St Augustine’s RC High School Garden of Peace

The Young Enterprise Group at St Augustine’s is raising funds to develop a ‘Garden of Peace’, which will be located at the main entrance and will commemorate the centenary of the end of World War I in 2018.  It will be a spectacular visual experience for visitors to the school and will provide a space where people can reflect, think creatively and develop their spiritual awareness.

St Augustine’s would like to offer you a unique and special opportunity to purchase a paving stone which will be laid on our ‘pathway to peace’ in the garden.  Each paving stone will be professionally engraved with your name, family name or an inspirational quote. You may wish to purchase an individual stone for each family member, one stone depicting your family name, for example, ‘The Smith Family’ or stones with quotes about peace engraved on them. The quotes will require larger paving stones.

We welcome corporate sponsors and our School Chaplaincy Group have decided that it would be fitting for sponsors’ names to be part of a wonderful piece of artwork that has been designed by pupils.

Further information about the project and online purchase information can be found on the school website www.sarchs.com.  This is a community project and the school would be grateful of any skills, sponsorship or general support that you would like to offer. If you would like to help or make suggestions about the project, please contact the school via email head@sarchs.com or by telephone through the main office 01254 823362.

If you are in contact with any members of the school community personally, through social media or in any other way; please tell them about the project.  When St Augustine’s celebrated 50 years of outstanding Catholic education they were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the school community, both past and present.

Spring Happening

At our recent Our Lady of the Valley Parish forum it was proposed and agreed to have a ‘Spring Happening’. This will be a celebration to include all our Parish, friends and local communities; playgroups, primary and high schools, parish groups, local community groups and parishioners. With games to play, stalls, crafts, demonstrations, refreshments and lots more. Let’s have fun for all the family at this Spring Happening. This event is open for one and all.

So save the date, Sunday 20th May 2018 at St. Michael and St. John’s Secret Garden and Assembly Hall.  It is important that everyone contributes, no matter how big or small your ideas are valued. We will be delighted to see you at the ‘Spring Happening’ planning meetings which have been arranged for Monday 4th December at 11am and 7.30 pm at St. Michael and St. John’s Presbytery, Clitheroe. This should enable us all to have a greater understanding of each other needs for this celebration and to join together with our local communities.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to contribute, do not hesitate to contact one of the below.

Jane Brown, 01200 441949 jane_ann_brown@hotmail.com

Susan Fellows, 07887690402 susan-fellows@hotmail.co.uk

Ann Harkin, 07823400278 anhark456@aol.com

From the Bishop

Do you support Catholic schools and the right of Catholics to send their children to them? Then we need you to make your voice heard. The Government is making a critical decision on whether to overturn the admissions cap which prevents Catholic schools from allowing all Catholic pupils to attend. They have acknowledged that this policy discriminates against Catholics and promised to abandon it, but there are signs that they are going to abandon this pledge. We all need to tell them not to u-turn on their promise to Catholics.

Go to: http://catholicnews.org.uk/education-cap

or search for ‘Catholic Education’ in your search engine to write to the Government and urge them to drop their policy which bans new Catholic schools from accepting more than a 50% Catholic intake. Thank you for your cooperation.

A new Interfaith Initiative

Whilst visiting the New Neighbours Refugee and Asylum Seeker project in Burnley we learned that another new family had arrived in Clitheroe, from Syria. They were desperate to learn English. Currently the only English classes for men and women are in Blackburn and Burnley. As Refugees and Asylum Seekers only get £5.00 a day to live on and the bus fare is more than £4.00 each way it is impossible to attend an English class.

Recently, Clitheroe Christians in Partnership, the Mosque and friends, met to discuss coordinating the refugee response in our area. We began by sharing our belief that the Refugee crisis is a humanitarian problem and so reaffirmed our wish to work together.

As a result of this meeting we are to begin an exciting new initiative in Clitheroe. We are setting up an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class and Refugee and Asylum Seeker drop in.

The United Reformed Church have kindly offered a room, heated and insured. Teaching requires a lot of resources which needs funding. Astonishingly, this weekend, we had had an anonymous donation, from a lady in the Hodder valley, to cover the cost of teaching materials. The Ark Project, Blackburn despite being extremely busy, have generously offered to advise on Safeguarding and legal requirements.

We would like to invite interested parishioners or retired teachers who hold a DBS (Disclosure and barring) certificate to help staff the project. It is important to have stability in the staffing arrangement, so we would require a commitment, once a week, from January 2018 until July 2018 in the first instance.  This would cover the first two terms. There are a variety of roles including 1:1 teaching support for each student, child care support for children during the adult English class and help with tea, coffee and friendship.

We have wondered what the project should be called and would welcome suggestions. We also hoped to have a nurse as part of the team.  Unbelievably we met a paediatric nurse who is due to retire in December. She explained that she hoped to work on a Refugee project and as health is a key issue in this area of work we were delighted to welcome her on board.

We do need more volunteers. For information ring Tom Clay on 07962 136749 or email: tom.clay48@hotmail.com

Tom and Kathryn Clay

Update on Safeguarding

Safeguarding is much more than completing lots of forms,  but rather about promoting the well being of children and vulnerable adults in our Parish.  We have to ensure that parents and carers can be confident that our volunteers have been “cleared” and also that we are all aware of “Best Practice”.

There have been several developments since the last update:

Alpha Cards   These wallet size cards contain a short summary of what to do if a problem is suspected. They will be distributed in the next few days.

Diocesan Support  The Safeguarding Office in Salford have a heavy workload in processing clearance applications as well as dealing with cases.  The Bishop has recognised this and an additional person has been recruited to the team so that the application process should speed up

Incident Report Forms   The Incident Report Forms are designed to capture any issues such as falls, faints or “near misses” to ensure that we can alter our processes or make repairs where necessary.

Web Site    We shall soon be unveiling the Safeguarding page on the Parish website which will give access to local information as well as Newsletters from Salford Diocese.

Help Needed  Bridget has now moved from the Parish and I’m sure that we’d all like to thank her for her hard work.

It’s important that we have two Safeguarding Reps to ensure that one of us is always available – especially with so much ground to cover over the three Churches.  I’d be really grateful if someone could volunteer to be a new Rep.  There is the odd flurry of activity on admin side, but mainly it’s about being available if someone has a question or a concern.  No direct  experience is necessary – just a willingness to ensure that we are keeping each other “safe”.

If you have any further concerns (or wish to volunteer!!), please contact me on anhark456@aol.com

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR: SUNDAY 19th NOVEMBER

In June, Pope Francis instituted an annual World Day of The Poor, the first being on November 19th.

In announcing it, he said: “It is my wish that, in the week preceding the World Day of the Poor, …. Christian communities will make every effort to create moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete assistance”. He continues: “This Sunday, if there are poor people where we live who seek protection and assistance, let us draw close to them: it will be a favourable moment to encounter the God we seek.  Following the teaching of Scripture, let us welcome them as honoured guests at our table; they can be teachers who help us live the faith more consistently.”

As a centre piece for the Diocese’s World Day of the Poor, Caritas Salford will be launching the ‘ Refugee Dine With Me’ initiative across the Diocese on Wed 15th November at 6pm at Guardian Angels parish centre in Bury. This was successfully piloted by OLOTV parishioners last year, and Caritas hopes that people who took part in the pilot will come along and share their experiences.

In the preface to the Toolkit, Bishop John Arnold says: “I am very pleased to introduce the launch of this new initiative: ‘Refugee Dine with Me’. It is a very simple but effective way of welcoming people into our parishes who have left their homes and families to seek refuge and safety amongst us. When people sit together to share a meal, especially people from different cultures and life experiences, there is an opportunity to share more than just food. They create what Pope Francis has called a ‘culture of encounter.’ In accepting to share a meal together both host and guest are opening themselves to a very human encounter that breaks down barriers and builds new friendships. ‘Refugee Dine with Me’ creates such an opportunity that also leads us to a deepened understanding of human dignity and to a greater empathy for those who have journeyed to our shores seeking sanctuary. My hope is that you will take up this initiative as a part of the life of a missionary parish.”

If Parishioners want to participate in the initiative, please contact Tom or Kathryn Clay on 07962136749 or email tomclay48@hotmail.com.

Dear Parishioners,

You may remember that in a recent Pastoral Letter the Bishop announced the launch of a pastoral programme in the Diocese, called “Hope in the Future”.

Bishop John comments: The first part of the programme will help us acknowledge and celebrate all that parishioners, groups and communities are doing in the parish and what they are achieving. It is important for everyone to realise that the work they are already doing has value and that their contribution counts.”

The project should be lay-led but initially he has asked each parish priest to form a small team that can drive the initiative forward. Thereafter, I should step back and allow the team to carry the project forward.

As you are aware a team has been working with me on a similar project over the past three years, as we have, among other issues, studied Pope Francis two encyclicals, so I have asked them to continue with this project. The group have adopted the name ‘Missionary Steering Team’ (aka MST group) and the members consist of Alison Rowley, Peter Donnelly, Janet Hall, Michael Smith, Ann Cooke, Neil Wallace, Nichola Dixon, Damian Buggy and Teresa Mercer. “The team members have divided into three groups. Each group will be responsible for one of the following sessions within the communities of Dunsop, Sabden and Clitheroe (hence, each community will have an opportunity to attend all three sessions in their local area)

The first three sessions are:

• Rebuild My Church (reflections on St Francis’ call to mission before the Crucifix of San Damiano; (pictured on the front of the newsletter)
• Recognising and celebrating our gifts;
• Using our gifts in the service of others.

These meetings will begin after the New Year.

The newest Parish group, formed in response to my call for volunteers to begin implementing Pope Francis’ vision spelled out in Laudato Si, met on Thursday in the Presbytery. They decided to explore the possibility of us becoming a “Live Simply” parish. Mark Wiggin was elected Chair and Anthony Brown Secretary. To find out more or to join the group please come to the next meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 30^th November in the Presbytery.

Fr John

Dear Parishioners,

Today is World Mission Sunday, a day on which Catholics of every land  join together in prayer for the Worldwide Mission of the Church and contribute towards its support. We shall take a retiring collection.

What does mission mean in practice?

Bishop Paride Taban is called South Sudan’s Desmond Tutu. Now, aged 81, he is one of the few South Sudanese who can remember peace in their country. In 1999, Bishop Paride started a farm on the eastern edge of South Sudan. Today that farm has become the Holy Spirit Peace Village: an oasis of peace. In stark contrast to the rest of this scarred and divided country, the Peace Village is home to people from 24 different tribes who live and work happily together. It is a model of harmonious and sustainable living and the place where he lives in a very active retirement.

Recently, Bishop Paride’s spirit of peace prevented a revenge attack after a little child, John, was kidnapped. Before the spirit of peace took hold, John’s ordeal would have triggered ‘an eye for an eye justice’ from one tribe to another. Cattle would have been stolen, or another child abducted or killed. But John was returned to his family in good health. After a week of tears, John’s mother is happy again, declaring that: ‘Without the Peace Village, our child would just have disappeared. Although l am angry with the people who did this, I know that we must learn to live alongside the communities around us.’

Recently, Bishop Paride received the Hubert Walter Award from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at a ceremony in London in recognition of his half a century promoting Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation, often at great personal risk.

Without the help of money donated to Missio over the past 90 years, Bishop Paride could never been educated and ordained a priest and he could never have built up his diocese or achieved so much in the service of the Gospel.

Now to another important issue. This Friday, 27^th of October,

a rally will be held in Parliament Square with a minute of prayerful silence at 11.05 am, commemorating the moment the Abortion Bill became law. In St Michael & St John’s, the Rosary will be prayed at 11.30am on Saturday. Please try and join us and certainly don’t let 50 years and the deaths of 8 million children pass without marking this tragic anniversary in some way.

Fr John