The Latest News from Our Parishes
Parishes Newsletter
Quiet Adoration – English Martyrs
Thursday, 1st June 2023
At English Martyrs, from 2pm to 4pm, an opportunity for quiet adoration. Please add your name to the sheet in the lobby if you can commit some of your time. Alternatively, just turn up for all or part of the afternoon.
Summer Fete – English Martyrs
Saturday, 17th June 2023
The English Martyrs’ Summer Fete is one of the great social gatherings of the year and will be held on the 17th June. We will need volunteers to help run the stalls. Please think about how you could help. We will need donations of good quality bric-a-brac, toys, books, toiletries, items for the raffle, items for the tombola, jams, plants and items for the bottle stall. Freshly baked cakes will be accepted on the day. There will be plenty of amusements and activities. Light food and refreshments will be served. Please do support this fundraising event.
Liturgical & Extraordinary Ministries
Please come forward and let Fr. Gerry know if you would like to join the reading rotas for Sunday masses. You will find it a rewarding experience. A training session will shortly be arranged for all new and existing readers.
Holy Communion under both kinds will be reintroduced shortly at Sunday Masses. Both parishes will need to have a sufficient number of Extraordinary Ministers to assist with offering the Precious Blood from the chalice. All those who were Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion prior to lockdown and who wish to resume this role are asked to speak with Fr. Gerry. Other parishioners who would like to join this ministry should also come forward. A training session for this will also be arranged.
Mass with Annointing of the Sick – St. Augustine’s
Saturday, 8th July 2023
The Mass for the annointing of the sick will take place this year on Saturday 8th July starting at 11am. Further information and a sign up list will be available in June.
Gardening Volunteers – St. Augustine’s
The parish garden grounds around St. Augustine’s are badly in need of attention. We no longer have a contract gardener. We need to form a group of gardening volunteers who would be happy to help in various ways: cut the grass, trim the hedge, kill the weeds, and help make the grounds nicer. Please come forward if you can help. Your participation would be much appreciated. It would save the parish the expense of hiring a professional gardener.
Children’s Liturgy – St Augustine’s
We are delighted that several people have come forward to help with children’s liturgy in our parish. We are currently going through the formal process of completing forms and hope to make a start in the near future. If anyone else might be interested in helping, please contact Fr. Gerry.
Clifton Diocese Pilgrimage – Lourdes
18th to 25th August 2023
After a few years of not being able to travel, the Diocese may once again experience the Lourdes Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage will be lead by Bishop Declan. Details can be found on the Diocese website. Please be aware that payment will need to be paid in full by 31st May 2023.
Noah’s Camp
7th to 11th August 2023
This popular family event is being held once again in Dymock. Although it is a Catholic diocese event everybody will be welcome. It will be a fun filled holiday week encountering God and getting to know his love in a deeper way. There will also be plenty of amusements and activities. Speakers in 2023 include Christy Wimber, Michelle Moran, Daniella Stephens and Derek Willaims. For further information and booking details please visit their website or phone 07961 346343.
Music – St. Augustine’s
Our folk group accompanies the 11am Mass on the first Sunday of every month. The St Augustine’s Singers additionally provides music on every third Sunday of the month. The groups practise on the Wednesday beforehand at 6:15pm to run through the music for the Sunday Mass. If you would like to join a group you would be made very welcome. Just pop up to the choir loft and introduce yourself or come along to a practice.
CAFOD Easter Appeal
CAFOD are asking us to help support families around the world who are affected by the global food crisis. There are 200 million people at risk of malnutrition in the world. Your support will help CAFOD to work with local partners to tackle the hunger. It is never too late to support their work. Donations can be made online at any time. Please be generous, and please gift aid your donation.
CAFOD is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
[ CAFOD ]
Gloucester Food Bank
Thank you to all who have been donating. Please continue to be generous. The service that the Food Bank provides is now more urgently needed than ever before. Dry or tinned foods can be donated. They cannot accept frozen items, fresh vegetables or anything with alcohol. Weekly collection from English Martyrs. Items can also be left in the lobby at St. Augustines.
Energy Cost Increases
Energy costs have risen for everyone. The parish energy bills, unlike for individual households, are not capped, and are not elegible for any government support. Our electrictiy tariff is 2.5 times higher than it was in the past. There was also a huge increase in the price for gas. Please be mindful of these costs when using church premises, and help minimise wastage.
Health and Safety
We have a collective responsibility to ensure that church premises are safe. Please be aware of potential hazards, be careful when using church equipment and do not try to hurry. In case of any accident, incident or near-miss an accident report will need to be completed and given to Fr. Gerry. At English Martyrs the accident book is with the first aid kit in the corridor. At St. Augustines it is in the kitchen.
The health and safety representatives are Anna Marie Paulet at English Martyrs and Francis Brown at St. Augustines.
Buildings and Maintenance – St Augustine’s
Various jobs need to be done around the church. For this we need volunteers who would be willing to help. Please consider whether you can help. If you can then please make it known to Francis Brown.
Please also let Francis know of any defects, repairs or work items that need doing, no matter how small.
Missio ( APF ) / Mill Hill Missions
Please support the work of Missio ( APF ) / Mill Hill. They support world missions and provide missionaries with the spiritual and material support they need to provide pastoral care and preach the Gospel to local Catholic communities.
Parisioners may join the ‘Red Box’ scheme to donate their loose change, or may donate online anytime on the Missio web site. A regular direct debit is the Society’s preferred way to receive funds. Please be generous, and please gift aid your contributions.
[ missio.org.uk ]
Ukraine Appeal Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for Peace
Please be generous in your support. St. Peter’s is collecting for those who are affected by the war in Ukraine. An online donation may also be made on the web sites of the Disasters Emergency Committee ( DEC ) or CAFOD.
CAFOD have said a huge thank you for all the support, prayers and donations for the people of Ukraine. Catholics in England and Wales have donated over £3 million.
On 25th March 2022 shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine Pope Francis Consecrated Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In his General Audience on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 he encouraged everyone to renew the Consecration. The prayer Pope Francis used in 20222 can be found by clicking on this link.
Pope Francis Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Hiring of our Halls for Private Events
Following consultation with the diocese the policy for hiring our halls for private events has changed.
- The halls can only be hired by parishioners or family members.
- Hirers will need to complete the new Individual Hire Contract form.
- A cut-off time of 7pm will apply, except when expressly agreed.
- A deposit of £100 will be required if the hirer is not well-known.
These resistrictions do not apply for parish functions. Also our halls will continue to be available for hire by businesses, clubs and other organisations.
Enquiries about availability should be addressed to Marisa ( for English Martyrs ) or to Dariusz ( for St. Augustine’s ).
World Youth Day 2023
World Youth Day will next take place in Lisbon in 2023. The Diocese is organising an eight day pilgrimage from 31st July to 8th August 2023. If you are interested in knowing more about the pilgrimage please visit the Diocese web page.