Skittles at STM Church Hall on Friday 24th September form 7.30pm. Please bring your own drinks. All welcome.
Bingo in STM Church Hall every Thursday. Eyes down at 8pm.
Sr Anne Martin, a prison chaplain at Shepton Mallet, is the guest speaker at the Catholic Women's League Branch meeting on Saturday 11th September at 2.00pm in Sacred Hearts Church Hall. Sr Anne will speak about her work as well as covering other aspects concerning prisoners such as aftercare. All are welcome. For more information call Elizabeth on 01242 513509.
Run by Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust, this annual event is on Saturday 11th September. Walkers and cyclists follow a chosen route between participating churches to raise money for church preservation — 50% of money you raise goes to the church of your choice. Please contact Sue Holbrook on 01242 577029 for more information.
Next weekend Peter Bradshaw from Clifton Diocese Department for Schools will be coming to give a brief talk after each Mass about the development of the new All Saints’ Academy which is due to open its doors in 2011. This will be of particular interest to parents of children going into Year 6 this September.
Join with the Holy Father in praying that by opening our hearts to love we may put an end to the numerous wars and conflicts which continue to shed blood in our world.
This will start again for the new term on Sunday 5th September. Our inaugural evening will be a Big Prize and Pudding Game Night. You bring the puddings and we provide the prizes! Proteen is for anyone aged between 14 & 18 and meets fortnightly in term-time on a Sunday evening downstairs in The Old Priory. Throughout the term we have events such as movie night, meal night, cocktail (non-alcoholic) night, bowling and skittles as well as the regular pool and the now legendary pictionary battles! Youth SVP is an initiative led by young people to help those more disadvantaged in the community. It is a great opportunity to put faith into action with some great people. New members are always welcome to both Proteen and Youth SVP.
Sunday Mass times at St Gregory's will change for one day only on Sunday 19th September. The Beatification Mass at Cofton Park is at 10am and will be televised so our Mass times will be: St Thomas More 5pm (Vigil Mass); St Gregory’s 8.30am, 12 noon and 6pm.
Pilgrims are invited to collect their Pilgrim Pack from the sacristy after Mass. The Pack contains all the information they need about attending the papal events. Pilgrims and parishioners are welcome to take a copy of Magnificat from the table at the back of the church. This book details the Liturgies and events of the Papal visit and will be a spiritual aid to those not attending the events. These books are free, but if you wish to make a donation (suggested £2) this money will go towards the cost of the papal visit. Please place donations in the labelled donation box near the Baptismal Font. If you have any queries, please contact Heather at heathergiftaid@googlemail.com or telephone 01242 523737.
A coach will be travelling from St Gregory's to the Hyde Park Vigil on Saturday 18th September. We will leave St Gregory's at 9am and leave Hyde Park at 9.15pm, arriving back at St Gregory's at approximately midnight. These times will be confirmed nearer the time. The return cost is £15 per person. To book a seat on the coach please put £15 in an envelope (cheques made payable to St Gregory's) and drop it in to the sacristy or the parish office by Monday 6th September.
Two coaches will be leaving St Gregory's at 6am prompt on Sunday 19th September. Both coaches will depart from Cofton Park at 3.30pm to arrive back at St Gregory's at approximately 4.45pm.
Do you know someone who is thinking about becoming a Catholic? In September we begin again the ‘Journey in Faith’ programme. Sessions will be on Thursday evenings, through to Pentecost Sunday next year. The first will be a special introductory session at the presbytery on Thursday 23rd September led by Canon Bosco when enquirers will have the opportunity to enrol for this year’s RCIA Journey in Faith. If you know of anyone interested in finding out more about the Catholic Faith, do let them know about it, or introduce them to one of the priests.
St Gregory's Church, which is a beautiful Grade II listed building, will be open to visitors on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th September as part of the national Heritage Days scheme. Guides will be available from 11am to 4pm on both days to talk about the windows and stone carvings and to show how the fabric of the church expresses our belief. Why not bring a friend along to have a look? Refreshments will be available on both days in The Old Priory, and on Saturday, from 12.30pm to 2pm, soup and cheese lunches in aid of CAFOD will also be available.
CAFOD is raising money for the DEC Pakistan Floods appeal. To donate please go to www.cafod.org.uk or contact Sharon Carr 01242 516446.
They have started planning for our next trip to Lourdes at Easter 2011. If you are able to volunteer as a carer on this trip (cost £700 per person) or are interested in fundraising for us, please contact Charlotte Blanch (07887 570361 or clcboyce@hotmail.com) for more information or to ask any questions you may have. We have been unable to travel for the past 2 years due to a lack of volunteers and funding. We need your help to enable Cheltenham Group 15 to continue running in this area – taking disabled and disadvantaged youngsters from our own parish to Lourdes on a special children's pilgrimage! Also needed: group nurse and group chaplain.
This is being held on Saturday 16th October 2010, from 7pm onwards at St Gregory's Primary School Hall. Tickets are priced at £25 each to include dinner, entertainment & welcome drink. For tickets or more detals contact Roseann Boyce on 07747 047971 or email at clcboyce@hotmail.com. Special price available on 10 tickets or more. All welcome.
A new diocesan course beginning in October entitled Rooted in Christ is aimed at grounding the people of our parishes in a simple, uncomplicated understanding of our faith. Talks will take place at Holy Family Church, Patchway, Bristol, 7.30 - 9.00pm. The sessions flow through the academic year using the liturgical seasons to explore our understanding of the Sacraments. There is a variety of speakers: Bishop Declan, Professor Gavin d’Costa, John Huntriss, Professor Tina Beattie to mention a few. Also some of our priests including Canon Bosco and Fr Tom will be leading certain sessions. The full list is on the poster at the back of St Gregory's Church and you can sign up for as many or as few sessions as you like. Do take time to look at the poster, and contact the parish office for an application form. I am sure that we could arrange for transport to be shared for those without cars.
We are privileged to have Tom Fletcher and Joanna Marley representing our parishes at the forthcoming visit of the Holy Father on Saturday 18th September. Fr Tom has also been invited to join them. They will be in London with many other young people from across the diocese and the UK to take part in a procession from Westminster Cathedral, where they will receive a message from the Pope, to Hyde Park where there will be a gathering of over 5000 young people to celebrate being young Catholics.
This innovative course gives support and training to parish catechists. It takes place at Alexander House, 160 Pennywell Road, Bristol, from January to June 2011 and is delivered in three modules. All sessions are on Wednesday evenings and run from 7.30 to 9.30. Bishop Declan will welcome participants and open the course on 19th January 2011. Please see Fr Paul, from Sacred Hearts, if you would like to book a place on this course, Tel 01242 524932.
If you are a parishioner soon to go into or leaving hospital, who needs the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of the Sick or Holy Communion, or with pastoral needs, perhaps a visit for prayer, then please contact the Parish Office who can arrange.
This now numbers four. Currently, we have a sack full of hats & scarves, & a dozen patchwork blankets for Young Homeless Hostels locally. All this since Easter. We are always in need of knitting yarns of all descriptions. Anyone with unused leftovers, unpicked wools etc they can donate, please ring 01242 522331. Thank you.
Marriage Care, formerly known as the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (CMAC) is available to help couples experiencing difficulty with their marriage. If you are distressed about your marriage and don't know where to turn, share your burden with a Marriage Care Counsellor. All interviews are strictly confidential. You'll feel better. (01242) 234882.
Telephone the Parish Office to arrange an appointment (01242) 523737. The SVP operates in all the parishes of Cheltenham and further afield, with local groups in both St Gregory’s and St Thomas More. We are a charity founded in the last century to help the poor, the sick and the needy.
Are you Frail, Infirm, Elderly, Disabled or over 75? Do you need transport to help you get out and about? Cheltenham Community Transport can help you. Why not give them a ring and ask for more information. Alternatively, if you have spare time on your hands and drive, why not see if you can help get involved in this community initiative Tel: 01242 515388.
Meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. The programme is for 2nd Tuesday – Catechesis; 4th Tuesday – Socialising, eg bowling, walks, meals and barbecues. For latest news please see the new website at www.cheltenhamcatholicadults.blogspot.com or ring Margaret on 07515 805015 or Damian on 07908 105787.
Anyone wanting to receive a copy of the Cheltenham Catholic Newsletter by email, please email Paul McCloskey at p.mccloskey@yahoo.co.uk
Sign-up for this useful round-up of news, views, events and other information from around our diocese. It is easy to do, just go to our website www.cliftondiocese.com - click on the newsletter icon and register your email address.
This is an organisation which helps single, widowed, separated and divorced Catholics of all ages (over 18 years) meet other single Catholics, either one to one or through social events. All members receive a monthly bulletin, called Catholic Networking. For more information please tel. 0161 941 3498, visit the website www.catholicsingles.org.uk or email info@catholicsingles.org.uk
If you have a problem with alcohol and want some help why not contact ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS on 01452 418515 (24 hour service).