News
School Masses: Some school Masses are now open to parishioners again. If you see ‘Mass in School’ on the list of Mass times then you are welcome to attend.
Student for the Priesthood: A fifth-year student, Anthony Reilly, will be staying in the presbytery for most of next year but only in holiday time when he is not at seminary. It is hoped that after he is, God willing, ordained as a deacon next December he will then stay with us for six months as his diaconate placement. Again, I know you will make him welcome.
Adoration: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, ending with simple Benediction, takes place every Thursday morning from the end of the morning Mass until 10.00am.
Confessions: If you are unable to make one of the regular times (Wednesday 6.00-6.30pm & Saturday 10.30-11.00am) you can always make an appointment with Fr David to meet either in the Presbytery or at your home.
Sacrament of the Sick (anointing). If you or someone you know would like to receive this sacrament, please contact me and we can arrange a suitable day, time and location. The sacrament is generally for those with serious illnesses, those of advanced years, or those who are about to undergo surgery. If you are not sure, contact me and I will be happy to guide you on this.
Hospital Visits: If you or any member of your family is admitted to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and would like to have a visit from a Catholic priest, please inform the staff on the ward and ask them to contact the chaplaincy department in the hospital with the request.
House Blessings: On the recent questionnaire, a few people asked about having their house blessed. This can be arranged by contacting Fr David (email address & phone number are on the front of the newsletter).
Bereavement Leaflet: If you or someone you know has been bereaved you may like to pick up from the porch one of the leaflets produced by our parish bereavement group. It contains contact details of several agencies that can help along with the phone numbers of parishioners who will be happy for you to get in touch and talk.
Children’s Liturgy: Please remember that children have to be registered on the list in the porch when you arrive every Sunday if you wish them to attend children’s liturgy. Please make sure you arrive in time to do this. Parents are no longer allowed to go through to the Garden Room with the children, partly due to health and safety regulations, but mostly because it is important that adults attend the full Mass in church.
Altar Servers: If you are over the age of 8 and have already made your First Communion, why not join our band of altar servers? You can join either team – Saturday 6.00pm or Sunday 10.30am – and full training will be given, along with a very smart cassock and cotta! If you want more information, please speak to Father David or one of our MCs – Stephen Newton & Christopher Potter.
Union of Catholic Mothers: Calling all ladies – the UCM has been serving the parish for nearly 50 years, and to survive we need more ladies to join us. Young, old, single, or married, everyone is welcome. We meet in the Garden Room at 10.45am on the first Tuesday of the month.
Foodbank: With prices rising, donations to food banks have been falling. Remember that we have a basket in the church porch for donations.
‘Gift Aid – the good way to give to your Church’
Gift Aid is an arrangement that allows charities, including churches, to reclaim tax on donations made by a taxpayer. It covers weekly giving as well as one-off donations.
This means that every donation you make is worth 25% more to your Church, at no cost to you. For example, if you donate £20, we will be able to reclaim £5 on your donation from the government, meaning the Church gets £20 from you and £5 from the government. If you’re already paying tax on earnings, pensions or income/capital gains from investments, the government simply gives back to the Church some of the tax you have already paid. We don’t need to know your personal details such as income, nor your National Insurance number. Your donations will qualify as long as they’re not more than 4 times the tax you have paid in that tax year (6 April to 5 April).
All you have to do is complete a simple form called a Gift Aid Declaration with your name and address. Please help us to make the most of this scheme to benefit our Church.