.92
Deposit account
£80,021.56
This is an
increase on the figures reported at the last meeting.
Fr Stephen gave
some good news that a bequest of £12,000 given on the understanding that it is
used to repair the clock
This will cover
the entire amount needed and will include a mechanism to allow the chimes to be
turned out during the night.
Regarding the
roof information has been received via Mini Frazer at the Diocese of a possible
further
grant available from the Heritage Stimulus
Fund which is a government grant.
It has since been discovered that St Paul’s is
a grade II listed building which strengthens our position in applying for
grants.
If our application to Heritage Stimulus was
successful, they will pay up to 80% of the cost of repairs.
The application process needs to be completed
by 15th July 2021.
It maybe a while before we hear if the application has been
successful.
Fr Stephen
informed the meeting of a generous donation from a family in the Parish of
£1,000
for the roof
fund for which we are all incredibly grateful.
A donation of
£400 was also received from a group of Pilgrims visiting the church.
Building
repair and maintenance
Fr Stephen
advised that he had been waiting for a back door and a window for the
downstairs toilet in the Parish house which should be completed shortly.
The conservatory has now been demolished and
there are no plans to replace it due to the cost.
The downstairs toilet also needs weather-proof
cladding and a new roof.
There is now a
full-time cleaner which is proving very successful.
Unfortunately,
there has been some damage to the church.
About six weeks ago the main window of St
Paul was damaged possibly by a catapult as there is a stone now lodged
in the grate
covering the strain glass window and one of the clear glass panels above has
been smashed. In the grounds one of the
cherry
tree stakes has been smashed. The Police are now patrolling the grounds and
area and it is hoped this is an isolated incident.
There followed
a discussion around the possible lifting of restrictions on 19th
July 2021. Sadly, Northumberland now
has the second
highest rate of infection in the UK. We
need to continue to be cautious and, in any event, we need to wait
for an update from the Diocese for any updated
guidance.
Prior to work
beginning on the roof, we will need to clear the top end of the church.
Once the work
is completed, we may need industrial cleaners in as there will be a lot of dust
created.
Christians
Together in Alnwick
In her absence
the update was given on behalf of Mary Frater.
At the last
meeting of Christians Together in Alnwick via zoom 10th June we said farewell
to Dawn & Bill McDonald
who are leaving Alnwick, to move to Skipton,
after more than 30 years as loyal members of Alnwick Baptist Church,
they have been great supporters of St. Paul’s
Church.
Farewell also to Gerard Rundell
Curate of St. Michael’s who is moving to the Denton area of Newcastle.
Bob and Mary
Bain from Welcome Network in Shilbottle are setting
up a Gospel Choir and the first session
to join up is Saturday 24th July in the
Costello Centre 10.00-12noon £10.00 for adults £6.00 for children.
There was also
a discussion about Remembrance Sunday already booked in St. Paul’s and future
Christmas plans,
ideas welcome after
the success of the Angels in 2020. Cribs in shops will again be taken on by
Mary Frater with the help of some volunteers.
The next
Meeting to be held on Thursday 9th September, should be in St. Paul’s Parish
Room, but this will need to be confirmed nearer the time.
Regarding The
Tabletop sale to be held on 24th July 2021 Fr Stephen explained that
several things need to be considered
and that we need to take precautions. For example, handling money and people
examining goods for sale.
Catering cannot be provided and if the weather
is inclement then we cannot move into the church.
Fr Stephen proposed that we go ahead making
necessary adjustments such as stallholders wearing gloves and masks.
Proposal made
to thank Dorothy and Mike Brett for all their hard work over many years and not
least the period of the Pandemic.
It was agreed to send a letter of thanks on
behalf of the Parish council.
Action
point:- Mary Donaghey will prepare a letter of thanks
to be given on behalf of the Parish Council by Fr Stephen.
Update on
Parish Council nominations.
At the time of
this meeting one nomination for the Parish Council vacancies had been received.
Update: - since the meeting, a further two nominations have been
received.
These will be discussed at the rescheduled AGM
in September.
Another
business
Fr Stephen
spoke about the Tabernacle base which is brass and is very dull. He asked the meetings opinion on asking for
volunteers to clean the brass.
Also, should we have some new Tabernacle
veils made which would be longer to cover the shelf. This would make the Tabernacle more
prominent.
Action
point: - Fr Stephen will ask for volunteers to clean the Tabernacle and he
knows of a parishioner who could make the veils for us.
A discussion
took place around opening the church for visitors during the week in the future
and June advised Fr that this
had been done successfully during the summer
prior to the Pandemic. Indeed, she still
has her list of church sitters.
Date of
next meeting to be arranged – next
meeting to include the postponed AGM Tues 7th September 2021 open to
all Parish members.
Time and venue to be confirmed.
Closing
Prayer – given by Fr Stephen
