PARISH NEWS ARTICLES

Catechesis for the Sacrament of Confirmation - Session 1 Sunday 18th October 11.30am to 2pm with a half an hour break for packed lunched session 2 Sunday 8th November same timings. Both sessions to be held in the classroom at St Mary’s. It is essential to attend both sessions before receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. Please email Fr Gerard before Wednesday 14th October to apply for Confirmation this year. The Sacrament will be celebrated at St Aelred’s on Saturday 21st November at 5.30pm

Week of Guided Prayer – 11th-16th October 2026. Please take an information leaflet from the back of church and consider taking part in this valuable offering for ALL parishioners . You do not need to have taken part in a retreat before. If you wish to talk it through, ask questions etc before committing, speak to Fr Gerard, Deacon David, Deacon Philip or Bernadette. If you would like to take part, then please return your completed form to Fr Gerard by Sunday 15th September. Payment towards the retreat in daily life can be made in cash, on the dona machine, QR code from the bulletin or by bacs (please see Fr Gerard for details of the account number)

Saturday 10th October, 11.30 am to 3.45 pm in St. Aelred’s church hall.  Speaker is Lyn Bradbury, Lay Franciscan Formation Minister. Celebrating the Year of St. Francis of Assisi. “The Franciscan Cord.”

The winning numbers for the August draw are:- £40 - 86, £25 - 26, £20 - 159, £15 - 155.  Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who supports the 200 Club. The winning cheques can be collected from the notice board.

Please note that when you hand in a Mass intention all dates are allocated 2 weeks in advance. Please be aware that due to the high volume of Mass requests we have received this year, the timeframe from the request to the Mass being celebrated is approximately 10 weeks. If you want a specific date you will need to hand in well in advance to avoid disappointment, if the date you request has already been taken you will be given the next available date nearest to your request. Please ensure that you put your donation inside the envelope (minimum donation £10), and the details on the outside ( in block capitals) , who the mass is for, and the date and church you would like. Thank you.

Volunteering within both parishes offers not only the chance to support our parish community but also a rewarding opportunity to gain essential work experience. These roles are open to all ages and ideal for anyone completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award , seeking work experience or wishing to build skills that enhance their CV . • Counting Team : Help manage and count donations, developing valuable skills in accuracy, attention to detail, financial record keeping and teamwork. • Cleaning Team : Maintain the church premises, gaining experience in organisation and time management and responsibility for communal spaces. • Children’s Liturgy : Assisting or leading, gain skills in Teamwork and collaboration, creative lesson planning and managing group dynamics. • Event Helpers : Assist in setting up, supporting, and clearing up during parish events, ensuring smooth operations and community engagement. If you are interested in gaining practical experience while contributing to our community, please contact the church office or speak to a member of the clergy. Please note, we follow a Safe Recruitment policy, roles are subject to references and in some cases DBS checks.

St Mary’s Children’s Liturgy Group are looking to refresh our children’s book box with some preloved religious books for children to borrow and enjoy during Mass. If you have any religious books for children that your family has finished with and would be happy to pass on, we would be very grateful for your donations. A basket will be left in the foyer for anyone who would like to contribute. Thank you.

If you have a child who is due to start school in September 2027, we would love to meet you and help you get to know our school community. We are holding two open sessions for prospective families: • Tuesday 6th October | 9.30am to 11.30am • Wednesday 18th November | 1.30pm to 3.00pm Please ring the school office to arrange a visit during one of these sessions on 01423 864631. If these dates are not convenient, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange a tour at a time that suits you.

We are delighted to invite parents, carers, babies and toddlers to our friendly Baby and Toddler Group held every Wednesday morning from 9.30am to 11.00am, in the school hall and led by our wonderful Reception Class Teaching Assistant Ms Mackay. Everyone is welcome! Our first exciting theme is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, with activities and fun inspired by the much-loved story. There is no need to book. Simply turn up and join us for a relaxed morning of play, stories and meeting other families.

Please donate to our Family Fast Day parish collection. Put your faith into action and share the Lord’s love by supporting our global neighbours experiencing shortages of food and safe water. Your gift can support children like Tayla in Zimbabwe to stay in school by helping communities and schools provide nourishing meals, improve access to water and grow food in school gardens. Use the CAFOD envelope in church or donate online at cafod.org.uk/envelope

Orders are being taken at the Piety shops in both churches. If you would like to buy your cards from church, please pop in to place your order.

Dates for your diary: Pilgrimage to Walsingham: Saturday 26th September. St Aelred’s Church Cleaners meeting - At St Aelred’s on Saturday 26th September at 10am (for half an hour) CAFOD Harvest Family Fast Day: Will be on Friday 2nd October. Collection Sunday 4th October 2026 Week of Guided Prayer – 11th -16th October 2026: If you would like to take part, then please return your completed form to Fr Gerard by Sunday 15th September. November Mass for the deceased: 7pm - Tuesday 10th November STA Confirmation Catechesis for the Sacrament of Confirmation - session 1 Sunday 18th October 11.30am to 2pm with a half an hour break for packed lunched session 2 Sunday 8th November same timings. Both sessions to be held in the classroom at St Mary’s. It is essential to attend both sessions before receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. Please email Fr Gerard before Wednesday 14th October to apply for Confirmation this year. The Sacrament will be celebrated at St Aelred’s on Saturday 21st November at 5.30pm First Reconciliation: will be held on Saturday 14th March 2027 at 4.30pm at St Aelred’s. Wednesday 17th March 2027 at 6pm at St Mary’s. A meeting for parents from St Mary’s on Sunday 29th November 2026 following the School Family Mass. A meeting for parents from St Aelred’s on Saturday 28th November 2026 at 4.30pm in church. First Communions: will be held at St Mary’s on 22nd May 2027 at 11am and St Aelred’s on Sunday 23rd May 2027 at 9am. A meeting for parents from St Mary’s on Sunday 29th November 2026 following the School Family Mass. A meeting for parents from St Aelred’s on Saturday 28th November 2026 at 4.30pm in church. Christmas Fair St Aelred’s: 29th November 2026.  Christmas Lunch for both parishes will be held at St Aelred’s on 9th December 2026. Advent Reconciliation Service. Thursday 10th December 7pm STA.

As part of the auction on Sunday 13th at St Mary's, we have a lot which could be purchased individually or by the parishioners in a group to keep for the Church. Pictures of the Não by Lladro nativity scene are attached to this email. At the auction there will be a reserve of £400 as each porcelain figurine purchased as new can cost between £150 and £350. Similar 8 piece sets are retailling for around £1160. Many of you have seen the Nativity scene on display at Mass today. Should you wish to pledge towards buying the Nativity scene for the Parish. Please can you email Fr Gerard the amount you wish to pledge by Saturday 12th September. This allows us to know any starting bid. All money raised for the Nativity Scene will go directly to the building fund.

St Mary’s Auction - will take place on Sunday 13th September after Mass. We have two beautiful paintings with a reserve set at £50 each. If you have any other valuables that we can auction towards the building fund please let Fr Gerard know. As part of the auction, we have a lot which could be purchased individually or by the parishioners in a group to keep for the Church. Pictures of the Não by Lladro nativity scene are below.  At the auction there will be a reserve of £400 as each porcelain figurine purchased as new can cost between £150 and £350. Similar 8 piece sets are retailling for around £1160. Many of you have seen the Nativity scene on display at Mass today. Should you wish to pledge towards buying the Nativity scene for the Parish. Please can you email Fr Gerard the amount you wish to pledge by Saturday 12th September. This allows us to know any starting bid. All money raised for the Nativity Scene will go directly to the building fund.

Harrogate Hospital - has withdrawn the part-time chaplaincy role that Canon Gerard Kearney held due to funding cuts within the Trust. Meetings and written complaints have been entered into with so far, no movement from the Trust. If you require a Catholic Priest to visit whilst you, or a relative, are in hospital please ask the ward staff to facilitate this. In the meantime, please write to Eillen Watson at Harrogate hospital to register your dissatisfaction with the new arrangements. Her email address is eileen.watson3@nhs.net

Opportunity to Support St Mary’s Building Fund.  Ian Burrell will be walking with a group of Pilgrims from Leeds Cathedral to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham from 12th September to 25th September. If you wish to have an Intention taken to Walsingham then please write your Intention and place in a sealed envelope and give this to Fr Gerard. These will be taken to Walsingham by the Pilgrims. If you would like to support the Building Fund by sponsoring Ian then please donate by one of the following methods: 1. Cash: Please give to Fr Gerard. 2. Pledge: Please write your name on the A3 paper in the Narthex. 3. Dona Machine: Please use the Dona Machine and select the ‘Walsingham Pilgrimage’ option. 4 .On-line Giving: Please use https://acdgnssr.donorsupport.co/page/FUNMFLQELFG and then select the designation ‘St Mary’s, Knaresborough, Building Fund’. Thank you for your support.

CAFOD's local Caritas partner, Caritas Nepal, is assessing and coordinating its response with local authorities. The immediate priorities are search and rescue, evacuation, emergency health care, aid distribution and restoring critical services. They have already dispatched food to provide meals for 300 families for 15 days. This response will be expanded as assessment continues and more areas become accessible. If you wish to support this work go online to: cafod.org.uk Please join us at CAFOD in praying for all who have been affected.

American Style Ceilidh - Saturday 12th September 7.30pm in St Aelred’s hall. Come and dance to a top class live band. Sociable and fun. No previous dance experience needed - our expert dance caller will explain everything. This event is open to the public - bring your friends from outside the parish. Tickets £12 / £6 on the door. Tea, coffee & cake in the interval. No licensed bar but you can bring your own drinks if you wish. For more information see Philip Rowe (Sunday organist 9am).

We are looking for willing volunteers to join a panel to create a Social Team to help organise and support events throughout the year in the parish. If you are interested in helping, please contact Jeff on 07811 356525.