Raised beds & insect friendly flowers

Catholic Care launches its Community Market initiative. 

At Catholic Care we know that many people are struggling with financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have over the last 8 months spoken to many parents who have sadly lost their jobs. The impact of this has been devastating, leaving many feeling unable to feed their families for the first time. Supporting families positively with dignity is the aim of our community markets. Customers are given a choice of fresh baked goods, fruit and vegetables along with cupboard staples such as rice, pasta and beans. Our friendly staff make every customer feel valued and cared for. We are currently operating in five schools, St Anthony’s Beeston, Holy Rosary and St Anne’s Harehills, St Nicholas Gipton, Corpus Christi Halton Moor, English Martyrs Wakefield and St Winifred’s Church Hall Bradford. We are working in partnership with our school communities, FareShare, Neighbourly and Warburton’s. Through these partnerships we are distributing surplus supermarket food and preventing it from going to landfill. We plan to expand this service to include more school communities. If you are interested in supporting us with this work please contact Janet Kent 07739975008 janet.kent@catholic-care.org.uk

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Marcus

Bishop Marcus has sent us a Pastoral Letter for this Sunday, day of prayer for prisoners and their families. It is aimed to raise awareness about the criminal justice system and explore different approaches to Restorative Justice.  Please see our Diocesan news & events page for more information.

We can read Bishop Marcus’ letter here and his suggested prayers for us to use throughout Prisoners’ Week

For families of prisoners: We pray for those loved ones who serve a hidden sentence as a result of the shame associated with having a family member imprisoned. In times of darkness we pray they are able go beyond the bonds of societal stigma and maintain positive relationships with their loved ones.

For those who work in the criminal justice system: Let us pray for those who work throughout the criminal justice system. May they continue to go beyond in their work towards creating a safer society and promote justice and mercy on the road to rehabilitation.

For victims of crime: May they be supported to go beyond their victimhood and find comfort in God’s love. Teach us to be mindful of the impact of our actions on others. Lead us and heal us in your journey to new life and hope.

For prisoners: We pray for those who are prisoners. Through reflection and understanding, may they be able to go beyond their sentence and see hope for a future without crime. Let us follow Christ’s message and reach out so that his presence be known by those who seek him.
Amen

Changes to our church

Volunteer stewards THANK YOU

Thank you and well done to all the Stewards, Cleaners and Organisers of the Church and its services over the last few weeks. You have been doing a great job keeping our Parishioners as safe and protected as you can.
Many of you will be away with your families over the next few weeks. Travel safe and enjoy your holiday.
If any other parishioners would like to help and offer to be stewards and share the load; please let Fr Michael know.

Please remember the people of Tereli in your prayers

On Tuesday 21st April, the village was attacked by as many as 300 well-armed bandits who arrived on motorbikes to loot the village and take all of the cattle. For three hours a few young people tried to hold them off with hunting rifles, while others hid in their houses or fled to the caves in the cliff overlooking Tereli. The day after, the bodies of 12 young men were found and a further 6 are still missing. With your help, the BTFT will of course do everything we can to help the people of Tereli, but it also means a great deal to the people of Tereli that we are all praying and hoping for their safety.  More details and a prayer for Tereli can be found on our Charities page.

Parish Offertory

If you would like to, and only if your circumstances allow, you can now make a donation to the Parish Offertory, either by this online page: https://donor.secure-operations.com/detailed/donate?charity_id=1086222&type=2&reference=10154&amount= or, to contribute £5, please text CHURCH SSFM to 70500

Leeds Cathedral live-streaming of Mass & devotions

Mass is being live-streamed on Sundays at 11:00am.  Weekday Masses Monday to Friday are now live-streamed usually at 12:30pm (12noon on Saturdays) and preceded by the Angelus and Rosary which will be prayed at 11:50am (11:20am on Saturdays).  To participate online, please access the Leeds Cathedral Live YouTube channel www.leedscathedrallive.org.uk where the words of Prayers, Devotions and Orders of Service may be viewed.

Yorkshire lad parts with his brass!

We had thought about Solar panels ever since they first came on the scene, as our home does not have a gas supply. But the cost was well beyond our pockets. What with the mortgage, the financial outlay, it was well out of our reach. 10 years ago solar panels were expensive. We could have borrowed the cash but it did not make sense due to the high interest rates and the big drawback is that the banks do like you to pay it back.

So why now?

Well it was two things that started us on this journey. No three things as I happened by chance to mention solar panels to Keith Pitcher who is in our parish and a member of the Climate Action Ilkley group he’s a fount of knowledge and gives great encouragement to have them fitted. The second (being a Yorkshire lad) was the money, it was sitting in the bank doing nothing, no interest to speak of (even less now), just waiting for that rainy day that may never come. Third was when the Tree of Life was mentioned at Mass and Children’s’- Liturgy – what can we do to save the planet – the enthusiasm of the children made me think should I do something. If so, what could I do?.

After a chat with Keith and looking at the literature Keith sent me from Climate Action Ilkley,

the penny dropped or should I say pennies, for an investment of between three to six thousand pounds I could be saving a possible three to four hundred pounds a year. A lot more than the miserly interest I was getting at the bank for the same amount of cash.

As for the time it takes for the system to pay back what you’ve spent, that did not interest me, OK it is a plus that it will pay for its self in time, but you don’t buy a car thinking it will pay for its self in fact quite the opposite, you purchase something because you want it. In my case to make my Yorkshire pounds work for me, to do my bit to help the planet, and help my children’s and grandchildren’s futures better.

Working on recommendations I had three companies to look at. The first did not seem interested! the second provided a sky high quotation, the third said “who’s been sleeping in my bed” sorry wrong story (it’s nearly bed time). The third company came in with three realistic price options, each with an option to store electricity in a battery system. This reassured me that it was a possibility, even though our house is not ideal for solar panels as the roof is facing east/west and not the ideal south facing

We quickly decided that battery storage was not an option due to the price, but thought the iBoost+ was a great idea. This device starts working when the electricity being produced is greater than what you are using. It diverts the spare electricity to the immersion heater in the hot water tank, once the tank is hot any spare electricity is exported to the grid.

The next step was a trip back in time as the loft was cleared for the house inspection to check the roof measurements, and to confirm it would take the weight. We found we could fit another two panels on the roof so we asked for another three price options.

We settled on a 14 panel option with no battery storage, total cost £5260.50, giving a payback of 9 years.

So deposit was paid, the date for the installation was agreed then the world as we know it ends. A phone call asks can we come earlier as we have had visits cancelled, so the race begins to get the job done before the world shuts down. The lads arrived on the 25^th of March and quickly had the panels fixed on the roof.

Then the hicc-ups started the inverter had not arrived (well it did but the delivery was before the office opened) and then the scaffold company that was needed to get on to the rear roof went in to isolation.

Social distancing was the order of the day it was very strange not making cups of tea or chatting to the lads (maybe that was a blessing for them) but the day went well and they returned on the 31^st with the inverter to get us connected.

So what did they do apart from the obvious panels on the roof? Well the panels are connected to an inverter, this converts the direct current produced by the panels to alternating current. This provides electricity to the house with any surplus exported to the local grid. The iBoost+ (fitted in the airing cupboard) automatically connects the electricity from the panels to heat the water tank, this is operated by a small Wi Fi clip on the meter power supply cable next to the meter.

The best bit is the iBoost+ Buddy its display tells you when the water is being heated and when the panels are not generating electricity.

The big plus is as soon as the Buddy goes into the green we start cooking, get the washing, start ironing or do any job that uses a lot of electricity.

So where are we now after 19 days (at the time of writing), well we are waiting to get back to normal living and the rear roof panels fitted, should be a quick job as all the connections have been done. I am amazed how well the panels work even though there are none facing east, the system starts working at around six am so long as it is bright. The graph below shows a day with no clouds, and on a morning the panels keep electricity usage from the grid very low. It also shows clearly when the sun moves round to the west (house front) and the dip when the chimney shadow travels across the panels. So until the rear roof is completed, on sunny or bright days we try to use anything that needs a lot of electricity in the afternoon other than the kettle for our morning cuppa.

To date after 19 days with good weather and half a system our electricity costs have dropped from the average last year of £2.30 per day to £1.50 per day on electricity used and that is with a price increase this month, along with a saving of £4.38 heating the hot water and a grand total of 14kWh exported to the grid that will earn us the magnificent sum of 75p.

So is it worth it,

we think so, if you have money sat in the bank earning nothing,

It is really good for our environment as well as an example of how to invest in local, sustainable projects

(rather than letting banks use the money unwisely, remember the financial crash! which was a cost to us all)

It is an investment that also is for our children and grandchildren’s world

Anyone who would like more information to do something similar contact

John or Keith

tol.ssfishermore@gmail.com

And to finish what makes this Yorkshire lad smile

£0.00/hr electricity being used

Anne Judge

ANNE JUDGE – REFLECTIONS
20th February 1928 – 19th March 2020

Anne was born on the 20th February 1928 in Granard, County Longford in the Republic of Ireland and after a lifetime of loving service, this smiling and gracious servant of God, returned peacefully to the Lord on 19th March 2020.
She was the last of 4 surviving children of Phillip and Margaret Judge, her 3 siblings were all boys: John, whom she nicknamed “Pope John” because of his penchant for offering guidance, Paddy and Tommie.
Anne was orphaned at an early age, her mother dying when she was around 3 years old, and her much older farmer father, not many years later, so she spent much of her childhood in an orphanage run by nuns.
When she was old enough, she worked as a housekeeper to a doctor’s family, and then also for the Christian Brothers in Dublin.
However, it was only when she was interviewed in Dublin by Father Paddy Roche, who was looking for a housekeeper, that she moved to Yorkshire to the Leeds Diocese – firstly to be his housekeeper in Heckmondwike and then to the Parish of the Sacred Heart in Ilkley (1977 – 1985), where she served until Father Paddy’s retirement. And it was in the Parish of the Sacred Heart that she worked tirelessly with Father Paddy in reordering the church.
On Father Paddy’s retirement she continued as his housekeeper until his death, and lived, and welcomed at the 6pm Saturday Mass, in the Parish of SS John Fisher and Thomas More in Burley in Wharfedale,  constantly also visiting the sick and dying – walking and busing many miles in the process.
Then in her final years, when ill health and frailty overtook her she moved in September 2013 to Rosegarth Residential Home in Ilkley, and then when Rosegarth closed in September 2018, to Homecroft in Ilkley until Homecroft’s closure in November 2019, when she moved to her final residence, and passed away in the Czajka residential home of Brookfield  in Nab Wood, Shipley.
She was always very grateful to Fiona Downs, and her team of dedicated carers in Rosegarth and Homecroft, and Tracey and her team in Brookfield who cared for her so sympathetically to the end.
She was equally very grateful to the priests, Eucharistic ministers and friends who visited her so regularly, and both Mons. Kieran Heskin and Fr Kieron Walker administered the last sacrament to her – 3 times in total!
By all accounts, she was happiest in West Yorkshire – where she served the Diocese, clergy and lay people, so cheerfully, and was well known to Bishops Wheeler and Konstant, as well as local Lord Mayors who invited her to civic functions. In fact, it was Bishop David Konstant who awarded her a Silver Diocesan medal for devoted service to the Leeds Diocese in May 1987.
When strangers asked about Anne – who she was and what she did – I would very often ask them if they had ever watched Father Ted…..and seen Mrs Doyle? Well Anne was the original Mrs Doyle…but so much more so, as she tirelessly served Fr Paddy, the diocese and countless people.
She would often walk for miles to be with sick and dying people, and this would be regularly, and not just for fleeting visits.
She was one of the most positive people I ever met, and full of Irish charm…..even in her final days still smiling and greeting people with “ I am well thank you, but all the better for seeing you”.
In her days with Father Paddy, she met many interesting people, as he was the Chaplain to the Ryder Cup and had played with many famous people in the USA, including Bob Hope and Bing Crosby – both of whom Anne entertained in the presbytery in Ilkley….and she very down to earth and matter of fact about this.
She was also very human too and could still surprise!
She had never had a drop of alcohol in her life until Doctor Day said she could either choose to have a sleeping pill or a drop of Irish in her milk at night to help her sleep….Well, she rejected the sleeping pill, and became a fan of a Jameson hot toddy last thing at night.
And in her final years, she always looked forward to her monthly (or thereabouts) trips to St Anne’s Cathedral for Saturday lunchtime Mass, and then to Browns for a fish and chips. And the lady in the wheelchair charmed all the waiting staff!
And yes, she was a woman of great faith …. a deep, simple, and enduring faith which served her all her life….and she was always grateful to all who prayed and looked after her.

May the good Lord keep her in his care – and may she rest in peace & rise in glory. Amen

Joe Czternastek    8th April 2020