Holy Trinity and St Augustine of Canterbury

Extracts from Newsletter for March 2003

Thank you to all those who attended the recent meeting regarding the ‘At Your Word, Lord’ programme in our parish. We have now taken the first steps in selecting the Parish Core Community, who will co-ordinate the programme. We look forward to your help and participation in the months to come. Please continue to pray for our parish as we set forth in this venture. Could we invite you to use the ‘At Your Word, Lord’ prayer card, which was given out some weeks back? In addition, and perhaps more personal to us, is the Mission Prayer, with which you will all be familiar, and which is pasted in the front of most hymn books: Father, Pour out your Spirit upon us, and grant us a new vision of your glory, a new experience of your power, a new faithfulness to your Word, and a new consecration to your service, that your love may grow among us, and your kingdom come, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Father John Arnold, Vicar General, has kindly shared the following thoughts to help us in our preparation for Easter:

"Twice a year, in the seasons of Advent and Lent, the Church asks all its members to deliberately step outside the routine and the rush of our daily lives and create a quiet time to consider the immensity of God's love for us. In Advent we prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ. In Lent we remember that, in the very moment that we betrayed and rejected Jesus, he won Redemption for us through his death and Resurrection. If we can adjust our busy lives even a little so as to include a few minutes of prayer or reflection each day, then we may find that we have a much greater understanding of the Feast that we shall celebrate. The foundation of Lent is the call to "Repent". This should not be a negative listing of all that is wrong, when we slump into despondency and realise how far we are from living the Gospel message. On the contrary, it should be a time of determination to learn from our mistakes and to start again, with faults and failings forgiven, simply because God loves us.

The Pope has called on all of us to set aside Monday 3rd March (03/03/03) as a special Day of Prayer for World Peace.

Ash Wednesday: 5 March 2003 - There will be Mass and distribution of Ashes at 10 am. In the evening there will be a Eucharistic Service at 7.30 pm with distribution of Ashes

Stations of the Cross: During Lent, why not take the positive step of coming to Stations of the Cross, which will take place every Friday evening at 7.30 pm, followed by a Eucharistic Service?

Service of Reconciliation: We hope to have a priest available for a pentitential service towards the end of Lent. However, please listen for announcements as details have not been finalised at the time of going to press!

Women’s World Day of Prayer This year’s service will be held on Friday 7th March at 7.30 pm at St Mary’s Church. All (women and men!) are warmly invited to this unusual service, held around the world on this day.

Your prayers are asked for all those in our parish preparing for the sacraments, and for their Catechists, that the coming weeks and months will reveal to them ‘how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love - although it can never be fully known - and so (they may) be completely filled with the very nature of God.’ (Eph 4 v18-19)

First Holy Communion Please pray for all the children who are preparing to receive this sacrament on 22 June 2003.

RCIA Please pray for Ray, Sue and Brenda, who are preparing to be received as full members of the Church at Easter.

Confirmation Please pray for our confirmation candidates - a group of 13 young people this year. Their next preparation weekend will take place on 22/23 March.

St John’s School After 10 years of dedicated service to St John's Primary School, Peter Gray will be retiring as a Governor in August. The Governors and the School would like to take this opportunity to thank Peter for his support and commitment.

In light of Peter's retirement, is there anyone in the Parish who would like to take this opportunity to join the Governing Body and make a valuable contribution to the continued development of the School?

If you are interested and would like to know more, please see Peter Westley or John Blanchfield after Mass, or contact Mrs Parker, the Head Teacher, via the School Office on 01462 892478.

KISS Appeal Thank you for your generous response to the John Henry Newman ‘KISS’ Appeal for Brother Nick’s work in Uganda, which raised the amazing amount of £480.

Lenten Family Fast Day in aid of CAFOD, will be on Friday 14 March 2003. Please take an envelope from the back of the Church and place the envelopes in the collection baskets on the weekend of 15 & 16 March with your donation. Thank you.

Church Cleaners - Peter Gray is kindly co-ordinating this rota now. New volunteers are urgently required. Please note that this job can be done at a time convenient to you, and will most definitely be shared with others. As with all these rotas, the more names on the list, the less frequently you will need to take a turn. We would like to hold a Cleaning Blitz Day on Saturday 12 April 2003, from 10.30 am onwards, when we hope to clean those places which normally get overlooked, clean statues, clean behind radiators etc. Please could you let Peter Gray know if you are able to volunteer. All willing hands are required, men as well as women, younger ones and older ones! There will be a task for everyone! Thank you!!

Flowers - Are there any budding flower arrangers out there, just dying to put their talent to good use? We would love to hear from you, especially as we draw nearer to Easter, and would appreciate the help of any experts or enthusiasts who could lend a hand. Please contact Joyce Piper if you think you can help. Thank you.