Minutes of the Parish Pastoral Council Meeting
7.40pm Wednesday 25th September 2019
Barrow (Bishop Beveridge Club)
 
Present: Fr John, Terry Breed, Veronica Brown, Pam Looi, Bron Coleman, Cath Jackson, Rebecca Jinks, Kathryn Timmons, David Cafferky, Peter Fryer. 

1. Opening prayer led by Fr John
2. Apologies: none received
3. Matter arising from last meeting:

• Parishioners in need: council members were urged to be alert for possible cases and to refer these to Fr John. 
• Cassocks: it was agreed that action be taken as a matter of urgency. They will remain the property of the church and not of individual servers. A range of available sizes is needed. Colour of new cassocks must match that of existing stock.
• Church Notice: the Council supported the idea mooted by the Friends of St Gregory’s that a more impressive notice outside the church should be commissioned. Terry will get a quote from the carpenter who made the new shelf for the Sacred Heart statue. The crucifix in the alcove above the door also needs replacing as it is in a very poor condition.
• Wooden statue of Christ sending us on our way: the arm needs to be re-attached to the statue. 

1. Family/Parish events:

• The Garden Party had been a great occasion in a wonderful venue for which Roberta and Stephen were thanked.
• The Pizza evening for the young parishioners was much appreciated and enjoyed by those present. More activities would be desirable (possibly one before Christmas) but it was acknowledged that a lot of organisation was necessary to make such events a success.

1. Confirmation and First Holy Communion:

• The Bishop and his private secretary, Fr Jonathan, had been hugely impressed by the occasion: the confidence of the young candidates (thanks to Rebecca and Roberta), the number and the standard of the altar servers (Wilf), the music (Jean and Veronica) and the real sense of community that they could sense among the congregation. Rebecca commented on the self-evident friendship among the First Holy Communicants and how wonderful it would be if they were all to be confirmed together in the future.

1. Prayer and devotion together (Rosary, Divine Mercy & Sacred Heart):

• David Cafferky proposed the introduction of devotional sessions on three occasions per week at different times of the day. He offered to take responsibility for producing material as well as a timetable of the different sessions. It was agreed that he would speak to the parish at the end of Mass on 29th September and that the new scheme would take effect from 3rd October. This initiative was strongly supported by the PPC members – encouragement of the spiritual development of our parish community is at the very root of the reason for the PPC’s existence.

1. November Mass for the Dead (17thNovember): 

• It was agreed that the Sunday after Remembrance Sunday would be designated as the day when we remembered in particular the deceased family and friends of our parish. Mass cards would be distributed to parishioners on which they could indicate the names of those they wished to be remembered at Mass. These cards would be placed in a basket and brought up to the altar at the Offertory. It was strongly felt that these cards should notbe circulated to parishioners at the same time as the Christmas Fayre raffle tickets. The best time to issue them was thought to be at half-term, 12th– 20th October.
• Father John suggested that we might initiate a “Grave Blessing” tradition. He proposed that he would attend each of the four cemeteries in the two parishes (Barrow, Sileby, Loughborough and Syston) at 2.00pm on each of the Sundays in November. Parishioners with family/friends interred at these cemeteries would accompany him to the relevant graves where he would issue a blessing. This is a tradition in other parts of the country and the suggestion was wholeheartedly supported by the meeting. Details would be circulated at the same time as the Mass cards. The suggested rota would be: Barrow 3rdNovember; Sileby 10thNovember; Loughborough 17thNovember; Syston 24thNovember.
• On another subject, it was pointed out that we can have our homes blessed. This might not be widely known and so it was suggested that mention should be made on the parish website.

1. Christmas Vigil Mass:

• It was agreed that the altar should be on the stage as the focal point of the service.
• Chairs would be arranged facing the altar, as in church.
• A smallish area would be preserved below the stage for the re-enactment of the Nativity by the children.
• Parents will be tactfully reminded that the School Room is available should young children become too restless.
• Lighting would be adjusted with emphasis on the altar.

1. Social Centre report:

• Bron reported that all was well and was happy to note that a regular booking had been received from Homefield College.
• Father John had visited the Doctors’ Surgery and firmly requested that they do not use the car park at the back of the church as this is needed by those who hire the Social Centre.

 

1. Finance Committee report:(submitted by Paul Carroll)

• Audited accounts had been submitted to the Diocese. The new financial year has got off to a satisfactory start with no significant issues arising. The surplus of income over expenditure is in line with the same period last year. Congratulations were expressed to Bron and her team for the £1,000 surplus generated by the Social Centre. The main aim is to build up reserves to ensure that the three building for which we are responsible (Church, House and Social Centre) are kept in good condition and to fund faith-based activities and any spiritual initiatives.
• The Parish Pastoral Council is as always indebted to the Finance Committee for their efficient managing of the parish’s resources.

1. AOB 

• School Room: it was felt that a complete reassessment of the layout of the School Room was needed, including seating arrangements and the best way of accommodating the Repository. Barbara should be involved in recognition of her sterling work in this area.
• Young parishioners’ involvement in the PPC. It was felt that we should canvas the young people so that their wishes/ideas could be brought to the forum of the PPC.
• CAFOD Harvest Festival envelopes would be distributed on Sunday 29thfor collection the following week. Harvest Festival Sunday will be October 6thand parishioners would be encouraged to bring offerings which would be sold (by donation) after Mass on that day.
• Kathryn has a large set of rosary beads given to her and which she wishes to pass on to a suitable recipient.
• Michelle Corkery will appeal for the shoebox scheme at mass (6th October) before the final blessing. She will put up a poster in the notice board that contains all relevant details. She also has fliers to hand out to people if they are interested.The completed shoeboxes need to be returned to Michelle no later than the 16.11.2019.
• Bidding Prayers: Fr John agreed to include the traditional Sileby prayers (sick list; children at risk; any other intentions) into his Bidding Prayers to reduce the number of sheets that the Reader has to juggle on a Sunday. 
• Advent Charity: it was suggested that this year we support a local cause “Loughborough Town of Sanctuary” as our parish Advent charity. More details will be provided in due course. 

1. Dates of next meeting: December 4th
2. Closing prayer

 
 
 
The meeting closed at 9.10pm
​

​Minutes of the Parish Pastoral Council Meeting
Wednesday 19th June 2019
Barrow (Bishop Beveridge Club)
 
Present: Terry Breed, Veronica Brown, Bron Coleman, Rebecca Jinks, Kathryn Timmons, Peter Fryer. 

1. Opening prayer: we used the new parish prayer card.
2. Apologies: Marlene Bartlett, Pam Looi, Cath Jackson. Fr John was absent due to his mother’s recent death.
3. Matter Arising from last meeting:

• Memorial Plaque: this has been transferred to the council offices in Barrow prior to its transfer to Barrow cemetery.
• Safe: the Finance Committee has suggested that a hasp could be welded to the safe to make it secure. 
• Altar Servers’ Cassocks: this matter is still ongoing. Measurements have been taken, but it was pointed out that, if there was much more delay, sizes might need to be readjusted.

4.          Parishioners in need: further discussion took place regarding practical measures that could be employed to assist one particular parishioner. Rebecca has a contact who has expertise in social care matters and who will be asked to make a visit and suggest practical steps that might be taken. Kathryn is to seek advice from a contact in the SVP for advice on how we might proceed.
5.          Confirmation planning: there are eight candidates. These will be presented to the parish at Mass on a Sunday at the beginning of September. It was agreed that there should be a small presentation to the candidates in the same way as there was when the First Holy Communion candidates were introduced at a Sunday Mass. Rebecca will give some thought to a suitable item. The Friends of St Gregory’s might be prepared to make a contribution to the cost, though this is something the parish should be prepared to do if necessary. The Bishop will be coming to St Gregory’s on Friday 20th September. The service will start at 7.00pm. There will be a shared table in the Social Centre afterwards. Rebecca is to circulate the parents of the candidates to set in motion the organisation of the event. All parishioners will be invited to attend and make a food offering. 
6.          First Holy Communion: the families have expressed their gratitude to the parish for their help and support throughout the preparation programme (pizza evening in November; gift of Mass books; warmth of their support on First Communion Day). Three of the group have now become altar servers. The group had developed a real friendship that we must seek to nourish and this led into the next item on the agenda. The members of the PPC wished to record at this meeting their gratitude to the catechists who work so inspirationally in the preparation of our young people for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation.
7.          Family events: Rebecca offered to consult with the parish “Holy Mums” (!) group to elicit ideas of what we might do to organise family events. It was thought that holiday periods would be the best time. The young people themselves should be encouraged to make suggestions. It was thought that there might be a “light” religious element in the day. These events would not be restricted to families with young children, but would be aimed at the wider parish to emphasise our sense of community. 
8.          Social Centre report: Bron reported that bookings were increasing. There was concern once again about car parking. Recently the activities of a hall hirer (Homefield College) were restricted by cars illegally parked at the back of church in the social centre car park. They hinted that they might have to look elsewhere if this situation continued. We cannot afford to lose such a valuable customer. It was agreed that Bron would leaflet any cars found using the “back” car park. In addition, Sheila Breed would be asked if she would approach the Doctor’s Surgery to remind them that only the four spaces nearest the entrance should be used. This was the original arrangement. In the event of charges being introduced in the Tesco Car Park (as is rumoured), there is a danger that our car park would be seen as free all-day parking. Serious thought would need to be given in this case to the installation of a lifting bollard to restrict random use of the car park.
9.          Finance Committee report: Paul Carroll submitted a report of the current finances of the parish. The accounts for 2018-2019 have been completed and are ready to be submitted to the auditor. They will then be presented to the parish. The recommended aim is to have a reserve of 50% of average annual expenditure. We are about £6,000 short of this target. The PPC would like to express the gratitude of the parish to the Finance Committee for their meticulous management of this important aspect of parish life.
10.          AOB

• St. Mary’s Grub Club: this is a voluntary group which aims to alleviate the poverty experienced by some families living in the area by providing a nutritious mid-day meal to specific children and their parents/carers during the school holidays. Kathryn offered to join the group. We will publicise this in future newsletters.
• Mass Books: the panic over the unexpected changeover of Sunday Mass books was successfully dealt with.
• Kathryn reported that she had been asked to submit an article to the diocesan newspaper,  “Catholic News”, on the subject of ecumenism in our parish, notably the part we play in the “Churches Together in Barrow” group. If the article is accepted, publication is expected in the July edition.
• Bidding Prayer: Peter to ask Fr John if it would be possible to include list of Sick & Housebound, Children at Risk and “Any other intentions” in his printed copy to avoid readers having to handle multiple sheets. 

11.          Dates of future meetings: September 25th ; December 4th .
12.          Closing prayer.
 
The meeting closed at 8.50pm.
 
Circulation: Fr John, Terry Breed, Veronica Brown, Pam Looi, Bron Coleman, Marlene Bartlett, Stephen Giacchino, Cath Jackson, Rebecca Jinks, Kathryn Timmons, Peter Fryer.