WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE!

The place where our Parish Community is alive with news, information, and updates!
(See also our Facebook page)

Scroll down to see all our latest news posts (& click 'older posts' at the bottom of the page to look back over the previous news.)
CHURCH OPENING TIMES: 
We are open for private prayer during the week 
(from about 8.30-4pm on days where there is no evening Mass)

and open for public Masses on;
Saturday at 6pm
Sunday at 9.30am
Tuesday at 7.30pm
Thursday at 10am
Friday at 7.30pm - but please check the week's Newsletter (Newsletter with Mass Times tab above) in case of changes.

PARISH OFFICE: Please note that the Parish Office is open a few days per week so emails will be checked periodically. In the event of an urgent query, please call the presbytery on 0117 9833939 and leave a message. 

Fr Barnabas Page - Resident Assistant Priest at St Augustine's Church
Fr Jim Williams - Priest in Charge 

Our Parishes in Communion for Mission covers us here in Downend, 
St John Fisher in Frenchay, 
St Lawrence in Chipping Sodbury with St Paul's in Yate, 
and Our Lady of Lourdes in Kingswood  


and we are part of the St Edmund of Abingdon Pastoral Area of Clifton Diocese, led by Fr Eugene Campbell of Holy Family Parish, Patchway.
No comments:

Current Parish Rotas

Please click on the link for the Parish Duties Rota you would like to view (as a pdf)
No comments:

Community Kitchen Cupboard (The 'C.K.C.')

NEW FOOD BANK INITIATIVE, together with school & pre-school, our ‘Community Kitchen Cupboard’ is now up & running! (The 'C.K.C.')

July 2024

This informal, free service is for anyone in our community who might be struggling or just needs a bit of extra help ~ please, just come & help yourselves from the shelves.

As you can see from the video, come on into the entrance of the church which is open each day (even if the door is shut, please try it, as it is usually unlocked from approx. 8.45am-4pm, or later on days where there is evening Mass) including during the summer holidays.
The Community Kitchen Cupboard is at the end of the entrance area - take a bag and take what you need for you / your family.

Also, if anyone is in a position to donate tinned & packet items for the CKC please leave items in the box at the bottom of the cupboard for our team to sort out and label.

We have loads of pasta and tins of beans, pulses & soups etc at the moments but would love some more toilet rolls, tea, coffee, lunchbox snacks such as individual biscuits or dried fruit boxes etc, jars of pasta sauce, tinned or packet desserts (rice pudding / custard etc) and sanitary items.
*Keep an eye out for updates on this in the weekly Newsletter*

We hope this will be a useful initiative for our community and we would welcome any helpful feedback and offers to join the team of people checking and re-stocking on a rota basis each day.

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Congratulations to Milly from Willow class for designing the winning logo for The CKC - the new Community Kitchen Cupboard!
... I think it says everything about what the initiative stands for - to surround people with love ❤️ Well done Milly.
Look out for the new sign at the back of church soon.
   
No comments:

This week's news

NEW ALTAR SERVERS
If any children who’ve made their 1st Holy Communion would like to learn to serve on the altar, a practise will take place after this Sunday’s Mass. Come & try it!


THE MASS FOR CHILDREN

We have ordered 15 copies of a new book from CBC called "The Mass for Children".
A lovely updated book to help children understand more about the various part of Holy Mass, as they read along ~ with beautiful illustrations, reflections and prayers for different times.
We are selling these at just £3 each and will happily order more if all 15 are sold.
If you would like a copy please go to the church shop after Sunday Mass or contact the parish office.


DIOCESE OF CLIFTON ~ LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 2025.
If you would like your PETITIONS taken to the Grotto, email them to
lourdes@cliftondiocese.com and they'll be printed for the Bishop to place them there for you.
Your intentions will be offered up at the Torchlight Procession for Our Lady's Intercession.
If you would like to donate towards the 'Lourdes Candle for the Intentions of all in the Diocese of Clifton', go to www.holyfamilypatchway.co.uk and click on the Dona button to donate to the 'Lourdes Fund'.
Fr Eugene, Holy Family Parish, Patchway.

You can watch all daily events live from Lourdes via www.lourdes-france.com/en/lourdesplus/

MEMORIAL BENCH
Thanks to your generous donations, we now have a lovely memorial bench by our Garden of Remembrance.
A big thank you to Joe & Phil who organised and installed it for us.
We now have a reflective place to stop and sit, and remember those we have lost.


Reflections for Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C from Deacon Vincent
1st Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 66: 10-14c.
This passage we have before us is from the “Third Isaiah”, “Trito-Isaiah”, and is probably dated after the return from Exile. He is dealing with the disappointment of those who had returned from Exile at the encouragement of the Second Isaiah and had found that they were poor and harassed by the wealthy residents of Jerusalem. Here Isaiah is trying to encourage those returners to view Jerusalem as their mother to pick themselves up and optimistically re-build their lives. They can be assured of the assistance of God. The theme be joyful and trust in the Lord. A timely message for ourselves in this present age.

Psalm 66(65): 1-7, 16, 20.
This song continues the theme of Isaiah of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God. It is always appropriate for us to rejoice and thank God always for all that the Almighty has done for us.

2nd Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians 6: 14-18.
Paul uses the phrase “A new creation”, it is an important idea for Paul. He emphasises that in “Christ there is no longer the polarisation of the world in which Paul had grown up, between Jews and non-Jews”. What matters now is the new universe without the old divisions. He aligns himself with the suffering of Christ on the cross, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” He uses a remarkable phrase, “the Israel of God.” That is a thought for us to ponder in the coming week.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20.
Luke has a theme in his Gospel and the Acts of Journeying, and this sending out of the seventy-two is a ripple effect of Christ’s teachings being carried to other areas by these disciples. Luke alone gives such prominence to this episode of the mission and the subsequent analysis of their mission. There is this wonderful statement of Jesus, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” There is great joy and confidence, because of their mission. We see here how the early Church was gaining momentum, and the Jewish authorities must obviously have been viewing this development with great concern. Luke certainly views this as a major stride forward of the early Church, under the direct guidance of Jesus. It is a timely reminder for us to realise that Jesus had a plan for spreading the Gospel message and lifestyle. He is greatly concerned about the fact that the disciples should rely upon the people for their sustenance and not be concerned about it. Jesus obviously viewed concerns about their welfare could get in the way of the “Message”. St Francis of Assisi will take this passage literally for his order many centuries later and produced an astounding ripple effect for the Lord’s message. The readings this week give us some tough ideas to ponder as we struggle in a world beset by the accumulation of wealth and comfort.

Lord, continue to guide our mission in today’s environment. Deacon Vincent.



No comments:

This week's news

For Peace ~ From Pope Francis RIP
"Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain.
Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; "With war everything is lost". Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words "division", "hatred" and "war" be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be "brother", and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!"


Taster evening at St Augustine's Parish.

Please share with anyone who you think might be curious....

On Friday 18th July we will have a meeting for anyone who might be interested in the Catholic Church.

This will follow the 7.30pm Mass in the Church and the meeting will be from 8-9pm in the Parish Hall next door.

...... even if you are just being curious, please come along. We'd love to meet you.

Fr Barnabas.


1st HOLY COMMUNION *2026*
If your child is turning 8 (or is older) during school year 2025/26 & would like to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the 1st time in 2026, please email the Parish Office by 27th July with their name/DOB, parents names & contact info.

Send your email to:
bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com

We will acknowledge your email and then the forms and details will be sent out to all who have expressed interest at the end of Summer / start of September.
Thank you


LEGO
Here's a thought.... does anyone have any 'old' Lego they no longer need and would be willing to donate to the church for an idea we have for the kids...
Yes, I know Lego is precious and timeless and NO ONE EVER GETS RID OF IT but it's worth a try to ask! hahaha

If you CAN help then;
A) you are wonderful! Thank you
&
B) please contact the parish office or just drop it into the Presbytery when coming to Mass or passing the church.
Thank you.



Office Chairs....

If anyone knows of an office clearing out any 'meeting room style' chairs with arms (preferably wooden and stackable) please let us know as we would love to replace the current chairs we own that aid mobility for certain parish hall groups.

Contact us on here or by email at bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com

Thank you...
No comments:

This week's news


We have the petition to sign at the back of church or use the CAFOD website to sign online.
If this is something you feel is the right thing to do, please sign.
Thank you to the MANY who have already done so.
#PeopleOfHope


Thanks to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi Year C.
1st Reading from the Book of Genesis 14: 18-20.
There are constant echoes of the New Testament in the First Testament. Here we have one where this presentation of bread and wine by the priest Melchisedek. It is a vision of the Sacrifice of the Mass whereby we encounter Christ in an extraordinary manner using the same gifts of bread and wine. Melchisedek offers the gifts in thanksgiving to God Most High for Abram’s victory over his enemies. It is a precursor of the gifts we offer to God the Most High for Christ’s victory over death.
Psalm 110(109): 1-4.
This song continues our connection with the priesthood of Melchisedek. Early Christians applied this song to Jesus, but of course, Jesus was the real thing, Melchisedek a precursor.
2nd Reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 11: 23-26.
This is part of Paul’s treatise on the connection of the Eucharist and the unity of the Community gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. Paul goes back to the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Jesus declaring the bread as his body and the wine as his blood. “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” We are the one bread and the one cup and therefore should always be at one with God and each other at this celebration. It should always be the sign of our oneness with God and each other. We should always remember Jesus’ prayer, “That they shall be One as You and I, Father, are One.”
The Holy Gospel according to Luke 9: 11b-17.

Luke gives great importance to hospitality. Jesus had welcomed the crowds and had healed and taught them, but time was running out and the day was drawing to a close. The disciples are concerned for the crowd’s welfare, so Jesus tells them to feed the crowd themselves. They are amazed, as they only had a few loaves and two fish, and looking at the crowd the cost to feed them would be exorbitant. Then this amazing incident whereby Jesus takes the loaves and fishes and looking up to heaven blessed them, then started to break them apart and hand them out. Jesus is careful to avoid being crushed in the rush so has them sit down in groups of about fifty, the food is then distributed in an orderly manner. Afterwards they collect twelve baskets of scraps. This is an amazing vision of the Eucharist how Jesus would bless his followers with such an amazing gift as himself. Here he is at the heart of the miracle and in the Eucharist, he is still at the heart of the gifts
Thank you, Jesus, for your wonderful gift to us of Yourself.
Deacon Vincent.

No comments:

What a Wonderful Day!

We are all delighted following another wonderful 'Community Catch Up' for our local area. Saturday was a day of sunshine, threatening clouds and the odd rain shower so the decision to host mainly inside was a wise one.

The unpredictable weather didn't stop over 300 people coming out to join us! Thanks to all who supported us and to the huge team involved in the planning, set up, running of stalls and clear up operation after! Hard work but SO very worth it!

Mr Hilliam and Fr Barnabas were good sports in the stocks, thanks to the Governors for organising - we've included some action shots of them being pelted! hahaha.
Richard's Steam Traction Engine was such a beautiful part of the day and the joy on the faces of the kids was just wonderful!

Thanks to Bristol Ice Hockey Academy for running the excellent 'beat the goalie' game, Sav's Super Whippy for the delicious ice creams, St Augustines preschool for the lovely toddler craft and 'tattoo' area, our School's PTFA for running the huge Tombola stall, our Girl Guides and Hong Kong Community for the brilliant games room, the local PCSO's for coming along to meet us all and let the kids turn on the police car lights and sirens! Our Community Cafe and Not So Young Club for welcoming us at the entrance, organising the pig racing and providing us all with cakes and cuppas, the 'Men in Sheds' for the BBQ, our many traders for offering such an amazing array of things to buy and the many parish volunteers who made everything else happen! (Thank you to those who had your arms twisted! haha)

Big thanks also goes to our Sponsor, April's Flower Patch, who came along to brighten up the place with her beautiful flowers, and thanks to the school for letting us take over the place!

We will be working out all the final bits and bobs of stall collections, other donations, expenses and more over the next week or so and will let you know how much each group will have made as soon as we can.
Roll on next year!




  
























  








No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)