Below are a few interesting news items from this week’s Bulletin. To download the full version of our latest Bulletin, please go to our Bulletin page. Thank you.
THOUGHT FOR FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
The Church: human institution or Divine Gift?
500 years ago the Church was so corrupt from the Pope onwards that huge numbers of committed followers of Jesus felt they had no alternative but leave and form a new and reformed, purified church – hence the Reformation. Such was the human sinfulness in the Church that they could no longer recognise the Divine Gift.
For many in our time, the scandal of child abuse, the silencing of theologians, the stifling of protest and the reversal of so many of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, have led them also to leave the Church. We, the Church, have to take responsibility for this, and not to blame them.
Today, Pope Francis is leading us to allow the Holy Spirit once more to reform and renew the Church from within: we need to reveal again the mystery of a God who risks our sinfulness in this Incarnational Church, at once thoroughly human (and so very imperfect) and gloriously divine. Let us welcome the pruning of the vine of our corruptions and abuses, let us bear the fruit of a love that is not mere talk but the reshaping lives and communities into witnesses of Christ and so reveal the Divine Gift that is Church!
PARISH DAY OF PRAYER AS PART OF DISCERNING ‘COMMUNITY ELDERS’ Prayer, listening to the voice of the Spirit in silence and in prayerful dialogue with each other is essential if our decisions are to be truly in accord with the mind and heart of God. Prayer ‘attunes to the voice of the Shepherd, Jesus’. As we prepare for the future of our parish with faith and courage, and prepare tom discern and call our ‘Community Elders’, let us all dedicate Saturday May 11th as this special Day of Prayer. It will begin at 9.30am with a form of Morning Prayer and conclude at 1.00pm, with Mass at 12noon. Please make this day
DO YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO SUPPORT THE PARISH MISSION? Arising from the recent Parish Forum on the future of our parish, the Parish Pastoral Council is delighted that many have expressed the wish to offer some time and energy in support of the life and mission of St Nicks. So the PPC is establishing a ‘Volunteers Whatsapp’ to let people know the needs and opportunities for volunteering either on a long-term or an occasional basis. Some cannot commit themselves to a regular slot or programme but could volunteer from time to time and for limited periods. If you would be willing to join such a team of volunteers on this Whatsapp Group, then please contact the Parish Office or Patience Bird (07411406411) and give your mobile no. Thank you!
WEEKLY PARISH EMAIL: To improve communications among our diverse parish community, we will begin to send weekly a brief Parish News Email, highlighting key news or issues that we all need to be aware of. Please check your emails for the Parish Update!
TIME-TABLE FOR DISCERNING ‘COMMUNITY ELDERS’ AS PARISH CHANGES Some time ago we publicised a timetable for the process of discerning (or prayerfully selecting) ‘Community Elders’ as we transition to a Lay-led parish served by our non-resident parish priest (Fr Richard for the next 3-4 years). So please make every effort to be part of this ‘synodal’ community process:
[1] Parish Prayer Day to root our discernment in prayerful openness to the Holy Spirit on Saturday 11th May 9.30am (Morning Prayer, explanation and Adoration) to 1.00pm
[2] Nominations from parishioners of names for discernment as ‘Community Elders’ to be collected before or during the Pentecost 10am Mass on 19th May
[3] PPC Away Day to discern the six ‘Community Elders’ on Saturday 1st June
[4] Richard moves out of the presbytery September 8th – Feast of St Nicholas.
BUILDING A DEMENTIA FRIENDLY CHURCH This ecumenical Day Conference will share experiences of churches that have developed a safe and welcoming space and ministry for sufferers of dementia. Dementia is a major health and social issue facing our nation and therefore our churches. We all have so much to learn! I hope some of our community will attend this conference on Saturday 8th June 9.30am to 3.00pm at Stockwood Free Church, Ladman Road, Stockwood, Bristol BS14 8QH. Please contact Richard if you wish to attend or learn more about this important day for the life and ministry of our parish.
CSS ADOPTION – CELEBRATING 120 YEARS This year marks 120 years of our Adoption Service helping to find ‘forever families’ for children who need them and providing specialist lifelong support that they need once adopted. If you are considering adoption or would like to find out more about CCS’s work and how you might support the team, please get in touch (email: info@ccsadoption.org or tel 0117935005). There will be a Retiring Collection on 5th May to support CCS Adoption’s excellent and life-giving work.
‘ALL ARE WELCOME IN THIS PLACE’ It is our privilege to host here at St Nicks the Diocesan Ministry among the LBGTQ+ community. It would be a great sign of welcome, valuing ‘Gay’ Catholics, if more parishioners would come sometimes to our 3rd Sunday a month Mass with our LGBTQ+ friends. Do try to come occasionally and share with us.
CALLING SISTERS AND BROTHERS WHO FEEL ALIENATED FROM THE CHURCH
There are so many who have been hurt by their experiences in the Catholic Church and many reasons for that hurt. A particularly destructive hurt has been abuse especially by priests and religious. Yet Christ calls us to be a welcoming, safe and healing community.
Here at St Nick’s we seek to offer an unconditional welcome and a safe and respectful place to be and to speak your voice. We seek to echo the words of Jesus: ‘Come to me all you who labour and are burdened and I will give you peace’. So we want to welcome you, be a community where you can if you wish speak your pain, voice your hurt and anger, or just come and be. We understand that for many it is impossible to trust the Church again, and we do not expect or deserve that trust. But we do want to earn it and so offer to share your journey and make together the safe space that is your right. ‘Our community currently includes those who have expressed some of their own experience of this particular hurt. They, particularly, would like you to know: “If you come to see us you won’t be alone – it isn’t easy but we do seek to journey together gently.”We understand it may be difficult for some to enter the Church. If you wish to make contact please tell us what might help to make things easier for you.
MASS IN THE CATHEDRAL IN CELEBRATION OF CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
The bishop is celebrating Mass in the Cathedral on Saturday 25 May (12 noon) and is inviting all families to join him to celebrate the joys & challenges of family life. In addition, we will celebrate those couples celebrating a significant anniversary during 2024. If you are, or know of a couple celebrating special anniversaries during 2024 please do let us know. You just need to send names to this email (adult.education@cliftondiocese.com) with the address so that a personal invitation can be sent to them from the bishop, including the number of years celebrating.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES Join some of our diocesan family on the Annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in southern France. Friday 23rd August to Friday 30th August. Accommodation in 3/4* hotel, full board including transfer from Toulouse Airport to Lourdes. Single rooms from £680 and shared rooms from £510. Pilgrims to arrange own flights (Bristol-Toulouse on EasyJet) and travel insurance – information available from email: lourdes@cliftondiocese.com or Alexander House on 0117 902 5590
CHURCH CLEANING – FRIDAY MORNINGS Thank you to those who have been serving the parish in this way each Friday morning from about 10.00am onwards. Some have found work so we urgently need more volunteers who can commit once or twice a month to come. Please Contact Eddie or Richard to volunteer for this ministry, this act of service to God and the whole community. Thank you!
POPE CALLS A YEAR OF PRAYER PREPARING FOR THE JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE 2025
Pope Francis invites us to hold a ‘Year of Prayer’ 2024, to deepen our prayer life as individuals and as the Church as we prepare for the Jubilee Year 2025 – a Jubilee of Hope, building towards a more Synodal Church. Pope Francis emphasises especially the Prayer of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the ‘Lectio Divina’, prayer reflection upon the Word of God. Let us reflect how as a parish community we might embrace this call to deeper prayer, seeking personal and communal renewal.
MARRIAGE SUPPORT Retrouvaille – Do you need in your marriage? Retrouvaille has helped many couples find new hope, nourishment and growth in their marriages. If you want to uncover or reawaken the love, trust and commitment that brought you together and work through difficult times in your marriage contact Retrouvaille confidential for more information about our 2024 programmes. There is not group therapy or group work. Our next programme commences with a Virtual weekend on 8 – 11 February 2024 or there is a Face to Face weekend in Welwyn Garden City on 14-16 June 2024. Call or text 07887 296983 or 07973 380443, email retrouvailleukinfo@gmail.com – or visit www.retrouvaille.org.uk
THE PARISH DATABASE The Parish Pastoral Council seeks to create a comprehensive database to include all our parish members. Today forms will be distributed asking for some essential information – names of all family members, address with postcode, telephone and email contact details etc.The purpose of this is to enable effective pastoral care, community building and effective communication. The information given will be used solely for internal parish and pastoral reasons and will not be divulged to any other party. Please sign the forms giving your permission for us to hold your details on our database – this is essential for compliance with GDPR (Data Protection legislation). THANK YOU!
GOD’S CALL TO SERVE THE LIFE AND MISSION OF YOUR PARISH It is very clear that our parish, together with all churches and voluntary organisations around the country, has not yet recovered fully from the effects of the Covid Pandemic and the restrictions placed upon our meeting together during that time. A significant number of our community are not coming to Mass here for a variety of reasons. It is a joy to welcome new families and individuals who have found their way to St Nicks. However there has been great difficulty in drawing members of the parish into being part of the many ministries and tasks of the parish. Whether it is the SVP, the welcoming Ministry, Church Cleaning, the Foodbank, Catechists, too few are doing too much in support of the parish’s life and mission. We are all called by our baptism to serve and build the Church as a mission community. We are all called to sacrifice time and energy to build our parish community and supports the Mission of Christ entrusted to us. I realise only too well that many have heavy commitments caring for children or elderly family members and juggling work and family. They are indeed serving Christ in these ways. But I do ask everyone to reflect whether some time can be given to sustain the parish’s life and mission as we move towards a lay-led parish. This will be a great challenge for all of us. Please pray about this urgent need in building the future of our unique parish.
ST NICK’S AND COMMITMENT TO ‘SYNODALITY’ We have played our part in contributing to the Church’s world-wide ‘Synod’, as last year we gathered in different groups to listen to one another and share our thoughts and feelings about being part of the Catholic Church. The result was a 60 page report (which remains on our parish website for all to read) which we sent not only to our Bishop but also to those overseeing the Synod in the Vatican in Rome. But this is only the beginning! For the first time the ‘International Synod of Bishops’ in October in Rome will include 70 non-bishops (clergy, religious, lay men and lay women) with full voting rights. This is a very significant step forward – but there is a long way to go yet! But what is equally important is that your Parish Pastoral Council is committed to finding ways of embedding ‘Synodality’ in the life and ‘governance’ of our parish community – prayerful listening to one another in order to discern what the Spirit is saying to us in our parish about the way forward into a future different from the past yet fully alive with Prayer, Community and Mission. The Synod’s working document emphasises that those who experience being excluded from church life “are bearers of Good News that the whole community needs to hear” and that “whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God.”
WHAT IS OUR COVENANT WITH THE POOR? In preparation for the great Millenium of year 2000 the Bishops of England and Wales asked every parish to draw up and make a ‘Covenant with the Poor’. As part of our parish’s Covenant we pledged to pray regularly for Justice & Peace, to serve the homeless and poor who come in increasing numbers to our extensive Food Bank and the Wild Goose Café and to encourage parishioners to volunteer time and energy to work in the Food Bank and the Wild Goose Café; and also to give non-perishable food (especially rice, pasta, tinned fruit and tomatoes, tinned fish and meat etc) and/or money (in special envelopes) to be used for the poor. This food and money goes to support our ministry among the poor of our area. During Lockdown this as greatly expanded and very many people inn Bristol are supporting us, in addition to our parishioners. We also founded and developed our Borderlands Charity (‘from exclusion to belonging’) to serve our asylum & refugee community that has remained serving throughout the periods of Lockdown. In normal times, the Offertory Procession at Mass regularly sees gifts to be shared with the poor and vulnerable, carried to the Altar (restoring the ancient meaning of the Offertory Procession). So the Covenant with the Poor that we renew solemnly at each Patronal Feast of St Nicholas of Tolentino (early September) has continued to grow and develop and as such has shaped the life, mission and witness of our parish community. The development of the ministry of the Parish Office has enabled us to develop our ‘Option for the Poor’ in obedience to the Gospel Let us praise God for such rich grace and love poured out upon our community, and though our community to many in their need.
LOVE THE CHRIST OF THE POOR – WORDS OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM “Would you honour the Body of Christ? Do not despise His nakedness; do not honour him here in church clothed in silk vestments and then pass him by unclothed and frozen outside. Remember that He who said ‘This is my Body’ also said ‘You saw he hungry and gave me no food’. I am insisting that nothing can take the place of care for the poor. What use is it to adorn the altar with gold cloths and deny Christ a coat for his back? He would be outraged!”
MEN AND WOMEN EQUAL IN MINISTRY There are many charisms and ministries in the Body of Christ – each one of us, young and old, male and female, lay and clergy, and whatever our gender identity – all of us are ‘beloved children of the Father’, each of us is gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve, to proclaim, to build the missionary Body of the Christ and to transform the world. In our parish we are moving towards a parish community led and served by predominantly lay ministry, served and supported by the ordained ministry including a part-time (non-resident) priest. We are committed as a parish to promote, empower and train many different forms of ministry. The ministry of women and men are equally valued, the ministry of lay people and ordained deacons and priests are equally valued. All of us over 40 years old have almost certainly grown up in a church that has neglected and minimised the ministries of lay people. We are still in a clergy (and therefore male) dominated church and this has caused major problems while being unfaithful to the New Testament. Some ministries are denied to women (and not just ordained ministries) … therefore there is an urgent need to enable voices of women to be heard, their gifts to be recognised and their ministries to be released, for the good of the whole Church and its Mission and witness. This is to correct the imbalance and injustice that has been the norm for centuries. Please do not misinterpret this as diminishing or demeaning the ministries of our brothers, lay or ordained. We are all called to work together for the Kingdom as equal partners in the Lord’s work.
IS GOD CALLING YOU TO FOSTER OR ADOPT A CHILD? 109 children are taken ‘into Care’ each day in this country! 109 children everyday looking for security, for a home where they can belong and thrive. Also there is an increase in the number of unaccompanied child refugees arriving in this country (which will increase with the Afghan Exodus). I know from my own personal experience how important adoption is to give a child a new start in life. Many children are from the BAME community and there is a great need for more fostering and adoptive families from these diverse ethnicities. Could God be calling you, your family, to this healing vocation for a child in care? Contact CCS Adoption (tel: 0117 935 0005 or email info@ccsadoption.org) or ‘Home for Good’ (clare.walker@homeforgood.org.uk )
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE IN HOSPITAL: Can I remind everyone that when a Catholic goes into hospital, the patient or their family MUST request a visit from the Catholic Chaplain – data protection and confidentiality rules in hospitals prohibit the passing on of information to chaplaincies otherwise. The Chaplain will not know of your presence in hospital and cannot visit a patient without the patient’s prior request and permission.
SCRIPTURE SHARING GROUP We meet on Thursdays at 5.30-6.30pm: come & share reflections, questions, insights on the Scripture Readings used at Mass on the following Sunday: ideal for all of us, but especially for Lay Readers Ministers of the Eucharist, and Catechists. Contact John Flannery (email: j.flannery@btinternet.com) for the Zoom link.