With the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8th December 2020 to 8th December 2021…. Read all: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-12/pope-francis-proclaims-year-of-st-joseph.html
The Friends of STM are holding a Christmas virtual raffle with some cracking prizes up for grabs
for the winning tickets. The star prize is £100 cash! Plus lots of other fantastic prizes! If anyone
wants to contribute a prize, please get in touch with the Friends. Tickets are £1.00 each with a
buy five tickets get an extra ticket free deal. To help keep the raffle virtual we are offering the
ability to pay via bank transfer (see details below) as well as accepting cash payments at the
school office (cash should be in an envelope clearly marked with your name, contact details,
number of tickets required and amount of money enclosed). Bank transfer details: Friends of St
Thomas More s/c: 60-13-39 a/c: 83452982 Please put your name as a reference and send an
email to stmfriends34@yahoo.com with your name, contact details, number of tickets
required, and amount of money transferred. Simply make your payment and you will be
allocated tickets ready for the big prize draw on Monday 14 December 2020
In October 2019, the Bishops of England and Wales commissioned an independent review of the Catholic Church’s Safeguarding Structures and Arrangements in England and Wales. Ian Elliott is the independent Chair of the Review. The link for the Elliott report can be found at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/our-work/safeguarding/independent-review-of-the-catholic-churchs-safeguarding-structures-and-arrangements-in-england-and-wales/
Photo: Cambridge
Let’s ‘meet’ to pray in Advent to build up our parish family and prepare for a different Christmas. It has been suggested that Evening Prayer takes place via Zoom from 7.15pm to 7.30pm each evening of Advent. To make this happen, we would need lots of volunteers to lead a session of prayer. We know so many of us have gifts to share – music, poetry, silence, crafts, children’s prayer, prayer of the church, the rosary and others. How wonderful it would be to meet and share our gifts in the season of watching and waiting, and how exciting to share a variety of ways of praying. If you feel you could be part of this, please fill in this online rota and we will contact you to make further plans https://forms.gle/6YD7LPV32eyYnzHr5
If you are interested but unsure about Zoom, send an email to Catherine on cmdanaher66@gmail.com and we can help you. For those who do not want to lead but do want to take part, further details will follow, including help with how to join Zoom via the internet or your phone dial-in.
I attended this event on Saturday, along with at least 85 others from our Diocese. Bishop Patrick, in his keynote speech, set out the journey that our diocese is on towards joining Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN). He powerfully described the steps that we need to make as baptised Catholics to become Missionary Disciples. For me re-joining the journey at this point (I had attended meetings early in the process) it was clear that much work has already been accomplished. We have a ‘Menu of Ministries’ outlined.
• Building Community
• Environment and global responsibility
• Poverty and dignity
• Modern slavery and human trafficking
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Tackling social isolation
Ged Edwards (from CSAN) reminded us that we can only become Caritas together. He spoke about the work of CSAN nationally, in other dioceses. For me it was important, from his message, to recognise that Caritas needs to be organised and is based firmly on Catholic Social Teaching. There is already much work going on in and around our own communities. It’s important to join together, don’t duplicate what is already being done. A number of individuals spoke about projects that their parishes are already engaged in. Many were with in collaboration with other churches or groups in the wider community. This was a message that resounded from the small groups in the afternoon. Dr Amy Daughton drew each session together in powerful reflection. I am so glad that I joined the day.
Alison Bridgwood
Photo: Bradgate Park
The Directors of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic MAT are seeking to appoint a new headteacher at Holy Cross Catholic Voluntary Academy, Leicester, (salary scale L15-21). For an application pack please call the Trust’s HR department on 0116 296 8164 or email pcooper@aquinas-cmat.org .
To arrange a school visit please contact Elizabeth Routledge (school office) on 0116 283 3135 or email eroutledge@holy-cross.leicester.sch.uk CLOSING DATE: Monday 23 November 2020
This free e-book may be downloaded from www.catholic-thoughts.info/johnhenrynewman. It offers an account of the thought of Saint John Henry Newman on a topic central to his life, namely the Conscience as involving a sense of God. There is also available an accompanying ebook, which is an appendix containing several of Newman’s early manuscript sermons.
Photo: Wistow
Working Party on Re-opening of Churches and Parish Rooms for the Parishes of Immaculate Conception Oadby, St Thomas More Knighton, St Mary Wigston & St John Bosco Eyres Monsell
Risk assessments have now been completed and individual parishes met to consider use of space (capacity, entry and exit points, use of car park and outside space), ordering of supplies (hand sanitiser, cleaning agents) and recruitment of volunteers.
The criteria for volunteers is
DBS process to be completed of not already in place for the Parish
There is an upper age limited recommended of 70 years
Volunteers should not be on the clinically extremely vulnerable category
To plan fully, it would be really helpful to have some idea how many can commit to volunteering.
If you feel able to help, please email the Parish Office to let us know how often you would be
able to commit (eg fortnightly, monthly, Sunday, weekday…)
The full working party will meet again on Friday 25th September to continue this process, in the
light of the work done in each individual parish. The Working Party will then feed into meetings
of the relevant PPCs.
The following Churches in Leicestershire are now celebrating public Mass. However, places are
limited and booking is essential either online via the Diocesan website (preferred) or by
telephoning the relevant parish office.
Blessed Sacrament, Leicester
Holy Cross, Leicester*
Mother of God, New Parks
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Rushey Mead
Our Lady of Victories, Lutterworth
Our Lady of Victories, Market Harborough
Rosmini Centre, Ratcliffe
St Patrick, Leicester
St Peter, Leicester
St Pius, Narborough
St Theresa, Birstall
Sacred Heart, Leicester
Sacred Heart, Rothley
*Consult Holy Cross website direct for details – all other Churches via Diocesan webpage
Photo: Staunton Harold
For those with no internet access St Dominic’s Community, Hinckley have put in place a broadcast system where parishioners without internet access can telephone in and hear the audio of the Mass at 10.00am on Sundays. The telephone number is 0330 998 1257 quoting access code: 759822#
This does involve making a phone call, the 0330 number is NOT a premium number it is
charged at the normal landline rate and may attract charges depending on your telephone
arrangements.
(Probably best not to use Pay as You Go mobile!)
