June 2018 – Live Simply Update.
We are one of only 50 Parishes in the UK to have gained a LiveSimply Award
During Lent we had a very successful Lent Appeal for CAFOD and parishioners also generously collected items to fill rucksacks with useful household items for the refugees who are lucky enough to make it to Norwich. The Cathedral Justice and Peace Group distribute the rucksacks to the refugees and we were able to take them about 10 full boxes. CAFOD are now encouraging people to get involved with their latest campaign ‘Our Common Home’ and we have encouraged parishioners to sign the petition to the PM to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and to be a carbon neutral country by 2045. Incidentally we are leading the field in the world at present. Several completed sheets of signatures have been submitted to the P.M. We are also being encouraged to hold a Creation Celebration Mass to give special thanks for the gift of creation and to pray for our common home. We hope to organise one in these autumn as part of our Live Simply Harvest Celebrations.
‘SHARE THE JOURNEY’ – On Sunday 24thJune 2018 we will be walking as a parish as part of Pope Francis’ request that we ‘Share the Journey’ with people fleeing war, persecution, natural disaster and poverty. CAFOD’s aim is that all the walks of every individual will add up to 24,900 miles, the distance around the whole world. Following Mass at the Sacred Heart we will share coffee in the Hall and then walk approx. 2-3 miles along the Weavers Way, stopping to eat our packed lunches. There will be a cake stall, tombola and book-stall in the hall and a Nature Trail for the children on the walk.
September 2018 Live Simply Update – 3 parishioners travelled with CamCRAG to Calais in September 2018 to help in the warehouse sorting tents, sleeping bags and clothing and to help in the Refugee Kitchen preparing food for 1000 refugees every day. We took donations of £450 to the kitchen and a full card load of clothing, tents and sleeping bags to the warehouse. We have just celebrated The Care of Creation with a very well attended Harvest Mass on the Sunday after CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day. The abundant harvest produce donated was sold after Mass and with the Harvest Fast Day collection £991.32 will be sent to CAFOD. Several pages of signatures requesting the PM to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2040 have been forward to CAFOD. There is a CAFOD Faith in Action Day at Clare Priory on Saturday 16th November to explore the links between faith and politics. (Details in the Parish Bulletin) We hope to organise another Reverse Advent Calendar collection for the Food Banks during Advent.
LIVESIMPLY EVENTS AND SUGGESTIONS AROUND HARVEST 2018
29/30 September – CAFOD Family Fast Day Appeal will be read in each of our churches.
Wednesday 3rdOctober at 6.30 p.m. in St. John’s Cathedral – The Norwich Secular Franciscans will be remembering the death (The Transitus) of St. Francis of Assisi with a simple service. Anyone who would like to attend would be extremely welcome – Ring Rob Hardie on 01603 897609 for further details
CAFOD Family Fast Day on Friday 5thOctober – We are asked to fast, pray and give, to help people living in remote villages in Uganda who struggle to get enough clean water to survive.
Stalham Area House Mass – Friday 5thOctober at 7 p.m. at Celia Cooper’s house in Hickling, ring Celia if you would like to come along on 01692 598667
Parish Harvest Celebrations – Sunday 7thOctober we will gather as a Parish at the Sacred Heart to celebrate Harvest with a Family Mass at 11 a.m. followed by a Parish Harvest Lunch in the Parish Hall at 12.30 p.m. Parishioners from St. John of the Cross will provide the main course and parishioners from St. Helen’s will provide the desserts. Michael McMahon, President of the North Norfolk SVP will speak to us during the lunch about the work of the SVP.
Monday 8thOctober at 2.30 p.m.in the Parish Hall, North Walsham, we will be showing a film entitled ‘Global Healing’ – How our faith helps us care for our common home. This film has been made by CaFE and has been sponsored by the Bishop’s Conference and shows examples of how we can continue to respond to Laudato Si’ together as a Parish
Friday 12thOctober at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall at North Walsham. – Parish communities from all over the Diocese who are twinned with Parishes in Cambodia will be gathering for the annual celebration of Pchum Ben – The Cambodian Feast of the Ancestors. There will be Holy Mass followed by refreshments to which all are very welcome
12th– 14thOctober – CamCRAG Convoy to Calais – Rob and Clare Hardie and Naomi Perowne will be travelling over to Calais with a car full of men’s clothing and ponchos to help in the Auberge des Migrants and the Calais Refuge Kitchen.
Support Aid to the Church in Need’s Red Wednesday on 22nd November in solidarity with persecuted Christians. For more information – www.acnuk.org/redwednesday
SWITCHING ENERGY SUPPLIERS –If you had been considering the idea of switching to a green energy provider now would be a good time to do so as Ecotricity will donate £40 to CAFOD if you switch your electricity supply to them and £60 is you switch both gas and electricity. Contact: Ecotricity.co.uk/CAFOD or call 08081230123 and mention CAFOD
CAFOD Emergency Response Team– if you would like to help people affected by emergencies all year round why not consider joining CAFODS emergency response team by making a monthly donation at cafod.org.uk/ert
Reverse Advent Calendar for the Food Bank – we will be asking you to take part with this again during November as the donations are really appreciated by the Food Bank over the Christmas period
CAFOD Family Fast Day – Friday 23rd February 2019
With malnutrition still killing almost three million children a year, your fasting, prayers and donations on Family Fast Day will ensure more of God’s children have enough good food to eat. Every pound you are able to donate this Lent will be doubled by the UK Government therefore twice the number of children can have the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong
THEME FOR LENT 2019 – FAST, PRAY AND GIVE
Support CAFOD’s Lent Fast Day next Friday
Fasting for others: Keep at it!
Take home the CAFOD Lent Prayer Card and use it every day.
During April and May we are focussing on recycling issues and what can and can’t be recycled
CAN be recycled – Tin foil and trays
Can NOT be recycled – Tissues and Kitchen Roll
CAN be recycled – Empty aerosol cans with their plastic caps
Can NOT be recycled – Soap pump dispenser tops
CAN be recycled – Bottle tops on milk bottles, wine bottles and jars
Can NOT be recycled – Shiny foil wrapping paper
CAN be recycled – Empty bleach bottles, clean juice cartons
Can NOT be recycled – Takeway coffee cups, sweet and crisp wrappers
CAN be recycled – Dry cardboard, paper and envelopes (including windowed)
Can NOT be recycled – Glass that is not from bottles or jars
Power to Be’ – Thank you to all those who signed the ‘Power to Be’ petition cards. We returned 87 signed cards back to CAFOD, and many other people returned the cards themselves and others have signed the petition on line. There is still time to sign up on line if you so wish: cafod.org.uk/powertobe
LENTEN REFLECTION 2020: REPENTING OF ECOLOGICAL SIN AND CULTIVATING ECOLOGICAL VIRTUES
Laudato Si’ reminds us that “the ecological crisis is . . . a summons to profound interior conversion . . . which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.” (217- 218) At the recent Synod on the Amazon, ecological sin was defined “as an action or omission against God, against one’s neighbour, the community and the environment.” The seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, sloth) can be a way to examine where we have turned away from our Creator and creation. Below, each sin is examined through the lens of creation and is paired with an ecological virtue that can help us to restore our relationships and to live in sublime communion. (89) We invite you to reflect on one of these sins and virtues each week of Lent within your families, Laudato Si’ Circles, or communities.
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