World Day for the Poor - Caritas in Action!
Webmaster • November 16, 2020
The Directory for Catechesis states that ‘charitable action is an integral part of the catechetical proclamation’ and ‘[t]he need for an organic approach to pastoral care requires the coordination of catechesis with the other activities of evangelisation.’
In his Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity And Social Friendship, Pope Francis writes:
“Social love” makes it possible to advance towards a civilization of love, to which all of us can feel called. Charity, with its impulse to universality, is capable of building a new world. No mere sentiment, it is the best means of discovering effective paths of development for everyone. Social love is a “force capable of inspiring new ways of approaching the problems of today’s world, of profoundly renewing structures, social organizations and legal systems from within”. (183)
Charity is at the heart of every healthy and open society, yet today “it is easily dismissed as irrelevant for interpreting and giving direction to moral responsibility”. Charity, when accompanied by a commitment to the truth, is much more than personal feeling, and consequently need not “fall prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions”. Indeed its close relation to truth fosters its universality and preserves it from being “confined to a narrow field devoid of relationships”. Otherwise, it would be “excluded from the plans and processes of promoting human development of universal range, in dialogue between knowledge and praxis”. Without truth, emotion lacks relational and social content. Charity’s openness to truth thus protects it from “a fideism that deprives it of its human and universal breadth”. (184)
Caritas in Action! Briefings 11 - 12, with the Contents headings as follows (the full documents can be viewed below):
Caritas in Action! Briefing 11 – November 2020
11.1 Participation in charity is an integral part of ‘the process of evangelisation’
11.2 ‘…charitable action is an integral part of the catechetical proclamation’
11.3 ‘…coordination of catechesis with the other activities of evangelisation’
11.4 Instruction "The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church"
11.5 Weaving together the processes and relationships for building ‘a civilisation of love’
Caritas in Action! Briefing 12 – November 2020
12.1 Exploring the organisational and relational processes of the Catholic Church in its mission
- The warp and the weft of the Catholic Church community in England and Wales (NB. Purely illustrative.)
12.2 Participating in the organisational and relational processes at Diocesan and Parish levels
12.3 ‘“Social love” makes it possible to advance towards a civilization of love’
12.4 The main roles of the different levels of Caritas
12.5 Learning to become ‘witnesses to the faith’ in the twenty-first century
The Archdiocese has launched a new monthly email newsletter, bringing together the latest news, events, and features from across the Diocese and beyond. To subscribe, visit ( https://rcadc.org/new-diocesannewsletter-launches-on-fridaysign-up-today/ ) or scan the QR code. Stay informed and connected!
NO CHILDREN’S LITURGY during the summer break. Thank you for your support. We will restart Sunday 7th September .
For the over 55s in the Community Hall, Bedford Street. Wednesdays 1.30pm - 4pm Community Cuppa afternoon involves entertainment (organised by parishioners and guests), quizzes, bingo, raffle and plenty of cake and beverages.
National Jubilee ‘Pilgrimage of Hope’ Is a national walking pilgrimage with four main Ways converging at St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham, on Saturday 13 September 2025 , for shared prayer and celebration. The Pilgrimage will culminate with Solemn Mass on Sunday 14 September 2025 (Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) at 11:15am at St Barnabas’ Cathedral. The 4 main Ways start at Catholic cathedrals in Cardiff, Leeds, Norwich and London, and will bless our nations with a Sign of the Cross and with the Gospels, as the main ways are named after the Evangelists, Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The western ‘Pilgrimage of Hope’ Way (also called St Matthew’s Way) starts from St David’s Cathedral in Cardiff on Thursday 28th August 2025. A small group of ‘perpetual pilgrims’ will walk the full distance of the Way, and you are invited to join the 'perpetual pilgrims' and walk with them for one or more days. For more info about the pilgrimage walk, visit: www.pilgrimways.org.uk/ For details or register for the day pilgrimages of St Matthew’s Way, visit: www.pilgrimways.org.uk/new-st-matthew-sway-west
Opening Times Saturday : Before and after 5.30pm Mass Sunday : Before and after 9.30am Mass until 11.30am Mass begins We now have new stock available including many different Rosaries, new Bibles, statues and a large selection of first Holy Communion and Confirmation gifts and cards.
The Most Precious Blood of Jesus (1) When it comes to the word 'blood', what does it make you think of? Pain? Wound? Life? Death? Whatever it be, it is certainly not meant to be dealt with lightly (especially if there is a lot of them). And do you know, our God has shed His Own Blood too? Not accidentally, but purposely. Not just a few drops, but all of it to the very last drops...for Whom He Love. Who has this privilege? Look no further, it is you, me and every single human being who was, is and will be on this earth. Wow, is it because we have done something 'great'? Indeed we have, but instead of being good to Him, we have sinned against Him... But God never wants to abandon us, thus He sent His only Son, the Word Incarnate, as the Lamb of God - this innocent Victim, poured out His Blood as an Eternal offering for the atonement of all our sins and through It we obtain our forgiveness and Heaven was re-opened for us. How can it be so? As Bishop Fulton Sheen explained that it is written in the Book of Leviticus the life of man is in the blood, therefore the higher the life, the more precious the blood; and so when we come to the Life of Christ who sheds His Blood we get the total remission of sin.
“...Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’” (Luke 10:36-37) O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honour. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sunday 8th June 2:30pm - 4pm St David's Chapel (side entrance from Bedford Street) If you would like some support or feel able to support others please join us for a cuppa and chat Meetings second Tuesday of each month. More information phone/text 07566 735 162 Email stpeterslisteners@gmail.com
Stella Maris Cares for Seafarers Far from Home This weekend we celebrate Sea Sunday, and Stella Maris (the largest ship-visiting network in the world) has an aim to improve the lives of seafarers and fishers through our network of local chaplains and seafarer centres, expert information, advocacy, and spiritual support. Today the Gospel reminds us about the love and care that the Good Samaritan showed to the stranger that he found upon the road. For seafarers and fishers, Stella Maris is that Good Samaritan. Robert King, Stella Maris Regional Port Chaplain, recalled when a fisher fled his boat after allegedly being abused by the captain, and ended up stranded at Buchanan Street bus station in Glasgow. Robert was informed of his plight and went to find him. “I quickly identified the fisher, who was from Ghana, sitting on a bench looking scared and lost. He had no money and was so grateful to see a friendly face. By now it was after 6 pm and a storm was raging. Stella Maris paid for a hotel room for the fisher to spend the night. He was glad to be away from the bus station and in the comfort of the hotel. I made sure he had a phone charger so he could keep in touch with his family and myself, and I gave him some money for essentials. Because of the storm, he had to spend a second night in the hotel. Acting on advice from the International Transport Workers Federation, I persuaded the fisher to return to Campbeltown, where his boat was anchored, to report the alleged abuse by the captain to the local police station, which he did.” A resolution was reached, and the fisher has now started working on a different vessel in Scotland. “He was very grateful for the assistance that I gave him,” said Robert. These simple acts of kindness by Stella Maris port chaplains and ship visitors mean so much to seafarers who are far from home and feeling isolated. Let us also on this Sea Sunday pray for seafarers, fishers, and the work of Stella Maris. More stories can be read from the Archdiocese’s website: www.rcadc.org/a-good-samaritan-at-sea-how-stella-maris-cares-for-seafarers-far-fromhome/ There is a Second Collection for Stella Maris this weekend
Christian Family Life When Jesus came to this world, He did not chose to suddenly appear in the midst of people or no one knows where He came from, and began His Mission and Ministry that the Father have given Him. Instead He chose to born in a humble family, grew up in a family, and was subject to His parents. This shows us the importance of a good family life, since family is meant to be a place of nurturing the future of our next generation. The example of the Holy Family at Nazareth showed us the fruit that it will bear when the Holy Child was raised in a family that was in union with God, abided to the Law, and loved each other and their neighbours. St John Vianney said in one of his Sermons: "The family received from God a threefold mission: The care of the material life, the spiritual life and the supernatural life." Not only the child's physical body requires its tender loving care, but the soul also needs to be 'cultivate' - parents has the responsibility and necessary to bring God into their family and which in turn will bring God into their children's life. And this is the best gift that parents can ever give to their children. Since luxury food, clothes and toys are temporal, only good for a period of time. Yet God is Eternal, Whom can affect the rest of their life, even eternity. And God is Love, which means you are also bringing love into the family, and from love there will be joy, peace, patience, kindness, protection, trust, hope... So how to bring God into our lives? Pray together, especially the Rosary. Have you ever heard that 'The family pray the Rosary together, stays together'? Read the Word of God with your children, set some time aside everyday to read the Bible. Attend Mass as a family, at least every Sunday and worthily receive the Holy Communion. Whatever the parents did, often stayed in the children’s memories, and whatever you feed their thoughts with, they absorb like sponge. Therefore, fill your children with the knowledge about God, Who is the source of all Goodness. In Him, they will find true happiness, and one day their happiness will also become your own happiness.