PARISHES MEETING
The next combined Parishes Meeting for Sacred Heart, Ss John Fisher and Thomas More and English Martyrs will be held on Tuesday 16th September at 7.15pm in our parish hall. All parishioners are welcome to attend. Could any agenda items be given to Fr Tim or Sue Rix before the 25th of August.
BURLEY-TÉRÉLI FRIENDSHIP TRUST
Join us to celebrate and share interactive stories, music, arts and crafts from Téréli on Saturday 20th September in Burley Library 10.00am – 12.30pm. A creative and educational morning for all the family with Story Bees. FREE – no booking required – we’d love to see you there (supported by Shipley Area Committees Community Chest grant).
MARY’S MEALS
Please donate any left-over foreign currency or obsolete UK currency that you may have lying around. Just bring any foreign or old coins/notes to church by 21st September and we will pass them on. Literature and donation envelopes are available in the church foyer.
CHURCHES TOGETHER
The next CT lunch meeting will be on Tuesday 30th September at the Methodist Church. Lunch will be served from 12:30pm. Could all those wishing to go please send me an email as we need to collate lunch numbers, and I also need to record email addresses for all parishioners who go to CT events so that I can keep you informed on forthcoming events and to send out minutes of our meetings. Thanks to all who participate in CT events. Joe Czternastek (joe.cz@alpha-nova.com).
HARVEST CELEBRATION AND CHILDREN’S LITURGY 11AM MASS SUNDAY 5TH OCTOBER
After a lovely Creation Sunday celebration last week we will end the Season of Creation with a Harvest Sunday and a special Children’s liturgy on the 5th of October. On this date could as many parishioners as possible bring the fruits of their labours from gardens/ allotments etc for the celebration. Any cakes, biscuits or jams made from the produce could also be brought. We will share this in the hall after Mass. The children will carry out special activities connected with harvest and the environment during their liturgy.
2025 DATES FOR CHILDREN’S LITURGY
5th October – Harvest Celebration. 9th November – Bulb planting and Remembrance.
30th November – Advent wreath making. 7th December – TBC.
14th December – Decorate the tree. 21st December – Stable making.
24th December – Children’s Mass with children dressed to tell the Christmas story.
If you want to find out more or think you can help with our Children’s Liturgy, please get in touch with Mary Preston on: mary.preston@googlemail.com or on 07759 516386. Thank you.
PARISH BRIEFING
12.10pm Sunday 21st September after Mass in the parish hall.
MARGARET SILF DAY OF REFLECTION
Prolific writer and retreat leader Margaret Silf’s next retreat day is entitled ‘Finding solid ground in times of turbulent change’. Wednesday 17th September at The Briery, Ilkley. £50pp including all resources, refreshments and a home-cooked 2 course lunch. For more information and to book, contact The Briery on 01943 607287 or admin@briery.org.uk.
COURSE: THE CATECHISM Part 1: Do you actually know WHAT WE BELIEVE?
Autumn 2025, led by José A. Pérez Díez (University of Leeds). In this course, we will be getting to know the first section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which focuses on the sources of our faith and the Creed that we profess every week at Mass. Do we actually understand where the Catholic faith comes from, and what is the meaning of its revolutionary message of hope?
Six Tuesday evenings at 7.00pm in our Parish Hall: 23 September, 14 October, 4 and 18 November, 2 and 16 December. All sessions will finish with the prayer of Compline at 8:45pm. All materials will be supplied free of charge. If you wish to receive materials electronically in advance, please email José: japerezdiez@gmail.com.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
Sacramental preparation for years 3, 4 ,6 and older children who have “missed” receiving the Sacraments when they were younger. Parents and Carers of year 3 children or older children seeking preparation for First Reconciliation [Confession] please contact the Parish Office by email (office.ssfishermore@dioceseofleeds.org.uk) and ask for a registration form to register your child/children for Sacramental Preparation for the next academic year. Please return the form promptly.
Year 4 and older children who have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation can join the First Holy Communion group. Parents and carers we already hold your Registration Forms and all you need to do is to please contact the Parish Office by email (office.ssfishermore@dioceseofleeds.org.uk) please simply let us know your child’s full name and your name so we can identify your form.
Year 6 and older children and adults who have received the first two sacraments can register for Confirmation preparation. Adults have a separate preparation programme. Parents and carers we already hold your Registration Forms and all you need to do is to please contact the Parish Office by email (office.ssfishermore@dioceseofleeds.org.uk) please simply let us know your child’s full name and your name so we can identify your form.
We are looking forward to meeting you all during the next academic year.
PLEASE READ the Bulletin every week for future information. The Bulletin is available online and changes weekly. You can also register for a copy to be emailed to you.
IF YOUR CONTACT DETAILS HAVE CHANGED IN ANY WAY, PLEASE ALERT US TO THAT FACT.
THANK YOU. Fr Tim and the Catechists.
SVP
Our SVP group collect good quality household items, small items of furniture, laundered good quality clothes and bedding (not duvets or pillows) in Sacred Heart Church garage. The garage is open for donations on the first Saturday of every month between 11.30-12noon – i.e. next Saturday. Recent visits to the St Vincent centres in Leeds and Bradford have made us very aware of the desperate need for appropriate donations!
Thank you.
RECYCLING BLISTER PACKS
Boots now accept blister packs for recycling, and we can even get advantage points for bringing them in! Could we all use this facility since it helps with our LiveSimply programme. We will take the ones previously collected to local Boots shops. Please let our LiveSimply team know if you would like to help with this. Thank you.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR THE SEASON OF CREATION, September 2024
Bishop Marcus’ pastoral letter can be read here. Our bishop reminds us that, “Care for creation is a subject which has long and rich tradition in the Catholic Church, from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament through to the teachings of successive Popes.” He says:
- our care for the earth should be “motivated not by catastrophic visions but by hope in the future” and a deep love for the God in whom we live and move and have our being.
- in this period of prayer in preparation for the Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope, let us be inspired to take hopeful, but urgent, positive action as stewards of creation.
- these works we cannot just leave to others. We may lack the power to change the whole world, but we do have the ability to make our views known to those who govern our country, and to make changes in our own lives, homes and communities.
LiveSimply social/fundraising event for our new garden project
A big thank you to all for helping to make Sunday 23 June’s LiveSimply social/fundraising event such a success and what a celebration! To everyone who donated bottles/games/cakes/jams & plants and to those who looked after the tombola, cakes (weren’t they beautiful and delicious!) and plant stalls. There are a few plants left, they are in the kitchen at the back of the hall, please take one and give it a home. This was our first Fund Raiser for the new garden project and we received over £500 in donations which was brilliant. We are planning similar celebration events later in July and an autumn harvest Sunday when we will have fruits and veg to bring in and share.
Do join our LiveSimply team, you can leave your details on the form in the church entrance. We are finalising the new garden details; you can help with this, for example choosing new plants or building the paved area. Also if you were away you can support the project by donating LiveSimply via the DONA machine.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day activity at Children’s Liturgy – showing appreciation for mothers everywhere.
Confirmation
The Deanery celebration of Confirmation of 80 candidates at Leeds Trinity University. Such a happy occasion!
Tree of Life
At our parish meeting in October Fr Tim asked us to include Caring for Creation as one of our main priorities. This would mean building on what we did to gain our CAFOD LiveSimply award with new ideas from all our parish families. At our Mass on Sunday 18th October you wrote your suggestions on card leaves, these will be added to the Tree of Life in the foyer. We will be repeating this at a Saturday Mass early in the New Year to give everyone in our parish the opportunity to contribute to this work. In the meantime, you can add your ideas on card leaves in the basket in the church foyer. Please include your name and email/telephone so that we can contact you.
‘The Wednesday Word’ Web Site
This site contains information which you may find helps in preparation for the Mass readings for each Sunday, see http://www.wednesdayword.org
SVP, do you want to join?
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) is very active in Leeds Diocese. Ss John Fisher and Thomas More had a conference in the past. Sacred Heart Ilkley SVP Conference remains active and would like to extend an invitation to any Burley parishioners who might be interested in finding out more about the society and perhaps joining us in our work. The central purpose of the society is to assist those in need whatever form that need takes. Amongst other things members visit people in their own homes or in residential homes. For more information please contact Frank McCrickard, thatcanyon@gmail.com or Krzysia Condliffe krzysiacondliffe@gmail.com
CHAIR of the PPC ( Burley)
So many good things have happened in the first month since we welcomed Fr Tim as our Parish Priest and last Thursday was the most special when we joined together for Father Tim’s Induction ceremony led by Fr Chris Angel. The atmosphere, singing and refreshments were splendid, and our thanks go to Sacred Heart Parish for their hospitality and happy conversations.
Last Sunday we had a record attendance as we had a Children’s Liturgy and a special Diamond Wedding blessing but there is always room for more congregation. There is always lots to do in the Parish Family and since the appeal for new helpers nearly a year ago I would love others to say if they would like to join and help with anything at all. Joe is solo at the forthcoming Churches Together meeting in Burley and would much appreciate a companion. On Thursday, I attended the launch of Catholic Care Caritas Leeds and after 160 years, Catholic Care continues to evolve and grow as it new title suggests. There are great supporters of Catholic Care within our Parish Family, and I would like you and other wonderful members to join the Friends of Catholic Care group. The charity like many other charities is hoping to raise a little extra funds through this. You can join as an individual £15, family £20 or parish £50. Before you decide you may which to view the website www.catholic-care.org.uk
I have a few forms and I can easily acquire more. I have Christmas card order forms for you too !Finally this week’s special Thank You goes to all who are such regular givers to the weekly Parish Collections and the second collections too ! Please don’t forget you can use the DONA machine for everything, and the Welcomers will always help! [cash is a rarer commodity] Greg has once again up=dated the DONA machine so it can accept donations for the Columban fathers who we here from this weekend. As always please do ask if you need any further information other than what the Bulletin [thank you Hugh] and website [thank you Keith] contain. Sue 07939063120
A Wonderful Weekend
What a wonderful weekend our Parish Family enjoyed. So many people came to celebrate Mass together. On Saturday evening we gathered after Mass for the blessing prayers for the newly installed defibrator. On Sunday a Mass we welcomed Josephine and Colin with their family to give thanks to the Lord for their ruby Wedding Anniversary. After Mass we had a most amazing Retirement Party. It was an exiting and enjoyable occasion and I am most grateful to so many of you who worked so hard to arrange this event.
Thank you everyone. I have loved being part of such a wonderful Parish Family and it has been a privilege to serve as your priest. Your love, care and prayers and generosity have brought me great happiness and encouragement. The speeches last Sunday made me feel very humble and your most generous gift from the parish family amazed me. So let us continue to pray for each other. I will still pray each day especially for those who are sick, and their carers. May God bless Fr Tim, Fr Mark and the wonderful Parish Family at St John Fisher & St Thomas More.
Fr Michael
Fr Michael cuts the cake at his Retirement Party. The garden party on the church grounds was attended by his family, some very close friends and nearly two hundred members of the Parish Family. Happy Retirement Father and Thank you for everything!
One of the Youth members of our Parish Family reading at Fr Michael’s Retirement Mass
Special gifts from the leaders of many Parish Family groups
Fr Tim
We welcome our new parish priest, Fr Tim Swinglehurst. Fr Tim’s induction as Parish Priest of the 3 parishes by the Dean (Fr Christopher Angel) will be on Thursday 14th September, 7:00pm at Sacred Heart, Ilkley. All are welcome.
Good News: The Defibrillator is installed!
Fr Michael blessed our Parish Defibrillator at the conclusion of the Vigil Mass on Saturday 19 August.
THANK YOU to Stephen and Martin for ensuring the very neat installation without spoiling our lovely hall entrance.
THANK YOU so much from all the Parish family to the very caring and the generous family who have funded the purchase of the Defibrillator.
IChildren’s Liturgy
On Father’s Day we had a children’s liturgy where we spoke about discipleship and what we could do beyond listening to the work of God at church. We talked again about Pope Francis’ message about caring for the world and how we were trying to live that out in our lives through our Live Simply message. We visited the herb garden created in the church gardens and talked about the herbs, their smells and what they could be used for . The herb garden has been created for parishioners to use as and when they want with many herbs provided by parishioners. We then created herb posies for the children to give to their dads and also one for Fr Michael.
Frances, Cath & Mary
A VERY BIG THANK YOU, St Mary’s Lourdes Group Cake Sale
St Mary’s Lourdes group are so very grateful to you all for making us so welcome and for your overwhelming generosity.
Your donations amounted to £607.48. Please pray for us as we will pray for you all whilst we are in Lourdes.
Please place your prayer intentions in the box at the back of church.
If you wish your prayer to be posted privately, then please place it in an envelope marked as a private intention. The final date for intentions to be handed in will be Sunday 02 July. They will then be collected and taken out with us to Lourdes on 06 July.
Once again, thank you all so very much.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CHILDREN
Congratulations to all our very special young members of the Parish Family namely, Allie, Ani, Hannah, Henry, Jack E, Jack S, Krissy, Marianne, Nell, Nyla, Rosa, Rosie, and Seamus who have received their First Communion.
Many, many thanks to Nicola our Parish Catechist for guiding the children and parents throughout their preparation for the sacrament.
Men in Sheds
Please see details below if you would like to join Burley’s Men in Sheds community spaces.
MORE NEWS FROM THE PASTORAL PARISH COUNCIL
Thank you to the Defibrillator sub-committee who have arranged the selection and forthcoming purchase of a defibrillator to be installed outside our church in the coming weeks. The Parish Family are very grateful to 2 wonderful members of our Parish Family who have offered to fund the cost of the defibrillator…in memory of their very beautiful daughter.
The ongoing costs of the machine would be funded by ourselves and any donations for this can be left with the Welcomers.
There will be an opportunity for many members of the Parish Family to have questions answered/ be trained in how to use the machine. Thank you to the individual members of the Parish Family who have volunteered to be guardians of the machine over the coming years.
LIVE SIMPLY
It is nearly one year since we heard we have been recognised as a Parish Family who try to follow the ‘Live simply’ ideals in our daily lives. We continue to strive to change and do even more in caring for our beautiful creation and our brothers and sisters. We have a new edition of our Parish Prayer cards to include on the reverse side a ‘Live Simply’ prayer which will be said at some weekday masses and as part of our prayers of Intercession on some Sundays. The Welcomers will make the cards available and are grateful for the return at the end of each Mass.
Support from anyone else who can help take the recycled blister packs to Leeds or Keighley Superdrug stores would be exceptionally welcome. Thank you.
RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION UNDER BOTH KINDS
Bishop Marcus writes: “I am pleased to give permission for the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds to resume from Maundy Thursday onwards. Please note that this is permission but not obligatory.
The Church teaches that Holy Communion ‘has a fuller sign when it takes places under both kinds, for in this form the sign of the Eucharist banquet is more clearly evident and clearer expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord.’ However, it is important to remind the faithful too, of the Church’s teaching that ‘Christ, whole and entire, and the true Sacrament, is received even under one species, and hence that as regards the resulting fruits, those who receive under only one species are not deprived of any grace that is necessary for salvation.’ There is therefore no obligation for a member of the faithful to receive Holy Communion from the Chalice.
PAFRAS – collections
We have received a big “thank you” from PAFRAS for our recent collections.
We collect for PAFRAS who are very happy to take any gifts of non-perishable food and soaps / shampoo and other hygiene gifts you may have for the centre in Leeds. THERE IS A BASKET IN OUR CHURCH ENTRANCE.
The Burley Methodist Church collect all non-perishable food and toiletries on the first Thursday of the month outside their church from 10:00am until 11:30am. This collection all goes to PAFRAS on behalf of all the Churches in Burley. If that isn’t a convenient time, there is always a collection basket inside our church entrance where items can be left, or you can email me to arrange a drop off at my house.
Catherine (at Burley Methodist Church).
Thank you.
MAKE TIME FOR YOU
Wharfe Valley Family Links is launching its Nurturing Programme in the local community, covering Addingham, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley & Menston. This is a 10 week course beginning on Thursday 20th April, 6:30 – 8:30pm at St Mary’s parish centre, Burley. Please email WharfeValleyFamilyLinks@outlook.com if you would like to attend.
RED BOX 2023 – THANK YOU!
A massive ‘thank you’ to all our Red Box holders for the generous donations received in support of Missio. Our parish raised £178.26. The next collection will be in October 2023. If any parishioners would like a Red Box, please let me know (07969842081).
Brenda
In 2022 our parish raised £337 through our Red Boxes and donations to Missio and the Mill Hill Missionaries. Thank you! Our missionary community here at Ss. John Fisher & Thomas More is part of a worldwide network of people supporting missionaries through prayer and financial assistance. Your support of projects such as the Fundong Mission station in Cameroon has enablef Fr Leon, a Mill Hill Missionary, to help children learn in a safe environment and instil values that empower them to turn away from conflict and towards faith in God. Visit missio.org.uk to find out more about how your support changes lives for the better.
BAMBISANANI FUNDRAISING QUIZ NIGHT – THANK YOU (from Rebecca)
I wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who attended my fundraising quiz in the Parish Hall on Friday night in support of the Bambisanani Partnership. With your help I have been able to reach my fundraising target of £2,000. In the summer I will be volunteering my skills to work with orphaned children in a deprived rural community in KwaZulu Natal province. The partnership uses sport to teach leadership, literacy, numeracy and art as well as training PE teachers and sports coaches and teaching athletics.
Thank you all so much for your support again.
Rebecca Shaw, Yr. 13 student, St Mary’s School.
Tree of Life, Fruit Trees
Our parish children helped to plant the two fruit trees (an apple and a Victoria plum). It was a great event, we look forward to picking the fruit in the next few years.
The Live Simply and the Gardening Team
Methodist Church events
The Methodist Church in Burley is a warm space, with the following events.
- Tuesday Coffee Mornings are from 10-12 each week
- Wednesday Soup Lunch and warm space serves soup from 1pm and is open until 4pm for tea/coffee and company. We aim to serve gluten free & vegan soups in our selection. This will be running every week until 29th March.
All are welcome.
Refreshments are on a donations/‘pay as you can afford’ basis.
Board games, magazines are available as well as company.
Please text 07713485947 for further information. If anyone wishes to join us to help please get in touch
CAFOD Family Fast Day Thank You
Thank you for your prayers and for holding a collection in your parish (SS John Fisher & Thomas More) this Family Fast Day. Please pass on our thanks to all your parishioners for your parish’s donation of £632 which we received recently to our World Food Crisis Appeal. Your parish total is £632.
Your parish’s gift will mean we can get food and clean water to more families like Talaso’s. As well as giving practical help, your prayers, fasting and collection are a gift of friendship, of love and of hope. When we met Talaso and her young sons, she was able to find a smile. She told us: “We have hope. We always have hope.”
Thank you for your support, solidarity and prayers. For being alongside families as they work to protect their children from the long-term causes of hunger, such as climate change and an unjust global food system. Please keep all those affected by the food crisis – including those here at home – in your prayers.
A new Musicians’ Group at 11:00am Mass
A new music group is being formed to play at some of the 11am Sunday Masses. We would welcome musicians and singers of all abilities and ages – including players returning to instruments after a break. We will be playing modern arrangements of easy to access, liturgically appropriate music and can find something for you to play regardless of your instrument or musical background. First playing Sunday 27 November (first Sunday of Advent). We are aiming to be a relaxed and friendly group; you will not have to be able to make every Mass we play at to get involved. If you would like any more information please contact Richard or Nicky Webster at rpwebsterdesign@gmail.com or nicolajohnson@mac.com or via phone /text on 07528281981 or 07752282804.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY DATES
For the children of the Parish Family, it would be good to double the number of gatherings BUT we need Leaders to work together to achieve this.
We always work in twos and if we could manage just 4 teams of two it would mean once every 4 weeks.
You could almost choose your dates and themes.
Please if you are over 16 and would consider leading a session with another just let Fr Michael or Mary Preston [preston.mary@googlemail.com ] or even me know. PLEASE consider it. Sue
Burley in Wharfedale Wellbeing Hub
The Wellbeing Hub which meets at the Scout and Guide Hut on Wednesday mornings (10-12) celebrated its first birthday on September 28th. The hub supports the community in whatever concerns they might have, whether loneliness, anxiety, depression, bereavement or as a carer. They are also actively looking at wellbeing provision for children and young people. You can find out more about the hub here.
SUNDAY 17th JULY: CELEBRATION SUNDAY
Sunday 17th July was a great Parish Family event in the church gardens. We celebrated our children receiving sacraments, Fr Michael’s golden jubilee, welcoming all our new parishioners and winning a CAFOD LiveSimply award. The biggest gathering to date, well over a 100 people came together AND lots of cakes!
The Justice & Peace September 2022 newsletter can be found here, it includes the full story! about how our parish gained its LiveSimply award.
A HUGE Thank You to EVERYONE for helping to make this happen and to ALL those who came along to make it such a success.
This was our first social event in a long time. Shall we do it again? And what else shall we do to continue our Friendships and Faith in Action.
PLEASE let us know. The Welcomers, the Parish Pastoral Council or Fr Michael would really appreciate your suggestions. Sue.
More details can be found here.
A DATE for your Diary:SUNDAY 21st August
Burley Praise in the Park with Churches Together 10am – 11:15am.
Venue: Grange Park, Grange Park Road.
You are invited to come along to our joint Outdoor Praise Service. Do bring a chair or rug to sit on as we worship together in
our community.
Ilkley Half Marathon
A big thank you from me and from everyone at Burley-Tereli Friendship Trust for your support, encouragement and sponsorship as I ran the Ilkley half marathon last month. I managed to finish without stopping, though the last three miles were a real struggle in the heat. Knowing that Fr Michael was saying the 11am mass for the Inglehearn family even as I was running was the extra boost I needed to get to the finish line! We don’t yet know the full total, but with gift-aid it will be over £2500, which will probably be used to buy millet to feed the people of Tereli and the surrounding villages until the next harvest is in. Once again many many thanks for your wonderful generosity, support and prayers!
Ladies Please Choir sings for Tereli, Thursday 25th August at 7.30pm in Burley Methodist Church, Main Street.
We are delighted the Ladies Please Choir, based in Menston, are returning for a seventh Burley Summer Festival performance, singing a wide-ranging selection of songs guaranteed to please all tastes. All proceeds will go to the Burley-Tereli Friendship Trust.
Tickets cost £5 and are available from John Wood or Chris Inglehearn beforehand, or on the door.
Thanks and best wishes
Chris
MASS TO REMEMBER FR DAVID SMITH:
Leeds Trinity University is holding a Mass in remembrance of former Chaplain, Fr David Smith on Saturday 10 September. Initially planned for 2020, as it marked 25 years since his death, it sadly had to be postponed due to lockdown. Mass will start at 12noon, with refreshments following and networking in the Studio Bar. For refreshment purposes, please book your free place here: https://www.leedstrinity.ac.uk/events/ mass-to-remember-fr-david-smith-1.php
Rev Fr David Williams CP R.I.P.
It is with great sadness that I let you know of the death of Fr David Williams.
During his years in retirement in Otley, Fr David became a great friend to our Parish Family, praying Mass and being a member of the Scripture Group.
Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen
‘FIRST FRIDAY FRIENDS’ is back in our Church Hall after more than 2 years!
Everyone, young and young at heart, is welcome to come for a catch-up, a chat, tea, coffee and cake in a dementia friendly environment between 2pm and 4 pm on Friday 5th August. Hope to see you there!
For more details or if you need a lift please contact Margaret on 01943874352.
CONGRATULATIONS to Majella Adie and Christopher Manley who will celebrate their wedding this weekend. We wish them great joy and happiness.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
CONGRATULATIONS to Alexia, Amity, Bo Belles, Iris, Jonah, Lottie, Lucy, Max, Orry and Will with their Catechist Nicola who received their First Communion on 12th June. The Mass was very special we all joined in the singing and responses and raised the roof with the Alleluia. Clare read the Reading and led us in the Psalm. Every First Communicant had an important part to play! 6 children read Bidding Prayers, the best Readers ever! The Offertory Procession was perfectly conducted by the other 4 First Communicants.
Thank you to Fr Michael, Nicola and all the parents for taking a full part in the Parental Catechesis style preparation.
Registration for next year’s Sacramental Preparation Programmes will be in late September
Sue Rix
CONGRATULATIONS to Year 3 and Year 4 children in our Parish Family, Ailie, Ani, Bo Belles, Eddie, Hannah, Henry, Jack, Marianne, Nell, Nyla, Rosa, Rosie and Seamus who received the SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION for the first time recently. It was a very special occasion for their Families and all of the Parish family.
CONGRATULATIONS to 2 Parish Family Members for their work in Burley-in-Wharfedale which links with the Tree of Life activities.
Alexander Hughes for winning the award for litter pickier of the year 2021!
Loraine Hughes for receiving a certificate at the LS29 Environmental Awards.
Live Simply
Sunday 22 May Trish & Paul, two of CAFOD’s LiveSimply assessors, visited our parish to discuss what we have already done and what new projects we will be doing. We also had a Children’s Liturgy centred on our Tree of Life project. Great news: we have gained a LiveSimply award, please see the message below from Sue, chair of our Parish Pastoral Council.
A message from Sue
Many thanks and sincere congratulations to one and all and, all those I have missed off the list through lack of contact details. We left church at 1.40pm following very positive and complimentary feedback. We were pleased to receive a little useful advice too and look forward to the written feedback.
I think I am at liberty to say that the next visit from Paul and Trish will be to present the plaque as we have been successful in gaining the award. We want everyone to be there to share in the celebration.
Special thanks of the Parish Family go to Fr Michael for his enthusiasm, encouragement and presence, to Frances, Keith, Mary and Loraine (and their long-suffering husbands and wives – your rewards will be great) who have given so much time, energy, creativity and tenacity to this journey.
To the 3 groups/ strands and thus 3 teams of people who have worked throughout the 3 years and everyone who has taken an active part -adults, youth and children.
I leave you with a thought…and we would welcome ALL ideas…… How do we continue and increase our efforts in response to “The cry of the Poor” and “The cry of the Earth” in meaningful and impactful ways?
Today is a Parish Family celebration but now we need to relax, regroup and proceed with vitality and creativity looking to increase our activities associated with our Spirituality and Petitioning as with seek to “Love one another” more throughout the world.
Sincerely
Sue R
In October 2019 you will remember we launched our Tree of Life project as our parish family response to Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si. This has given us an opportunity to “work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us”.
Our parish family has made an application to CAFOD’s LiveSimply award programme. The award is given to parishes and schools to recognise programmes they have put in place to show how they have been living:
• simply
• in solidarity with people in poverty, and
• sustainably with creation
Over the last 2 years we have progressed your suggestions in our parish family and in our homes, and by supporting charities in our diocese and overseas. You will see displays in the foyer and the hall with details of our projects, you can also find information about these on our Tree of Life page. This will include an opportunity for you to add new ideas to our Tree of Life, one of these will be an indoor area for recycling items such as blister packs.
Frances, Mary, Sue, Keith
Tree of Life – Easter Gardens
Mary co-ordinated a fantastic group of 3 children’s liturgy sessions in Lent which culminated in celebrating the Easter story on Easter Sunday.
We (and the children) made some Easter gardens and you will be able to see these if you haven’t already – in the structure we had previously used as a stable at Christmas-time.
Here are the children and the gardens they made depicting 3 crosses on a grassy hill and an empty tomb with the covering stone rolled away and the used shroud on top…..
SUNDAY 6TH MARCH – FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
17 children came to a special Children’s Liturgy at 11am mass where they started to make Easter Gardens. They used seed trays, peat-free compost, grass seeds, cress seed, moss and pebbles. It was a wonderful occasion.
Children came on Sunday 3rd April to help finish off the Easter Gardens. They brought twigs to make crucifixes to decorate the gardens.
Good Friday – Walk of Witness with the churches of Burley-in -Wharfedale.
On Good Friday morning more than 70 people aged 5 upwards from the 4 church Communities of Burley in Wharfedale walked from SS John Fisher and Thomas More parish church via St Mary’s parish church onwards to The Methodist church and then the United Reform Church and finally St Mary’s parish centre.
Alistair opened the Walk of Witness with a wonderful welcome to all including, family visitors from Hungary!
We then listened to readings from St John’s Gospel and a prayer read by Loraine, Rosalia and Mark; members of our Parish Family who live in Burley. Finally, we were invited to be silent for one minute to reflect on the story of the Passion we were sharing through the Readings. To help us we had a piece of rope, pieces of purple and white cloth, and a nail
With a hot cross bun for sustenance, although some were fasting, we were on our way, ably led by Nathan [Cross bearer] Christopher and Daniel.
The spring weather was perfect as was the company of friends old and new. The dogs, a little one with a scooter, parishioners with walking sticks and walking trolleys, adults from far flung Guiseley and Menston, youth members, clergy, parents and grandparents reminded us how wonderfully diverse God’s Family is and how all over the world Christians were celebrating the sadness of Good Friday.
At St Mary’s church, the Methodist church and the United Reform Church we stopped for further readings, prayers, reflection and time together as we undertook very meaningful activities with the help of items from our individual brown paper bags! Thumb prints to make up the Cross of Jesus, ‘scratch art’ crosses, and twig crosses bound together with Ukraine flag-coloured yarns.
Thank you to Margaret and all who helped to bring us together to listen, pray, reflect and share. May our Friendship continue in many ways.
Parish Donations
Dear Parishioner thank you for your generous donations over the past year, and a special thank you to those who have set up standing orders as this reduces administration and cost. I urge anyone that can, to set-up a standing order. As we start the new financial year this may be a good time, if you are able, to consider increasing your offering too. I am pleased to announce that we now have a digital collection system in the foyer. This will allow you to make contactless donations to the parish and to second collections using debit/credit cards or mobile phones. Where appropriate donations can be gift aided.
DIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE: 1-7 July 2022
Please book online: www.tagneytours.com/pilgrimages/lourdes/leeds-lourdes or call 01732 886666. New volunteer carers and registered nurses welcome. Full training given. Please email Anita for more information about volunteering –anita.bodurka@dioceseofleeds.org.uk. Please book as soon as possible.
CONGRATULATIONS to Charlotte for reading her prayer, a brilliant reader, in front of a large and unfamiliar crowd, of babies through to nearly 100years of age! Thank you to Danielle too!
Mary and the Children’s Liturgy Leaders have designed a new