Category: Saint George’s latest news

Fake £5. Notes:  Please be aware there are fake £5 notes in circulation at the moment.

St George’s is gently and carefully returning to normal. It is no longer necessary to book into the weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday. It is preferable to book Sunday, but not absolutely necessary anymore. For those who would like some space around them, this can be accommodated. Music has made a welcome return and singing, with a mask – which is perfectly possible – is positively encouraged. Every care is being taken to make our church a safe place for all. We look forward to welcoming everyone back into our parish family and have plans for a thanksgiving Mass and social in September – more details to follow.

Last Friday August 13th the Psalm was no.136. We only had 4 verses read to us. It is remarkable as it contains the phrase, “for his mercy endures forever” 14 times in those few verses. If you read the whole of the Psalm then the phase occurs 26 times. Psalm 136 is a psalm of thanksgiving for the work of God in creation and his faithful love through Israel’s history. It shows us God’s goodness and the importance of this for us. Yes, we should remember that God always loves us – never forget this. In fact we should all do more than this we should do what the Psalmist says many times in this psalm. He says “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever,” So I suggest that we adopt this phrase as a reminder for us during August. Try to remember to say it every day and not forget it during the day.  Keep it in mind and surely it will help you in everything you do each and every day. 

With the help of God we will continue to be progress for a return to a more normal life in our parish.  Some of the signs are very hopeful and the vaccines have been a great blessing.  To acknowledge that we could be hit by another variant that could be very virulent is adding to our anxieties unnecessarily, needs to be quickly embraced by God’s help, and with His help we will come to terms with it.  Living and learning with a proper amount of care and caution, makes all the difference.  A lot more suffering was inflicted than necessary, but always the outcome is most important.

It is good to hear stories of what a great gift it is to be able to return to the things we once took so much for granted.  A niece gave me a lovely  story of her children returning to experience music for a family occasion.  Admittedly it had to be C.D’s and not the live band that would normally have provided the music in the past.  I experienced an unexpected, but most welcomed window to events that we took so much for granted.  In memory of Jeff and Anita Stone, I called at an old haunt from their time at Deanland Park retirement homes.  By chance it coincided with a return to an open mike evening, where people take turns to provide their contribution to an evening of musical entertainment.  What a lovely hour and a half it turned out to be.

Reading “The Tablet” this week, in the books section was a review of a book “Mission Impossible”, which told the inside story of the team behind the Oxford Astra Zeneca Vaccine and the race against the virus.  Inspiring, instructive, restoring ones faith in humanity.  Heroes and mainly heroines working all the hours, and contending with adversaries; inspiring.  Indeed, thanks be to God.   Please God, we will have a very happy occasion this Sunday when we begin our progress to returning to church.  It is a time a) Counting our blessings and b) Expressing our gratitude to those who do all the work that is necessary for these occasions to happen.

So we are most grateful for all our volunteers, and appreciate those who lead, who organise and who make all the preparations, in fact the hard work that is required.  I am sincerely grateful, learning to count my blessings, and with your patience with me we will build back bigger and better.

There is a special Mass on 15^th August (the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) at 10.30am to remember those who have sadly experienced losses during the past lock downs. The Mass will be held in the church and will include the participation of the children of the parish to represent the Future. The memorial garden will also feature in our service, in special remembrance of three people, representative of our community and will encompass a period of quiet reflection.

Following the Mass, “Tea and Tombola”  (A sit-down tea of sandwiches, savouries and cakes and the chance to win prizes in the tombola!). We URGENTLY need helpers to manage this event throughout and welcome anyone over 16 and under 70 to volunteer their services.

We need help with cleaning and preparing the hall on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning (13^th/14^th).Saturday afternoon requires setting up of tables and chairs and laying up the tables with crockery and cutlery.

Sunday morning (before Mass) we will need  people to distribute prepared food to tables and also help with the preparation of  beverages and some of the food.

After the event, clearing and cleaning of the crockery and cutlery etc. washed (dishwasher or hand wash as appropriate), dried and stored. Chairs and tables will need to be stored; hall kitchen and wash-rooms cleaned, floors swept and washed. Disposal of all rubbish.

All food will be provided by the hall management committee and the cost recuperated by the proceeds of the tombola hopefully. (Any other monetary donations will also be gratefully received but there is no obligation). Please help us to make this a pleasant and memorable occasion.  For further details of the actual work involved please contact: Lesley: 01323 841011;  Maeve: 01323 449131; Loretta; 01323 844890; Jean: 01323 842824.

There will be a meeting after the 10.30am Mass this Sunday.  If you can come and help please do so, as this will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.

Bereavement Mass, Sunday 22nd August at 3pm.   We are looking forward to this taking place as it will be so helpful because for many there has been much sadness and indeed loss, so it is important to pray for one another and when we can to support each other.

St Wilfrid’s Celebration Mass 15th August 10.30 am:

This Mass is to celebrate us coming back together as a community.  After Mass refreshments will be available and there will be a tombola to help raise funds.  We are asking for items for the tombola; bottles, alcoholic and soft drinks also any unwanted gifts that are in good condition. Please at this time no bric a brac as we do not have the room to store. Please leave items in the church porch.  There will also be a children’s tombola and sales table.  An added attraction will be, Sophie is coming down from London and bringing her boyfriend, Jason.

St Wilfrid’s Church Flowers:  Have you noticed the lovely flowers in the church recently? They are all from Fr Rory’s garden (that Lulu lovingly attends) and also from some of our parishioners gardens.  This is all to help our church save money.

On Friday August 13th the Psalm is no.136. We only have 4 verses read to us. It is remarkable as it contains the phrase, “for his mercy endures forever” 14 times in those few verses. If you read the whole of the Psalm then the phase occurs 26 times. Psalm 136 is a psalm of thanksgiving for the work of God in creation and his faithful love through Israel’s history. It shows us God’s goodness and the importance of this for us. Yes, we should remember that God always loves us – never forget this. In fact we should all do more than this we should do what the Psalmist says many times in this psalm. He says “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever,” So I suggest that we adopt this phrase as a reminder for us during August. Try to remember to say it every day and not forget it during the day.  Keep it in mind and surely it will help you in everything you do each and every day. 

Truly important: 

Deacon John’s piece in the newsletter last week began with the sentence “In the Gospel this Sunday Jesus speaks about food”.  A requirement for life, but as he highlighted it needs an appropriate sense of discernment.  So it is very important that the quality of our prayer life, sacrament and sacramental life, but especially the scriptures, are a significant part of our diet.  In the end it is by their fruits that we know them; faith, hope and charity, and the greatest of these is charity.

More and more I am accosted with people saying “I don’t believe in religion or all these religious things”.   In my heart of hearts I have to say “I quite agree with them”.  Strangely enough the number then that say “but I do believe in God”.  Well the only thing I have to say “well I fully truly believe that there is evil”.  Then I say whether I believe in it or not it is there.  In fact at this time it is having a frightful impact upon our lives.  Its presence, its influence is shattering, even especially as it is experienced in the life of the church.

In my piece last week, which I have just re-read and I said to myself “thank God” this is a good point of reference, that it is now well worth repeating:

Now as the window of opportunity returns for a fresh start, with the help of God, we can set sail once again for the future.  It is a time to live and learn, a new generation is needed.  A fresh structure, with greater flexibility and encouragement, in one word “inspiration” is now called for.  We must work together to share, encourage and develop lives of faith, that give witness to our Christian lives which we receive at baptism.  The celebration of the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation this year gave us a tangible sense of this when the ceremonies took place using the candidates baptismal candles.  At our baptism this light symbolizing the light of Christ was entrusted to us to be kept burning brightly.  Please God, may this be at the heart of our resolve as we return to church with hope and fresh motivation.

May the Lord bless and complete our work, the work of God’s salvation for all.