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,
Just over 4 weeks to go until... St Augustine's COMMUNITY CATCH UP ~ 2024. Last year's event was so fantastic that we are doing it all again!
*Please get the dates in your diaries and look out for ways you can help out before the event and also for what to expect on the day.* This week, we'd love donations of prizes for the Tombola - bottles, boxes of chocs, unwanted new gifts (all unopened and new items please)
The organising committee are working hard to bring you another lovely community day and we look forward to seeing you all there!
Don’t Forget the Holy Spirit (DFTHS) Ministries present:
Encounter (Worship. Teaching, Testimony and Prayer) on Saturday 25th May, 10am - 4pm, St Bonaventure's Catholic Church, Egerton Rd, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8HP
Join us on the 25th of May at St Bonaventure's Church Bristol for a day of Encounter. Through worship, teaching and testimony, Fr Matt and Caroline Sadd will unpack the themes of Fr Matt's book 'Don't Forget the Holy Spirit'. The day will start with Mass at 10am and there will be an opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation and experience prayer for Baptism in the Holy Spirit. There will also be separate groups for children during the day, so families are very welcome to attend. Refreshments provided, but please bring a packed lunch. To book a free place please go to:
The Not So Young Club took a very sunny trip to Sidmouth last week.
How lucky were they with the weather! Chairman Mike Ryan said "It was a jolly day out for an equally jolly lot of not so youngsters!" (Please note, ambulance in the background of the photo was NOT for one of the group! 🤣)
St. Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church are hosting their monthly celebration of Mass for the LGBTQI+ community, family & friends on 19th May - See poster for details.
THE SUMMER PRIZE DRAW IS HERE!
You could win cash prizes & more - all in aid of the church, guides, school & pre-school. *** Please note *** This year, the books have arrived with 5 tickets in them (for £2.50) not the usual 10 tickets for £5 - so please feel free to take 2 books! Please return stubs & money or unsold books to the office by 13th June. The draw will be during coffees on Sun 16th June. Thanks for your support for our annual summer fundraiser!
No Mow May
Our churches are, once again, both taking part in 'No Mow May'. We are half way through and the amount of daisies and other little flowers and tall grasses coming up in the church grounds is really lovely to see.
Even on a grey day the colours looks so lovely. We hope the insects are enjoying it! Anyone else doing No Mow May?
If you have a spare 3 minutes, please take a look at this lovely video about the benefits of being involved with this annual scheme, to help increase the wildlife, the plants, insects and.. grasses!
Have a watch and let us know if you think we've got Yorkshire Fog, Sweet Vernal or Cox's Foot!
🐞🦋🦟🌱🌿☘️🌼
We are a 'LIVE SIMPLY' parish ~ as part of that, did you know there is a gardening group who help to rewild and plant up areas around the church grounds? They are holding a CREAM TEA & PLANT SHARING afternoon on Sun 26th May from 2pm, and invite you all to come along with any the spare plants from your garden, to make more wildflower areas, to plant in areas of the church garden by the garages, and enjoy a lovely cream tea after. ALL WELCOME. Lets CELEBRATE LAUDATO SI week together, Here is how beautiful some of the areas already are...
Growing Seeds of Hope - a message from The Clifton Evangelist.
We are delighted to let you know that the Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph will be returning once more to lead us in our exploration of how we form people in the Faith. Their knowledge and practical experience will help to guide and inspire us in our ministry as catechists. I hope it will also enable and inspire anyone who may not yet be a catechist but who cares about the formation of children, young people, and adults, not only for sacramental preparation but in all the in-between stages. The day takes place on Saturday 13 July at St. John the Baptist parish centre, Trowbridge. Refreshments from 9.30am. Please bring a packed lunch. The day will end at 4pm. Registration is essential for this event - contact us by email at adult.education@cliftondiocese.com
Please remember, in your prayers, all those who are about to start their exams.
For those about to begin these A level, degree year end, BTEC and GCSE and other exams and tests, here is a prayer that you can say yourself as you prepare:
Lord, I know you are with me and love me. Give me peace of mind as I prepare for this time of study. Help me to focus on my books and notes. Keep me from all distractions so that I will make the best use of this time that is available to me. Give me insight that I might understand what I am studying, and help me to remember it when the time comes. Above all, I thank you for the ability to be able to study and for the many gifts and talents you have given me. Help me always to use them in such a way that they honour you and do justice to myself. Amen
ORDINATION OF BISHOP-ELECT BOSCO MACDONALD
Participation in person with tickets only please.
You will be able to watch the Ordination of Bishop-elect Bosco live on the Diocesan website from midday, Wednesday 8th May 2024
We also give thanks for 23 years of devoted service to the diocese of Bishop Declan
Reflections for Seventh Sunday of Easter Year B from Deacon Vincent.
1st Reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1: 15-17, 20-26. Peter is showing his leadership skills, which is not always apparent in the Acts. Here we have Peter initiating God’s choice of a successor to Judas. Notice the criteria for an Apostle, “Someone who has been with the Twelve the whole time that Jesus was travelling around with them, right from when John was baptising until Jesus was taken up from the Twelve – this person can act as a witness with the Twelve to Jesus’ resurrection.” The emphasis that they must choose a successor to Judas and his betrayal was foretold tells us that they believe they are being prompted by God in the Holy Spirit to select Judas’ replacement. To enhance the idea that this choice must not be influenced by their likes or choices they agree to let the Holy Spirit choose by the casting of lots over the two candidates found amongst the Disciples who met the required criteria, thus allowing God to select the desired replacement. As the lot falls to Matthias, he is selected to be numbered amongst the Twelve. Strange that Matthias is never heard of again. This whole episode illustrates that God is in charge and the Holy Spirit is irresistibly running the show by prompting Peter. We witness right from the beginning the influence of the Holy Spirit upon the Church’s appointed Vicar of Christ.
Psalm 102: 1-2, 11-12, 19-20. This song is written in praise of God’s goodness. God is so good he removes our sins as far as the East is from the West. God’s forgiveness is totally abundant to those who choose to seek Him.
2nd Reading from the first letter of John 4: 11-16.
Once again, this letter echoes the language of the Fourth Gospel, as the writer links the God’s Spirit dwelling in us to showing our love to our neighbour, especially within our community, by accepting Jesus as Son, Saviour and Love. To live in love is to live in God, and God lives in them. Typical of John’s Gospel, we have this commandment; “the one who loves God should also love their brother and sister.” We have this assurance that, “God is \love.”
The Holy Gospel according to John 17: 11-19. At this point it moves from being a discourse to almost a priestly prayer. In the selection we have today we concentrate on the people the Father gave Jesus from the world. “Keep them in your name.” Next Jesus warns us that the world will hate them. There follows a prayer for those whom they will reach out to, namely us. Jesus will pray that we will all be one. His followers will be consecrated in the truth just as Jesus consecrates himself in the truth. Jesus is praying that we will become like him. When we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist he continues to fashion us in his likeness. As stones in the Temple of the Lord must be chiselled and have their rough edges removed so we need shaping to fit into that spiritual temple with Jesus as the corner stone and ourselves honed into one, just as he requests the Father to make us one like Jesus is one with the Father.
Lord grant us faith and patience to become one with You. Deacon Vincent
