This week's news

Celebration!

Join us for Mass on Tuesday (29th) at 7.30pm as we celebrate the 25 year anniversary of Deacon Michael's Ordination. You are all welcome to the hall afterwards where will will toast his health and celebrate with thanks for all his years of service to the church and to our community. Congratulations Deacon Mike and Mary!

** Update in advance of our Charity Cream Tea on Sunday 3rd August, from Philip McWilliams, one of the organisers.

"As you know, this year's Parish Project is the Chhanv Foundation, a charity in India that helps with the recovery and rehabilitation of victims of acid attack.
As you may not know, the Parish usually sends the money we raise in quarterly instalments. When the first instalment, of roughly £750 was received, our contact, Akriti, responded with a humbling degree of enthusiasm.
She then said this:
"We would be honoured to organise a video interaction between the acid attack survivors, our Sheroes and the Parish Project community. It would be a meaningful opportunity for the survivors to connect with and personally thank the individuals who are standing with them. We truly believe this interaction will be both inspiring and memorable for everyone involved."

Well, this "video interaction" is going to happen, and it is going to happen at the Cream Tea event on Sunday, 3rd August. Which means, in effect, that at approximately 15:30 that Sunday, we are going to have an online meeting, projected onto the screen in the hall, between a group of acid attack survivors in India and a group of parishioners from St. Augustine's.
They smile at us for caring enough to be willing to help them, we smile at them because... we are so pleased that they are smiling.
As for what we shall say to each other, who knows!
We only expect the online greeting to last about 15 minutes, and I am preparing some questions in advance to help guide the interaction but, if you have any of your own, feel free to contact me, or even just wait for the meeting itself - spontaneity is encouraged!

Clearly, it would be great to have as many as possible there next Sunday to enjoy the cream tea and show our support. There will be tickets on Sale after both Masses this weekend and next. Many thanks, Philip."

You can get your tickets (only £5 pp for a lovely cream tea) from the office or after Mass and enjoy a fantastic afternoon together in the hall in aid of our Parish Projects. There will also be a raffle so look out for tickets!

https://www.chhanv.org/

Would you be interested in helping the parish with grant/funding applications?

We have some hefty building projects to fund over the next few years and, thanks to some amazing charities, companies and community projects, there is funding out there to help, but applying for it takes a bit of time and effort... and we could do with some help! Do you have a bit of 'admin time' you could spare us?

If you would be interested in helping us out, please speak to Bernadette in the parish office or Marek, Chair of our Finance Committee. Thank you!

Contactless

We are hoping to get a 'DONA' Contactless card donation terminal installed for our church in the future, to enable people to make donations to the parish & other charities via their card if they don’t have cash on them.
This is proving more and more popular within churches - the Finance committee have researched the costs involved and believe it would be a useful, and eventually essential, asset to the church as we become an increasingly cashless society.

But... like all things.. it would need some organising to run it successfully. We’d need a small team of both regular Saturday & Sunday Mass goers to help out with the terminal.
Please email the parish office if you are interested in being part of that team.
Thank you.

Church shop

We still have copies of the brilliant 'Jubilee' Year book in our shop - please get your copy to accompany this special year - only £1.50.

There are a few 'Your Faith' books left which have proved really popular for those who have already got their copy - just £5 - it presents the fundamental truths of the Catholic faith in a simple and popular way.

And pick up one of the lovely new Children's Mass Books for your kids to follow along with the Mass (especially useful whilst the usual Sunday Children's Liturgy is taking a summer break). Only £3.

So many really lovely things for you in our church shop

Did you spot the Social Committee flyer at Mass at the weekend?

Our Social Committee is a small team who try to do big things for the parish! They meet about every 6-8 weeks to plan events, explore new ideas and then find help to run them!

The committee is there to map out parish led, social gatherings to help provide a thriving social life as well as spiritual life for parishioners, plus fundraising opportunities or just a social for the fun of it!
We'd love to know if there is something you would like to see happening in the parish - something new, more of, less of...
...and if you would like to join our merry band!

Please email the office
bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com
or pick up a flyer to fill it in and hand it to one of the committee/parish office.

St Francis Leprosy Guild

We received a message from St Francis Leprosy Guild to help raise awareness of the work they do.

"St Francis Leprosy Guild - working for a world without leprosy
Founded in 1895, St Francis Leprosy Guild (SFLG) is the UK’s only Catholic leprosy charity. Today, with Cardinal Vincent Nichols as our patron, SFLG supports work in 13 countries, caring for people who have been marginalised by leprosy. We aim to detect and diagnose people affected by leprosy as early as possible to stop the transmission of the disease and prevent life-changing disabilities occurring.
The Catholic community can help end leprosy in our lifetime.
Connected by our shared values and faith, with your support we can reach the most vulnerable and stop leprosy for good.
To make a donation or learn more about St Francis Leprosy Guild, please visit our website www.stfrancisleprosy.org or contact us at parishes@stfrancisleprosy.org if you would like to discuss ways of supporting our work."

This week's news

CANCEL THE DEBT

Some of us Laudato Si Animators went to London to meet others from all over UK, with many other faith and environmental groups, a total of 5000 people.
The large photo is of faith groups with faith leaders and Bishop Arnold is there, with Graham Usher the Anglican Bishop for the Environment and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg.
Many MPs saw their constituents though not all were available.
We can still write letters to our MPs about restructuring the debt system as well as urging action on the Climate and Nature Bill (CAN) which the Government has promised to give time to put forward.
The day finished with a Mass in Westminster Cathedral with Bishop John Arnold, who spoke powerfully about care for creation, including all our brothers and sisters experiencing climate stress, as essential to our faith.

CREAM TEA

The Parish Project Team invite us all to the hall for a delicious Cream Tea!
On Sunday 3rd August, from 3pm-5.30pm, come along for scones and tea (or coffee!) all in aid of our Parish Funds and our international Project, The Chhanv Foundation!

AND we are delighted that members of their 'Sheroes' café will be joining us via a live link up from India during the afternoon, so we can offer them our hand of friendship and well wishes for the amazing work they do.

Tickets are only £5 pp, available after weekend Masses from Philip and Petra or from the office. There will be a raffle on the day too, so get your tickets for that if you wish to support the projects, if not able to attend the event itself.
Thank you

A Message from Clifton Diocese
* Saint Joseph’s Catholic College, Lay Chaplain Vacancy *
Could you or someone you know have a calling to support the Catholic life and mission of our local secondary school?
Saint Joseph’s Catholic College, Swindon have an exciting vacancy for a Lay Chaplain effective to start from September 2025.
The role is fulltime and during term times only, but we’ll also consider candidates interested in parttime and flexible working options. Please see the Eteach link for the full recruitment pack or contact our HR team for further information at HR@stjosephscollege.net or by phone on (01793) 236053.
We are happy to arrange an informal visit in advance of applications too.
Deadline for applications is Monday 22nd September.
www.eteach.com/job/lay-chaplain-1498725

Also...
*Junior Choir Director, Clifton Diocese*
The Diocese Music department are seeking to expand the team by appointing a full-time, term-time colleague to initiate the National Schools Singing Programme and be committed to both schools and choral music.
The aim is to introduce pupils aged 7 years upwards in schools to formal sung choral music, enabling opportunities to join Diocesan events and contribute to singing of the mass and other liturgies. The role will also include directing the Cathedral Junior Choir, including performances at 9.30am Sunday family mass six times per year, combining with existing musical groups or on their own.

The Director will be based at the Cathedral Church of SS Peter and Paul, Clifton, Bristol and importantly, travel to schools across our large diocese. Reporting to the Director of Schools and Colleges, candidates will require an enhanced DBS check and current UK driving licence with access to a car.

For more information visit Working for us | Clifton Diocese or contact music@cliftondiocese.com.
Closing date for applications : 31st July 2025
https://cliftondiocese.com/diocese/working-for-us/

Daughters of Divine Love

We look forward to inviting the Daughters of Divine Love Philanthropic Development office to our church on the weekend of 2nd & 3rd August to tell us all about the amazing work their international congregation does.
Founded in 1969 in Nigeria they educate, care for, and add value to the lives of the less privileged in society, in North & South America, Africa & Europe. In everything they do, the love of Christ impels them to respond to the cry of the poor and vulnerable with concrete actions. From caring for street children, providing care and education for orphans or single mothers, to running soup kitchens, their work is funded by generous and caring people and organisations.
Visit their website or Facebook page for more information:
https://www.ddlpdo.org/
And if you are not going to be at Mass that weekend, please hand in your donation in advance to the parish office or donate online directly.

St. Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church, Bristol invite us all their monthly celebration of Mass for members of the LGBTQ+ community, their friends, families and allies.
See poster for details.

This week's news

NEW ALTAR SERVERS

If any children who’ve made their 1st Holy Communion would like to learn to serve on the altar, a practise will take place after this Sunday’s Mass. Come & try it!

THE MASS FOR CHILDREN

We have ordered 15 copies of a new book from CBC called "The Mass for Children".

A lovely updated book to help children understand more about the various part of Holy Mass, as they read along ~ with beautiful illustrations, reflections and prayers for different times.

We are selling these at just £3 each and will happily order more if all 15 are sold.
If you would like a copy please go to the church shop after Sunday Mass or contact the parish office.

DIOCESE OF CLIFTON ~ LOURDES PILGRIMAGE 2025.

If you would like your PETITIONS taken to the Grotto, email them to

lourdes@cliftondiocese.com and they'll be printed for the Bishop to place them there for you.
Your intentions will be offered up at the Torchlight Procession for Our Lady's Intercession.
If you would like to donate towards the 'Lourdes Candle for the Intentions of all in the Diocese of Clifton', go to www.holyfamilypatchway.co.uk and click on the Dona button to donate to the 'Lourdes Fund'.
Fr Eugene, Holy Family Parish, Patchway.

You can watch all daily events live from Lourdes via www.lourdes-france.com/en/lourdesplus/

MEMORIAL BENCH

Thanks to your generous donations, we now have a lovely memorial bench by our Garden of Remembrance.
A big thank you to Joe & Phil who organised and installed it for us.
We now have a reflective place to stop and sit, and remember those we have lost.

Reflections for Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C from Deacon Vincent

1st Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 66: 10-14c.

This passage we have before us is from the “Third Isaiah”, “Trito-Isaiah”, and is probably dated after the return from Exile. He is dealing with the disappointment of those who had returned from Exile at the encouragement of the Second Isaiah and had found that they were poor and harassed by the wealthy residents of Jerusalem. Here Isaiah is trying to encourage those returners to view Jerusalem as their mother to pick themselves up and optimistically re-build their lives. They can be assured of the assistance of God. The theme be joyful and trust in the Lord. A timely message for ourselves in this present age.

Psalm 66(65): 1-7, 16, 20.

This song continues the theme of Isaiah of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God. It is always appropriate for us to rejoice and thank God always for all that the Almighty has done for us.

2nd Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians 6: 14-18.

Paul uses the phrase “A new creation”, it is an important idea for Paul. He emphasises that in “Christ there is no longer the polarisation of the world in which Paul had grown up, between Jews and non-Jews”. What matters now is the new universe without the old divisions. He aligns himself with the suffering of Christ on the cross, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” He uses a remarkable phrase, “the Israel of God.” That is a thought for us to ponder in the coming week.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20.

Luke has a theme in his Gospel and the Acts of Journeying, and this sending out of the seventy-two is a ripple effect of Christ’s teachings being carried to other areas by these disciples. Luke alone gives such prominence to this episode of the mission and the subsequent analysis of their mission. There is this wonderful statement of Jesus, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” There is great joy and confidence, because of their mission. We see here how the early Church was gaining momentum, and the Jewish authorities must obviously have been viewing this development with great concern. Luke certainly views this as a major stride forward of the early Church, under the direct guidance of Jesus. It is a timely reminder for us to realise that Jesus had a plan for spreading the Gospel message and lifestyle. He is greatly concerned about the fact that the disciples should rely upon the people for their sustenance and not be concerned about it. Jesus obviously viewed concerns about their welfare could get in the way of the “Message”. St Francis of Assisi will take this passage literally for his order many centuries later and produced an astounding ripple effect for the Lord’s message. The readings this week give us some tough ideas to ponder as we struggle in a world beset by the accumulation of wealth and comfort.

Lord, continue to guide our mission in today’s environment. Deacon Vincent.