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Newsletter and Bulletin cover sheets for this coming weekend.
From the weekend of 6/7th November, we will start supplying a small number of printed newsletters at the back of church for those people who don't have access to view or print off for themselves online.
Whilst it was unsafe and unwise to have items for people to pick up at the back of church for so long, it showed us that we can cover this process for a vast majority of people by providing the same information online and a large version posted up at the back of church for people to read.
Also, we are saving on the hundreds of £ we spent on printing costs for the newsletters and helping to reduce the environmental impact of printing/paper - it is not worth returning to our old ways.
We have the same information weekly on our website and on this Facebook page so please view it from here and print off your own copy if wanted.
The printed copies will be there for those who need it and, whilst we are still mindful of not having communal items/various people handling the same things, we ask that people do not read the newsletter and then leave it behind in church for others to have to throw away.
We hope you can understand this new process and are happy that we have tried hard to keep communicating to everyone is the safest and best way possible.
God bless you all,
Fr Frank.

COP26 and the climate crisis
Please pray this prayer each day for the COP26 conference and also pray for the Laudato Si Action Platform which will be launched on the World Day of the Poor on November 14th.
Visit the Catholic Bishop's of England and Wales website for more info: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/cop26/prayer/

And the the Laudato Si platform can be found here
Thank you to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for the Solemnity of All Saints Year B

1st Reading from the book of the Apocalypse 7: 2-4, 9-14.
The word “Apocalypse” is a Greek word, meaning “Un-Veiling”, Revelation being the Latin equivalent. We are told it is an “un-veiling of Jesus Christ”, but we are not told whether it is and his disciples join him. Prophecy, that means it is a speech of God to humans and is not, necessarily, a prediction of the future. This section we are reading deals first with those who belong to Israel and then the rest of humanity, the message is clear for all that those who remain faithful to God, all will be well. There is a great deal of liturgy in Apocalypse and the function of all good liturgy is to remind us that all things will be well, no matter how disastrous they may appear. The people in white are obviously martyrs, and their robes have been bleached by the blood of the Lamb, but we all know that blood is not a bleacher, so we see how God turns worldly wisdom upside down, since the Lamb’s death. We can be sure that God puts everything right for those who remain loyal to him through thick and thin.

Psalm 23: 1-6.
This is pilgrimage song and reminds us that those who go up to the mountain of the Lord, must be in a fit state to enter the Holy City and the Temple of the Lord. The pilgrim will then receive countless blessings from the Lord, for those who seek the face of the God of Jacob. It is full of encouragement for us to repent in order to come to the Lord.

2nd Reading from the first letter of St. John 3: 1-3.
Some scholars view this as not a letter, but a commentary on the Gospel of John, it just doesn’t look like a letter. It affirms the full humanity of Christ. This document is an invitation to stay within the community, and to live appropriately. Giving glory to God by our lives, as one of the Deacon’s dismissals proclaims, this seems to be the theme of this document.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 5: 1-12.
Matthew focuses our attention by drawing us into the event telling us, Jesus goes up the mountain because of the crowds, and just like Moses going up the mountain to receive the Law, Jesus goes up the mountain but his case he gives the New Law. We watch as Jesus adopts the position of a teacher, “he sat down”. Matthew, in my translation, assures us that it is Jesus who is talking, with “he opened his mouth”, “he began to teach them”, “saying”. It is a triple emphasis, this is an important statement, and we know that we are privileged to share what was intended mainly for Jesus’ inner group. We are not prepared for the shock that follows; it is an astonishing list of those who are congratulated and blessed, the destitute, the sad, the meek, those who long for justice, the merciful, those whose life is focussed on God, those who refuse to follow the way of violence, and finally those who are persecuted. At first glance this would appear ridiculous, but upon a more concentrated reading, we begin to discover the true wisdom of God, so different from human thinking, contained in Jesus’ words. God makes everything right. We need to uncover the truth by watching it all unfold in Christ’s Gospel. This is a thumb nail sketch of Jesus’ Gospel. Like the Law given to Moses, there is wealth of meaning behind each stanza. Each one is a growth in relationship with each other and God. It is often referred to as the “Ladder of the Beatitudes”, by implication the way to ascend heavenwards. Examine each beatitude through the coming week; my translations use the exclamation “Congratulations” rather than Blessed, so it is much more than just a simple Blessing, it is an abundance of Grace, our journey along the Way, is to discover the truth of each of them.

God Bless You All & Stay Safe. Deacon Vincent.

Photo credit: Image by >亮 何 - Pixabay
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Garden of Remembrance: 
We are in the process of organising the new inscriptions for our Memorial Tablets in our Garden of Remembrance. 
We have written to all families whose loved ones have had funerals here at St Augustine’s since 2018 and we invite anyone else who wishes to have the name of a recently deceased relative or friend inscribed to contact us at the parish office at bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com for a form to complete.
Please apply by 12th November at the latest so we can plan with the stonemasons asap.


School Open days
The open days have begun for our wonderful school which has just received another 'Good' OFSTED rating.
Please spread the word to all families with small children who will be looking to choose a primary school in the coming years.
Our School's 50th Anniversary celebrations also made the local papers - Congratulations!




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Thank you Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

1st Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah 31: 7-9.
Jeremiah’s prophecies are really designed to help Israel cope with the utter disaster of the defeat by the Babylonians and the taking off into exile of all the prominent citizens, the temple and the Holy City had been destroyed. Had God deserted them? Many started to follow the Babylonian ways and worship, Jeremiah is to help them find a way back to God. This part of the book is concerning the way back home for the exiles. This passage is dealing with the fact that Israel is going to be restored. God is going to bring back a remnant and they will rejoice, they had left in tears but their tears will turn to great joy, and there is this reference to the smooth pathway, or causeway. The exiles were always impressed by the great causeway that the Babylonians had constructed to make an impressive entrance to their great city, so Jeremiah is comparing their smooth return to this great smooth causeway. They will learn from their mistakes and not leave the Lord again. It is a lesson that although we make wrong decisions, God is always trying to guide us back to him. We may desert Him, but He never deserts us.
Psalm 125
This is a song describing, what Jeremiah was sent by God to proclaim to those in Exile. The joy and exuberance of the remnant upon returning home. That wonderful last stanza, “They go out full of tears……. they come back, they come back full of song.” God’s word was fulfilled by their return from Babylon, we can trust God’s promises.
2nd Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 5: 1-6.
Jesus was invited by God to be our High Priest, and he painfully accepted the task of making atonement for all our sins, although sinless himself, making offerings like Melchizedek of bread and wine, but, with Christ, these gifts are transformed into Christ’s Body and Blood. Melchizedek is a mysterious character from the Old Testament, who is very Christlike. The Hebrews would have noted these similarities, and would have been intrigued, and encouraged to explore further.
The Holy Gospel according to Mark 10: 46-52.
This section of Mark’s Gospel started with a blind man, and it ends with an encounter with another blind man. Bartimaeus, is sitting by the roadside, when he hears a commotion, he discovers Jesus, the Nazarene is passing by. So, he shouts out at the top of his voice, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” The people around tell him to shut up, but Jesus stops. The blind man obviously knows something about Christ and that intrigues him. “Call him here.”, says Jesus, and we get this lovely picture that Mark paints for us of how the mood of the people changes. “Courage”, they say, so Bartimaeus, throws off his top clothing and blunders through the crowd to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asks, and Bartimaeus responds loud and clear, “Rabbuni, that I may see again.” And Jesus effortlessly heals him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” His sight is instantly restored, and he becomes a disciple and follows Jesus along the road. There is a profound lesson for us here, to have faith in the Word of God. That act brings healing and enlightenment. If we have faith in the Word of God, Jesus Christ, then let us become his disciples and follow him along the road to salvation, enlightened by his Gospel.
God Bless you All & stay safe. Deacon Vincent. 




A message from the Diocese regarding Pope Francis' World-Wide Synod:

"So that we can all fully understand what Pope Francis is asking, for our participation in the Synod, we are offering information sessions to give every­one an opportunity to find out more and so be able to fully engage with the process. The dates of the information sessions are:
If anyone would like to attend one of the sessions around the diocese, please let us know through the Eventbrite link above.
Also, we are holding two online Teams sessions on 8 & 9 November at 7pm. If you would prefer to join these meetings from your own home, rather than attend one of the above in person, please let us know at the synod@cliftondiocese.com email address so that we can send a 'Teams' invite a few days before the event."

Here at St Augustine's, we have asked a few of our parishioners to consider being one of our parish delegates so that we can participate in shaping the church as we look forward to how the church will help and serve into the future.

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Million Minutes invites us to join them for a webinar on how we support our young people post-lockdown on Wednesday 20th October at 7pm to discuss how we, as youth ministers, volunteers and parish communities, can support young people post-lockdown. This session will have input on current research, sharing of resources available, and opportunities for discussion and network-building.
The session aims to:
*Gain an understanding of how young people have been affected by the national lockdowns through examining research
*Discuss the support that we can offer as Catholic communities to young people over the coming months
*Be aware of the resources available to further enable our work
*Building our network through opportunities for discussion
This will be a live session and will not be recorded. You will receive a digital resource pack, including any presentation slides, following the session. Register now at: https://millionminutes.org/events/2021/youngpeoplepostlockdown
If you have any questions regarding the event, feel free to email Beth (Senior Parish Engagement Officer) at beth@millionminutes.org


Clifton Climate Liturgy-Saturday October 23rd, 11.00am – led by Bishop Declan:


As Christians, we the stewards of God’s creation, have responsibility for our planet’s future. We have a unique opportunity very soon to prepare spiritually for the challenges and opportunities COP26 in November offers our world. The Climate Liturgy being led by Bishop Declan on Saturday, October 23 in the Cathedral, offers the chance to engage with the issues facing our planet through prayer and worship.

The Liturgy will be both a recognition of the work of organisations involved in the Climate Change Campaign in the Clifton Diocese, and an ongoing call and blessing by Bishop Declan for all to continue the action to protect God’s world.

Tackling climate change is literally a life-and-death issue, and the Liturgy also offers the opportunity to pray together that leaders at COP26 will have the courage to act before it is too late. To safeguard Creation and the lives of Brothers and Sisters who are already experiencing the very real cost of climate change, our UK Government needs to commit to, and see through bold targets at COP26, enabling both global and local change to be made.

Representatives from the organisations involved in the Campaign will be holding stalls after the Liturgy as an opportunity for engagement, dialogue and action. Come along on October 23, and be part of the mobilisation. Contact Liz Baldwin at CAFOD Clifton for any further details – ebaldwin@cafod.org.uk
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October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month so Fr Frank will be praying during Mass on Sunday 31st October at 9.30am for all those suffering the pain of losing a child, at whatever age or stage of pregnancy. You are most welcome to attend in person should you wish to join the parish in prayer that morning.
Support is out there for those who need it, from charities such as Tommy's or 'Saying Goodbye', part of The Mariposa Trust, whether that loss was recent or many, many years ago.
The 'Saying Goodbye' charity is running a series of online Services of remembrance over the next few months. You can find all the information here https://www.sayinggoodbye.org/services/
We invite our parishioners to light a candle at home and to join in prayer at some point during this awareness month for those affected (and should you be able to donate to their charitable works, the link is below.)
Dear God, soothe the pain of those suffering the loss of their child. May they receive the loving support they need from those around them and may God help to heal their hearts and give them peace in knowing their child is now cradled in God’s loving embrace.
We trust in Jesus, our loving saviour, who gathered children into His arms and blessed the little ones. May the angels and saints lead those tiny lives to the place of light and peace where one day they will be brought together again.
Amen.


Sharing the Journey
The Diocese is offering an opportunity for catechists to be renewed and refreshed by taking part in a series of on-line conversations with a variety of speakers from around the country.
Each speaker will offer their own insights into different aspects of catechesis and evangelisation, followed by time to discuss, comment and share ideas.
The speakers & dates are:
21 October: Sycamore - Susan Longhurst
25 November: Celebrating the Rites – why bother? - Mgr Kevin McGinnell
20 January 2022: Called by Name - the significance of the Rite of Election - Sarah Adams
24 February: The Lenten Journey through Art – Lynne Hanley
24 March: Entering the Mystery, Praying the Triduum - Fr James Hanvey SJ
21 April: Mystagogia – it’s not a swear word - David Wells
19 May: Supporting people in our parishes who present with intellectual difficulties - Cristina Gangemi
16 June: Being a Catechist - David Wells
July: Retreat
All are welcome to join, including anyone who is interested in this area of ministry but not yet involved. To the next session on Thursday 21 October, they welcome Susan Longhurst.
The conversations will take place on Microsoft Teams, 7.30pm – 8.45pm. For parishioners to register their interest please contact: adult.education@cliftondiocese.com
A Microsoft Teams invite will be sent out a few days before each talk.


The Boss on holiday.
In September, Fr Frank had a long awaited and much-deserved break in Brighton, seeing the sights and meeting up with family who live nearby.
"I had 3 of the sunniest days of the year! How lucky! I had a wonderful relaxing time and went up on the high i360 tower and had photos taken, I went on the old coastline train which is supposed to be the oldest railway line in the world (well, according to them anyway!) plus a trip on the sightseeing tour bus. Unlike Debbie Kearney though, I stayed inside the tall tower, not abseil down it, and I didn't fly there on the top of a plane!
The hotel was excellent and I really had a relaxing time doing whatever I wanted. I came home refreshed and ready for hard work again!"
We thought you might like to see the pictures of our Canon enjoying the sun!






Pilgrimage 2022

Bishop Declan is set to lead a Holy Land pilgrimage in 2022 (26 September to 4 October) staying two nights in Bethlehem, three nights in Jerusalem and three nights in Galilee.

Visit the website using this link for all the information and, if interested, you can email an expression of interest to the email address given.





Bishop Declan wishes to form a Youth Council that will support the faith life of the young people within Clifton Diocese. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone who has a concern for young people and would like to get involved in this new venture. Information about the makeup of the council and the intended role of those who are selected can be found by going to the Diocesan website and clicking on the link for the booklet.
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New Parish Rota:
This takes effect from 16/17th October. We have emailed all who have volunteered to be part of this new trial rota & there is a copy up at the back of church & on this website home pageto view. If anyone else would like to join the various duties, please contact the office. If you are interested in joining the church choir, please make contact with Martin Le Poidevin via the parish office as he is looking to restart the choir in the future. We ask for your cooperation & consideration with reintroducing some of these duties over time to enhance the liturgy, whilst remaining safe for everyone who comes to Mass. Thank you.


80-140mph..... Look out! Here she comes!

After a couple of postponements due to rain, the legend that is Debbie Kearney finally took to the skies standing on top of a 1940s biplane on Wed 6 Oct, in near perfect weather conditions, to raise funds to support The Jessie May Trust. (Photos will be posted in the Narthex and on her JustGiving page as soon as possible.) If you would like to sponsor her for this very worthy cause, it’s not too late, just head to www.justgiving.com/Debbie-Kearney4. Alternatively, if you would rather donate in person, Debbie will loiter outside Church after Mass on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
Many thanks for your prayers and support!


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Thank you to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

1st Reading from Genesis 2: 18-24.
This is a beautiful explanation of how we co-operated with God’s creation. He allowed us to name them, but we must remember that God created them as our companions, not our slaves, or to be exploited, or driven to the edge of extinction. We need these creatures to enhance our lives and help us to work with God in nurturing his creation. We must always remember that we co-operated with God’s creation and always respect it. If we respect it, then we will always have companions to brighten our days with beautiful bird song or discover the wonders of the deep oceans. Watch the great beasts of the earth care for their young, and care for their remains when their life is over, such as the great Elephants, who stand watch over their bones and will return to visit them. When we detach ourselves from God, we detach ourselves from our world, which is his great work of art. This also applies to our respect for women. They are created as our very special companions in our vocations in life. In the marriage ceremony we are encouraged to treat each other as equals. They are not there for our titillation, or as our slaves, or servants, but as our companions in life. We need to see God’s creation in each other, and then we will eventually overcome all these terrible crimes we commit against each other. It is imperative that we live the Gospel life, as Christ showed us, for that is God’s will for each and everyone of us.

Psalm 127.
This is a beautiful song, which emphasises how God will bless the work of our hands and bless our homes, and we will be fruitful, if we live the Gospel life. Honouring God our Father and listening to His Word.

2nd Reading from St. Paul to the Hebrews 2: 9-11.
Jesus, who in becoming human, entered fully into our lives, and allowed himself to be considered lower than the angels. God, now, proclaims him as his only Son in glory and splendour because he was obedient unto the Father, even to accepting death on a cross, a death that was for all of us that we might be set free from our fallen state, and become his brothers and sisters, sharing his royal priesthood as God’s good and loyal servants. We need to listen to his word and care for all God’s creation, especially each other, by sacrificing our selfish desires, to ensure the welfare of each other and all God’s creation.

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 10: 2-16.
In this passage from Mark’s Gospel, we encounter two very different aspects of Jesus’ teaching. On marriage we see Jesus continuing from the Genesis reading, explaining that when we marry each other we become one flesh, one body in Christ. It is a living symbol of his relationship with Holy Mother Church. Now to contract a marriage we need to be fully cognisant of the Christian life, and fully cognisant of the awe-inspiring commitment we make upon entering marriage. It exceeds romantic love; it is a realisation that this other person is an extension of ourselves. Most marriages that fail, are where one of the parties is unaware of the tremendous responsibility of marriage or is only seeking selfish satisfaction or is entirely self-motivated. The marriage sacramental bond is very difficult to achieve properly, hence the need for greater preparation for both parties. Both need to be aware of what God is calling them to achieve. Marriage Tribunals examine failed marriages to establish whether a fully cognisant marriage was equally contracted. The marriage can be declared null and void, where the sacramental bond was never properly sealed.
The second story, we see how Jesus loved and cherished childlike acceptance and encourages us to emulate that attitude to God.

God Bless you All. Deacon Vincent



Clifton Diocese' Adult Education department has organised virtual gatherings this week, which are a chance for catechists (past, present or future) to share ideas and good practises as we look towards the re-opening of more of our roles within parishes.
To participate in the conversation, just register at adult.education@cliftondiocese.com and include the meeting you wish to attend so that an invitation can be sent out via Microsoft Teams. You do not need to attend for your own Diocese if the date isn't suitable.


St. Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church, Bristol invites us to join them on Sunday 17th October for their monthly celebration of Mass for LGBTQ+ Catholics, their families & friends.
All are welcome.

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