Dear Parishioners,
You may remember that in early summer a letter was read in all parishes of the deanery explaining the procedures to be followed in the event of a Parish Priest unexpectedly falling ill on Saturday evening or Sunday morning with no priest in the area available to celebrate Sunday Mass. To cope with such an emergency situation, Deanery proposed to train a few people in each parish whose task would be to inform the congregation of the situation and lead them in a Service of Word and Sacrament. This service would follow the liturgy of the day, as printed on the Sunday Mass sheet, but omit the Offertory and the Eucharistic Prayer, which are reserved for a priest alone. So the liturgy would move directly from the Bidding prayers to the Our Father and Holy Communion which would be distributed by a minister of Holy Communion. Those responsible have been trained and are being commissioned in their parishes. In our parish they are Arnold Marsden and Teresa Mercer. I stress that this arrangement is for an emergency situation only. I pray and don’t envisage that it will occur in Clitheroe – but Fr Frankie is here for three years and when he leaves I shall be 72!
St Michael and St John’s church doesn’t accommodate wheelchairs very well, with users somewhat isolated when parked at the back of the church or to the far sides at the front. So, the front benches on either side of the centre aisle have been adapted to accommodate wheel chairs and are being refurbished at a cost of £1584. Already £620 has been donated to bench renovation fund which remains open. These benches will be the first to have fitted cushioned seating.
The parish website is to be revamped. A small committee looks after the site but they need more parishioners to share the task and help add sparkle. We meet a week on Wednesday 27th November and will welcome volunteers.
These and other issues will be discussed at the Parish Form which meets on Wednesday at 7.30pm in Clitheroe Parish Centre and to which all parishioners are invited.
In response to the dreadful disaster in the Philippines there will be a retiring collection after all Masses today. Your donations will be sent to Cafod, a founding member of the Disasters Emergency Committee which is coordinating the UK voluntary response. For those who wish, Gift Aid envelopes are available at the back. During the week, donations may be posted through the Presbytery letter box.
Reminder: www.catholicnews.org.uk and then click family questionnaire.
San José del Guaviare Fr John