First Holy Communion Programme 2024

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Last week we welcomed the children and their parents & families as they enrolled on the preparation programme for First Confession and First Holy Communion. A number of meetings have already taken place.

The First Holy Communion Mass is on Saturday 11 May at 10.30am in St. Catherine’s. The First Holy Communion Mass for our one candidate at Our Lady of Appleby will be on Sunday 2 June at 4pm.

Please keep the children, catechists and families in your prayers.

News from St Catherine's School (2 Feb)

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This week, we joined the parish for Mass on Wednesday for the first time this year. It was lovely to have some reflective time together.

We also held the second First Holy Communion session in school on Tuesday. Each session has a different focus, we share scripture together and reflect on the impact this has on us. This week the session was on 'we obey like Jesus'.

Class 3 are currently learning about the Catholic Church community in their R.E. Lessons. They visited church on Friday morning to meet Fr John and some community members to explore the church and talk about the role of the church within the Parish of St Catherine‘s.

Rebecca Davies, Headteacher

In November St Catherine’s School Governors conducted formal consultations with parents, staff and parishioners (stakeholders) into the possibility of converting to Academy status, within the Diocese family of schools.

Following the consultation, Governors considered the matter further and agreed that we should continue to examine the feasibility of conversion.  The next stage is for the Mater Christi Multi Academy Trust to undertake a process of due diligence to confirm our eligibility to convert. This will take place over the next couple of months and we will keep all stakeholders informed of progress. Denis Smith, Chair of Governors

Foodbanks

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Image: from Upper Eden Food Bank

As we enter 2024 there is sadly an ever-growing need for continuing support to alleviate the poverty that many in our community experience.

At present the greatest need is for sugar, tinned sweetcorn, tinned carrots, curry sauces in jars.

Foodbank containers to collect items are at each of our churches. Thank you for all your support.

Penrith Foodbank: (collection baskets at St. Catherine’s and St. Wulstan’s) St Catherine's supports the local ‘Nourish Project’ at the Salvation Army Food Bank, thanks for your generosity, and we ask that this continues. Mary Coen

The Upper Eden Foodbank: (collection points at St Lawrence’s, The Sands Methodists and Our Lady of Appleby grey bin in the church porch). All contributions are most gratefully received. Marilyn Martin

Year of Jubilee 2025

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The Holy Father has announced that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. The theme is “Pilgrims of Hope”, and it will be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of COVID 19 pandemic and a climate crisis.

Preparations have now begun for the 2025 Year of Jubilee with a preparatory year of prayer. Please see https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/the-year-of-jubilee- 2025/letter-from-pope-francis/ and also https://pray-as-you-go.org.

Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2024

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Please join Bishop Paul on the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 23-30 July 2024. The Youth Section will travel by coach with an evening and a day sightseeing in Paris 22 July – 1 August 2024. For further information please check out the Diocesan Pilgrimage website www.lancasterlourdes.co.uk or email operationsdirector@lancasterlourdes.co.uk and for the youth email: youth@lancasterlourdes.co.uk. Posters and booking forms are also at the back of church.

Israeli-Palestinian crisis

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Image: www.telegraph.co.uk

Please remember in your prayers the people of Israel and Palestine and all affected by the current atrocities in that region. May the dead rest in peace and the injured and bereaved be comforted. May all those receiving and providing help be strengthened.

In an update from CAFOD they reassure us that '...though heavily restricted, humanitarian aid is reaching people worst hit in Gaza through CAFOD's partners who live and work in the region'. Sadly, there have been more deaths of staff and volunteers, and we are asked to pray for their families and colleagues who continue to risk their lives daily, as we pray for the conflict to end. Janice Wrench

Safeguarding

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Image: from Unsplash

The Parish takes Safeguarding very seriously. All the churches’ Safeguarding reps have been working together.

There is now a dedicated phone number and email address for contact, support or reporting any concerns: 07469 511974; safeguarding.stcatherines@btinternet.com.

Contact details are also displayed on the posters in all churches. Rosemary (Penrith), Mike (Appleby) & Jeanette (Alston).

Jesuit Institute ~ Year of Prayer

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Through their events and resources, the Jesuit Institue helps people to explore prayer, grow in discernment, foster means of real encounter with others and share the joy of the Gospel.

The Institue is offering a series of Online events for the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025.

Download their leaflet here and check out Jesuit.org.uk/events for all the courses.

St Margaret Clitherow

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At St Catherine’s in Penrith we now have a statue and an icon of Northern saint, St Margaret Clitherow. One of our Appleby parishioners has also just been to the Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow in York and shared this photo.

Margaret Clitherow (1556-1586) risked her life by harbouring Catholic priests in her house in The Shambles, in York during the reign of Elizabeth I. When she was arrested she refused to plead, thereby preventing a trial that would entail her three children being made to testify. She was tortured and sentenced to death. Although pregnant with her fourth child, she was executed at Ouse Bridge in York by being crushed to death.

Sr Mary Stella who wrote our beautiful icon added an explanation of some of its features:

  • The gold background indicates that Margaret’s life gradually became more centred on God and immersed in God’s ways. Gold is a metal that does not tarnish and is seen as eternal. God is eternally present to us are we also present to God.

  • The Tudor costume sets Margaret in her time, it is simple as Margaret liked to wear good but simple clothes. She ran her household and would often do the dirtier tasks out of humility, even though she had servants. She was very good at running the family butcher shop, here she met the townspeople who loved her.

  • Her face is illuminated with God’s love shining through her. She was very good to the poor.

  • The scroll indicates that although Margaret was illiterate she shared a great deal with her confessor Fr Mush who wrote down her conversations. These reveal her ardent love of Jesus and the Catholic Church.

  • The red/orange colour of her outer garment symbolises the fiery faith of her martyrdom.

  • The blue colour of her dress suggests a celestial influence as Margaret allowed God to “Divinise” her.

  • The shoes highlight that Margaret went to her death bare legged and without her shoes. These she left to her daughter Anne that symbolically she would also follow Christ.

Families at St Catherine's

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Children’s Liturgy of the Word at 10.30 Mass: Children of all ages are welcome. The children will be invited to come forward at the beginning of the Mass and then process to the Quiet Room. Helen, one of our catechists, explains what happens at the liturgy: In children's liturgy, the children firstly have time to reflect on their week and say sorry for what they have done wrong. They then listen to the Gospel and discuss it together. The children then complete a craft activity that reflects the Gospel message and write a prayer that will be read to the congregation when we go back into church towards the end of the Bidding Prayers.

The ‘Story Sacks’ are now available from the narthex again, for young children to use during Mass. The seating in the Lady Chapel area works well for young families.

CHILDREN’S MASS LEAFLETS for children of reading age are available here. Each week the leaflet has puzzles etc based around Sunday’s Gospel and a cartoon strip about the life of a Saint.

20 Sept ~ St Wulstan's, Alston 70th Anniversary

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Thank you to all involved in a splendid celebration Mass and social gathering last Wednesday at St. Wulstan’s. The community at St. Wulstan’s shone like stars!

It was much appreciated that Fr. Hugh, Fr. Baron, Fr. Jerome and Deacon David were with us to celebrate. God bless, Fr. John.

Carved on Westmorland Slate, an inscription on the Epistle wall of the sanctuary, reads:

To the Glory of God
This Church
Founded by Thomas Edward Bishop of Lancaster
Was dedicated on 20 September 1953
Under the patronage of St. Wulstan
In memory of
Thomas Wulstan O.S.B.
First Bishop of Lancaster
Who raised his eyes to the eternal hills