Prayer and Parish Activities
Children’s Liturgy Online Join the Colour and Shape community! It is free to join, and you can sign up here: www.colourandshapeonline.com Please spread the word! Connect Sunday - the weekly video based around the Sunday Gospel can be found on the Colour and Shape YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/c/ColourandShape You can follow Colour and Shape on Facebook and Instagram: @colourandshapeonline
Would you like to experience praying the psalms in community online? It might be something to explore in lent. The Lay Community of St Benedict is praying on Zoom at 6.45, 9.00, 18.00 and 21.30 Monday’s to Fridays. 9.00 and 18.00 is Lauds and Vespers based on Universalis. 21.30 is the Anglican order of compline. 6.45 in the morning is a short 15 minute time of prayer led each day by a different person which is a short reflection and a time for intercessions. If you are interested, please contact Alain on alain.anderton@gmail.com
Little Fishes Online A parents, baby and toddler group now to meet online via Zoom Tuesday mornings fortnightly from 10.30am to 11.30am
Chat A chance to chat and share a virtual coffee with other parents
Create Small group creative activities will be offered within the meeting for those interested.
Share Finishing with a story time for all!
If you are interested in joining Little Fishes online, please contact Judith at wolvesdy@gmail.com
Carlos’ Coffee Club A new opportunity for anyone over 60 to be part of an online group.
When Tuesday mornings fortnightly.
Where online via Zoom
Time from 10.30am to 11.30am
Each fortnight along with the chance to catch up with others whilst sharing a coffee, there will be a guest speaker. If you would like to join, but are uncertain of the technicalities of using Zoom, practical help is available to guide you through the process. All you need is either a mobile phone, tablet, computer or laptop and we can help sort the rest.
Interested? Email Judith at wolvesdy@gmail.com for more details on how to participate.
ROSARY (led by Catholic Women's League) - ALL WELCOME. Wednesday 21st April at 19.30. Zoom meeting ID 88442119167. Passcode 080187. Enquiries via Sarah – 07948963325
St GEORGE'S DAY QUIZ. Fun night for our parish, friends and family! Friday 23rd April at 19.30. Zoom meeting ID 85285747627. Passcode 620742. Enquiries via Sarah - 07948963325 Optional donations to Good Shepherd Ministry. Sort code 30-90-89 Account No 35460868 St George as reference, please. Cash/cheques can be collected, just let Sarah know.
St Michael’s Hall and St Bernadette’s Hall. Both halls are now reopening with limited capacity because of Covid Regulations. In the next weeks we hope that as regulations are relaxed, we will be able to have greater numbers for events. If you have any enquiries about possible bookings please contact Colin McLoughlin at CPM Services cpm59@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07388 994783
OUR LADY of EVESHAM Virtual Pilgrimage 2021. All welcome at 11am, Tuesday 4th May. Please have a candle to light. Duration approx. 1 hour Service led by Fr Brendan Carrick and Birmingham Branch President of Catholic Women's League, Sarah. Zoom meeting ID 88101673933. Passcode 870675. Enquiries via Sarah - 07948963325. Email: sarahandrews1970@yahoo.co.uk
Learning More about our Faith
The Bible Time- Line Course Understand the Bible from start to finish, the Old and New Testament, with this FREE OF CHARGE, worldwide-famous course delivered online LIVE by Mauro Iannicelli. Starts on Wed 7th April 2021 at 7pm UK time (x8 Wednesday evening sessions). Info & Registration: comeandsee.org
Exploring the Directory for Catechesis Conference 2021
Maryvale Institute, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, is delighted to announce a free, virtual conference that will focus on the new Directory for Catechesis. To register: https://bit.ly/2Z2KqIX For more info please visit: https://www.maryvale.ac.uk/conference-2021.html
• Session 3, Friday 14th May, 2.00-4.00pm: Growing in Faith: A Lifelong Journey of Catechesis. Speakers confirmed so far: Angela Wood MA (Maryvale Institute), Sr Carino Hodder OP (Dominican Srs of St Joseph), Lianne Pap (Archdiocese of Birmingham and Maryvale Institute), Paul Northam (Archdiocese of Birmingham, Beccy Roseman (Kenelm Youth Trust, Archdiocese of Birmingham)
VOCATION MUSIC AWARD The National Office for Vocation are working with Vocation Ireland and international colleagues to run the ‘Vocation Music Award’. Young musicians age 18+ are invited to compose a song on the theme of vocation. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners receive €2000, €1000 and €500, respectively. The deadline for submissions is 31st July. For more information, click here.
Mission and Outreach
Thank you for your generous donations to CAFOD’s Family Fast Day during Lent. We featured Marian and her son Svondo in Zimbabwe in Lent 2018. The community vegetable garden that your donations helped provide is growing well and during the pandemic the family has survived on the vegetables. Your support has also helped to provide soap and handwashing stations in the garden and in family homes. This is just one of many long-term development projects that CAFOD has funded with the money from that Fast Day. Thank you for your steadfast support.
ADDRESSING LOCAL NEED: Much-welcomed supplies can be dropped off at any time for the Good Shepherd Ministry via 2, Richmond Rd WV3 9HY Thank you for your kindness.
THE FOOD COLLECTION takes place at: St Bernadette at all Masses; SS Peter & Paul at the 10.15 Mass; St Michael at all Masses AND Tuesday 1-2, Thursday and Saturday 10-11. In addition to UHT milk & cereal; tins of meat/fish/vegetables/ fruit/custard/ rice pudding; toiletries; FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES would be greatly appreciated. This week's donations have been distributed to local families via St Paul's C of E Primary School in Pendeford. Thank you for your continued support!
Life Charity Shop Re-opening: The shop reopened on Monday 12th April with a lovely range of items. We thank all who have saved goods ready to donate. Small amounts (1 or 2 bags) can be handed in at the shop at any time. Please note that because storage space is limited, the shop can only accept larger amounts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and that a delivery slot MUST be booked in advance. Ring the shop on 01902 420656 to make arrangements. If you can't take items to the shop yourself, they can be collected from you or left at Rosalie's house. Please contact Rosalie on 01902 330553 to make arrangements.
Annual Report of the PPC for the parish of Blessed Carlo Acutis 2020-2021
In 2019 Fr Mark explained his vision for the pastoral council which was to be
1 Evangelisation and Growth,
2 Communication between parishes and between the clergy and the parish
3 Integration of the three parishes.
The end of year report 2019 was written under those three headings.
This work could not continue in 2020 due to circumstances outside of our control but it is the intention of Mgr Mark and the PPC that we will return to the above vision once restrictions are eased and the pandemic is over.
This report is more like: A Year in the life of the Parish Council during a pandemic!
In 2020 meetings were held in Giffard House on Jan 16th and Feb 13th.
The following is a summary of the these meetings outlining what was discussed and what was going to be actioned if it were not for the lockdown.
Year of the Word - Pope Benedict declared that 2019- 2020 should be dedicated to studying the scriptures as it was the 10th anniversary of his publication Verbum Domini The year was to be entitled The God Who Speaks and various support materials were available for parishes to use in their activities.
We discussed delivering sessions studying the mysteries of the rosary leading to the study of further scriptural references, enhanced by the display of works of art on a projector and screen.
12 sessions were organised, 3 leader packs purchased, attendance forms were published and the sessions were to start on March 5th.
Bible time line pictures were displayed in all the churches
Welcome pack for new parishioners – was waiting for the parish groups to submit a summary of their mission and contact details. A notice was to be out on bulletin. This was all curtailed by the lockdown.
Skills Questionnaire – was now ready and could go out. This will be given out after the lock down.
Joint Choir – was going to be pulled together in time for Easter but obviously we went into lockdown.
Prayers of the Faithful – volunteers for the writing of these were to be contacted
Welcome Directory – this name is given to a parish who welcomes ex prisoners back into the community helping with their rehabilitation. A parishioner had done a presentation for us asking us to consider we set up a Welcome Directory. After much discussion involving GDPR and other safety implications of this action, it was decided to invite the parishioner to put a request for volunteers into the bulletin. This will be re-addressed after the lockdown.
Social Committee – reported back on the Burns Night supper and outlined future events until December 2020. Best practice and due diligence in the kitchen were discussed. A person was nominated to draw up a list of best practice instructions after a discussion with Colin.
Mass participation sheets – were to be ready by the end of February 2020
Parish Printer - It was decided to buy a new A3 printer that can do booklets
and a bigger format for the weekly newsletter. This is now used every week.
St Bernadette’s 50th Jubilee – was to be celebrated in some way. We will need to look at this again after the lockdown.
Joining of our 3 Parishes – there was a discussion on how to commemorate this. Prayer cards and rosary beads to be priced up.
Joint Name of the Parish – suggestions had been collected no decision had been made at this time.
The meetings for March 26th, April 30th, and June 24th were cancelled due to the pandemic.
We held Zoom meetings on June 29th, July 25th, August 8th, September 2nd, November 2nd, Dec 5th and January 9th 2021
The following is a summary of what was discussed during our zoom meetings from June 2020 to January 2021.
On Line Mass from St PP
A lot of work and finance went into the organisation of on line streaming of services from St PP. Mgr Mark went from using his phone for everything to the installation of 5G and a video camera. This was necessary to overcome the signal problems at St PP. Eventually we had parishioners successfully contributing to the singing and reading during the on line Mass.
Opening the Church for Private Prayer
This happened towards the end of May. Following Diocesan guidelines a risk assessment was completed taking into account strict health and safety measures. This was shared with and followed by the volunteer cleaners and stewards. The Church had to be measured and marked out with numbered rows and places to achieve a social distancing of 1 metre+, with all parishioners wearing a mask.
Reintroduction of new services
On Friday July 10th we held our first mass at St Michael’s, which required the formation of stewarding teams and a written modus operandi so the role of each steward was very clear. Baptisms, funerals and Requiem Masses could also now take place following strict guidelines.
It quickly became clear that the burden of cleaning the church every time it was used became a limiting factor and a decision to buy a fogging machine was made. The fogging process took less time and only two people were required to use the machine. Volunteers were trained and a rota was set up.
We were able to offer weekday Masses during September.
Reopening of St PP and St Bernadette’s Churches
This proved much easier due to the shape and size of the Church, but still required volunteers to act as stewards and cleaners. During this time on line masses from SS PP were always available.
New Parish Name
In July it was suggested that we adopt the name of Blessed Carlo Acutis. After a favourable reception Fr Mark made a formal request to the Archbishop who was very pleased with the suggestion. Lots of information and images about Carlo were put into the bulletin and as far as we could judge parishioners were in favour. In October 10th 2020 he was beatified and we received a letter of approval for the new name from the diocese on 5.12.2020. We decided that after the lock down we will commemorate and celebrate our new parish patron. In November, the artist Alexis Potinger granted us copyright to a painting of Blessed Carlo which will be used as a prayer card for parishioners. In the meantime we have distributed other prayer cards of Carlo. We have also been able to obtain a First Class a relic and we will be looking into the possibility of a shrine.
Keralan Community
In the autumn, the Archdiocese asked St Michael’s Church to host the Keralan Community for the celebration of their Syro-Malabar Rite Mass each Sunday. This involved training in the use of the fogging machine and sharing of health and safety guidelines.
Christmas Services
We did our best to offer an online Advent meal, a Blessing of Cribs and a range of Masses, including a Children’s Mass.
To conclude the clergy and the PPC would like to add a huge thank you to all the stewards and cleaners for their input in getting us through these challenging times. Also a big thank you to the parishioners for their co-operation.
We sincerely hope that the actions which had to be suspended will continue in the not-so-distant future.
Diane Welch
Chair person
