Shoe Box Appeal

Last Sunday Jim Mann explained about  the Operation Christmas Child project (also known as "The Shoebox Appeal")

Operation Christmas Child Project - www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk

Shoe boxes are filled with gifts and sent to countries all over the world where they are delivered to children in time for Christmas. The children who receive the boxes would otherwise receive little, if anything, for Christmas. These shoe boxes are a real sign of God's love and they bring great joy. Receiving one has been known to completely turn a child's life around, through the feeling of being loved and cared for.

The children and staff of Cathedral Primary school are supporting this cause again this year. If parishioners would like to contribute a shoebox, please fill your box over the next two weeks. Full details of what gifts to put in the boxes can be found on the leaflets at the back of church, on the website www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk, or telephone Jim Mann on 07733 130409 for information.

Remember to stick the BOY/GIRL label from the leaflet on the front of your box, and include the £3 donation to cover transport and delivery costs (this donation can also be done online). 

Boxes can be left at Cathedral House or Cathedral School and need to be dropped off by Monday 11^th November in time for collection around 15^th November

Donating single items

If you would like to donate single items such as toothpaste, soap, toothbrush, flannel, small toy, football cards, hair accessories, pens, coloured pencils, etc, (which we will then use to make up complete boxes), please leave them in the large box at the back of church. 

Holiday Time - Harvest Time - End of British Summer Time

As school breaks up for holiday time (Half Term) and the clocks go back at the end of British Summer time, a little later than planned, we are pleased too share the Harvest Time poems written and read by Year 6 pupils during the Harvest Mass. 

Pupils with their poems

The cold breeze on your handsThe golden leaves on the ground

The beauty of the the coloured leaves

The singing whistle of the trees

The tractors doing collecting wheat

The mountain trees dance in peace

The farmers out on the fields

To make more warm meals

Animals go to bed in their nests

The lovely fruits that are best

Foods taste gets better

As the weather gets wetter

HARVEST TIME  

 Don't forget! 
to turn the clocks back one hour on Saturday night

Offering a helping hand

Thanks to a member of the SVP who has sent an update of what they do and ideas about future plans.  If you belong to a group within the parish we'd welcome having an update of what you do, this gives all of us a chance to hear how members of the parish are responding to God's call and living out their faith.

St Vincent de Paul Society - SVP for short!

We meet once a month on the first Monday of the month, for about an hour, to plan our work.  Our main activity is visiting people in the parish, which may involve doing their shopping or giving them lifts.  On average, I suppose, each member visits one or two people per week.

Poster in porch

We also give financial assistance to some parishioners, for example, by helping them to buy food or school uniforms - Miss Goddard at the Cathedral School sometimes gives us information about deserving cases, but if you know of someone or are in need yourself then please get in touch with one of the members.  
We held parties this year for about sixty pensioners at the beginning of January and in July (see below).  Next year we are planning to supplement this by organizing one or two trips, e.g. to the shrine at Ladywell.  We are also discussing ways of helping Fr Kevin and Fr Stewart to help with supporting homeless people who call at Cathedral House for food and drink.  For further information see SVP page.

Pictures from SVP Party 2013

Gospel and Grub Prayer Group

Wordle based on Luke 16:1-16

Eleven young people attended the monthly Gospel and Grub prayer group facilitated by a small group of religious sisters. We prayed the Gospel of the day with the Holy Spirit in our midst, opening up the Word of God in our hearts, encouraging and challenging us in our faith. During the prayer time we had a short commentary on the Gospel by Sr Maria to allow for a greater understanding of its context. We were invited to share what was in our hearts in a spirit of trust and faith.

Next meeting

If you are a young person between the ages of about 16 and 30, come and be personally touched and nourished by the Good News. Our next Gospel sharing takes place on Sunday 27^th October after the 6.30pm evening Mass.

Welcome Sr Katharine

Sr Katharine Glencross

Sr Katharine and Jean washing up after the
Spirituality session

We welcome, Sr Katharine Glencross who has come to join Sr Jayne at the Ursuline Convent at St Thomas More's.  Sr Jayne has recently been at the Ursuline General Chapter in Rome and we'll be posting more of her adventures in a future post.  You can also read more of what has been happening in the past month by looking at Sr Zela's Ursuline-Religious Life blog.  
Settling in already
After meeting parishoners on Sunday, Sr Katharine joined those gathered for the spirituality session on the Apostles Creed which has been one way the parish has been marking the Year of Faith.  It appears that Sr Katharine is already settling in as she helped clear away after the meeting.  

Apostles Creed Spirituality Session: I believe ...

I believe in the resurrection of the body 
and life everlasting

Focal area with images linked to the theme of the session
including images of the four last things - death, judgement, hell and heaven

With only 40 days left before we come to the end of the Year of Faith the spirituality session focused on the next two articles of the Apostles' Creed.  Using lectio divina (sacred reading) based 1 Corinthians 15 as a way of reflecting on what the resurrection of the body means, the group then shared and reflected on images of heaven.   

The next spirituality session Monday 11th November there will be an opportunity to reflect and think about the Apostles' Creed as a whole and there will be an opportunity to think about the word Amen we say at the end of this and other prayers and after we have received Jesus' Body and Blood in Holy Communion.  There will be time for individuals to reflect on what they believe and profess each time we renew our Baptismal Promises.

Children's Liturgy - Follow Me

Children following the Cross and Lectionary 

On Sunday children are now following a cross as they make their way to Children's Liturgy.  On the back the children have written their name to show that they are following Jesus.  As new children come and join us they will be able to add their names.

In children's liturgy the children get a chance to learn from Jesus by listening to his Word.  They learn at their level how we should offer ourselves following Jesus' example.  

In the catechism of the Catholic Church we read of how we are called to learn from Jesus, that He is the way, that we should listen to him and follow his example to love one another.

CCC 459 The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."⁷⁴ On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: "Listen to him!"⁷⁵ Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: "Love one another as I have loved you."⁷⁶ This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example.⁷⁷.  

Today there were contributions from out young people = children's liturgy sang and offertory song, the choristers a harvest hymn and three year 6 pupils read out harvest poems.  We'll share more of those in the days to come.  

Friday Photos of Faith - A rich harvest

Thanks to one of our green fingered parishioners who has not only sent in these wonderful photographs of their allotment harvest, but also a reflection for us all at this time.  On Sunday children from the Cathedral School will be sharing poems about Harvest and there will be a collection for CAFOD which is the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
A rich harvest

Maize growing on allotment

This time of year is harvest time in many parts of the globe. It is now that a lot of crops are ready, like these sweetcorn (maize) plants, which form a staple diet for many peoples of the world. The grower learns whether his hard work has paid off; he finds out whether the time and effort spent preparing the soil, protecting the young crops, feeding, nurturing, watering and sheltering has had the desired result. In our own culture, we are not as tied to the land as we used to be and it may therefore be hard to identify with those for whom the harvest is still a matter of life and death. In many parts of the world, families are reliant on that which they can grow and a poor harvest means they will go hungry. Although in our own culture we feel this relationship with the land less keenly, it is still important for us to recognise that it is a vital one for our nourishment and sustenance.

Corn on the Cob ready for cooking!

As Christians, this is a time for us to give thanks to God for the abundance of food we have and to appreciate the food that we have each day. In our own society, we have much more than we need and it can help to make some small sacrifice to remind us that not all people are able to take food for granted. 
We can also use this period to reflect on our lives as Christians. Imagery of the land is often seen in Scripture; Jesus uses images of seeds and crops in parables. We “reap what we sow”. And so, at harvest time, we can ask ourselves how well we prepared our ground, whether the seeds we have sown have borne fruit, how we have grown ourselves and how we have nurtured, nourished and protected faith and the Church. 

 So celebrate the harvest, give thanks and acknowledge the joy of what you have achieved. Of course, sometimes crops fail but reflect and prepare for next time because for every winter there follows a spring.

St Therese of Lisieux - 1st October

If you were to create a video of your own life, what photographs would be included? 
What times and places? What music would you want for the background? 
As we come to the end of the year of faith, we'd welcome either a video or a series of photos which show something of life as a Catholic today.  Maybe something young people might do during half term. 

Those visiting the cathedral may want to have a look at the statue in the cloister that was put up when the relics of St Therese visited the Cathedral in 2009.  For further details of the visit, see St Therese Blog. 

Children gathered round the St Therese statue, 2013