New Bishop’s Video for School Governors:
There are 62 maintained schools in Clifton Diocese, educating 21,673 pupils.
They are supported by a ‘volunteer army’ of school governors, including 350 Foundation Governors appointed by Bishop Declan. The Bishop wishes to recruit new candidates to join the governing bodies, to help grow and sustain Catholic education in the Diocese for current and future generations, and so has produced a new promotional video https://vimeo.com/592918008 where the Bishop and current governors and Headteachers, talk about the importance and value of school governors.
Please watch the video to discover some of what being a school governor is about. If you would like to support Catholic education and so would like to apply to be a governor, please complete the online application form https://schools.cliftondiocese.com/form-2 or contact Bill McEntee, Governance Officer via bill.mcentee@cliftondiocese.com or call 07710094976 for more information – he would love to hear from you!
This season of Creationtide: A message from Bella....
"Enjoy our lovely altar cloth banner, share our garden and allotment produce and pray for the world, especially Haiti, and Honduras and New Orleans who have recently experienced disasters.
While the Young Christian Climate Network has reached Nottingham in their 1000 mile relay to COP26, the Christian Climate Action pilgrimage, caminotocop, has begun from London and Bristol walking to Glasgow. In many ways the walkers are experiencing voluntarily the vulnerability, tiredness and need for welcome that refugees are forced into, and so expressing their solidarity. The animals of the earth are also made refugees by deforestation, burning, drought and floods. Pray for the walkers, that they are sustained and able to spread the word of the urgency of action on Climate Change, and pray for all who are made homeless by the climate and biodiversity crisis.
Bishop Auckland Churches Together held a service in Thanksgiving over a coffin, for the life of the species now extinct and those lives of present and future children blighted and shortened by the Climate Crisis, with a strong call to action now before it is too late.
Let us all do something, even if just to talk with our neighbours and friends and resolve to live more simply and more gratefully and to raise our voices for sustainable change."
Time to Start School?
If you have a child born between 1 September 2017 and 31 August 2018, then now is the time to apply for a place at a Catholic primary school in the Diocese. You must complete an application form (either online or on paper) that is available from the school admissions team of the South Gloucestershire Council, for admission during the 2022-23 school year. If your child has been baptised, you must also provide a copy of the baptism certificate to your preferred school.
Please ensure you apply by the closing date of 15 January 2022.
LGBTQ+ Catholics
All are welcome at St Nicholas of Tolentino Church in Easton on 19th September for their monthly celebration of the Eucharist for members of the LGBTQ+ community, their families and friends.
Thank you Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
1st Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 50: 5-9.
This is the third song of the Servant, the Servant visions are contained in the Second or “Deutero-Isaiah”, this is a clear personality behind these chapters, and is a disciple of Isaiah, hence his inclusion in the Isaiah book of Prophecy. These poems or songs present us with an image of God’s ideal servant, whose task is to bring home the scattered people of Israel, and who in consequence will suffer terribly. Christians for obvious reasons have always found these images of Jesus the promised Messiah. It pictures scourging, and degrading false prosecutions, but God will vindicate his Servant. We all know how God vindicates his servant, it is the cornerstone of our Faith, the Resurrection from the terrible death of Jesus Christ. Did Isaiah have a vision of Jesus? it is difficult not to contemplate so accurate an assessment of the suffering servant without believing that he did actually have that vision in four stages. It is worth exploring all those visions in the coming week.
Psalm 114: 1-6, 8-9.
A song of thanks for deliverance it might almost be the song of the suffering servant upon his vindication.
2nd Reading from the Letter of St. James 2: 14-18.
Sometimes when reading this passage it might appear in contrast to Paul’s treatise on Faith, but the letters have the same theme, Love must be the prime mover, we must love our neighbour, not with just glib words, but actually assisting the poor by feeding and clothing them regardless of their social standing. Luther did not like this particular letter of James, referring to it as “a rather strawy epistle”, because it counters his argument that Faith alone justifies a person. It must be faith inspiring our actions and behaviour that justifies a person. The second commandment Jesus tells is similar to the first, and that is to love your neighbour as yourself for God’s sake. The first, of course, is the love of God above all things.
The Holy Gospel according to Mark 8: 27-35.
This central passage deals with ongoing education of the disciples. Jesus starts with what is the current belief about him. They give a variety of versions, John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the Prophets, Then, Jesus asks, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter gets it stunningly right. “You are the Messiah”. Jesus then counsels them not to tell anyone about him. Then Jesus explains what being the Messiah will mean, he will go the way of the “Suffering Servant in Isaiah”, part of which is described in the first reading. Peter remonstrates with Jesus telling him that he must not talk like that. Then from getting stunningly right he gets it stunningly wrong and Jesus’ response is, to name him Satan for thinking that way. Their education must face the fact of his crucifixion and death, and that those of us who follow him must expect similar treatment at the hands of the world. If they treat the Mater this way what else can the servants expect? It is an uncomfortable fact of our discipleship, and we need to pray constantly to God to give us the strength to follow Jesus to the end.
God bless you all.
Deacon Vincent.
Apart, yet together. #ChurchAtHome
Photo by Isaac Sloman - Unsplash
Journeying from Despair to Hope…Prisons Week Online event - 12 October 2021, 5-6.15pm
Clifton, Arundel & Brighton and Plymouth Dioceses would like to invite you to explore the challenges facing prisoners and their families and how we can get involved in our parishes. Prisoners and their families are often some of the most socially excluded people in our society. There are many prisons in our diocese: Ashfield, Bristol, Eastwood Park and Ley Hill. This event will offer an opportunity to direct our thoughts and prayers to prisoners and their families and to reflect on how we as individuals, as a Church and as a community are serving those affected by imprisonment.
Speakers include:
Canon Paul Douthwaite, National Catholic Chaplain for Prisons at Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
Andy Keen-Downs, Chief Executive Prison Advice and Care Trust
Participants will receive advice on practical steps that parishes can implement and information on voluntary organisations helping prisoners and their families.
Please register your attendance by filling in this form https://forms.office.com/r/J1zTkUTiP7
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