This Week's News



Red Box 2023: A Thank You!
In 2023, St Augustine's parish raised £1,055 through our Red Boxes and donations to Missio and the Mill Hill Missionaries. Thank you! Our missionary community here at St Augustine's is part of a worldwide network of people supporting missionaries overseas through prayer and financial assistance. Your support of Missionary Priests, like Fr Ignatuis MHM working with a rural community in Uganda, enables people to come together to celebrate the Eucharist and to work together to improve the lives of the whole community.
Visit www.missio.org.uk to find out more.

Our next celebration of the Eucharist for the LGBT+ community, family, friends and allies will be at 3pm on Sunday 21 April. As always, all are most welcome. For details, see poster.
It is now five years since this ministry began. Thank you to all who have supported it over the years, and please help us to continue to raise awareness.
Best regards
Clifton diocese LGBT+ ministry team.

Clifton Diocese Safeguarding:
The Diocese Safeguarding team are currently looking for an individual to join the Safeguarding Committee and sit in on the Risk Allegation Review meetings. Suitable volunteers should have in depth knowledge and experience of safeguarding, particularly health/mental health.
The role is voluntary and would require a commitment of one 2hour meeting approximately five times per year for the Safeguarding Committee and also the Risk Allegation Review Meeting.
The meetings can be attended in person or online and there will be some pre-reading prior to the meetings.
If you are passionate about safeguarding and would like to volunteer your experience and services to the team, or would like to discuss the role further, please contact the Safeguarding Coordinator Janice Pearson on janice.pearson@cliftondiocese.com or 07887 990385.

Reflections for Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B from Deacon Vincent.

1st Reading from the Acts of the Apostles 4: 8-12.
Just like Jesus, the Apostles are brought before the authorities. Like Elizabeth in (Luke 1: 41) and Jesus in (Luke 4: 14, 15, 18.), Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit, and he quotes Psalm 117: 22. To describe Jesus as, (the stone rejected by the builders, has become the corner stone.) Peter insists on the healing having occurred at the name of Jesus. This becomes a common theme throughout the Acts. Their lack of education and the fact that they knew Jesus, counts as evidence of their central claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. What is the response of the authorities? They forbid them to speak or heal in the name of Jesus. We, know how this is a forlorn hope, as the message is still being proclaimed today.

Psalm 117: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29.
So, we continue to follow Peter’s example with quotes from the 117 Psalm, appropriately quoting how God is more to be trusted than Princes or powers. “This is a marvel in our eyes” and of course we join with the crowds on Palm Sunday proclaiming, “Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.”

2nd Reading from the first letter of St. John 3: 1-2.
A beautiful description John gives us of exactly what a great dignity God has disposed upon us. We are God’s children, hence the world which refused to acknowledge Jesus, God’s beloved Son; it will not acknowledge us. But we all know that, this is a revealed truth for us today, as well. Although, things are difficult for us at the present; when it is time, we will become like Jesus, and see Jesus and the Father, as they really are. This is a great joy for us to constantly retain before us, throughout this vale of tears.

The Holy Gospel according to John 10: 11-18.
Jesus, here, takes an old image of the Father, as the Shepherd, and applies it to himself, thereby giving himself a godly presence, and he further goes on to use the “I AM”, no less than four times. (Jews would immediately recognise the answer God gave to Moses when Moses asked for God’s name, in the book of Genesis). Jesus describes himself as the “GOOD SHEPHERD”, he is not a hired shepherd who runs away at the first sign of danger. No; his sheep know him, and he knows us. Jesus will lay down his life for his sheep. Throughout this impassioned speech, Jesus, by using the “I AM”, is claiming to be at one with the Father, hence there will be great commotion amongst his followers and the authorities, as they considered any such claim as blasphemous. We are viewing this speech with hindsight, so we have lost the great significance and excitement that this speech evoked at the time. We need to contemplate the depth of what Jesus is telling us about himself and indeed what he is telling us about how important we are to Jesus.

We are his sheep, let us show how we trust him to look after us, by staying as close to him, as possible.

Let us always live as members of Jesus’ flock.
Deacon Vincent.

Mass for Married Life and Families
The bishop is celebrating Mass in the Cathedral on Saturday 25 May (12 noon) and is inviting all families to join him to celebrate the joys & challenges of marriage and family life.
In addition, we will celebrate those couples celebrating a significant anniversary during 2024.
All are welcome.
ENCOUNTER - DAY OF RENEWAL
There will be a special day of renewal at St. Bonaventure's Church Bristol from 10am to 4pm starting with Mass on Saturday 25th May.
Mass, uplifting worship, inspiring teaching and testimonies. Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available and prayer for baptism in the Holy Spirit. Childrens' stream available too. Refreshments provided but bring a packed lunch. To give us an idea of numbers for the day, we ask you to book a free ticket for all members of your party here: www.dftholyspirit.com/encounter-may-2024

Shared from our local area 'Heathboard' group:
Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council have produced a Local Climate and Nature Action Plan (LCNAP) which is an initiative many other local parish councils have taken forward in response to the declaration of a climate emergency by the local authority.
The plan will be available on the Parish website.
Our ideas and insights, as locals ,will be really valuable and can shape the plan as its taken forward. Our natural environment matters to us all and to our families too. It's an interesting read!"

Here is the link to click to see the action plan pdf.
https://www.dbhparishcouncil.uk/media/attachments/2024/04/19/downend_lcnapv2.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3LU6ypilSecaHHOzO_28GroZrQgqlY1sNeTdzIWtM8oLdeGc7_Li_2Ktw_aem_AfNuEuAuXOF20q-qr2TijdtNN_ZbyX2fkFIYSnMkFLj7uY-c3Twq2nPlUVP_6A9eVIgy72xbC0YQv8s217AZfySb

and here is a link to their website:
https://www.dbhparishcouncil.uk/


VACANCY - Clifton Diocese, Finance and Property Support Officer

The Clifton Diocese Curia offices are currently looking to recruit a Finance and Property Support Officer to strengthen it's central finance and property functions. The role is a part-time, 2year fixed term contract, to be worked over 25 hours per week and based at Alexander House, Pennywell Road, Bristol.

The successful applicant will need to have a comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office, good communication and organisational skills, to include time management and working on various tasks simultaneously. Previous administrative experience and a can-do flexible attitude are essential.

For further information please go to Working for us on the Clifton Diocese website or contact Simon Hussey, Head of Finance on 0117 902 5591. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 10th May 2024.

https://cliftondiocese.com/diocese/working-for-us/

Clifton Diocese Safeguarding: The Diocese Safeguarding team are currently looking for an individual to join the Safeguarding Committee and sit in on the Risk Allegation Review meetings.

Suitable volunteers should have in depth knowledge and experience of safeguarding, particularly health/mental health.

The role is voluntary and would require a commitment of one 2hour meeting approximately five times per year for the Safeguarding Committee and also the Risk Allegation Review Meeting. The meetings can be attended in person or online and there will be some pre-reading prior to the meetings.

If you are passionate about safeguarding and would like to volunteer your experience and services to the team, or would like to discuss the role further, please contact the Safeguarding Coordinator Janice Pearson on janice.pearson@cliftondiocese.com or 07887 990385.

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