Mass times & intentions for next week

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We honour Our Blessed Lady, especially in this month of May.

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.

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:
Sun 9.30am First Holy Communion meeting
Tues 10.30 am Clergy Deanery Conference at Workington
3pm Prayer Group in the Quiet Room
Wed 10am Practical Management Group meeting in the Quiet Room
Fri 4pm First Holy Communion practice in church

ADVANCE DATES:
MAY
Sat 11 May 10.30am First Holy Communion Mass at St. Catherine’s
Sun 19 May Pentecost, Reception of Vanessa at 10.30am Mass
Wed 22 May Key Stage 1 ‘May Procession’ in honour of Our Blessed Lady in her month of May. (Rectory Garden)
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 blue envelopes for giving their special collections. 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 THIS WEEK

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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It was a delight to join the good crowd of young people and families last Sunday afternoon. I managed to make the full walk before heading to Appleby for Mass. Special thanks to the organisers. Fr. John

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.

Holy Communion

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IMage: charlesfarris.co.uk

At St. Catherine’s we return to the practice of Holy Communion under both forms - Host, and Chalice for those who wish, from Corpus Christi - Sunday 2 June. The meeting with Fr. John for those invited to serve as Extraordinary Ministers to assist with Communion, when required, will be in church on Sat 25 May at 10am (the meeting follows the 9am Mass and the 9.30 - 10am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament). Could those involved please collect the booklet ‘Ministering Communion’ from the sacristy, it will form the basis of the training.

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

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Our after school clubs are back up and running for the Summer term. On Fridays, children are helping Maggie make our school garden beautiful. We also have cricket club and sports club for Reception/Year 1. Hopefully the weather will continue to be kind, so we can enjoy time on our field.

Rebecca Davies, Headteacher

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

8 June ~ John Bradburne Pilgrimage Climb 2024

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Image: John Bradburne

The John Bradburne Pilgrimage Climb up Cross Fell will take place on Saturday 8 June 2024.

This is the highest mountain in England outside the Lake District. John Bradburne climbed and wrote about it many times in his poetry. The summit is just 5 miles from Skirwith where John was born and spent his early years. We start at Kirkland church, walk to Wythwaite then up Grumply Hill toWildboar Scar and on to the summit where we stop for lunch and prayers.

11 miles and 2400 feet of ascent which will take approximately 6 hours. You will need to be fairly fit and dressed for a boggy walk with possibly a cold wind, even in June. Before the walk, there will be a Mass held at St John the Evangelist Church, Skirwith, CA10 1RQ at 10am. All welcome to join the Mass. There will be refreshments, talks and an exhibition on John Bradburne and the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in the Skirwith Village Hall after the walk.

To book your place and make your donation please visit: www.johnbradburne.com or call Kate on 07979187498.

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