The Sick: The Diocese, on advice and under Data Protection Regulations (May 2018), asks us not to name individuals, but to pray for them as a group within the Parish Body as those in particular need.
Recently Deceased: Fr Edward Corbould OSB, James Daly
Anniversaries: Peter Davey, Sheila Aldous-Ball, Marie Podgorski, Joyce Baxter, Alice Crowther, Freddie Thompson
HOME COMMUNIONS If you require Holy Communion at home, please contact John Ridge: [email protected], Fr Kentigern or Fr Bernard either by e-mail or leave a telephone message by 8.00pm on Friday evening stating whether you require a weekly visit or a one-off call. Someone will then be in contact to arrange a suitable day and time to visit.
EASY FUNDRAISER Do you regularly shop online? Did you know you could support your church at the same time? For more information speak to Tracey in the Parish Office and see information leaflets in the Hall.
WORLD COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION Gathers each Monday in St Benedict’s Hall at 2pm, and on Thursdays via Zoom at 8pm.
CHRISTIAN MEN OF THE VALLEY Meet each Monday at 8.00pm to share faith, friendship and interests.
FABRIC PROJECTS Work should now have been completed on the Resurfacing of the Drive. Works have cost £35000. All contributions to these costs will be gratefully received,
FUTURE EVENTS
Saturday 7 December – Family Christmas Craft Day from 10.00am, with sale of works after Mass on Sunday 8 December.
Friday 13 December – Community Carol Service at Ampleforth Abbey
Sunday 15 December – Youth Church Carol Singing, starting at Village Hall 6.30pm
CAFOD Donate to CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal at cafod.org.uk/ipc or call 0303 303 3030. or to the Sudan Crisis Appeal: cafod.org.uk/SudanAppeal or call: 0808 58 588 85. Please remember to return your Fast Day Envelopes.
AMPLEFORTH CAROL SINGING Plans are afoot for two opportunities to go carol singing amongst the areas of Ampleforth Village. Sunday 15 December with the young people of Youth Church 6.30 – 8.00pm. Monday 23 December with a more adult group (with likely visits to the pub for refreshments) Watch out for more information
ADVENT RETREAT (AGE 15 TO YOUNG ADULTS) AT CASTLERIGG MANOR Bookings will close for the Advent Retreat at Castlerigg on December 11th at Midday. The open retreats at Castlerigg give teens and young adults a great way to make friends, deepen their faith, and have some fun and they usually prove very popular. The weekend costs £65 but anyone who might struggle with this is invited to get in touch. Further details – [email protected]. Sign up at castleriggmanor.com >> what’s coming up.
MIDDLESBROUGH FOODBANK Dear MFB Supporters, A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed to the recent delivery of: Food:-124.35kg Cash:-£100 Thank you for your support at a time when the need is greater than ever and there has been a continuing drop in donations to Food Banks. A SPECIAL THANK YOU to staff and students of St Margaret’s House, Ampleforth College who boosted our November collection with a large donation, which was very cheering and gratefully received!
AND NOW FOR THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL! We will again be uniting our efforts with those of Peter and Sue Allen for their Christmas Appeal, from the villages of Cawton, Stonegrave and Gilling. We know you will want to give generously and to include Christmas food, goodies and toiletries along with the usual donations of essentials.
NEXT DELIVERY: TUES. 10th DEC. DEADLINE for Ampleforth: 12 noon MON. 9th DEC.
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. THANK YOU ALL!
MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation?
SYCAMORE
SESSION NINE FINDING TRUE FREEDOM
St Benedict’s Hall Thursday 5 December from 10.15am or Friday 6 December from 7.00pm
ALL WELCOME
CHRISTMAS CARDS A selection of Christmas Cards produced by the SVP will be on sale at the back of the church. Payment by cash or using the digital collection plate. All funds to support the work of the SVP.
ADVENT TEA Enjoy Tea, Cake and Juice Tuesday 3rd December 3.30 after School pick up OL&SB Hall Come and hear about some new exciting events and opportunities that are coming up.
COMMUNITY CRAFT SESSION Make beautiful Christmas decorations to sell in aid of children of Lebanon. Saturday 7th December 10am to 11.30am FREE ENTRY
WARM WINTER SPACES Every Wednesday. At Ampleforth Village Hall. An opportunity for companionship, a simple meal, conversation and activities. Transport can be arranged.
Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope Personal and Parish Responses to the Jubilee 10am - 1pm Saturday 7 December 2024 FREE EVENT - ALL WELCOME 01642 597750 ticketsource.co.uk [email protected] It would be good if we at St. Benedict’s could get a group together to attend this meeting. One of the items for consideration arises from a topic discussed recently with a group from St.Leonard’s, Malton, - the fate of the New Covenant with the Poor, signed by Bishop John Crowley in 1997 but now outdated and neglected. An updated, new or revised covenant will be deliberated on the 7th. Poverty, we know, is at the heart of our world’s problems. Have a word with David, or just come along.
Assisted Dying Bill - Ampleforth Forum On November 26, 3 days before the Assisted Dying Bill debate in Parliament, experts on palliative care, pain management, the local provision of relevant services and the legal aspects of assisted dying, supported by a streamed link providing a warning on the Canadian experience of medically assisted dying (MAID) led a well-attended forum for all faiths and none, with varying positions on assisted dying, at St. Benedict’s Ampleforth. The panel included forum convenor Dr Philippa MC Armstrong MBChB FRCA Consultant in Anaesthetics and Pain Management & Clinical Lead for Pain Services, York and Scarborough Hospitals, NHS Trust, Dr Gregory Black MBChB MRCGP GP Partner at Ampleforth and Hovingham Surgeries, Dr Sunitha Daniel MBBS FRCP PhD Consultant in Specialist Palliative Care at York Hospital also covering palliative care in the Community, chair Robert Toone, barrister, and in Canada, Larry Worthen, executive director of the Canadian Medical and Dental Association. The forum heard of the state and impressive capability of end-of-life and palliative care services locally and in England - excellent but seriously affected by under-funding and the post-code lottery in which rural areas are at particular risk and also the fact that if good palliative care were to be available to all, no one would have to die in pain. The fears and experiences of those approaching death, anxieties concerning pain, actual pain, coercion, the autonomy of the individual, the feeling of being a burden on loved ones and society, loneliness, vulnerability, the sense of a duty to die were all aired. Attention was also given to the legal minefield attendant upon the provision of such services in our country and to the opinion of two leading public law KC’s that the Canadian experience is how it is most likely to play out here. The fears voiced by the former Lord Chief Justice and the former Chief Coroner that the current bill offers no workable legal process and strips the Coroner of vital supervisory powers was also explained. The history and current situation in Canada, was very well expounded by Larry Worthern via video link, giving the history of 8 years’ experience of legalised assisted dying. This shows that Canada is now probably the leading provider of these ‘services’. Larry Worthern provided a stark warning of what lay ahead for countries following suit, and a recommendation that our legislators pay particular attention to the Canadian experience in which protective safeguards are rapidly eroded, safeguards concerning the immanence of expected death, the mental and physical age of relevant patients, the independence of patients’ decisions, the protection of the consciences of doctors and nurses previously dedicated to the preservation of life, the doctor/patient relationship, and more, even to the point where assistance to kill oneself and even euthanasia (death by lethal injection) has been recommended by a joint parliamentary committee to be made available to “mature minors” under 18 with no lower age limit. Now Canada is seeing the commercialisation of such ‘services’, the knock-on effect on recruitment to the medical professions, and the raising of MAID to the status of an ethically accepted therapy on a par with others. In Canada MAID is now the sixth most common official cause of death. The forum closed in the hope that an informed society would prevail upon legislators to give due consideration to the wisdom of continuing down the path embarked upon, and that it would press ever more strongly and insistently for a radical approach to the funding of palliative care throughout the country.
CURRY NIGHT A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our Curry night a great success! That includes those who came along, helped out in any way, donated raffle prizes and especially Prema and her team who cooked a delicious selection of curries. It was a wonderful occasion and has raised money to go towards paying for our driveway - final count to be published in a later newsletter. Jennie Black and the Social & Fellowship Team
LEADERSHIP TEAM NEWS On Monday 18 November the members of the new Leadership Team Robert & Amanda Toone, David Walsh, Clare Lally & Philippa Armstrong (Sue Walsh was unavailable) met to reflect on their first experience of Divine Renovation Coaching and the visit of Abbot Robert. Key issues revolved around transparency of decision making, and the involvement of the Parish, Fr Abbot’s picture of a possible future and the need to continue working hard to reach out to the widest number of people in our area. Already much work is being done to build bridges with different groups within the parish, and there was focussed discussion about planning for the Christmas celebrations. (Other parts of the Bulletin give details of these). The Team reiterated its commitment to members being available after Mass each weekend for parishioners to ask questions or raise ideas. The Leadership team will next meet for a Retreat Day on Saturday 14 December followed by a next meeting with our coach on Wednesday 18 December.