03.09.2025 Reflection Meeting

Reflection Meeting – 3/9/2025

Present: Shauna Hilton, Charlie Shelton, Kay Swilinski, Maddie Swilinski, Chris Parrott, Alison Bergomi, Fr Andy, Maria Paton, John Cape, Anne-Marie Brammer, Monica Carroll, Mary Gilgrass, Helen Arden, Anne-Marie Carroll

Apologies: Anne Neill, Mark Massarella, Marie & Tony Lear, Tien Dam

July’s minutes – approved.

Reflection – Mass times and Service of the Word

SH presented an outline of Masses and Services of the Word up until Christmas, showing who was saying Mass where and when. All approved. Thank you to JC for putting this together and keeping it updated for us.

MP suggested advertising Christmas services by putting in YourMag. SH to do this. KS also stated that these events will be updated onto Facebook and local forums.

SH led the group in congratulating and thanking Fr Andy for all his work over the years in the parish and in his role of chaplain in hospitals and hospices. We have decided therefore to change the planned Parish Picnic to a party to celebrate Fr Andy’s retirement from his chaplaincy role. This will be on Saturday 11^th October 2025 starting with Mass at 5pm and followed by shared table for all. This will be added to the bulletin.

Service of Light will be Tuesday 25^th November at 7pm

St Joseph’s School

CS updated the group on the news from the school. A new RE scheme has been introduced this term and from October time, CS has invited anyone who wishes to visit school to see this in action. He stated that if there were a decent number, the school could teach this all at the same time so that we can see it across the age ranges. Child led liturgy has been updated and this will be weekly with KS2 children (ages 7-11) planning the liturgy on a Monday or Tuesday and then showing this to the KS1 children (ages 5-7) later in the week. This will make it truly child led.

The FS2 building is being used again for nursery and FS2 children. £25,000 has been spent upgrading the building to make it a much better learning space for the children and numbers are gradually increasing.

CS warmly invites anyone who wishes to  contact school at any time for a visit to look round school and see the staff and children in action. We thank him for all his enthusiasm and work in his short time as acting head and for his efforts to close the gap between church and school.

School is holding a Mass on Wednesday 17^th September 2025 at 10.30. All are welcome.

Weekday Masses – Fr Andy will say Mass on Thursday mornings at 8.30 am beginning next week, 11^th September.

He will also say Mass on the first Wednesday of the month before the coffee afternoons at 12 noon, beginning Wednesday 1^st October.

Creation Sunday

CP reminded us that Mass for this is the weekend of 20^th/21^stSeptember.

‘The Ocean’ by David Attenborough will be shown in the Parish Rooms on Monday 29^th September. CP needs help with set up with this. MC and HA have offered to help.

St Leonard’s have been invited with a view to them showing this in their church at a later date.

Finance

MM sent word concerning streaming in church and the benefits and costs of this. The group agreed more discussion was needed on this with the input of both MM and TD and this was agreed to be the reflection next month.

Safeguarding

SH welcomed AMB to be also involved in this area. We thank AMB for her generosity in taking on this role. SH made the point that the Bereavement Group need DBS screening to protect them in their role. All agreed.

100 Club

KS has kindly taken this on from Kevin Mogan as he no longer wishes to do so - and the group wishes to thank him for his work and input over the past years. KS has produced a poster and rules to be put our at Mass on future Sundays. She will visit BWR to introduce the club there also.

Ecumenical Group

KS has also been Fr Andy’s representative at these meetings. The Methodist church has employed Peter Farmer as a full time outreach worker. He is beginning a Youth club on Wednesdays and has many ideas going forward. He would like involvement from as many people as possible across the churches. KS will keep us updated on this. We thank her for this.

Carols by Candlelight

Both Anna and Siobhan have been contacted and are happy to do this. AMC to contact again and try and find a date convenient to all.

Next meeting

Wednesday 8^th October 2025