Donkeys'n'Drama covid-friendly school project
Webmaster • November 21, 2020
Dear Friends and Supporters,
THE BAD NEWS...
...Last year was our tenth year at Tabernacle on the Hayes... Fantastic - and such a tribute to all of you who have given, in so many different ways. (Especially Tab!)
However, I probably don't need to tell you that we can't be there as usual this year. ... And nor can our puppet Nativity project go ahead.
THE GOOD NEWS...
Instead, we are taking our project out to the schools....
DONKEYS'N'DRAMA is a Covid-friendly project which can happen in school halls or in the playgrounds -- much needed and very welcome.
We're taking Toby and Thomas, and their pen to primary schools for three weeks in December.
We'll also be taking a giant and very beautiful crib scene... using the puppets we have had made for the venture at Eglwys Dewi Sant.
There'll be a soundtrack with music and a simple retelling of the story.
We'll also be taking along some costumes to add to the school's own nativity hoard, so that each child can have a Christmas photo to take home.
We've been working like crazy to make sure it can happen. For a start we've made replicas of eight puppets so that we don't have to worry about them getting damaged as they get moved from school to school over three weeks. We've had music composed for the soundtrack, and a fresh re-telling of the story scripted and narrated - in both languages, of course. And we're videoing it (the puppets will perform limited movements of their heads and hands, to bring the scene to life.)
Skills have been given freely to enable all this to happen - and that's not all that's been given.
We'd love the entire project to be free to schools - as it has always been - but without a presence in the city centre to enable us to attract donations, that isn't possible. We will have to charge the schools for this (£175 for half a day) because our donkeys need proper transportation, insurance and supervision. This meant that schools serving the very poorest areas of our city would struggle - until a friend, who for many years had been a single parent, surviving on her wages as a shop assistant, heard about it and handed me £500 to help subsidise schools in deprived areas. Since then another £250 has been added to that pot by a variety of generous souls. Every pound given is a pound off the amount that these schools will have to pay. What a blessing...
Oh, and in addition, a church school has offered us the use of a large people-carrier to move our kit around!
Our video of the crib scene will be available for all churches to use this Christmas. Any church that would like to put display a crib - using existing figures or making their own - outside their own church building, can use our soundtrack to go with it.
We'll send you more details, and lots of pictures, as all this unfolds over the next couple of weeks.
And with the vaccine in sight, we can look forward to next year... This new project has re-energised us - demonstrated that there are all sorts of ways we can get this wonderful story out into our city at Christmas - even when ther are trillions of viruses rtying to stop us!
If you've got a sewing machine and you'd like to help sew costumes for the younger children in schools... get in touch. We're only doing Mary and Joseph costumes - and they'll be easy peasy - I promise.!!
God bless you all. This is a Christmas like no other... I cannot tell you how much your loyalty and support has meant over the past decade...
May God be with you all,
Love Sally

The Council confirm that the new restrictions are not currently active – as the zone is still being delivered. Their contractors are anticipated to be on-site until approximately the end of November. The Council will be sending out a letter closer to the time to all properties advising of a “go-live” date for the zone when enforcement will begin, and will put something on social media. This will be done in advance to provide people with enough time to obtain the relevant permits, and will contain more information on how to obtain permits. Until the new restrictions are in place the current restrictions apply – weekdays 'two hours free parking’ – Sunday no restrictions in parking areas.

Bell Tower Fundraising - Autumn Fayre Saturday 10th October 11am-3pm St Peter’s Hall (behind Church) Free Entry. All are welcome. We need donations of the following: Raffle prizes; Bottles (alcohol, soft drinks); new/nearly new Toys; Jewellery. Please leave them in the Church porch before Friday 9th October. On Friday 9th October, the Hall will be open from 10.30am to 12noon, and 4pm to 7pm when you can directly bring in your donations and set up your stalls. Home-made Cakes to the Hall from 10am on the 10th October. Thank you for your support.

Holy Rosary will be held in Our Lady’s Garden at St Peter’s every Sunday in October at 10:45am Week 1 (4 October) The Joyful Mysteries For World Peace & world leaders Week 2 (11 October) The Luminous Mysteries For the conversion of sinners & those who searching for God Week 3 (18 October) The Sorrowful Mysteries For the most forgotten Holy Souls & our deceased family members Week 4 (25 October) The Glorious Mysteries For the universal Church, Priests & Religious All are welcome to join the full Holy Rosary in the October month of the Rosary!

Organ Music for the Bell Tower As part of our fundraising for the Church Bell Tower, there will be three organ recitals taking place between now and Christmas. They are: 15th October – Huw Morgan 12th November – Tim Lyons All recitals start at 7.00pm and there will be a retiring collection in aid of the Bell Tower fund. Please come and support the music, the organists, and your Parish.

Holy Family's Humility & Meekness (1) ‘Love...does not boast, it is not proud.’(1Cor 13:4) So where did we see these within the Holy Family? If you look at their lives carefully, you will see meek and humble shone everywhere. Let’s start with Mary. During the Annunciation, we learned that Mary’s reply to Angel Gabriel when she accept the role of becoming the Mother of the Son of God was: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” She showed her humbleness by calling herself a handmaid, and that was said before giving her ‘yes’ to God, which showed her love for humility. Later, when Elizabeth greeted her as the ‘mother of my Lord’, Mary said in her Magnificat: “For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid” (Lk 1:48). As if to reply to her cousin that is all because the Almighty God had blessed His lowly handmaid. Mary did not become arrogant simply because she got raised to the Mother of God status, instead she served her pregnant cousin humbly and supported her in her time of need. In fact, Mary did not announce that she bore the Son of God to anyone in order to enjoy honour and praises, she kept silent about this great Mystery that happened within her. It is only through Divine revelation that people like Elizabeth, Joseph, Simeon, the shepherds etc. knew about it afterwards. Mary did not used her privilege of being Jesus’ mother either. As we can see in the wedding of Cana, Mary did not use the status of a mother to order Jesus or made Jesus to obey her. She simply said: “They have no wine.” As if to gently ‘remind’ him, then trusting that He will do something with His Power to fulfil her wish. In another place, we also read: ‘While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him.’ (Matt 12:46) Mary wanted to speak to her Son, but her humbleness did not want herself to be given the priority and disturb His Mission, neither her meekness allowed her to push through the crowd, so she waited patiently outside to be seen, like a lowly handmaid.

Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. 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.

The Holy Family’s Obedience & Faith (5) Obedience is always within the Holy Family, and the Son of Man even with His Eternal Wisdom also most humbly obey to the fullest. Consider that He was only 12 years old when He sat amongst the teachers in the temple of Jerusalem, revealing His knowledge and understanding that were beyond the most learned, in order to bear witness to the truth. But soon after learning His disappearance for 3 days had caused His parents on earth so much sorrow: “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.” (Luke 2:48), even Mary did not explicitly ask Jesus to go home, Jesus left the temple, went down with them and was subject to them. Although His parent did not tell Him to never do it again, but He understood their feelings and officially withheld His Mission until another 18 years later! Jesus’s obedience is not superficial, but fully and complete. Again, looking at the wedding of Cana, Mary did not order Jesus to perform a miracle, but her words to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.” is enough for Jesus to take action. Even if His hour has not yet come, but Jesus showed us obedience is more importance is His Eyes. And Jesus is not ‘partially’ fulfilling His mother’s request, as it was not just one jar of wine so can tide the bridegroom over until he can get more elsewhere. It was total obedience, since it was six full jars up to the brim so the couple won’t be lack of any good wine for the rest of the wedding. If one say, that was not too difficult since Jesus only needed to give His Words and it was accomplished. Then what about in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he foresaw his every sufferings in His Passion, that he shuddered with fear and sweated great drops of blood. Jesus is truly God and is truly human, the Passion is what His human nature needed to go through completely, there is no such thing He can hide within His Divinity and suffer lesser. Oh, how horrid and barbaric those torments will be! But He knew this is His Heavenly Father’s Will. So, Jesus prayed: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) How many can totally forget oneself, and be truly obedient even in the midst of pain and sufferings, unto death? Jesus did.

O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. 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.



