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Just 17 days to go until the return of our 'Countdown to Christmas'!

Saturday 12th December - join us from noon until 3pm for lunch, for drinks, for cakes, to play games, to do fun activities, to get some amazing Christmas shopping in and even see the 'Big Guy in Red'!

How can you help... Can you donate a bottle of something? ..from wine to lemonade, from coke to whisky... any new, unopened bottles help us make a fantastic and popular 'Bottle Stall', run as always by our wonderful PTFA!

Please bring any donations of bottles, chocs, new gifts for our prize stalls to the presbytery for storage.

Many thanks! From the Parish Social Committee

SOUP RUN REQUEST

Please can you help increase the stock of home-made soup for the freezer?
If you can, please contact the parish office by email and we will put you in touch with Maeve who stores our soup for us, so you can organise delivery to her in Downend.

Tips: please don’t make it too thick/chunky/hearty as it can be difficult to pour when out on the soup run. Please put the soup in plastic milk cartons with a gap to allow for expansion when frozen. Please label and date the carton.
Many thanks.

Time to Start School?

If you have a child born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019, 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 2023-24 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 2023.

Our own wonderful Primary School's website can be viewed here for information about the education they offer.

https://www.staugustinedownend.org.uk/

A message from the Diocesan Office:

Calling Chartered Accountants! The Dunstan Catholic Educational Trust https://www.thedcet.com/ is seeking a qualified and experienced Chartered Accountant to join their Trust Board of Directors. The Board is the accountable body of the Trust for the educational and financial performance of all its schools. Amongst their wider functions, directors approve and scrutinise budgets and accounts of the Trust overall and the individual Schools within the Trust to ensure financial probity and legal compliance with Company and Charity Law, as well as general directorship of Trust. This is a good opportunity to use your skills and experience to help support Catholic schools and their pupils.
For further information, contact please contact Bill McEntee, Governance Officer, Clifton Diocese via bill.mcentee@cliftondiocese.com or 07710094976.

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Praying for World Peace.

At this troubling time for the world when it can feel like there is nothing we can do to help, we can pray...
Join the St Augustine's Community for a Holy Rosary Novena for world peace starting this Tuesday 25th October at 7.00 pm (for half an hour before the 7.30pm evening Mass begins) for nine weeks, ending Tuesday 20th December.
Please make all efforts to join in this prayer as it is desperately needed at the moment!


Concert in the Church

St Augustine's Parish is supporting 'Info Art Frontier UA' ~ a charity project created as a collaboration of Ukrainian artists and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine who want to introduce their rich history and culture and show their Ukrainian spirit to the international community.

They are working on organisation and delivery of aid into Ukraine to the soldiers on the front line, to general public and Christmas presents to children that have lost their homes.

We are pleased to be hosting a Concert by Anna Zoshchuk, soloist of the Odessa Philharmonic on Saturday 29th October at 7.30pm until 8.30pm in the beautiful surroundings and acoustics of our church.

We ask people to make a donation to attend - either online using the QR code below, or on the door on the night, and all money raised will go towards medical and food supplies as well as heaters, candles, power banks and support for people that lost their homes.

Info Art Frontier UA have arranged a bigger art and culture exhibition which will open in Bristol Cathedral on 31 October for a week and then continue in Vestibules of Council offices. They would like to welcome you to any of the cultural events and appreciate any support you can provide.

~ Organisers INFO ART FRONTIER UA
~ Iryna Forostyan and Vera Stadon 

Holy Cross Church - Charity Quiz Night ~ A message from Fr Eugene Campbell.

"After experiencing the plight of the Christians in Bethlehem in Palestine whilst on the Diocesan Holy Land Pilgrimage recently, I feel we should try and support them as best we can so we are holding a Quiz Night to raise funds.

Quiz Night to support the Christians of Bethlehem.
Friday 11th November 2022 ~ 6.30pm.
Bring your own booze / drinks.
Tickets £6.00 per person including baked potatoes with assorted fillings. Team of 4ish!
Proceeds to the Friends of the Holy Land.

Holy Family Parish Centre, Southsea Road, Patchway, Bristol, BS34 5DP. Email bristol.holyfamily@cliftondiocese.com to book.
God Bless, Fr Eugene Campbell VF."

Welcome!

We Warmly Welcomed Fr Barnabas as our resident Parish Priest and Fr Jim as Parish Priest in Charge of our Parishes in Communion for Misson at a special Mass last Friday.

It was lovely to have Fr Richard and Fr Duncan from our Deanery and Deacon Vincent with us for the service, during which they all renewed their vows - a very special moment.

We toasted their health with cuppas, cake, and glasses of wine in the hall afterwards.

Thank you and Welcome to our Community to you both - we look forward to growing together for Mission.

CAFOD are streaming praying the rosary for the care of creation every Thursday at 9am.
They are very prayerful and thought-provoking reflections and it is good to pray with others all over the country.
This is the link to register: https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Pray-the-rosary

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Fr Barnabas' first School Mass

It was wonderful for Fr Barnabas to meet the school children at their first Mass together on Tuesday.
The pupils had written prayers to hang on their class prayer trees which were brought up to the Altar during Mass.
They led the readings and reflections beautifully and are a credit to their parents and the staff at St Augustine's Primary School.

Thanks Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

1st Reading from the book of Exodus 17: 8-13.

This rather crude story is to illustrate the power of prayer to God. It also illustrates how the Prophet Moses is not the power, he is God’s intercessor for the people of Israel, from God comes the victory. Israel had not declared war on the Amalekites; the Amalekites decided to attack the people of Israel, and we witness the completion of the experiences of Divine Providence. The early Christians reading this in Greek via the Septuagint translation would not have missed that Joshua in Greek is Iesous, which comes into English as Jesus. As stated at the beginning the real essence of the story is the power of prayer and trust in God, something for us to remember in this very cynical time.

Psalm 120

God is faithful, he watches by day and by night, the companions on the road to Emmaus are accompanied by Jesus, but they do not recognise him. This is a song for recalling before starting some difficult or arduous task or the commencement of a vocation. It is re-establishing our trust in the abiding presence of God in our lives.

2nd Reading from the second letter of St. Paul to Timothy 3: 14-4:2.

Paul is anxious to convey to Timothy that in Holy Scripture we are given the tools with which to teach and refute, to improve and training the man of God to be proficient and prepared for any good work. Paul points to his own example in keeping going in the face of all sorts of difficulties. Paul knows he is nearing the end of his earthly life and wants to pass on as much as he can to Timothy of his own experience. He is encouraging Timothy to keep running the race to gain the imperishable crown that awaits the loyal servant. We can almost feel the urgency with which Paul is conveying this message to Timothy and ourselves, as his awareness that the end of his life is imminent. If Holy Scripture was the foundation of Paul’s life in Christ, how much more should we follow his example and pray the Scriptures to form our lives.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 18: 1-8.

We continue the theme of prayer as we listen to Jesus encouraging us to keep praying and not to relent. This story is only found in Luke’s Gospel, and it is beautifully crafted. In my translation the judge is worried that the widow will come and give him a black eye. What a wonderful vision. She is looking for justice, and Jesus is saying that God will give justice and if he is slow to act on our behalf, don’t give up, keep praying. The ending of this parable conveys Jesus’ sorrow that at his coming the Old Testament seems to end with failure, few believed in him and later most were influenced by the confusion, the false saviours, and the violence which precipitated the fall of the nation forty years after the death of Jesus. Let’s make sure that when he does come again, he will find us burning brightly with our lamps well-trimmed and with plenty of oil. May God give us the grace and inspiration to keep running the race and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to the world around us.

God Bless us all on our journey. Deacon Vincent.

St Augustine's Primary School VACANCY:

A Cleaner is wanted for 15 hrs a week: 3:30-6:30pm on weekdays.

If you are interested in joining their friendly team please call the office on 01454 866690 for information or to apply.

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URGENT APPEAL
Right now, up to 20 million people across Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia are fighting for survival in the face of the most devastating food crisis in decades.

Watch the video for details of the appeal and find out more:

https://cafod.org.uk/.../Donate.../World-Food-Crisis-Appeal

Clifton Diocese, in partnership with Caritas Plymouth, is hosting
A Fresh Start: People Affected by Imprisonment
on Zoom, Tuesday 29 November 2022 from 19:00-20:00.
This is an opportunity for people to explore prison ministry, praying together and learning about the context of prison ministry.
See poster for details.

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The Pope, the Environmental Crisis, and Frontline Leaders | The Letter: Laudato Si Film

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si’ (The Letter); an encyclical letter about the environmental crisis to every single person in the world. A few years later, four voices that have gone unheard in global conversations have been invited to an unprecedented dialogue with the Pope. Hailing from Senegal, the Amazon, India, and Hawai’i, they bring perspective and solutions from the poor, the indigenous, the youth, and wildlife into a conversation with Pope Francis himself. This documentary follows their journey to Rome and the extraordinary experiences that took place there, and is packed with powerfully moving personal stories alongside the latest information about the planetary crisis and the toll it’s taking on nature and people.

Because, in the words of the Laudato Si’ Movement chair Lorna Gold, “once you know, you CANNOT look away.”

Learn more about the protagonists and how you can take action at https://TheLetterFilm.org

Watch the film using this link - click here.

Thank you Deacon Vincent for this week's reflections ~ 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

1st Reading from the second book of Kings 5: 14-17.

The two books of Samuel and the two books of Kings are really one story. When these were written in scrolls, one scroll became one book and so on till the four scrolls became books Samuel 1 & 2, and Kings 1 & 2. It begins with Samuel’s story the drift to monarchy and the Saul and David story, David as king and his later years. Kings continue the story of Israel, now a monarchy, and 2 Kings takes the story down to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. It covers the precarious time of the Egyptian war with Assyria, the defeat of Egypt and Israel’s defeat and exile in Babylon. It concludes before the complete return from exile. Naaman was a great captain of the Assyrian Army and a bit of a wonder boy in his lord’s eyes. He was powerful and strong, but a leper. A little Israelite captive girl waited on Naaman’s wife, and she told how if he were to meet Elisha in Samaria, that Elisha would cure him. He meets Elisha and he carries out Elisha’s instructions and this is our story today of how he was cured. Elisha will take no payment for the cure he only wants to illustrate that God is superior to all the gods of the Assyrian. Naaman is converted. His gratitude needs to be directed to the God of Israel, who really cured him; for Elisha was only God’s prophet. Naaman then requests the soil of Israel so that he can take it back to Syria and build an Altar to the God of Israel and worship him in Syria.

Psalm 97: 1-4.

A beautiful song glorifying God’s great work in saving his people and be sure that he is coming. As we see from the first reading God is really the person in charge of everything.

2nd Reading from the second letter of St. Paul to Timothy 2: 8-13.

This is a kind of summary of Paul’s message to Timothy. Timothy, and indeed we, also. must concentrate on Christ, and especially on his death and resurrection. We Christians need to absorb ourselves in that mystery and not try to evade its uncomfortable consequences.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 17: 11-19.

Luke has us all on a journey along the border with Samaria and Galilee, and we continue the theme of healing. Like Naaman, a foreigner, the Samaritan, also regarded as a foreigner, is the only one of the ten lepers who are cured, who turns around and returns to give thanks to God. He is the only one to respond from the heart to give thanks, whilst the others were more concerned with completing the legal requirements of their cure. He only thought about giving thanks to God at the spot where the grace of God found him. This is the faith that saves and transforms us. Among the many of us who are asking God for favours and healing will really come to love Him. Our prayers for his help should always lead us to an increase in love and service of God, and not for worldly reasons.

God bless us on our journey towards the Lord.

Deacon Vincent.

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It's Back!

We've really missed our annual event where we 'Countdown to Christmas' together as a community, so we are delighted that we are back for 2022!

You are all invited to come along and do some Christmas shopping - have lunch, cuppas and cake - play some games - partake of a cheeky Irish coffee or mulled wine - enjoy the Christmas music and atmosphere together - and even visit the 'big guy in red'!

When? Saturday 12th November from 12noon until 3pm.
Where? St Augustine's School, Boscombe Crescent BS16 6QR
Who? Everyone!

See you there!