The Lourdes Roadshow & Quiz Night

St Mary’s SVP, Small Electrical Items - Many thanks for your generous response to St Mary’s SVP request for small electrical items. Further donations are still welcome and can be left in the SVP box in ST Mary’s Narthex.

November Dead List Envelopes – Are available at the back of church. Please return them to church as soon as possible. Thank you.

We are delighted to announce the start of a new Baby & Toddler Group, to be held on alternate Tuesday mornings at St. Mary’s Church Hall. We are looking for clean, safe baby and toddler toys that your family has outgrown and would like to donate. These will help provide opportunities for children to enjoy play and exploration together. We would also love to hear from anyone who would like to support the group, even if you are unable to attend every session. Whether you can help with welcoming families, serving refreshments, or simply getting to know families from our parish and wider community, your support would be very much appreciated. If you would like to get involved, or have toys you would like to donate, please speak to Laura/ Fr. Gerard.

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

The week commences on Sunday 11th October at 4pm in St Aelred’s hall. Please remember to pray for all our retreatants and our prayer guides. We are in need of 2 people to host 2 female prayer guides for Bed and Breakfast – if you can help please see Fr Gerard.

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.”

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.