Little Sisters of the Poor – Urgent
Appeal
The
Little Sisters of the Poor have launched a vital fundraising appeal,
in response to the increasing pressures faced
by St. Joseph’s Care Home
during the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
pandemic.
The
Little Sisters of the Poor at St. Joseph’s Home in Newcastle are
finding the current economic climate
increasingly more demanding.
The emergency lockdown measures we implemented
to aid efforts
to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and keep our
residents safe has had a
massive
impact on our fundraising activities and the charitable donations
we rely on to meet the daily running costs of
the Home.
We are
appealing for urgent donations to help us continue with our
work of caring for the Elderly and to enable
us to carry out
essential
fire prevention upgrades to our Home.
In these
uncertain times, small acts of kindness can make
a huge difference in helping our Home.
Make a
Donation
Cheques
made payable to ‘Little Sisters of the Poor’ can be sent to:
St. Joseph’s Home, Westmoreland Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7QA.
Alternatively,
secure, online donations can be made at :
https://www.littlesistersofthepoor.co.uk/donate-here/
We ask
God to bless and reward you and your families for your continued support.
TO OUR CATHOLIC UNIVERSE AND
CATHOLIC TIMES READERS IN THE PARISH:-
at the
moment you are unable to collect your paper at Mass,
but you can get it delivered direct to your
home every week, POST FREE.
Please go
to www.thecatholicuniverse.com or call them on
0161 820
5722 and they will arrange for you.
SPECIAL
OFFER 3 MONTHS :-£25.00
SPECIAL
OFFER 12 Months:- £99.00
OR
DIGITAL
COPY:- 12 Months: £55.00
Keeping
you and your parish in our thoughts and prayers.
May
we take this opportunity in thanking you for all your support.
God
bless
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
Thursday 10th
June---Vera Mallon--- R.I.P.
Thursday 10th
June---Tony Pucci---R.I.P.
Saturday 12th June---Arthur Carroll---In
Thanksgiving
Saturday 19th
June---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.
Fatima Mass
Yvonne Douglas has been to Fatima and is having a Mass
said for all our
parishioners every
month for a year and also every Friday included in the Rosary.
Feasts of the Week
Monday 7th
June---St Robert of Newminster AB
Friday 11th
June---The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Saturday
12th June---The Immaculate Heart of Mary
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 15mph 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 in Our Lady’s Chapel
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!
In the absence of the priest, whom can
we contact?
It is always
good to be able to contact the priest of the
parish when you
need information or in emergency.
But the parish
house is not always manned.
In the absence
of the priest, the number of a contact person
will be on the
answering machine.
Hospital Referral Cards
It is becoming
increasingly difficult to know when any
of our parishioners have been admitted to
hospital.
If you or any of
your family are being admitted to any of our
hospitals please let the priest know as soon
as possible.
At the back of
the church there are some hospital referral cards.
We would ask you
to have one of these cards at home and if for any reason you have to stay
in hospital
please hand it to the ward sister who will inform the hospital chaplain.
Please supply
the patient’s name, ward and hospital.
Alternatively, a
hospital referral card can be completed and given to Fr. Stephen.
Due to the
unavailability of information regarding religious denomination of patients
in the RVI, Freeman and Walkergate
Hospitals, patients and relatives
must take
responsibility to inform the hospital chaplain.
Tel 0191 232
1892.
The same
situation applies to all our local hospitals and maybe care homes.
If you or a
relative are going into hospital or one of our
care homes please let the local priest know.
It will make our
work much easier
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minutes of the meeting of St Paul’s Parish Council
held on Tuesday 4th
May 2021 at 7 pm via Zoom.
Present – Fr Stephen Watson, Mary Donaghey
(Chair /Minutes)
June Etterley, Edith Humphries, Edward Sweeney
Co-Opt
Members-- Michelle Burgess attended for financial update
and Mary Frater to update on Christians
Together in Alnwick.
Opening
Prayer – The opening prayer was given
by Fr Stephen.
Apologies
for absence
Apologies
received from Co-opt member Martin O’Hanlon.
No other
apologies received.
Review of
the Agenda.
The
Agenda as it stood was accepted.
Minutes
of previous meeting and Matters Arising:
The
minutes of the previous meeting held on 2nd March 2021 were agreed.
There was then a review of Action points from
the meeting as follows: -
(a)
Action Point: Michelle Burgess will send
a letter to Environmental Health
asking for clarification. Completed.
There are no further information of previous noise complaints
regards the clock. No other complaints have been received to
date.
(b)
Action point – secretary to send out a copy of the Constitution for information
to all Parish council members. Completed
(c)
Action point – Mary Frater will write and see if the stall can be booked for
mid-June. Completed.
This is on hold pending fund raising stall in
Church grounds on 17th July.
(d)
Action point – Mary Donaghey will approach Martin and
ask if A J Scott has been approached.
Completed – rubbish will be removed free of
charge by Martin once the work commences.
Tree Lopping is on hold during nesting season.
Parish
Administrator’s Report
Report from
Michelle Burgess on the Church’s current financial position: -
Current
account £30,681.81
Deposit
account £74,355.37
Roof fund
£7,355
Michelle
explained that in addition to producing the financial report for last year she
had now also been
allocated responsibility for completing the
roof funding grant applications. From an
e mail she has received
from the Diocese Finance Department they are
trying to consolidate the current and deposit accounts
to give a clearer idea of the monies going in
and out of the Parish. To this end the
£7,355 in the roof fund
has been allocated against the £46,238.40 paid
from the deposit account for the roof slates.
This
means the roof fund now stands at £0.
The deposit account figure of £74,355.37 may need
to be updated to take this into account.
Michelle
explained that we are applying for three grants to help towards the cost of
repairing the roof.
The first
is Northumbria Churches Trust for £5,000.
This application has been submitted by Minnie Frazer.
The other two grants are from National
Churches Trust of £10,000 each. Michelle
will take the lead as these
are more
financially detailed with support from the Diocese Finance Department. To support these applications
Mary Frater stated that, in her capacity as
Events organiser, she has provided details of the various groups,
including local schools, and community events
that have taken place in the church in the past.
This shows
that the church is a community assess as well as a place of worship. However, it may be July befor
e we find
out if we have been successful. We will
eventually be able to reclaim the VAT
on the
roof slates amounting to £7,706.
Correspondence
received –
Ed
Sweeney had sent an e mail to the Parish Council secretary asking the council
to recognise fund
raising
efforts for the church over the past three years of, Elsie Doherty and Yvonne
Douglas.
Between them they have been making home-made
jams, knitting garments, and sending shoe boxes at
Christmas
amongst other things. Unfortunately,
they feel a little underappreciated and need some encouragement to continue
with their efforts. Ed put forward a
proposal that a letter of thanks be sent to encourage the ladies to continue
with their efforts.
All those present agreed that they were aware
of and appreciated the amount of work and funds raised as a result.
Unfortunately.
due to the pandemic the sale of goods and storage of items such as the shoe boxes
had had to be suspended.
The Council passed the proposal for a letter
of thanks to be sent to Yvonne Douglas and Elsie Doherty
Action
Point. Mary Donaghey
as secretary will send out letters on behalf of the Council.
An e mail
dated 4th April was received from a parishioner regards the online
Church Bulletin. Their concern
was that the Bulletin contained out of date
information. For example, they had
logged in
on 4th April and the Bulletin was still showing details of Palm
Sunday from the previous week.
After discussion it was felt that this may
have been due to Good Friday as the Bulletin is normally updated
each week on Friday. There are other items which have been carried
over for some time and some items may need reviewing.
Action
Point. Mary Donaghey
was contact Tim Sewell to discuss a review of items on the Bulletin.
Building
repair and maintenance –
In his
absence Martin O’Hanlon had sent an update via email which Fr Stephen read out
on his behalf.
PANDEMIC.
With an additional team to attend service on Saturday evening, we are coping
well
with
sanitising the Church and keeping all safe.
New
Cherry Trees. I was informed that the Alnwick Town Council (ATC) might have
some spare.
Therefore,
having liaised with ATC, Janet and Sid came to the Church grounds where they
not only donated 6 Trees
but planted and staked them. (Fr Stephen
stated Michelle has written to ATC and thank them).
Church
Trees. Slight delay in having the Church Trees lopped. The arborist is
prevented from cutting trees
whilst Birds are Nesting. Therefore, a slight
delay will occur in having the work actioned.
Update on
funding application for the roof fund – from Fr Stephen
It was agreed
that this item had been covered above by Michelle during her update.
Wedding
fees – discussion to consider an increase
with regards to any future bookings
Fr
Stephen stated that currently we ask for £300 for the Church, £70 for an
organist and the approved
person fee, which is a legal requirement, is
£70. Mary Frater stated that £300 is
what we charge for concerts.
The wedding fee is at the discretion of the
Parish priest and can be waived if there is a pastoral or financial need.
The rules for how marriages are registered is
changing and may be more streamlined. It
is not known if our fees are similar to other local churches. No increases are suggested at this time.
Reopening
the Church for events - how we can go about this
with regards to responsibilities for
stewards, cleaners,
monitoring government guidance changes and
communication
Fr
Stephen pointed out how unpredictable things are at this time and how difficult
it is to plan especially with
booking future concerts and events. Any booking would have to be provisional
pending any updates or developments.
The next
booking for a concert is not until 13th November and Mary Frater has
let them know it is provisional.
When we
do reopen, we will need to point out to the groups their responsibility for
cleaning, disposal of rubbish
and ensuring that any rules and restrictions
which may be in place are followed to ensure the safety of parishioners.
At some point we will need to draw up an
Action Plan to make guidance clear for groups using the church outside of
services.
Fund
Raising stall – proposal for fund raising stall in
Church
Grounds Saturday 17th July 10.00am-12noon.
This has
come about because Christians Together in Alnwick had wanted to have a stall
for Christian Aid week
in the church grounds on 17th July
but had decided to hold a plant stall in the market on Saturday 8th
May instead.
Mary Frater has spoken to Fr Stephen about the
idea of kick-starting fund raising for the roof by having several stalls in the
church grounds on Saturday 17th July. This could include a raffle and serving tea
and coffee. It would also give people
the opportunity to meet Fr Stephen. We could charge people a small entrance fee
at the gate.
Another
idea from Mary Frater is that she has a large glass jar which she could leave
in the church for donations.
June Etterley
confirmed there are no plans to open the church during the week to visitors
while restrictions are on.
Christian
Aid Week – Stanley Trafford will be outside
Church after Mass on 8th and 9th May giving
out envelopes.
Stanley
Trafford had asked Fr Stephen if he could stand outside church this coming
weekend after mass to give
out envelopes for Christian Aid week. There was no collection for Christian Aid
last year and funds were
considerably
down. The envelopes can be returned to
Stanley the following weekend 15th and 16th May.
The envelopes will need to be stored in the
church safe. Clarification will be needed
as to whether the
envelopes are to be returned unopened to
Christian Aid or the money counted and then returned.
Fr Stephen pointed out that the envelopes do
usually have a slip for gift aid, and these will contain
personal details which Christian Aid will need
to claim back the tax.
Action
point Mary Donaghey will contact Stanley Trafford to
see if he is aware
of the procedure for returning funds raised to
Christian Aid.
Christians
Together in Alnwick –
update
including Heritage Weekend in September
Update
from Mary Frater. Lenten lunches were
done virtually this year and was
a success managing to raise £456.04 with
another £50 due.
This is in line with the amount normally
raised in the hall itself.
As said
earlier there will be a plant stall this Saturday to raise funds for Christian
Aid.
There will also be an online quiz on 13th
May.
All
Churches will be open on Saturday 11th September as part of Heritage
Weekend.
Fr
Stephen has agreed to open St Paul’s and to lend some prayer cards for prayer
stations.
Any other
business – Alnwick Flower Festival.
Parish appeal for fund raising for Covid
vaccines.
The
Alnwick Flower Festival 2020 was to be held in St Paul’s Church but due to
Covid 19 was cancelled.
The event
passed to St Michael’s Church this year as is tradition. They have been in touch with Jean O’Hanlon
and advised that the event for 2021 is also
cancelled. However, there was a
misunderstanding that St Paul’s
intended
to hold a flower festival this summer.
As Chair of the Alnwick Flower Festival 2021 Mary Donaghey
confirmed
that this is not the case and it had been expected to pass to St Michael’s as
usual.
Confusion may have arisen due to the event on
17th July.
An email
from a parishioner asked if we as a church could assist with fund raising for
vaccines following the crisis in India.
Fr Stephen suggested that a link to the CAFOD
appeal for India be placed on the Bulletin as the most suitable way to assist.
Date of
next meeting to be arranged – next meeting being AGM Tues 6th July 2021
open to
all parish members. Time and venue to be
confirmed.
