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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, 
and Our Lady of Lourdes in Kingswood  


and we are part of the St Edmund of Abingdon Pastoral Area of Clifton Diocese, led by Fr Eugene Campbell of Holy Family Parish, Patchway.
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Current Parish Rotas

Please click on the link for the Parish Duties Rota you would like to view (as a pdf)
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Community Kitchen Cupboard (The 'C.K.C.')

NEW FOOD BANK INITIATIVE, together with school & pre-school, our ‘Community Kitchen Cupboard’ is now up & running! (The 'C.K.C.')

July 2024

This informal, free service is for anyone in our community who might be struggling or just needs a bit of extra help ~ please, just come & help yourselves from the shelves.

As you can see from the video, come on into the entrance of the church which is open each day (even if the door is shut, please try it, as it is usually unlocked from approx. 8.45am-4pm, or later on days where there is evening Mass) including during the summer holidays.
The Community Kitchen Cupboard is at the end of the entrance area - take a bag and take what you need for you / your family.

Also, if anyone is in a position to donate tinned & packet items for the CKC please leave items in the box at the bottom of the cupboard for our team to sort out and label.

We have loads of pasta and tins of beans, pulses & soups etc at the moments but would love some more toilet rolls, tea, coffee, lunchbox snacks such as individual biscuits or dried fruit boxes etc, jars of pasta sauce, tinned or packet desserts (rice pudding / custard etc) and sanitary items.
*Keep an eye out for updates on this in the weekly Newsletter*

We hope this will be a useful initiative for our community and we would welcome any helpful feedback and offers to join the team of people checking and re-stocking on a rota basis each day.

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Congratulations to Milly from Willow class for designing the winning logo for The CKC - the new Community Kitchen Cupboard!
... I think it says everything about what the initiative stands for - to surround people with love ❤️ Well done Milly.
Look out for the new sign at the back of church soon.
   
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Carols by Candlelight 2025

St. Augustine's annual Carols by Candlelight service took place at 3pm on Sunday 7th December.

Discarding paper in favour of scrolling lyrics projected high onto the wall to the right of the altar, the service took us on an Advent journey from the annunciation of one angel, "The Angel Gabriel", to the glorious proclamation of a heavenly host, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing".

During the first part of the service, beautifully presented by the children of the parish, who focused on a series of words capturing the qualities of those who watch and wait for the coming of the Saviour as they progress through Advent - accompanied throughout, and culminating in, the sweet melody of the "Little Donkey".

The second part of the service highlighted the plight of those for whom journeys, whether physical or metaphorical, are long and difficult. An exquisite rendering of Howard Goodall's "Refuge" by the wonderful Cantabile, followed by a reading of the poem "Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye, reminded us all of how lonely and isolated people can be, and that journeying is often as much about how we help other people cope with theirs, as it is about how we handle ours.

The final part of the service was, prematurely but gloriously, a celebration of the arrival of Jesus: from the hushed reverence of "Silent Night" from the whole congregation, to the irresistible strains of "Keresimesi Odun De O" ("Christmas is here") from our African Choir, to one final magnificent outpouring of joy, decanted and descanted by our wonderful choir.

And one very special moment just before that final hymn: a video message from Anshu and two other Sheroes from the Chhanv Foundation, the Indian charity whose work to help survivors of acid attack we have been supporting throughout the year. For these people, the journey is indeed long and difficult, beyond imagining.

And if, in kindness, we have succeeded in easing their pain in any way, then their message of thanks truly was a gift of the kind that captures the spirit of Christmas.

Thank you to all involved with the organising and running of the event and to you all who came out and supported it. The Church looked so beautiful and the mince pies delicious - everyone worked very hard to make the afternoon a success.

£304.96 was raise in donations and hamper raffle, which will be split between the Chhanv Foundation and the Project for our own Parish's maintenance.
Thank you! Enjoy some pictures and videos of the afternoon.


 




 






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This week's news


PARISH PROJECTS 2026:
This is the last week to nominate projects for the vote in 2026.
St Augustine's offers the chance for 2 people to lead both a local and an international Parish Project for a year. This means that you can plan fundraising events, have a stall at our annual Summer and Christmas fayres, have a Quiz night for your cause, run cake sales etc in your charity's name, as well as raising awareness of the cause with the Parish community's support.
If you have a charity who you would like to 'Champion' and fundraise for in 2026, please email Fr Barnabas at the office with details of that charity by 7th Dec.
Contact: Bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com

Electronics Amnesty
Do you have any electronics that might need looking at to bring back to life or that need recycling?
An Advent Amnesty... bring your items to the Parish Hall after Sunday Mass on 14th Dec. Let's see if we can keep some things from landfill!


Look out for all the Advent and Christmas events - see the calendar plus the Advent ideas sheet:


Celebrate have created a fantastic Advent Family pack, full of ideas, reflections, songs, book recommendations, videos, films to watch, prayers and much more.
The Parish has made a donation to Celebrate so please use this link to go to their website and download the pack and find some new things for your families to do this Advent.

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:
A reminder that we are running a prayer & discussion morning for ministers on Saturday 6th Dec - with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and then tea, coffee & cake & sharing about the ministry.
10-11.30am in the Church. All our ministers are invited, indeed encouraged, to come along and share this time together.

BristolAid4Ukraine are holding a final collection for their Christmas delivery, and our church has offered to be the drop off point for those donations.
They are collecting for children from families of fallen, missing, or captured soldiers, displaced families, children of volunteers, and children with additional needs:
*A soft toy around 40 cm — new or like new
*A bar of chocolate
Together, these small gifts will bring a spark of joy to a child’s Christmas across the miles.
If you'd like to help, please bring something to church this coming weekend (14/15th Dec) when they will take everything away with them for the final delivery before Christmas. There is a large box in the Narthex, over by the Christmas tree.

St Nicholas of Tolentino Church, Easton, invite you to join them for their monthly celebration of Mass for LGBTQ+ Catholics, friends, families and allies.
See poster for details.



THANK YOU!
Sending much thanks for the generosity you have all shown, this 'Gift Sunday' weekend. Many hats, gloves, scarves, socks and chocolate bars were donated which will be turned into gift bags for the people we meet on the Soup Run over Christmas.
We know this will go really far in showing kindness and care, from our community to those in need on the streets of Bristol.
The Bristol Soup Run Trust

VACANCY ~ from our lovely Preschool.
We are looking for a Qualified Member of staff to join our wonderful Preschool team, 2 or 3 days per week. Term time only.
Please Contact the preschool Manager, Kelly on 0117 9561166 or email: staugustinesstaff@gmail.com for more information.


What a wonderful day we had for our 'Countdown to Christmas' annual Community Fundraiser!

With a great crowd through the door we enjoyed seeing everyone (the young and not so young!) having a lovely time together, playing the games, enjoying the music, winning prizes, eating and drinking and visiting Santa!
Thanks to our beautician, Nicky, all the traders who set up beautiful stalls for shopping and our Ice Cream Man from Sav's Super Whippy - Bristol’s Best!
Huge thanks go to the committee who organised the event and all the groups and volunteers who helped with the setting up/clearing up and running stalls on the day - you are all STARS!
The profit made on the day was a wonderful £2978.05 which will be split between the School, Pre-school, Guides and Parish funds.
Plus there will be more to share when the Prize Draw is completed this weekend.
As well as that, other good causes were helped such as our 2 parish projects and the school Year 6 Leavers activities fund.
Thanks for another brilliant day for our local community.





























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This week's news

Youth Sunday
On Youth Sunday we were blessed to have so many of our amazing young people contributing to the Mass with such respect and poise, and blessed with so many who came out to our lively Children's Liturgy of the Word session! We enjoyed celebrating your involvement - you are the future of our Church

We were also delighted to congratulate Altar Servers, Adriel and Joshua, who became probationary members of the Guild of St Stephen and Alice who has completed her probationary time and was enrolled as a member and presented with a Guild medal which Fr Barnabas blessed.
All our Altar Servers then renewed their guild promise:
"I offer myself to God Almighty, to Blessed Mary, our Mother and to our Holy Patron, Saint Stephen, and I promise to do my best to serve regularly, with reverence and understanding, for the glory of God, the service of His Church and my own eternal salvation."

We thank you all for your service to Holy Mass.


Taster evening at St Augustine's Parish

Please share with anyone who you think might be curious....

On Friday 28th November we will have a meeting for anyone who might be interested in finding out a bit more about the Catholic Faith.

This will follow the 7.30pm Mass in the Church and the meeting will be from 8-9pm in the Parish Hall next door.

...... even if you are just being curious, please come along. We'd love to meet you.

Fr Barnabas.


ADVENT
As Advent begins this weekend we'll be waiting, journeying and looking forward to the Season of Christmas together.

Please have a look at the sheet showing all the events, services and Masses which will be taking place within our Parishes in Communion over the next few weeks, and into Christmas. There are many things to join in with!

And, thanks to our Parish Pastoral Council, we also have suggestions of things to do during Advent in your homes to help make this season of journeying and waiting more special.

It will also include some Advent activities, plus we have a Family Advent resource from Celebrate with some lovely things to do with the kids, books to read and songs to sing, such as this beautiful song 'Hey Mary' - all the toys are invited to the manger... and baby Jesus is delivered by crane! Adorable...

Paper copies to take home and 'stick to the fridge' will be available in Church this weekend.



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This week's news

St Augustine's ~ Remembrance Sunday 2025

    


GIFT SUNDAY.
Each December we ask for help for those who are on the streets in our city to give them a gift from our community at Christmas. So, on Sat & Sun 6/7th Dec, we invite you to bring a gift to Mass for the homeless people we will meet on our soup run, if you are able to.
The team would love to make up gift parcels which could include men’s gloves, hats, socks, and any large (110g) bars of chocolate. They will put donated gifts together to make up lovely gift bags for the Christmas soup run, (so no need to wrap anything).
Thank you in advance for your generosity.




Congratulations to our parishioner, Liam, who has completed this amazing challenge!
RFU Injured Players Foundation member Liam O’Keeffe has climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in a specially adapted wheelchair.
In his quest to raise £50,000 for the Injured Players Foundation (IPF), O’Keeffe trained for 18 months and pushed over 600 hours in his wheelchair to ready himself for the challenge, including climbing Pen Y Fan.
See the full story by clicking this link to the England Rugby website:
https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-and-media/former-rugby-player-liam-okeeffe-scales-mount-kilimanjaro-adapted-wheelchair

Use this link if you'd like to help Liam reach his fundraising goal
https://givestar.io/gs/uhuru-saints-climb-kili


A message from the Community of Our Lady of Walsingham.

The Community of Our Lady of Walsingham seeks help to purchase a property to accommodate their growing community and further their apostolates of prayer, parish missions, hospitality, chaplaincy and youth work.

Any amount, large or small is greatly appreciated and the community assure you of their prayers.

Cheques payable to COLW can be sent to House of the Divine Will, Neatherd Moor, Dereham, NR20 4AZ.

More information, as well as the option to donate online, can be found at: www.maryshouseappeal.org E: office@walsinghamcommunity.org T: 01362 692574


GUIDING CAROLS
It’s our Girl Guiding units turn to host the regional Carol Service this year. It will be on Thurs 4th Dec, 6-7pm, in the church.
If you’d like to come along please book a place. Simply email 23kingswoodguides@gmail.com with your name/s.
Many thanks.

Pilgrimage prayer walk ~ Laudato Si Movement.
The pilgrimage prayer walk was conceived as an ecumenical event on the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice, during the central weekend of the COP30 conference on Care for our Common Home.
About thirty of us took part, from Stroud and Birmingham, Bath and Weston and Bristol, from many different parishes and denominations, and a range of generations.
We started with a Mass at Clifton Cathedral, then with a blessing we walked through green spaces including a bombed church and Brandon Hill to Bristol cathedral where we took part in a Eucharistic Service. We prayed seven 'stations of creation' on the way, detailing the Genesis account with the scientific timeline and perspective, with prayers for peace at the church.
It was a profoundly moving experience and we thank the staff at both Clifton and Bristol for making us welcome.
Bella.









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