Mass times & intentions for next week

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ARRANGEMENTS AT MASS: Please allow the right hand side communicants to return to their places before coming forward from the left hand side, starting from the front please. Those receiving on the tongue to come forward at the end and kneel across the bottom altar step.

THERE IS NO LONGER A SUNDAY MASS AT KIRKBY STEPHEN: John Murray can offer to help with lifts for anyone without transport to come to Mass at Appleby and you can join a WhatsApp group for Catholics in Kirkby Stephen. Enquiries via parish office.

CATHOLIC VOICE for April is now available by clicking the button on the left or from the Narthex.

PLEASE NOTE on Saturday 11 May there will be no 9am Mass, Confessions or Adoration due to the First Holy Communion Mass at 10.30am on that day.

THIS WEEK:
Tues 3pm Prayer Group in the Quiet Room
3.20pm Fr. John to meet School Group in Church re First Confession
3.45pm First Holy Communion preparation in School
Wed 6pm Deanery Mass and Reception for Fr. Tom Forster RIP at Our Lady & St. Joseph’s, Carlisle
Thurs 12 noon Requiem Mass for Fr. Forster at Our Lady & St. Joseph’s, Carlisle
Fri 3.30pm First Confessions
Sat 3pm Clergy Fraternal at Alston
Sun 5th 9.30am First Holy Communion Preparation in Haydock Centre

ADVANCE DATES:
MAY
Thur 9 May Solemnity of the Ascension HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION
Masses: 6pm Alston for the Vigil (8th May), On the day 9.15am at Penrith and 7pm at Appleby
Sat 11 May 10.30am First Holy Communion Mass at St. Catherine’s
Wed 22 May Key Stage 1 ‘May Procession’ in honour of Our Blessed Lady in her month of May. (Rectory Garden)
Sun 19 May Pentecost, Reception of Vanessa at 10.30am Mass
JUNE
Sun 2 June Corpus Christi - 4pm First Holy Communion Mass at Our Lady of Appleby
Fri 7 June Bishop Paul to confirm Joshua 6.30pm, Penrith
Sun 9 June Monze BBQ
Tues 11 June Final AGM for St. Catherine’s and PPC meeting. We hope to form a new PPC in the Autumn for the new parish
Tues 18 June 12 noon Catholic Mass in the Hartley Chapel at Kirkby Stephen Parish Church
JULY
Wed 3 July 12 noon Thanksgiving Mass – Silver Jubilee of Fr. John Refreshments to follow. All parishioners welcome
Sun 7 July Summer Fair at St. Catherine’s

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS:

Thank you to everyone who used the special blue envelopes for special collections last week. Tax is reclaimed on those donations by the parish under the Diocesan charity registration. Bear in mind that donations need to be specifically to the charity for them to reclaim tax eg via CAFOD envelopes or online donations.

TEAS & COFFEES
at St Catherine’s - every week after 8.30am & 10.30am
at Our Lady of Appleby - 1st Sunday

All welcome!

** We need an extra volunteer to complete the tea and coffee rota for St Catherine’s 8.30am Mass (working in pairs). If you can help, please contact Mary Coen directly or via the Parish Office. **

Events for Families & Young People 2024

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This Sunday 28 April, weather permitting, there will be a family walk, picnic and fun in the park at Lowther. 

We will meet at 2pm in the Lowther Castle car park (postcode for SatNat CA10 2HH) and then set out together on a family-friendly walk of about 2 miles. Please, bring a picnic for after the walk, when there will be family fun and games. 

For more details email Deacon Charlie on  charlie.conner@lrcd.org.uk or call 07895 742 732.

To find out about and/or be reminded of upcoming events join our WhatsApp community and if you have any questions or ideas, please speak with Deacon Charlie or email him on charlie.conner@lrcd.org.uk.

Sun 5 May ~ CAFOD Emergency Sudan Appeal

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image: cafod.org.uk

CAFOD are launching an emergency appeal for the people of Sudan. At least 25 million people need immediate emergency help, the situation has gone from serious to desperate very quickly. 'This crisis threatens to become the worst in living memory.' The UN is calling it 'the world's worst displacement crisis'. When violence broke out last year between government and paramilitaries, most aid agencies evacuated. Now, humanitarian workers are struggling to get back into Sudan to help. Many borders are shut. But the Church and CAFOD's local partners are still there and already responding.

We will hold a Special Collection at the Sunday Masses on 4th/5th May.

More inforamtion is available on CAFOD’s website. Donate directly to the Appeal here.

Thank you. Janice Wrench

Holy Communion

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IMage: charlesfarris.co.uk

At St. Catherine’s Church we hope to return to administering Holy Communion under both forms for those who wish to receive also from the Chalice. The intention is to begin from the Feast of Corpus Christi (Sunday 2 June).

When there are insufficient Ordinary Ministers (priests and deacons) available to administer the Chalice at Mass, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may assist. A meeting and training is being planned for them with Fr. John and formal commissioning.

This week's news from St. Catherine’s Catholic Primary School

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It has been a very busy week at St Catherine’s. On Tuesday night we had our first virtual book quiz for parents after school. We have also taken part in a number of sporting events including cross country, football and tag rugby. We are always proud of how well our children represent our school; they always exemplify our school values of kindness, respect and resilience. Rebecca Davies, Headteacher

Visit of the Bishop of Monze

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BISHOP RAPHAEL OF MONZE along with Fr. Spencer, chaplain to the UK Zambian communities, made a short visit to Penrith on Friday 19 April. Arranged at short notice, the Bishop was able to meet with members of the parish Monze Group and thank them for their ongoing support for the Neonatal Unit. Fr. John

Parish Pastoral Council

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The current chair, vice-chair, secretary and Deacon David are working with Fr. John to prepare a draft constitution for a new PPC for our Parish of St. John Boste. It is hoped that it will be available for consultation by the early Autumn. Some of the key features would be equal representation of ‘Parish Representative’ posts from Penrith, Alston and Appleby with Kirkby Stephen. It will be suggested the meetings (3 per year) move between our three churches with a Mass celebrated before the PPC meetings. There would continue to be a Mission Life Group and a Practical Management Group to feed into the PPC. More details in due course.

Parish Pastoral Council Minutes for 5 March meeting & the latest financial summary are on the noticeboard in the narthex.

The next PPC meeting (the final one in its current constitution) along with the AGM is on Tuesday 11 June at 6.30pm at Penrith.

Gift Aid Envelopes commencing 7th April 2024

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Yellow envelopes: These are ready for collection in the Narthex. Please note that the boxes also include blue Special Collection envelopes (in date order and pre-printed).

Blue Special Collection envelopes: For donors who do not use yellow envelopes, please consider taking a box of blue Special Collection envelopes. Boxes of these (with the envelopes pre-printed and in date order) are available in the Narthex. If you take a box of blue envelopes, please write your details on the form (beside the box number taken).This is for Gift Aid reclaim purposes.

Pink Visitor envelopes: These are intended for Visitors only. If you donate regularly, please do not use the pink envelopes. If you would like to donate regularly, please consider doing so by Standing Order, or alternatively, please ask for a set of yellow (including blue special collection) envelopes.

Gift Aid scheme: A Gift Aid tax reclaim will be submitted to HMRC shortly. Please notify us if you are no longer a taxpayer or if you paid insufficient tax during 2023/24 to cover the tax that will be reclaimed on all your donations given under Gift Aid to all charities during the tax year. At the present basic rate of tax of 20%, 25p is reclaimed for every £1 donated. If you changed address during the tax year, please ensure that you notify the Parish. If you are a taxpayer and would like to commence gift-aiding your offerings, please complete for a Gift Aid declaration form here. Should you prefer to donate by Standing Order, please also complete the bank mandate form. Thank you, Ann Roncoli (Gift Aid Organiser) giftaid.stcatherines@btinternet.com

100 Club

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Image from unsplash

Thank you for the great response to Christine’s appeal.

Envelopes are still available for new memberships and renewals. It would be great if we can get over 100 members this year to celebrate our joining together as one Parish!

For an annual subscription of £15 you get a chance to win prizes of £25, £15 and £10 every month and raise money for the parish.

Collect an envelope from the Narthex, fill in your name and address and either:

1) Set up an annual Standing order

Account name: LRCDTR

Sort code: 40-27-02

Account number: 31335200

Payment reference: Your surname/100 Club

Amount: £15.00 Start date: April

or

2) Enclose £15 cheque (made payable to St Catherine’s) or cash and return it to the Parish Office.

The list of winners for the month is displayed in the Newsletter and on noticeboards. Cheques are posted to home addresses promptly after each draw.

If you have already set up a standing order you don’t need to complete a new form. (If you’re not sure, contact the Parish Office.)

Thanks to our Hospitality Group!

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Many thanks to the Hospitality Group at St. Catherine’s for providing a splendid lunch for 15 clergy from our North Cumbria Deanery last Tuesday. It was very much appreciated!