MASS & SERVICE TIMES
Saturday 22nd February
4:45pm – Sacrament of Reconciliation
5:15pm – Mrs Kath Harrison
Sunday 23rd February – 7th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (CYCLE A)
9:30am – People of the Parish
11:00am – Bridget Stewart RIP
Monday 24th February
9:30am Bridget Stewart RIP
Tuesday 25th February – Shrove Tuesday
11:00am Requiem Mass – Dr John James Loftus RIP
Wednesday 26th February – Ash Wednesday
9:30am – Bridget Stewart RIP
7:00pm – Father Simon’s Intentions
Thursday 27th February
9:30am Patrick Brown RIP
Friday 28th February
No service
Saturday 29th February
4:45pm – Sacrament of Reconciliation
5:15pm – Bridget Stewart RIP
Sunday 1st March
9:30am – Dr John James Loftus RIP
11:00am – People of the Parish
If Fr Simon is unobtainable and you urgently need a Priest please phone the parish mobile: 07548 222133. Please use this number for emergencies only i.e. where a priest is needed urgently.
Dates for your Diary
Coffee Morning
Tuesday 24th March at 10:30am.
The coffee morning on Tuesday raised £165. Thank you to everyone who attended the coffee morning and to those who organised the event.
Fairtrade Fortnight
Between Monday 24th February to Sunday March 8th. The Fairtrade Foundation will be focusing on cocoa producers, and asking what it might take to enable producers, especially women, to earn a ‘living income’. The UK chocolate industry is worth at least £4 billion each year, yet despite this, most cocoa farmers live in abject poverty – a typical farmer earns just 74p a day. Find out more information about the campaign at www.fairtrade.org.uk.
Bingo Night
We are collecting prizes for our next bingo night. If you would like to donate prizes we would be really pleased to have them. You can leave the gifts in the Sacristy marked ‘Bingo’ or give them to Pat McQuillan or Ann Hayes.
Readers & Eucharistic Ministers
We understand that the new Rotas of Readers and Eucharistic Ministers have some errors and need to be updated. In the porch you will find two clipboards. If you haven’t already done so, can you please check that your details are correct and either Tick the lists to confirm – or write in the correct Mass time that you serve at and which Group you are in.
Joke
3 men were in a pub, talking about their sons.
“My son was born on St George’s Day,” commented the first man. “So we obviously decided to call him George.”
“That’s a real coincidence,” remarked the second man. “My son was born on St Andrew’s Day, so obviously we decided to call him Andrew.”
“That’s incredible, what a coincidence,” said the third man. “Exactly the same thing happened with my son Pancake.”
PARISH FINANCES
If you weren’t here last weekend you won’t have heard me speaking about Parish Finances. The last time I did this was back in 2014 some 6 years ago. Can I stress that I am talking about is our giving to St Joseph’s– NOT the Diocese.
On your way home can you please pick up a Leaflet which tells you about the financial crisis that the parish is facing. The Parish Income no longer covers the running costs. In the last few years we have seen a drop in our main source of income – the Offertory donations that we receive. It represents 80% of our income. We are spending over £100 each week more than we get in. You know only too well how much prices have risen in the last few years – these affect the parish just as much as they affect you and me. Everything just keeps going up and up.
So can I suggest some questions for us all to consider during the next few days:-
How long is it since we thought seriously about our Offertory Gift? How long is it since we adjusted our level of giving in line with the change in the value of money? Are we still giving the same now as we were 3, 4 or maybe even more years ago?
Perhaps we should all think about how our gift compares to other things in our daily life:- Our Newspapers and Magazines, a Sunday Carvery, a glass of wine in a pub – £3 or £4, a round of drinks in a pub (?). A gallon or two gallons of petrol, a cup of tea or coffee – at McDonalds around £1.50 – at Costa Coffee a Small Latte costs £2.55 – a large Latte £3.15
A few years ago if we went to the Hole in the Wall machine we were surprised to get £5 or £10 Notes instead of £1s. Now it’s nearly always £20 or £10 Notes – rarely £5 notes. That bring home to us how the value on money has changed.
What do we feel would be an appropriate amount for us to give? Our faith is important to us – otherwise we wouldn’t be here today. Does our giving reflect that importance?
I do appreciate that many of us are finding things difficult. So not everyone can increase their giving – and shouldn’t.
Can I also ask you to think about HOW you make your gift to the Parish. In Parishes around the country the majority of people find that giving by the Weekly Offertory Envelopes or through the Bank by a Standing Order are a great help in reminding them of the importance of giving – not just realistically but also regularly. We currently have only around 34 people giving by Standing Order and a further 80 giving by Offertory Envelope. We want to encourage many more people to give in one of these ways. Most of us pay our “essentials” by Direct Debit or Standing Order – why not our giving by Standing Order to St Josephs?
In the Leaflet you will see that there is a Response Slip that you can complete to ask for a Box of Envelopes or a Standing Order form. Please do think seriously about these methods of giving; I am sure that they would help you in “planning” your giving – and they are a tremendous help to the Parish in its budgeting.
Gift Aid is very important – we get back about £7,000 per year which we have been using towards repaying our debt to the Diocese. We have Gift Aid forms on clipboards on the table – so you can join today. It wouldn’t take you more than a minute or two to do this. And it wouldn’t cost you a penny more!
Please do pick up and take home the Leaflet, spend a few minutes to read it and think about what’s in it– and then decide how you feel you can respond.
Derek (Parish Treasurer)
200 CLUB DRAW
Winner: £40 Prize this week – Mrs Maria Redfearn
WHY NOT JOIN THE 200 CLUB AND HELP THE PARISH?