This week's news

'Wine & cheese'

Please join us in the parish hall from 7pm on Saturday 4th October for a 'Wine & cheese' celebration as the Season of Creation ends.

Let us know if you are coming and we'll get a free ticket to you (or leave it for you on the door) so we can cater accordingly. Get your ticket after Mass or email the parish office.

Oh, and for those who have said they won't come as they don't drink wine, it isn't mandatory, there will be non alcoholic drinks and cuppas too!

Let's celebrate the wonderful parish community we have!

See you there.

See poster for information for St. Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church, Bristol monthly Mass for LGBTQ+ Catholics, friends, family and allies.

Vacancy - sharing the details from St Peter’s R.C. High School & Sixth Form Centre school, in Tuffley, Glos, who require an excellent and committed Chaplain.
St Peter’s is a mixed 11–18 school with 1500 pupils on roll. The Sixth Form consists of 330 students with KS5 students showing real leadership and progressing to a wide range of destinations, including prestigious universities and sought-after apprenticeships.
We pride ourselves on our pastoral care and have invested in our Student Support Services who provide additional support for students with, for example, mental health issues and therefore frequently liaise with external agencies.
The Catholic life at St Peter’s, including the pupils’ contribution to it, is a huge strength of this outward looking, family orientated and inclusive school. Students embrace the many rich opportunities provided for all to grow in faith and secure a deep understanding of the importance of faith in their lives.
Details can be found here: https://www.eteach.com/job/chaplain-1502649

Diocesan Annual Formation Day
Our Annual Formation Day will take place on 11 October at St. Brendan’s College, Brislington, with Mgr John Armitage as our keynote speaker. He will be reflecting on the theme of ‘Being an Evangelist Today: the tools required to be a joyful witness of Jesus’.

The Timetable for the day:
9.30am - Arrivals and Refreshments
10am - Welcome and Opening Prayer (Theatre)
10.20am - Opening Talk – Mgr. John Armitage (Theatre)
11am - Refreshments
11.25am - Workshop 1
12.15pm - Mass (Theatre)
1pm - Lunch (Café) – please bring a packed lunch for the day
1.45pm - Workshop 2
3pm - Plenary and Closing Prayer (Theatre)
3.30pm - Departures

In addition, there will be several workshop options for people to attend. Choose a workshop for the morning and another workshop for the afternoon when booking your tickets.

The Workshop options are:
Make Level Paths: Catechesis for People with Additional Needs - Sr Carino Hodder OP
Act Justly: Formation for Mission - Raymond Friel
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - Melinda Whitehead
Youth Ministry – engaging young people in catechesis - Nohil D’Souza
Diaconate – Formation for service - Deacon Steve Boughton
Helping Parents to help their children grow in faith - Sr Lucy Cahil OP
Accompanying Couples to live their Vocation to Marriage when Life is a Struggle - James & Sharon Westby, Retrouvaille Co-ordinators England and Wales
Engaging Parents in Catechesis for Baptism -Debbie Hartstone

To register for the Annual Diocesan Formation Day, please follow the Eventbrite link here: https://diocesanformationday.eventbrite.co.uk

Safeguarding - Survivor engagement and support in England and Wales

The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency’s (CSSA) is completing a thematic inspection on survivor engagement and support in England and Wales. Clifton Diocese have been selected to participate in this inspection.
The CSSA have done a Public Call for Information which was shared on the Diocese Newsletter and Diocese website. However the CSSA are now asking every diocese to share a new survey inviting everyone engaged with the Catholic Church, including Clergy, Religious (Consecrated Life), Parish Safeguarding Representatives, Employees, Volunteers and Parishioners to contribute their experiences. The aim of this survey is to better understand how the Catholic Church engages with Survivors.

Information regarding this survey can be found here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SSQzRY2fT0OpJmB_Xy63KLBEXoG2tlVAm_9UYqKjMSFUM1hSR1VCOEpYMUc4SDVQWTg3VkNDTzg5OS4u
(Type in 'Clifton Diocese' for the response to the first question)

This process is being conducted with transparency, respect, and in a survivor-centred way. Your cooperation will help ensure we hear from as many voices as possible, enabling us to identify good practice and areas for improvement across the Church.

Janice Pearson - Safeguarding Coordinator - Clifton Diocese

Reflections for Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C from Deacon Vincent.

1st Reading from the Prophet Amos 8: 4-7.
Amos worked in the Northern Kingdom of Israel about 760 BC. It was a time of material prosperity among the upper classes. Amos has a strong sense of his calling by God and fiercely challenges the wealthy. He was probably an independent farmer of sheep and of sycamore trees. His imagery that he uses is predominantly rural, like Christ. This passage illustrates his fearsome attacks on the greed of the business community who are impatient that the feasts and sabbath don’t take up too much time so they can get on with making money. This is an appropriate reminder for today where the pursuit of wealth has reduced the Sabbath Day of rest to a normal working day. Amos is very astute at pinpointing the way the business class are cheating the poor. God will not put up with it. God has an option for the poor, God’s word and work comes first; it must never be overshadowed by the pursuit of wealth or leisure.

Psalm 113(112): 1-2, 4-8.
A song proclaiming how God looks after those in need. It is declaring God’s option for the poor.

2nd Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to Timothy 2: 1-8.
This seems to come from the heart of Paul, particularly referencing his mission and “I am speaking the truth; I am not lying.” He references the “Saviour God”, and the understanding of salvation as “the recognition of the truth” There is one mediator between God and humanity, the man Jesus Christ. We conclude with Paul’s invitation for us to pray!!

The Holy Gospel according to Luke 16: 1-13.
One gets the feeling that Luke must have had people in his congregation who were very wealthy the way he selects Jesus talking about wealth and the way it should be used. In the first part we encounter a steward who has been syphoning off the Master’s wealth to endow himself. When he is caught, he goes to the master’s debtors and reduces the amount they owe so that he will have friends when he is out of work, who will either help him out or employ him. Jesus praises the astuteness of the steward in looking after his future. Note he does not praise his dishonesty, just his astuteness. Now we discover what Jesus is trying to illustrate. Use money to help others and be of assist, so that should the money run out, they will remember our kindness and come to our assistance. Money is not to be used for exploitation but mutual assist. Money must never come before the worship of God or of God’s Holy Word. If we become obsessed by selfishness then we will find too long a homily or Mass a nuisance, or that singing makes Mass longer. Can we not just give one day a week, at least, to praying and thanking God for his unwavering kindness in purchasing us at the expense of his Divine Son, Jesus Christ. It is worth pondering during this week whether we are truly aware of God’s Divine Mercy in calling us his brothers and sisters.

God enlighten us to always “Thank You” for our Redemption.
Deacon Vincent.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

With so many lovely events coming up over the next few months, our Parish Social Committee wanted to share their calendar with us.
Pop the dates in your diaries and there will be more details of each event as they get closer.
*Just come along to the local 'Churches Together' walk on Saturday 27th (meeting at 10am at URC Mangotsfield)
*You can already get your FREE ticket to the 'Cheese n Wine' evening on 4th October, from the office or after Masses.
*Plus tickets for the fun Quiz Night on 19th Oct go on sale from this weekend.

We invite you all to be part of our lovely community at any/all events!