PARISH OF THE SACRED HEART – PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
Minutes of the meeting held on TUESDAY 28 AUGUST 2018
PRESENT: Fr James Walsh, Robert Hardie, Elaine Haughton, Rebecca Walker, Ginny Keane, Antonia Martinez, Richard McGreevy, John Bolger, Clare Hardie, Secretary Catherine Watkins.
- APOLOGIES: Frances Green, Peter Rylands, Carol Shippey. Welcomes were extended to Richard McGreevy, the new St Helen’s representative and to Cathy Watkins, the new secretary. Grateful thanks were extended to Clare, the outgoing Secretary, for all her hard work over the last 8 years.
Fr James opened the meeting with a prayer.
- It was agreed to try and finish the meeting by 8.45pm
- MINUTES OF THE MEETING: of 17 April 2018 were approved.
- MATTERS ARISING:
Cool Catholic Kids. Ginny reported that she had found it strenuous this past year to maintain the momentum amongst the youngsters. However, Youth Chaplain Fr Luke Goymour and Youth Service Director Hamish MacQueen, would be helping with workshops. Rob recorded the Committee’s admiration for the work that Ginny had done with the youth of the Parish.
Action – Ginny
Catechetical Certificate Training. Ginny had missed the Catechetical Certificate training this year, but Fr James suggested that she enrol on-line for the Buckfast course which is distance learning. The parish would re-imburse the expense.
Action – Ginny
Adoremus Congress in Liverpool. This is to be held over the weekend 7-9 September 2018. Two parishioners would be attending in addition to Fr James; Celia Cooper and Rebecca Walker. One of the presentations will be on introducing children to the Mass. Fr James plans to present feedback to the parish following his return.
Action: Fr James
Parish Communications and Diocesan Events. Antonia reported that she had asked for Diocesan event notices, but that nothing had been forthcoming. Items are available on the Diocesan website, but notification is not good and often the first we know is from reading the Diocesan newspaper. Elaine suggested that each church could have a monthly calendar which would be kept up to date with notices of events.
Action – Antonia
- PPC REPRESENTATIVE FOR ST HELEN’S: Welcome was extended to Richard McGreevy, the new St Helen’s representative.
New PPC representatives would be required for both St John’s and Sacred Heart churches for the next elections in October as Rob and Frances Green would both be due to stand down. A new chairman would be elected at the next PPC meeting (30 October).
- LIVE SIMPLY AWARD UPDATE: Clare gave feedback on the report of the assessment on 14 May. It had been a long and detailed procedure but we had now been awarded LiveSimply status. Each church now has an award plaque and the report from the assessors has been posted on the notice boards at the back of the churches. The Steering Group was due to meet in the next week to discuss forthcoming events (for example, there is a CaFE film entitled “Global Healing” which could be shown in the parish hall at some point). The assessors had suggested that we consider becoming a Fairtrade parish. We had found it economically impractical to run a Fairtrade stall (unable to sell enough and use-by dates expiring on unsold stock) so this would be an alternative. We would need, for example, to stock Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar (and biscuits where available) for refreshments. Fr James said that the LiveSimply prayer would be included in the Prayers of the Faithful on the first Sunday each month.
Action – Live Simply Steering Group
- ANNUAL PARISH MEETING: It was agreed that the next Annual Parish Meeting would be held on 20 May 2019. As there had been quite a gap since the previous meeting, a financial statement would be prepared in the interim and issued as an insert in the newsletter.
The Harvest Sunday Family Mass will be on 7 October 2018 and will be followed by a Harvest with St John’s parishioners providing the first course and St Helen’s, the desserts. A list of attendees would be needed from each church, to give an indication of the numbers to be expected. Michael McMahon, President of the North Norfolk SVP has been asked to give a talk about their work.
Action – Forums, Fr James, Antonia, Rob, Nick Sutherland
- PARISH DIRECTORY: Clare reported that most of the work had now been done. Fr James has written a new foreword, copies of which were distributed at the meeting. There is now one Safeguarding representative at each church and details will need to be added to the Directory.
Action – Fr James, Clare
- PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILLORS REPORT:
St Helen’s. Elaine said that they hope to have a Harvest Lunch one Sunday in October 2019, which would be open to the local community. It would probably be “bring a plate” so there would be no charge for participation. On 16 September 2018, the feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia, which is a very important Filipino feast day, there would be a procession round the Broads and Wroxham followed by Mass at St Helen’s. It is hoped that Fr Gavin would be able to concelebrate with the Filipino priest. Posters will be printed to be put up in local churches and a flyer produced for insertion in local newspapers. The lack of information about Diocesan events had been remarked upon. They plan to put up a calendar in the church porch. “Red Wednesday” will be 28 November 2018 and, being a Wednesday, the Mass will be held at St Helen’s. Red is the colour of blood and martyrdom so the wearing of red is to show we stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and faith minorities who suffer unjustly for their religion. Parishioners at St Helen’s hoped to replace their crib figures and to this end hope to raise funds by holding a “Crib festival” during the week coming up to the Epiphany. Organ repairs had been paid for and repairs are in hand for the large gate post. Thanks were recorded to Frances Dickerson for her work with the PPC. She helped update the directory and was a great support at St Helen’s.
St John’s. Rob said that with the housing development going on next door to the church, efforts would be made to improve the boundary and screening. With regard to the poor state of the paving, it was suggested that gravel might be cheaper and easier to maintain. Heaters had been repaired. Several trees were diseased and needed treatment. Concerns had been raised that there might be a problem with the First Sunday of Advent Evening Prayer, but Fr James confirmed that he would be there.
Sacred Heart. Increasing numbers of local residents have been parking in the church car park. This had been discussed at the Finance meeting and Nick Sutherland has prepared a script highlighting the legal implications as a notice which could be placed on offending vehicles. Fr James is preparing a day of practical, spiritual and doctrinal development for readers and eucharistic ministers on 13 October 2018. This is not a recommissioning, it is a revitalising.
09.30: Mass for all
10.00 – 11.30: Eucharistic Ministers meet in hall
11.30 – 13.00: Readers meet in hall
(tea and coffee provided)
- ANY OTHER BUSINESS: A letter had been passed to Rob from a parishioner, saying they felt that Sacred Heart was taking precedent over the other two churches. Fr James said that he had written to the writer in response, clarifying that in Canon Law the Sacred Heart church is the parish church and that St John’s and St Helen’s are Mass centres. Together all three form one parish and this is how it is implemented in practice. It was suggested that the term Eucharistic communities could be used. The three separate Eucharistic communities come together to form one parish. Fr James also said that shortly after his arrival in the parish he had been told that the Aylsham church forum was a clergy-free zone. Rob apologised on behalf of the Aylsham community and reassured him that he would be welcome at the Aylsham forum. Fr James thanked him and said that he would plan to be there for the first 10 minutes or so.
- DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
Tuesday 30 October 2018 at 19.30 at Sacred Heart, North Walsham.
Fr James then concluded the meeting with a prayer.
